If the king has children, the eldest, if a man of sense and good
character, succeeds; otherwise, one of the others is elected. The
42 grandees of the court are the electors. If the eldest son be not
approved, they are not bound to elect him; he has, however, the
preference, and after him the other sons; but the choice of the
council must be unanimous, and if no person of the royal line be
the object of their choice, they may elect one of their own body.
The members of the council are appointed by the king; he chooses
them for their wisdom and integrity, without being limited to rank:
the person appointed cannot refuse obedience to the royal mandate.
The council consists of many hundreds. The governor who controls
the police lives in the centre of the town.