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“ vice and Authority. Pliny, lib. 6. cap. 22. makes mention of the like practice in the Island of Taprobana, where the King had thirty Advifers appointed by the People; by whofe Counsel he was to be guided in the Government of the Commonwealth; "For fear (fays he) left the King (in cafe he had an unlimited Power) fhou'd efteem his Subjects no "otherwife than as his Slaves or his Cattel.

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Furthermore, we find the very fame Form of Administration of the Kingdom of England, in Polydore Virgil's Hiftory of England, lib. 11. where he has this paffage in the Life of Henry the First." Before this time the Kings ufed to fummon a publick Convention of the

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People in order to confult with them, but "feldom: So that we may in fome manner "fay, that the Inftitution derived its Original " from Henry; which took such deep root, that it has always continued ever fince, and still does fo; viz. That whatever related to the "Well - governing or Confervation of the Commonwealth, ought to be debated and determin'd by the great Council. And that if "either the King or the People fhou'd act any "thing alone, it fhou'd be efteemed invalid, and as nothing, unless it were firft approved and

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eftablish'd by the Authority of that Council. "And for fear this Council fhou'd be cumbred "with the Opinions of an unskilful Multitude,

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(whofe cuftom it is to diftinguish nothing juftly) it was at firft eftablish'd by a certain "Law, what fort of Perfons, and what numfbers either of the Priests or the People fhou'd be called to this Council, which, after a French Name, they commonly call A Parliament; which every King at the beginning of his 66 Reign

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"Reign uses to hold, and as often afterward as "he pleases, or as occafion requires. Thus far Polydore Virgil.

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But among all the Laws and Customs of this kind, there is none fo remarkable as that of the Spaniards; who, when they elect a King in the Common-Council of Arragon, (in order to keep up a perpetual Remembrance of their Privileges) reprefent a kind of Play, and introduce a certain Perfonage, whom they call by the name of The Law of Arragon, whom (by a pub- La juftilick Decree ) they declare to be greater and tia di Armore Powerful than their King; and after- ragon. wards they harangue the King (who is elected upon certain terms and conditions) in words which (because of the Remarkable Virtue and Fortitude of that Nation in repreffing the unbridled Will of their Prince,) we will here fet down at length. Nos que valemos tanto come vos, ii podemos mas que vos; vos ele

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66 gimos Reii con eftas ii eftas conditiones; cc intra vos ii nos un que manda mas que vos: "That is, We, who are of as great Value as you, and can do more than you, do elect you to be our King, upon fuch and fuch conditions: Between you and us there is one of greater Authority than you.

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Seeing then that the Cafe is fo, and that this has always been a constant and univerfal Law of all Nations, that are govern'd by a Kingly, and not by a Tyrannical Power. 'Tis very plain, that this moft valuable liberty of holding a Common Council of the Nation, is not only a part of the People's Right; but that all Kings, who by Evil Arts do opprefs or take away this Sacred Right, ought to be esteemed Violaters of the Law of Nations; and being no better than Enemies of Hu

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mane Society, must be confider'd not as Kings, but as Tyrants.

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But to return to the Matter in hand. Commonwealth being conftituted by the Laws of our Ancestors, upon the bottom above-mention'd, and participating of all the three kinds of Government; it was ordain'd, that once every Year (and as much oftner as important Occafions fhou'd make it neceffary) a Solemn General Council fhou'd be held: which, for that reafon, was called a Parliament of the Three Eftates. By that word was meant a Convention, or Meeting of Men out of feveral Parts of the Country to one place, there to confer and deliberate concerning the Publick Welfare: And therefore all Conferences (tho between Enemies) in order to a Peace or Truce, are always in our Chronicles called by the name of Parliaments. Now of this Council, the King fitting in his Golden Tribunal, was chief; next to him were the Princes and Magiftrates of the Kingdom; in the third place were the Reprefentatives of the feveral Towns and Provinces, commonly called the Deputies: For as foon as the Day prefix'd for this Affembly was come, the King was conducted to the Parliament-Houfe with a fort of Pomp and Ceremony, more adapted to Popular Moderation, than to Regal Magnificence: which I fhall not fcruple to give a juft account of out of our own Publick Records; it being a fort of Piety to be pleas'd with the Wifdom of our Ancestors; tho' in thefe moft profligate Times, I doubt not but it wou'd appear ridiculous to our flattering Courtiers. The King then was feated in a Waggon, and drawn by Oxen, which a Waggoner drove with his Goad to

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the Place of Affembly: But as foon as he was arrived at the Court, or rather indeed the Venerable Palace of the Republick, the Nobles conducted the King to the Golden Throne; and the reft took their Places (as we faid before) according to their Degrees. This State, and in this Place, was what was called Regia Majeftas, Royal Majesty. Of which we may even at this day obferve a fignal Remain in the King's Broad Seal, commonly called the Chancery Seal. Wherein the King is not reprefented in a military Pofture a Horse-back, or in a Triumphant manner drawn in his Chariot by Horfes, but Sitting in his Throne Robe'd and Crown'd, holding in his Right Hand the Royal Sceptre, in his Left the Sceptre of Justice, and prefiding in his Solemn Council. And indeed, in that Place only it can be faid that Royal Majefty does truly and properly refide, where the great Affairs of the Commonwealth are tranfacted; and not as the unskilful Vulgar ufe to profane the Word; and whether the King plays or dances, or prattles with his always to ftile him YOUR

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MAJESTY.

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Of all these Matters, we fhall give only a few Proofs, out of many which we could produce. First, out of Eginarthus, who was Chancellor to Charles the Great, and wrote his Life. Thefe are his Words: "Wherever he went (fpeaking of Charlemagn) about the publick Affairs, he was drawn in a Waggon by a Pair of Oxen, which an ordinary CC Waggoner drove after his ruftical manner. "Thus he went to the Courts of Juftice, thus to the Place of the Publick Convention of his People, which every Year was

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celebrated for the Good of the Realm; "and thus he used to return Home again.

Joannes Nauclerus gives us an Account of the very fame thing, in almoft the fame Words, in Chron. Generat. 26. So does the Author of the Great Chronicle, in the Beginning of his Life of Charlemagn, Fol. 77, Neither ought this to feem fo great a Wonder to any, who confiders it was the Fashion in thofe Days for our Kings and Queens, and the Royal Family, to be drawn by Oxen; of which we have one Inftance in Greg. Turon. lib. 3. cap.26. Deuteria, (fays he) Wife of King Childebert, feeing her Daughter by a former Husband grown to Woman's Eftate, and fearing left the King (being in Love with her) fhould lye with her, caufed her to be caufed her to be put into a СС fort of Litter with untamed Oxen, and "thrown headlong off a Bridge. Aimoinus,

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lib. 4. cap. 30. makes mention of the Golden Throne, where he speaks of King Dagobert: "He proclaimed, fays he, Generale PL A"CITUM iu loco nuncupato Bigargio, a Great "Council in a Place named Bigargium: To " which all the Great Men of France affem<c bling with great Diligence on the Kalends "of May, the King thus began his Speech to them fitting on his Golden Throne. Alfo in his 41ft Chapter, fpeaking of King Clodoveus Sitting in the midst of them, on his Golden Throne, he spoke in this manner, &c. Sigebertus in Chron. Anni 662. 'Tis the Ancient Cuftom (fays he) of the Kings of the Franks, every Kalends of May, to prefide in a Convention of all the People, to falute and be faluted, to receive Homage, and give and take Prefents. Georgius Cedrenus.

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