bo ok <« grandfather; and are not eligible, excepting after an in-
— ,— > <! terval of two reigns.
III. “ The government o f Poland ihall be for ever free,
“ independent, and of a republican form.
IV. “ The true principle of the faid government confift-
“ ing in the ftri£t execution of its laws, and the equilibrium
“ of the three eftates, namely, the king, the fenate, and the
“ equeftrian order, a Permanent Council ill all be eftabliihed,
“ in which the executive power ihall be vefted. In this coun-
“ cil the equeftrian order, hitherto excluded from the admi-
“ niftration of affairs in the intervals of the diets, ihall be
“ admitted, as ihall be more clearly laid down in the future
" arrangements.”
Thefe arrangements having been carried into execution, I
ihall make a few remarks upon the feveral articles.
By the firft, the houfe of Saxony, and all foreign princes,
who might be likely to give weight to Poland by their hereditary
dominions, are rendered incapable of filling the throne.
By the fecond, the exclufion of a king’s fon or grandfon,
excepting after an interval of two reigns, removes the
tainted: profpeit of an hereditary fovereignty, and entails upon
the kingdom all the evils infeparable from that moft
wretched form of government, an elective monarchy. By
the third article, thzliberum veto, and all the exorbitant privileges
of the equeftrian order, are confirmed in their utmoft
latitude ; and by the laft, the prerogatives of the crown, before
too greatly reduced, are ftill farther diminiihed, as will
be more minutely difplayed in the enfuing chapter.
Before the conclufion of this chapter, it will be proper to
mention the fate of the dillidents. Their pretenfions were
finally fettled between the republic and the mediating powers,
at
at the laft meeting of the delegates. The catholic party op- CHAP-
pofed in fo violent a manner the reftoration of their antient >■ . ’ ■
privileges, that, by the confent of the foreign courts, they
continue excluded from the diet, the fenate, and the permanent
council. In return, however, the diffidents enjoy
the free exercife of their religion ; are permitted to have
churches without bells ; fchools and feminaries of theirown ;
they are capable of fitting in the inferior courts o f juftice, and
in the tribunal appointed to receive appeals in matters of
religion, three of their communion are admitted as affefibrs.
In confequence of this toleration, the diflidents have con-
ftruCted churches in different parts of the kingdom; one
built upon this occafion by the Lutherans at Warfaw, has
the following infcription :
“ Has aedes Deo T . O. facras
“ Ccetus Varfovienfis in Auguft. ConfefT. ex confenfu Sta-
“ niflai Augufti Regis et Reipublicae ftruere ccepif.
w Aprilis 24, 17 7 7 -”'
V o l . I . I C H A P*