propofal was received with the utmost horror, and rejected with the greateft indignation by the reft. M. Dubois de Courvel, who had been ill of the gout, and kept his bed for three months, having been furprized into figning Yes, was carried upon this occafion to court, protefted against what he had done, and received fentence along with the reft. They were all banished to inconfiderable villages, fome near, and others at a confiderable diftance from Paris. Such was the fate of this noble affembly, whofe patriotifm and virtue we fhall hold the higher, when we confider that they purchafe their places at fo high a price, that it makes no inconfiderable addition to the revenue of the crown. Among a number of inftances of tranfcendant virtue, which would have done honour to The Greek or Roman name in their beft days, we cannot omit that of M. Gilbert de Voifin, chief fecretary of the parliament. This gentleman's place coft him a million of livres, and brought him in 100,000 annually; he was ordered by the King to refume his office in the new tribunal, upon which he reprefented, that his honour, his duty, and his confcience, did not permit him to perform the functions of an office which was no more. That he had taken his oath to the parliament, and could not exercise his functions but in concert with that parliament. That he would never feparate himself from fo refpectable a body, and therefore offered the King his place, and prayed that his lot might be made fimilar to that of the other members of his company. The King notwithstanding this answer renewed his commands, but M. Voifin was immovable. His place was at length confifcated, and himfelf banished to Languedoc. A temporary tribunal was infti. · tuted to fupply the place of the parliament; the King's counfel, who had defiréd leave to refign their places, but were refufed, were obliged to act in this tribunal, which they did, the first time, with tears in their eyes; several officers of the parliament had run away to avoid acting under this new jurisdiction; but were obliged to return, under penalty of imprifonment, lofs of their offices, and their children being declared unworthy to hold any employment in the kingdom. Though the part acted by the counfellors in fupplying the place of the parliament, was an evident force put upon them, yet fo odious was the measure to the people, that they were obliged to have a guard of foldiers for their protection, and were notwithstanding hiffed and infulted, with the chancellor at their head. While matters continued in this ftate, there was ftill a hope of the restoration of the parliament; and even the members of this new tribunal, with the attorney-general, who was now their prefident at their head, had prepared a memorial for that purpose, till the King having heard of their intention, forbid its being delivered; but thefe hopes were foon at an end. The King held a bed of justice, at which an Feb. 22d. edit was paft, declaring, that as the jurifdiction of the parliament was too extenfive, reaching from Lyons to Arras in Flanders, it was thought proper to divide it into fix different parts, under under the denomination of fuperior courts, each court to have a fimilar jurifdiction, and to be held at Arras, Blois, Clermont, Lyons, Poitiers, and Paris. At the fame time, the quality, number, and falaries of the officers in each tribunal were fixed, and every other measure taken, that fhewed this new arrangement was intended to be permanent. The other parliaments, particularly thofe of Rouen and Rennes, had hitherto been neither filent nor inactive in regard to the treatment which that of Paris had met with. The firft of those had issued an arret which loudly condemned the whole proceeding, and which was delivered by the Duke of Orleans in perfon to the King; who was equally offended with the matter of the arret, and with that prince for prefenting it. A memorial had alfo been prefented on the fame fubject, figned by many of the peers and all the princes of the blood, except the Count de la Marche, which was more unpleafing even than the arret. Still however it was thought, that nothing more was to be apprehended than a temporary fufpenfion. But this laft measure, which finally fealed the doom of the parliament, ftruck a general confternation and alarm throughout the whole nation. The provinces that were to be under the jurifdiction of the new tribunals, immediately prefented feparate remonftrances against them. These were expreffed in very ftrong terms; they recognized the declarations made in former reigns, with which this measure was incompatible; and peremptorily afferted, that the King's edict, which had ccafioned all this mifchief, was abfolutely fubverfive of all public and private good, and prefented to the people no other view but that of the moft enflaving defpotism. The conduct of the princes of the blood, was however more difagreeable and alarming to the court than thofe remonftrances. A ftrong and fpirited proteft was figned by them, against every meafure that had been taken to the prejudice of the parliament; which was alfo backed by a great number of the peers. This was delivered to the King March 13th. by M. de Pour, first gentleman to the Duke of Orleans, and enraged him fo much, that a council was called, in which it was debated, whether the princes fhould not be banished; this violent meafare however met with fuch oppofition in the council, that it was dropped. In the mean time the Chancellor Maupeau, who was confidered as the founder of all these innovations, and was therefore the most odious and unpopular man in the kingdom, had framed a new code of laws, which were prefented and approved of, and measures accordingly taken for their being carried into execution. During thefe tranfactions, Paris presented a scene of the greatest confufion; there was almoft a total privation of legal juftice, moft of the advocates and attornies having either refused or avoided to bring their caufes before the new tribunal. The remaining courts of magiftracy were in a continual ftate of agitation and diforder, either paffing fruitlefs refolutions, prefenting remonftrances, or entering protests equally vain, refigning their places, and re refufing to act in their refpective oaths, and ftrictly forbid the acdepartments, or under the influence knowledgment or execution of any of letters de cachet, which obliged of their arrets. A counter arret them to refume their functions. was iffued, by that which was called Such was the ftate of the Court of the Parliament of the Court, at Aids, Chatelet, Great Council, and Paris, condemning the first to be Chamber of Accounts; while the burnt by the hands of the common parliaments in different parts of hangman. the kingdom were employed in presenting remonftrances, or iffuing arrets. A bed of justice April 13th. having been held for the final establishment of the new tribunals, as well as of the chancellor's code of laws, the princes of the blood were fummoned to attend, upon which they all, except the Count de la Marche, wrote letters to the King, that as they could not give their fuffrage to the bufinefs that was intended to be done in the bed of juftice, they did not think proper to affift at it. This was fo much refented, that they all received letters the next day from the King, forbid ding them to appear in his prefence, to fee any of the royal family, or even to refide at any place where the court fhould be kept. And the King's indignation was fo prevalent upon this occafion, that the princes were not invited to the wedding which foon after took place, between the Count de Tholoufe and the Princefs of Savoy. A few days after the holding of this bed of justice, the parliament of Rouen, with the fame unfhaken intrepidity which has fo long diftinguished its conduct, iffued an arret, by which the members of the new parliament were declared to be intruders, ufurpers of the effects of other people, enemies of the ftate, and violators of their The court was greatly irritated at the conduct of the parliament of Rouen; and wavered much in its refolutions what course to pursue with it. The danger of entering into measures that might too much provoke that great and powerful dutchy, was evident to every body; while from a knowledge of the prefent governing spirit, fuch an iffue was notwithstanding expected. It is faid that violent meafurès were intended, and that the Duke de Harcourt nobly refufed to take the command of the troops in Normandy, for the execution of thofe purposes. At Such meafures were not obferved with the reft of the kingdom; the Duke d'Aguillon, who was, except the chancellor, the most unpopular man in it, and who was deemed the original author of the prefent difturbances, was appointed minifter for foreign affairs. Paris, 42 counsellors of the Chatelet were fent at once into banishment to different places, and had only 24 hours allowed to prepare for their departure. In the course of the year, the parliaments of Befançon, Bourdeaux, Aix, Thouloufe, and Britanny, were totally fuppreffed, most of the members fent into banishment, and new parliaments created in the room of the old ones. Notwithstanding this ftate of internal disturbance and diffatisfaction, a great reduction was made in the French land forces, both of horfe and foot; a circumítance that fufficiently fhews the confidence of that government in its own ftrength, and how little it is apprehenfive of any confequences that might refult from the complaints or dislike of the people. At the fame time, all these cireumftances feem a fufficient pledge, of the prefent pacific difpofition of France. The poffeffion of Corfica feems almost as imperfect on the fide of France, as it was on that of Genoa. A continual depredatory war is carried on between their forces and the mountaineers, attended with the most cruel circumftances on both fides. Count de Marbeuf having marched this fummer at the head of feveral battalions to fcour the country, was attacked with fuch fury in the defiles of the mountains, that it amounted to little less than a general defeat, and was attended with a very con fiderable loss both of men and offcers. A large detachment under the command of a colonel, was afterwards attacked between Bastia and Ajaccio, and almost totally cut to pieces. Their averfion to the French is fo great, as to carry them beyond all the bounds of humanity. It is faid that they poifon the wells, cifterns, and fountains, in that part of the country which they inhabit; kill their horfes in the fields; infect the hay which they are to eat; and malfacre the officers when they flir out of the garrifons. The French have been obliged to difcontinue the fortifications and works which they were carrying on in different parts of the island, as thefe Banditti (as they call them) deftroy more in one night, than they can erect in a week.. In a word, the French have hitherto gained as little advantage by the acquifition of this ifland, as they did honour, in the manner of obtaining it. CHRO |