Norman Institutions (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Norman InstitutionsTee institutions of the duchy of Normandy occupy a unique place in the history of Europe. They have their local interest, giving character and distinctness to an important region of France; they furnished models of orderly and centralized ad ministration to the French kings after the conquest of the duchy by Philip Augustus; and they exerted an influence of the first importance upon the constitutional and legal development of Eng land and'the countries of English law. Normandy was thus the channel through which the stream of Frankish and feudal custom flowed to England; it was the training ground where the first anglo-norman king gained his experience as a ruler, and the source whence his followers drew their ideas of law and govern ment; and during nearly a century and a half of personal union with England it afforded a constant example of parallel develop ment. In the larger view the effects of Norman institutions upon English lands are the most significant, and these naturally possess the principal interest for English and American students of his tory. The following studies were undertaken in the first instance for the purpose of seeking light on the constitutional develop ment of England, and while they necessarily include many mat ters which bear on this but indirectly, their original purpose has determined their scope and character. They begin with the earli est trustworthy information respecting the government of Nor mandy; they end with the loss of the duchy's originat and independence.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.