RISE OF ABSOLUTISM 627 VII from England and under Louis XI from the princely nobility and the dynasties on the frontiers could s -if not, however, be at once absorbed into a homo- local gov- geneous whole with the rest of the royal domain , ernmen especially since the royal domain itself was really not yet homogeneous, but marked by the existence of local privi- leges and discrepancies. Like many of his predecessors, Louis XI followed the policy of " Divide and rule." He was no more inclined than had been his father to call the Estates General except in time of need, and preferred to deal with the numerous provincial assemblies of France. Like his father, too, he created or sanctioned local parlements in his newly acquired territories — high courts of justice practi- cally independent of the Parlement of Paris. In short, the king was still the chief bond of political union and France still lacked a national law. In the Estates General of 1484, summoned after the death of Louis XI to decide the membership of the council of regency, voting was not by estates, but by six regions, France," Normandy, Bur- gundy, Aquitaine, Languedoc, and Provence. In contrast to the increasing power of the Crown in France under Charles VII, in England during the last years of the Hundred Years War the central, govern- England at ment had been growing weaker and weaker. h l Hundred Henry VI was a feeble, though well-meaning, Years War monarch; there was much disorder through the land; and Parliament, which had acquired so much authority under the Lancastrians, proved unable to cope with the situation alone without the aid of a strong executive. Great lords kept armed bands of retainers, and seized property which did not belong to them, and did violence to their enemies; and intimidated sheriffs and juries if an attempt was made to bring them to justice. They also controlled the elections of members to Parliament. With the close of the war in France a disorderly element of adventurers, mercenaries, and brigands had returned to England ; and discontent with the outcome of the war had weakened the hold of the king on his people. As in France, the greatest nobles were con-
