Upon the whole Matter 'tis plain, that 'tis not yet a hundred Years compleat, since the Liberties of _Francogallia_, and the _Authority_ of its _annual General Council_, flourished in full Vigor, and exerted themselves against a King of ripe Years, and great Understanding; for he was above 40 Years old, and of such great Parts, as none of our Kings have equall'd him. So that we may easily perceive that our _Commonwealth_, which at first was _founded_ and _establish'd_ upon the _Principles of Liberty_, maintained it self in the same free and sacred State, (even by Force and Arms) against all the Power of Tyrants for more then Eleven Hundred Years. I cannot omit the great Commendation which that most noble Gentleman and accomplish'd Historian, _Philip de Comines_, gives of this Transaction; who in his 5th Book and 18th Chapter, gives this Account of it, which we will transcribe Word for Word.--"But to proceed: Is there in all the World any King or Prince, who has a Right of imposing a Tax upon his People (tho' it were but to the Value of one Farthing) without their own Will and Consent? Unless he will make use of Violence, and a Tyrannical Power, he cannot. But some will say there may happen an Exigence, when the Great _Council of the People_ cannot be waited for, the Business admitting of no Delay. I am sure, in the Undertaking of a War, there is no need of such hast; one has sufficient Leisure to think leisurely of that Matter. And this I dare affirm, that when Kings and Princes undertake a War with the Consent of their Subjects, they are both much more powerful, and more formidable to their Enemies.--It becomes a King of _France_ least of any King in the World, to make use of such expressions as this.--_I have a Power of raising as great Taxes as I please on my Subjects_;--for neither he, nor any other, has such a Power; and those Courtiers who use such Expressions, do their King no Honour, nor increase his Reputation with Foreign Nations; but on the contrary, create a Fear and Dread of him among all his Neighbours, who will not upon any Terms subject themselves to such a Sort of Government. But if our King, of such as have a Mind to magnify his Power; wou'd say thus; I have such obedient and loving Subjects, that they will deny me nothing in Reason; or, there is no Prince that has a People more willing to forget the Hardships they undergo; this indeed wou'd be a Speech that wou'd do him Honour, and give him Reputation. But such Words as these do not become a King; _I tax as much as I have a mind to; and I have a Power of taking it, which I intend to keep_. _Charles_ the Fifth never used such Expressions, neither indeed did I ever hear any of our Kings speak such a Word; but only some of their Ministers and Companions, who thought thereby they did their Masters Service: But, in my Opinion, they did them a great deal of Injury, and spoke those Words purely out of Flattery, not considering what they said. And as a further Argument of