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Chiefs and their Followers, evidently con- tains whatever was effential to the nature of Vaffalage, and all the changes which were afterwards made in it were only flight and accidental, occafioned by the conquefts and new eftablishments, which followed from it.
If we confider after this, the character of thefe nations, as it is fketched out by Tacitus, we fhall not be furprized to fee them wedded to inftitutions which they found fo fuitable to their fituation and tem- per: For being the moft free and warlike people upon earth, they muſt have had a natural averfion to the authority of a fingle perfon; and if they placed themſelves un- der leaders, it was only becauſe war cannot be conducted in any other form. As free men, they would only obey from choice, and be lefs influenced by perfonal authority than by reafon: As warriors, they con- ceived no other duty to be owing to a prince, than to be ready to fhed their blood for his cause.
But how came thefe men to preferve themfelves in fo great a degree of liberty? This was owing to their climate and man- ner of life, which gave them fuch ftrength of body and mind as rendered them ca- pable of long and painful labours, of great and daring exploits. “Accordingly we
