View of the State of Europe During the Middle Ages, Volume 1J. Murray, 1837 - Europe |
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afterwards alodial ancient Anjou appear arms army authority barons bishops Britany called Cange capitularies CHAP Charlemagne Charles VII charters citizens Clovis conquest consent count counts of Toulouse court crown crusade death dominions Du Cange duke of Burgundy Edward election emperor empire enemies England established Europe faction favour FEUDAL SYSTEM fiefs Florence Frederic French Genoa Germany Ghibelin Guelf Guienne Henry Hist historians imperial Italian ITALY justice king of France kingdom lands Languedoc liberty Lombard lord Louis Louis XI magistrates ment Milan military monarchy Muratori Naples nobility nobles Normandy Ordonnances des Rois Otho party Pepin perhaps Philip Augustus Philip the Fair Pisa pope possession princes privileges provinces reign rendered republic Roman Rome royal Salic law Saracens seems Sismondi sovereign sovereignty spirit success tenure territory tion treaty twelfth century usurpation vassals Velly Venice Villani Villaret Visconti writer
Popular passages
Page 178 - It was a breach of faith to divulge the lord's counsel, to conceal from him the machinations of others, to injure his person or fortune, or to violate the sanctity of his roof and the honour of his family. In battle he was bound to lend his horse to his lord when dismounted ; to adhere to his side while fighting, and to go into captivity as a hostage for him when taken. His attendance was due to the lord's courts, sometimes to witness and sometimes to bear a part in the administration of justice.
Page 425 - ... popolo, and one of 250, called consiglio di commune, into which the nobles might enter. These were changed by the same rotation as the magistracies, every four months.* A parliament, or general assembly of the Florentine people, was rarely convoked ; but the leading principle of a democratical republic, the ultimate sovereignty of the multitude, was not forgotten.
Page 216 - We lose a good deal of our sympathy with the spirit of freedom in Greece and Rome, when the importunate recollection occurs to us, of the tasks which might be enjoined, and the punishments which might be inflicted, without control either of law or opinion, by the keenest patriots of the Comitia, or the Council of Five Thousand.
Page 134 - ... body. He distrusted his friends and kindred, his daughter and his son, the last of whom he had not suffered even to read or write, lest he should too soon become his rival. No man ever so much feared death, to avert which he stooped to every meanness and sought every remedy. His physician had sworn that if he were dismissed, the king would not survive a week ; and Louis, enfeebled by sickness and terror, bore the rudest usage from this man, and endeavoured to secure his services by vast rewards....
Page 319 - It is the previous state of society under the grand children of Charlemagne, which we must always keep in mind, if we would appreciate the effects of the feudal system upon the welfare of mankind. The institutions of the eleventh century must be compared with those of the ninth, not with the advanced civilization of modern times.
Page 189 - Charta three only are retained ; to make the lord's eldest son a knight, to marry his eldest daughter, and to redeem his person from prison. They were restricted to nearly the same description by a law of William I. of Sicily, and by ' the customs of France/ These feudal aids are deserving of our attention, as the beginnings of taxation, of which for a long time they in a great measure answered the purpose, till the craving necessities and covetous policy of kings substituted for them more durable...
Page 127 - Switzerland, as well as France ; and Louis exerted a considerable influence over the adjacent princes of the empire, as well as the united cantons. The people of Liege, a very populous city, had for a long time been continually rebelling against their bishops, who were the allies of Burgundy ; Louis was of course not backward to foment their insurrections ; which sometimes gave the dukes a good deal of trouble. The Flemings, and especially the people of Ghent, had been during a century noted for...
Page 177 - Investiture or the actual conveyance of feudal lands,' says Mr. Hallam, ' was of two kinds : proper and improper. The first was an actual putting in possession upon the ground, either by the lord or his deputy ; which is called in our law livery of seisin. The second was symbolical, and consisted in the delivery of a turf, a stone, a wand, a branch, or whatever else might have been made usual by the caprice of local custom. Du Cange enumerates not less than 98 varieties of investitures.
Page 443 - I. xi. c. 9fl. political exclusion, these artisans alleged, that they were oppressed by their employers of the art, and that when they complained to the consul, their judge in civil matters, no redress could be procured. A still lower order of the community was the mere populace, who did not practise any regular trade, or who only worked for daily hire. These were called Ciompi, a corruption, it is said, of the French compere. " Let no one," says Machiavel in this place, " who begins an innovation...
Page 174 - The essential principle of a fief was a mutual contract of support and fidelity. Whatever obligations it laid upon the vassal of service to his lord, corresponding duties of protection were imposed by it on the lord towards the vassal. If these were transgressed on either side, the one forfeited his land, the other his seigniory, or rights over it.