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of　countries　less　fertile　and　less　favourably　circumstanced；　it

is　not　perhaps　very　easy　to　imagine。　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　III

Of　the　Rise　and　Progress　of　Cities　and　Towns　after　the　Fall　of

the　Roman　Empire　





　　　　　THE　inhabitants　of　cities　and　towns　were；　after　the　fall　of

the　Roman　empire；　not　more　favoured　than　those　of　the　country。

They　consisted；　indeed；　of　a　very　different　order　of　people　from

the　first　inhabitants　of　the　ancient　republics　of　Greece　and

Italy。　These　last　were　composed　chiefly　of　the　proprietors　of

lands；　among　whom　the　public　territory　was　originally　divided；

and　who　found　it　convenient　to　build　their　houses　in　the

neighbourhood　of　one　another；　and　to　surround　them　with　a　wall；

for　the　sake　of　common　defence。　After　the　fall　of　the　Roman

empire；　on　the　contrary；　the　proprietors　of　land　seem　generally

to　have　lived　in　fortified　castles　on　their　own　estates；　and　in

the　midst　of　their　own　tenants　and　dependants。　The　towns　were

chiefly　inhabited　by　tradesmen　and　mechanics；　who　seem　in　those

days　to　have　been　of　servile；　or　very　nearly　of　servile

condition。　The　privileges　which　we　find　granted　by　ancient

charters　to　the　inhabitants　of　some　of　the　principal　towns　in

Europe　sufficiently　show　what　they　were　before　those　grants。　The

people　to　whom　it　is　granted　as　a　privilege　that　they　might　give

away　their　own　daughters　in　marriage　without　the　consent　of　their

lord；　that　upon　their　death　their　own　children；　and　not　their

lord；　should　succeed　to　their　goods；　and　that　they　might　dispose

of　their　own　effects　by　will；　must；　before　those　grants；　have

been　either　altogether　or　very　nearly　in　the　same　state　of

villanage　with　the　occupiers　of　land　in　the　country。

　　　　　They　seem；　indeed；　to　have　been　a　very　poor；　mean　set　of

people；　who　used　to　travel　about　with　their　goods　from　place　to

place；　and　from　fair　to　fair；　like　the　hawkers　and　pedlars　of　the

present　times。　In　all　the　different　countries　of　Europe　then；　in

the　same　manner　as　in　several　of　the　Tartar　governments　of　Asia

at　present；　taxes　used　to　be　levied　upon　the　persons　and　goods　of

travellers　when　they　passed　through　certain　manors；　when　they

went　over　certain　bridges；　when　they　carried　about　their　goods

from　place　to　place　in　a　fair；　when　they　erected　in　it　a　booth　or

stall　to　sell　them　in。　These　different　taxes　were　known　in

England　by　the　names　of　passage；　pontage；　lastage；　and　stallage。

Sometimes　the　king；　sometimes　a　great　lord；　who　had；　it　seems；

upon　some　occasions；　authority　to　do　this；　would　grant　to

particular　traders；　to　such　particularly　as　lived　in　their　own

demesnes；　a　general　exemption　from　such　taxes。　Such　traders；

though　in　other　respects　of　servile；　or　very　nearly　of　servile

condition；　were　upon　this　account　called　free…traders。　They　in

return　usually　paid　to　their　protector　a　sort　of　annual　poll…tax。

In　those　days　protection　was　seldom　granted　without　a　valuable

consideration；　and　this　tax　might；　perhaps；　be　considered　as

compensation　for　what　their　patrons　might　lose　by　their　exemption

from　other　taxes。　At　first；　both　those　poll…taxes　and　those

exemptions　seem　to　have　been　altogether　personal；　and　to　have

affected　only　particular　individuals　during　either　their　lives　or

the　pleasure　of　their　protectors。　In　the　very　imperfect　accounts

which　have　been　published　from　Domesday　Book　of　several　of　the

towns　of　England；　mention　is　frequently　made　sometimes　of　the　tax

which　particular　burghers　paid；　each　of　them；　either　to　the　king

or　to　some　other　great　lord　for　this　sort　of　protection；　and

sometimes　of　the　general　amount　only　of　all　those　taxes。

　　　　　But　how　servile　soever　may　have　been　originally　the

condition　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　towns；　it　appears　evidently

that　they　arrived　at　liberty　and　independency　much　earlier　than

the　occupiers　of　land　in　the　country。　That　part　of　the　king's

revenue　which　arose　from　such　poll…taxes　in　any　particular　town

used　commonly　to　be　let　in　farm　during　a　term　of　years　for　a　rent

certain；　sometimes　to　the　sheriff　of　the　county；　and　sometimes　to

other　persons。　The　burghers　themselves　frequently　got　credit

enough　to　be　admitted　to　farm　the　revenues　of　this　sort　which

arose　out　of　their　own　town；　they　becoming　jointly　and　severally

answerable　for　the　whole　rent。　To　let　a　farm　in　this　manner　was

quite　agreeable　to　the　usual　economy　of；　I　believe；　the

sovereigns　of　all　the　different　countries　of　Europe；　who　used

frequently　to　let　whole　manors　to　all　the　tenants　of　those

manors；　they　becoming　jointly　and　severally　answerable　for　the

whole　rent；　but　in　return　being　allowed　to　collect　it　in　their

own　way；　and　to　pay　it　into　the　king's　exchequer　by　the　hands　of

their　own　bailiff；　and　being　thus　altogether　freed　from　the

insolence　of　the　king's　officers…　a　circumstance　in　those　days

regarded　as　of　the　greatest　importance。

　　　　　At　first　the　farm　of　the　town　was　probably　let　to　the

burghers；　in　the　same　manner　as　it　had　been　to　other　farmers；　for

a　term　of　years　only。　In　process　of　time；　however；　it　seems　to

have　become　the　general　practice　to　grant　it　to　them　in　fee；　that

is　for　ever；　reserving　a　rent　certain　never　afterwards　to　be

augmented。　The　payment　having　thus　become　perpetual；　the

exemptions；　in　return　for　which　it　was　made；　naturally　became

perpetual　too。　Those　exemptions；　therefore；　ceased　to　be

personal；　and　could　not　afterwards　be　considered　as　belonging　to

individuals　as　individuals；　but　as　burghers　of　a　particular

burgh；　which；　upon　this　account；　was　called　a　free　burgh；　for　the

same　reason　that　they　had　been　called　free　burghers　or　free

traders。

　　　　　Along　with　this　grant；　the　important　privileges　above

mentioned；　that　they　might　give　away　their　own　daughters　in

marriage；　that　their　children　should　succeed　to　them；　and　that

they　might　dispose　of　their　own　effects　by　will；　were　generally

bestowed　upon　the　burghers　of　the　town　to　whom　it　was　given。

Whether　such　privileges　had　before　been　usually　granted　along

with　the　freedom　of　trade　to　particular　burghers；　as　individuals；

I　know　not。　I　reckon　it　not　improbable　that　they　were；　though　I

cannot　produce　any　direct　evidence　of　it。　But　however　this　may

have　been；　the　principal　attributes　of　villanage　and　slavery

being　thus　taken　away　from　them；　they　now；　at　least；　became

really　free　in　our　present　sense　of　the　word　Freedom。

　　　　　Nor　was　this　all。　They　were　generally　at　the　same　time

erected　into　a　commonalty　or　corporation；　with　the　privilege　of

having　magistrates　and　a　town　council　of　their　own；　of　making

bye…laws　for　their　own　government；　of　building　walls　for　their

own　defence；　and　of　reducing　all　their　inhabitants　under　a　sort

of　military　discipline　by　obliging　them　to　watch　and　ward；　that

is；　as　anciently　understood；　to　guard　and　defend　those　walls

against　all　attacks　and　surprises　by　night　as　well　as　by　day。　In

England　they　were　generally　exempted　from　suit　to　the　hundred　and

county　courts；　and　all　such　pleas　as　should　arise　among　them；　the

pleas　of　the　crown　excepted；　were　left　to　the　decision　of　their

own　magistrates。　In　other　countries　much　greater　and　more

extensive　jurisdictions　were　frequently　granted　to　them。

　　　　　It　might；　probably；　be　necessary　to　grant　to　such　towns　as

were　admitted　to　farm　their　own　revenues　some　sort　of　compulsive

jurisdiction　to　oblige　their　own　citizens　to　make　payment。　In

those　disorderly　times　it　might　have　been　extremely　inconvenient

to　have　left　them　to　seek　this　sort　of　justice　from　any　other

tribunal。　But　it　must　seem　extraordinary　that　the　sovereigns　of

all　the　different　countries　of　Europe　should　have　exchanged　in

this　manner　for　a　rent　certain；　never　more　to　be　augmented；　that

branch　of　the　revenue　which　was；　perhaps；　of　all　others　the　most

likely　to　be　improved　by　the　natural　course　of　things；　without

either　expense　or　attention　of　their　own：　and　that　they　should；

besides；　have　in　this　manner　voluntarily　erected　a　sort　of

independent　republics　in　the　heart　of　their　own　dominions。

　　　　　In　order　to　understand　this；　it　must　be　remembered　that　in

those　days　the　sovereign　of　perhaps　no　country　in　Europe　was　able

to　protect；　through　the　whole　extent　of　his　dominions；　the　weaker

part　of　his　subjects　from　the　oppression　of　the　great　lords。

Those　whom　the　law　could　not　protect；　and　who　were　not　strong

enough　to　defend　themselves；　were　obliged　either　to　have　recourse

to　the　protection　of　some　great　lord；　and　in　order　to　obtain　it

to　become　either　his　slaves　or　vassals；　or　to　enter　into　a　league

of　mutual　defence　for　the　common　protection　of　one　another。　The

inhabitants　of　cities　and　burghs；　considered　as　single

individuals；　had　no　power　to　defend　themselves；　but　by　entering

into　a　league　of　mutual　defence　with　their　neighbours；　they　were

capable　of　making　no　contemptible　resistance。　The　lords　despised

the　burghers；　whom　they　considered　not　only　as　of　a　different

order；　but　as　a　parcel　of　emancipated　slaves；　almost　of　a

different　species　from　themselves。　The　wealth　of　the　burghers

never　failed　to　provoke　their　envy　and　indignation；　and　they

plundered　them　upon　every　occasion　without　mercy　or　remorse。　The

burghers　naturally　hated　and　feared　the　lords。　The　king　hated　and

feared　them　too；　but　though　perhaps　he　might　despise；　he　had　no

reason　either　to　hate　or　fear　the　burghers。　Mutual　interest；

therefore；　disposed　them　to　support　the　king；　and　the　king　to

support　them　against　the　lords。　They　were　the　enemies　of　his

enemies；　and　it　was　his　interest　to　render　them　as　secure　and

independent　of　those　enemies　as　he　could。　By　granting　them

magistrates　of　their　own；　the　privilege　of　making　bye…laws　for

their　own　government；　that　of　building　walls　for　their　own

defence；　and　that　of　reducing　all　their　inhabitants　under　a　sort

of　military　discipline；　he　gave　them　all　the　means　of　security

and　independency　of　the　barons　which　it　was　in　his　power　to

bestow。　Without　the　establishment　of　some　regular　government　of

this　kind；　without　some　authority　to　compel　their　inhabitants　to

act　according　to　some　certain　plan　or　system