sisted of these, I say,
as to the balance, though, during the reign of some of these kings, not
as to the administration.

For the ambition of Turbo, and some of those that more immediately
succeeded him, to be absolute princes, strove against the nature of
their foundation, and, inasmuch as he had divided almost the whole
realm among his Neustrians, with some encouragement for a while. But
the Neustrians, while they were but foreign plants, having no security
against the natives, but in growing up by their princes' sides, were no
sooner well rooted in their vast dominions than they came up according
to the infallible consequence of the balance domestic, and, contracting
the national interest of the baronage, grew as fierce in the vindication
of the ancient rights and liberties of the same, as if they had been
always natives: whence, the kings being as obstinate on the one side for
their absolute power, as these on the other for their immunities, grew
certain wars, which took their denomination from the barons.

This fire about the middle of the reign of Adoxus began to break out.
And whereas the predecessors of this King had divers times been forced
to summon councils resembling those of the Teutons, to which the lords
only that were barons by dominion and tenure had hitherto repaired,
Adoxus, seeing the effects of such dominion, began first not to call
such as were barons by writ (for that was according to the practice of
ancient times), but to call such by writs as were otherwise no barons;
by which means, striving to avoid the consequence of the balance, in
coming unwillingly to set the government straight, he was the first that
set it awry. For the barons in his reign, and his successors, having
vindicated their ancient authority, restored the Parliament with all
the rights and privileges of the same, saving that from thenceforth the
kings had found out a way whereby to help themselves against the mighty
by creatures of their own, and such as had no other support but by their
favor.. By which means this government, being indeed the masterpiece of
modern prudence, has been cried up to the skies, as the only invention
whereby at once to maintain the sovereignty of a prince and the
liberty of the people. Whereas, indeed, it has been no other than a
wrestling-match, wherein the nobility, as they have been stronger, have
thrown the King, or the King, if he has been stronger, has thrown the
nobility; or the King, where