TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

THE PRIMITIVE SAXONS.

The polity of the United States to some extent a revival of

something most ancient. — The plains at the mouths of the

Elbe and Weser.- Social and legal aspects of the civiliza-

tion of the Anglo-Saxons. - Divisions of rank. - Political

forms. Comparison of the Anglo-Saxon polity with that

of other primitive Aryan peoples; with that of modern

America. Freeman and J. R. Green on the retention of

Anglo-Saxon elements in the constitutions of England and

America.

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CHAPTER II.

THE ANGLO-SAXON CONQUEST OF BRITAIN.

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Inquiry into the value of Anglo-Saxon freedom. - Views of

John Stuart Mill and J. Toulmin Smith. Saxon conquest

of Britain. - Transferrence of the continental civilization

to the new home. - Appearance of kingship. - How the

King was appointed. — Origin of the thegns. - Conver-

sion of the Saxons to Christianity. — The Heptarchy.—

The supremacy of Wessex. - Moots of tun, hundred, and

shire. The witenagemote. - Conservative spirit of Al-

fred. Influence of the Danes. The ceorls sink toward

villeinage. Incipient feudalism.

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Edward the Confes-

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CHAPTER III.

THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS.

Appearance to-day of the field of Senlac. - Importance of
the battle. — The beach at Hastings. — Landing of the Nor-
mans in 1066. — Appearance of Duke William. — His pres-

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ence of mind. Difficult situation of Harold.

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bey. The "Roman de Rou." —The two armies opposed.
The minstrel Taillefer. - Dangerous situation of the
Normans. The wounding of Harold. — The rout of the
Saxons. A walk to-day over the battle-field

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CHAPTER IV.

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MAGNA CHARTA AND THE RISE OF PARLIAMENT.

Submergence of popular government under feudalism. -

Ultimate good effect of the Norman conquest. Character

of the rule of William I.— Domesday Book. - Persistence

of ancient institutions in tun, hundred, and shire. — Char-

acter of the King's title. — Limitation of feudalism in Eng-

land. Work of Henry II in depressing the great vassals.

- The Curia Regis. — Serfdom. — Trial by jury. — Acces-

sion of John. - Runnymede. Analysis of Magna Charta.

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The work of Langton. — The origin of Parliament.

Value of the representative system. - Conditions of its

- Simon de Montfort and his achievement. - Ed-

ward I and the establishment of the House of Commons . 38

success.

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CHAPTER V.

THE COMING UP OF THE SERFS.

Condition of freedom in Europe in the thirteenth century.-

Constitution of the early Parliaments. - Importance of

the knights-of-the-shire. — The yeomen. - Unfortunate

state of the boroughs. — The Chapter House at Westmin-

ster. Division of Parliament into two Houses. Growth

of the power of Parliament. Its imperfect character as a

representative body. - Rise of the farmers and the free

laborers. The Statute of Laborers. - Peasant rebellion.

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John Ball in Kent. - Bearing of Richard II. - Wat Tyler

of Essex. His death. - Treachery of the King. — Wil-

liam Grindecobbe. — Aristocratic temper of Parliament. . 62

CHAPTER VI.

THE TIMES OF THE LANCASTRIANS.

Deposition of Richard II. - Power of Parliament under
Henry IV.- Popularity of Henry V. - Fortescue on the
English constitution. - Sudden decay of the power of Par-

liament. - Misfortunes to representation in the shires and

the boroughs.-Jack Cade's rebellion. -Justice of his

cause. The Wars of the Roses. - Extinction of the power

of the nobles. - Accession of the Tudor line.

CHAPTER VII.

DEPRESSION OF THE POWER OF PARLIAMENT.

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Great increase of the power of the Crown. - Effect of the

Reformation in producing this. - Position and character

of Henry VIII. - Good points of his reign. - Catholic

reaction under Mary. - Wyatt's rebellion. Parliament

grows more spirited under Elizabeth. - Sir Thomas Smith's

description. -Tact of the Queen - Acts of Suprem-

acy and Uniformity. - Star Chamber and High Commis-

sion Courts. - Absolutism restrained under the Tudors. -

Its triumph everywhere upon the continent. Growth of

the doctrine of the jus divinum. - Cowell's "Interpreter."

-Subserviency of Convocation and the University of

Oxford. - Claims of James I.-Opposition of Parlia-

ment. Accession of Charles I. — The Petition of Right.

-Laud, Strafford, and the policy of " Thorough." - Ship-

money

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CHAPTER VIII.

SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA.

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Charters of the East India and Virginia Companies. - Settle-
ment of Jamestown; of Plymouth. — Revival of ancient
Anglo-Saxon polity in New England. - Submergence in
England of the popular moots. Methods of Puritan set-
tlement in New England. - The town-meeting. — Repro-
duction of contemporary England in Virginia. — The
parish, the county, the court of Quarter Sessions.-
Scene at the county court. Reasons for the contrast be-
tween New England and Virginia.

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The yeoman settlers
of the former. The great planters, the slaves, the poor
whites of the South. - Disrepute of labor. — Virtues of
the Virginia society. - Spirit of the House of Burgesses.
-Condition of South Carolina; of Maryland. — Feudalism
in New York and Pennsylvania. — The popular moot the

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primordial cell of Anglo-Saxon freedom. — Its condition in

the Thirteen Colonies, its spirit in New England, its feeble-

ness in the South

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CHAPTER IX.

THE ENGLAND OF CHARLES I.

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Effort of Charles to rule without a Parliament. - The Short

Parliament. Assembling of the Long Parliament. - Its

idea to establish the equilibrium between King, Lords, and

Commons. Arrest of Laud and Strafford. - The Grand

Remonstrance. Attempt to arrest the Five Members.

Outbreak of the Civil War. - Constitution of the two

parties. Edgehill. Low estate of the Parliament.

The Solemn League and Covenant and Marston Moor.

Naseby. The rank and file of the Ironsides. - Their

manifestoes. Reluctance of the leaders to subscribe to

them. The prayer-meeting of December 22, 1647 . . 130

CHAPTER X.

THE ENGLISH COMMONWEALTH.

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Civil war of 1648. Siege of Colchester and battle of Pres-

ton. - The Grand Army Remonstrance. - Resistance of

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Parliament. Pride's Purge. - Ireton's declarations.

The Agreement of the People. Its anticipation of the

Reform Bill of 1832. — Abolishment of the kingship and

the House of Peers. - Execution of the King. — Republi-

can ideas of the party in power. — Temporary government

of the Rump and the Council of State.. - Embarrassments

of the Independents. - Cromwell in Ireland.

The cam-

paigns of Dunbar and Worcester.- The ocean war with

Holland. Schism among the Independents. The dis-

solution of the Rump. The autocracy of Cromwell. —

Panegyric of Milton. - The Restoration. - Benefits se-

cured by the English Revolution

Enthusiasm for Charles II. Reaction from the ideas of

the Commonwealth.

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Benefits flowing from the bad char-

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acters of Charles II and James II.-The nation forced
into resistance. The Bill of Rights and the Revolution.
-William and Mary. — Extinction of liberty elsewhere.
Whigs and Tories. — Important part played by the non-
conformists and commercial classes. - The Huguenots and
other refugees.- Doubtful struggle between Whigs and
Tories. Establishment of modern forms in the polity.—
Rise of the Cabinet. - Unsatisfactory condition of Parlia-
ment. Power of the nobles and men of wealth

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CHAPTER XII.

ERA OF PARLIAMENTARY CORRUPTION.

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Equal responsibility of Whigs and Tories for parliamentary
corruption. Stooping of honest men to bribery. — Degen-
eracy of the county representation. - Decline of yeomen.
Assumptions of the great land-holders. — Bad condi-
tion of the boroughs. - Destruction of the popular fran-
chise. Rotten boroughs. Their growth under the Tu-
dors and Stuarts. Large towns unrepresented. ― Cases
of Buckingham, Bewdley, Oxford, Salisbury, Bath, New
Shoreham, Sudbury. Condition of Scotland. - Case of
the shire of Bute. Price of seats in Parliament. — The
"nabobs." - Testimony of Sir Samuel Romilly. - The peo-
ple unrepresented. Case of Wilkes. Mass-meetings. -

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CHAPTER XIII.

THE COMING ON OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

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Condition of the Thirteen Colonies in the first half of

eighteenth century. The approach of the American Rev-

olution. The title to the colonies in the Crown, not in

the Parliament. Inconsistency of Kings and colonists..

The ecclesiastical grievance. - The commercial grievance.
- Selfishness of the trading-spirit. The Sugar Act.—

The rights and privileges of Englishmen. - Effect of the

destruction of French power. - Enforcement of customs

regulations. The Writs of Assistance. -

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The Stamp Act.

Debate in Parliament. - Burke, Chatham, Camden,

Mansfield. The question summed up. - Superior appre-

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