ThestatusoftheChiefhasthusleftusonebequestintheruleofPrimogeniture，which，however，haslonglostitsmostancientform；anotherintherighttoreceivecertainduesandtoenforcecertainmonopolies；andathirdinaspeciallyabsoluteformofpropertywhichwasonceexclusivelyenjoyedbytheChief，andafterhimbytheLord，intheportionofthetribalterritorywhichformedhisowndomain。Ontheotherhand，severalsystemsofsuccessionafterdeath，andamongthemtheequaldivisionofthelandbetweenthechildren，havesprungoutoftribalownershipinvariousstagesofdecay；andithasleftanothersetoftracesnotquitesowidelyextended，inanumberofminutecustomaryruleswhichgoverntillageandoccasionallyregulatethedistributionoftheproduce。
ThefateofthisdoublesetofinstitutionsinEnglandandinFranceappearstomemostinstructive。IhavefrequentlydweltinthisplaceontheerroneousnessofthevulgaropinionwhichdatestheextremesubdivisionofthesoilofFrancefromthefirstFrenchRevolution，andfromthesaleoftheChurchlandsandoftheestatesoftheemigrantnobility。Awriter——IwasgoingtosayascommonlyreadasArthurYoung，butcertainlyasoftenmentionedasifhewerecommonlyread——noticesthismorcellement，ontheveryeveoftheFrenchRevolution，andimmediatelyafterit，asthegreatfeaturewhichdistinguishedFrancefromEngland。’FromwhatweseeinEngland，’hesays，’Travelsin1787，’88，and，’89’p。407’wecannotformanideaoftheabundanceinFranceofsmallproperties，thatis，littlefarmsbelongingtothosewhocultivatethem。’Heestimatesthatmorethanathirdofthekingdomwasoccupiedbythem——averylargeproportion，whentheextentofChurchlandinFranceistakenintoaccount；butrecentFrenchinvestigationshaveshownreasonsforthinkingthatthetrueproportionwasstilllarger，andthatitwasrathergrowingthandiminishing，throughthatextravaganceofthenobleswhichCourtlifefostered，andwhichcompelledthemtoselltheirdomainstopeasantsinsmallparcels。Youngclearlysawthatthissubdivisionofthesoilwastheresultofsomelegalrule；andstronglydissentingfromtheRevolutionaryleaderswhowishedtocarryitfarther，hedeclaredthat’alawoughttobepassedtorenderalldivisionbelowacertainnumberofarpentsillegal。’
ItseemstohaveverygenerallyescapednoticethatthelawofequalornearlyequaldivisionafterdeathwasthegenerallawofFrance。Theruleofprimogeniturewasofexceptionalapplication，andwasforthemostpartconfinedtolandsheldbyknightlytenure；indeed，intheSouthofFrance，wherethecustomofequaldivisionwasstrengthenedbytheidenticalruleoftheRomanjurisprudence，theprivilegesoftheeldestsonwereonlysecuredbycallingintheexceptionalrulesofwhichtheRomanLawgivesthebenefittomilitesorsoldiersonservicewhenmakingtheirwillsorregulatingtheirsuccessions，andbylayingdownthateverychevalier，andeverynobleofhigherdegree，wasamileswithinthemeaningoftheRomanjuridicalwriters。Thetwosystemsofsuccessionandthetwoformsofpropertylaysidebyside，andthereweremenalivequiterecentlywhocouldrememberthebitteranimositiescausedbytheirco-existenceandantagonism。Averygreatpartofthelandheldbylaymenbelongedtothepeasantry，anddescendedaccordingtotheruleofequaldivision，buteldestsonaftereldestsonsucceededtothesignory。Yetitwasnottheruleofprimogeniturefollowedinnobledescentswhichwasthetruegrievance；atmostitbecameagrievanceundertheinfluenceofthepeculiarveinofsentimentintroducedbyRousseau。Thelegacyfromtribalsovereigntytosignorialprivilege，whichwasreallyresented，wasthatwhichI
placedsecondinorder。Therighttoreceivefeudalduesandtoenforcepettymonopolies，nowalmostextinguishedinEnglandbythemeasurestowhichtheCopyholdCommissionhasgiveneffect，hadceasedlongbeforetheendofthelastcenturytobeofanyconsiderableimportancetotheclasswhichwasinvestedwithit；
butM。deTocquevillehasexplained，inhis’AncienR間ime’i。