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2 ye. Leader of each Canton, ye assembl'd army was generally under ye command of a Gen. Chose by themselves; many of these Wandering Corps, attack'd ye immense, but inervated Roman Emp-e; of which ye Western parts, being less defended fell soonest under their yoke; so yt. ye. Franks & Normans settl'd in France; ye Longobards, Succeeded by ye Normans in Italy; ye Allans, Vandals, Suevians, & Silingians in Spain, who were again drove out by ye Goths; underline ye. Saxons fell upon & conquer'd England. /underline
ye. source of all ye European Governments & Feudal Laws arrising from ye manner in which these people distributed their conquer'd Lands, it will be necessary to examine ye. progress of yt. attentively.
It must be consider'd yt these waring colonies issuing out from ye Northern Hive, were compos'd of Free Men who serv'd at their own expence, & for their own behalf; therefore whatever conquest was made, ye Land in a solemn assembly of ye People was divided to every man, according to his Tribe & Family; & as these migrations were compos'd of different People, united in ye common cause of conquest; we find yt. those who came from ye. same little country or Principality generaly settl'd together, & establish'd ye. Laws & Customs of their Mother Country in their new acquisitions; Hence arose ye. many unclear states, & various forms of Government yt. after ye. destruction of ye. Roman Emp-e. divided all Europe; few of which exist at present except in Germany & Italy.
In ye. Division of these Lands, they follow'd their own method us'd in ye. Cantons which was before taken notice of yt. is they were given for a year & ye. possessors let them out with a certain reserve of ye produce; hence arose ye addition underline Feudal /underline /addition distinction, of foriegn: Latin Dominum while, & Dominium direchure. /foreign
These Grants for years or for life, were afterwards call'd Beneficia in ye Reign of Clovis; & some with probability think they acquir'd ye names feudes in ye constitution of Charles ye Gross an 884. among many opinions relating to ye derivation of ye word feude, ye most probable one is yt of its coming from ye Teutonic German words fee, as in our langauge fee or gift; & of possession.
