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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.
167
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.
P 17