Appendix

I.

First Saxongovern-ment.

260 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

still preserve an air of independence and legaladministration , which distinguished the Europeannations ; and if that part of the globe maintainsentiments of liberty, honour, equity, and valoursuperior to the rest of mankind , it owes theseadvantages chiefly to the feeds implanted by thosegenerous barbarians.

The Saxons, who subdued Britain, as theyenjoyed great liberty in their own country,obstinately retained that invaluable possestion intheir new settlement ; and they imported intothis island the fame principles of independence ,which they had inherited from their ancestors.The chieftains (for such they were, more properlythan kings or princes) who commanded them inthose military expeditions, still possessed a verylimited authority ; and as the Saxons exterminated,rather than subdued the ancient inhabitants , theywere indeed transplanted into a new territory, butpreserved unaltered all their civil and militaryinstitutions. The language was pure Saxon;even the names of places , which often remainwhile the tongue entirely changes, were almostall affixed by the conquerors ; the manners andcustoms were wholly German ; and the famepicture of a fierce and bold liberty, which isdrawn by the masterly pencil of Tacitus, willsuit those founders of the English government.The king , so far from being invested witharbitrary power, was only considered as the firstamong the citizens; his authority depended more onhis personal qualities than on his station ; he was