下载辰思小说免费APP
Allthatcouldbeexpectedthenwastorepairingeneraltheinjuriesdonebothtochurchandstate。[156]Thekingsengagednottodeprivethenobilityoftheirfreemen，andnottogiveawayanymorechurch—landsbyprecepts，[157]sothattheinterestsoftheclergyandnobilityseemedthentobeunited。
ThedreadfuldepredationsoftheNormans，asIhavealreadyobserved，contributedgreatlytoputanendtothosequarrels。
Theauthorityofourkingsdiminishingeveryday，bothforthereasonsalreadygivenandthosewhichIshallmentionhereafter，theyimaginedtheyhadnobetterresourceleft，thantoresignthemselvesintothehandsoftheclergy。Buttheecclesiasticshadweakenedthepowerofthekings，andthesehaddiminishedtheinfluenceoftheecclesiastics。InvaindidCharlestheBaldandhissuccessorscallinthechurchtosupportthestate，andtopreventitsruin；invaindidtheymakeuseofthe。respectwhichthecommonaltyhadforthatbody，[158]tomaintainthatwhichtheyshouldalsohavefortheirprince；[159]invaindidtheyendeavourtogiveanauthoritytotheirlawsbythatofthecanons；invaindidtheyjointheecclesiasticwiththecivilpunishments；[160]invaintocounterbalancetheauthorityofthecountdidtheygivetoeachbishopthetitleoftheircommissaryintheseveralprovinces；[161]itwasimpossibletorepairthemischieftheyhaddone；andaterriblemisfortune，whichIshallpresentlymention，provedtheruinofthemonarchy。
24。ThattheFreemenwererenderedcapableofholdingFiefs。Isaidthatthefreemenwereledagainsttheenemybytheircount，andthevassalsbytheirlord。Thiswasthereasonthattheseveralordersofthestatebalancedeachother，andthoughtheking’svassalshadothervassalsunderthem，yettheymightbeoverawedbythecount，whowasattheheadofallthefreemenofthemonarchy。
Thefreemenwerenotallowedatfirsttodohomageforafief；butinprocessoftimethiswaspermitted：[162]andIfindthatthischangewasmadeduringtheperiodthatelapsedfromthereignofGontramtothatofCharlemagne。ThisIprovebythecomparisonwhichmaybemadebetweenthetreatyofAndelot，[163]byGontram，Childebert，andQueenBrunehault，andthepartitionmadebyCharlemagneamonghischildren，aswellasalikepartitionbyLouistheDebonnaire。[164]Thesethreeactscontainnearlythesameregulationswithregardtothevassals；andastheydeterminetheverysamepoints，underalmostthesamecircumstances，thespiritaswellastheletterofthosethreetreatiesinthisrespectareverymuchalike。
Butastowhatconcernsthefreemen，thereisavitaldifference。ThetreatyofAndelotdoesnotsaythattheymightdohomageforafief；
whereaswefindinthedivisionsofCharlemagneandLouistheDebonnaireexpressclausestoempowerthemtodohomage。ThisshowsthatanewusagehadbeenintroducedafterthetreatyofAndelot，wherebythefreemenhadbecomecapableofthisgreatprivilege。
ThismusthavehappenedwhenCharlesMartel，afterdistributingthechurch—landstohissoldiers，partlyinfief，andpartlyasallodia，madeakindofrevolutioninthefeudallaws。Itisveryprobablethatthenobilitywhowereseizedalreadyoffiefsfoundagreateradvantageinreceivingthenewgrantsasallodia；andthatthefreementhoughtthemselveshappyinacceptingthemasfiefs。
THEPRINCIPALCAUSEOFTHEHUMILIATIONOFTHESECONDRACE
25。ChangesintheAllodia。Charlemagneinthepartition[165]mentionedintheprecedingchapterordainedthatafterhisdeaththevassalsbelongingtoeachkingshouldbepermittedtoreceivebeneficesintheirownsovereign’sdominion，andnotinthoseofanother；[166]whereastheymaykeeptheirallodialestatesinanyoftheirdominions。[167]Butheadds[168]thateveryfreemanmight，afterthedeathofhislord，dohomageinanyofthreekingdomshepleased，aswellashethatneverhadbeensubjecttoalord。WefindthesameregulationsinthepartitionwhichLouistheDebonnairemadeamonghischildrenintheyear817。
Butthoughthefreemanhaddonehomageforafief，yetthecount’smilitiawasnottherebyweakened：thefreemanwasstillobligedtocontributeforhisallodium，andtogetpeoplereadyfortheservicebelongingtoit，attheproportionofonemantofourmanors；orelsetoprocureamanthatshoulddothedutyofthefiefinhisstead。Andwhensomeabuseshadbeenintroduceduponthishead，theywereredressed，asappearsbytheconstitutionsofCharlemagne，[169]andbythatofPepin，KingofItaly，whichexplaineachother。[170]
TheremarkmadebyhistoriansthatthebattleofFontenaywastheruinofthemonarchy，isverytrue；butIbegleavetocastaneyeontheunhappyconsequencesofthatday。
Sometimeafterthebattle，thethreebrothers，Lothairius，Louis，andCharles，madeatreaty，[171]whereinIfindsomeclauseswhichmusthavealteredthewholepoliticalsystemoftheFrenchgovernment。
1。Inthedeclaration[172]whichCharlesmadetothepeopleofthepartofthetreatyrelatingtothem，hesaysthateveryfreemanmightchoosewhomhepleasedforhislord，[173]whetherthekingoranyofthenobility。Beforethistreatythefreemanmightdohomageforafief；buthisallodiumstillcontinuedundertheimmediatepoweroftheking，thatis，underthecount’sjurisdiction；andhedependedonthelordtowhomhevowedfealty，onlyonaccountofthefiefwhichhehadobtained。
Afterthattreatyeveryfreemanhadarighttosubjecthisallodiumtotheking，ortoanyotherlord，ashethoughtproper。Thequestionisriotinregardtothosewhoputthemselvesundertheprotectionofanotherforafief，buttosuchaschangedtheirallodialintoafeudalland，andwithdrewthemselves，asitwere，fromtheciviljurisdictiontoenterunderthepoweroftheking，orofthelordwhomtheythoughtpropertochoose。
Thusitwasthatthosewhoformerlywereonlyundertheking’spower，asfreemenunder’thecount，becameinsensiblyvassalsoneofanother，sinceeveryfreemanmightchoosewhomhepleasedforhislord，thekingoranyofthenobility。
2。Ifamanchangedanestatewhichhepossessedinperpetuityintoafief，thisnewfiefcouldnolongerbeonlyforlife。Hencewesee，ashorttimeafter，agenerallawforgivingthefiefstothechildrenofthepresentpossessor：[174]itwasmadebyCharlestheBald，oneofthethreecontractingprinces。
Whathasbeensaidconcerningthelibertyeveryfreemanhadinthemonarchy，afterthetreatyofthethreebrothers，ofchoosingwhomhepleasedforhislord，thekingoranyofthenobility，isconfirmedbytheactssubsequenttothattime。
InthereignofCharlemagne，[175]whenthevassalhadreceivedapresentofalord，wereitworthonlyasou，hecouldnotafterwardsquithim。
ButunderCharlestheBald，thevassalsmightfollowwhatwasagreeabletotheirinterestsortheirinclinationwithentiresafety；[176]andsostronglydoesthisprinceexplainhimselfonthesubjectthatheseemsrathertoencouragethemintheenjoymentofthislibertythantorestrainit。InCharlemagne’stime，beneficeswereratherpersonalthanreal；afterwardstheybecameratherrealthanpersonal。
26。ChangesintheFiefs。Thesamechangeshappenedinthefiefsasintheallodia。WefindbytheCapitularyofCompiègne，[177]underKingPepin，thatthosewhohadreceivedabeneficefromthekinggaveapartofthisbeneficetodifferentbondmen；butthesepartswerenotdistinctfromthewhole。Thekingrevokedthemwhenherevokedthewhole；andatthedeathoftheking’svassal，therear—vassallostalsohisrear—fief：
andanewbeneficiarysucceeded，wholikewiseestablishednewrear—vassals。Thusitwasthepersonandnottherear—fiefthatdependedonthefief；ontheonehand，therear—vassalreturnedtothekingbecausehewasnottiedforevertothevassal；andtherear—fiefreturnedalsotothekingbecauseitwasthefiefitselfandnotadependenceofit。
Suchwastherear—vassalage，whilethefiefswereduringpleasure；andsuchwasitalsowhiletheywereforlife。Thiswasalteredwhenthefiefsdescendedtothenextheirs，andtherear—fiefsthesame。Thatwhichwasheldbeforeimmediatelyofthekingwasheldnowmediately；
andtheregalpowerwasthrownback，asitwere，onedegree，sometimestwo；andoftentimesmore。
Wefindinthebooksoffiefs[178]that，thoughtheking’svassalsmightgiveawayinfief，thatis，inrear—fief，totheking，yettheserear—vassals，orpettyvavasors，couldnotgivealsoinfief；sothatwhatevertheyhadgiven，theymightalwaysresume。Besides，agrantofthatkinddi
