Thus the foreign oppressor did not come into direct contact with the mass of the conquered people, who no doubt paid the calls made upon them with less reluctance through the medium of their own proper magistrates.
If the taxation of the subject had stopped here, he would have had no just ground of complaint against his rulers.

The population of the Empire cannot be estimated at less than forty millions of souls.

The highest estimate of the value of the entire tribute, both in money and kind, will scarcely place it at more than ten millions sterling.

Thus far, then, the burthen of taxation would certainly not have exceeded five shillings a head per annum.

Perhaps it would not have reached half that amount.