doubtless at this time they are exceedingly rich for the people are so poor he that has but a Floren believes himself a Prince The Prelates of France carry away â…– of the Revenue of that Kingdom because there are several Bishops who have Temporal as well as Spiritual Revenues who having provisions enough of their own to keep their houses spend not one farthing of their income but hoard it up according to the Natural covetousness of the Prelates and Religious and that which accrews to the Chapters and Colledges is laid out in Plate and Jewels and Ornaments for the decoration of their Chappels so that betwixt what is laid out upon their Churches and what is laid up by the Prelates their money and their movables is of an immense value In all Counsels for the Government and Administration of the affairs of that Kingdom the Prelates are always the greatest number the other Lords not regarding it so much as knowing the execution must come thorow their hands so that both sides are contented one to ordain the other to execute though there are many times some of the ancienter and more experienced Souldiers taken in to direct the Prelates in such things as are out of their sphear The Benefices in France by virtue of a Custom and Law derived anciently from the Popes are conferred by the Colledges insomuch as the Canons when their Arch-Bishop or Bishop dies calling an Assembly to dispose of their Benefices to them that are thought most worthy whence it comes that they are frequently divided among themselves because as many are prefer'd by favour and bribery as by piety and worth and it is the same with the Monks in the election of their Abbots The other inferior Benefices are in the Gift of the Bishops If the King at any time would intrench upon this Law and choose a Bishop at his own pleasure he must do it by force for they will deny him possession and though perhaps it be forc'd that King is no sooner dead but his Bishop shall be sure to be dispossessed and another put in his place The French are naturally covetous and desirous of other peoples goods which they will lavish and squander as prodigally as their own a French-man shall cheat or rob you and in a breath meet and eat and spend it as merrily with you as you could have done your self which is contrary to the humour of the Spaniard for if he gets any thing of you you must look for nothing again The French are in great fear of the English for the great inroads and devastations which they have made anciently in that Kingdom insomuch that among the common people the name of English is terrible to this day those poor wretches not being able to distinguish that the French are otherwise constituted now than they were then for that now they are Armed good Souldiers and united having possession of those States upon which the English did formerly rely as the Dutchy of Burgundy and the Dutchy of Britagne and on the other side the English are not so well disciplin'd for 't is so long since they had any War there is not a man of them living who ever look'd an enemy in the face and besides there is no body left to joyn with them if they should land but only the Arch-Duke They are afraid likewise of the Spaniards by reason of their sagacity and vigilance But when-ever that King invades France he does it with great disadvantage for from the place from whence he must march to that part of the Piraneans by which he must pass into France the distance is so great and the Country so barren that every time the Spaniards attempt any such thing either by the way of Perpignan or Gehenna they must needs be much incommoded not only for want of supplies but for want of victuals to sustain them in so tedious a march because the Country behind them is scarce habitable for its fertility and that which is inhabited has scarce wherewithal for the Inhabitants so that in these respects towards the Piraeneans the French are in little apprehension of the Spaniard Of the Flemmings the French likewise are in no fear for by reason of the coldness of their Country they do not gather enough for their own subsistance especially of Corn and Wine with which they are forced to supply themselves out of Burgundy Piccardy and other places in France Moreover the people of Flanders live generally of their own manufacture which they vend at the Fairs in France that is at Paris and Lyons for towards the Sea-side they have no utterance for any thing and towards Germany 't is the same for there are more of their Commodities made than in Flauders so that when ever their Commerce with the French is cut off they will have no where to put off their Commodities nor no where to supply themselves with victuals so that without irresistible necessity the Flemmings will never have any controversie with the French But of the Swizzers the French are in no little fear by reason of their vicinity and the sudden incursions to which they are subject from them against which it is impossible to make any competent provision in time because they make their depredations and incursions with more ease and dexterity than other Nations in respect that they have neither Artillery nor Horse but though the French have Towns and Countries very near them yet being well fortified and mann'd the Swizzers never make any great progress Besides the disposition of the Swiss is apter to battel and fighting in the field than to the storming or defending of Towns and it is very unwillingly if ever the French come to cope with them upon the Frontiers for having no foot that is able to bear up with the Swizzers their Men at Arms without Foot can do nothing moreover the Country is so qualified that there is not room enough for the Men at Arms and Cavalry to draw up and manage to advantage and the Swizzers are not easily tempted from their borders into the plain nor to leave such strong and well provided Towns as I mentioned before upon their backs left by them their supplies should be intercepted and perhaps their retreat be obstructed On the side towards Italy they are in no fear in respect of the Apenine Mountains and the strong places which they have at the foot of them so that who-ever invades the Dominion of France in those parts must be sure to overcome or by reason of the barrenness of the Country about he will hazard to be famished or compelled to leave those Towns behind him which would be madness or to attaque them at disadvantage which would be worse so that on the side of Italy they are in no danger for the resons abovesaid and moreover there is not a Prince in Italy able to undertake him nor are the Italians now in such unity as in the days of the Romans Towards the South the Kingdom of
Virtue as by the Chivalry of his Unkle Pepin and Charles Martel his Father For Charles Martel being Governour of that Kingdom gave that memorable defeat to the Saracens near Torsi upon the River Totra in which above 200000. of them were slain upon the reputation of which Victor'y under the discipline of his Father and his own deportment in it besides Pepin was afterwards made King of that Kingdom to whom when Pope Gregory appli'd himself for Relief against the Lombards Pepin return'd Answer that he would be ready to assist him but he desir'd first to have the honour to see him and pay his personal respects Upon which Invitation Pope Gregory went into France passing thorow the Lombards Quarters without any interruption so great Reverence they bare to Religion in those days Being arriv'd and honourably receiv'd in France he was after some time dismiss'd with an Army into Italy which having besieg'd Pavia and reduc'd the Lombards to distress Aistolfus was constrain'd to certain terms of Agreement with the French which were obtain'd by the intercession of the Pope who desir'd not the death of his Enemy but that he might rather be converted and live Among the rest of the Articles of that Treaty it was agreed That Aistolfus should restore all the Lands he had usurped from the Church But when the French Army was return'd into France Aistolfus forgot his Ingagement which put the Pope upon a second Application to King Pepin who re-suppli'd him again sent a new Army into Italy overcame the Lombards and possessed himself of Ravenna and contrary to the desire of the Grecian Emperour gave it to the Pope with all the Lands under that Exarchat and the Countrey of Urbino and la Marca into the bargain In the interim Aistolfus died and Desiderio a Lombard and Duke of Tuscany taking up Arms to succeed him begg'd Assistance of the Pope with Promise of perpetual Amity for the future which the Pope granted as far as the other Princes would consent At first Desiderio was very punctual and observed his Articles to a hair delivering up the Towns as he took them to the Pope according to his Ingagement to King Pepin nor was there any Exarchus sent afterwards from Constantinople to Ravenna but all was Arbitrary and manag'd according to the pleasure of the Pope Not long after Pepin died and Charles his Son succeeded in the Government who was call'd the Great from the greatness of his Exploits About the same time Theodore the First was advanc'd to the Papacy and falling out with Desiderio was besieg'd by him in Rome In his exigence the Pope had recourse to the King of France as his Predecessor had done before him and Charles not only suppli'd him with an Army but marching over the Alps at the Head of it himself he besieg'd Desiderio in Pavia took him and his Son in it sent them both Prisoners into France and went in person to Rome to visit the Pope where he adjudg'd and determin'd That his Holiness being God's Vicar could not be subject to the Iudgment of Man For which the Pope and people together declar'd him Emperour and Rome began again to have an Emperour of the West and whereas formerly the Popes were confirm'd by the Emperours the Emperour now in his Election was to be beholding to the Pope by which means the power and dignity of the Empire declin'd and the Church began to advance and by these steps to usurp upon the Authority of Temporal Princes The Lombards had been in Italy 222 years so long as to retain nothing of their original Barbarity but their name Charles being desirous to reform Italy in the time of Leo III. was contented they should inhabit and denominate the parts where they were born which since then have been call'd Lombardy and because the name of Rome was venerable among them he appointed that part of Italy which was adjacent and under the Exarchat of Ravenna should be call'd Romagnia Moreover he created his Son Pepin King of Italy extending his Jurisdiction as far as Benevento all the rest was continued under the dominion of the Grecian Emperour with whom Charles had made an Alliance During these Transactions Pascal the First was elected Pope and the Parish Priests in Rome by reason of their propinquity and readiness at every Election to adorn their power with a more illustrious Title began to be call'd Cardinals arrogating so much to themselves especially after they had excluded the Voices of the people that seldom any Pope was created but by them out of their own number Pascal being dead he was succeeded by Eugenius the Second of the Order of Santa Sabina Italy being in this manner under the Authority of the French changed its Form and Oeconomy in some measure for the Pope having incroach'd upon the Temporal Authority created Counts and Marquesses as Longinus Exarchat of Ravenna had made Dukes before After some few Ospurcus a Roman succeeded to the Papacy who not satisfied with the uncomliness of his Name call'd himself Sergius and gave the first occasion for the changing their Names which has since been frequently practis'd at their several Elections About this time Charles the Emperour died and his Son Lodovic succeeded yet not so quietly but that there arose so many and so great differences betwixt his Sons that in the days of his Grand-Children the Empire was wrested from his Family restor'd to the Almans and the next German Emperour was call'd Ainolfus Nor did Charles his Posterity by their dissentions lose only the Empire but their Soveraignty in Italy likewise for the Lombards resuming Courage fell foul upon the Pope and his Romans who not knowing to whose protection to betake himself was constrain'd to make Berengarius Dukeof Friuli King of Italy Incouraged by these Accidents the Hunni who at that time were planted in Pannonia took heart and invaded Italy but coming to a Battel with Berengarius they were overthrown and forc'd back again into Pannonia or rather into Hungaria it being at that time call'd by their Name At that time Romano was Emperour of Greece who being General of his Army had usurp'd upon Constantine and forc'd the Government out of his hand and because during these innovations Puglia and Calabria which as I said before had subjected themselves to that Empire were then in Rebellion inrag'd at their insolence he permitted the Saracens to possess those Countreys if they could gain them who invading them thereupon immediately subdu'd them and attempted upon Rome But the Romans Berengarius being imploy'd against the Hunni made Alberigo Duke of Tuscany their General by whose Valour their City was preserv'd and the Saracens raising their Siege retir'd built a Castle upon the Mountain Gargano and from thence Lorded it over Puglia and Calabria and infested all that part of Italy besides Thus it was that Italy in those times was marvelously afflicted towards the Alps by the Hunni towards Naples by the Saracens
neighbouring places which had been anciently their Subjects And because the Tuscans refus'd to submit they march'd confusedly against them but they being re-inforced by Frederick gave the Roman Army such a blow that since that time Rome could never recover its old Condition either for Populousness or Wealth Upon these Events Pope Alexander was return'd to Rome presuming he might be safe there by reason of the Animosity the Romans retain'd against the Emperour and the Employment his Enemies gave him in Lombardy But Frederick postponing all other respects march'd with his Army to besiege Rome Alexander thought it not convenient to attend him but withdrew into Puglia to William who upon the death of Roger being next Heir was made King Frederick being much molested and weaken'd by a Contagion in his Army rais'd his Siege and went back into Germany The Lombards which were in League against him to restrain their Excursions and streighten the Towns of Pavia and Tortona caus'd a City to be built which they intended for the Seat of the War and call'd it Alexandria in honour to Pope Alexander and defiance to the Emperour Guido the new Anti-Pope died likewise and Iohn of Fermo was chosen in his room who by the favour of the Imperial party was permitted to keep his Residence in Monte Fiascone whilst Alexander was gone into Tuscany invited by that people that by his Authority they might be the better defended against the Romans Being there Embassadors came to him from Henry King of England to clear their Masters innocence in the death of Thomas Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with which he was publickly and most infamously aspersed To inquire into the truth the Pope sent two Cardinals into England who notwithstanding they found not his Majesty in any manifest guilt yet for the scandal of the Fact and that he had not honour'd the said Arch-Bishop with the respect he deserved they prescribed as a Penance That he should call all the Barons of his Kingdom together swear his Innocence before them send 200 Soldiers to Ierusalem to be paid by him for a twelve-month and himself follow in person with as great a Power as he could raise before three years were expir'd that he should disanul all things pass'd in his Kingdom in prejudice to the Ecclesiastick liberty and consent that any of his Subjects whatever should appeal to Rome when and as often as they thought it convenient all which Conditions were readily accepted and that great Prince submitted to a Sentence there is scarce a private person but would scorn at this day But though his Holiness was so formidable to the Princes abroad he was not so terrible in Rome the people in that City would not be â—oaksed nor persuaded to let him live there though he protested he would meddle no farther than Ecclesiastical matters by which it appears things at a distance are more dreadful than near at hand In the mean time Frederick was return'd into Italy with resolution to make a new War upon the Pope but whilst he was busie about his preparations his Barons and Clergy gave him advertisement that they would all forsake him unless he reconcil'd himself to the Church so that changing his design he was forc'd to go and make his submission at Venice and pacification being made the Pope in the Agreement devested the Emperor of all the Authority he pretended over Rome and named William King of Sicily and Puglia his Confederate Frederick being an active Prince and unable to lie still embarqu'd himself in the Enterprize into Asia to spend his Ambition against the Turk which he could not do so effectually against the Pope But being got as far as the River Cidvo allur'd by the clearness and excellence of the Waters he would needs wash himself in it and that washing gave him his death Those Waters being more beneficial to the Turks than all Excommunications to the Christians for whereas these only cool'd and asswag'd his Ambition they wash'd it away and extinguish'd it quite Frederick being dead nothing remain'd now to be suppres'd but the contumacy of the Romans After much argument and dispute about their Creation of Consuls it was concluded the Romans according to ancient Custom should have liberty to choose them but they should not execute their Office till they had sworn fealty to the Church Upon this accord Iohn the Anti-Pope fled to Monte Albano and died presently after In the mean time William King of Naples died also and having left no Sons but Tanacred a Bastard the Pope design'd to have possess'd himself of his Kingdom but by the opposition of the Barons Tanacred was made King Afterwards Celestin III. coming to the Papacy and being desirous to wrest that Kingdom from Tanacred he contriv'd to make Enrico Fredericks Son King promising him the Kingdom of Naples upon Condition he would restore such Lands as belong'd to the Church and to facilitate the business he took Costanza an ancient Maid daughter to King William out of a Monastery and gave her him for his Wife by which means the Kingdom of Naples pass'd from the Normans who had founded it and fell under the dominion of the Germans Henricus the Emperor having first setled his affairs in Germany came into Italy with his Wife Costanza and one of his Sons call'd Frederick about four years of age and without much difficulty possess'd himself of that Kingdom Tanacred being dead and only one Child remaining of his Issue call'd Roger Not long after Enricus died in Sicily he was succeeded in that Kingdom by Frederick and Otto Duke of Saxony chosen Emperour by the assistance of Pope Innocent III. But no sooner had he got the Crown upon his Head but contrary to the opinion of all men he became Enemy to the Pope seiz'd upon Romania and gave out Orders for the assaulting that Kingdom Upon which being Excommunicated by the Pope and deserted by his Friends Frederick King of Naples was chosen Emperour in his place The said Frederick coming to Rome to be Crown'd the Pope scrupl'd it being jealous of his power and endeavoured to persuade him out of Italy as he had done Otto before which Frederick disdaining retir'd into Germany and making War upon Otto overcame him at last In the mean time Innocent died who besides other magnificent Works built the Hospital di Santo Spirito at Rome Honorius III. succeeded him in whose Papacy were instituted the Orders of S. Dominick and S. Francis in the year MCCXVIII Honorius Crown'd Frederick to whom Iohn descended from Baldwin King of Ierusalem who commanded the remainder of the Christians in Asia and retain'd that Title gave one of his Daughters in marriage and the Title of that Kingdom in Dower with her and from that time whoever is King of Naples has that Title annex'd In Italy at that time they liv'd in this manner The Romans had no more the Creation of Consuls but in lieu of it they invested sometimes one
to any which demanded it and although he ende avoured by all means to conceal his preparation for War yet the Embassadors found him a juggler and peceived several of his practices against their State With the Duke therefore they renewed their League procured an amity with the Genoeses compos'd the differences about the reprisal and many other things which had formerly obstructed it they tryed all ways to frustrate or break the Treaty and they went so far as to supplicate the great Turk to banish all Florentines out of his Country but that Emperour would not hearken The Florentine Embassadors were prohibited entrance into the Dominions of the Venetian because forsooth they were in League with the King of Aragon and could not send any Embssâ—â—aes without his participation The Siennesi received their Embassadors treated them well lest they should be overrun before the League could relieve them and therefore they thought it best to collogue and lull those Arms a sleep which they were not able to resist It was conjectured then that the Venetian and King both sent Embassadors to justifie the War but the Venetian Embassador being refus'd likewise to be admitted into the territories of Florence the King 's denied to do that office alone and the whole Embassie came to nothing by which the Venetians found themselves us'd with the same rudeness and contempt which not many months before they had exercis'd upon the Florentines In the midst of these apprehensions the Emperour Federigo 3. pass'd into Italy to be crown'd and on the 30th of Ianuary 1451 enter'd into Florence with an equipage of 1400 Horse He was honorably entertain'd there by the Senate and continued with them to the 6th of February upon which day he departed for Rome in order to his coronation where having performed that ceremony and celebrated his nuptials with the Empress which was come thither by Sea he departed again for Germany returned by Florence where all the old honors were retreated and having been oblig'd in his passage by the Marquess of Ferrara he gave him a grant of Modena and Reggio as a reward But the Florentines were not by all those solemnities diverted from their preparations for their own reputation and the terror of their Enemies the Duke and they had enter'd into a League with France which with great joy and ostentation they publish'd all over Italy In the month of May 1452 the Venetians not thinking it fit to dissemble any longer invaded the territories of the Duke of Milan by the way of Lodi with 16000 Horse and 6000 Foot whilst at the same time the Marquess of Monferrat upon some designs of his own or the stimulation of the Venetians assaulted him on the other side by the way of Alexandria The Duke had got an Army together of 18000 Horse and 3000 Foot with which after he had furnish'd Alexandria and Lodi with strong Garisons and fortified all places where the Enemy might offend him he fell into the Country of Brescia where he did great mischief to the Venetians both parties plundring the Countries and burning such Towns as were not able to defend themselves but the Marquess of Monferrat being defeated not long after by the Garison at Alexandria the Duke was at more leisure to infest and make his inroads into the Countries of the Venetian Whilst the War was carried on in Lombardy in this manner with various but inconsiderable accidents the Wars in Tuscany was commenced betwixt the King of Aragon and the Florentines and manag'd with as little ardour and success as the other Ferrando a natural Son of Alfonso's march'd into Tuscany with 12000 Men under the command of Federigo Lord of Urbin His first enterprize was to assault Faiano in Valdisciana for the Siennesi being their friends they enter'd that way into the Florentine dominions the Castle was weak the walls but indifferent the Garison but small yet those they had within it were valiant and faithful the whole number which were sent for the security of that place not exceeding 200. Before this Castle Ferrando encamped and either their courage was so little without or theirs so great within that it took him up 36 days before he could master it Which time gave the Florentines great convenience of providing other places of higher importance and drawing their force together and disposing them into better order than otherwise they could have done This Castle being taken the Enemy march'd into Chianti where they attempted two little Towns which were held by a few private Citizens and were repuls'd Leaving them they remov'd to Castellina a little Castle upon the confines of Chianti and sate down before it This Castle was about ten miles from Sienna weak in its works but weaker in its situation yet in neither so weak as the courage of the assailants for after 44 days seige and all the art and force they could use they were glad to draw off and leave the Castle as they found it So little formidable were the Armies in those days and so inconsiderable the Wars that those places which are now deserted as impossible to be kept were then defended as if they had been impossible to have been taken Whilst Ferrando was with his Army in Chianti he made many incursion into the Country of Florence running up with his parties within six miles of the Town to the great terror and detriment of their subjects who having got together about 8000 Souldiers under the Command of Astorre de Faenza and Gismondo Malatesta held off from the Enemy towards the Castle of Colle being unwilling to come to a Battel because they knew if they lost not their Army there was no danger of the War for the little Castles which should be taken would be restored upon the peace and the great Towns were secure the King had likewise a Fleet of about twenty Vessels Gallies and Foists in the Sea of Pisa which Fleet whilst La Castellina was assaulted by Land was imploy'd by the King to batter the Castle of Vada that stood upon the Sea and they did it so effectually that in a short time by the inadvertency of the Governor they got it into their hands from whence afterwards they ran over the whole Country thereabouts but those excursions were presently restrain'd by certain Florentine Souldiers which were sent to Campiglia The Pope in the mean time concerned himself no farther than to mediate an accord But though he was so tender in engaging abroad in any action of War he found himself at home in no little danger There was at that time in Rome a person call'd Stephano Porcari a Citizen born of good extraction and learning but most eminent for the Generosity of his mind This Stephano was ambitious as most are which are desirous of Glory to perform or at least attempt some thing that might make him memorable to posterity And nothing occur'd so honourably to his thoughts as to deliver his Country from the insolence of the
France is in no apprehension because it is washed by the Sea on that side and accommodated with Ports always full of Ships partly of the Kings and partly of other petty Princes sufficient to defend their Coasts from any sudden impression and against any thing premeditated they will have time enough to prepare for it requires time to make a solemn invasion and the preparation will be discovered by some body besides for further security there are always parties of Men at Arms scowring upon the Coasts Their expence in keeping of their Towns is not so great for the French Subjects are very dutiful and the fortresses are not kept at the charge of the Kingdom and on the borders where Garisons and by consequence expence would be more necessary those flying bodies of Men at Arms save them that charge for against any extraordinary insult there will be time enough to provide for that requires time to be fitted and more to be executed The people of France are very humble and obedient and have their King in mighty veneration They live at very little expence by reason of their great plenty and every body hath something of his own their clothing is course of very cheap stuff and they use no kind of Silks neither the men nor the women for if they should they should be obnoxious to the Gentry who would certainly be even with them The Bishopricks in France according to modern computation are 146 and the Arch-Bishopricks 18. The Parishes are reckoned a million and 700 and the Abbies 740. Of the Priories there is no account Of the ordinary and extraordinary Entries of the Crown I could get no exact account I inquired of several and all told me they were as the King pleased to require Yet some persons told me that that part of his ordinary Revenue which arises out of his Gabels upon wine and bread and flesh and the like amounts to a million and seven hundred thousand Crowns and his extraordinary by Taxes amounts as he pleases but in case they fall short he has another string to his bow and that is by way of loans which are seldom repaid The Letters to that purpose do commonly run thus Sir The King recommends himself to you and having at this time pressing occasion for mony He desires you would furnish him with the sum contained in this Letter which sums are paid in to the next Receiver and there are of them in every Town who receives all the profits and revenue accrewing to the King by Gabels Taxes Loans or otherwise Those Towns which are subject to the Crown have no rules or orders but what His Majesty is pleased to set them for raising of mony either by Taxes or otherwise The authority of the Barons over their Subjects and half their Revenues consists in bread and wine and flesh as abovesaid and so much a year for hearth-mony but it must not exceed six pence or eight pence a hearth to be paid every three months Taxes and Loans they cannot require without the consent of the King which he grants very rarely The Crown receives no other advantage from them than in the revenue for salt and never taxes them but upon extraordinary occasion The King's order in his extraordinary expences both in War and Peace is to command the Treasurers to pay the Souldiers which they do by tickets of assignment The Pensioners and Gentlemen repair to the Generals with their tickets from month to month where they are entred and having received a new policy from three months to three months the Pensioners and Gentlemen go then to the Receivers of the respective Provinces where they live and are paid immediately The Gentlemen belonging to the King are 200 their pay 20 Crowns a month and paid as abovesaid each hundred has a Captain The Pensioners are no set number and their Pensions are as uncertain being more or less as it pleases the King they are in a way of preferment and therefore there is no exact rules for them The office of the Receivers General of France is to receive so much for fire and so much for taxes by consent of the King and to take care that both ordinary and extraordinary expences be paid at the time and discharges given as aforesaid The Treasurers have the keeping of the mony and pay it according to their orders from the Generals The office of the Grand Chancellor is judicial land definitive he can pardon and condemn as he pleases and that even in Capital Causes without the consent of the King In Causes where the Clients are contumaciously litigious He can prefix them a day for the determination of their Suit He can confer Benefices but that must be with the King's consent for those grants are pass'd by the King's Letters under the Broad-Seal wherefore that Seal is kept by the said Chancellor His salary is 10000 Franks per an and 11000 more for his Table which Table is intended for the repast and entertainment of such Gentlemen Lawyers and Counsellors as follow in his train when they think fit either to dine or sup with him The sum which the King of England received annually from the King of France was fifty thousand Franks in consideration of certain disbursements by the present King of England's Father in the Dutchy of Britagne but the time of that payment is expired At present there is in France but one Grand Seneschal when there are more I do not mean Grand Seneschals for there is never but one their authority is over the Militia both in Ordinary and Extraordinary whom for the dignity of their Office they are obliged to obey The Governors of the Provinces are as many as the King pleases and have their Commission for life or years and their Salaries great or little as he thinks good to appoint the other Governors to the very inferior Officers in every little Town have all their Commissions from the Kings for you must know there is no office in that Kingdom but is either given or sold by that King Of the quantity of distributions for the Gentlemen and the Pensioners there is no certain account but as to them the King's warrant is sufficient for they are not liable to the Chamber of Accounts The Office of the Chamber of Accounts is to view and audit the accounts of all such as have any thing to do in the King's Moneys as the Generals the Treasurers and the Receivers The University of Paris is paid out of the Rents of the Foundations of the Colledges but very narrowly The Parliaments are five of Paris of Roan of Tholose Burdeaux and Douphine from either of which there is no appeal The Universities first were but four at Paris Orleans Bourgi and Poictiers to which these at Tours and Angiers have been added since but they are very inconsiderable The standing Army is a great both for number of Men and Artillery as the King pleases and are quartered and disposed according to orders from