_The State of_ Gaul, _before it was reduced into a_
Province _by the_ Romans.
My Design being to give an Account of the Laws and Ordinances of our
_Francogallia_, as far as it may tend to the Service of our
_Commonwealth_, in its present Circumstances; I think it proper, in the
first place, to set forth the State of _Gaul_, before it was reduced
into the Form of a _Province_ by the _Romans_: For what _Cæsar,
Polybius, Strabo, Ammianus_, and other Writers have told us concerning
the _Origin, Antiquity_ and _Valour_ of that People, the Nature and
Situation of their Country, and their private Customs, is sufficiently
known to all Men, tho' but indifferently learned.
We are therefore to understand, that the State of _Gaul_ was such at
that time, that neither was the _whole_ under the Government of a
_single Person_: Nor were the particular [Footnote: _Civitas_, a
Commonwealth.] _Commonwealths_ under the Dominion of the _Populace_, or
the _Nobles_ only; but all _Gaul_ was so divided into _Commonwealths_,
that the most Part were govern'd by the _Advice_ of the _Nobles_; and
these were called _Free_; the rest had _Kings_. But every one of them
agreed in this _Institute_, that at a certain Time of the Year a
_publick Council_ of the whole Nation should be held; in which
_Council_, whatever seem'd to relate to the whole _Body_ of the
_Commonwealth_ was appointed and establish'd. _Cornelius Tacitus_, in
his 3d Book, reckons Sixty-four _Croitates_; by which is meant (as
_Cæsar_ explains it) so many Regions or Districts; in each of which, not
only the same _Language, Manners_ and _Laws_, but also the same
_Magistrates_ were made use of. Such, in many Places of his History, he
principally mentions the Cities of the _Ædui_, the _Rhemi_ and _Arverni_
to have been. And therefore _Dumnorix_ the _Æduan_, when _Cæsar_ sent to
have him slain, began to resist, and to defend himself, and to implore
the Assistance of his _Fellow Citizens_; often crying out, That he was a
_Freeman_, and Member of a _Free Commonwealth_, lib. 5. cap. 3.
To the like purpose Strabo writes in his Fourth Book: [Footnote: [Greek:
Aristokratikai d' êsan hai pleious tôn politeiôs, ena d' hêgemona
hêrounto kat eniauton to palaion hôs d' hautôs eis polemon heis hupo tou
plêthous apedeiknuto stratêgos.]] "_Most_ of the _Commonwealths_ (says
he) were govern'd by the _Advice_ of the _Nobles_: but every _Year_ they
anciently chose a _Magistrate_; as also the People chose a _General_ to
manage their Wars." The like _Cæsar_, lib. 6. Cap. 4. writes in these
Words: "Those _Commonwealths_ which are esteem'd to be under the best
Administration, have made a Law, that if any Man chance to hear a Rumour
or Report abroad among the Bordering People, which concerned the
_Commonwealth_, he ought to inform the _Magistrates_ of it, and
communicate it to no body else. The _Magistrates_ conceal what they
think proper, and acquaint the Multitude with the rest: For of Matters
relating to the _Community_, it was not permitted to any Person to talk
or discourse, but in _Council_".--Now concerning this _Common Council_
of the whole Nation, we shall quote these few Passages out of _Cæsar_.
"They demanded, (says he) _lib._ 1. _cap._ 12. a _General Council_ of
_all Gallia_ to be summon'd; and that this might be done by _Cæsar_'s
Consent." Also, _lib._ 7. _cap._ 12.--"a _Council_ of all _Gallia_ was
summon'd to meet at _Bibracte_; and there was a vast Concourse from all
Parts to that Town."--And _lib._ 6. _cap._ 1--"_Cæsar_ having summon'd
the _Council_ of _Gaul_ to meet early in the Spring, as he had before
determin'd: Finding that the _Senenes, Carnates_ and _Treviri_ came not
when all the rest came, he adjourned the _Council_ to Paris."--And,
_lib_ 7. _cap._ 6. speaking of _Vercingetorix_,--"He promis'd himself,
that he shou'd be able by his Diligence to unite such _Commonwealths_ to
him as dissented from the rest of the Cities of _Gaul_, and to form a
_General Council_ of all _Gallia_; the Power of which, the whole World
should not be able to withstand."
Now concerning the _Kings_ which ruled over certain Cities in _Gallia_
the same Author makes mention of them in very many Places; Out of which
this is particularly worthy our Observation: That it was the _Romans_
Custom to caress all those _Reguli_ whom they found proper for their
turns: That is, such as were busy men, apt to embroil Affairs, and to
sow Dissentions or Animosities between the several _Commonwealths_.
These they joined with in Friendship and Society, and by most honourable
publick Decrees called them their _Friends_ and _Confederates_: And many
of these _Kings_ purchased, at a great Expence, this Verbal Honour from
the _Chief Men_ of _Rome_. Now the _Gauls_ called such, _Reges_, or
rather _Reguli_, which were chosen, not for a certain Term, (as the
Magistrates of the Free Cities were) but for their Lives; tho' their
Territories were never so small and inconsiderable: And these, when
Customs came to be changed by Time, were afterwards called by the Names
of _Dukes, Earls_, and _Marquisses_.
Of the _Commonwealths_ or _Cities_, some were much more potent than
others; and upon these the lesser _Commonwealths_ depended; these they
put themselves under for Protection: Such weak Cities _Cæsar_ sometimes
calls the _Tributaries_ and _Subjects_ of the former; but, for the most
part he says, they were in _Confederacy_ with them. _Livius_ writes,
_lib. 5._ that when _Tarquinius Priscus_ reigned in _Rome_, the
_Bituriges_ had the principal Authority among the _Celtæ_, and gave a
_King_ to them. When _Cæsar_ first enter'd _Gaul_, A.U.C. 695. he found
it divided into Two Factions; the _Ædui_ were at the Head of the one,
the _Arverni_ of the other, who many Years contended for the
Superiority: But that which greatly increas'd this Contention, was,
Because the _Bituriges_, who were next Neighbours to the _Arverni_, were
yet _in file & imperio_ that is, Subjects and Allies to the _Ædui_. On
the other hand, the _Sequani_ (tho' Borderers on the _Ædui_) were under
the Protection of the _Arverni_, lib. 1. Cap. 12. lib. 6. cap. 4. The
_Romans_ finding such-like Dissention; to be for their Interest; that
is, proper Opportunities to enlarge their own Power, did all they cou'd
to foment them: And therefore made a League with the _Ædui_, whom (with
a great many Compliments) they titled _Brothers and Friends of the
People of Rome_. Under the Protection and League of the _Ædui_, I find
to have been first the _Senones_, with whom some time before the
_Parisians_ had join'd their _Commonwealth_ in League and Amity. Next,
the _Bellouaci_, who had nevertheless a great City of their own,
abounding in Numbers of People, and were of principal Authority and
Repute among the _Belgæ_, lib. 2. cap. 4. and lib. 7. cap. 7. _Cæsar_
reckons the _Centrones_, _Grudii_, _Levaci_, _Pleumosii_, _Gordunni_,
under the Dominion of the _Nervii_, lib. 5. cap. 11. He names the
_Eburones_ and _Condrasii_ as Clients of the _Treviri_, lib. 4. cap. 2.
And of the _Commonwealth_ of the _Veneti_ (these are in _Armorica_ or
_Brittanny_) he writes, that their Domination extended over all those
Maritime Regions; and that almost all that frequented those Seas were
their Tributaries, _lib._ 3. _cap._ 2. But the Power of the _Arverni_
was so great, that it not only equall'd that of the Ædui, but a little
before _Cæsar_'s Arrival, had got most of their Clients and Dependents
from them, _lib._ 6 _cap._ 4. _lib._ 7. _cap._ 10. Whereupon, as Strabo
writes in his 4th Book, they made War against _Cæsar_ with Four hundred
thousand Men under the Conduct of their General _Vercingetorix_. These
were very averse to Kingly Government: So that _Celtillus_, Father to
_Vercingetorix_, a Man of great Power and Reputation (reckon'd the first
Man in all _Gaul_,) was put to Death, by _Order_ of his _Commonwealth_,
for aspiring to the _Kingdom_. The _Sequani_, on the other hand, had a
King, one _Catamantales_, to whom the _Romans_ gave the Title of their
_Friend_ and _Ally_, lib. 1. cap. 2. Also the _Suessiones_, who were
Masters of most large and fertile Territories, with 12 great Cities, and
cou'd muster Fifty thousand fighting Men, had a little before that time
_Divitiacus_, the most potent Prince of all _Gallia_ for their King; he
had not only the Command of the greatest Part of _Belgæ_, but even of
_Britanny_. At _Cæsar_'s Arrival they had one _Galba_ for their King,
_lib._ 2. _cap._ 1. In _Aquitania_, the _Grandfather_ of one _Piso_ an
_Aquitanian_ reigned, and was called _Friend_ by the People of _Rome_,
lib. 4. cap. 3. The _Senones_, a People of great Strength and Authority
among the _Gauls_, had for some time _Moritasgus_ their King; whose
Ancestors had also been Kings in the same Place, _lib._ 5. _cap._ 13.
The _Nitiobriges_ or _Agenois_, had _Olovico_ for their King; and he
also had the Appellation given him of _Friend_ by the _Senate_ of
_Rome_, lib. 7. cap. 6.
But concerning all these Kingdoms, one thing is remarkable, and must not
lightly be past by; which is That _they were not hereditary_, but
_conferr'd_ by the _People_ upon such as had the Reputation of being
just Men. Secondly, That they had no _arbitrary_ or _unlimited
Authority_, but were bound and _circumscribed_ by _Laws_; so that they
were no less accountable to, and subject to the Power of the People,
than the People was to theirs; insomuch that those _Kingdoms_ seem'd
nothing else but _Magistracies for Life_. For Cæsar makes mention of
several _private Men_, whose _Ancestors_ had formerly been _such Kings_;
among these he reckons _Casticus_, the Son of _Catamantales_, whose
Father had been King of the _Sequani_ many Years, _lib._ 1. _cap._ 2.
and _Piso_ the _Aquitanian_, lib. 4. cap. 3. also _Tasgetius_, whose
Ancestors had been Kings among the _Carnutes_, lib. 5. cap. 8.
Now concerning the Extent of their _Power_ and _Jurisdiction_, he brings
in _Ambiorix_, King of the _Eburones_, giving an account of it, _lib._
5. _cap._ 8. "The Constitution of our Government is such (says he) that
the People have no less Power and Authority over me than I have over the
People. _Non minus habet in me juris multitudo, quam ipse in
multitudinem._" Which Form of Government, _Plato, Aristotle, Polybius_
and _Cicero_ have for this Reason determined to be the _best_ and _most
Excellent_: "Because (says _Plato_) shou'd Kingly Government be left
without a Bridle, when it has attained to supreme Power, as if it stood
upon a slippery Place, it easily falls into Tyranny: And therefore it
ought to be restrained as with a Curb, by the Authority of the Nobles;
and such chosen men as the People have empower'd to that End and
Purpose."
* * * * *