The Sovereign Power of Parliaments Part 4, Appendix · Part 1
Hungary.
THe Kings of Hungary are meerly elective by the States and Senators, in their Parliaments or aſſemblies of the Eſtates, without whom they can neither make Lawes, impoſe Taxes, leavie Warre, nor conclude Peace; and the grand Officer of the Realme, to wit the great Palatine of Hungary (who hath the chiefe Command both in Peace and Warre, and power to judge the King Himſelfe in ſome caſes) is elected onelyonly in and by their Parliaments, as thexRerum Vnga…ica…um Scriptores, Nicho…us …ſthuan… de …ebus Ʋngarie. Hiſt. l. … p 84, 85. …od. n. de Reg. l. 1. c. 10. …; Decades rerum Vngar carum, Mun…t Coſmog. l 4 c. 4 18. 9. Reſpub & ſlatus Hungariae, An. 1634. De I…re M…giſt. … Subditos. Marginall Writers manifeſt at large. For their Realms and peoples deportment towards their ill Kings (ſince they became Chriſtians) when they have degenerated into Tyrants, and otherwiſe miſdemeaned themſelves; take this briefe Epitome. Peter the ſecond Chriſtian King of Hungary, growing very inſolent, Tyrannicall, and laſcivious, raviſhing maids, matrons; in the third year of his reign all the Nobles and people thereupon conſpiring together, depoſed and baniſhed him the Realme, electing Alba in his place; who growing more inſolent and Tyrannicall then Peter, was in the third year of his reign ſlaine in warre, and Peter reſtored to the Crown: who proceeding in his tyrannies, ſacriledge, and cruelty, he was the third year after his reſtitution, taken priſoner by his ſubjects, his eyes put out, and impriſoned till he dy…d. Solomon the fift King of Hungary, was twice depoſed and thruſt out of his Kingdom, firſt by King Bela, next by King Gyſa, elected Kings by the peoples generall conſent and acclamation; after whoſe death the Hungarians refuſed to reſtore Solomon, and elected Ladiſlaus for their King; whereupon Solomon became an Hermite, and ſo dyed. Ladiſlaus dying, left two ſons, Almus the younger, whom they elected King and Coloman the eldeſt, to whom Almus out of ſimplicity ſurrendred the Crown, becauſe he was the elder brother, whom he would not deprive of his primogeniture; but repenting afterwards, by the inſtigation of ſome of his friends, he raiſed warre againſt his brother: But the Hungarians to prevent a civill warre and effuſion of blood, DECREED, that theſe two brethren ſhould fight it out between them in a ſingle duell, and he who conquered in the duell, they would repute their King; Which Combate Coloman being purblinde, lame and crookback'd, refuſed; after which Coloman treacherouſly ſurpriſing his brother Almus, contrary to agreement, put out his and Bela his ſonnes eyes, and thruſt them into a Monaſtery. King Stephen the ſecond ſonne of Coloman, refuſing to marry a wife, and following Harlots, the Barons and Nobles grieving at the deſolation of the Kingdome, provided him a wife of a Noble family, and cauſed him to marry her. After which making a war to aid Duk-Bezen zIohn de Th… recz. Hungar. Chron. c. 36…, p. 71.without his Nobles conſent in which Bezen was ſlaine: the Nobles of Hungary aſſembling themſelves together in Councell, ſayd: Why, and wherefore dye we? if we ſhall claime the Dukedome, which of us will the King make Duke? therefore let it be decreed that none of us will aſſault the Caſtle, and ſo let us tell the King, Becauſe he doth all this without the Councell of his Nobles: They did ſo, and added further, that if he would aſſault the Caſtle, he ſhould doe it alone; but we (ſay they) will returne unto Hungary and chuſe another King. Whereupon, By the Command of the Princes, the Heraulds proclaimed in the Tents, That all the Hungarians ſhould ſpeedily returne into Hungary: wherefore the King when he ſaw himſelfe juſtly deſerted of his ſubjects ayde, returned into Hungary. Stephen the third comming to the Crowne, did nothing without the Authoritie and adviſe of the Senate. Stephen the fourth ſonne of Bela uſurping the Crowne, was ſoone after expelled the Kingdome. Emericus being elected King, was very likely to be depriued by the Nobles and people for his ſloathfulneſſe, but that he appeaſed them with good words and promiſes. King Andrew going to Jeruſalem, his Queene, Elizabeth, in the meane time delivered the Wife of Bauchan a Nobleman, being very beautifull to her brother who doated on her, to be abuſed, which Bauchan hearing of, ſlew the Queene: the King upon his returne examining this buſineſſe, acquitted Bauchan, and judged her murther juſt, being for ſo lewd a fact. Ladiſlaus the fourth, giving himſelfe to all effaeminacy, luxury, and Harlots, became odious to his Barons, Nobles, People, for which he was excommunicated by Firmanus the Popes Legat, that he might live Chriſtianly and Chaſtly; but he reforming not, was ſoone after (in the yeere 1…90.) ſlaine by the Cumans and his Kingdome infeſted with civill warres. Mary the daughter of K. Lewes, being received as Queene by the Hungarians for her fathers merits, after his deceaſe, being yet young, was married to Sigiſmond, who was admitted into partnerſhip in the government of the Realme, and being governed by her mother and Nicholas de Gara, who perſwaded them to carry a ſtrict hand over the Nobles of the Realme, which they did: thereupon the Nobles ſeeing themſelves deſpiſed, ſent for Charles King of Naples into Hungary; forced Mary and her Mother to reſigne their rights to the Crowne, and crowned Charles King at Alba Regalis. When he was crowned the Biſhop of Strigonium, according to the cuſtome, demanded of the people thrice, with alowd voyce; Whether it were their pleaſure that Charles ſhould be crowned King? who anſwered, Yes: which done he was crowned, and ſoone after murthered by the two Queenes treachery; Who were ſhortly after taken priſoners by Iohn de Horrach, governour of Croatia; the Queen Mother Elizabeth drowned, Queen Mary kept priſoner, and at laſt releaſed upon oath given, not to revenge her Mothers death: who contrary to her oath cauſed Hornach, and 32. Nobles more to be beheaded by Sigiſmond her husband, whoſe kindred and children thereupon conſpired againſt King Sigiſmond, tooke and detained him priſoner Anno. 1401. till they ſhould proceede further againſt him, and in the meane time the Nobles of Hungary elected Ladiſlaus King of Apulia for their King, and at laſt depoſed Sigiſmond for his miſgovernment, cruelty, love of women. AfteraSee Grimſtons Imperiall Hiſtory, p. 606 Chytraeut Chron. Saxoniae. Sigiſmonds death, the Nobles and people were divided in the choiſe of their King; one part electing and crowning Ʋladiſlaus King of Poland, the other party Ladiſlaus an infant, for their King: but Ʋladiſlaus his party prevailing, he was not long after ſlaine in a battle againſt the Turkes; and the government of the Realme committed to that Noble Souldier Huniades, during the Minority of Ladiſlaus, who at his ripe age, was received and declared King by all the Hungarians. Ladiſlaus deceaſing, the Hungarians elected the Emperour Frederick King, who delaying to come and take the election, they thereupon choſe Mathias King, who enjoyed the dignity, notwithſtanding the Emperours oppoſition. Anno. 1608. Mathias King of Hungary denyed the Proteſtants inbGrimſton Imp. Hiſt. p. 730. 731. Auſtria free exerciſe of their Religion, they thereupon were forced to take up Armes, and aſſembling together at Horne made a Proteſtation, and ſent to the States of Hungary requiring them to aſſiſt them with the ſuccours that were promiſed by the offenſive and defenſive league: after which they obtained a peace, and part of what they demanded.cGrim. p. 739 Anno 1613. In an Aſſembly of the Eſtates of Hungary, the differences concerning the defence and Militia in the borders of Hungary againſt the Turke were ordered and ſetled. AnddGrim. p. 748. An. 1618. After many ſlow proceedings, they elected Ferdinand of Bohemia for their King of Hungary; but with theſe conditions, That he ſhould Religiouſly obſerve, and cauſe to be immovably obſerved all the Liberties, Immunities, Priviledges, Statutes, Rights and Cuſtomes of the Kingdome, with the Concluſions and Freaties of Vienna, and all the Articles comprehended therein, and all other concluded both before and after the Coronation of the Emperours Majeſtie, in the yeares 1608. and 1609. Which Articles being ratified by the Emperour under his Letters Patents, they proceeded to the Coronation, according to the accuſtomed manner. Such is the Soveraigne power of the States of Hungary to this very day. And in one word, ſo odious wereeSaxagr…uma …icus Danicae Hiſt. l. 8 p. 140 Tyrants anciently to the Slavonians and Hungarians, that by a publick Law of their Anceſtors, he who ſlew a Tyrannicall King, was to ſucceede him in the Kingdome.