At these informal meetings, every head of a family had a right to appear and deliberate.

The primitive English constitution was a pure republican aristocracy or oligarchy of householders, like that which still survives in the Swiss forest cantons.
But there were yet distinctions of rank in the villages and in the loose tribes formed by their union for purposes of war or otherwise.

The people were divided into three classes of _aethelings_ or chieftains, _freolings_ or freemen, and _theows_ or slaves.

The _aethelings_ were the nobles and rulers of each tribe.

There was no king: but when the tribes joined together in a war, their _aethelings_ cast lots together, and whoever drew the winning lot was made commander for the time being.