among whom were Oda and VVolstane Archbishoppes and many other Bishoppes to prouide for their soules health and theirs whom they had the cure of And in an other place I Edwarde King to all both yong ond olde in my iurisdiction giue knowledge that I in the solempne assemblie of the best seene of my kingdome aswel ecclesiastical as temporal haue carefully enquired and so foorth King Edgar his seconde sonne the yeare 959 was likewise a lawe maker and thus entitles them The lawes whiche 1 Edgar King in the freequented senate to the glory of God â–ª the dignity of my Maiestie and the profite of the common wealth haue past Etheldred or Eldred or Egelred the second son of Edgar the yeare 979 whiche alter a little who by the murder of Edward his elder brother named the Martire came to the crown in whose time the Danes so entred this laÌ„d as ere they had done the king fledde into Normandy and lefte his kingdome to Swanus the Tyrant Dane after whose decease retourning he not long after died hee also being doing with lawes termes them thus The councel of graue fathers which king Ethelred had at Woodstock in Marcia for the preseruation of the peace whiche is gouerned by the english lawes at the ende of suche perticulers as are agreed on he concluds on this maner This our commaundement decree if any shal neglect c. He shal pay to the king one huÌ„dred twenty shillings There was a league made also by the sayd King with the army of Aulavus Iustinus and Gustimundus the sonnes of Stegetie the Dane and goes thus The agreement or part which once or of late king Ethelred by the aduise of his wise confederates with them aforesayde did enter in His sonne Edmund surnamed Ironside parted the Realme with Canutus or Knought King of Denmark who being slayn by the treason of Edricke Canutus enioyed the whole principality and tho Swanus were the firste Danish King here yet held hee not the kingdome so absolutely as thys man did Hee made more lawes than anye one before him which are thus intituled The decrees which Canutus king of English Danes and Norwayes at Winchester at Christmas hath appointed by the aduise of men of knowledge to the honor of the God of heauen the renoume of the kings Maiestie and the benefite of the common wealth Againe in an other place he vseth these wordes These are the humaine and lawes politique wherin vsing the counsel of the wise I command to be kept thorough Englande Hee began to raigne alone the yeare of grace 1019. Edwarde the Confessour after Hardikenitus the last king of the Danish bloud 1043. began to raigne he fouÌ„ded many holesome lawes and was the firste erector as it is written of the common law whych VVilliam Conqueror did after confirme wherof this I finde After the conquest of England the foresayde King William the fourth yere of his raigne by the persuasion aduise and councel of his nobility did sommon throughout his land the nobles the gouernours the graue heads and the Learned in the lawe to heare of them their rights customes and ordinances whereof chosing twelue of euery county who taking their othes before the king directly truely and so forth to shew declare the same they brought the lawes of Saint Edward as we haue them now and the king established them in that manner The Conqueror hym selfe began to rule this Ilande 1066 some recken a yeare more who also adding certaine ordinaunces in the entraunce hath these wordes Here beginneth what William king of the Englishe nation after the conquest with his nobility hath appointed to be perfourmed I reade that Henry the first his sonne who gouerned after VVilliam Rufus his brother did at the beginning of his raign lighten the great exactions imposed by his father and brother reduced and amended Saint Edwards lawes whiche as it should seeme were eyther forgotten or would not be remembred for al the fathers confirmation or rather shew therof reformed measures apoynted directions to be obserued Aboute the thyrtith yeare of hys raigne hee helde a counsel at LondoÌ„ wherin it was thought good he shold haue the Cleargy within his censure Maude the Emprice his daughter first marryed to Henrie the fourth Emperor of Almayne and afterwards to Geffrey Plantagenet Erle of Aâ—iou the 31. of his raigne had by hir husbande shortly after a son named Henrie vpoÌ„ the knowledge wherof he called hys nobles together decreed that his daughter the heires of hir body shoulde succeede him in the Kyngdome Grafton in the thirteenth yere of this King in hys Cronicle saith thus And in this time began the Parliament in Englande firste to be instituted and ordeyned for reformation and gouernement of this Realme The manner whereof as I haue fouÌ„d it set out in an olde pamflet I intende at large to set foorth in the raigne of King Edwarde the thirde when and where Parliaments were yearely and orderly kepte the whiche I sought to finde but promise was not kepte Turning his booke I founde in his preface to the Reader these wordes And where I haue in the â—3 yere of King Henry the firste promised to place the maner and order that first was taken for the holding of the parliamente in the time of king Edwarde the thirde I haue sith that tyme for sundry good causes thought meete to omit the same and therefore admonish the Reader not to looke for it Hereof iudge you and if you wyll haue hys reason he is not far to seke Stephen in a manner no sole sybbe to the Crowne the righte heyres being aliue was by the nobilitye admitted Kyng In hys time the Emprice by the aide of hyr Basterd brother Robert Earle of Gloucester the ciuill warres grew great wherin the King being taken and who now but the Emprice as it were confirmed according to hir iust title she was moued for the restitution of Saint Edwards Lawes but shee was deafe on that side The last yeare of thys Kings time he and Henrie the Emprice sonne grew to communication and agreement The King commaunded his Lordes to assemble at Winchester where Duke Henrie was honorably receyued and there it was agreed he shoulde adopte the Duke hys sonne and confirme too him the Crowne of Englande after his deceasse Henry the second hys follower in the gouernement of another clayme helde a councel at the beginning of his raign at Wallingforde where the Barons were sworne to the king The eyght yere of his raigne he caused all the subiectes to sweare fealty to his sonne Henrye touching the inherytaunce In the ninth yeare Fabian sayeth the kyng called a Parliament at Northampton and so termed it as also in some other places he doeth Councels and calling togethers of the Lordes by the prynce wherin him selfe vouches nothing was done but a pretence to reforme and somewhat gelde the preueleges of the Cleargy The same time a
Windsor by the way were too too vnkindly vsed of the Londoners The king Lords fel to agreement as Fabian writes were coÌ„tented to be ordered by the doome of the FreÌ„ch king who they agreed to be iudge betweene them the king giuing sentence the Barons refuse and fal to war. The yeare following the King his brother and sonne were taken in the Battayle at Lewes by meanes whereof the king grauntes a new the confirmation of the former statutes till matters accordingly be perfourmed Prince Edwarde and the king of Romaines sonne remaynes pledges wyth the Barons The 49. yeare Prince Edwarde being deliuered a Parliament or rather a counsell bycause I finde no statute thereof was helde at Winchester and all matters and decrees passed at Oxforde were vtterly vndone reuoked and called in and all writings and assuraunces sealed for the same were cancelled defaced You haue certaine statutes concluded I thinke at Winchester in your firste volume made in the yeare 51 of thys king in all the which you finde no other wordes for the moste parte but the king willeth or he commaundeth Unlesse hee firste alleadge an inconuenience happened which to redresse he vses it is therefore prouided and ordained The yeare after there were certain statutes passed at Marlebridge or Marleborowe wher you haue this beginning The yeare of grace 1267. the. 25. yeare of the raigne of king Henry sonne of king Iohn in the vtas of Saint Martine for the better estate of the Realme of England and for the more speedie administration of iustice as belongeth to the office of a king the more discrete men of the Realme being called together aswel of the higher as of the lower estate it was c. in all these statutes no word of enacted or ordained by the aucthority of this presente Parliament c. is founde but it is prouided and agreed whiche shal be and shal not bee as the matter which is stablished doth importe In the ende of these lawes and decrees and conclusion of agréement béetwéene 〈◊〉 king and his subiectes the Bishoppes doe pronounce aâ— men accurssed who shall go about to breake infringe or alter the liberties and free customes conteyned in the Charts of the coÌ„mon liberties and of the Forrest c. The preamble to the which Charters is in this manner Henrie by the grace of God c. To all Archbishoppes c. our faithfull subiectes greting know yee that wee vnto the honor of almighty god and for the saluation of the soules of our progenitors and successours kings of Englande to the aduauncemente of holy Church and amendement of our Realme of our mere and free will haue giuen and graunted c. Edwarde his sonne confirmed these Charters graunted by hys father and the thyrde yeare of his raigne helde a Parliament wherein were made diuers statutes and thus it saith These be the actes of King Edward sonne to King Henry at the first Parliament general after his coronatioÌ„ on the Monday of Easter vtas the thirde yeare of his raigne by his councel and by the assente of the Archbishoppes Bishops Abbots Pryors Erles Barons and al the comunaltie of the Realme being thether sommoned c. And for diuers considerations named the booke sayth The king hath ordeyned and established these Actes vnderwritten whiche he entendeth to be necessary and profitable vnto the whole Realme And in the first Chapter First the king willeth and commaundeth c. The yeare following other statutes were set downe by this Auctority In the presence of certaine reuerende fathers Bishoppes of England and others of the Kinges councell the constitutions vnder written were recited and after hearde and published before the King and his councell for asmuche as all the kinges councell aswell Iustices as others did agree that they shoulde bee put in writing for a perpetuall memory and that they shoulde bee stedfastlye obserued The next yeare hee made certaine lawes at Gloucester and hath thus For the great mischiefes c. Our soueraign lord the king for the amendmet of the laÌ„d c. hath prouided and established these Actes vnderwritten willing and commanding that from henceforth â–ª they bee firmely obserued within this Realme In the ende of the Chapters of the same ParliameÌ„t there is an explanation of it termed Expositions vppon the Statute of Gloucester which begin Afterwarde by the king our soueraigne Lorde and his Iustices certaine expositions were made vpon some of the Articles aboue mentioned c. The seuenth yeare other statutes were made the notice of the first was giuen to the Iustices of the Kings Bench with thys preamble Edwarde by the grace of God King of Englande Lorde of Ireland Duke of Aquitaine to his iustices of his benche greeting Whereas c. as it folowes in the act And now in our Parliament at Westminster after the said treatise the prelats erles barons and the coÌ„munaltie of our realme there assembled c we coÌ„maunde you that you cause these things â—o be redde before you in the said bench and there to be enrolled The ninth the 11.13 in the which he had three Parliaments as it semeth the first wherin the statute of Acton Burnel was made the second he helde the parliament at Westminster wherin very many statuts passed the thirde was at Westminster the eighteenth the 20.21.24.25.27.28.29.30.33 the thirtie foure yere there were statuts made as apeares by the records in all which these wordes passe of Aucthoritie for enacting and confirmation The King hath commaunded our soueraigne lorde the king hath ordained the king chargeth all his iustices vppon their faithes and othes that they owe him that they shal see this and that executed according to the statutes It is prouided our soueraigne Lorde the King to abate the power of fellons hath established a payne in this case and for asmuch as the king wil not that his people should bee sodainelye impouerished by reason of this penaltie that seemeth verie harde to many The king graunteth The king and his councell at his Parliament holdeÌ„ at Acton Burnel hath ordeined these establishments our soueraigne Lorde the king at his Parliament holden at Westminster in the eightenth of his raign of his special grace for the singuler affection that he beareth vnto his prelates Erles and Barons and other of his Realme hath graunted Wherefore our soueraigne Lorde the king considering fraude c. hath streightly commaunded our soueraigne Lorde the King in his full Parliamente holden the day after the feaste of the Purification in the twentith yere of his raigne by a general couÌ„cel hath ordained froÌ„ henceforth hath commaunded to be straightly obserued our soueraigne Lorde the king at his Parliament after Easter the 21. yeare of his raigne at the instance of the nobles of his Realme hathe graunted and commaunded too bee from henceforth firmely obserued we haue also ordeined by the aduise of our councell at the Parliament of our soueraigne Lorde the King holden at Lincolne in the vtas of
finde that Egbert who was an vnder Kyng in West Saxons was expelled by Brithricus the King there and fled into Fraunce but Brithricus being poysoned by his wife Ethelburga Egberte retourned and obtayned the whole principality the yere 793 others say 802 and withal brought the most parte of England vnder his obeysance tamed the Welchmen and toke from them Chester by meanes of which his good fortunes he called a counsel of hys Lordes at Wynchester and by their aduises and agreements was crowned kyng and chiefe Lord of the land whervpon he sent forth commaundemente thorowe out his country straightlye charging the people thenceforth to bee called Angles and no more Britains and the kingdome Anglia and not Britaine In the yeare 800. some accompte thirteene lesse the Danes being also Paynims firste entred this region according to the most The Danes inuaded the seconde tyme the yere 838 Athelwolph raygning who of himselfe first graunted the tyth of corne Hey and Cattel to the cleargy And after toke such fast footing as they continually infested this Iland with cruell wars vsurpation and conquest til the death of Hardicanutus or Hardiknought the last king of that breed 1034 some accompt two sewer Alured alias Alphred before spoken began to gouerne the West Saxons who beyng a most iuste Prince very wel learned and carefull for the makyng and execution of good lawes collected and caused to be brought into the Saxon or English tong al such as by the kings his forgoers were stablished selecting out of them such as were thought most fit for the gouernement confirming them and secluding the rest reciting many of the commaundements and precepts giuen by God to Moyses and the message that the apostles and elders sent to Antiochia Siria and Cilicia by Saint Paul Barnabas Iudas and Silas touching the diuerting of themselues as we haue it in the Acts of the Apostles and also by the assembly and conference of the Bishoppes and other noble and wise counsellours diuers money penalties and others were appointed and the same not onely declared in their sermons but also put in writing He proceedes in the beginning of such as are allowed by him In haec verba These decrees and ordinaunces I Alured King haue gathered together and caused to be written a greate parte whereof our auncestours haue carefully kepte with manye other that I haue thoughte worthye in this our age to be helde and maintained with the like obseruation other some which I haue thought not to be so needful I haue with the conference of considerate couÌ„sellors in parte abrogated and partly established And bycause it maye seeme a pointe of too much rashnesse of a mans owne heade to adde any thing more also that it is vncertaine what credite our posteritie will giue thereto which we make greate reconing of what euer I haue founde worth the regarde in the Actes of my kynnesman and countryman Inas of Offa the King of Mertia or of Ethelbert the first christened of the Angles I haue brought together omitting the rest And in the consultation of them I Alured King of West Saxons haue vsed the couÌ„sell of the grauest of our people to al the whiche I haue commanded that the same be executed and kept Moreouer in this kings time Gutteron alias Gowthram alias Gythrun alias Gurmund of some named king of Danes by some king of Denmarke ariued in this land and sometime hauing the better in armes and sometyme put to the worse was at the last christened and named by Alured Athelstane the yere 878 to whom he gaue the kingdome of East England with the gouernemente of Saint Edmundes kingdome and also some write NorthumberlaÌ„d with whome making league and agreing in the confynes of their countries beginnes in this manner The truce aliaunce which Alured and Guthrun kings haue agreed by the aduise of the wise of the English nation and of all the inhabitauntes of East England to the which they not onely for themselues but also for their children to come are sworne Edward the first before the conquest called Edward the elder his eldest son beginning to raigne next after him the yeare 900. made and confirmed also certain lawes the first chapter wherof is intituled Of controuersie and iudgement and goes thus 1 king Edwarde do againe and againe commaunde all those who beare office in the common wealth that they beare themselues asmuch as in them lies iust â—udges to all men as it is written in the Iudiciall booke without feare boldely and freely to declare the common lawe and do appoint denounced daies wherein they will deale in euerye question and controuersie This Edwarde also confirmed the league with the fornamed Guthrun the Dane in this maner adding also to the former decrees by equal coÌ„sents these bee the councels institutes and ordinaunces whiche firste Alured and Guthrun then Edwarde and Guthrun kings at those dayes were agreed on when both the Danes and English accepted the treaty of peace Athelstane King Edwardes eldest sonne by whose prowesse and valure it is affirmed thys lande was reduced into one Monarchie againe and layde so sore too the Danes that since their first landing they were neuer so harde driuen did also constitute certaine lawes and ordinances beginning them wyth these wordes Athelstane King by the councel of the graue father Vlfhelme Archbishop and other my Bishops do wil and commaunde to al officers and such as haue charge of Iustice. 1 Athelstane king giue notice to all put in authority in our dominioÌ„s that with the aduise of Vlfhelme Archbishop and other Bishops and seruaunts of god haue ordered and set fourth In the ende of all he closeth with these woordes These be the ordinances decrees determined of in the honorable counsell of Grantamlean where was present VVolstane the Archbishop and with him great companie of the best and wisest sorte called togeather by Athelstane The asseÌ„bly parted the king had enquired how the peace was kept among his people fynding it and iustice smally to hys mind delt inioyned more laws to his first and thus shewes the cause â— Athelstane king will all men to know that hauing demanded why our peace is not manteyned according to my commaundement the decree at Grantamlean I am certefied from the experienced of my dominions that the same is happened by my ouermuche sufferance and remissnesse in punnishing But now at Christmas last at Exeter being attended on with grauewise men whom I found moste readye to venture their facultie themselues wiues and children to most greate hazarde that these peace breakers might vtterly without retourning be expelled the lande The yeare 946. Edmund his brother beganne to rule after him in whose time the Danes held Lincolne Nottingham Darby Stafford and Leicester who also erecting and confirming lawes shewes this by whom they were consented on Edmund King helde the solempne Feaste of Easter at London where were mette a greate companie of the Cleargie and laity
where the monarchial gouernement strikes the stroke therby to thanke God wythout whom far lesse matters cannot stande Secondly that we should not be forgetful of the great gracious liberall and continual fauour of the Princes of this land who haue not only consented freely to the confirmation of this third estate but more thaÌ„ that neuer vndoubtedly repented the allowaunce thereof as well may be proued for that they neuer cauilled therin What contented mindes of late ages the kings and Queenes of this Realme haue carried in matters of Parliament when things haue not fallen out currant to their expectations I thinke not only al ParliameÌ„t men but the whole cuntry knowes And if I desired to picke thanks the most allowed way which is in telling truth I coulde make a long libel of hir maiesties that now is particular patience fauor great suffering and wel accepting of matters of Parliament but I will leaue it to a better workman to be booked by it selfe bycause it will aske a great volume Thyrdly to shew what a Iewel you haue of this most free general and vniuersal consultative kind of Lawmaking therby to be careful not only to kepe and preserue that odde grace granted to no nation but to our selues in such like regiments but also in al respectes dutifully to put to our indeuor to be worthy meÌ„bers of so gret a councell I will but remember you of a fewe lynes of Plato who neuer knewe England and muche lesse the English Parliament in his booke of his common welthe he makes mention of three kindes of rule viz. Monarchia Aristocratia Democratia Where the Prince doeth al sayes he lawes shal be made as best shall like him without regarde to others where nobility and a certain number of the greatest holde the helme the ship wil be directed to what hauen they please If decrées and ordinaunces lye in the multituds heads they wil be popular Sée you these imperfections for the want of combyning these three kinds togither whiche done and no lawe passe without all their consents who shal haue cause to complaine who is exempted out of this common wealth who is wronged or put to the wal who agrées not to his owne welth or waÌ„t O Anglia terque quaterque beata that doth inioy that blessed priuiledge which to maintaine as I beséeche all men so to my best I will proceede to aduise you of whom I haue most tender care to take such hede in all your actions touching the same as it by you may be Pro virile streÌ„gthned you experienced and wel deseruing therof and I ioyfull to heare of the considerate discharging of your duety First is to be considered what your auctority is and howe farre it doth reache from whence you had the same what trust they haue committed to you and what they expect at your hands that elected you therto Then by what meanes you shal best discharge without the indignatioÌ„ of the Prince or misliking of the nobility that trust to the profit of your electors The former parts are easyer to be set downe than the latter pointes drawen into assuréd aduices and vnfallible precepts But bycause as I sayde in the beginning I am to write too you who I am sure will take in good meaning my wel determined remembraunces rather than scrupulously picke out the insufficiency therof which I muste confesse is great yet not wholly so fruitelesse and vnfurnished but that you may gather some fewe Apples out of a smal Orchard Our Parliament consisteth of three estates First the Prince the second the nobility such as are admitted by their succession whose auncestors haue bin of the house or the king doth call and the Bishoppes all the which without speciall licence must be personally present and if they be by any meanes absent they giue theyr voyces to some one they best like who is resiant The third of the Commons wherin is comprised the yonger sonnes of the nobility and in a manner all the heires apparante very few except the fathers â—â—ing al the gentry the whole rest It is thus furnished there are two Knightes chosen of euery county but in Wales where the Shires haue but one and of euery Citty and Borrowe Corporate two Burgesses fewe excepte who of late time were made corporations and also the Cities and Borrowes in Wales who follow as their counties doe Of these knightes and Burgesses is your thirde house Wythout the consent of these three bodies no newe inuocation hath power to depriue the subiectes of this lande of life laweful inheritaÌ„ce or goods The autority therof doth stretch to them all to take away life inheritaunce yea of the Crowne of this Realme and euery mans chattels and hath full power to make and alter lawes and to vse the English phrase the lawe lies in their hands the Prince is sole of hir selfe and enacteth nothing alone the nobilitye and Bishoppes are vpon the pointe of eightie and rather vnder sometyme more or lesse as some may be vnder age some Bishoprikes voyde who offering a lawe doe make none of theÌ„selues The thyrde and great body of this councel consisteth the king nobility and Bishops foreprised of all the inhabitauntes of the country and therefore of a mightye number of members yet can it stablishe no ordinaunce absolutly suo iure But see the great and to other people vntasted of benefit of this lawe making as I haue saide before shal one enacte no shal two estates binde the third as little shal the whole three stricke it vppe god forbid else for as before who can complayne when his agremeÌ„t is 〈◊〉 and who denyes when al men say yea So when the greatest number of the Lords and the most of the coÌ„mons consente tho some be far off yet it doth importe general ratification else how shal you labor in vaine for it is not possible that so many should directly bit vppon one minde and iudgement in things argued we can haue no more that iust Harmonye of concente that the .77 Interpreters of the Byble had and yet no doubt I truste the best for the most part taken Your autority you see now go forth who put you therin The lower or common house of ParliameÌ„t standeth of 442. persons 78. Knights and 326. Burgesses for England and for Wales Monmouth Shire accompted no part thereof 12. Knights and as many Burgesses for the ports which are now 7 accompted fourtene which are called Barones portium who are chosen by the whole commons of the Realme vnder which name is vnderstood as you haue before not only the artificer the Begger the yoman the husbandmaÌ„ al and the whole al of those sorts but also the vniuersall gentry and many of the nobilitye of Birth who are not Barons of the higher house The Knightes are elected by the county and should be inhabitaunts in the same the Burgesses in the corporations which by statute are appointed to be dwelling Burgesses in the towne from whence
for affection you stretch a string you cannot be excused for tho it carry some shew to beare with your friende yet is it none indede for your Country is the only marke you must shoote at As for particulars they are not incidente to the cause Aristides termed the Iust was so precise in the time of hys gouernement of Athens that hee auoyded the amity and familiarity almost of all bycause he would not be entreated by any to do vniustly Cleon whē he toke the charge of the common wealth vppon him called al his friendes renounced their friendships alledging that amytie was a stop many times to the right course of Iustice he renounced affection he cryed out of enuy he detested too wel standing in hys owne conceite Another waye Sir Thomas Androwes a worshipfull Knighte of Northampton Shire was by a yeomanly man his neyghbour thoughte to be sometime to much affectioned to the matter he liked wel to whom he brought a great Brawne the seruaunt letting his maister the knight vnderstand of thys present retourned him to knowe the giuers name which hearing he coulde not cal to remembrance any suche but forth he comes the presenter doth hys errand prayes his maistership to take in good part this poore pigge and with very lowe cursey wishes it better Sir Thomas sawe the Swyne was good with mustarde accepted the gifte demaunding his neighbour why hee was at that coste with hym sith he neither knew him nor euer had done him any pleasure True it is quoth he with a long leg in his hose neither will I require you too doe mee any But I bestowe thys hog on your worship that you shall do mee no harme Here is a new kind of Brybery which this country man was driuen to as he thought by the parcial affection he feared in Sir Thomas The like in effecte fell out betwene an Essex farmer and maister Anthonie Browne in Q. Maries time a whyle chiefe iustice of the Common pleyes a man of good spirite and wel read who hauing vsed the helpe of his neighbours towards hys building besides Burnedwood till they were weary and denyed further supply the house must vp my Lords Balife wil haue carts for loue or money and so he offers largely both the tourne is serued my friendes Carters must al dine out comes the stewarde willing such as bounded for good wil to come feed in the parlor and the mony people too hinde it in the Hall my farmer at the Oyes went and walked his stations abroade being demanded whether he woulde be a gentleman or a yomen he saide neither in thys respect for quoth he for good wil I do it not for I owe him none nether for money for I force not of so much but for feare and therefore I see no rome for me I pray you aunsweare mee if you had a matter in lawe before any iudge in Englande and hee shoulde either by corruption or blindefelde affection wreste a pin againste you and ouerthrowe you contrary to iustice woulde you not iudge hanging too good for suche a coyfe manne yes assuredly Then in the parliament where you sitte to make Laws wherby Master Iudge himself al the rest are to be gouerned if you be brybed w pelfe or led by liking of a perticular to beguile your trusters to bynde and poll innocents to wrong the righteous and to set the welfare of your cuntry at nought If Cambises pluckte the skinne ouer Sisamnes eares for lewde iudgement in particular causes what fleying and torment is not too good for the corrupt lawmaker who is supra iudicem If malice and enuie shall so reigne in you as to disgrace the holsome aduices of your countrey you wil refuse the matter bicause you fansie not the man and cauill without cause not onely to haue the motion reiected but also the partie deseruing well vnsemely to be barked at not only by your self but by other pupsies of your own heare the like detryment as before shall happen too your country Yea and more infamy if more may be shal lyghte on you if it so were that vnkindnesse or rather implacable wrath yea the Northern deadely fude were betwene you some other ye ought to come to the Parliament counsell lincked in amity sounde in fidelity and perfect in sincerity one with an other and as a teame of horses must draw all togither so muste you wholly ioyne too your businesse There are many times vnruely Iades vnagréeing and lāching one at another being out of their gares but in the carte they fal to as they should else he that loyters most or playes to much the gallāt is wel lambde for his labor cōmes home as weary as the rest is vp in Royles stable if he sooner mende not his manners Maister Miller must haue him who will coole hys courage with halfe a dosen Sackes on his backe and he on the top The weight shall make him amble and manerly tread and sooner he shal be laide on for groning than for kicking so if malice and displeasure to others shal make you to stomack them abrode yet in counsel for your country draw together else wil you be ready for the Miller who wil lay harde hande on you I meane the honest and wise meaning gentleman not by batting but by condēning your vnruled apetite and lamēting your mayme The serpent for so are all venimous things named that crepes on the Earth when for breede sake at the water side he séekes out the Lamprey hee firste puts forth hys poyson and as nature hath taught calles to whom the Lamprey as willing comes forth The acte of their kinde performed she to the flud he to the Earth taking vp againe his venom returnes which if perhap hee finde not present death ensues Here do you see that of all creatures the vylest and most accursed doth in daunger of hys life put aside the whole substance of the same by purenesse and cleanenesse to associate hym self with that Creature whom he wel knowes doth not holde of his mixture and wil rather venture his owne vndoing than hinder that which naturally is appointed If the Serpent doth thys following but onely a course by kinde and is allowed of How much more is a Parliament man who by nature by the commaundement of God by the profit redownding to hymselfe the duty to his Prince and country bounde too vomit vp and to bury in the greatest déepes that consuming pestiferous canker of Malice by the which so many mischiefes light vppon the Lampreys good soules that thinke no harme This Serpent is venimous from the beginning the lacke wherof is his ende Man by the first fall proceeding by the delusion of the Serpent is subiect to intemperate choler hate despite enuy many weaknesses more yet this subiection brings no such necessity y malice is so incorporate in a man as the poyson in the Serpent for the one cannot haue being without venome the other most quiet and