"In the old times, hundreds of years ago, there were nobles who could call out all their tenants and retainers to fight their battles, and in those days people carried swords, as they do here.

There are nobles still, but they have no longer any power to call out anyone, and if they quarrel they have to go before a court for the matter to be decided, just as everyone else does." This seemed, to Doast, a very unsatisfactory state of things, and he looked to his father for an explanation.
"It is as your cousin says, Doast.

You have been down with me to Madras, and you have seen that, except the officers in the army, none of the Europeans carry arms.

It is the same in England.

England is a great island, and as they have many ships of war, no enemy can land there.