Fred Morrow Fling 30 



of kings"' and "men take precedence of princes. "^ More- 

 over the nation was as much superior to the king as the king 

 was to an individual.-' Without any circumlocution he called 

 the king the first salaried oflficer of the state^ and affirmed that 

 the nation had given itself a king that it might not have a 

 master.-'' He believed in hereditary succession and considered 

 election inadvisable.^ The French king had formerly been 

 "the first gentleman, and truly chief of the nation."^ He had 

 been "first among equals,"^ had won the esteem and love of 

 his subjects.^ He was instituted for society'" and ^' was respect- 

 able only when he was the father, the defender, the organ of 

 the country, for the advantage of which he was elevated."" He 

 was respectable just so far as he was " useful "'^ and it was 

 only this bond of utility that held prince and subject to- 

 gether,'-' for "the people were not destined by divine right to 

 be the beasts of burden" of kings. '^ Moderation and an iden- 



1 Des lettres de cachet, 69. 



•^ Avis aux Hessois, 313. 



3 "C'est qu'uQ peuple est aussi superieur a son souverain, que le sou- 

 verain a un individu." Reponse aux conseils de la raison, 332. 



•" " Vous etes en un mot, son premier salarie." Essai sur le despotisme, 

 84. The Marquis had the same idea, Stern I, 36. 



^ '"lis penseront. qu'ils ne se donnerent un prince que pour se preserver 

 d' avoir un maitre."' Essai sur la despotisme, 93. 



" Des lettres de cachet, 74. 



'■" Nos Rois premiers yentils-hojuiiies et vraiment chefs de la nation." 

 Ibid, 270. 



8 " Nos souverains, jyremiers entre egaux.'' Essai sur le despotisme, 271" 



** "Nos souverains qui prisoient notre estime et recherchoient 



notre amour." Ibid. 271. 



10 "Qu' un roi. chef de ia societe, n'est institue que par elle et pour 

 elle."' Essai sur le despotisme, 291. 



'1 "Le monarque n'est respectable qu"alors qu'il est le pere, le defens- 

 eur, I'organe de la patrie, pour I'avantage de laquelle il fut eleve." Essai 

 sur le despotisme, 303. 



' 2 "II faut d'abord qu'elle soit utile. Le monarque doit veiller sur I'ordre 

 public, sur le bonheur de chacun." Decrue, Revue historique, XXII, 49. 



'^ "Votre peuple et vous ne tenez I'un a I'autre que par lien etroit de 

 Tutilite.'' Essai sur le despotisme, 86. 



i* "Que leur peuple n'est pas destine de droit divin a leur servirde betes 

 de pomme ou de passe-temps." Ibid, 81. 



74 



