Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/302

 258 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE pose no new taxes on his vassals, but could take only the customary and stipulated feudal dues. He might establish tolls and customs duties on merchants and travelers through his own domains, but his vassals would undoubtedly claim that right within their fiefs. Moreover, the obligations of individual vassals to him might vary greatly. There was no necessary uniformity in the loyalty and services that they •owed. Finally, his hold upon many of them was so slight, that for them to throw off his rule entirely and attempt to maintain their independence did not seem so heinous an offense as rebellion in a modern state, and was much easier to carry through than to foment a revolution against the well-organized states of to-day. A very important feature of the feudal state was the limiting of the lord's power by the rights of the vassal and The feudal by the terms of a contract expressed or under- idea of stood between lord and vassal. It was generally recognized that there were things which the lord could do and things which he could not do. If he exceeded his rights, his vassals were entitled to take up arms against him, a privilege which they were never slow to exercise. Moreover, meeting together at his court, they shared in his government and came to act as a body which possessed in itself possibilities in the direction of representative govern- ment. The sphere of influence of a feudal lord — in other words, the lands held of him by his vassals — did not necessarily Area of the form a compact and clearly defined territory feudal state |j ke ^^ Q £ a moc j ern state. His vassals were apt to be somewhat scattered about, with territory intervening which he could not bring into vassalage to himself, either because it belonged to the Church or was defended by castles too strong for him to take. However, feudal divi- sions tended to follow geographical and racial lines pretty closely. Also feudal lords made every effort to extend their control over a compact and easily accessible territory, though they often could not resist the temptation of add- ing some distant possession, if opportunity offered. But of