History of the Origin of Representative Government in Europe, by M. Guizot [pp. 199-211]

ORIGIN OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENTR IN EUROPE. 209
Citri( (le niiore, curia( regis, signified, originally, neither merely the privy council of the king nor his tribunal; it was
evidently a grand assembly, at which all the nobles of the kingdom were present, either to treat of the affairs of state or to
assist the kinr in the administration of justice.' The king,'
says the Saxon Chronicle, I'was wont to wear his crown three
times a year- at Easter, at Winchester; at Whitsuntide, in
Westminster; at Christmas, in Gloucester; and then there were
present with him all the great men of all England-archbishops
and bishops, abbots and counts, thanies and knights.'' A
droy-al edict,' says William, of Malmsbtury,' called to the curia
de noiore all the nobles, of every grade, in order that those sent
firom forei(gn countries might be struck with the magnificence
of the company, and with the splendor of the festivities.' All
the nobles of the kingdom came, accordling to usage, to the
king's co)urt on the day of our Saviour's nativity. Anselm,
archbishop of Canterbury, having presented himself ad curiam
pro HiCoe, wsts received with joy by the king and all the nobility
of the klingdomi. In 1100, at Christmas, the kingdom of England assembled at London, a(,cording to custom, at the king's
court."
.We are about to conclude this essay by giving the conclndinig
part of a letter written by the celebrated Hineman, archbishop
of Rleims, in 8S-", sixty-eilght years after the death of Cli-arlemagne, descriptive of the quctsi-Parliaments of that great prince.
This description, we think, will incline the reader to believe
that Charlemagne's practice of representative government was
very superior to Ml. Guizot's dazzling and confused theory about
it. Yet his book is exceedingly interesting and instructive.
Full of curious historic research, profound reflections, sparkling
epigram, and glowingr rhetoric.
Ilinemnan intforms us that Clharlemagne convened two vast
assemblages annually, to consult and get information as to the
state of the kingdom. He enters into a very minute descriptionI of the various classes and persons who compose those meeting,s, and gives a lively and graphic account of their proceedings after they had met. We have room only for the coneluding portion of his letter:
"Wlhilst these affairs were thus arranged out of the presence
of the king, the prince himself, in the midst of the multitude
that had come to the general assembly, was busy in receiving
presents, greeting the most important individuals, conversing
with those whom he saw but seldom, exhibiting an affectionate
interest in the old, laughing and joking with the young, and
doing these and similar things to ecclesiastics as well as laymen. However, if those who were deliberating upon the matters submitted to their judgment desired it, the king went to
them, and remained with them as long as they wished; and
there they reported to him, with entire familiarity, what they