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late is permitted; but every family that use them muft pay for a licence in proportion to their rank and number. The importation of window-glafs from England and France is permitted, but fubject to a duty of 25 per cent. By another regulation, the expence of funerals is limited, and oak coffins are prohibited; as are heyducs and running footmen.

The use of coffee, tea, and choco- of Holland and the Elector Palatine, relative to the navigation of the Rhine, and the payment of certain duties claimed by the former, had for a time the appearance of being attended with ferious confequences. The Elector, upon this difpute, flopped fome veffels belonging to the republic, at Duffeldorp, and the latter published an interdiction of the navigation on the Rhine to his fubjects, and prohibited all commerce and communication between the two ftates. This was refented fo warmly by the Elector, that his troops received orders to be ready to march at the fhorteft warning; whereupon the ftates iffued an order for fifteen battalions to reinforce the garrifons of Maeftricht, Venlo, and Grave, and a number of veffels were prepared to convey artillery and warlike ftores to thofe places. The Courts of Vienna and Berlin, and the Elector of Triers, however in terfered upon this occafion, and by their friendly mediation, affairs were amicably adjusted, July 19th and the navigation on the Rhine again opened.

The death of the King, which happened fince the close of the year, and the acceffion of a young active Prince, nearly allied to the King of Prussia, and who does not feem deficient in ability, may probably cause great alterations in the internal government, as well as in the general political fyftem of this country. We have feen upon former occafions that the court have a very great party in the country: and a young Prince, if he has only common abilities, will find a difpofition very favourable to his augmenting the number of his friends.

A misunderstanding, which happened this year between the States

СНАР,

CHAP. VI.

France. Sufferings of M. de Chalotais. Profecution commenced against the Dake d'Aiguillon, at Versailles. A bed of justice beld, at which the King put a stop to the Profecution by his Letters Patent. Conduct of the Princes of the blood. Arret of the parliament of Paris against the Duke. The King iffues an arret, by which that of the parliament is annulled, Grand deputation from the parliament to Verfailles; the King's anfwer. Conduct of the other parliaments. Deputation from the parliament of Britany; two of its members fent to prifon. The King arrives fuddenly at Paris, and holds a bed of justice, at which all the papers relative to the profecution are feized, and the decrees of the parliament erafed from the Regifters. Violent measures taken with the other parliaments. Arret from the King's council of ftate. Diftreffes of the people from the Scarcity of provifions. Corfica: Expedition to Tunis. State of Italy.

WHILE

HILE war has been laying waste one part of Europe, and has been hardly withheld from the other, that reftlefs active spirit in France, which has fo often urged its influence among her neighbours, feems now, perhaps, happily for them, to find domestic matter fufficient to give it full employment. The partiality and obftinacy fhewn by the king, in behalf of his favourite, the Duke de Aiguillon, being oppofed by the intrepid refolution of the parliaments in defence of the established and legal government, has already effected in part, and feems finally to threaten, fome extraordinary alteration in the conftitution of that

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ever degree of merit he might derive from that action, the admi. niftration of his government was fuch, as to bring upon him a great degree of the odium of the people whom he governed: till at length a public profecution was commenced against him by the parliament of the province, for crimes of the deepeft and blackeft die. Whatever foundation there might have been for these charges, there must have been fomething very alarming and extraordinary in his conduct, that could induce the whole nation to unite against one man, with as much fervor, as the particular members of the province that he governed. Nor was this a popular odium only, founded upon the fympathy of the people, or proceeding from the veneration they owed to their parliaments; we fee that the Princes of the blood, and fuch of the Peers as were not under immediate influence, though the natural fupporters of the crown, were upon this occafion on the fame fide, and

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as fanguine as the people, and ventured to encounter all the rage of an arbitrary monarch, in their endeavours to bring him to juftice.

Among many other charges brought against the Duke de Aiguillon by the parliament of Britany, thofe relative to the perfecution which he had carried on for four years with unremitting vengeance, against the celebrated and unfortunate M. de Chalotais, their attorney-general, were the molt affecting to the public. This venerable gentleman was 74 years of age, and is defcribed as a perfon, who for genius, learning, integrity, and goodness of heart, was an ornament to human nature. Thefe qualities made him the more fenfible to the mal-adminiftration of the D. of Aiguillon, and urged him with all the refolution, as well as indignation of a virtuous magiftrate, to exert himself to the utmoft in oppofition to it. The confequence was natural, from fuch a man as the governor is reprefented to be: he had great intereft at court, which he made effectual ufe of for the removal of fo great an eye-fore, and mifreprefented his conduct in fuch a manner, as to procure an order for his banish

ment.

Thus, at the age of feventy and upwards, was a worthy man torn from all the eafe and comfort neceffary at that time of life; from the aids of friendship, the pleasures of fociety, and the endearing connections of blood and family: to be dragged about from prifon to prifon, from dungeon to dungeon, only for daring to be honeft, and for fulfiling his duty to God and his country. In this fituation, we

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find facts of fo horrid a nature, that if they had not compofed a part of the charge, which was brought and fupported by the parliament, we fhould not have thought proper to mention them; obferving at the fame time, that we do not vouch for their authenticity, but relate them as charges not yet refuted. Ineffectual attempts having been made to take away the life of Monfr. de Chalotais' with poifon; the unhappy fufferer was at length fent to the Castle of Morlaix, where, by the fubornation of falfe witneffes, and the management of fome profligate creatures (whom his enemies had appointed to be his judges) a pretended form of trial was hurried through, and a fentence, as fpeedily as privately paffed for his execu tion.

At this critical period, when every thing feemed haftening to a fatal conclufion, the parliament of Britany had the fortune to obtain fuch lights, as enabled them to develope fome of the most hidden parts of this complicated fcene of iniquity; which they immediately laid before the Duke de Choiseul, who with great humanity interfered, and his order in favour of Mr. de Chalotais, arrived time enough at Morlaix, to ftay the hand of the executioner; the fcaffold having been then just finished in the castle.

The parliament, having now obtained, what it deemed fufficient proofs against the Duke de Aiguillon, his trial was commenced in the prefence of the King at Verfailles, in the month of April; the Princes of the blood and the Peers, amounting to about fixty, and the parliament of Paris, of which they

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compofe a part, being his proper judges; the profecution was managed and carried on by the attorney-general of the parliament of Paris, affitted by the attornies of the parliament of Britany; the whole nation waiting in fufpence for the decifion; while one of the parties, from his virtue and fufferings, was as much the object of their love and admiration, as his enemy was of their utmost deteftation and abhorrence. At this trial, the written proceedings carried on againft M. de Chalotais in the caftle of Morlaix, came of courfe to be laid before the King and Peers, and it is faid, difclofed fuch a scene of cruelty and iniquity, as not only juftified the charges already made, but exceeded what ever could have been furmised.

In the midft, however, of these proceedings, the King thought proper, by a violent exertion of power, to put a total top to the due courfe of justice, and to all farther inquiries into the Duke deAiguillon's conduct. June 27th. He accordingly held a He accordingly held a bed of justice at Verfailles, and obliged letters patent to be regiftered in the prefence of all the Princes and Peers, by which a ftop was put to the trial, the charges were fuppreffed, and all perfons prohibited from taking any farther

notice of them.

Upon this occafion, the Duke of Orleans, firft Prince of the blood, told the Chancellor in the King's prefence, that although he had not been bound by the refolutions of parliament, in which he had before concurred; yet he could not, in confcience, give an opinion where votes were not free, concerning letters patent, which were VOL. XIII.

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as contrary to the laws and maxims of the kingdom, as to the honour of the peerage. The King faid to the Duke of Orleans, in cafe that my Parliament fhould convoke the Princes and Puers, I forbid you to go to the Houte. I charge you to fignify this to the other Princes of the blood." To which the Duke anfwered, Sire, The other Princes of the blood are here; this order will become your mouth much better than mine. Besides, I beg to be excufed." The King then turned to the other Princes, and faid to them, "Gentlemen, you hear." To which the Prince of Conti replied, "Yes, Sire, we hear fomething very contrary to the rights of the peerage, and very little to the advantage of the Duke de Aiguillon."

Notwithstanding the difapprobation fhewn by the Princes and Peers, the King, as a proof of his entire fatisfaction in the conduct of the Duke de Aiguillon, took him along with him on a party to this Marli, immediately after tranfaction. The royal countenance was not, however, fufficient to protect him from the general indignation of the people, nor from the legal, though determined refolution of the parliaments in their proceedings against July 2d. him. That of Paris immediately affembled, aud publifhed a thundering arret, whereby the Duke was forbid to take his feat again in parliament, or to exercife any of the functions of the peerage, till the blots upon his honour and character were wiped off by a legal trial. This arret was immediately fucceeded by a counter one, paffed by the King, in Council, which annulled that of the [D]

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parliament; declared it to be an
infringement of the royal autho-
rity, and commanded the Duke to
take his place among the Peers.
This arret was followed by ftrong
reprefentations from the Princes
and Peers, complaining not only
of the illegal proceedings at the
late bed of justice, which anni-
hilated the undoubted rights, at
the fame time that it facrificed the
honour of the peerage; but also of
the King's arbitrary mandate,
which forbad them to deliberate
upon a subject, in which their moft
effential interefts, and most valuable
privileges were involved. Repre-
fentations of the fame nature, were
made by the parliament of Paris,
who fent a grand deputation of
forty-two of their members
10th. to Versailles, headed by the
first prefident, to whom the King
returned the following answer:

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"After the decree you gave on the 2d of this month, which I have annulled, I ought not to liften to your reprefentations: I will never permit any oppofition to the execution of my Letters Patent, of the 27th of last month; and I forbid you, under the pains of difobedience, to throw any obftacle in the way of the Duke de Aiguillon's enjoyment of all the rights of peerage in your Affembly." The peremptoriness of this command, had, however, no effect upon the conduct of the parliament; who, having met next day in full affembly, confirmed all their former decrees and refolutions, and only deliberated what were the proper measures next to be taken in confequence of it.

The other parliaments were not behind hand in vigour or refolution with that of Paris. They declared

the late tranfactions to be illegal, and as fubverfive of the King's authority, which was founded upon the laws, as they were deftructive to juftice, and to the rights and privileges of the peerage and people.

Arret followed arret, from the parliaments of Bourdeaux and Toulouse, by which the Dutchy of Aiguillon was ftripped of all the rights and privileges of peerage, until the Dake should be acquitted by due course of law, of all the charges laid against him. The parliament of Rennes, returned unopened the King's letters patent, which were fent to annul one of their arrets. They alfo burnt by the common hangmen, two printed memorials in favour of the Duke de Aiguillon, which they declared to contain the most deteftable tenets, totally fubverfive of the conftitution, of the rights, liberties, and franchifes of the people; and founded upon principles that tend to overturn all legal government, and to loofen every band that unites mankind in a ftate of fociety.

The king's council being fent to court by the parliament of Paris, to know what day it would please his Majefty to receive their remonitrances, were anfwered by the chancellor, "That his Majefty would neither fee nor hear his par liament." The Council, were however blamed, upon the affembling of the chambers to receive the report, for not delivering their meffage perfonally to the King, and for accepting any answer from the Chancellor.

A deputation of nineteen members from the parliament of Britany, received leave to wait upon

the

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