170 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book I.

Assize, order, and charters had the same holy basis.The assize was a modification to Oriental ways ofthinking, and the Greek; the order to its peculiarcircumstances. But in both were preserved a re-presentative body, tlie trial by jury, and many otherseeds of true liberty, that Avith astonishment mennoAV see their own glorious constitutional govern-ment Avas certainly in tlie meditation of bothGodfrey and Gerard, who selected the perhaps onlysecure manner by Avhich such a country, and atsuch a period, could preserve the treasure—notmade indeed for that Avild discordant multitudeAvhom liberty could only set mad, nor for a state ofpermanent civil war, or hostility of any sort, butfor happier ages, permitted to expect . 1 A Avriter notto be suspected of partiality to the crusades, regardsthe code as from the well-springs of freedom.

Yet Gibbon could only judge by the heavy tomecompiled two hundred and sixty-six years later,and Avhich affords food for blame and derision,and no doubt much trash and iniquitous customsAvere then foisted into Avhat pretended to be a copyof the original deposited by Godfrey, Avhich couldscarcely but be brief; to be compiled, legalised,

1 Ibelin, Count of Jaffa copied (as he says) the Assizes ofGodfrey. But this was not “ the Code so precious and so por-table.” Dec. and Fall, xi. p. 94, and Notes.