opinion in all matters of importance, ſo that he could not iſſue any decree without their conſent. Another fatal blow was given to the prerogative in 1578, by taking from the king the ſupreme juriſdiction of the cauſes of the nobles: it was enacted, that without the concurrence of the king, each palatinate ſhould elect in their dietines their own judges, who ſhould form ſupreme courts or juſtice, called tribunalia regni, in which the cauſes of the nobles ſhall be decided without appeal, a mode which prevails to this day.
In the reign of John Caſſimir, in 1652, was introduced the liberum veto, or the power of each nuncio to interpoſe a negative, and break up a diet, a privilege which the king himſelf does not enjoy. When the diet was debating upon tranſactions of the utmoſt importance, which required a ſpeedy deciſion, a nuncio cried out, "I ſtop the proceedings," and quitted the aſſembly: and a venal faction, who ſupported his proteſt, unheard of as it was, obtained the majority, and broke up the aſſembly in confuſion. The conſtitution was thus wholly changed, and an unlimited ſcope given to faction. The innovation was ſupported by the great officers of ſtate, the general, treaſurer, and marſhal, who being once nominated by the king, enjoyed their offices for life, reſponſible only to the diets, conſcious that they could at all times engage a nuncio to proteſt, and thus elude an enquiry into their adminiſtration; it was alſo ſupported by the adherents of many nobles accuſed of capital crimes before the diet, the only tribunal before which they could be tried: all the nuncios who oppoſed the raiſing of additional ſubſidies by taxes, which the exigencies of the ſtate then demanded, ſeconded the propoſal of putting an end to the aſſembly. But the principal
