POLISH HISTORY. 73 



made between the people and himself at his coronation, 

 he would soon behold a potent confederacy formed against 

 him for his deposition. He is incapable of making new 

 laws, raising taxes, contracting alliances, or declaring war 

 without the ratification of a diet ; nor can he even marry 

 without the permission of the States. Moreover, the 

 prince is not authorised to coin money, since this preroga- 

 tive is peculiar to the Republic. His revenues amount to 

 no more than a million of livres, but he only defrays the 

 expense of his table ; all other charges are paid by the 

 republic. 



' The senate is composed of the clergy and the nobility, 

 for the third state is not so much as known in Poland. 

 The grand marshal, the marshal of the court, the 

 chancellor, the vice-chancellor, and the treasurer, are the 

 first senators. The kingdom of Poland and the Grand 

 Duchy of Lithuania have alike all these officers. 



'The grand marshal is the supreme judge of all dis- 

 orders which at any time happen in the diets and the 

 king's household. He imposes silence, and authorises 

 freedom of speech in the National Assemblies. He 

 introduces ambassadors, examines their dispatches, and 

 assigns to them their apartments. He likewise deter- 

 mines the price of all merchandise whatsoever it may be. 



' The marshal of the court, or the deputy-marshal, is his 

 substitute, and discharges all his functions in his absence. 



' The chancellor is intrusted with the seals of the king- 

 dom, and even the sovereign cannot compel him to affix 

 them to any decrees without the privity and approbation 

 of the States. All civil affairs, and those which relate to 

 the king's domain, are brought to his tribunal. He is 

 charged with the preservation of the laws and the preser- 

 vation of liberty. He in the diets returns answers to the 

 ministers of foreign powers ; and if he happens to be an 

 ecclesiastic, he extends his inspection to the secretaries, 

 the priests, and preachers at court. 



'The jurisdiction of the vice-chancellor is exerted only 

 in the absence of the grand chancellor, but he is in pos- 



