The history of the government of France, under the administration of the great Armand du Plessis, Cardinall and Duke of Richlieu, and chief minister of state in that kingdome wherein occur many important negotiations relating to most part of Christendome in his time : with politique observations upon the chapters / translated out of French by J.D. Esq.

Prosecution of the Subject.

THese Factious persons were not backward to hit the Cardinal in the teeth with the impositions charged upon the people, no•• that he was either the cause of them, or that they were excessive; but because they knew that this complaint was a fit Trumpet to raise sedition, and such as all they who had ever raised any revolts in France, had made use of. True it is, they were charged with some impositions, but besides that they were not excessive, they were absolutely necessary. Never was there yet that time when the people d••d not apprehend their burthens to be ex∣tream. It is a burthen to them to demand part of that for the King, which they got not but with pain, nor do injoy in any great plenty. But it is without cause, for that the impositions were necessary, and there was not any mis-government in the disposal of the treasures. Now that those Impositions so much cried out upon, were unavoidable, cannot be doubted; because those Wars and Designs began after his comming to the Administration: In consideration whereof, those Charges im∣posed, where absolutely necessary. They were ingaged to allay the factious in∣solency of the Hugonots, to succour Allies, to suppresse the ambition of the house of Austria, who after the invasion of our neighbours, would assuredly have made their attempts upon this State.

This being so, who can deny them to have been necessary? which admitted, the Impositions could be no lesse; and I may safely add that those very factious spi∣rits themselves were oftentimes the causes of raising the Taxes, by causing more by half to be expended in the Wars of Piedmont, by the delays they gave the Troops in detaining them so long; besides they forced his Majesty to keep an Army a long time on foot, purposely that he might watch and prevent their designs. Wars and Taxes do constantly march hand in hand, and the same pace; poverty serving only to bring an Army into disorder; if it be a fault to make the people contribute to the charge, it is much more blame-worthy to see a State laid open to their ene∣mies. The peoples misery is an incommodity which is soon outworn in a good Country, where a good Harvest puts them, in statu quo prius; but it is not the same in the advanta••es▪ which the enemies of France are permitted to have, there is need of a sufficient foundation to maintain the charge of the War. I assure my self they question not these truths, but besides that those expences were absolutely

necessary, do they not know what great advantages they gave both to the King and Kingdom? The glory will remain for ever, but the incommodity is already forgotten. What reason is there to complain? I shall onely make this answer, the Ministers had deprived the King of that great honour which he now enjoys, had they been deficient in drawing from the people those things which were necessary for the subsistance of Armies during the Wars, and that it was a certain sign of their good conduct, to have made such carefull provisions. If the Impositions were thus necessary, the money which did rise from them, was no lesse carefully expen∣ded during those times of which they speak; in which it may be said, much was done with little money. Can any one deny, that this incomparable Minister did not buy that glory and those victories for the King, to the shame of his enemies, at an easier rate then others have done, who have onely used allaying Medicines to defer those evils which afflict us from exasperating into extremities, but have still left the enemies of France great advantages upon us? It must be confessed, that some particular people have beene charged over and above their proportion, but neither the King nor his Ministers are therefore to be blamed; the Possessors, and Raters were faulty, and deserved to be punished, because they oppressed the weak, and let the able escape upon the sum of friendship.