mely odious and disgustful to
them. They seized, therefore, such a portion of the conquered lands as
appeared necessary; they assigned a share for supporting the dignity
of their prince and government; they distributed other parts, under the
title of fiefs, to the chiefs; these made a new partition among their
retainers; the express condition of all these grants was, that they
might be resumed at pleasure, and that the possessor, so long as he
enjoyed them, should still remain in readiness to take the field for the
defence of the nation. And though the conquerors immediately separated,
in order to enjoy their new acquisitions, their martial disposition made
them readily fulfil the terms of their engagement: they assembled on
the first alarm; their habitual attachment to the chieftain made them
willingly submit to his command; and thus a regular military force
though concealed was always ready to defend, on any emergency, the
interest and honor of the community.

We are not to imagine, that all the conquered lands were seized by
the northern conquerors, or that the whole of the land thus seized was
subjected to those military services. This supposition is confuted by
the history of all the nations on the continent. Even the idea given us
of the German manners by the Roman historian, may convince us, that
that bold people would never have been content with so precarious a
subsistence, or have fought to procure establishments which were only
to continue during the good pleasure of their sovereign. Though the
northern chieftains accepted of lands which, being considered as a kind
of military pay, might be resumed at the will of the king or general,
they also took possession of estates which, being hereditary and
independent, enabled them to maintain their native liberty, and support,
without court favor, the honor of their rank and family.

But there is a great difference, in the consequences, between the
distribution of a pecuniary subsistence, and the assignment of lands
burdened with the condition of military service. The delivery of the
former, at the weekly, monthly, or annual terms of payment, still
recalls the idea of a voluntary gratuity from the prince, and reminds
the soldier of the precarious tenure by which he holds his commission.
But the attachment, naturally formed with a fixed portion of land,
gradually begets the idea of something like property, and makes the
possessor forget his dependent situation, and t