sure, in the Undertaking of a War, there is
no need of such hast; one has sufficient Leisure to think leisurely of
that Matter. And this I dare affirm, that when Kings and Princes
undertake a War with the Consent of their Subjects, they are both much
more powerful, and more formidable to their Enemies.--It becomes a King
of _France_ least of any King in the World, to make use of such
expressions as this.--_I have a Power of raising as great Taxes as I
please on my Subjects_;--for neither he, nor any other, has such a
Power; and those Courtiers who use such Expressions, do their King no
Honour, nor increase his Reputation with Foreign Nations; but on the
contrary, create a Fear and Dread of him among all his Neighbours, who
will not upon any Terms subject themselves to such a Sort of Government.
But if our King, of such as have a Mind to magnify his Power; wou'd say
thus; I have such obedient and loving Subjects, that they will deny me
nothing in Reason; or, there is no Prince that has a People more willing
to forget the Hardships they undergo; this indeed wou'd be a Speech that
wou'd do him Honour, and give him Reputation. But such Words as these do
not become a King; _I tax as much as I have a mind to; and I have a
Power of taking it, which I intend to keep_. _Charles_ the Fifth never
used such Expressions, neither indeed did I ever hear any of our Kings
speak such a Word; but only some of their Ministers and Companions, who
thought thereby they did their Masters Service: But, in my Opinion, they
did them a great deal of Injury, and spoke those Words purely out of
Flattery, not considering what they said. And as a further Argument of
the gentle Disposition of the _French_, let us but consider that
_Convention_ of the _Three Estates_ held at _Tours_, Anno 1484, after
the Decease of our King _Lewis_ the _Eleventh_: About that time the
wholsome Institution of the _Convention_ of the _Three Estates_ began to
be thought a dangerous Thing; and there were some inconsiderable Fellows
who said then, and often since, that it was High-Treason to make so much
as mention of Convocating the _States_, because it tended to lessen and
diminish the King's Authority; but it was they themselves who were
_guilty of High-Treason against God, the King, and the Commonwealth_.
Neither do such-like Sayings turn to the Benefit of any Persons, but
such as have got great Honours or Employments without any Merit of their
own; and have learnt how to f