CHAPTERIII
OftheRiseandProgressofCitiesandTownsaftertheFalloftheRomanEmpireTHEinhabitantsofcitiesandtownswere，afterthefalloftheRomanempire，notmorefavouredthanthoseofthecountry。
Theyconsisted，indeed，ofaverydifferentorderofpeoplefromthefirstinhabitantsoftheancientrepublicsofGreeceandItaly。Theselastwerecomposedchieflyoftheproprietorsoflands，amongwhomthepublicterritorywasoriginallydivided，andwhofounditconvenienttobuildtheirhousesintheneighbourhoodofoneanother，andtosurroundthemwithawall，forthesakeofcommondefence。AfterthefalloftheRomanempire，onthecontrary，theproprietorsoflandseemgenerallytohavelivedinfortifiedcastlesontheirownestates，andinthemidstoftheirowntenantsanddependants。Thetownswerechieflyinhabitedbytradesmenandmechanics，whoseeminthosedaystohavebeenofservile，orverynearlyofservilecondition。TheprivilegeswhichwefindgrantedbyancientcharterstotheinhabitantsofsomeoftheprincipaltownsinEuropesufficientlyshowwhattheywerebeforethosegrants。Thepeopletowhomitisgrantedasaprivilegethattheymightgiveawaytheirowndaughtersinmarriagewithouttheconsentoftheirlord，thatupontheirdeaththeirownchildren，andnottheirlord，shouldsucceedtotheirgoods，andthattheymightdisposeoftheirowneffectsbywill，must，beforethosegrants，havebeeneitheraltogetherorverynearlyinthesamestateofvillanagewiththeoccupiersoflandinthecountry。
Theyseem，indeed，tohavebeenaverypoor，meansetofpeople，whousedtotravelaboutwiththeirgoodsfromplacetoplace，andfromfairtofair，likethehawkersandpedlarsofthepresenttimes。InallthedifferentcountriesofEuropethen，inthesamemannerasinseveraloftheTartargovernmentsofAsiaatpresent，taxesusedtobelevieduponthepersonsandgoodsoftravellerswhentheypassedthroughcertainmanors，whentheywentovercertainbridges，whentheycarriedabouttheirgoodsfromplacetoplaceinafair，whentheyerectedinitaboothorstalltosellthemin。ThesedifferenttaxeswereknowninEnglandbythenamesofpassage，pontage，lastage，andstallage。
Sometimestheking，sometimesagreatlord，whohad，itseems，uponsomeoccasions，authoritytodothis，wouldgranttoparticulartraders，tosuchparticularlyaslivedintheirowndemesnes，ageneralexemptionfromsuchtaxes。Suchtraders，thoughinotherrespectsofservile，orverynearlyofservilecondition，wereuponthisaccountcalledfree—traders。Theyinreturnusuallypaidtotheirprotectorasortofannualpoll—tax。