第4章

Butinprocessoftimetheydivergedintoapositionofantagonism。Theircontrastnotonlycameoutasaresultofmoreattentionanddevelopedstudy。Itbecameacute，becauseinthekeencompetitionofFrenchandGermanscholarship，historians，consciouslyandunconsciously，tookupthestandpointofnationalpredilection，andfollowedtheirbiasbackintoancienttimes。

Aug。Thierry，whileprotestingagainsttheexaggerationsofeighteenth-centurysystems，consideredthedevelopmentofEuropeannationsalmostentirelyasanationalstruggleculminatinginconquest，butunderlyingmostfactsinthehistoryofinstitutions。Hebegan，forthesakeofmethod，bytracingtheconflictonEnglishgroundwhereeverythingresolveditselftohiseyeintoopenorhiddenstrifebetweenNormanandSaxon。ButWilliamtheBastard’sinvasionledhimbyacircuitouswaytotherealobjectofhisinterest——tothegradualriseofGallo-RomancivilisationagainsttheTeutonicconquestinFrance：historicaltendenciestowardscentralisedmonarchyandmunicipalbourgeoisiewereconnectedbyhimwiththepresentpoliticalconditionofFranceastheabidinglegacyofGallo-RomancultureMenofgreatpowerandnote，fromRaynouardandB。GuerarddowntoFusteldeCoulangesinourowndays，havefollowedthesametrackwithmoreorlessviolenceandexaggeration。TheyareallatoneintheiranimositytowardsTeutonicinfluenceinthepast，allatoneinlesseningitseffects，andintryingtocollectthescatteredtracesofRomanisminprincipleandapplication。TheGermansdidnotsubmitmeeklytotheonslaught，butwentasfarastheRomanistsontheotherside。Lobell，Waitz，andRoth——tospeakonlyoftheheadsoftheschool——haveheldforthaboutthemightypartwhichtheTeutonshaveplayedinEurope；theyhaveenhancedthebeneficialvalueofGermanicprinciples，andtriedtoshowthatthereisnoreasonforlayingtotheiraccountcertaindarkfactsinthehistoryofEurope。TheGermanistschoolhadtofightitswaynotonlyagainstRomanism，butagainstdiverstenetsoftheRomanticschoolasrepresentedbySavignyandEichhorn，ofwhichRomanistshadavailedthemselves。Thewholedoctrinewastobereconsideredinthelightoftwofundamentalassumptions。Thefoundationsofsociallifeweresoughtnotinaristocracy，butinthecommonfreedomofthemajorityofthepeople：theGermanmiddleclass，the’Burgers，’whoformthestrengthofcontemporaryGermany，lookedtothepasthistoryoftheirraceasvouchingfortheirliberty。

Thedestiniesofthatparticularclassbecamethetestofsocialdevelopment。ThenagainthedisruptivetendencyofGermannationalcharacterwasstoutlydenied，andallthehistoricalinstancesofdisruptionweredemonstratedtobequiteindependentofanyleaningoftherace。InthegreatfermentationofthoughtwhichledindirectlytotheunificationofGermany，thebestmeninthecountryrefusedtobelievethatWesternEuropehadfallentopiecesintofeudalismbecauseTeutonicdevelopmentisdoomedtostrifeandhelplessnessbydeeplyengrainedtraitsofcharacter。GermanscholarshipfoundamostpowerfulallyinthisperiodofitshistoryintheliteratureofkindredEngland：

GermanandEnglishinvestigatorsstoodsidebysideinthesameranks。Kemble，K。Maurer，Freeman，Stubbs，andGneistformthegoodlyarrayoftheGermanistSchoolonEnglishsoil。

Kemble’spositionis，strictlyspeaking，anintermediateone：

insomerespectsheisveryneartoEichhornandGrimm；althoughhischiefworkwaspublishedin1849，hewasnotacquaintedwithWaitz’sfirstbooks。ButKembleismostlyintouchwiththosepartsofEichhorn’stheorywhichcouldbeacceptedbylaterGermanists；otherimportanttenetsoftheRomanticSchoolareleftintheshadeorrejected，andasawholeKemble’steachingisessentiallyGermanistic。Kemble’s’SaxonsinEngland’takesitspeculiarshapeandmarksanepochinEnglishhistoricalliterature，mainlybecauseitpresentsthefirstattempttoutilisetheenormousmaterialofSaxonCharters，inthecollectionofwhichKemblehasdonesuchinvaluablework。Withthiscopiousandexact，butveryone-sided，materialathisdisposal，ourauthortakeslittlenoticeofcurrenttalesabouttheinvasionofGreatBritainbyAnglesandSaxons。Suchtalesmaybeinterestingfromamythologicalorliterarypointofview，butthehistoriancannotacceptthemasevidence。Atthesametimeonecannotbutwishtotryandgetcertainknowledgeofanhistoricalfact，which，asfarasthehistoryofEnglandisconcerned，appearsasthefirstmanifestationoftheTeutonicraceinitsstupendousgreatness。Luckilyenoughwehavesomemeanstojudgeoftheinvasioninthenamesoflocalitiesandgroupsofpopulation。ReadinthislightthehistoryofConquestappearsverygradualandancient。Itbeganlongbeforetherecordedsettlements，andwhileBritainwasstillunderRomansway。ThestrugglewiththeCeltswasacomparativelyeasyone；

thenativepopulationwasbynomeansdestroyed，butremainedinlargenumbersinthelowerordersofsociety。Notwithstandingsuchremnants，thehistoryoftheAnglo-SaxonperiodisentirelyTeutonicinitsaspect，andpresentsonlyoneinstanceofthegeneralprocessbywhichtheprovincesoftheEmpireweremodifiedbyconquerorsofTeutonicrace。

TherootofthewholesocialsystemistobefoundintheMark，whichisadivisionoftheterritoryheldjointlybyacertainnumberoffreemenforthepurposesofcultivation，mutualhelpanddefence。Thecommunitybeganasakinshiportribe，butevenwhentheoriginalbloodtieswerelostsightofandmodifiedbytheinfluxofheterogeneouselements，thecommunityremainedself-sufficientandisolated。Thewholefabricofsocietyrestedonpropertyinland：asitspoliticaldivisionswerebasedonthepossessionofcommonlands，evensotherankofanindividualdependedentirelyonhisholding。TheTeutonicworldhadnoideaofacitizenseveredfromthesoil。Thecuriousfactthatthenormalholding，thehide，wasequalalloverEngland(331/2

acres)canbeexplainedonlybyitsorigin；itcamefull-formedfromGermanyandremainedunchangedinspiteofalldiversitiesofgeographicalandeconomicalconditions。

Thetransformationofmedievalsocietyis，forKemble，intimatelyconnectedwiththeformsofownershipinland。Thescantypopulationofancienttimeshaddividedonlyaverysmallpartofthecountryintoseparateholdings。Therestremainedinthehandsofthepeopletosupplythewantsofcominggenerations。Thegreatturntowardsfeudalismwasgivenbythefactthatthisreserve-fundlapsedintothehandsofafewmagnates：themassoffreepeoplebeingdeprivedofitsnaturalsphereofexpansionwasforcedtoseekitssubsistenceatthehandsofprivatelords(loaf-givers)。Fromthepointofviewofpersonalstatusthesameprocessappearsinthedecreaseoffreedomamongthepeopleandintheincreaseoftheso-calledGesid。AccordingtoTeutonicprinciplesamanisfreeonlyifhehaslandtofeedupon，strengthtowork，andarmstodefendhimself。Thelandlessmanisunfree；andsoistheGesidcundman，thefollower，howeverstrongandwealthyhemaybethroughhischiefsgrace。Thecontrastbetweenthefreeceorlstillingtheirownlandandthebandofmilitaryfollowers，whoarealwaysconsideredaspersonallydependent——thiscontrastisamarkedone。FromthefirstthismilitaryfollowinghadplayedanimportantpartinGermanhistory。Mostraidsandinvasionshadbeenitswork，andsometimeswholetribeswereattractedintoitsorganisation，butduringthefirstperiodofSaxonhistorythefreepeopleweresufficientlystrongtoholddownthepowerofmilitarychiefswithincertainbounds。Notsoinlaterdevelopment。Withthegrowthofpopulation，ofinequalities，ofsocialcompetition，therelationsofdependencyareseenconstantlygainingonthefieldoffreedom。Thespreadofcommendationleadsnotonlytoachangeinthedistributionofranks，buttoadismembermentofpoliticalpower，toallkindsoffranchisesandprivateencroachmentsontheState。

Imaybeexcusedformarshallingallthesewell-knownpointsbeforethepublicbytheconsiderationthattheymustservetoshowhowintimatelytheseviewsareconnectedwiththegeneralprinciplesofagreatschool。ThestresslaidbyKembleonpropertyinlandoughttobenoticedespecially：landgetstobethebasisofallpoliticalandsocialcondition。ThisisgoingmuchfurtherthanPalgraveeverwent；thoughnotfurtherthanEichhorn。WhatactuallyseversKemblefromtheRomanticsishisestimateofthefreeelementinthepeople。HedoesnottrytopictureakindofpoliticalArcadiainSaxonEngland，butthereisnomoretalkabouttherightlessconditionoftheceorlsorthepredominanceofaristocracy。TheTeutonicracetowersaboveeverything。AlthoughtheexistenceofCeltsaftertheConquestsisadmitted，neitherCelticnorRomanelementsappearasexercisinganyinfluenceinthecourseofhistory。EverythingtakesplaceasifGermaniccommunitieshadbeenlivingandgrowingonsoilthathadneverbeforebeenappropriated。

CuriouslyenoughtheweakestpointofKemble’sdoctrineseemstolieinitsverycentre——inhistheoryofsocialgroups。OneisoftenremindedofGrimmbyhisaccountoftheMark，anditwasanachievementtocallattentiontosuchacommunityasdistinctfromthetribalgroup，butthepolitical，legal，andeconomicaldescriptionoftheMarkisveryvague。Astothereasoningaboutgilds，tithings，andhundreds，itisbasedonaconstantconfusionofwidelydifferentsubjects。

Generallyspeaking，itisnotforalawyer’sacutenessandprecisionthatonehastolookinKemble’sbook：importantdistinctionsveryoftengetblurredinhisexposition，andthoughconstantlyprotestingagainstabstracttheoriesandsuppositionsnotbasedonfact，heindulgesinthemagreatdealhimself。

StillKemble’sworkwasveryremarkable：hisextensive，ifnotverycriticalstudyofthechartersopenedhiseyestothefirst-rateimportanceofthelawofrealpropertyinthecourseofmedievalhistory：thiswasagreatstepinadvanceofPalgrave，whohadrecognisedlawasthebackgroundofhistory，butwhoseattentionhadbeendirectedalmostexclusivelytotheformalsidetojudicialinstitutions。AndKembleactuallysucceededinbringingforwardsomeofthequestionswhichweretoremainforalongtimethemainpointsofdebateamonghistorians。

Thedevelopmentoftheschoolwasevidentlytoproceedinthedirectionofgreateraccuracyandimprovedmethods。GreatservicehasbeendoneinthisrespectbyKonradMaurer。HeisperhapssometimesinclinedtomagnifyhisownindependenceanddissentfromKemble’sopinions，buthehasundoubtedlycontributedtostrengthenandclearupsomeofKemble’sviews，andhasgonefurtherthanhispredecessoronimportantsubjects。HeacceptsinthemainKemble’sdoctrinesastotheMark，theallotmentofland，theoppositionoffolklandandbookland，andexpoundsthemwithgreaterfulnessandbetterinsightintotheevidence。OntheotherhandhegoeshisownwayastotheGesids(Gefolgschaft)，andthepartplayedbylargeestatesinthepoliticalprocess。

MaurerreducestheimportanceoftheformerandlaysmorestressonthelatterthanKemble。AltogethertheGermanscholar’sinvestigationshavebeenofgreatmoment，andthisnotonlyformethodicalreasons，butalsobecausetheyleadtoacompleteemancipationoftheschoolfromEichhorn’sinfluence。

AstotheConquests，GermanistviewshavebeenformulatedwithgreatauthoritybyFreeman。AcomparisonofthecourseofdevelopmentinRomancecountrieswiththehistoryofEngland，andacarefulstudyofthatevidenceofthechronicleswhichKembledisregarded，hasledthehistorianoftheNormanConquesttotheconclusion，thattheTeutonicinvadersactuallyrootedoutmostoftheRomanisedCelticpopulationofEnglishBritain，andreducedittoutterinsignificanceinthosewesterncountieswheretheydidnotdestroyit。ItistheonlyinferencethatcanbedrawnfromthetemporarydisappearanceofChristianity，fromtheallbutcompleteabsenceofCelticandLatinwordsintheEnglishtongue，fromtheimmunityofEnglishlegalandsociallifefromRomaninfluence。TheTeutonicbiaswhichwasgiventothehistoryoftheislandbytheConquestofAnglesandSaxonshasnotbeenalteredbytheConquestoftheNormans。Theforeigncolouringimpartedtothelanguageisnotestimonyofanyradicalchangeintheinternalstructureofthepeople：itremainedonthesurface，andthehistoryoftheislandremainedEnglish，thatis，Teutonic。Evenfeudalism，whichappearsinitsfullshapeafterWilliamtheBastard’sinvasion，hadbeenpreparedinitscomponentpartsbytheSaxonperiod。InworkingoutparticularsFreemanhadtoreckonlargelywithKemble’sworkandtostrikethebalancebetweentheconflictingandone-sidedtheoriesofThierryandPalgrave。Questionsoflegalandsocialresearchconcernhimonlysofarastheyillustratetheproblemofthestruggleandfusionofnationalcivilisations。Hismaterialischieflydrawnfromchronicles，andthehistoryofexternalfactsofwar，government，andlegislationcomesnaturallytothefore。

Butallthenumberlessdetailstendtowardsoneend：theyillustratetheTeutonicaspectofEnglishculture，andassignitadefiniteplaceinthehistoricalsystemofEurope。