them in their own country, and treat their inferiors with an air of abſolute authority, they live in all the ſplendor of princes. This is the account of the Abbe des Fontaines in the year 1726; it is to be hoped things have ſince changed for the better, but if this account was then true, who can wonder at what has happened ſince.
Here again is no balance; a king, and an aſſembly of nobles, and nothing more: the nobles here diſcover their unalterable diſpoſition, whenever they have the power, to limit the king's authority; and there being no mediating power of the people, collectively or repreſentatively, between them, the conſequence has been, what it always will be in ſuch a caſe, confuſion and calamity.
LETTER XXII.
POLAND.
My dear Sir,
SINCE the letter concerning Poland was ſent you, Mr. Coxe's travels into that kingdom, &c. have fallen into my hands: and they contain ſo many facts material to our argument, that it is very proper to fend you the ſuſtance of this account; indeed there is ſcarcely a book in the world, in any manner relative to the hiſtory of government, or to thoſe branches of philoſophy on which it depends, which is not much to our purpoſe.
In the moſt ancient times, which records or hiſtory elucidate, the monarchy of Poland, like
