divided their Father's Kingdom among them,
_according to the Advice and Direction of their faithful Subjects_."
Further, _cap._ 41. where he writes of _Carloman_, who held his _Great
Council_ then at _Worms_.----"To this _Placitum_ (says he) came _Hugo_,
and preferred his Petition for that Part of the Kingdom, which his
Brother _Lewis (in Locarium acceperat)_ had rented of him, or received
in Pawn."

We may further observe, from very many Instances, that whenever the King
had any expensive Design in Hand, such as the Building of Churches or
Monasteries, he took first the Advice of the _Council_ of the
_Estates_. For _Aimoinus_, lib. 4. cap. 41. where he speaks of
_Clodoveus_ the Second, tells us, that sitting on his Throne, he began
his Oration to the _General Council_ in these Words.--"_Quamquam
Franciginae cives, &c._ Altho' (says he) the Care I ought to take of my
Kingdom, obliges me to take your Advice in all Matters relating to the
Publick, &c."

And thus much may suffice on this Point. From all which we think it
appears plainly, that the whole Power of the Administration of the
Kingdom was lodg'd in the _Publick Council_, which they called
_Placitum_; because according to the Idiom of the _Latin_ Tongue, _that_
is properly termed _Placitum_, which after having been proposed and
debated in a Council of many Persons, is at last agreed to, and resolved
upon by them. And therefore _Cicero_, with others of the Ancients, were
wont to call such-like Determinations, _Placita Philosophorum_.

Since therefore the Matter is so, I hope the Opinion which we have
formerly given in some of our other Books, will not be esteemed absurd;
_viz._ That the common Form used by the King's Secretary in the last
Clause of our Ordinances and Edits, _Quia tale est PLACITUM nostrum_,
arises from hence: For anciently those Laws were written in the _Latin
Tongue_, (as is sufficiently proved by _Aimoinus_, the _Capitulary of
Charles the Great_, and many other Records); but afterwards when the
King's Secretaries or Clerks began to make Use of the Vulgar Tongue,
thro' Ignorance, or rather Malice, they translated it thus,--_Car tel
est nostre Plaisir: For such is our Will and Pleasure_.

Now as to the _Power_ of the _People_, we have this farther Argument
extant in the same Capitulary of _Charles the Great_.--"Let the _People_
(says it) be consulted touching all the Heads of the new Laws, which are
to be added to the former; and after they ha