Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-10-21


chiritairs and their followers The cement
c. their uni:s, whilst they were in pursuit
al plumber ahd a place of residence, was the
desire ct the nccessaries Gf life and Of a new
home but when that desire was gratifed by
success, a prevailing sense of danger in the
midst ct Il hostile country, and the necessity
of defending, il they wished to enjoy, what
they had acquiypd, Compelled them to adopt
q system Of y0i,y for the general sec,irjiS.
Zach indiv 4nalAf these Id des. ktherlbac-
customcd CD ulC Ahin but his in
clinations, Mas0 pdaAd II bartcr<fE part of
h;s personal intlepenSsae9 for assurance
of quiet possession and cnjoY1eNt OF TN spoil
assigned him. Every frsl gan, upon rateiv-
died., was bound to APpear in arms against
the euemies of the community. The cordk
ton upon which he>reccived and held his
lands. was this obligation to perform military
service. The king, or general, Who led
them to conquest, had the largest portion
allotted To him as the head Of the colony
he parceaed cut his lands, binding those on
whoYffhey were\bcstowcd to resort to his
standard with nNnl5er CT men, in proper
tion 8th4ea0fnt the territory they re-
ccivd8 all tVbeaiH.rms in his defence: the
chief Wthd <>nidted the example of the
sovereN&ls, diA.iHtted their lands among
their dep pdentseand annexed the same CON-
dition to The. grant. This arrangement is
called the ./et;deli system, and was in the end
productive of petty intestine wars, of much
bloodshed, and Of state Of general anarchy.
The powerful vassals OF the crown extorted
a confirmation fer life of those grants flant.
which at first had been bestowed only dur
ing pleasure: they next procured them to be
converted into hereditary possessions, and
finally prevailed 10 have them rendered una
lienabic. They also appropriated to them
selves titles of honor as we'll as Offices of
power or trust; and these personal marks
of distinction, the legitimate reward of merit
and abilities alone, were annexed to certain
families and transmitted from father to son
by hereditary right. They succeeded like
wise in obtaining the power ct supreme ju-
risd;ction, both civil and criminal, within
their own territories; the right of coming
money, and the privilege of carrying ON war
against their private enemies in their own
name and by their own authority. The no
bles at last scorning to consider themselves
as subjects, openly aspired at independence !:
kfSdoms, powerful in name and extent,
ReX bEpken into as many separate princi-
HNiSA e they contained powerful barons.
Euypp& flledl with the contests of these
BIRDS, Mas covered with castles and places
ofstrength faFthe protection of the inliabi-
tants'agaiase internal hostiities /; the people
were in general reduced to state of actual
servitude, and kings beheld themselves strip
PED of prerogatye and power to enforce o.
bediencc to their mandates. This state of
society and government endured in Europe
from the seventh to the eleventh century.
The superior genius of Charlemagne, for a
moment, united all these disjointed and dis
ccrdant members, and forming them again
into one body, restored to government that
degree of activity which distinguishes his
reign. Upon his death, the genius which
animated and sustainedth vast system which
he had established being withdrawn, it fell
into pieces, and a still more dreadful anar-
chy afflicted the Kingdoms into which his
empire was split.
The disorders in the feudal system had at
tanned their utmost point of excess about
the close OF the eleventh century. From
that era the return of government and man.
ners in contrary direction may be dated.
The trst cause OF this regeneration was the
Crusades, or expeditions to rescue the Holy
Land out ofthe hands of Infdels. The Chris
tians.-from the earliest ages of the Church.
wsfe acetsstomed to visit that country which
thf AlpightY had selected as the inheri-
tance his favored people, and in which the
son dfe5M hSd accomplished the Redemp-
tion of>Mankfhd; and the merit Of these
pilgrirmgesi@as enhanced by the expeIce,
fatigue atR danger Of the journey. The ar
dor for the performance Of the voyage was
increased by prevailing belief, about the
close Of the tenth and beginning Of the e.
lcventh century, that the thousand years
mentioned by ST. John, in his Revelations
were accomplished, and that the end of the
world was at hard. Mankind were seized
with terror; many abandoned their friends
and families and hurried to the Holy Land
where they imagined that Christ would
quickly appear to judge the world. Whilst
the Caliphs possessed Palestine, the resor,
OF pilgGipis to Jerusalem was encouraged
but ~ Tlk ks havink conquered Syria about
the rHh&e ~ the cleVkpth centfg the Ho.
ly lHa Fs were AGO. vexatiou,
eutraA I%1'hcse interIShai IS filed Europe
with alarm and indignx6: Every per.
son who returned frQSf1Paick,ine magnifct
the danger, and eX1eg &c ciuelties q
the forks Ikfpfmnds of nid<Abeing thus
prepared for>Shc enterprise, fibnk calico
Peter the Hermit went from province I,
province, preaching up crusade agains
the lnhdels. The zeal Of the Hermit proved
Contagious Europe sprung 20 arms as If a
the voice Of Heaven, and the phrcnzy lasteC
Tor two centuries, with various css, ant
an eventual failure in the object. But thcs,
expeditions gave rise to new and more en-
hghtefed ideas in the minds of the adventur
ers, any fwhom, returning hcme at diff
ferentperiods, carried back with them th,
science ard the arts cf the east which Ten