Franco-Gallia

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Franco-Gallia

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Franco-Gallia, by Francis Hotoman This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Franco-Gallia Or, An Account of the Ancient Free State of France, and Most Other Parts of Europe, Before the Loss of Their Liberties
Author: Francis Hotoman
Release Date: March 1, 2006 [EBook #17894]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Produced by Stan Goodman, Turgut Dincer and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Transcriber's note: The source text contained inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and italicization; these inconsistencies have been retained in this etext.]

Franco-Gallia: OR, AN ACCOUNT OF THE Ancient Free State OF FRANCE, AND Most other Parts of EUROPE, before the Loss of their Liberties.
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Written Originally in Latin by the Famous Civilian FRANCIS HOTOMAN, In the Year 1574. And Translated into English by the Author of the Account of DENMARK.
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The SECOND EDITION, with Additions, and a New Preface by the Translator.
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LONDON:
Printed for Edward Valentine, at the Queen's Head against St. Dunstan's Church, Fleetstreet, 1721.
Translated by The Author of the _Account of_ DENMARK.

The BOOKSELLER TO THE READER.
The following Translation of the Famous Hotoman's Franco-Gallia _was written in the Year 1705, and first publish'd in the Year 1711. The Author was then at a great Distance from London, and the Publisher of his Work, for Reasons needless to repeat, did not think fit to print the Prefatory Discourse sent along with the Original. But this Piece being seasonable at all Times for the Perusal of Englishmen and more particularly at this Time, I wou'd no longer keep back from the Publick, what I more than conjecture will be acceptable to all true Lovers of their Country._

THE TRANSLATOR's PREFACE.
Many Books and Papers have been publish'd since the late Revolution, tending to justify the Proceedings of the People of England at that happy juncture; by setting in a true Light our just Rights and Liberties, together with the solid Foundations of our Constitution: Which, in truth, is not ours only, but that of almost all Europe besides; so wisely restor'd and establish'd (if not introduced) by the Goths and Franks, whose Descendants we are.
These Books have as constantly had some things, called Answers, written to them, by Persons of different Sentiments; who certainly either never seriously consider'd, that the were thereby endeavouring to destroy their own Happiness, and overthrow her Majesty's Title to the Crown: or (if they knew what they did) presumed upon the Lenity of that Government they decry'd; which (were there no better Reason) ought to have recommended it to their Approbation, since it could patiently bear with such, as were doing all they could to undermine it.
Not to mention the Railing, Virulency, or personal false Reflections in many of those Answers, (which were always the Signs of a weak Cause, or a feeble Champion) some of them asserted the Divine Right of an Hereditary Monarch, and the Impiety of Resistance upon any Terms whatever, notwithstanding any Authorities to the contrary.
Others (and those the more judicious) deny'd positively, that sufficient Authorities could be produced to prove, that a free People have a just Power to defend themselves, by opposing their Prince, who endeavours to oppress and enslave them: And alledged, that whatever was said or done tending that way, proceeded from a Spirit of Rebellion, and Antimonarchical Principles.
To confute, or convince this last Sort of Arguers (the first not being worthy to have Notice taken of them) I set about translating the Franco-Gallia of that most Learned and Judicious Civilian, _Francis Hotoman_; a Grave, Sincere and Unexceptionable Author, even in the Opinion of his Adversaries. This Book gives an Account of the Ancient Free State of above Three Parts in Four of Europe; and has of a long time appeared to me so convincing and instructive in those important Points he handles, that I could not be idle whilst it remain'd unknown, in a manner, to Englishmen: who, of all People living, have the greatest Reason and Need to be thoroughly instructed in what it contains; as having, on the one hand, the most to lose, and on the other, the least Sense of their Right, to that, which hitherto they seem (at least in a great measure) to have preserv'd.
It will be obvious to every Reader, that I have taken no great Pains to write elegantly. What I endeavour at, is as plain a Stile as possible, which on this Occasion I take to be the best: For since the Instruction of Mankind ought to be the principal Drift of all Writers