the origin of the distinction of ranks-第25节

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ng　or　fishing；　they　have　no　means　of　obtaining　so　much　wealth　as　will　raise　any　one　person　greatly　above　his　companions。　They　are　divided　into　small　independent　villages；　in　each　of　which　there　is　a　chief；　who　is　their　principal　leader　in　war。　He　bears　the　name　of　that　particular　tribe　over　which　he　presides；　and　in　their　public　meetings　he　is　known　by　no　other。　His　authority；　though　greater　in　some　villages　than　in　others；　does　not　appear　in　any　of　them　to　be　very　considerable。　If　he　is　never　disobeyed；　it　is　because　he　knows　how　to　set　bounds　to　his　commands。　Every　family　has　a　right　to　name　an　assistant　to　the　chief；　and　the　several　heads　of　families　compose　an　assembly；　or　'council　of　the　elders'；　which　is　accustomed　to　deliberate　upon　all　matters　of　public　importance。（14*）　　　　　Each　individual　is　allowed；　in　ordinary　cases；　to　'take　up　the　hatchet'；　as　it　is　called；　or　make　war　upon　those　who　have　offended　him。　Enterprises　of　moment；　however；　are　seldom　undertaken　without　the　concurrence　of　the　assembly。　Each　family　has　a　jurisdiction　over　its　own　members。　But　the　members　of　different　families　are　at　liberty　to　settle　their　differences　in　what　manner　they　please；　and　the　chief；　or　council；　interfere　only　as　mediators；　or　as　arbiters；　unless　upon　the　commission　of　those　enormous　and　extraordinary　crimes　which　excite　the　general　indignation；　and　which；　from　a　sudden　impulse　of　resentment；　are　instantly　punished　with　severity。（15*）　　　　　From　the　accounts　which　have　been　given　of　the　wandering　tribes　of　shepherds　in　different　parts　of　the　world；　it　would　seem　that　their　government　is　of　the　same　nature；　though　the　power　of　their　leader　is　further　advanced；　according　to　the　degrees　of　wealth　which　they　enjoy。　In　proportion　to　the　extent　of　his　herds　and　flocks；　the　chief　is　exalted　above　all　the　other　members　of　the　tribe；　and　has　more　influence　in　directing　their　military　operations；　in　establishing　their　forms　of　judicial　procedure；　and　in　regulating　the　several　branches　of　their　public　administration。　Thus　the　captain　or　leader　of　a　tribe　among　the　Hottentots；　who　have　made　but　small　progress　in　the　pastoral　life；　and　among　the　wild　Arabs；　who　have　seldom　acquired　considerable　property；　appears　to　have　little　more　authority　than　among　the　savages　of　America。（16*）　The　great　riches；　on　the　other　hand；　which　are　frequenCy　acquired　by　those　numerous　bands　of　shepherds　inhabiting　the　vast　country　of　Tartary；　have　rendered　the　influence　of　the　chief　proportionably　extensive；　and　have　bestowed　upon　him　an　almost　unlimited　power；　which　commonly　remains　in　the　same　family；　and　is　transmitted　from　father　to　son　like　a　private　inheritance。　　　　　The　ancient　German　nations；　described　by　Caesar　and　Tacitus；　may　be　ranked　in　a　middle　situation　between　these　extremes；　having　probably　had　more　wealth　than　the　Hottentots；　or　most　of　the　wild　Arabs；　and　less　than　the　greater　part　of　the　Tartars。　While　they　remained　in　their　own　country；　they　were　not　altogether　strangers　to　the　cultivation　of　the　ground；　but　they　all　led　a　wandering　life；　and　seem　to　have　had　no　idea　of　property　in　land；　a　sufficient　proof　that　they　drew　their　subsistence　chiefly　from　their　cattle；　and　regarded　agriculture　as　only　a　secondary　employment。　Their　chiefs　appear　to　have　been　either　hereditary；　or　elected　from　those　families　who　had　been　longest　in　the　possession　of　opulent　fortunes；　but　their　military　expeditions　were　frequently　conducted　by　such　inferior　leaders；　as　happened　to　offer　their　service；　and　could　persuade　their　companions　to　follow　them。　In　time　of　peace；　justice　was　administered　by　the　respective　chiefs；　or　leading　men；　of　the　different　villages。（17*）　　　　　But　when　those　barbarians　had　sallied　forth　from　their　native　forests；　and　invaded　the　provinces　of　the　Roman　empire；　they　were　soon　led　to　a　great　improvement　in　their　circumstances。　The　countries　which　they　conquered　had　been　cultivated　and　civilized　under　the　Roman　dominion；　and　the　inhabitants；　though　generally　in　a　declining　state；　were　still　acquainted　with　husbandry　and　a　variety　of　arts。　It　was　to　be　expected；　therefore；　that；　while　the　Gothic　invaders；　during　a　long　course　of　bloody　wars；　defaced　the　monuments　of　ancient　literature；　and　wherever　they　came　planted　their　own　barbarous　customs；　they　should；　on　the　other　hand；　suddenly　catch　a　degree　of　knowledge　from　the　conquered　people；　and　make　a　quicker　progress　in　agriculture；　and　some　of　the　coarser　handicrafts　connected　with　it；　than　they　could　have　done　in　the　natural　course　of　things；　had　they　been　left　to　their　own　experience　and　observation。　By　their　repeated　victories；　different　heads　of　families；　or　barons；　were　enabled　to　seize　great　landed　estates。　They　also　acquired　many　captives　in　war；　whom　they　reduced　into　servitude；　and　by　whom　they　were　put　into　a　condition　for　managing　their　extensive　possessions。　　　　　After　the　settlement　of　those　nations　was　completed；　the　members　of　every　large　family　came　to　be　composed　of　two　sorts　of　people；　the　slaves；　acquired　for　the　most　part　by　conquest；　and　the　free　men；　descended　from　a　common　ancestor；　and　maintained　out　of　his　estate。　The　former　were　employed　chiefly　in　cultivating　their　masters'　grounds：　the　latter　supported　the　interest　and　dignity　of　their　leader；　and　in　their　turn　were　protected　by　him。　　　　　The　authority　of　the　baron　was　extremely　absolute　over　all　the　members　of　his　family；　because　they　entirely　depended　upon　him　for　subsistence。　He　obliged　his　slaves　to　labour　at　pleasure；　and　allowed　them　such　recompense　only　as　he　thought　proper。　His　kindred　were　under　the　necessity　of　following　his　banner　in　all　his　military　expeditions。　He　exercised　over　both　a　supreme　jurisdiction；　in　punishing　their　offences；　as　well　as　in　deciding　their　differences；　and　he　subjected　them　to　such　regulations　as　he　judged　convenient；　for　removing　disorders；　or　preventing　future　disputes。　　　　　These　barons；　though　in　a　great　measure　independent；　were　early　united　in　a　larger　society；　under　circumstances　which　gave　rise　to　a　very　peculiar　set　of　institutions。　The　effect　of　that　union；　whence　proceeded　the　system　of　feudal　government　in　Europe；　will　fall　to　be　considered　in　a　subsequent　part　of　this　discourse。　NOTES：　1。　Mr　Kolben　relates；　that　one　of　the　Dutch　governors　at　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　brought　up　a　Hottentot　according　to　the　fashions　and　customs　of　the　Europeans；　teaching　him　several　languages；　and　instructing　him　fully　in　the　principles　of　the　Christian　religion；　at　the　same　time　clothing　him　handsomely；　and　treating　him　in　all　respects　as　a　person　for　whom　he　had　an　high　esteem；　and　whom　he　desired　for　some　beneficial　and　honourable　employment。　The　governor　afterwards　sent　him　to　Batavia　where　he　was　employed　under　the　commissary　for　some　time；　till　that　gentleman　died；　and　then　he　returned　to　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　But　having　paid　a　visit　to　the　Hottentots　of　his　acquaintance；　he　threw　off　all　his　fine　clothes；　bundled　them　up；　laid　them　at　the　governor's　feet　and　desired　he　might　be　allowed　to　renounce　his　Christianity；　and　to　live　and　die　in　the　religion　and　customs　of　his　ancestors；　only　requesting　that　he　might　be　permitted　to　keep　the　hanger　and　collar　which　he　wore；　in　token　of　his　regard　to　his　benefactor。　While　the　governor　was　deliberating　upon　this；　scarce　believing　the　fellow　to　be　in　earnest；　the　young　Hottentot　took　the　opportunity　of　running　away；　and　never　afterwards　came　near　the　Cape；　thinking　himself　happy　that　he　had　ex…　changed　his　European　dress　for　a　sheep…skin；　and　that　he　had　abandoned　the　hopes　of　preferment　for　the　society　of　his　relations　and　countrymen。　　　　　The　English　East…India　Company　made　the　like　experiment　upon　two　young　Hottentots；　but　with　no　better　success。　2。　'Whenever　they　went　to　war；　and　a　captain　had　to　be　elected　among　them。　they　took　a　large　beam　and　put　it　on　their　shoulders　one　by　one；　and　the　one　who　carried　it　for　the　longest　time　was　made　their　commander。　Many　of　them　carried　it　for　4；　5；　and　6　hours；　but　one　of　them　finally　carried　it　for　24　hours；　and　that　one　was　recognized　as　their　leader。'　Voyage　d'Olivier　de　Noort。　Recueil　de　voy。　qui　ont　servi　a　l'etab。　de　la　comp。　Dans　les　Indes　Orient。　des　Pais　Bas。　3。　Montaigne's　essays；　p。　169。　Paris　1604；　8vo。　　　　　It　has　been　remarked；　that　all　animals　which　live　in　herds　or　flocks　are　apt　to　fall　under　the　authority　of　a　single　leader　of　superior　strength　or　courage。　Of　this　a　curious　instance　is　mentioned　by　the　author　of　Commodore　Anson's　voyage。　'The　largest　sea…lion；'　says　he；　'was　the　master　of　the　flock；　and；　from　the　number　of　females　he　kept　to　himself；　and　his　driving　off　the　males；　was　styled　by　the　seamen　the　bashaw。　As　they　are　of　a　very　lethargic　disposition；　and　are　not　easily　awakened；　it　is　observed；　that　each　herd　places　some　of　their　males　at　a　distance　in　the　manner　of　sentinels；　who　always　give　the　alarm　whenever　any　attempt　is　made　either　to　molest　or　approach　them；　by　making　a　loud　grunting　noise　like　a　hog；　or　snorting　like　a　horse　in　full　vigour。　The　males　had　often　furious　battles　with　each　other；　chiefly　about　the　females；　and　the　bashaw　just　mentioned；　who　was　commonly　surrounded　by　his　females；　to　which　no　other　male　dared　to　approach；　had　acquired　that　distinguished　pre…eminence　b