"Chofen Men of the University, of the Par liament, and of the Magiftrates. The An"fwer given the Ambaffadors, was, That what they demanded was most just; and accordingly sc a Council of the Three Eftates was fummon'd.-These are the Words of that Hiftorian.-- From whence the Old Saying of Marcus Antonius appears to be most true.---- " Etfi omnes molefta femper feditiones funt, juftas tamen effe nonnullas, & propè neceffarias: eas vero juftiffimas maximéque neceffarias videri, cum populus Tyranni fævitiâ oppreffus auxilium à legitimo Civium conventu implorat. Al"tho' all forts of Seditions are troublesome, CC yet fome of them are juft, and in a manner rr neceffary; but thofe are extraordinary just "and neceffary, which are occafion'd when "the People opprefs'd by the Cruelty of a Tyrant, implores the Affiftance of a Lawful Convention.

"

Gaguinus, in his Life of Lewis the Eleventh, pag. 265. gives us Charles, the Duke of Burgundy's Anfwer to that King's Ambaffadors. Charles (fays he ) heard the Ambassadors patiently, but made Anfwer, That he knew no CC method fo proper to restore a firm Peace, at a time when fuch great Animofities, and fo many Disorders of the War were to be compofed, as a Convention of the Three Estates. "Which when the Ambaffadors had by Spe"cial Meffengers communicated to King

Lewis, he hoping to gain his Point by De"lavs, fummon'd the Great Council to meet at "Tours, on the Kalends of April 1467; and at "the appointed time for the Convention, they ff came from all Parts of the Kingdom, &c.

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The fame paffage, and in almoft the fame words, is recorded in the Book of Annals, fol. 64. and in the Great Chronicle, Vol. 4. fol. 242. where these very remarkable Words are further added. In that Council it was appointed, "that certain approved Men fhou'd be chofen out of each of the Eftates, who fhou'd establish "the Commonwealth, and take care that Right and Juftice fhou'd be done. But Gillius in the place above-mention'd fays: After the Battel at Montlebery, many well-affected and CC prudent Men were elected to be Guardians of the Publick Good, according as it had been agreed upon between the King and the Nobles; σε among whom the Count of Duneis was the cc Principal, as having been the chief Promoter "of that Rifing. ------ For it had grown into cuftom after the Wealth of the Ecclefiafticks was exceffively increas'd, to divide the People into three Orders or Claffes, whereof the Ecclefiafticks made one; and when thofe Curators of the Commonwealth were chofen, twelve Perfons were taken out of each Order. So that it was enacted in that Council, that 36 Guardians of the Republick fhou'd be created, with Power, by common confent, to redress all Abuses of the Publick. Concerning which thing, Monftrellettus, Vol. 4. fol. 150. writes thus: In the "first place (fays he) it was decreed, that for "the re-establishing the State of the Common"wealth, and the eafing the People of the "Burthen of their Taxes, and to compenfate their Loffes, 36 Men fhou'd be elected, who fhou'd have Regal Authority; viz. 12 out of the Clergy, 12 out of the Knights, and 12 skilful in the Laws of the Land; to whom "Power fhou'd be given of infpecting and en

quiring

quiring into the Grievances and Mischiefs "under which the Kingdom laboured, and to apply Remedies to all: And the King gave

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his Promife in verbo Reges, That whatsoever "thofe 16 Men fhou'd appoint to be done, he "wou'd ratify and confirm...

Oliver de la Marck, a Flemming, in his Hiftory, cap. 35. writes the fame thing, and mentions the fame number of 36 Guardians or Curators of the Commonwealth. And he farther adds; "That because the King did not ftand to his "Promife, but violated his Faith, and the folemn "Oath which he had publickly fworn, a moft "cruel War was kindled in Francogallia, which "fet it all in a Flame, and continued near 13 years. Thus that King's Perjury was pu"nifh'd both by his own Infamy, and the Peo"ple's Deftruction. o delno oda to tu modin

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Upon the whole matter 'tis plain, that 'tis not yet a hundred years compleat, fince the Liberties of Francogallia, and the Authority of its annual General Council, flourish'd in full vigour and exerted themselves against a King of ripe Years, and great Understanding; for he was above 40 Years old, and of fuch great Parts, as none of our Kings have equall'd him. So that we may easily perceive that our Commonwealth, which at firft was founded and establish'd upon the Principles of Liberty, maintained it felf in the fame free and facred State, (even by Force and Arms) against all the Power of Tyrants for more than Eleven hundred years. Adnod

I cannot omit the great Commendation which that moft noble Gentleman and accom2 plifh'd Hiftorian, Philip de Comines, gives of this Tranfaction; who in his 5th Book and 18th Chapter, gives this account of it, which we will

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will tranfcribe word for word. ----♫

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But to

C. proceed: Is there in all the World any King or Prince, who has a Right of impofing a "Tax upon his People (tho' it were but to "the value of one Farthing) without their own Will and Confent? Unless he will "make ufe of Violence, and a Tyrannical Power, he cannot. But fome will fay there may happen an Exigence, when the Great Council of the People cannot be waited for, the bufinefs admitting of no delay; I am fure, in the undertaking of a War, there is no need of fuch haft; one has fufficient leifure to think leifurely of that matter. And this I dare affirm, that when Kings and Princes undertake a War with the confent of their Subjects, they are both much more power"ful, and more formidable to their Enemies.-"It becomes a King of France leaft of any CC King in the World, to make use of fuch ex

preffions as this.-- I have a power of raising "great Taxes as I pleafe on my Subjects;-- for nei“ther he, nor any other, has fuch a Power "and thofe Courtiers who ufe fuch expreffi"ons, do their King no honour, nor increase his reputation with Foreign Nations; but on the contrary, create a fear and dread of him among all his Neighbours, who will not upon any terms fubject themfelves to fuch a ffort of Government." But if our King, or "fuch as have a mind to magnify his Power, "wou'd fay thus; I have fuch obedient and✓m. loving Subjects, that they will deny me nothing in reafon or there is no Prince that "has a People more willing to forget the "hardfhips they undergo; this indeed wou'd be a Speech that wou'd do him honour, and

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give

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give him reputation. But fuch words as cc thefe do not become a King; I tax as much as I have a mind to; and I have a power of taking it, which I intend to keep. Charles the Fifth never used fuch Expreffions, neither indeed did I ever hear any of our Kings fpeak fuch a word; but only fome of their Minifter and Companions, who thought thereby they did their Masters service: But, in my opinion, they did them a great deal ડ of injury, and spoke thofe words purely out of flattery, not confidering what they faid. And as a further Argument of the gentle cc difpofition of the French, let us but confider CC that Convention of the Three Eftates held at CC Tours, Anno 1484. after the decease of our sc King Lewis the Eleventh: Abbut that time

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the wholfome Inftitution of the Convention of Cs the Three Estates began to be thought a dangerous thing; and there were fome inconfiderable fellows who faid then, and often fince, that it was High-Treafon to make so ἐσ much as mention of Convocating the States, "because it tended to leffen and diminish the King's Authority; but it was they themselves who were guilty of High-Treafon against God, દ the King and the Commonwealth. Neither do fuch-like Sayings turn to the benefit of any 26 perfons, but fuch as have got great Honours or Employments without any merit of their ૬૬ own; and have learnt how to flatter and footh, and talk impertinently; and who fear all great Affemblies, left there they fhou'd appear in their proper colours, and have all evil actions condemned.

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CHAP.