Goths, a people that, deriving their roots from the northern
parts of Germany, or out of Sweden, had, through their victories
obtained against Domitian, long since spread their branches to so
near a neighborhood with the Roman territories that they began to
overshadow them. For the emperors making use of them in their
armies, as the French do at this day of the Switz, gave them that
under the notion of a stipend, which they received as tribute,
coming, if there were any default in the payment, so often to
distrain for it, that in the time of Honorius they sacked Rome,
and possessed themselves of Italy. And such was the transition of
ancient into modern prudence, or that breach, which being
followed in every part of the Roman Empire with inundations of
Vandals, Huns, Lombards, Franks, Saxons, overwhelmed ancient
languages, learning, prudence, manners, cities, changing the
names of rivers, countries, seas, mountains, and men; Camillus,
Caesar, and Pompey, being come to Edmund, Richard, and Geoffrey.
To open the groundwork or balance of these new politicians:
"Feudum," says Calvin the lawyer, "is a Gothic word of divers
significations; for it is taken either for war, or for a
possession of conquered lands, distributed by the victor to such
of his captains and soldiers as had merited in his wars, upon
condition to acknowledge him to be their perpetual lord, and
themselves to be his subjects."
Of these there were three kinds or orders: the first of
nobility distinguished by the titles of dukes, marquises, earls,
and these being gratified with the cities, castles, and villages
of the conquered Italians, their feuds participated of royal
dignity, and were called regalia, by which they had right to coin
money, create magistrates, take toll, customs, confiscations, and
the like.
Feuds of the second order were such as, with the consent of
the King, were bestowed by these feudatory princes upon men of
inferior quality, called their barons, on condition that next to
the King they should defend the dignities and fortunes of their
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