The author then passes these ancient usages in review. The first to which he refers is the appointment of military leaders by a jury. He traces this custom back to the forests of Germany: and then shows how it could not fail to succumb universally beneath the establishment of the feudal system, and in consequence of the hierarchical subordination of persons and lands. He discovers traces of this in the nomination, by the people, of the Anglo-Saxon _heretochs_ and _constables_, who were at first military officers; and also in the election of the kings of Norway by the verdicts of twelve of the principal men of each province. He then returns to Spain, "where," he says, "we shall find our old Gothic juries employed in electing the chief officers of the army and navy of the Castilians, the Adalid, the Almocaden, the Alfaqueque, and the Comitre. Who was to be the Adalid? The question must be answered in the words of the wise king Alonso. It is said by the ancients that 'the Adalid should be endowed with four gifts--the first is wisdom, the second is heart, the third is good common sense, and the fourth is loyalty; and when a king or any other great lord wishes to make an Adalid, he must call unto himself _twelve of the wisest_ Adalides that can be found, and these must _swear_ that they will _truly say_, if he whom they wish to choose to be an Adalid hath the four gifts of which we have spoken, and if they answer _yea_, then they are to make him an Adalid.'" Here we have clearly an inquest by twelve men giving their verdict upon oath. If it happened that twelve Adalides could not be found, then a kind of _tales de circumstantibus_ was added to this special jury of Adalides. The king or lord was to make up the full number of twelve with other men well approved in war and deeds of arms, and their verdict was as good as if they had been all Adalides. And he who dared to act as an Adalid without being fully elected, was to suffer death. "It was advised in ancient times," says Alonso, "that they were to have the qualities before mentioned, because it was necessary that they should possess them, in order to be able to guide the troops and armies in time of war, and therefore they were called Adalides, which is equivalent to _guides_ (_que quiere tanto decir como guiadores_)." {248} Admission Of An Adalid. The author is, therefore, of opinion that this word comes from _adal, adel_, noble, and _leid, lead, leiten_, to guide or conduct. The Adalid was the guide or chief of the _Almogavars_, or cavalry soldiers. The _Adalid mayor_ was commander-in-chief of all the Almogavars, or Castilian cavalry.