fallen upon the Orphans or fatherless Children of that part of the People and their Estates when the Wolves shall be made the Keepers of the Lambs and every indigent or wastfull father in Law shall be a Guardian to those whose Estates he makes it his business to spend and ruine or to transferre upon his own Children and the charge and trouble of Petitions at the Councell Board or more tedious Suits in Chancery to be relieved against them the pay of more Life-guards or a small standing Army to keep the People within the bounds of their duty and secure good Subjects from the mischief intended by the bad frequent Musters of the Trained Bands more then formerly and of an Army to be hired upon an occasion of an Invasion or the transferring the sedem belli or miseries of warre into an Enemies Country much whereof would not have needed to be if the Tenures in Capite and by Knight-service those stronger Towers and Forts of our David those Horsemen and Charriots of our Israel and alwayes ready Garrisons composed of the best and worthiest men of our Nation not hirelings taken out of the Vulgus nor unlettered unskilfull and uncivilized nor rude or debauched part of the people but of those who would fight tanquam pro aris focis as they and their worthy Ancestors ever used to do for the good and honour of their King and Country and the preservation of their own Families as being obliged unto it by the strongest tyes and obligations of law and gratitude which ever were or could be laid upon the fortunes Estates Souls and Bodies of men that would have a care but of either of them Or to put in the Ballance against the benefits which they had in the preservation of their Woods recording their discents and titles to their Lands and many a Deed and Evidence which would otherwise have been lost or not easie to be found and the help and ayd which their heirs in their infancies have never failed of in all their Suits and Concernments And the seldome abuses of some naughty Pourveyors and the complaints thereby do not any thing neer amount unto the immense gains of the people of some millions sterling per annum in their vast improvements of their Lands and Estates by the rack and rise of rents enhaunce of Servants and Labourers wages and all commodities in all parts of the Kingdome before and since the Reign of Queen Elizabeth when the Compositions for the Pourveyance were made and agreed upon may seem but a very small yearly Retribution to the King or his Royall Progenitors for permitting so much as shall be reasonable of it And the People of England might better allow him those small and legall advantages which are and will be as much for publique good as his own then they do themselves in many of their own affairs one with another in many of their particular private ends advantages wherein the will and bequests oâ— the dead their Hospitalls Legacies or Gifts to charitable uses are not nor have been so well managed as they ought to be As may be instanced in those multitudes of charitable Legacies or Gifts in lands originally cut out and proportioned to the maintenance of certain numbers of poor or for some particular uses which by the increase and improvement of Rents before and since the dissolution of the Abbies Religious Houses and Hospitals did very much surmount the proportions which were at the first allowed or intended for them And with more Reason and Justice then the City of London and many of their Guilds and Fraternities do now enjoy divers Lands which were given for Lamps and other superstitious uses for which they compounded by order of the Councell Board with King Edward the Sixth for twenty thousand pounds and more then that which that and many other Cities and Towns do take and receive for Tolls which being many times only granted for years or upon some temporary occasions are since kept and retained as rights besides many Gifts and Charitable Uses since the dissolution of the Abbies and Religious Houses amounting to a very great yearly value which by the improvement and rise of Rents beyond the proportion of the Gifts or the intention of the Givers have been either conveyed by Jâ—yntures or leases to wives or children or much of the overplus which came by the improvement or concealed Charitable Uses converted by the Governours of many a City and Town Corporate to the maintenance of themselves the Worship of the Corporation and many a comfortable Feast and Meeting for the pretended good of the 〈◊〉 people thereof who are but seldome if at all the better for it Some of which not to mention any of greater bulk or value may appear in a few instances instead of a multitude of that kind dispeâ—sed in the Kingdom as two Closes of Land or Meadow Ground lying in the Parish of Shoreditch in the County of Middlesex given by Simon Burton Citizen and Merchant-Taylor of London in the year 1579. unto St. Thomas Hospital upon condition that the Governors of the said Hospitall should yearly give unto 30 poor Persons of the said Parish on the 21 22 or 23 dayes of December for ever the summe of eight pence a piece Mr. William Hanbury Citizen and White-baker of London did by a Surrender in the year 1595. give unto Elizabeth Spearing certain Copihold Lands in Stebuâ—heath and Ratcliffe in the said County to pay the Parson and Church-wardens of the said Parish for ever to the use of the poor People there two and fifty shillings yearly which by consent of the Parish is by twelve pence every Wednesday weekly bestowed upon the Poor abroad And Mrs. Alice Hanbury Widow by her will did in the same year give unto Mr. George Spearing a Tenement in the said Parish wherein William Bridges a Taylor then dwelled upon condition that the said George Spearing his Heirs and Assignes should yearly pay to the Churchwardens of the said Parish and their Successors to the use of the poor and impotent People thirteen shillings and four pence And that whether the King be enough recompenced or not at all recompenced for his Pourveyance it would be none of the best bargains for the Subjects of England or their Posterity to exchange or take away so great and nâ—â—â—ssary a part of his Prerogative or support of Majesty as the Pourveyance or Compositions for them were which in the Parliament in the 4 th year of the Reign of King James were held to be such an inseperable Adjunct of the Crown and Imperiall dignity as not to be aliened and some few years after believed by that incomparable Sir Francis Bacon afterwards Lord Chancellor of England to be a necessary support of the Kings Table a good help and justly due unto him And the Learned both in Law and Politiquâ—s in other Nations as well as our own have told us that such Sacra
unworthy sparing and avarice of Subjects in withholding their Oblations from his Deputies and disabling them from relieving the Strangers the Fatherless and the Widows And that the rates of his houshold provisions being much the same or very near unto those which were agreed upon by the Justices of Peace of every County who cannot be understood to be any Strangers to the rates and Market prices of every County might not be now as cheap afforded as they were then or when they were cheaper in the â—3 year of the Reign of King Henry the Eighth now not much above 130 years agoe when 24 great Bâ—eves were provided for a great and pompous Serjeants Feast at Ely house in London where the King Queen and many of the Nobility the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London were present such provisions being then probably at a greater price then ordinary for 26 s. 8 d. a piece from the Shambles a Carcase of an Oxe at 24 aâ—â— s. 10 d. a piece one and fifty great Veals at 4 s. 8 d. a piece four and thirty Porks at 3 s 8 d. a piece ninety one Pigs at 6 d. a piece Capons ten dozen at 20 d. a piece Kentish Capons nine dozen and a half at 12 d. a piece Capons course nineteen dozen 6 d. a piece Cocks of gross seaven dozen nine at 8 d. a piece Cocks course fourteen dozen and eight at 3 d. a piece Pullets the best at 2 d. ob a piece other Pullets 2 d. Pigeons thirty seaven dozen at 10 d. a dozen and Larks three hundred and forty dozen at 5 d a dozen if the Magistrates of England who are trusted by the Law with the Assiâ—e and correction of the rates and prices of victuals and houshold provisions and the punishment of Ingrossers Forestallers and Regrators did not sleep over their duty or too many of the Justices of Peace and Lords of Leets did not finde it to be more for their own advantages to improve and raise their Lands to the highest rack rather then reduce those now exorbitant rates and prices into that order which the Laws and Statutes of England do intend they should be There being no just cause to complain of our payments to the King for his Pourveyance or any other of his necessary affairs when the cry and daily complaints of our want of money is not so much by reason of our want of Trade as our want of wit by mispending that which should regularly and orderly maintain us and our Families and it is not our want of Trade but our too much trading in pride excess and superfluities which hath brought the Nation into that Hectique Feaver and almost incurable Consumption which hath now seised upon the vitalls of it and would be very evident if a strict accompt and view were taken of what hath been needlesly and vitiously spent within these last twenty or thirty years more then formerly in Apparrel Diet Wine Tobacco Jewels Coaches new Fashions greater Portions given with Daughters then our Forefathers could either have given or thought fitting increase of Servants Artificers and Labourers wages gaming by women as well as men great interest and Brocage paid for money and buying upon Trust to support their vanities and twenty millions sterling lately spent in the enterteynment of the Devil and a most horrid Rebellion and seeking for a Liberty to loose all our own Liberties and may give us to understand that if we had that money again which was so foolishly mispended those that could then lay it out and now want it might subscribe unto this undenyable truth that there would be greater riches and less necessities seen in England then in any other Nation and enough and more then enough to drive the Trade thereof and that whilst the back and belly have vyed who should be most inordinate and profuse the improvement of Rents Wages and Commoditâ—â—s have been to no better a purpose then to improve our vices and the Nationaâ—l as well as particular miseries and damage which are and will be the never â—aâ—ling concomitants and consequents of it For no reason can be given why we should not as chearfully submit to any thing that tends to the support of the King and the Honour 〈…〉 Nation as every Citizen of London and man of Trade will do to the furnishing of Pageants or publick 〈◊〉 for the honor and Reputation of their City or Company or as the Universities sometime do in an Entertainment of the King or their Chancellour though they did at the same time contribute to the Pourveyance or as the People of England did in the 5 th year of the Reign of King Edward the 6th when the Queen Regent of Scotlandâ—n â—n her return out of France thither desiring to take her Journy through England was by the City of London presented at her fiâ—st coming with Muttons Beefe Veals Poultry Wine and all other sorts of Provisions necessary for the Entertainment of her and her no small Train even to Bread and Fâ—well and when she departed to goe for Scotland was after great and Princely Entertainments by the King at Whitchall conducted by the Sheriffs of London to whose care the King had committed it as farre as Waltham and by all the Sheriffs of all the Counties through which she passed untill she came unto the Borders of Scotland her Enterteynment being provided by the Kings appointment at the charge of the Counties Nor can it be for the honour of the English Nation to come behind the Jews that stiffe necked and Rebellious Race of Mankind in their kindness and returns unto their Kings and Princes who notwithstanding that pedagoguy and hard hand of Government which the Almighty in his eternall Wisdome found necessary to put upon them in their releasing of Servants and letting their Lands lye untilled every seaventh year permitting their Debtors and Mortgagors or Venâ—ors in every Jubile or 50 year to enjoy their Lands and Estates and to be at liberty their many and many times Free-will and Thanksgiving Offerings Peace-Offerings Sin-Offerings costly Sacrifices Feasts unto the Lord and Journeys to Jerusalem the Offerings which were brought and prepared for the building of the Tabernacle in such aboundance a readiness and zeal not now to be found amongst us as formerly in the building of Churches or repair of the Cathedral of St. Paul as God directed Moses by a Proclamation to restrain them from bringing any more and their Males appearing three times in every year before the Lord not empty handed and their very large Offerings also at the Dedication of the Temple when Solomon their King invited them unto it and their Corban or money often given to the Treasury of it could not forget their respects and duty to their Kings in their Presents or Pourveyance for them and their Houshold When God would not suffer the Majesty of Kings shining as the beams reflections of his divine Majesty upon the face of Moses
And if that and such lately or more then ever practised courses shall not be enough to raise and swell the rates and prices of all sorts of Provisions and Commodities in London and the Counties within 100 miles or more of the circumference of it the unreasonable and extorting reckonings and Items of the Cooks and Vintneâ—s in London and Westminster and their Suburbs to their prodigall and unthriving Guests who in a custome near of kin to madness or the biggest sorts of follies which other Nations do never or so little use as they wonder at it do first eat their meat and delicacies and leaving themselves afterwards to the curtesies and as little coâ—science of the Cooks and Vintners what they shall pay for it will be sure to be a means to raise the rates and prices of victuals and by their example impose it upon others as high as the sharking of those that ask it and the eâ—siness and carelessness of those that yield unâ—o it can lift it And whilst they can pay their duties and rents of Blackmail and Cornage in many of the Northern Counties which were at the first only yearly paid unto their Landlords for their protection against the Scottish Incursions now not at all either feared or endured and there and in other places pay Tithes though many times more in valuation then they were one hundred years agoe three shillings four pence per annum for respits of Suit of Court when there are not any Courts kept for many years together or not all and Toll in many Cities and Corporations which being granted for some few years for Murage or the repairing or building of the walls of some Cities or Towns is as is to be feared yet continued and taken though the walls being almost ruined and in their rubbidge do now only serve to build houses upon can willingly take the benefit of their small Quit-rents for Mannopera and Carropera Precaria and Harvest work to some Landlords who for many years have neither had Corn nor Hay to cut or carry and for other services anciently due unto the Lords of Leets and Manors which may now be believed to have been compounded for at easie and small rates when as some of the Tenants of the Church Revenue of Canterbury did pay but a penny per annum for that which was a rent of Twenty Eggs now sold in London for a penny an Egg and for Hens and Benerth which was a service of the Cart and Plough but sixteen pence per annum and do yet notwithstanding as many services perhaps as were bought or compounded for by their Quit-rents though at the same time their Lords if they would truly execute the power intrusted unto them by the King and his Laws might in their Court Leets hinder and restrain their unreasonable and excessive rates and prices in the sale of victuals and houshold provisions pay the hundred penny which is a peny given to the support of the Bayliffs and Officers of Hundrâ—ds though in many of them no Hundred Courts at all aâ—e kept a Scot or Tax towards the maintenance of the Sheriff and his Officers who by their many illegall courses and exactions are not to seek the way to provide for themselves Ward-peny and Brigbote for watching and warding and amending of Bridges although they be yearly assessed in their Parishes for the same things much of the Romescot or Popish Chimney-money after the rate of a penny for every Chimney which when it was ancienly paid in England notwithstanding some opinions that it amounted unto a far greater summe was but 300 Marks though by the Statute of 1 Eliz it be forbidden And for Rode Knights or the service of being retained and and tied by their service or customes to attend their Lord or his Lady or Wife in their journeys or to Church though many of them will notwithstanding for good will and in hope of favours or benefits from their Landlords if they be Justices of Peace Deputy-Lieutenants of the County or of such eminence and power as to be able to do them good or harme be offering those or many other services and glad when they are accepted The Merchants in London can pay Scavage or Shewage which amounteth unto some hundred pounds per annum profit to the City of London for leave to shew or expose their Wares or Merchandâ—zes to sale though they do privately sell their Wares and Commodities in their Dwelling-houses or Ware-houses and every petty Tradesman and Retailer hath as a Freeman of the City as much liberty at all times to expose to sale in his Shop or in his House any Commodities or Wares belonging to his Trade The people of most Parishes can pay ten times more to the Poor then they did but forty years agoe and willingly contribute and it is very well done to ease their Ministers who is but seldome troubled with a great Benefice to the providing of Surplices Church-Bibles and Service-books though the Parsons or Impropriators have the Tithes and Glebes and can every where without any complaint or murmuring allow and rest contented with the Pigeon-houses of the Lords of Mannors and of other private men though they do yearly eat and devour as much Wheat Barley Beans Peace and Oatâ— of the Neighbourhood as the Pourveyance or Compâ—sitions for it for the Kings House and Provender for his horses do yearly chaâ—ge the people And whilst they can endure to pay more for their victuals apparel and necessaries Servants and Artificers wages and all that they have occasion to use through all the affaiâ—s of humane life and occasions only because they that demand it will not or say they cannot afford it cheaper and be cheated and cozened yearly as much as will amount unto some hundred thousands of pounds sterling by false measures and weights by the sleepiness and fellow feeling of the Guilds or Fraternities of Companies of Trades the carelesness and connivances of the Clerks of the Markets will notwithstanding murmur and repine at every little Oblation Payments and Duties to their King be as unwilling as they can to be satisfied of the reason of it but make Hue and Cry after them And when as a leaâ—ned Gentleman hath well observed that the greatest care of good Subjects and Christians should be to fear God and honor the King do make it their business best of their gains to cozen the King and the Church and when shame hath not yet so left the world as to leave it without some little startling or blushing at the being known or discovered to have cozened any body will never at all be ashamed to have cozened the King all they can Which kind of publâ—que villany the Civilâ— Law so detested and desired to punish as they reckoned but a debtor to the Exchequer or Emperors Treasury being farre more innocent then those that cozen or defraud it amongst the number of the most heynous offenders tanquam
troublesome to give a Guard of 4000 Archers of Cheshire with their Bows bent and their Arrows hocked ready to shoot Bouche of Court to wit meat and drink and wages of six pence a day then accompted a very great pay Or that King Henry the 7 th then whom the Kingdom of England never had a more thrifty Prince did the morrow after Twefthtyde in a great Solemnity keep a Feast in Westminster Hall where he being set at a Table of Stone which remained untill the middle of our late Rebellion accompanyed with the Queen and many Embassadours and other Estates 60 Knights and Esquires served 60 Dishes to the Kings Mess and as many to the Queens and served the Lord Mayor of London at a Table where he was set with 24 dishes of meat to his Mess. And our succeeding Kings understood to be so much for the good and welfare of the people as King Edward the Sixth that great Blossome of prudence and piety and all manner of Princely virtues when a surfeit of Church Lands and Revenues had like the coal carried into the Eagles nest reduced the Royall Revenues into a consumptive and languishing condition had by the advice of his Privy Council suppressed but with no advantage to the Revenue or curing the diseases of it as it then and hath since happened in many of those pretended rather then really effected dishonorable Espargnes witness the putting down of fourteen Tables at once by King Charles the Martyr which gained in one year Thirty thousand pounds to some few of his Officers who did advise him to do it but nothing at all for himself the Tables formerly appointed for young Lords the Masters of Requests and Serjeants at Armes c. he did not howsoever think fit to diminish or lessen any more of the Royall Hospitality And King James when he had by an over-great bounty to his Countrymen the Craving Scots and their restless importunities brought himself and Revenue into many streights and was contented to seek out wayes of sparing did in the inquest and seeking to abate the charge of his housekeeping in his Letters to the Lords of the Councel bearing date in November 1617. and pressing earnestly to have it done to the end that he might equall his charges to his Revenue direct them to abate superfluities in all things and multitudes of unnecessary Officers and to do things so as they might agree with his honor but concluded that there were twenty wayes of abatement besides the House if they be well looked into Which may give us a Prospect which a larger Treatise of the Antiquitie legality reason duty and necessity of Prae-emption and Pourveyance for the King or Compositions for his Pourveyance as they were used and taken for the provision of the Kings Houshold the small charges and burden thereof to the People and many great mischiefs and inconveniences which will inevitably follow the taking of them away will more fully evidence how great a damage the King susteyneth by the want of them How unbecoming the Majesty and Honor of a King and his many Princely affairs and occasions it will be that the people should deny him that granted or continueth their Profits in Fairs and Markets the benefit of Prae-emption which all Princes as well Christian as Heathen do enjoy and is but conformable to the Tenor and meaning of the Fifth Commandement in the Decalogue and the Honour due unto common Parents and Magistrates enjoyned thereby How unsafe to the peoples consciences when they do by their Oathes of Allegeance and Supremacy swear to maintain and defend his Regall Rights and Jurisdictions not to allow his Prae-emption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or forecheapum and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Saxon Times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prendere which is Prae-emption and was then as it hath been ever since so just and legall a part of the Kings Prerogative as King Ina who reigned here in the year 720. did by a Law prohibit that Fore fang or Captio obsoniorum in foris aut nundinis non ab aliquo fit priusquam minister Regis ea ceperit quae Regi fuerint necessaria the taking or buying of Houshold provisions by others in Fairs or Markets before the Kings Minister or Pourveyor should take those things which were necessary for the King And was not then any Novel constitution or acquired Right or Praerogative or without a Divine pattern but so inhaerent in Monarchy and Kingly Government and so becoming the duty and gratitude of Subjects as we may find the Vestigia or Tracs of it in the morning of the restored not long before drowned and washt world when Joseph that great and happy Minister of State under Pharaoh King of Egypt did by the help of that Royal Right of Praeemption keep the Lean Kine from eating up the Fat and save that Kingdome and many other neighbouring Nations from an irresistible famine and ruine And how contrary it will be unto the duty of Subjects to refuse him their Carts to convey his Carriages unless they may have two parts in three more then formerly when the Earl of Rutland and Countess Dowager of Pembroke and many other of the Nobility have not only their Pourveyances but can have their Tenants Boon Carts upon any of their occasions for nothing and every Lord of a Manor or Parson of a Parish do seldom fail of as much or greater curtesies or respects from their Tenants or Parishioners or that the Kings Harbingers should from some of the Tribe of Naball receive uncivill and churlish answers that they are not to loose the advantage of six pence more which may be given by any other or that his Pourveyors should not have the benefit of Praeemption as one of them lately was refused in the buying of a Salmon or be wrangled with and have Fowl taken out of their hands as one lately did and when he was told it was for the King could say he cared not a turd for him or that his Officers should be exposed to the humours or incivilities of Clowns Quakers or disaffected persons And that strangers who have commonly and usually seen forreign Princes travailing in any parts of Christendome out of their own Territories and Jurisdictions to be by a generall and never intermitted custome honourably and respectfully received in all Cities and Places of note and presented with Wine Fish and other provisions such as the place and season of the year afforded which even those Commonwealths States and Places of incivility Trade and selfishness such as Holland and Hamborough do never omit should see the King of Englands Servants and Officers so little respected in their attendance upon him in his Journeys or Progresses as not to be trusted with a small hire of a Cart unless like some beggars in the streets buying an halfpenny or a farthing worth of pottage at a Cooks Shop they do first
Sacrorum is Baldus and Individua as Cynus termeth them which Jurisconsultorum communi quodam decreto by an uncontraverted opinion of all Lawyers nec cedi nec distrahi nec ulla ratione ababienari a summo principe posse cannot as Bodni saith be granted away or released noâ— by any manner of way alienated or withholden from the Sovereign Prince nec ulla quidem temporis diuturnitate praescribi posse nor by any length of time prescribed against him and are therefore by Besoldus cal-called Imperii Majestatis Jura bona regno conjuncta incorporata seu corona unit a quae princeps alienari nequit the Rights of Empire and Majesty and the goods and part of the Crown so incorporate and united unto it as the Prince cannot alien them which to attempt would not be much different from the endeavours to restrain a Prince by a Law not to receive or demand any Subsidies Oblations Civilities or Respects from his People which like a Law against the Word of God or contra bonos more 's would by the opinion of our no less Judicious and Learned Hobart Bacon and Hutton be voyd and of none effect for the Presents and good will of Inferiours unto their Superiours not bribes to corrupt Justice either for favours done or to be done is one of the antient and most noble Customes which mankind hath ever practised and began so with the beginning or youth of the world as we find the Patriarch Jacob sending with his Sons to his then unknown Son Joseph besides the mony which he gave them to buy corn in Egypt a Present of the best fruits of the Country a little Balm and a little Honey Spices and Myrrhe Nuts and Almonds Saul when he thought not of ever being a King whilst he was busied in the enquiring for his Fathers Asses did not think fit to goe unto Samuel the man of God who was then accompted honourable unless he had a Present to bring him Most of the People of the East brought Presents unto their Kings as was seen in the splendour and greatness of Solomon and sine quibus as Grotius saith Reges non adire solebant did not without presents come a near their Kings and was a Custome long after not forgotten by the Kings or Wisemen coming out of the East to worship adore our blessed Saviour at his Birth The Persians in their Kings Progresses did munera offerre neque vilia vel exilia neque nimis praetiosa magnifica bring him Presents neither precious nor contemptible from which etiam Agricolae opifices Workmen and Plowmen were not freed in bringing Wine Oxen Sheep Fruits and Cheeses and the first Fruits of what the earth brought forth quae non tributi sed doni loco censebantur which were not received or given as Tributes but as Oblations and Free gifts which made the poor Persian Synetas when he met with Artaxerxes and his Trayn in the way of his Progress rather then fail of something to offer hasten to the River and bring as much water as he could in his hands and with a chearfull countenance wishes and prayers for the health of the King present it unto him Nor was not so altogether appropriate unto those Eastern Countries where God spake first unto his People and the Sun of his Righteousness did arise but was long agoe practised in England where the custome was as Gervasius Tilburiâ—nsis who wrote in the Reign of Henry the Second and lived in the Reign of King Henry the First informs us upon all Addresses to the King quaâ—dam in rem quaâ—dam in spem offerre to present the King with some or other Presents either upon the granting of any thing or the hopes which they had that he would do it afterwards And so usually as there were Oblata Rolls or Memorialls kept of it in the Reign of King John and some other the succeeding Kings and the Queens or their Royall Consorts seldome escaped the tender of those gratitudes of Aurum Reginae Money or Gold presented unto them as well as unto their Kings and was a Custome not infrequent in the Saxon times as appeareth by our Doomsday Book the most exact and generall Survey of all the Kingdome and so little afterwards neglected as it was paid upon every Pardon of Life or Member and so carefully collected as it was long after in the Reign of King Henry the Third by an Inquisition taken after the death of Gilbert de Sandford who was by Inheritance Chamberlain to the Queens of England found that he had amongst many other Fees and Profits due unto him and his Heirs by reason of that office six pence per diem allowed for a Clark in the Court of Exchequer to collect and gather the Oblation or Duty Neither can there be any reason given why the Clergie for whom God the ratio rationum incomprehensible wisedome and greatest perfection ordained so great a Pourveyance for them in their Tythes and Oblations should enjoy it and his Vice-gerent and Protector of them be without it the Nobility and many of the Gentry and Laity not want it either in kind or some other satisfaction for it and all Cities Corporations Guilds and Societies furnish out their grandeur and greatness derived only by reflection from that of the Kings and he only be deprived of that which should maintain his hospitality and was so usefull to all other Kingâ— and Princes for the gaining of the affections of the People Et a concilier as Lâ—iâ— de Orleans saith L' amour de 〈◊〉 subjectâ— quil◠〈◊〉 par le bouche d' leurs le peâ—ple au 〈◊〉 les pâ—â—ds a lateste pour affirmir le corps politique et le lâ—er par une gracâ—â—use voire necessaire correspondence and to procure the love of the people who are taken by the mouth and to fasten them unto the King and the Feet unto the Head strengthen the Body Politique and unite all the parts thereof by a loving and necessary complyance when he doth at the same time yearly pay and allow some thousands of pounds for the support and Pourveyance of his Councel in the Marches of Wales and his Judges and Justices of the Peace and other Officers in the Kingdom for the administration of Justice Or for us to think that when God in his Government of his chosen people of Israel in that his most righteous Theodratie did command them not to delay the offerings of the First of their Ripe Fruitâ— and of their Liquors and of their Oxen and their Sheep and ordained that if a Sheaf were forgotten in the time of Harvest they were not to goe again to fetch it and when they did beat their Olive trees they should not go â—ver it again and gathered their grapes they should not gleâ—n them for they should be for the â—tranger the Fâ—therless and the Widow he would now be well pleased with such an
when he came down out of the Mount from his conference with him to be abated or lessened but shewed his care of it in the severe punishment of the gain-saying of Corah Dathan Abiram and their saying that Moses took too much upon him and is and ever hath been so essentiall very necessary to the preservation of Authority and Government and the Subjects and People under it as Saul when he had incurred the displeasure of God and his Prophet Samuel desired him not to dishonour him before the People And David when he heard how shamefully his Embassadours had been abused by the King of Ammon ordered them to stay at Jericho untill their beards were grown out The Romans who being at the first but Bubulci and Opiliones a rude Company oâ— Shepheards Herdsmen and were looked upon as such a base and rude Rabble as the Sabines their Neighbours scorned to marry or be allyed with them did afterwards in their growing greatness which like a torrent arising from a small assembly of waters did afterwards overrun and subdue the greatest part of the habitable World hold their Consuls in such veneration as they had as Cicero saith magnum nomen magnam speciem magnam majestatem as well as magnâ—m potestatem as great an outward respect and veneration as they had authority and were so jealous and watchfull over it as their Consul Fabius would rather lay aside the honour due unto his Father from a Sonne of which that Nation were extraordinary obseâ—vers then abate any thing of it and commanded his aged Father Fabius the renowned rescuer and preserver of Rome in a publique Assembly to alight from his Horse and do him the honour due unto his present Magistracy which the good old man though many of the people did at the present dislike it did so approve of as he alighted from his horse and embracing his Son said Euge fili sapis qui intelligis quibus imperes quam magnum magistratum susceperis my good Son you have done wisely in understanding over whom you command and how great a Magistracy you have taken upon you And our Offa King of the Mercians in An. Dom. 760 an Ancestor of our Sovereign took such a care of the Honour and Rights due unto Majesty and to preserve it to his Posterity as he ordained that even in times of Peace himself and his Successors in the Crown should as they passed through any City have Trumpets sounded before them to shew that the Person of the King saith the Leiger Book of St. Albans should breed both fear and honour in all which did either see or hear him Neither will it be any honour for Christians to be out-done by the Heathen in that or other their respects and observances to their Kings when the Romans did not seldome at their publique charge erect costly Statues and Memorialls of their gâ—atitude to their Emperours make chargeable Sacrifices ad aras in aedibus honoris virtutis in their Temples of Honour and Virtue could yearly throw money into the deep Lake or Gulfe of Curtius in Rome where they were like never to meet with it again pro voto salute Imperatoris as Offerings for the health and happiness of their Emperouâ—s and all the City and Senate Calendis Januarii velut publico suo parenti Imperatori strenas largiebant did give New years-gifts to the Emperour as their publick Parent bring them into the Capitol though he was absent and make their Pensitationes or Composition for Pourveyance for their Emperours to be a Canon unalâ—erable Or by the Magnesians and Smirnaeans who upon a misfortune in Warre hapned to Seleucus King of Syria could make a League with each other and cause it to be engraven in Marble pillars which to our dayes hath escaped the Iron Teeth of time majestatem Seleuci tueri conservare to preserve and defend the Honor and Majesty of Seleucus which was not their Sovereign or Prince but their Friend and Ally Nor any thing to perswade us that our Forefathers were not well advised when in their care to preserve the honor of their King and Country they were troubled and angry in the Reign of King H. 3. that at a publick Feast in Westminster-Hall the Popes Legate was placed at the Kings Table in the place where the King should have sate or when the Baronage or Commonalty of England did in a Parliament holden at Lincoln in the Reign of King Edward the First by their Letters to their then domineering demy-God the Pope who was averse unto it stoutly assert their Kings superiority over the Kingdome of Scotland and refuse that he should send any Commissioners to Rome to debate the matter before the Pope in Judgement which would tend to the disherison of the Crown of England the Kingly Dignity and prejudice of the Liberties Customes and Laws of their Forefathers to the observation and defence of which they were ex debito prestiti juramenti astricti bound by Oath and would not permit tam insolita praejudicialia such unusuall and prejudiciall things to be done against the King or by him if he should consent unto it Or when the Pope intending to cite King Edward the Third to his Court at Rome in Anno 40 of his Reign to do homage to the See of Rome for England and Ireland and to pay him the Tribute granted by King John the whole Estates in Parliament did by common consent declare unto the King that if the Pope should attempt any thing against him by process or other matter the King with all his Subjects should with all their force resist him And in Anno 42 of King Ed. 3. advised him to refuse an offer of peace made unto him by David le Bruse King of Scotland though the Warâ—es and frequent incursions of that Nation were alwayes sufficiently troublesome chargeable so that he might enjoy to him in Fee the whole Realm of Scotland without any subjection and declared that they could not assent unto any such Peace to the disherison of the King and his Crown and the great danger of themselves Or that William Walworth he gallant Mayor of London whose fame for it will live as long as that City shall be extant was to be blamed when he could not endure the insolency of the Rebel Wat Tyler in suffering a Knight whom the King had sent to him to stand bare before him but made his Dagger in the midst of his Rout and Army teach his proud heart better manners Or Richard Earl of Arundelâ—nd â—nd Surrey did more then was necessary when as he perceiving before hand the after accomplished wicked designe and ambition of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster and titular King of Leon and Castile did before the downfall of that unhappy Prince King Richard the Second complain in Parliament that he did sometimes go arme in arme with the King and make