well being of the state and the monarch. The day-to-day affairs of the government had grown beyond the capacity of any monarch to handle them. At the beginning of the 16th century, the French court of Francis I employed 622 officers while at the beginning of the 17th century, the court of Henry IV employed over 1500. Royal councils, a small group of leading officeholders who advised the monarch on state business, grew in significance. However, the court still revolved around the monarch. Courtiers such as Cardinal Richelieu of France, Count-Duke Olivares of Spain, and duke of Buckingham of England, all became the second most important people in their countries. Taxes were also critical to centralizing the state. Half of all state revenue was used to finance national armies and navies for defense. In France, the taille and paulette were used as the main tax sources. By administering justice, assembling armies, and extracting resources through taxation, the monarch ruled as well as governed. The richer the king and the more powerful, the more potent his state. The truth of this is seen in the "Grand Monarque" of France. Versailles was the epitome of this eras elaboration. Everything in the palace was awe-inspiring. 1400 fountains adorned the gardens alone and the palace was constructed mainly of marble and precious metals. The grandiose style of the ruler stood proxy for the wealth and glory of the nation. Great display bespoke great pride, and great pride was translated into great national strength. As a result of this heightened pride in their monarchs and states, Europeans began to identify themselves as citizens of a nation and to see themselves in distinction to other countries. Whereas in the early sixteenth century, monarchs treated their states and their subjects as personal property, and were praised for their virtue, wisdom, or strength, by the 17th century, rulers embodied their nation, and no matter what their ...
