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NOTE XLV. SECT. III. p. 194. [YY].

SOLYMAN the Magnificent, to whom the Turkish hiftorians have given the firname of Canuni, or inftituter of rules, firft brought the finances and military establishment of the Turkifh Empire into a regular form. He divided the military force into the Capiculy, or foldiery of the Porte, which was properly the standing army, and Serrataculy, or foldiers appointed to guard the frontiers. The chief ftrength of the latter confifted of thofe who held Timariots and Ziams. Thefe were portions of land granted to certain perfons for life, in much the fame manner as the military fiefs among the nations of Europe; in return for which military fervice was performed. Solyman, in his Canun-Namé, or book of regulations, fixed with great accuracy the extent of these lands in each province of his Empire, appointed the precife number of foldiers each perfon who held a Timariot or a Ziam fhould bring into the field, and established the pay which they thould receive while engaged in fervice. Count Marfigli and Sir Paul Rycaut have given extracts from this book of regulations, and it appears, that the ordinary eftablishment of the Turkish army exceeded an hundred and fifty thoufand men. When these were added to the foldiery of the Porte, they formed a military power greatly fuperior to what any Chriftian ftate could command. Marfigli Etat Militaire, &c. p. 136. Rycaut's ftate of the Ottoman Empire, book iii. ch. 2. As Solyman, during his active reign, was engaged fo conftantly in war, that his troops were always in the field, the Serrataculy became almoft equal to the Janizaries themselves in difcipline and valour.

IT

It is not surprising, then, that the authors of the fixteenth century fhould represent the Turks as far fuperior to the Chriftians, both in the knowledge and in the practice of the art of war. Guicciardini informs us, that the Italians learned the art of fortifying towns from the Turks. Hiftor. lib. xv. p. 266. Bufbequius, who was ambaffador from Ferdinand to Solyman, and who had opportunity to obferve the ftate both of the Chriftian and Turkish armies, published a difcourfe concerning the best manner of carrying on war against the Turks, in which he points out at great length the immenfe advantages which the Infidels poffeffed with respect to difcipline, and military improvements of every kind. Bufbequii opera, edit. Elzevir. p. 393, &c. The teftimony of other authors might be added, if the matter were, in any degree, doubtful.

BEFORE I Conclude thefe Proofs and Illuftrations, I ought to explain the reafon of two omiffions in them; one of which is neceffary to mention on my own account, the other to obviate an objection to this part of the work.

In all my inquiries and difquifitions concerning the progrefs of government, manners, literature and commerce during the middle ages, as well as in my delineations of the political conftitution of the different States of Europe at the opening of the fixteenth century, I have not once mentioned M. de Voltaire, who, in his Efay fur l'hiftoire generale, has reviewed the fame period, and has treated of all these subjects. This does not proceed from inattention to the works of that extraordinary man, whose genius, no less enterprizing than univerfal, has attempted almost every different fpecies of lite

rary

rary compofition. In many of thefe he excels. In all, if he had left religion untouched, he is inftructive and agreeable. But as he feldom imitates the example of modern hiftorians in citing the authors from whom they derived their information, I could not, with propriety, appeal to his authority in confirmation of any doubtful and unknown fact. I have often, however, followed him as my guide in these refearches; and he has not only pointed out the facts with respect to which it was of importance to inquire, but the conclufions which it was proper to draw from them. If he had, at the fame time, mentioned the books which relate these particulars, a great part of my labour would have been unneceffary, and many of his readers who now confider him only as an entertaining and lively writer, would find that he is a learned and well-informed hiftorian.

As to the other omiffion; every intelligent reader must have obferved, that I have not entered, either in the hiftorical part of this volume, or in the Proofs and Illustrations, into the fame detail with refpect to the ancient laws and cuftoms of the British kingdoms, as concerning those of the other European nations. As the capital facts with regard to the progrefs of government and manners in their own country are known to most of my readers, fuch a detail appeared to me to be lefs effential. Such facts and obfervations, however, as were neceffary towards completing my defign in that part of the work, I have mentioned under the different articles which are the fubjects of my difquifitions. The state of government, in all the nations of Europe, having been nearly the fame during feveral ages, nothing can tend more to illuftrate the progrefs of the English conftitution,

than

than a careful inquiry into the laws and customs
of the kingdoms on the Continent. This fource
of information has been too much neglected by
the English antiquaries and lawyers. Filled with
admiration of that happy conftitution now efta-
blished in Great Britain, they have been more
attentive to its forms and principles, than to the
condition and ideas of remote times, which, in
almost every particular, differ from the present.
While engaged in perufing the laws, charters,
and early hiftorians of the continental king-
doms, I have often been led to think that an
attempt to illuftrate the progress of the English
jurifprudence and policy, by a comparison with
thofe of other kingdoms in a fimilar fituation,
would be of great utility, and might throw
much light on fome points which are now ob-
scure, and decide others, which have been long
controverted.

INDEX

INDEX

TO THE

FIRST VOLUME.

A

FRICA, the fhocking devastations
made there by the Vandals, 204.
Alanus, his character of the clergy in
his time, 238.

Alfred the Great, his complaint of the
ignorance of the clergy, 238.
Allodial poffeffion of land, explained,
219. How fuch poffeffion became
fubject to military fervice, ib. Dif-
tinguished from beneficiary tenures,
220. How converted into feudal te-
nures, 226.

Allodium, the etymology of that word,
230.

Ammianus, his character of the Huns,
206, 211.

Amurath, Sultan, the body of Janizaries
formed by him, 192.

Anathema, form of that denounced a-
gainst robbers during the middle ages,
340.
Arabia, the ancient Greek philofophy
cultivated there, while loft in Europe,
330, Note xxviii. The progrefs of
philofophy from thence to Europe,
331.

Aragon, rife of the kingdom of, 148.
Its union with Caftile ib. The con-
stitution and form of its government,
152. The privileges of its Cortes,
ib. Office and jurifdiction of the Juf-

tiza, 153. The regal power very
confined, 154. Form of the alle-
giance fwore to the Kings of, 155.
The power of the nobility to controul
the regal power, 354. Their privi-
lege of union taken away by Peter
IV. ib. The establishment of the In-
quifition opp fed there, 358.
Armies, ftanding, the rife of, traced, 94.
By what means they became more ge-
neral in Europe, 114

Arms, the profeffion of, the most ho-
nourable in uncivilized nations, 68.
Afs, an account of the ancient Romish
fealt of, 242.
Affemblies, legislative, how formed, 36.

, general of France, their
power under the first race of Kings,
167. Under the fecond and third, ib.
At what period they loft their legifla-
tive authority, 169.

Attila, King of the Huns, account of
his reception of the Roman ambassa-
dors, 201, Note iii. Some account
of his conquefts, 206.
Arila, an affembly of Caftilian nobles
there, folemnly try and depofe Henry
IV. their King, 151.
Auftria, the house of, by whom found-
ed, 179.
Baillis,

1

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