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ThedaughterofWilliamV，CountofToulouse，didnotsucceedtothecounty。ButEleanorsucceededtoAquitaine，andMatildatoNormandy；andtherightofthesuccessionoffemalesseemedsowellestablishedinthosedays，thatLouistheYoung，afterhisdivorcefromEleanor，madenodifficultyinrestoringGuiennetoher。Butasthesetwolastinstancesfollowedcloseonthefirst，thegenerallawbywhichthewomenwerecalledtothesuccessionoffiefsmusthavebeenintroducedmuchlaterintothecountyofToulousethanintotheotherprovincesofFrance。[212]
TheconstitutionofseveralkingdomsofEuropehasbeendirectedbythestateoffeudaltenuresatthetimewhenthosekingdomswerefounded。
ThewomensucceededneithertothecrownofFrancenortotheempire，becauseatthefoundationofthosetwomonarchiestheywereincapableofsucceedingtofiefs。Buttheysucceededinkingdomswhosefoundationwasposteriortothatoftheperpetuityofthefiefs，suchasthosefoundedbytheNormans，thosebytheconquestsmadeontheMoors，andothers，infine，whichwerebeyondthelimitsofGermany，andinlatertimesreceivedinsomemeasureasecondbirthbytheestablishmentofChristianity。
Whenthesefiefswereatwill，theyweregiventosuchaswerecapableofdoingserviceforthem，and，therefore，wereneverbestowedonminors；butwhentheybecameperpetual，thelordstookthefiefintotheirownhands，tillthepupilcameofage，eithertoincreasetheirownemoluments，ortotrainthewardtotheuseofarms。[213]Thisiswhatourcustomscalltheguardianshipofanobleman’schildren，whichisfoundedonprinciplesdifferentfromthoseoftutelage，andisentirelyadistinctthingfromit。
Whenthefiefswereforlife，itwascustomarytovowfealtyforafief；
andtherealdelivery，whichwasmadebyasceptre，confirmedthefief，asitisnowconfirmedbyhomage。Wedonotfindthatthecounts，oreventheking’scommissaries，receivedthehomageintheprovinces；noristhisceremonytobemetwithinthecommissionsofthoseofficerswhichhavebeenhandeddowntousintheCapitularies。Theysometimes，indeed，madealltheking’ssubjectstakeanoathofallegiance；[214]
butsofarwasthisoathfrombeingofthesamenatureastheserviceafterwardsestablishedbythenameofhomage，thatitwasonlyacere—moneyoflesssolemnity，occasionallyused，eitherbeforeorafterthatactofobeisance；inshort，itwasquiteadistinctthingfromhomage。[215]
Thecountsandtheking’scommissariesfurthermadethosevassalswhosefidelitywassuspectedgiveoccasionallyasecurity，whichwascalledfirmitas，[216]butthissecuritycouldnotbeanhomage，sincekingsgaveittoeachother。[217]
AndthoughtheAbbotSuger[218]makesmentionofachairofDagobert，inwhichaccordingtothetestimonyofantiquity，thekingsofFrancewereaccustomedtoreceivethehomageofthenobility，itisplainthatheexpresseshimselfagreeablytotheideasandlanguageofhisowntime。
Whenthefiefsdescendedtotheheirs，theacknowledgmentofthevassal，whichatfirstwasonlyanoccasionalservice，becamearegularduty。Itwasperformedinamoresplendidmanner，andattendedwithmoreformalities，becauseitwastobeaperpetualmemorialofthereciprocaldutiesofthelordandvassal。
IshouldbeapttothinkthathomagesbegantobeestablishedunderKingPepin，whichisthetimeImentionedthatseveralbeneficesweregiveninperpetuity，butIshouldnotthinkthuswithoutcaution，andonlyuponasuppositionthattheauthorsoftheancientannalsoftheFrankswerenotignorantpretenders，[219]whoindescribingthefealtyprofessedbyTassillon，DukeofBavaria，toKingPepin，spokeaccordingtotheusagesoftheirowntime。[220]
34。ThesameSubjectcontinued。Whenthefiefswereeitherprecariousorforlife，theyseldomborearelationtoanyotherthanthepoliticallaws；forwhichreasoninthecivilinstitutionsofthosetimesthereisverylittlementionmadeofthelawsoffiefs。Butwhentheybecamehereditary，whentherewasapowerofgiving，selling，andbequeathingthem，theyborearelationbothtothepoliticalandthecivillaws。Thefief，consideredasanobligationofperformingmilitaryservice，dependedonthepoliticallaw；consideredasakindofcommercialproperty，itdependedonthecivillaw。Thisgaverisetothecivilregulationsconcerningfeudaltenures。
Whenthefiefsbecamehereditary，thelawrelatingtotheorderofsuccessionmusthavebeeninrelationtotheperpetuityoffiefs。HencethisruleoftheFrenchlaw，estatesofinheritancedonotascend，[221]
wasestablishedinspiteoftheRomanandSaliclaws。[222]Itwasnecessarythatserviceshouldbepaidforthefief；butagrandfatheroragreat—unclewouldhavebeentoooldtoperformanyservice；thisrulethusheldgoodatfirstonlyinregardtothefeudaltenures，aswelearnfromBoutillier。[223]
Whenthefiefsbecamehereditary，thelordswhoweretoseethatservicewaspaidforthefief，insistedthatthefemaleswhoweretosucceedtothefeudalestate，andIfancysometimesthemales，shouldnotmarrywithouttheirconsent；insomuchthatthemarriagecontractsbecameinrespecttothenobilitybothofafeudalandacivilregulation。[224]Inanactofthiskindunderthelord’sinspection，regulationsweremadeforthesuccession，withtheviewthattheheirsmightpayserviceforthefief：hencenonebutthenobilityatfirsthadthelibertyofdisposingofsuccessionsbymarriagecontract，asBoyer[225]andAufrerius[226]haveobserved。
Itisneedlesstomentionthatthepowerofredemption，foundedontheoldrightoftherelatives，amysteryofourancientFrenchjurisprudenceIhavenottimetounravel，couldnottakeplacewithregardtothefiefstilltheybecameperpetual。
Italiam，Italiam……[227]
Ifinishmytreatiseoffiefsataperiodwheremostauthorscommencetheirs。
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1。GregoryofTours，iv。42。
2。Chapter7。
3。Fredegarius，Chronicle，42。
4。ClothariusII，sonofChilperic，andthefatherofDagobert。
5。Fredegarius，Chronicle，42。
6。SeeGregoryofTours，viii。31。
7。Fredegarius，Chronicle，27，intheyear605。
8。Ibid。，28，intheyear607。
9。Ibid。，41，intheyear613。
10。Ibid。，42，intheyear613。
11。SometimeafterBrunehault’sexecution，intheyear615。SeeBaluzius’seditionoftheCapitularies，p。21。
12。Ibid。，art。16。
13。Ibid。
14。Ibid。，art。17。
15。Ibid。，art。1。
16。Ibid。，art。8。
17。Ibid。，art。9。
18。Ibid。，art。21。
19。Theywereorderswhichthekingsenttothejudgestodoortotoleratethingscontrarytolaw。
20。SeeGregoryofTours，iv，p。227。Bothourhistoryandthechartersarefullofthis；andtheextentoftheseabusesappearsespeciallyinClotharius’constitution，insertedintheeditionoftheCapitulariesmadetoreformthem。Baluzius’sedition，p。7。
21。Ibid。，art。22。
22。Ibid。，art6。
23。Ibid。，art。18。
24。InBaluzius’seditionoftheCapitularies，i。p。7。
25。IntheprecedingbookIhavemadementionoftheseimmunities，whichweregrantsofjudicialrights，andcontainedprohibitionstotheregaljudgestoperformanyfunctionintheterritory，andwereequivalenttotheerectionorgrantofafief。
26。Hebegantoreigntowardstheyear670。
27。SeetheLifeofSt。Leger。
28。InstiganteBrunihault，Theodoricojubente，&c。——Fredegarius，27，intheyear605。
29。GestaregumFrancorum，36。
30。SeeFredegarius，Chronicle，54，intheyear626，andhisanonymouscontinuator，101，intheyear695，and105，intheyear715。Aimoin，iv。
15，Eginhard。LifeofCharlemagne，48。GestaregumFrancorum，45。
31。SeetheLawoftheBurgundians，pref。，andthesecondsupplementtothislaw，tit。13。
32。SeeGregoryofTours，ix。36。
33。Fredegarius，Chronicle，44，intheyear626。
34。Fredegarius，Chronicle，68，intheyear630。
35。Fredegarius，Chronicle，75，intheyear632。
36。Fredegarius，Chronicle，79，intheyear638。
37。Ibid。
38。Ibid。，80，intheyear639。
39。Fredegarius，Chronicle，89，intheyear641。
40。Ibid。
41。DeMajoribusDomusRegi？。
42。DeMoribusGermanorum，7。
43。SeeSulpiciusAlexander，inGregoryofTours，ii。
44。Intheyear552。
45。Agathias，i。GregoryofTours，iv。9。
46。GontramdidnotevenmarchagainstGondovald，whostyledhimselfsonofClotharius，andclaimedhisshareofthekingdom。
47。Sometimestothenumberoftwenty。SeeGregoryofTours，v。27，viii。28and30，x。3。Dagobert，whohadnomayorinBurgundy，observedthesamepolicy，andsentagainsttheGasconstendukesandseveralcountswhoLadnodukesoverthem。——Fredegarius，Chronicle，78，intheyear636。
48。GregoryofTours，viii。30，andx。3。
49。Ibid。，viii。30。
50。SeethesecondsupplementtothelawoftheBurgundians，tit。13，andGregoryofTours，ix。3
