The Italian commons begot glorious republics.

The German commons became free towns, sovereign towns, which have their own special history, and exercised throughout the general history of Germany a great deal of influence.

The commons of England allied themselves with a portion of the English feudal aristocracy, formed with it the preponderating house in the British government, and thus played, full early, a powerful part in the history of their country.

The French commons, under that name and in their season of special activity, were certainly far from rising to that importance in politics and that rank in history.

And yet it is in France that the people of the commons, the burgessdom, became most completely, most powerfully developed, and ended by acquiring, in the general social body, the most decided preponderance.