e of his Ambassador, in the great Yard of the
Palace: Then, that these Ambassadors with Mitres upon their Heads, and
their Faces bedaub'd with Dirt, should be drawn in a Tumbrel by the
common Hangman into the said Yard, and there be exposed to the Mockery
and Maledictions of the People: finally, that Letters in the King's Name
should be dispatched to the Pope, according to the Tenor following.
Philip _by the Grace of God, King of_ France, _to_ Boniface, _who stiles
himself universal Bishop, little or no greeting. Be it known to thy
great Folly and extravagant Temerity, that in things temporal we have no
Superior but God; and that the Disposal of the Vacancies of certain
Churches and Prebends belong to us of Regal Right; that it is our due to
receive the profits of them, and our Intention to defend our selves by
the Edge of the Sword, against all such, as would any way go about to
disturb us in the Possession of the same; esteeming those to be Fools
and Brainless, who think otherwise_. For Witnesses of this History, we
have the Author of the _Chronicle of Bretayne_, lib. 4. chap. 14. and
_Nicholas Gilles_ in the _Annals of France_, to whom ought to be join'd
_Papon._ in the first Book of his Arrests tit. 5. art. 27.

* * * * *

CHAP. XX.

_Whether_ Women _are not as much debarr'd_ (_by the_
Francogallican Law) _from the_ Administration, _as from
the_ Inheritance _of the Kingdom_.

The present Dispute being about the _Government_ of the Kingdom, and the
chief _Administration_ of Publick Affairs, we have thought fit not to
omit this Question: Whether _Women_ are not as much debarr'd from the
_Administration_, as from the _Inheritance_ of the Kingdom? And in the
first Place we openly declare, that 'tis none of our Intention to argue
for or against the _Roman_ Customs or Laws, or those of any other
Nation, but only of the Institutions of this our own _Francogallia_. For
as on the one Hand 'tis notorious to all the World, that by the _Roman_
Institutions, _Women_ were always under _Guardianship_, and excluded
from intermeddling, either in publick or private Affairs, by Reason of
the _Weakness_ of their Judgment: So on the other, _Women_ (by ancient
Custom) obtain the _Supreme Command_ in _Some_ Countries. "The
(_Britains_ says _Tacitus_ in his Life of _Agricola_) make _no
Distinction of Sexes_ in _Government_." Thus much being premised, and
our Protestation being clearly an