444 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



king assume a sort of independent importance.&quot; Like 

 needs produced kindred effects in the first days of the Eoman 

 empire. Duruy writes : 



&quot; Augustus, who called himself a plain Roman citizen, could not, like a 

 king, have ministers, but only friends who aided him with their experi 

 ence. . . . The multitude of questions . . . induced him afterwards to 

 distribute the chief affairs regularly among his friends. . . . This council 

 was gradually organized.&quot; 



And then in later days and other regions, we see that out of 

 the group known as &quot; friends of the king &quot; there are often 

 some, or there is one, in whom confidence is reposed and to 

 whom power is deputed. In. Eussia the relation of Lefort to 

 Peter the Great, in Spain that of Albuquerque to Don Pedro, 

 and among ourselves that of Gaveston to Edward II., 

 sufficiently illustrate the genesis of ministerial power out of 

 the power gained by personal friendship and consequent 

 trust. And then with instances of this kind are to be 

 joined instances showing how attachment between the sexes 

 comes into play. Such facts as that after Albuquerque fell, 

 all offices about the court were filled by relations of the 

 king s mistress ; that in France under Louis XV. &quot; the only 

 visible government was that by women&quot; from Mme. de 

 Prie to Mme. du Barry ; and that in Eussia during the reign 

 of Catherine II., her successive lovers acquired political 

 power, and became some of them prime ministers and 

 practically autocrats ; will serve adequately to recall a ten 

 dency habitually displayed. 



Eegarded as able to help the ruler supernaturally as well 

 as naturally, the priest is apt to become his chosen ally and 

 agent. The Tahitians may be named as having a prime 

 minister who is also chief priest. In Africa, among the 

 Eggarahs (Inland Negroes), a priest &quot; officiates as minister of 

 war.&quot; How political power of priests results from their sup 

 posed influence with the gods, is well shown by the case of 

 Mizteca (part of Mexico). 



&quot;The high-priests were highly respected by the caziques, who did 

 nothing without their advice ; they commanded armies, and ruled the 



