But concerning all these Kingdoms, one thing is remarkable, and must not lightly be past by; which is That they were not hereditary, but conferr’d by the People upon such as had the Reputation of being just Men.  Secondly, That they had no arbitrary or unlimited Authority, but were bound and circumscribed by Laws; so that they were no less accountable to, and subject to the Power of the People, than the People was to theirs; insomuch that those Kingdoms seem’d nothing else but Magistracies for Life.  For Caesar makes mention of several private Men, whose Ancestors had formerly been such Kings; among these he reckons Casticus, the Son of Catamantales, whose Father had been King of the Sequani many Years, lib. 1. cap. 2. and Piso the Aquitanian, lib. 4. cap. 3. also Tasgetius, whose Ancestors had been Kings among the Carnutes, lib. 5. cap. 8.

Now concerning the Extent of their Power and Jurisdiction, he brings in Ambiorix, King of the Eburones, giving an account of it, lib. 5. cap. 8.  “The Constitution of our Government is such (says he) that the People have no less Power and Authority over me than I have over the People. Non minus habet in me juris multitudo, quam ipse in multitudinem.” Which Form of Government, Plato, Aristotle, Polybius and Cicero have for this Reason determined to be the best and most Excellent:  “Because (says Plato) shou’d Kingly Government be left without a Bridle, when it has attained to supreme Power, as if it stood upon a slippery Place, it easily falls into Tyranny:  And therefore it ought to be restrained as with a Curb, by the Authority of the Nobles; and such chosen men as the People have empower’d to that End and Purpose.”

* * * * *

CHAP.  II.

    Probable Conjectures concerning the ancient Language of
    the Gauls.

In this Place it seems proper to handle a Question much disputed and canvass’d by Learned Men; viz. What was the Language of the Gauls in those old Times?  For as to what belongs to their Religion, Laws, and the Customs of the People, Caesar, as I said before, has at large given us an account.  In the first place we ought to take notice, that Caesar, in the Beginning of his Commentaries, where he divides the Gauls into Three Nations, the Belgae, the Aquitanae, and the Celtae, tells us they all differ’d, not only in their Customs, but in their Language [Footnote:  [Greek:  all enious micron parallattontas tais glottais]]:  Which also Strabo confirms, lib. 4. where he says they were not [Greek:  homolhottous], of one Language, but a little differing in their Languages.