History of the Origin of Representative Government in Europe

by François Guizot

Subject of the lecture.
A knowledge of the state of persons necessary to the proper study of institutions.
Essential difference between antiquity and modern societies, as regards the classification of social conditions.
State of persons among the Anglo-Saxons.
Thanes and Ceorls.
Central and local institutions.
Predominance of the latter among the Anglo-Saxons.
Its cause.

Lecture IV.—Page [41]

Local institutions among the Anglo-Saxons.
Divisions of territory; their origin and double object.
Internal police of these local associations.
Importance of the county-courts; their composition and attributes.
Complex origin of the Jury.
Central institutions of the Anglo-Saxons.
The Wittenagemot; its composition, and the principle on which it was based.
Increasing preponderance of the large landowners in the Anglo-Saxon monarchy.

Lecture V.—Page [49]

The Wittenagemot; its business and power.
Method of its convocation.
Vicissitudes of its character and importance.
The kingly office among the Anglo-Saxons.
Extent and progress of the royal power.

Lecture VI.—Page [55]

The true principle of representative government.
Error of classifying governments according to their external forms.
Montesquieu's error with respect to the origin of the representative system.
Necessary correlation and simultaneous formation of society and government.
Rousseau's mistaken hypothesis of the social contract.
The nature of rightful sovereignty.
Confused and contradictory ideas entertained on this subject.
Societies, as individuals, possess the right of being placed under laws of justice and reason.
Governments ought to be continually reminded of their obligation to inquire into and conform to these laws.
Classification of governments on this principle.

Lecture VII.—Page [65]

Comparison of the principles of different governments with the true principle of representative government.
Aristocratic governments.
Origin and history of the word aristocracy.
Principle of this form of government; its consequences.
How the principle of representative government enters into aristocratic governments.
Democratic governments.
Origin and consequences of the principle of the sovereignty of the people.
This principle not identical with that of representative government.
In what sense representative government is the government of the majority.