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preserved : Severe vengeance was taken for injur- Appendixies, both from a point of honour, and as the best 1.means of future security: And the civil unionbeing weak, many private engagements werecontracted, in order to supply its place, and toprocure men that safety, which the laws and theirown innocence were not alone able to insure tothem.

On the whole, notwithstanding the seemingliberty or rather licentiousness of the Anglo-Sax-ons, the great body even of the free citizens, inthose ages, really enjoyed much less true liberty,than where the execution of the laws is the mostsevere, and where subjects are reduced to thestrictest subordination and dependence on thecivil magistrate. The reason is derived from theexcess itself of that liberty. IV) en must guardthemselves at any price against insults and injuries;and where they receive not protection from thelaws and magistrate . they will seek it by submissionto superiors, and by herding in some private con-federacy , which acts under the direction of apowerful leader. And thus all anarchy is theimmediate cause of tyranny, if not over the state,at least over many of the individuals.

Sec unity was provided by the Saxon laws toall members of the Wittenagemot, both in goingand returning, except they were notorious thievesand robbers.

The German Saxons, as the other nations of Tlje rewalthat continent, were divided into three ranks ° £

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