blood, great officers of ftate, and Nov. 19th. peers of France, the king arrived at nine o'clock in the morning at the palais in Paris, where that body were affembled. The king brought with him two edicts to be registered by the parliament, the one being for a new loan to the amount of 450 millions of livres (near 19 millions of pounds in English money) and the other for the re-establishment of the proteftants in all their ancient civil rights; a measure which had fome time before been warmly recommended by the parliament, and whofe progrefs had only been impeded by the late difputes.-It might almoft feem that the fecond of thefe edicts, which was fo great a favourite with the public, had accompanied the other in order to procure it the better reception.

The monarch opened the way for his edicts by a speech of unufual length, and which announced no lefs a change in his political temper and difpofition. He faid, he had come there to recall to his parliament thofe principles from which they fhould never have deviated; to hear what they had to fay upon two great acts of adminiftration and legiflation; and finally, to reply to certain reprefentations. The principles which he meant to recall to their recollection were part of the effence of the monarchy, and he would not fuffer them to be evaded or changed. He had no need of folicitation to affemble the notables of his kingdom. He fhould never be afraid of being among his fubjects. A king of France was never more happy than when he enjoyed their fidelity and affection; but it was he alone who was to

judge of the ufe and neceffity of thefe affemblies; and he would not fuffer himself to be indifcreetly importuned for that which ought to be expected from his wisdom, and the love he bore for his people, whofe interefts were infeparable from his own.-He then proceeded to explain the nature of the loan he demanded, to point out the advantages it poffeffed above others, and to fhew its neceflity. After which he touched upon the propriety of reftoring the proteftants to their natural rights and due rank in fociety; threw fome blame upon the parliament of Bourdeaux; and then returning to the tone of authority on which he fat out, declared that his parliaments ought to reckon upon his confidence and affection; but they ought likewise to merit them, by confining themfelves within the functions confided to their execution by the kings his predeceffors, being careful neither to depart from nor to refuse them; and more particularly never to fail in giving to his fubjects examples of fidelity and obedience.

Permiffion being then annotinced for every member of the affembly to deliver his fentiments without reftraint, a very warm debate commenced on the fubject of the loan, which was fupported with equal perfeverance by the party on the fide of the crown, and by that which oppofed its being registered, until about fix o'clock; when the king, who had fat nine hours without refreshment, being wearied by the length of the arguments, perhaps chagrined at the freedom ufed in them, and preffed by hunger, fuddenly rofe, and commanded the edict to be registered without fur

ther

ther delay. This compendious method of paffing a law, moft unexpectedly was oppofed by the duke of Orleans, who confidering it as a direct infringement of the rights of parliament, immediately protefted against the whole proceedings of the day, as being thereby rendered null and void. The king aftonished, however repeated his orders, and then quitting the affembly, returned to Verfailles without breaking his faft, and probably without any great difpofition to liften to future debates in parlia

ment.

Upon the king's departure the parliament refolved, that as the votes had not, according to their ftanding orders, been regularly counted, and as their deliberations had been interrupted, they could not confider themselves as having any fhare in the business of that fitting; thereby confirming the duke of Orleans's proteft, and rendering the proceedings totally void. On the evening of the following day, the baron de Breteuil prefented a letter to the duke of Orleans from the king, in which he was concifely informed, that he had reafon to be diffatisfied with his conduct; that he ordered him to retire to Villars Cotterel (one of his feats, about fifteen leagues from Paris, where he was to receive no company except that of his own family; that he fhould depart immediately, and lie at Reincy (four leagues from Paris) where, for the prefent night, he thould fee none of his family, nor any perfon belonging to his houfe.-On the fame day the abbé Sabatiere and M. Frereau, both members of the parliament, and who had both diftin

guifhed themfelves in the late debate, were, notwithstanding the freedom of fpeech which was then proclaimed, both taken up and fent off guarded, under the authority of lettres de cachet, the first to the prifon of Mont St. Michel (an impregnable and almost inacceffible rock on the coaft of Normandy) and the other to a prifon in Picardy.

The parliament did not reft contented under these acts of oppreffion offered by power to their members. On the following day they waited on the king at Verfailles, where the first prefident in a thort fpeech declared their aftonishment and concern at understanding that a prince of his own royal blood had been exiled, and two members of their body imprifoned, for having declared in his prefence what their duty and confciences dictated to them, in a fitting wherein his majefty himself had announced, that he came to take the fenfe of the affembly by a plurality of fuffrages. That, loft in confternation as they were at this incident, they humbly fupplicated his majesty to restore to the prince of his blood, and to the two magiftrates, the liberty which they had thus loft.

To this the king anfwered, That when he put away from his prefence a prince of his blood, his parliament ought to have believed, that he had very ftrong reafons for fo doing. That he had punished two magiftrates, with whom he ought to be diffatisfied.

This laconic rebuff did not prevent the parliament from prefenting a very long and a very strong addrefs two days after. In this they declared, That the public affliction

[N] 3

had

had preceded their approach to the foot of the throne. That the exile of the first prince of his blood, and the imprifonment of two magiftrates, without any known caule, had excited univerfal confternation and grief. Could it have been a crime to speak the truth in the prefence of his majefty-to fpeak it with a respectful franknefs, which might have merited his approbation? His majefty had come among them to demand their free fuffrages: to give them on every occafion was the right and the day of parliament, and the intereft of the king? He had come to the parliament that he might fit encircled with the love and with the wifdom of his subjects. -It was true, the keeper of his feals had expreffed to them his ma jefty's fentiments; but if they allowed that circumftance to form any diftinction, they fhould do injuftice to the fimplicity of truth, and the real dictates of his majesty's breaft. If fuch principles were to be established, their counfel would indeed no longer come from the fanctuary of justice, the afylum of law; but as truth must be heard, it would break forth from the abode of terror and filence. If the duke of Orleans was guilty, they were alfo. It was worthy the first prince of the blood to reprefent to his majefty, that he was transforming a meeting of the parliament into a bed of juftice: his declaration only announced their fentiments; his confcience had judged of theirs."In fact, fire, firangers cannot "conceive, pofterity will not be "lieve, that we could be expofed

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to any danger in telling your majefty that truth which you "have demanded in perfon. Your

encouraged by yourself, was no "other than the fignal of our exile " or imprisonment."

They reprefent in colours and terms equally ftrong and pathetic, the cruel and unworthy treatment which the two fuffering magiftrates had received on the occafion of their imprisonment, from those baieft of mankind, as they term them, the inftruments of arbitrary power and of the police: as well as the state of their confinement in horrid and unwholefome prifons, where life is a continual punithment.- If then exile is the recompence of fidelity to the princes of your blood; if outrage and captivity threaten the ingenuoufnefsof the first magiftrates of the kingdom-we may ask ouṛfelves with terror and grief, what will become of the laws, of the public liberty, of the honour, and of the manners of the nation?

A deputation, which returned by order three days after, received for anfwer, that they had already been informed by the keeper of the feals, that the more goodness the king fhewed when he could follow the dictates of his own heart, the more firm he could prove himfelf when he faw his goodnets abufed.— This would be a fufficient anfwer to their fupplications. But he would add, that if he did not blame the concern they feemed to give themfelves about the detention of the two magiftrates, he could not but difapprove

difapprove of their exaggeration of the circumftances and confequences of that meafure, and of their feeming to attribute it to motives, which the freedom of opinion he allowed did not permit them to fuggeft. He owed no explanations to any body of the motives of his refolutions; defired them to endeavour no longer to join the particular caufe of those whom he had punithed, with the interests of any other fubjects, or with that of the laws. All his fubjects knew that his goodness was continually awake to their happinefs, and they felt its effects even in the acts of his juftice. Every one was interested in the prefervation of public order, and it effentially belonged to his authority. If those who had been charged with the execution of his orders had behaved in a manner contrary to his intentions, he would punith them. If the places where the two magiftrates were detained fhould be prejudicial to their health, he would order them to be removed.

The fentence of the two magiftrates was in confequence changed from imprisonment to exile, M. Frereau being fent to one of his country feats, and the abbé Sabatiere to a convent of Benedictines. -We, however, apprehend that the parliament had confented to regifter the loan edict, before this measure of favour or grace took place.

The parliament, notwithstanding this appearance of mutual concetfion, were by no means difpofed to give up the points againft which they had already remonttrated, nor in any degree pleafed or fatisfied with the king's late aufwer. At an affembly of what is called the

great chamber of parliament, attended, as they informed the king, by the princes and peers of the. realm, having taken into confideration his majefty's anfwer, they were charged to lay before him their reprefentations on the subject.

This remonftrance, under the name of a petition, we conceive to be unequalled in the annals of that country, for the boldnefs of opinion and freedom of fentiment which it difplays. They tell the monarch, without referve, that the magiftracy of his kingdom, as well as every true citizen, were attonithed at the reproaches contained in his antwer, and the principles which it manifelted. They were, however, far frem attributing them to his perfonal fentiments. They fupported and confirmed their former charge, relative to the indignities offered to their two members; and faid, that public decency had received a fevere wound in the choice of the executors of his orders upon that occafion. They stated, that in devoting themfelves to the public fervice; in promiting to releafe his majefty from the firit duty which he owed to his nation, namely, that of juftice; in bringing up their children to be fubject to the fame facrifices, they never could have fuppofed that they were deftining themfelves and their children to misfortunes, and ftill lefs to outrages of fo heinous a nature. "But

we do not come fo much to claim your benignity, as the protection "of the laws. It is not to your

humanity alone we addrefs our"felves; it is not a favour which "your parliament folicits; it comes,

fire, to demand juftice."-They' argue, that juftice is fubject to re[*N]4 gulations

gulations independent of the will of man:-that kings themfelves are fubfervient to them; that his glorious ancestor, Henry the IV h, acknowledged, that he had two fovereigns, God and the laws.-One of thefe regulations is to condemn no perfon without a hearing; this was a duty at all times, and in all places; it was the duty of all men: and your majefty will allow us "to reprefent to you, that it is as "obligatory on you as on your fubjects."

"

They obferve, that the glorious privilege of fhewing mercy to criminals belongs to the crown, but the act of condemning them is not one of its functions; the laws have placed that odious office in other hands; that painful and dangerous talk the king cannot exercife. And they deduce from thefe premifes, that those who advise him to punith of his own accord, to punish without a trial, to order exiles, arrefts, and imprisonments, are guilty of equally wounding eternal juftice, the laws of the realm, and the moft confolatory prerogative which the king poteffes.

They fummed up the whole an the fame ground of demanding juftice upon which they fet out."It is therefore, in the name of "thofe laws which preferve cmpires, in the name of that liberty of which we are the refpe&ful interpreters, and the "lawful mediators, in the name "of your authority, of which we "are the firft and most confidential "minitters, that we dare demand "the trial or the liberty of the "duke of Orleans, and the two "exiled magiftrates, who are im

prifoned by a fudden order, as contrary to the fentiments as the "interefts of your majetty."

Such was the firft direct attempt made in France to overthrow fome of the strongeft as well as the most odious engines of arbitrary power. The king's anfwer to this addrefs was as little fatisfactory as any of the preceding, and accordingly produced a fet of new refolutions fom the parliament, which did not derogate, in point of energy, from any thing they had yet offered.— But this bufinefs took place in the enfuing year.

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