ThestatusoftheChiefhasthusleftusonebequestintheruleofPrimogeniture，which，however，haslonglostitsmostancientform；anotherintherighttoreceivecertainduesandtoenforcecertainmonopolies；andathirdinaspeciallyabsoluteformofpropertywhichwasonceexclusivelyenjoyedbytheChief，andafterhimbytheLord，intheportionofthetribalterritorywhichformedhisowndomain。Ontheotherhand，severalsystemsofsuccessionafterdeath，andamongthemtheequaldivisionofthelandbetweenthechildren，havesprungoutoftribalownershipinvariousstagesofdecay；andithasleftanothersetoftracesnotquitesowidelyextended，inanumberofminutecustomaryruleswhichgoverntillageandoccasionallyregulatethedistributionoftheproduce。

　　ThefateofthisdoublesetofinstitutionsinEnglandandinFranceappearstomemostinstructive。IhavefrequentlydweltinthisplaceontheerroneousnessofthevulgaropinionwhichdatestheextremesubdivisionofthesoilofFrancefromthefirstFrenchRevolution，andfromthesaleoftheChurchlandsandoftheestatesoftheemigrantnobility。Awriter——IwasgoingtosayascommonlyreadasArthurYoung，butcertainlyasoftenmentionedasifhewerecommonlyread——noticesthismorcellement，ontheveryeveoftheFrenchRevolution，andimmediatelyafterit，asthegreatfeaturewhichdistinguishedFrancefromEngland。’FromwhatweseeinEngland，’hesays，’Travelsin1787，’88，and，’89’p。407’wecannotformanideaoftheabundanceinFranceofsmallproperties，thatis，littlefarmsbelongingtothosewhocultivatethem。’Heestimatesthatmorethanathirdofthekingdomwasoccupiedbythem——averylargeproportion，whentheextentofChurchlandinFranceistakenintoaccount；butrecentFrenchinvestigationshaveshownreasonsforthinkingthatthetrueproportionwasstilllarger，andthatitwasrathergrowingthandiminishing，throughthatextravaganceofthenobleswhichCourtlifefostered，andwhichcompelledthemtoselltheirdomainstopeasantsinsmallparcels。Youngclearlysawthatthissubdivisionofthesoilwastheresultofsomelegalrule；andstronglydissentingfromtheRevolutionaryleaderswhowishedtocarryitfarther，hedeclaredthat’alawoughttobepassedtorenderalldivisionbelowacertainnumberofarpentsillegal。’

　　ItseemstohaveverygenerallyescapednoticethatthelawofequalornearlyequaldivisionafterdeathwasthegenerallawofFrance。Theruleofprimogeniturewasofexceptionalapplication，andwasforthemostpartconfinedtolandsheldbyknightlytenure；indeed，intheSouthofFrance，wherethecustomofequaldivisionwasstrengthenedbytheidenticalruleoftheRomanjurisprudence，theprivilegesoftheeldestsonwereonlysecuredbycallingintheexceptionalrulesofwhichtheRomanLawgivesthebenefittomilitesorsoldiersonservicewhenmakingtheirwillsorregulatingtheirsuccessions，andbylayingdownthateverychevalier，andeverynobleofhigherdegree，wasamileswithinthemeaningoftheRomanjuridicalwriters。Thetwosystemsofsuccessionandthetwoformsofpropertylaysidebyside，andthereweremenalivequiterecentlywhocouldrememberthebitteranimositiescausedbytheirco-existenceandantagonism。Averygreatpartofthelandheldbylaymenbelongedtothepeasantry，anddescendedaccordingtotheruleofequaldivision，buteldestsonaftereldestsonsucceededtothesignory。Yetitwasnottheruleofprimogeniturefollowedinnobledescentswhichwasthetruegrievance；atmostitbecameagrievanceundertheinfluenceofthepeculiarveinofsentimentintroducedbyRousseau。Thelegacyfromtribalsovereigntytosignorialprivilege，whichwasreallyresented，wasthatwhichI

　　placedsecondinorder。Therighttoreceivefeudalduesandtoenforcepettymonopolies，nowalmostextinguishedinEnglandbythemeasurestowhichtheCopyholdCommissionhasgiveneffect，hadceasedlongbeforetheendofthelastcenturytobeofanyconsiderableimportancetotheclasswhichwasinvestedwithit；

　　butM。deTocquevillehasexplained，inhis’AncienR間ime’i。

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