from hereditary right was formally aboliſhed, and the abſolute freedom of election eſtabliſhed upon a permanent baſis: a charter of immunities was drawn up at a general diet, a ratification of which it was determined to exact of the new ſovereign, prior to his election. This charter, called pacta conventa, contained the whole body of privileges obtained from Louis, and his ſucceſſors, with the following additions: 1. That the king ſhould be elective, and that his ſucceſſor ſhould never be appointed during his life. 2. That the diets, the holding of which depended ſolely upon the will of the kings, ſhould be aſſembled every two years. 3. That every nobleman or gentleman in the realm ſhould have a vote in the diet of election. 4. That in caſe the king ſhould infringe the laws and privileges of the nation, his ſubjects ſhould be abſolved from their oaths of allegiance. From this period the pacta conventa, occaſionally enlarged, have been confirmed by every ſovereign at his coronation.
Henry of Valois, brother of Charles the ninth of France, who aſcended the throne after the conſtitution was thus new modelled, ſecured his election by private bribes to the nobles, and by ſtipulating an annual penſion to the republic from the revenues of France. His example has been followed by every ſucceeding king, who, beſides an unconditional ratification of the pacta conventa, has always been conſtrained to purchaſe the crown by a public largeſs, and private corruption. Such is Poliſh liberty, and ſuch the bleſſings of a monarchy elective by a body of nobles.
Under Stephen Bathori, the royal authority, or rather the royal dignity, was farther abridged, by the appointment of ſixteen ſenators, choſen at each diet, to attend the king, and to give their
