S K E T C H OF T H E
Under Cafimir III. * brother and fucceiTor to Ladiflaus
, III. feveral further innovations were introduced into the
original conftitution, all unfavourable to regal prerogative.
One of the principal changes which took place in this
reign, and which laid the foundation of ftill more important
revolutions in the Polifli government, was the convention
of a national diet inverted with the foie power of granting
fupplies. Each Palatinate or province was permitted to fend
to this general diet, befide the Palatines and other principal
barons, a certain number of nuntios or reprefentatives,
chofen by the nobles and burghers t. This reign is therefore
coniidered by the popular party as the sera, at which
the freedom of the conftitution was permanently eftabliihed.
Cafimir was engaged in feveral unfuccefsful wars, which
exhaufted the royal treafures; and as he could not impofe
any taxes without the confent of the nation, he was under
the neceffity of applying repeatedly to the diet for fuhfidies :
almoft every fupply was accompanied with a lift o f grievances,
and produced a diminution of prerogative.
In Poland, as in all feudal governments, the barons, at
the head of their vaflals, are bound to fight in defence of
the kingdom : before the reign of Cafimir III. the king
could require fuch military, or, as they were called, feudal
fervices; but this monarch, in compenfation for fome pecuniary
aid, gave up that privilege, and renounced £ the
power of fummoning the nobles to his ftandard ; he like-
wife agreed not to ena£t any laws without the concurrence
of the national diet.
* Sometimes called Cafimir IV . que terrigenas ad bellum moveri mandaret,
"t ^ chap. V I I I . for proof that the abfque conventione communi in fingulis
burghers were permitted to fend reprefen- terris inilituenda.
tatives. Conft. Pol, v. I. p. 186.
% Quod nullas conllitutiones faceret, ne-
John
John Albert, fecond fon of Cafimir, being elected in pre- CHAP-
ference to his elder brother Ladiflaus king of Hungary and ■ *’ ■
Bohemia, aflented without hefitation, as the price of this
partiality, to all the immunities extorted from his prede-
ceflbrs; and fwore to their obfervance in a general * diet
held at Petrikau, 1496.
Alexander, brother and fucceflbr o f John Albert, declared,
i n 1 5 ° 5 > the following limitations of fovereign authority to
be fundamental laws of the kingdom. 1. The king cannot
impofe taxes. 2. He cannot require the feudal fervices;
3. nor alienate the royal domains; 4. nor enadt laws; 5,
nor coin money ; 6. nor alter the procefs in the courts of
juftice.
Sigifmond I. fucceeded Alexander: one + of the Polilh
hiftorians, fpeaking o f his reign, exclaims with much
indignation, “ The king is almoft wholly deftitute of power;
“ he cannot procure any fubfidy on the moft preffing eraer-
“ gency, for carrying on war, or for the portion of his
“ daughters, without increaling the privileges o f the no-
“ bility.”
Notwithftanding, however, this exclamation, we cannot
forbear to remark, that the power of levying taxes at difcre-
tion is the moft dangerous prerogative that can be lodged
in the hands of a fovereign, and the moft formidable engine
of defpotic authority : the acquifition of it by themonarchs
of France finally fubverted the liberties of that kingdom •
and rt was made the firft object o f refiftance by the affertors
of freedom in our own country.
<te
uricaovius.
V o l . T . C i f