THE

HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION,

FROM THE FALL OF THE BOMAN EMPIRE

TO THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

BY F. GUIZOT,

AUTHOR OF "HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION OF 1640.”

TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM HAZLITT.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

LONDON:

GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK ST., COVENT GARDEN,

AND NEW YORK.

1892.

REPRINTED FROM STEREO-PLATES BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED

STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.

CONTENTS.

LECTURE THE FIRST.

Object of the course-Elements of national unity-They exist and begin to

be developed in France towards the end of the 10th century-Thence

dates French civilization-The feudal period will be the subject of this

course-It includes the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, from Hugh Capet

to Philippe de Valois-Proof that these are the limits of the feudal

period-Plan of the course: History; 1st, of society; 2nd, of the human

mind, during the feudal period-The history of society resolves itself

into, 1st, history of civil society; 2nd, history of religious society-The

history of the human mind resolves itself into, 1st, history of learned

literature; 2nd, history of national literature in the vulgar tongue-Im-

portance of the middle ages in the history of French civilization-The

present state of opinions concerning the middle ages-Is it true that

there is danger in historical impartiality and poetical sympathy for this

period?-Utility of this study

SECOND LECTURE.

p. 1

Necessity for studying the progressive formation of the feudal system-It is

often forgotten that social facts form themselves but slowly, and in

forming themselves, undergo many vicissitudes-Analysis of the feudal

system in its essential elements. They are three in number: 1. The

nature of territorial property; 2. Amalgamation of sovereignty and pro-

perty; 3. Hierarchical organization of the feudal association-State of

territorial property from the 5th to the 10th century-Origin and meaning

of the word feodum--It is synonymous with beneficium—History of

benefices, from the 8th to the 10th century-Examination of the system

of Montesquieu concerning the legal gradation of the duration of bene-

fices-Causes of the increase of the number of benefices-Almost all

landed property became feudal.

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