and armies, have never been able to get the advantage of them, who have always ſtood by their houſes of repreſentatives in every inſtance, and carried all their points; and no governor ever ſtood his ground againſt a repreſentative aſſembly; as long as he governed by their advice he was happy; as ſoon as he differed from them he was wretched, and ſoon obliged to retire.
LETTER XXI.
POLAND.
My dear Sir,
THE king of Poland is the firſt magiſtrate in the republic, derives all his authority from the nation.—He has not the power to make laws, raiſe taxes, contract alliances, or declare war, nor to coin money, nor marry, without the ratification of the diet.
The ſenate is compoſed of the clergy and nobility, the third eſtate, or people, is not ſo much as known. The grand marſhal, the marſhal of the court, the chancellor, vice chancellor, and the treaſurer, are the firſt ſenators.
The nobility, or gentry, poſſeſs the dignities and employments, in which they never permit ſtrangers, or the commonalty, to have any participation: they elect their king, and would never ſuffer the ſenate to make themſelves maſters of this election. The peaſants are ſlaves to the gentry; having no property, all their acquiſitions are made for their maſters, and are expoſed to all their paſſions, and are oppreſſed with impunity.
