Theinterestofthesetwocompendiaisverygreat。Inthefirstplace，theygofartoshowushowitwasthatthepowerofthetribalChiefincreased，notmerelyoverhisserviledependants，butoverthefreetribesmenamongwhomhehadbeenatfirstonlyprimusinterpares。Inthenext，theygiveus，fromtheauthenticrecordsoftheancientusagesofoneparticularsociety，aperfectlynovelexampleofaproceedingbywhichfeudalvassalagewascreated。IneedscarcelydwellonthehistoricalimportanceofthevariousagenciesbywhichtherelationofLordandVassalwasfirstestablished。ItwasbythemthattheWesterneuropeoftheRomandespotismwaschangedintotheWesternEuropeofthefeudalsovereignties。Nothingcanbemorestrikinglyunlikeinexternalaspectthanthestatesofsocietywhicharediscernedoneithersideofthestormyintervalfilledwiththemovementandsubsidenceofthebarbarianinvasions。Justbeforeitisreached，weseealargepartofmankindarranged，sotospeak，ononevastlevelsurfacedominatedineverypartbytheovershadowingauthorityoftheRomanEmperor。Onthistheylieassomanyequalunits，connectedtogetherbynoinstitutionswhicharenotassumedtobethecreationofpositiveRomanlaw；andbetweenthemandtheirsovereignthereisnothingbutahostoffunctionarieswhoarehisservants。WhenfeudalEuropehasbeenconstituted，allthisischanged。Everybodyhasbecomethesubordinateofsomebodyelsehigherthanhimselfandyetexaltedabovehimbynogreatdistance。IfImayagainemployanimageusedbymebefore，societyhastakentheformofapyramidorcone。Thegreatmultitudeofcultivatorsisatitsbase；andthenitmountsupthroughever-narrowingsectionstillitapproachesanapex，notalwaysvisible，butalwayssupposedtobediscoverable，intheEmperor，orthePope，orGodAlmighty。Thereisstrongreasontobelievethatneitherpicturecontainsalltheactualdetail，andthatneitherthetheoryoftheRomanlawyersononesidenorthetheoryofthefeudallawyersontheotheraccountsforortakesnoticeofanumberofcustomsandinstitutionswhichhadapracticalexistenceintheirday。Eithertheorywas，however，foundeduponthemoststrikingfactsoftheepochatwhichitwasframed。
Weknowsomething，thoughnotverymuch，oftheformalinstrumentalitiesbywhichthelatersetoffactsbecamesoextremelydissimilartotheearlier。MrStubbs’ConstitutionalHistory，’i。252hasthussummarisedthemostmodernviewsonthesubject。Feudalism’hadgrownupfromtwogreatsources，theBeneficeandthepracticeofCommendation。Thebeneficiarysystemoriginatedpartlyingiftsoflandmadebythekingsoutoftheirownestatestotheirkinsmenandservants，withaspecialundertakingtobefaithful，partlyinthesurrenderbylandownersoftheirestatestochurchesorpowerfulmen，tobereceivedbackagainandheldbythemastenantsforrentorservice。Bythelatterarrangementtheweakermanobtainedtheprotectionofthestronger，andhewhofelthimselfinsecureplacedhistitleunderthedefenceoftheChurch。BythepracticeofCommendation，ontheotherhand，theinferiorputhimselfunderthepersonalcareofalord，butwithoutalteringhistitleordivestinghimselfofhisrighttohisestate；hebecameavassalanddidhomage。’
Commendation，inparticular，wentonalloverWesternEuropewithsingularuniversalityofoperationandsingularuniformityofresult，andithelpedtotransformtheancientstructureofTeutonicsocietynolessthantheinstitutionsoftheRomanProvincials。Yetthereisconsiderablemysteryaboutmen’smotivesforreportingtosoonerousaproceeding，andthestatementsofnearlyallwritersonthesubjectaregeneralandchieflyconjectural。PerhapsthemostpreciseassertionwhichwehavebeenhithertoabletohazardastothereasonsofsolargeapartoftheworldforvoluntarilyplacingthemselvesinaconditIonofpersonalsubordinationis，thattheymusthavebeenconnectedwiththesystemofcivilandcriminalresponsibilitywhichprevailedinthosetimes。Families——realorartificial-naturalorformedbyagreement——wereresponsiblefortheoffencesandevenforthecivilliabilitiesoftheirmembers；
butcorporateresponsibilitymusthavebeenreplaced，convenientlyforallpersonsconcerned，bytheresponsibilityofasinglelord，whocouldpreventinjuryandpaycompensationforit，andwhosetestimony，incompurgationandotherlegalproceedings，hadaweightoftenassignedtoitexceedingthatofseveralinferiorpersonscombined。Moregenerally，butwithatleastequalplausibility，wecanlaydownthatthegeneraldisorderoftheworldhadmuchtodowiththegrowthofthenewinstitutions；andthatalittlesocietycompactlyunitedunderafeudallordwasgreatlystrongerfordefenceorattackthananybodyofkinsmenorco-villagersandthananyassemblageofvoluntaryconfederates。Itwouldbeabsurd，however，tosupposethatwehavematerialsforaconfidentopinionastomen’smotivesforsubmittingthemselvestoachangewhichwasprobablyrecommendedtothemorforcedonthembyveryvariouscircumstancesindifferentcountriesandinrelativelydifferentstagesofsociety。
IdonotwishtogeneraliseundulyfromthenewinformationfurnishedbytheBrehonlaw，buttherehaslongbeenasuspicionIcannotcallitmoreamonglearnedmenthatCelticusageswouldthrowsomelightonCommendation，and，atanyrate，amidthedearthofourmaterials，anyadditiontothemfromanauthenticsourceisofvalue。LetmeagainstatetheimpressionI