Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/58

 46 ame right of conquet, no part could ubit independent of the whole; wherefore all givers as well as receivers were mutually bound to defend each others poeions. But, as that could not effectually be done in a tumultuous irregular way, government, and to that purpoe ubordination, was neceary. Every receiver of lands, or feudatory, was therefore bound, when called upon by his benefactor, or immediate lord of his feud or fee, to do all in his power to defend him. Such benefactor or lord was likewie ubordinate to and under the command of his immediate benefactor or uperior; and o upwards to the prince or general himelf. And the everal lords were alo reciprocally bound, in their repective gradations, to protect the poeions they had given. Thus the feodal connection was etablihed, a proper military ubjection was naturally introduced, and an army of feudatories were always ready enlited, and mutually prepared to muter, not only in defence of each man's own everal property, but alo in defence of the whole, and of every part of this their newly acquired country : the prudence of which contitution was oon ufficiently viible in the trength and pirit, with which they maintained their conquets.

univerality and early ue of this feodal plan, among all thoe nations which in complaiance to the Romans we till call barbarous, may appear from what is recorded of the Cimbri and Teutones, nations of the ame northern original as thoe whom we have been decribing, at their firt irruption into Italy about a century before the chritian aera. They demanded of the Romans, "ut martius populus aliquid ibi terrae daret, quai tipendium: caeterum, ut vellet, manibus atque armis uis uteretur." The ene of which may be thus rendered; they deired tipendiary lands (that is, feuds) to be allowed them, to be held by military and other peronal ervices, whenever their lords hould call upon them. This was evidently the ame contitution, that diplayed itelf more fully about even hundred years afterwards; when the Salii, Burgundians, and Franks broke in upon Gaul, Rh