depraved by debauch'd Youths of Quality, or of equal Age
with himself; may be infatuated by a silly Wench, so far as to deliver
and fling up the Reins of Government wholly into her Power. Few Persons,
I suppose, are ignorant how many sad Examples we have of these
Mischiefs: But a _Kingdom_ is continually supplied with the Wisdom and
Advice of the grave Persons that are in it. _Solomon_, the wisest of
Mankind, was in his old Age seduced by Harlots; _Rehoboam_, by young
Men; _Ninus_, by his own Mother _Semiramis_; _Ptolomaeus_ sirnamed
_Auletes_, by _Harpers_ and _Pipers_. Our Ancestors left to their Kings
the Choice of their own Privy-Counsellors, who might advice them in the
Management of their private Affairs; but such Senators as were to
consult in common, and take care of the publick Administration, and
instruct the King in the Government of his Kingdom, they reserved to the
Designation of the _Publick Convention_.

In the Year 1356: after King _John_ had been taken Prisoner by the
_English_, and carried into _England_, a Publick Council of the Kingdom
was held at _Paris_. And when some of the King's Privy-Counsellors
appeared at that Convention, they were commanded to leave the Assembly;
and it was openly declared, that the Deputies of the Publick Council
wou'd meet no more, if those Privy-Counsellors shou'd hereafter presume
to approach that Sanctuary of the Kingdom. Which Instance is recorded in
the Great Chronicle writ in _French_, Vol. 2. _sub Rege Johanne_, fol.
169. Neither has there ever yet been any Age wherein this plain
Distinction between a _King_ and a _Kingdom_, has not been observed. The
_King_ of the _Lacedemonians_ (as _Xenophon_ assures us) and the
_Ephori_, renewed _every Month_ a mutual _Oath_ between each other; the
_King_ swore that he wou'd govern according to the written Laws; and the
_Ephori_ swore that they wou'd preserve the Royal Dignity, provided he
kept his Oath. _Cicero_, in one of his Epistles to _Brutus_, writes:
"Thou knowest that I was always of Opinion, that our Commonwealth ought
not only to be deliver'd from a _King_, but even from _Kingship_, Scis
mihi semper placuisse non _Rege_ folum, sed _Regno_ liberari
rempublicam."--Also in his Third Book _de Legibus_--"But because a Regal
State in our Commonwealth, once indeed approved of, was abolish'd, not
so much upon the Account of the Faults of a _Kingly_ Government, as of
the _Kings_ who governed; it may seem that only the Name of a