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THE
HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION
FROM THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
TO THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
BY
F. GUIZOT
TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM HAZLITT
IN THREE VOLUMES
VOL. III.
LONDON
BELL AND SONS
1901
CONTENTS.
LECTURE THE FIRST.
Object of the course-Elements of national waity-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 e 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 eivil 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 feuda
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 2′′¿ meaning
of the word feo dum--It is synonymous with beneficrum-History of
benefices, from 18th 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