WiththeChieftaincyoftheTribetheearlyhistoryofmodernAristocracyandmodernKingshipbegins。Thesetwogreatinstitutionshad，infact，atfirstthesamehistory，andtheWesternworldlongcontinuedtobearthemarksoftheiroriginalidentity。TheManorwithitsTenementallandsheldbythefreetenantsoftheLord，andwithitsDomainwhichwasinimmediatedependenceonhim，wasthetypeofallthefeudalsovereigntiesintheircompleteform，whethertheruleracknowledgedasuperiorabovehimorwhetherheatmostadmittedoneinthePope，ortheEmperor，orGodhimself。IneveryCounty，orDukedom，orKingdomthereweregreattenantsholdingdirectlyofitsheadandonsomesortofparitywithhim；andtherewasaDomainunderhismoreimmediategovernmentandathisimmediatedisposal。Thereisnoobscurerandmoredifficultsubjectthantheoriginoftheclasswhosepowerwasthekeystoneofallthesepoliticalandproprietaryconstructions，andnoneonwhichthescantiestcontributionstoourknowledgearemorewelcome。
Thereisoneviewoftheoriginalconditionofprivilegedclasseswhich，thoughheldbylearnedmen，hasbeenagooddealweakenedoflatebyGermanresearch，andseemstomestillfarthershakenbyportionsoftheBrehonlaw。Thisistheimpressionthattheyalwaysconstituted，astheypracticallydonow，adistinctclassorsectionofthecommunity，eachmemberoftheclassstandinginacloserrelationtotheothermembersthantotherestofthenationalortribalsocietytowhichallbelong。Itcannotbedoubtedthattheearliestmodernaristocracieshaveasafact，whentheyarefirstdiscerned，thisparticularaspect。MrFreeman’NormanConquest，’i。88saysthatthe’differencebetweeneorlandceorlisaprimaryfactfromwhichwestart。’Tacitusplainlydistinguishedthenoblefromthenon-noblefreemanintheGermanicsocietieswhichheobserved；andCaesar，asIstatedinanotherLecture，dividesalltheContinentalCeltictribesintotheEquitesandthePlebs。Wecanunderstandthataspectatorlookingatasetoftribalcommunitiesfromtheoutsidewouldnaturallyclasstogetherallmenvisiblyexaltedabovetherest；butneverthelessthisisnotquitetheappearancewhichearlyGermanicsocietywearsintheeyesofenquirerswhofollowthemethodofVonMaurerandLandau。
EachChieforLordappearstothemtohavebeennoblelesswithreferencetoothernoblementhanwithreferencetotheotherfreetribesmencomprisedinthesamegroupwithhimself。Nobilityhasmanydiverseorigins；butitschiefsourceseemstohavebeentherespectofco-villagersorassemblagesofkinsmenforthelineofdescentinwhichthepurestbloodofeachlittlesocietywasbelievedtobepreserved。Similarly，theBrehonlawsuggeststhattheIrishChiefswerenottheclassbythemselveswhichthecorrespondingorderamongtheContinentalCeltsappearedtoCaesartobe，butwerenecessarilytheheadsofseparategroupscomposedoftheirkindredoroftheirvassals。’Everychief，’
saysthetextwhichIquotedbefore，’rulesoverhisland，whetheritbegreatorwhetheritbesmall。’AndwhiletheIrishlawdescribesthewayasIshallpointoutinwhichacommonfreemancanbecomeachief，italsoshowsthatthepositiontowhichheattainsisthepresidencyofagroupofdependants。
Neverthelessthepersonsthuselevatedundoubtedlytendtobecome，fromvariouscauses，aclassbythemselvesandaspecialsectionofthegeneralcommunity；anditisveryprobablethatthetendencywasatworkfromtheearliesttimes。Itisfarthertoberemarkedthatsomearistocracieswerereallyasectionofthecommunityfromtheveryfirst。Thisstructureofsocietyisproducedwhereoneentiretribalgroupconquersorimposesitssupremacyuponothertribalgroupsalsoremainingentire，orwhereanoriginalbodyoftribesmen，villagers，orcitizens，graduallygathersrounditselfamiscellaneousassemblageofprotecteddependants。Therearemanyknowninstancesofbothprocesses，andtheparticularrelationoftribalgroupswhichtheformerimplieswascertainlynotunknowntotheCelticsocieties。