he French language has even a special expression for those people who became noble through purchase of magisterial or judicial posts. They were the 'noblesse de robe' - the nobility of the robe, as opposed to the 'noblesse d'epee' - the nobility of the sword. Apart of they being rich, which always was an important factor in any social advancement, they had the support of the kings. Until the establishment of the constitutional monarchy, which meant that the kings lost their power to rule, while retaining their power to reign and represent, the kings and the great territorial lords were always in opposition. Until the 17th century with transition to absolute monarchy, the kings in Europe was everywhere 'primus inter pares' - 'first among equals'. It was a throwback to the times of the original Germanic war bands, where the leader was elected by the warriors and that leader had a first obligation to safeguard the rights of his warriors. There were many developments of those times, the Magna Carta was amongst them and so were many others that eventually brought democracy to western civilization. However, the influence of the old customs in the Feudal Age meant that if the king was indeed 'primus inter pares' than any of the equals could aspire to be the first. That game went all over Europe. In England there was a contest for the throne between the great ducal houses of the York and Lancaster, until the Welsh house of Tudor, allied to the Lancasters, grabbed it. In France a...
