bo ok the place o f meeting; and in 16 73, it was enacted, that o f
>— j 1 three fucceffive diets, two Ihould be held in this capital, and
one at Grodno * in Lithuania. This regulation has been
generally followed, until the reign of his prefent majefty,
when the aflemblies have been uniformly fummoned to
Warfaw t.
Diets are ordinary and extraordinary; the former are
convened every two years, the latter as -occafion requires.
In 1 7 1 7 the tribal feafon for the meeting o f the ordinary
diets was fixed for Michaelmas; but during the prefent
reign it has been occafionally'changed to the month of October
or November,
The king, with the advice of the permanent council, convokes
the diet, by means of circular letters iflued to all the
Palatines in their refpective provinces, at -leaft fix weeks before
the time appointed for its meeting : thefe letters are accompanied
with a lhort iketch of the bufinefs to be agitated
in the diet.
The conftituent parts of the diet are the -three eftates of
the realm, namely, the king, the fenate, and the nobles or
gentry, by their nuntios or reprefentatives.
1. The king, confidered in his capacity of prefident, is
only, as it were, the chief of the diet: he fubfcribes all a£tt;
figns all-decrees agreed to by the aifembly ; iflues out all ordinances
in his own name, and that of the republic, without
enjoying the right of a negative in any of thefe particulars.
In all queft-ions he has no vote, excepting.upon an equality
of fuffrages.; but is at liberty to deliver his fentiments
upon any queftion. His prefent majefty is efteemed one of
¡the moft -eloquent among the Poliih orators : he has an
Lengnich, Rift, Pol. .p. 36a, * See Book. II. Chap. V I . A r t. 'Grodno,
•6 agreeable
agreeable tone of voice, and much ikili in fuiting and vary- C^*P-
ing his cadence to the fubjeits of his diicourfe ; he harangues >— .— >
with great energy of flyle and dignity of manner; and his
fpeeches always make a confiderable impreffion upon the
members of the diet.
When he is difpofed to fpeak, he rifes from his feat, advances
a few fteps,. and cries out, « I fummon the minifters-
I of ftate to the throne.” Then the great officers o f the
crown, who are fitting at the lower end of the fenate-houie,-,
com e forward and' Hand near the king. The four great:
marihals ftrike the ground at the. fame time with their ftaffs--
of office ; and the firft in rank fays, “ The king is going to -
“ fpeak after which his majefty begins.
2. The fecond eftate, or the fenate, is compofed of fpiri—
tual and temporal fenators.
1. The biffiops or fenators fpiritual have the precedence,
over the temporal fenators. The archbiihop of Gnefna is
primate and chief o f the fenate, and is viceroy in cafe of an«
interregnum;
2. The temporal are Palatines, Caftellans, and.the great;
officers of ftate..
The palatines are the governors ofthe.provinces, ..who >
hold their offices for life. In time of war, when the army-
of the republic is fummoned, the palatines-levy and lead the -
force of their palatinates into the field, according to the
tenure of feudal feryices ; in time.of peace they.convoke:
the aflemblies of the palatinates, prefide in the county courts
of juftice, and judge the Jews within their refpedtive jurif-
didiions, See..
The Caftellans are divided into Grand and Petty Caftellans s
their office, in time of -peace, is merely nominal; „but when •
the