I 
Ch^p. IV. through FiiANOE. 739 
Power and Infpefiidn of che Miniflers ; and the Princes provements only are to be attributed to his Son and 
of the Blood and Great Lords, notwithftanding they Succeffor ; but with refpeft to the Military 
have ftill the Title, Authorities and Revenues of Go- Lewis XIV. was its origmal Pounder, betore 
, vernors have nothing of that Kind of Power that was his Time a few Companies of Guards, and the tour 
fo dancrerous in paft Times. But with refpe< 5 t to their old Corps as they are ftill called, were all tl^ Itanding 
LordflTips, they have ftill very great Prerogatives ; Troops of France \ neither were they exactly of the 
which though they do not render them formidable to fame Nature with the Regiments that are now kept up^ 
the Crown, give them fuch a Power over the common though this is not a Place to difcufs the Difference. It is 
People, that without doubt the Peafants in France are fufficient for us to obferve, that the Prince laft men- 
as miferable as any in Europe ; and this is the true Se- tioned, finding every Thing at home difpofed accord’s* 
cret why their Infantry, notwithftanding all their Dif- ing to his good Pleafure, when he took the Ad- 
cipline, is not near fo good as the Englijh^ the Swifs^ miniftration into his own Hands, refolved to lay 
or thofe of fome of the German Princes 5 for Men bold of that Opportunity to fecure the boundlefs Au- 
born and bred under Oppreffion, have never that true thority, of which he was poffeffed in his own Do- 
Spirit and Courage that is fo remarkable in Freemen, minions; and at the fame lime to P^be himfelf 
The Artizans and Manufaflurers . are fomewhat better terrible to his Neighbours. ^ It was to this End that ha 
treated, and in the Cities of France they have Immuni- eftablifhed firft, under the Notion of Guards^ a very 
ties and Privileges which at firft Sight bear a near Re- confiderable force, which is now ftifed the Troops of 
femblance to Liberty ; yet even thefe give Way upon the Floufehold, and afterwards, as Occafion offered, rai- 
any Exigence ; fo that after all, the King is abfolute fed Regiment after Regiment, both of Horfe and Foot, 
M^er of every Rank of his Subjeas, and difpofes, in and kept them in conftant Service. It was by the Help 
a great Meafure, both of their Perfons and Properties of this Standing Army, that he gained fo many and fo 
at his Pleafure, which is the true Reafon why fo many great Advantages over Spain^ and the reft of his Neigh- 
leave their Country, and fettle elfewhere. hours, and annexed feveral conquered Provinces to his 
We have hitherto in this Account reprefented Things Dominions, which at the fame Time afforded him an 
in <?eneral ; and indeed it would require much more Opportunity of increafing the Number of thefe regular 
Room than we have to fpare to enter into Particulars. Troops, and of covering his Frontiers on every Side 
It may very well fuffice to fay, that the ruling Maxim with Abundance of ftrong Fortreffes. By Degrees 
of the French Government is to fuftain and to extend other States in Europe found themfelves obliged for 
the Power of the Crown, to which every Thing muft their own Defence to raife and maintain regular 
Mve Way. The Church, as a State Machine, is mana- Troops likewife, which afforded that ambitious Prince 
oed with greater Addrefs in France^ than in any Coun- a Pretence for augmenting his to as great a Number as 
Try in the World. Louis XIV. was a Bigot in his was poffible for him to maintain ; and his Example in 
Praaice, but not in his Church Politicks ; for while he this, as well as in moft other Points, has been exaffly 
drao-oon’d \{\^ Hugonot Subjefts, out of pious Regard followed by his Succeffor. So that immediately before 
to the Principle of Unity, he countenanced and ap- the Breaking out of the prefent War, the Standing 
proved the nice Diftinaion between the Roman and the Troops of France confifted of one Hundred and twenty 
Galilean Ghmch. For by this Contrivance he procured for thoufand Foot, twenty thoufand Horfe and Dragoons, 
himfelf, and has left to his Succeffors, two Reins, by and between eight and ten thoufand Invalids ; that is, 
which the Ecclefiaftical Machine is governed with Eafe. in the whole, to about One hundred and fifty thoufand 
If the Pope is to be managed, and the Influence of Men. The keeping up fo large an Army, and the 
the See of Rome becomes neceffary to the Eldeji Son of maintaining fo many Garrifons, is as ferviceable to the 
the Churchy then one Rein is pulled, and the Royal King, as it is burthenfome and ruinous to the Kingdom 5 
Power is exerted in Support of the papal Authority i inafmuch as it keeps fo great a Proportion of able and 
But if fome ftubborn, long-headed or well-meaning aflive Perfons in a State of abfolute Idlenefs with 
Cardinal is advanced to the fupreme Dignity in the po- Regard to the Publick, at the fame Time that heavy 
pilh Hierarchy, who has a greater Regard to the Whole faxes are raifed upon the induftrious Part of the Peo- 
than to any Part, and will not employ either his Credit pk for their Subfiftence. But it muft be allowed, that 
or his Power to ferve the Purpofes of the Gallic Mo- it finds Employment for the Nobility and Gentry of 
narch, then he plucks the other Rein, and makes his France more efpecially, as it is become almoft an in- 
Holinefs fully fenfible, that without his Affuming the difpenfible Cuftom for them to fpend their Youth, at 
Title, he is truly and effedlually Head of the Galilean kaft the firft Part of it, in the Service ; by which they are 
Church. It muft be confeffed that this Sort of Policy brought infenfibly into a Dependance upon the Court, 
is not without its Inconveniencies, and thofe too that and have their Minds filled Vi/ith falfe and flavifh Notions 
are very evident, and fometimes very troublefome, fuch of the Glory of their Grand Monarchy which entirely 
as continual Heart-burnings and Struggles, vexatious gets the better of the natural Paffions that all Men of 
Difturbances, and a kind of perpetual Perfecution, un- Birth and Breeding in other Nations, have for the Sen- 
der all which Mifehiefs the Galilean Church has now la- vice of their Country. Thus the Reader fees, that the 
boured near thirty Years : But this gives no Pain to Church, the Law, the Civil Employments, and the 
the Miniftry ; they look upon it as a neceffary Evil, Military, being wholly at the Pleafure of the^ Courts 
and raife and fall the Tide of Perfecution as Inrereft the far greater Part of the ablive People in this great 
directs. Thus the greateft Part of the French Clergy Country have their Lives and Fortunes at the Difpq- 
are obliged to conform to the Court Creed, as well as fal of the Crown, and fpend the beft Part of their* 
to the Catholick Faith ; and that Part of his Subjefls Days in the Maintenance of a Syftem calculated to hold 
are now moft in the King’s Power, which were leaft them in irrecoverable and perpetual Servitude, 
fo in his Predeceffors ; and thofe Men receive their In- As for the political Government, it is managed by 
ftruftions from the Cabinet, who, from the Nature of feveral great Councils, or rather Committees of , Cqun- 
their Office, have the ftrongeft Sort of Influence over cil, of which there are at prefent four, which are ftikd 
the Common People. By this Management alfo the the Council of State, the Council of Dilpatches, the 
Government draws a large Revenue from the Church, Royal Council of Finances, and the Royal Council of 
which in former Times was reckoned imprablicabk. Commerce. The firft Civil Officer in France is the 
The Tenths, which are annually paid to the King, Chancellor, the only Officer that is not removeabk at 
amount to about Sixty thoufand Pounds ; the Free Gifts, the King’s Pleafure ; that is to fay, he cannot be tur- 
which are now become a ftated and regular Revenue, ned out without being brought to a Tryal ; but the King 
amount to above two hundred thoufand Pounds a Year, may and frequently does take the Seals from him, and 
that is, in Time of Peace ; for in War the extraordinary put them into the Flands of another Perfon, who has 
Free Gifts bear fome Proportion to the Exigency of the Title of Keeper, and the Power of Chancellor, who 
the publick Affairs. is removeabk at the King’s Pleafure. There is gene- 
The Ecclefiaftical and Civil Government in France rally a Perfon at the Head of the Miniftry, either with 
was reduced by Degrees pretty near the fame it ftands or without the Title of prime Minifter, and with more 
u prefent under the Reign of Lewis XIII. and the Im- or lefs Authority as the King pkafes ^ At prefent this 
