every village, or separate community, is fubjected to its own leader, it is to be fuppofed that, in their joint meafures, the several chiefs, when united together, will enjoy an influence correfpondent to that which they have separately acquired over their own particular dependents; and that the frequent meeting and deliberation of those diftinguished perfonages will at length give rise to a regular affembly, invefted with power and authority to determine in all the important affairs of the fociety. The fame circumftances, however, which influence the members of a fingle clan to be guided by a particular perfon in their smaller expeditions, render a fimilar expedient yet more neceffary in conducting a numerous army, composed of different clans, often difagreeing in their views, and little connected with each other.Some ONE LEADER is therefore entrusted with the fupreme command of their united forces; and the fame influence, by which he was first raised to that dignity, enables him frequently to maintain it during life, and even in many cases to render it hereditary.-In this manner a GREAT CHIEF OF KING is placed at the head of a nation, and claims, by degrees, the inspection and fuper fuperintendence of various branches of the public admi nistration. But, notwithstanding the rank and pre-eminence enjoyed by this primitive fovereign, his authority at first is far from being confiderable.-The chiefs, who retain all their original influence over their respective tribes, and who are jealous of a fuperior, are disposed to allow him no higher prerogatives than are requifite to answer the purposes for which he was created.-Though, in a day of battle, his power may extend over the whole people, yet on other occafions it is for the most part limited to his own particular clan; and though in the field his orders are not to be difputed, yet in the council public measures are determined by the majority of voices, and the king is little more than the prefident of the meeting. After the conclufion of an expedition, when the different clans have retired to their feparate places of abode, they are almost entirely withdrawn from his influence, and live under the protection of their feveral leaders, to whofe jurifdiction and authority they are totally fubjected. Such are the uniform accounts which have been given by travellers concerning the government of those king doms, doms, either upon the coaft of Africa, or in the countries belonging to Afia, in which a number of diftinc tribes or villages are but imperfectly united together*. But the most noted examples of that species of government, which arifes from the firft union of different clans, occurs in the early history of the modern kingdoms of Europe.-It has already been observed, that when the German nations fubdued the western empire, the land was divided among a variety of chiefs, or heads of families, who diftributed a part of their eftates among their dependents and retainers, over whom they exercifed an almost unlimited authority.-These barons were altogether independent of each other, and poffeffed a degree of rank and power, in proportion to the number of vaffals which they were able to maintain.-Their poffeffions, which they had obtained by lot, or occupied without oppofition, were entirely at their disposal, and defcended to their posterity by hereditary fucceffion. -They acknowledged no fuperior but the king, to whom they were only liable in military services. * Histoire generale des voyages, 4to. tom. iv. liv. 8. chap. 3. fect. 4.-Ibid. tom. v. liv. 9. chap. 7. fect. 7.—Ibid. liv. 10. chap. 2. 6.—See Calendar's collection of voyages, vol. i. p. 67, 68. VOL. I. F The The king, or chief, in all measures of importance was obliged to act with the concurrence of an affembly composed of the leading men in the country.-Such were the ancient parliaments of France, the Corts in Spain, and the Wittenagemote in England.-With their advice he determined what enterprizes fhould be undertaken; and, according to their refolutions, every baron was obliged, under fevere penalties, to appear in the field at the head of his vaffals.-In thefe affemblies it was usual to divide the plunder which had been gained by the army, to make such regulations as were intended to be effectual over the whole community, and to decide, in the last resort, the lawfuits which arofe between the members of different baronies. The Roman and Greek ftates were originally of small extent, and the inhabitants, being collected in one city, were led in a fhort time to cultivate an acquaintance, and to incorporate in one fociety.-The policy, which was eafily established in fuch a limited territory, put a ftop to those divifions fo prevalent among neighbouring tribes of barbarians.-The animofity of different families was no longer cherished by reciprocal acts of hoftility; they were on the contrary united, on all occa fions, against the common enemies of the state; and as. they had every incitement to maintain an intimate correfpondence with each other, the diftinctions of families were foon extinguished and forgotten.-The power of the chiefs, or nobility, which depended upon the attachment of their refpective clans, was therefore quickly destroyed; and the monarch, who remained at the head of the nation without a rival to counterbalance his influence, had no difficulty in extending his authority over the whole of his dominions. The more extenfive ftates of Europe, erected by the Gothic nations, were placed in a different fituation.→→ The numerous inhabitants, scattered over a wide and often inacceffible country, were for a long time prevented from having much intercourfe with each other, and from correcting their ancient rude and barbarous cuftoms.-The feveral tribes who had entered into an alliance were not thereby induced to lay afide their former jealoufies and feuds; and though fometimes united under a king in common expeditions, they were no lefs frequently divided by their private quarrels, and excited to follow their feveral barons in the commiffion of mutual inroads and depredations. F2 Thus |