An Essay Upon Civil Government

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1722 Excerpt: ... Chap. XIV. Of the Government of England, . and the different Forms which i it hath had. BEfore Claudius the Roman Emperor had made Great Britain a Province of the Empire, this Island was divided into many small States, the greatest Part of which had particular Kings or Lords. England was more than 400 Years under the Government of the Romans, who in the end, were forced to abandonit, and recal their Troops, to oppose the Invasions of the Northern Nations, who had begun to dismember this Grand Empire. Great Britain being then destitute of Succours from Rome, the PiSis and the Caledonians, since called Scotch, springing from their barren and scraggy Mountains, began to attack the Southern Provinces of this Island. In order to stop the Invasion of these fierce Mountaineers, the Britain had recourse to the /ingles, a Saxon Nation, Nation, who drove put the Scotch, and then established themselves in thelsland: they called it by the Name of England, and divided it into Seven Kingdoms, which were all reunited 400 Years after, under the Governmentof Egbert Ring of the West-Saxons In the Year io65, Wi L L I A M Duke of Normandy, called the Conqueror, claimed the Crown of England by the last Will and Testament of King E Dw R D the Confejfor. This Prince having made himself Master of the Kingdom, he treated it as a conquered Country; he established a despotick and absolute Government therein; he desiributed a great Part of the Lands of England to Norman and French Families, who had followed him in his Expedition; he attributed to himself the Primitive De-maine of Lands; he charged all round his Dominions with annual Rents or Services, and made them pay an Acknowledgment at the Death of every Tenant, or landed Man; and made other Dispositions, which render'd him more a P...