Itisnotpossibletoexplainallsurvivalsbysomeconveniencewhichtheyincidentallyserve。Somehaveundoubtedlybeencontinuedbysuperstition，somebymerehabit。Butthoserelicsofancientthoughtandconductwhichhavebeenkeptalivelongesthavegenerallyhadanusefulnessoftheirown。Heretheprivateredressofwrong，takenintothelegalprocedure，servedtocompeltheappearanceofthedefendantandhissubmissiontojurisdictionatatimewhenjudicialauthoritywasyetinitsinfancy，andwhenCourtsofJusticecouldnotasyetcompletelyandregularlycommandtheaidofsovereignpower。Gradually，asthepublicforce，thearmoftheState，wasmoreandmoreplacedatthedisposaloftribunals，theywereablemoreandmoretodispensewithextrajudicialassistance。InthestateofTeutoniclawrepresentedbytheFrankishCode，wefindaspecificclassofcasestriedthroughoutjudiciallyinourmodernsenseofthewordfromtheinitialstagetothejudgment；butthejudgmentisnotbyitsownforceoperative。Ifthedefendanthasexpresslypromisedtoobeyit，theCountorroyaldeputy，onbeingproperlysummoned，willexecuteit；butifnosuchpromisehasbeenmade，theplaintiffhasnoremedyexceptanapplicationtotheKinginperson。Nolongtime，however，aftertheFrankshavebeensettledwithintheEmpire，wefindthatmotherstephasbeentakentowardstheadministrationofjusticeonmodernprinciples，andnowtheroyaldeputywillexecutethejudgmenteventhoughtherehasbeennopromisetosubmittoit。AtthispointDistressiswhollytakenoutofthehandsofprivatelitigantsandextrajudicialseizurebecomesjudicialseizure。ThechangeisobviouslyaresultofthegrowingvigourofCourts，greatlydueinourowncountrytothedevelopmentofroyaljusticeattheexpenseofpopularjustice。StillEnglishjudicialproceedingslongsavouredoftheoldpractices。EverystudentofourancientEnglishformsofproceedingwillrecollectonwhatsmallapparentprovocationtheKingconstantlytookthelandsofthedefendantintohishandsorseizedhisgoods，simplytocompelorperfecthissubmissiontotheroyaljurisdiction。ItseemsprobablethatDistresswasgraduallylostinandabsorbedbyAttachmentandDistringas。ThetheoryofAttachmentnowisthatitisthetakingofpropertyintotheactualorconstructivepossessionofthejudicialpower，andthelatercourseofchangeunderwhichithasfadedintoanoccasionalandexceptionalproceeding，requiringtobejustifiedbyspecialreasons，correspondswiththegrowingconfidenceofCourtsofJusticeintheirpossessionofirresistiblepowerconfidedtothembythesovereign。Asregardsthatfragmentoftheprimitiveinstitutionwhichremainsinourlaw，IimaginethatDistresswouldatmosthavebecomeameresurvival，confinedperhapstotheimpoundingofstraycattle，ifseveralstatutoryinnovationshadnotturneditintoaconvenientextra-judicialremedyforlandlords，bygivingthedistrainorapowerofsalewhichinoldEnglishlawwaslimitedtoafewveryspecialdemands。ThemoderntheoryofDistressisthatalandlordisallowedtodistrainbecausebythenatureofthecaseheisalwayscompelledtogivehistenantcredit，andthathecandistrainwithoutnoticebecauseeverymanissupposedtoknowwhenhisrentisdue。Butthistheory，thoughitexplainsthecontinuanceofDistresstoourday，doesnotatallfitinwiththemostancientideasonthesubject，andcouldnotindeedbeeasilymadetosquarewiththepracticeofdistraintevenatadatesocomparativelylateasthatatwhichBractonwrote。HowaccidentalistheassociationofDistresswiththepowersoflandlordsmaybeseenfromthefactthat，thoughthereareplentifultracesoftheinstitutionintheancientScottishlaw，thesamepracticalresultswhichtheEnglishsystemproducesbyallowinglandlordstodistrainforrentarechieflyattainedinScotlandbyapplyingtolandlordandtenanttheRomanisedLawofHypothek。
ThecomparisonofthevariousTeutonicbodiesoflawsuggeststhentomymindasregardsthosesystems，thefollowingconclusionsrespectingthehistoricaldevelopmentoftheremedieswhichgrewoutofthesavagepracticeofviolentlyseizingpropertyinredressforsupposedwrong。Twoalternativeexpedientswereadoptedbynascentlaw。Oneoftheseconsistedintoleratingdistraintuptoacertainpoint；itwasconnivedatsofarasitservedtocompelthesubmissionofdefendantstothejurisdictionofCourts，butinallothercasesitwastreatedaswilfulbreachofthepeace。Theotherwastheincorporationofdistraintwitharegularprocedure。Thecomplainantmustobserveagreatnumberofformsathisperil；butifheobservesthemhecandistrainintheend。Inastillmoreadvancedconditionoflegalideas，thetribunalstaketheseizureoflandorgoodsintotheirownhands，usingitfreelytocoercedefendantsintosubmission。Finally，CourtsofJusticeresorttocoercionbeforejudgmentonlyontherarestoccasions，sureastheyatlastareoftheeffectivenessoftheirprocess，andofthepowerwhichtheyholdindepositfromtheSovereignCommonwealth。ThePrimitiveFormsofLegalRemedies
Ipassfromtheearlylawofprocedureintheromanand
Teutonicsocietiestothecorrespondingbranchofanother。
ancientlegalsystemwhichhasbeenonlyjustrevealedtous，and