334 Travels in France 



ness in the levy of this odious tax is absolutely unknown in 

 England. But mild as it was, the burthen to people groaning 

 under so many other oppressions united to render their situation 

 so bad that no change could be for the worse. But these were 

 not all the evils with which the people struggled. The adminis- 

 tration of justice was partial, venal, infamous. I have, in conver- 

 sation with many very sensible men in different parts of the 

 kingdom, met with something of content with their government 

 in all other respects than this ; but upon the question of expecting 

 justice to be really and fairly administered every one confessed 

 there was no such thing to be looked for. The conduct of the 

 parliaments was profligate and atrocious. Upon almost every 

 cause that came before them interest was openly made with the 

 judges: and woe betided the man who, with a cause to support, 

 had no means of conciliating favour, either by the beauty of a 

 handsome wife or by other methods. It has been said by many 

 writers that property was as secure under the old government 

 of France as it is in England; and the assertion might possibly 

 be true as far as any violence from the king, his ministers, or the 

 great was concerned : but for all that mass of property which 

 comes in every country to be litigated in courts of justice there 

 was not even the shadow of security, unless the parties were 

 totally and equally unknown, and totally and equally honest; 

 in every other case he who had the best interest with the judges 

 was sure to be the winner. To reflecting minds the cruelty and 

 abominable practice attending such courts are sufficiently 

 apparent. There was also a circumstance in the constitution of 

 these parliaments but little known in England, and which, under 

 such a government as that of France, must be considered as very 

 singular. They had the power, and were in the constant practice 

 of issuing decrees, without the consent of the crown, and which 

 had the force of laws through the whole of their jurisdiction; and 

 of all other laws, these were sure to be the best obeyed ; for as all 

 infringements of them were brought before sovereign courts, 

 composed of the same persons who had enacted these laws (a 

 horrible system of tyranny !) they were certain of being punished 

 with the last severity. It must appear strange, in a government 

 so despotic in some respects as that of France, to see the parlia- 

 ments in every part of the kingdom making laws without the 

 king's consent, and even in defiance of his authority. The 

 English, whom I met in France in 1789, were surprised to see 

 some of these bodies issuing arrets against the export of corn out 

 of the provinces subject to their jurisdiction into the neighbour- 



