Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/14

viii feudal government having degenerated into a ſyſtem of tyranny in moſt parts of Europe, and the uſurpations of the nobles having become unbounded and intolerable; the cities of Italy became impatient to ſhake off the yoke of their inſolent lords; and about the beginning of the eleventh century, they united together, boldly aſſumed new privileges, and were rouzed by ſuch a ſpirit of independance, that they formed themſelves into corporate bodies; and, under pretence of recovering their antient property, took poſſeſſion of the caſtles of the barons, and obliged thoſe haughty lords to ſwear an oath of fidelity to them, and even become members of their community, and ſubject their eſtates to all taxes and fines impoſed by the common conſent of the people.

revolution ſoon made its way into France, where le Gros, in order to take away from the power of the nobility, conferred new privileges upon the inhabitants of that nation, and formed them into corporations, which relieved them from thoſe arbitrary and grievous impoſitions, to which they had formerly been ſubjected, and they were governed by known and equal laws.

in the feudal ſyſtem of policy no freeman could be governed or taxed, but by his own.