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I. General Statement of the Royal Program (Selections)
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CHAPTER 1 GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE ROYAL PROGRAM mWhen Your Majesty resolved to admit me both to your council and to an important place in your confidence for the direction of your affairs, I may say that the Huguenots shared the state with you; that the nobles conducted themselves as if they were not your subjects, and the most powerful governors of the provinces as if they were sovereign in their offices. I may say that the bad example of all of these was so prejudicial to the welfare of this realm that even the best courts were affected by it, and endeavored, in certain cases, to diminish your legitimate authority as far as it was possible in order to carry their own powers beyond the limits of reason. I may say that everyone measured his own merit by his audacity; that in place of esteeming the benefits which they received from Your Majesty at their proper worth, they all valued them only as they satisfied the demands of 9 10 GENERAL STATEMENT OF their imaginations; that the most scheming were held to be the wisest, and often found themselves the most prosperous . I may further say that foreign alliances were scorned, private interests being preferred to those of the public, and in a word, the dignity of the royal majesty was so disparaged, and so different from what it should be, because of the misdeeds of those who conducted your affairs , that it was almost impossible to recognize it. It was impossible, without losing all, to tolerate longer the conduct of those to whom Your Majesty had intrusted the helm of state; and yet everything could not be changed at once without violating the laws of prudence, which do not permitthe passing from one extreme to another without preparation. The bad state of your affairs seemed to force you to precipitate decisions, without a choice of time or of means. And yet it was imperative to make a choice of both in order to pront by the change which necessity demanded of your prudence. The best minds did not think that it would be possible to pass without shipwreck all the rocks in such uncertain times. The court was full of people who censured the temerity of those who wished to undertake a reform, and all well knew that princes nnd it easy to impute to those who are near them the bad outcome of the undertakings upon which they have been well advised. So few people, consequently, expected good results from the [44.202.183.118] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 02:15 GMT) THE ROYAL PROGRAM I I change which it was announced I wished to make, that many held my fall assured even before Your Majesty had elevated me. Notwithstanding these difficulties which I explained to Your Majesty, knowing how much kings may do when they make good use of their power, I dared to promise you, with assurance, that you would soon find remedies for the disorders in your state, and that your prudence, your courage, and the benediction of God would give a new aspect to this realm. I promised Your Majesty to employ all my industry and all the authority which it should please you to give to me to ruin the Huguenot party, to abase the pride of the nobles, to bring all your subjects back to their duty, and to restore your reputation among foreign nations to the station it ought to occupy. In broadest outline, Sire, these have been the matters with which Your Majesty's reign has thus far been concerned . I would consider them most happily concluded if they were followed by an era of repose during which you could introduce into your realm a wealth of benefits of all types. In order to present the problem to you, it is necessary to look into the nature of the various classes in your realm and the state which it comprises, together with your own role, both as a private and a public person. In sum, what will be indicated is the need I 1 GENERAL STATEMENT for a competent and faithful council, whose advice should be listened to and followed in governing the state. It is to the detailed explanation and urging of this that the remainder of my testament will be devoted, divided for order and clarity into several chapters and sections. ...