Of the various social conditions in the Roman Empire, before the final invasion of the Barbarians.
The privileged classes, and curials.
Their obligations, functions, and immunities.
Attributes of the curia as a body.
Of the various municipal magistracies and offices.
Of the Defender in cities.
Comparison of the development of the municipal system, and its relations to the central organization of the State in the Roman Empire and in modern societies.
Lecture XXIV.—Page [206]
Sketch of the history of Spain under the Visigoths.
Condition of Spain under the Roman empire.
Settlement of the Visigoths in the south-west of Gaul.
Euric's collection of the laws of the Visigoths.
Alaric's collection of the laws of the Roman subjects.
Settlement of the Visigoths in Spain.
Conflict between the Catholics and Arians.
Political importance of the Councils of Toledo.
Principal kings of the Visigoths.
Egica collects the Forum judicum.
Fall of the Visigothic monarchy in Spain.
Lecture XXV.—Page [215]
Peculiar character of the legislation of the Visigoths.
Different sorts of laws contained in the Forum judicum.
It was a doctrine as well as a code.
Principles of this doctrine on the origin and nature of power.
Absence of practical guarantees.
Preponderance of the clergy in the legislation of the Visigoths.
True character of the election of the Visigothic kings.
The Visigothic legislation characterized by a spirit of mildness and equity towards all classes of men, and especially towards the slaves.
Philosophical and moral merits of this legislation.
Lecture XXVI.—Page [229]
Central institutions of the Visigothic monarchy.
True character of the Councils of Toledo.
Amount of their political influence.
The Officium palatinum.
Prevalence of Roman maxims and institutions, among the Goths, over Germanic traditions.
Proof of this in the local and central institutions of the Visigoths.
Refutation of the errors of Savigny and the Edinburgh Review on this subject.
Conclusion.