TOWARDS the close of the fifth century, the Franks, a nation the very name of which implies the free condition of the individuals who composed it, determined to leave their native forests, situated in that part of Germany enclosed by the Rhine, the Elbe, and the sea. They accordingly crossed the former of these rivers, under Clovis, defeated their enemies in a pitched battle, acquired full possession of an extensive territory, which some of their countrymen had before invaded, and imposed at once their dominion and their name on Gaul. Under the first, or Merovingian, and the second, or Carlovingian race, the throne was elective; and the people not only possessed the power of nominating, but according to indisputable testimony, they also exercised the right of deposing the sovereign if he proved unworthy of his station. (Note 1.)
No sooner had a middle class arisen among the people, and begun to acquire some degree of opulence and respectability, than Philip le Bel determined to introduce their deputies into the general councils; and that they might be more at his devotion, they were chosen from the cities and towns within his own domains. This memorable event, which occurred in the first year of the fourteenth century, was productive of correspondent consequences; and the third estate sat ever afterwards in the assembly of the nation called the states-general, which was convoked occasionally during a period of three hundred and fifteen years. The states-general were again convoked under Charles V. in 1369, when they granted certain subsidies during the war only; and Charles VI., his successor, thinking, no doubt, that an assembly of notables might prove more tractable, summoned one accordingly in 1413. He appears to have solicited and obtained the consent of the university and citizens of Paris to this measure, which was rendered more agreeable by the plausible pretext of reforming the state; and to keep up appearances, commissioners were chosen from the three different orders of the notables, but nothing beneficial appears to have been effected.
The great council of the nation assembled every year in the Champ de Mars; so called from the month in which they usually met. In this assembly, the king presided as chief, and decided on all public affairs. In the year 987, on the demise of Louis V., a new dynasty, called the Capetian, succeeded to the crown of Franco-Gallia, as it was then called, in the person of Hugh Ca- But it was not until the reign of Charles pet, son of Hugh, Earl of Paris, to the ex- VII., that any thing resembling a uniform clusion of Charles, Duke of Lorraine, uncle system of tyranny was attempted; and of the deceased monarch, and his heir by it is to the long and bloody contests with blood. This prince, after overcoming and England that we are to attribute that desimprisoning his less fortunate rival, asso-potism which overwhelmed France for ciated his own son with him on the throne, and even contrived to get him declared his successor. The crown having thus become vested in his family, in the course of the same reign, and in consequence of this very event, the dukedoms, earldoms, and all the magistracies and honours of the kingdom, which before were temporary, now became hereditary also.
*See Hottoman's Franco-Gallia. cap. VI.
(Note 1.) The question whether the crown of
France under the first race was elective or here
ages. The victorious monarch, availing himself of the popularity he had acquired by his success, retained a body of men-atarms in his pay, amounting to no more, however, than seventeen hundred.* To this increase of power, Charles added the influence of corruption; and by means of both, became the first King of France who, by his own royal edict, and without the concurrence of the states-general of the kingdom, levied subsidies at his pleasure.
Louis XI., who to the policy of our ditary, has been frequently and warmly discussed Henry VII. added a far more cruel and by the French historians. Some of their most dis- capricious tyranny than Henry VIII., suctinguished political writers are to be found on op- ceeded too well in reducing the innovations posite sides of the controversy. The better opinion of his predecessor to a regular system. seems to be not as might be supposed from the text, that the monarchy was purely an elective one, but He also contrived to render his own des that the executive power continued in particular potism more formidable by adding to the families, out of which the assembly of the nation military establishment of his father; and, selected such individuals as they thought proper to lessen the general odium, he had reto fill the vacant office.