titre d'électeurs des rois, et de destructeurs des of-the kings, and of destroyers of-the of kings and destroyers of title of electors title of electors tyrans. tyrants. tyrants. Qui verroient un roi de Pologne dans la pompe a Who should-see de la majesté royale, of the of royal majesty, king of Poland in the pomp in the pomp le croiroit le prince le plus him would-believe the prince the most would think him the most absolute absolu de l'Europe; c'est, cependant, celui qui . absolute of the Europe; this is, nevertheless, that-he who nevertheless, the Poles actually enter into that lui ce contrat qu'on suppose chez d'autres nations entre le souverain et le sujet. and in swearing the Poland at his coronation, and when taking the oath to the pácta conventa, dispense ses sujets du serment pacta conventa, dispenses his subjects from-the oath subjects from their oath d'obéissance, en cas qu'il viole les lois de la of obedience, in case that he may-violate the laws of the of obedience, in case he should violate the laws of the république. republic. republic. Il nomme à toutes les charges, et confère tous all the charges, and confers all offices, and confers all He names to palatin et celui d'un roi palatine and that-he of a king palatine or of a king hereditary Poland in Poland rang de noble. Le fils d'un rank of noble. rank of noble. The son of a The son of a n'ont nul droit aux dignités not have no right to-the dignities have no right to the dignities de leurs pères; mais il y a cette grande différence of their fathers; but it there has this great of their fathers; but there is this important difference entre le roi et la république, between the king and the republic, between the king and the qu'il that he difference ne peut not is-able republic, that the former cannot ôter aucune charge après l'avoir donnée, et to-take-away take away any charge after her to-have given, and he has bestowed it, que la république a le droit de lui has the right ôter la of to-him to-take-away the of depriving him of the that the republic crown, sells La noblesse, jalouse de sa liberté, vend souvent often often sell ses suffrages, et rarement ses affections. affections. her suffrages, and rarely her À peine Hardly Hardly ont-ils élu un roi, qu'ils craignent son ambition have they elected a king, than they fear his ambition have they elected a king, when they begin to fear his ambition et lui opposent leurs cabales. souvent ses ennemis, au lieu de rester ses créatures. often bis enemies, to-the place of to-remain his creatures. become his enemies, instead of remaining his creatures. Ceux qui sont attachés à la cour sont l'objet de la are the object of the are the objects of haine du reste de la noblesse; ce qui forme toujours hatred of-the rest of the nobility; that which forms always hatred to the rest of the nobility; and this always creates necessary deux partis, division inévitable et même nécessaire two parties, division inevitable and even two parties, an inevitable and even necessary division dans les pays où l'on veut avoir des rois et in the country where the one wills to-have of-the kings and countries which will have in conserver sa liberté. to-preserve one's liberty. yet preserve their liberties. kings and Ce qui concerne la nation est réglé dans les états That which concerns the nation is ruled in the statesThe affairs of the nation are settled in the states généraux, qu'on appelle diètes. Ces états sont comgeneral, which one calls general, which are called diets. diets. com These states are posés du corps du sénat et de plusieurs gentilsposed of-the body of-the senate and of several posed of the body of the senate and of a considerable number of hommes. men. nobles. gentle Les sénateurs sont les palatins et les senators The évêques le second ordre are the palatines and the are the palatines and the est is bishops: the second order bishops: the second order is composé des députés composed of-the deputies composed of the deputies Gnesne, primat de Pologne, vicaire du roy Poland, vicar of-the kingof the king Gnesna, primate of presides, the primate of Poland, vicar aume dans les interrègnes, et la première personne dom in the interregna, dom during the interregna, de l'état après le Roi. of the state after the King. in the state after the King. and the first and the first person person Rarement y a-t-il en Po- logne un autre cardinal que lui; parceque la pourpre Romaine ne donnant aucune préséance dans le sénat, Roman not giving any precedence in the senate, precedence in the senate, purple gives no un évêque qui seroit cardinal seroit obligé ou de a bishop who should-be cardinal would-be obliged either of a bishop who should be cardinal would be obliged either to s'asseoir à son rang de sénateur, ou de renoncer himself to-sit at his rank of senator, or of to-renounce take his seat in his place as senator, or to renounce aux droits solides de la dignité qu'il a dans sa of the dignity which he has in his the solid rights attached to the dignity he possesses in his to-the rights solid patrie, pour soutenir les prétensions d'un honneur native-country, own country, étranger. foreign. distinction. of an honour for to-sustain the pretensions Ces diètes se doivent tenir, par les lois du These diets themselves ought to-hold, by the laws of-the These diets ought, by the laws of the kingdom, to be royaume, alternativement en Pologne et en Lithuanie. kingdom, held alternately alternately in Poland and Lithuania. in Poland and in Lithuania. Les députés y décident sabre à la main, comme les anciens Sarmates dont sabre to the hand, the ancient Sarmatians of-whom sword in hand, like the ancient Sarmatians from whom as ils sont descendus, et quelquefois même au milieu they are descended, and they are descended, de of and even sometimes sometimes even l'ivresse, vice que les Sarmates to-the middle in the midst igno + not of intoxication, a vice with which the Sarmatians were roient. knew. unacquainted. Chaque gentilhomme député à ces états Every gentleman Every nobleman deputed to these statesdeputed to these states généraux, jouit du droit qu'avoient à Rome les tri general, enjoys of-the right which † had at Rome the trienjoys the right which the popular tribunes general, buns du peuple, de s'opposer bunes of-the people, of themselves to-oppose had at Rome, of opposing aux lois du sénat. to-the laws of-the senate. the laws of the senate. Un seul gentilhomme qui dit, "je proteste," arrête par reste; et s'il part de l'endroit où se tient la diète, rest; and if he departs from the place where herself holds the diet, rest; and if he quits the place where the diet is held, il faut alors qu'elle it is-necessary then that she herself may-separate. then compelled to break up. On apporte aux désordres qui naissent de cette Qne brings to-the disorders which are-born from this For the evils arising from this law, a reLa Pologne still. loi un remède plus dangereux encore. The Poland L'unanimité dans in Unanimity in |