Influence of the clergy. Lecture XX.--Page 163 National assemblies of the Franks; their primitive character, and rapid decline under the Merovingians. They regain importance under the Carlovingians; and are held regularly under Charlemagne. Letter of Archbishop Hincmar _De ordine Palatii_. {xiv} Lecture XXI.--Page 171 Decay of national assemblies under Louis the Débonnair and Charles the Bald. Definitive predominance of the feudal system at the end of the tenth century. Cause of this predominance. Character of feudalism. No trace of true representative government in France, from the fifth to the tenth century. Lecture XXII.--Page 177 Political institutions of the Visigoths. Peculiar character of Visigothic legislation. Its authors and its influences. Destruction and disappearance of the middle class in the Roman empire, at the time of the Barbarian invasion. History of the Roman municipal system. Three epochs in that history. Lecture XXIII.--Page 193 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. {xv} 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._