ing now
removed, shows plainly that the emperors must long before this have
found out some other way of support; and this was by stipendiating the
Goths, a people that, deriving their roots from the northern parts of
Germany, or out of Sweden, had, through their victories obtained against
Domitian, long since spread their branches to so near a neighborhood
with the Roman territories that they began to overshadow them. For the
emperors making use of them in their armies, as the French do at this
day of the Switz, gave them that under the notion of a stipend, which
they received as tribute, coming, if there were any default in the
payment, so often to distrain for it, that in the time of Honorius
they sacked Rome, and possessed themselves of Italy. And such was the
transition of ancient into modern prudence, or that breach, which being
followed in every part of the Roman Empire with inundations of Vandals,
Huns, Lombards, Franks, Saxons, overwhelmed ancient languages, learning,
prudence, manners, cities, changing the names of rivers, countries,
seas, mountains, and men; Camillus, Caesar, and Pompey, being come to
Edmund, Richard, and Geoffrey.

To open the groundwork or balance of these new politicians: "Feudum,"
says Calvin the lawyer, "is a Gothic word of divers significations;
for it is taken either for war, or for a possession of conquered lands,
distributed by the victor to such of his captains and soldiers as had
merited in his wars, upon condition to acknowledge him to be their
perpetual lord, and themselves to be his subjects."

Of these there were three kinds or orders: the first of nobility
distinguished by the titles of dukes, marquises, earls, and these
being gratified with the cities, castles, and villages of the conquered
Italians, their feuds participated of royal dignity, and were called
regalia, by which they had right to coin money, create magistrates, take
toll, customs, confiscations, and the like.

Feuds of the second order were such as, with the consent of the King,
were bestowed by these feudatory princes upon men of inferior quality,
called their barons, on condition that next to the King they should
defend the dignities and fortunes of their lords in arms.

The lowest order of feuds were such, as being conferred by those of the
second order upon private men, whether noble not noble, obliged them in
the like duty to their superiors; the were called vavasors. And this is
the Gothic balance, by w