There are three confeils fouverains, which may almoft Alface. For further particulars of the French parliaments, read Bernard de la Rochefavin des Parlemens de France, and other authors who have treated that fubject conftitutionally. But what will be ftill better, converfe upon it with people of fenfe and knowledge, who will inform you of the particular objects of the feveral chambres, and the buifinefs of the refpective members, as, les préfsdens; les préfidens a mortier (thefe laft fo called from their black velvet caps laced with gold,) les maitres des requêtes, les greffiers, le procureur général, les avocates généraux, lès confeilers, c. The great point in difpute is, concerning the powers of the parliament of Paris, in matters of ftate, and relatively to the crown. They pretend to the powers of the States-General of France, when they used to be aflembled (which, I think, they have not been fince the reign of Lewis the XIIIth. in the year 1615.) The crown denies thofe pretenfions, and confiders them only as courts of justice. Mezeray feems to be on the fide of the parliament in this queftion, which is very well worth your inquiry. But, be that as it will, the parliament of Paris is certainly a very refpectable body, and much regarded by the whole kingdom. The edicts of the crown, efpecially thofe for levying money on the fubjects, ought to be registered in parliament; I do not fay to have their ef fect, for the crown would take good care of that; but to have a decent appearance, and to procure willing acquiefcence in the nation. And the crown itfelf, abfolute as it is, does not love that ftrong oppofition, and thofe admirable remonftrances, which it fometimes meets with from the parliaments. Many of thofe detached pieces are well worth your collecting; and I remember, a year or two ago, a remonftrance of the parliament of Douay, upon the fubject, as I think, of the vingtième, which was, in my mind, one of the finest and most moving compofitions I ever read. They owned themselves, indeed, to be flaves, and fhowed their chains, but humbly begged of his majefty to make them a little lighter and lefs galling. The States of France were general affemblies of the three ftates or orders of the kingdom; the clergy, the mobility, and the tiers état, that is, the people. They ufed to be called together by the king, upon the moft important affairs of ftate, like our lords and commons in parliament, and our clergy in convocation. Our parliament, is our ftates, and the French parliaments are only their courts of justice. The nobility confifted of all thofe of noble extraction, whether belonging to the fword or the robe, excepting fuch as were chofen (which fometimes happened) by the tiers état, as their deputies to the States-General. The tiers état was exactly our houfe of commons, that is, the people, reprefented by deputies of their own choofing. Thofe who had the most confiderable places, dans la robe, affifted at thofe affemblies as commiffioners on the part of the crown. The ftates met, for the first time that I can find (I mean by the name of les états,) in the reign of Pharamond, 424, when they confirmed the Salic law. From that time they have been very frequently affembled; fometimes upon important occafions, as making war and peace, reforming abufes, &c. at other times, upon feemingly trifling ones, as coronations, marriages, &c. Francis the Firft affembled them, in 1526, to declare null and void his famous treaty of Madrid,' figned and fworn to by him during his captivity there. They grew troubiefome to the kings and to their minifters, and were but feldom called, after the power of the crown grew ftrong; and they have never been heard of fince the year 1615. Richelieu came and hackled the nation, and Mazarin and Lewis the XIVth. riveted the fhackles. There ftill fubfift in fome provinces in France, which are called païs d'états, an humble local imitation, or ather mimicry, of the great états, as in Languedoc, ne, &c. They meet, they fpeak, they grumble, bmit to whatever the king orders. of the intrinfic utility of this kind of knowledge to every man of business, it is a fhame for any man to be ignorant of it, especially relatively to any country he has been long in.Adieu ! LETTER CXXXII. Indolence and Inattention...Improvement to be reaped from good Converfation...French Laws and Customs. MY DEAR FRIEND, LAZIN London, January the ad. AZINESS of mind, or inattention, are as great enemies to knowledge as incapacity; for, in truth, what difference is there between a man who will not and a man who cannot be informed? This difference only, hat the former is justly to be blamed, the latter to be pitied. And yet how many are there, very capable of eceiving knowledge, who, from lazinefs, inattention, and incurioufnefs, will not fo much as ask for it, much efs take the leaft pains to acquire it ? Our young English travellers generally diftinguish hemfelves by a voluntary privation of all that useful knowledge for which they are fent abroad; and yet, at that age, the moft ufeful knowledge is the moft eafy to be acquired; converfation being the book, and the beft book, in which it is contained. The drudgery of ry grammatical learning is over, and the fruits of it are mixed with and adorned by the flowers of converfation. How many of our young men have been a year at Rome, and as long at Paris, without knowing the meaning and inftitution of the conclave in the former, and of the parliament in the latter! and this merely for want of afking the first people they met with in thofe feveral places, who could at leaft have given them fome general notions of thofe matters. You will, I hope, be wifer, and omit no opportunity (for opportunities prefent themfelves every hour in the day) of acquainting yourfelf with all thofe political and conftitutional particulars of the kingdom and government of France. For inftauce; when you hear people mention le chancelier, or le garde des feeaux, is it any great owned themselves, indeed, to be flaves, and fhowed their chains, but humbly begged of his majesty to make them a little lighter and lefs galling. The States of France were general affemblies of the three ftates or orders of the kingdom; the clergy, the mobility, and the tiers état, that is, the people. They ufed to be called together by the king, upon the moft important affairs of itate, like our lords and commons in parliament, and our clergy in convocation. Our parliament, is our ftates, and the French parliaments are only their courts of justice. The nobility confifted of all those of noble extraction, whether belonging to the fword or the robe, excepting fuch as were chofen (which fometimes happened) by the tiers état, as their deputies to the States-General. The tiers état was exactly our house of commons, that is, the people, reprefented by deputies of their own choofing. Those who had the most confiderable places, dans la robe, affifted at thofe affemblies as commiffioners on the part of the crown. The ftates met, for the first time that I can find (I mean by the name of les états,) in the reign of Pharamond, 424, when they confirmed the Salic law. From that time they have been very frequently affembled; fometimes upon important occafions, as making war and peace, reforming abufes, &c. at other times, upon feemingly trifling ones, as coronations, marriages, &c. Francis the Firft affembled them, in 1526, to declare null and void his famous treaty of Madrid," figned and fworn to by him during his captivity there. They grew troubiefome to the kings and to their min ifters, and were but feldom called, after the power of the crown grew ftrong; and they have never been heard of fince the year 1615. Richelieu came and hackled the nation, and Mazarin and Lewis the XIVth. riveted the fhackles. There ftill fubfift in fome provinces in France, which are called pais d'états, an humble local imitation, or ather mimicry, of the great états, as in Languedoc, ne, &c. They meet, they fpeak, they grumble, abmit to whatever the king orders. of the intrinfic utility of this kind of nowledge to every man of bufinefs, it is a fhame for ny man to be ignorant of it, especially relatively to ny country he has been long in.-Adieu ! LETTER CXXXII. Indolence and Inattention...Improvement to be reaped from good Converfation...French Laws and Customs. MY DEAR FRIEND, London, January the ad. LAZINESS of mind, or inattention, are as great en emies to knowledge as incapacity; for, in truth, what difference is there between a man who will not and a man who cannot be informed? This difference only, that the former is justly to be blamed, the latter to be pitied. And yet how many are there, very capable of receiving knowledge, who, from lazinefs, inattention, and incurioufnefs, will not fo much as afk for it, much lefs take the leaft pains to acquire it? Our young English travellers generally diftinguish themselves by a voluntary privation of all that useful knowledge for which they are fent abroad; and yet, at that age, the moft ufeful knowledge is the moft eafy to be acquired; converfation being the book, and the best book, in which it is contained. The drudgery of dry grammatical learning is over, and the fruits of it are mixed with and adorned by the flowers of converfation. How many of our young men have been a year at Rome, and as long at Paris, without knowing the meaning and inftitution of the conclave in the former, and of the parliament in the latter! and this merely for want of afking the first people they met with in thofe feveral places, who could at least have given them fome general notions of thofe matters. You will, I hope, be wifer, and omit no opportunity (for opportunities prefent themfelves every hour in the day) of acquainting yourfelf with all thofe political and conftitutional particulars of the kingdom and government of France. For inftauce; when you hear people mention le chancelier, or le garde des feeaux, is it any great |