that in things temporal we have no Superior but God; and that the Disposal of the Vacancies of certain Churches and Prebends belong to us of Regal Right; that it is our due to receive the profits of them, and our Intention to defend our selves by the Edge of the Sword, against all such, as would any way go about to disturb us in the Possession of the same; esteeming those to be Fools and Brainless, who think otherwise.  For Witnesses of this History, we have the Author of the Chronicle of Bretayne, lib. 4. chap. 14. and Nicholas Gilles in the Annals of France, to whom ought to be join’d Papon. in the first Book of his Arrests tit. 5. art. 27.

* * * * *

CHAP.  XX.

    Whether Women are not as much debarr’d (by the
    Francogallican Law) from the Administration, as from
    the Inheritance of the Kingdom.

The present Dispute being about the Government of the Kingdom, and the chief Administration of Publick Affairs, we have thought fit not to omit this Question:  Whether Women are not as much debarr’d from the Administration, as from the Inheritance of the Kingdom?  And in the first Place we openly declare, that ’tis none of our Intention to argue for or against the Roman Customs or Laws, or those of any other Nation, but only of the Institutions of this our own Francogallia.  For as on the one Hand ’tis notorious to all the World, that by the Roman Institutions, Women were always under Guardianship, and excluded from intermeddling, either in publick or private Affairs, by Reason of the Weakness of their Judgment:  So on the other, Women (by ancient Custom) obtain the Supreme Command in Some Countries.  “The (Britains says Tacitus in his Life of Agricola) make no Distinction of Sexes in Government.”  Thus much being premised, and our Protestation being clearly and plainly proposed, we will now return to the Question.  And as the Examples of some former Times seem to make for the affirmative, wherein the Kingdom of Francogallia has been administered by Queens, especially by Widows and Queen-Mothers:  So on the contrary, the Reason of the Argument used in Disputations, is clearly against it.  For she, who cannot be Queen in her own Right, can never have any Power of Governing in another’s Right:  But here a Woman cannot reign in her own Right, nor can the Inheritance of the Crown fall to her, or any of her Descendants; and if they be stiled Queens ’tis only accidentally; as they are Wives to the Kings their Husbands.  Which we have prov’d out of Records for twelve hundred Years together.