An Account of Denmark

1 The State of Gaul, before it was reduced into a Province by the Romans

209 CHAPTER I 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 Caesar, Polybius, Strabo, Ammianus, and other Writers have told us concerning the Origin, Antiquity & Valour of that People, the Nature and Situation of their Country, and their private Customs, is sufficiently known to all Men, though 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 Commonwealths34 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 [34.] Comment in margin added by Molesworth (not in Hotman’s original): “Civitas, a Commonwealth.” 210  Francogallia 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 Civitates; by which is meant (as Caesar 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 Aedui, the Rhemi and Arverni to have been. And therefore Dumnorix the Aeduan, when Caesar 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. 3.35 To the like purpose Strabo writes in his Fourth Book “Most of their 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.”36 The like Caesar, lib. 6. cap. 4.37 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 Caesar. “They demanded (says he) lib. 1. cap. 12.38 a General Council of all Gallia to be summon’d; and that this might be done by Caesar’s Consent.” Also, lib. 7. cap. 12.39 “a Council of all Gallia was summon’d to meet at Bibracte; and there was a vast Con- [35.] GS Franc. identify the reference as Caesar, Bellum Gallicum, bk. 5, chap. 7 (Loeb 242). [36.] GS Franc. identify the Greek reproduced in the margin as a citation from Strabo, Geography, bk. 4, 4.3 (Loeb 2:242). [37.] GS Franc. (p. 148) identify it as Caesar, Bellum Gallicum, bk. 6, chap. 21; in fact, it is bk. 6, chap. 20 (Loeb 344). [38.] GS Franc. identify it as Bellum Gallicum, bk. 1, chap. 31 (Loeb 44). [39.] GS Franc. identify it as Bellum Gallicum, bk. 7, chap. 63 (Loeb 468). Chapter I  211 course from all Parts to that Town.” And lib. 6. cap. 1.40 “Caesar having summon’d the Council of Gaul to meet early in the Spring, as he had before determin’d: Finding that the Senones, Carnutes and Treviri came not when all the rest came, he adjourned the Council to Paris.” And, lib. 7. cap. 6.41 speaking of...