Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
england_n french_a king_n paris_n 4,104 5 9.3010 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A58387 Reflections upon the opinions of some modern divines conerning the nature of government in general, and that of England in particular with an appendix relating to this matter, containing I. the seventy fifth canon of the Council of Toledo II. the original articles in Latin, out of which the Magna charta of King John was framed III. the true Magna charta of King John in French ... / all three Englished. Allix, Pierre, 1641-1717.; Catholic Church. Council of Toledo (4th : 633). Canones. Number 75. English & Latin. 1689 (1689) Wing R733; ESTC R8280 117,111 184

There are 3 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Truth We need only to lay open the nature and antient Power of the States General with the manner of their Behaviour towards those Kings who abused the Power committed to them to make it evident that the French Monarchy is limited in its Constitution Under the first and second Race of the Kings of France there was no mention of any Assembly of the States General but only of the Franks that is to say the Nobles and Prelats who were used to meet together on the first of May in the open Field where they deliberated with the King concerning matters of Peace and War and took Resolutions of what was to be done all the Year after After the breaking up of this Assembly the Court of the Royal Palace otherwise called the Court of France composed of the Prelats and Great Barons that is to say the immediate Vassals of the Crown met together five or six times a Year to take care of the Execution of what had been resolv'd upon in the General Assembly to deliberate about publick Affairs that offer'd themselves and to determine as Judges the most important matters of private Persons Under the declination of the 2d Race the Governours of Cities and Provinces having made themselves Hereditary Lords of the places of their respective Governments under the Title of Counties and Dutchies cut themselves large Portions out of the Soveraign's Lands by which means the Court of France was no more frequented by the Lords except only when they were obliged to do Hommage and take the Oath of Fidelity or when an Enemy invaded France for then they presented themselves before the King to advise about the present necessity This Disorder continued until the Reign of Philip Augustus who having conquer'd Normandy and the Counties of Tourain Anjou Maine from John without Land King of England and the Country of Vermandois from the Earl of Flanders restored in some manner the Royal Authority and forced the Barons to frequent his Court and to be present at the Assemblies he called for the Affairs and Necessities of State. Nevertheless those Assemblies consisted only of the Prelats and Barons and this till the Reign of King John some Authors say of St. Lewis who being taken at the Battle of Poictiers and carried to England they were forc'd to raise a great Sum of Money for his Ransom and to this End they appli'd themselves to the Merchants and other Inhabitants of Cities who were then the richest Men of the Kingdom who agreed to pay the King's Ransom upon condition that they might be received into the Charges and Offices as well of Peace as of War and be allowed to have a Place and deliberative Voice in the States-General which was accordingly granted to them The Power and Prerogative of the States-General was such that the Kings of France could not make any new Levies of Mony without them Which continued so till the Reign of Charles VII as is acknowledged by Philip de Commines Lib. 6 c. 7. Neither could they make any new Ordinances nor repeal or suppress the old without the consent of the said States as is owned by Davila lib. 2 de li Guerri Civili Under the First and second Race of the French Kings the Ordinances were likewise made in the Assembly of the Prelats and Barons which constituted the Soveraign Court of France 't was there the Treaties of Peace were made between the Kings of France and Foreign Princes and Nations the Portions of the Children of France were there regulated there they treated of their Marriages and generally of all that concern'd the Affairs of State of the King's Houshold and the Children of France The Ordinances that were made in the said Assemblies in the Name of the Kings of France were conceived in these Terms Nos de consilio consensu Procerum nostrorum statuimus c. We with the Advice and Consent of our Lords do ordain And from hence is derived the Custome observed at this Day of verifying the Royal Edicts in the Parliament of Paris which in some sort represents the Assembly of the Prelats and Barons who composed as we have said the Soveraign Court of France In the Treasury of the French Kings at Chartres are found several Treaties between King Philip Augustus and Richard and John without Land Kings of England at the bottom of which are the Seals of the Prelats and Barons by whose Consent and Approbation the said Treaties had been made And Pope Innocent VI having sent to entreat St. Lewis that he would be pleas'd to permit him to retire into France to secure himself from the attempts of Frederick II. the said King answered the Popes Nuncio that he would communicate the Matter to his Parliament without whose Consent the Kings of France could do nothing of Importance This is related by Matthew Paris in the Life of Henry the III. King of England ad Annum 1244. We find also the manner how the States determined all Affairs respecting the Crown and Succession as for Example the Process which was between Philip de Valois and King Edward In this Assembly of the States saith the Chancellor de l' Hospital was Tried and Debated the most Noble Cause that ever was viz. To whom the Crown of France did belong after the Death of Charles the Fair to Philip of Valois his Cousin or to Edward King of England King Philip not presiding in that Assembly because he was not yet King and besides was a Party It appears clearly from the Power of the States General That the Power of the King of France is bounded by Law indeed this is a Truth whereof we cannot make the least doubt forasmuch as we find it acknowledged by Lewis XI the most unbridled Monarch that ever was See what he writes in the Rosary of War composed by him a little before his Death for the use of Charles VIII his Son. When Kings or Princes saith he have no respect to the Law they take from the People what they ought to leave them possest of and do not give them what they ought to have and in so doing they make their People Slaves and thereby lose the name of a King. For no body can be called a King but he that rules and has Dominion over Free-men This thing was so notorious even to Strangers themselves that Machiavel maintained that the Stability of the Monarchy of France was owing to this because the Kings there were obliged to a great number of Laws which proved the Security and Safe-guard of all their Subjects Lib. 1 di Discorsi c. 16. Messire Claudius de Seissel in his Treatise of the French Monarchy part 2. chap. 12. dedicated to Francis I. maintains upon this account That the Monarchy of France does partake of Aristocrasy which makes it both more perfect and durable Yea he asserts that it was also in part Democratical and expresly maintains that an absolute Monarchy is no other than true Tyranny when it is made use of
of Henry I. and partly were gathered out of the Old Laws of King Edward The Historian speaketh of these very Articles here Printed 5. 'T is observable That in these Articles there is no care taken for the Liberties of the Church The reason of which I conceive to be this The Church-men mostly then held with the King. And the Hand of the King was most heavy upon the Laity who framed these Articles without the Clergy 6. These Articles provide nothing concerning the Summons and holding of the Common Council of the Realm The reason whereof probably was this The Barons of that time had introduced a Practice of themselves to appoint the Time and Place of the Meeting of the Common Council of the Nation At the granting of these very Articles King John sent to the Barons Vt diem locum providerent congruum ad haec omnia prosequenda That they the Barons would appoint Time and Place for the concluding that matter In the time of Henry III. in whose Charter the Article de communi concilio habendo was omitted and in whose time the Barons begun again to War we find that the Lords came unto the King and said He must ordain and see for the Welfare of the Realm and then set the King a Day to meet at Oxenford and there to hold a Parliament So the English Chronicle However this grand Affair as also that of the Church were provided for in the Magna Charta of King John. Whereby it further appears That these Articles were but the Rudiments of that Charter after further enlarged upon further deliberation I COME now in the second place to say a few things concerning the Perfect and Compleat Magna Charta of King John here printed in French. 1. It was the Custom of old Times to make three several Copies of Publick Acts and Charters Of the Magna Charta we have one in Latin in Matthew Paris This in French or old Norman Language was kept in the Records of France and thence Published some years past by Luke Dachery in his Spicilegium That in English was sent into all Counties but as yet no Copy in this Language appeareth Thus also the Laws of Canute and the Provisions of Oxford to mention no more made in the time of Hen. III. were Publisht in three Languages 2. The very same Charter Publisht in Latin by Matthew Paris is also extant in the History of Rad. Niger almost word for word and also in two several Manuscripts in the Cottonian Library where also about twenty years past the very Original was to be seen 3. The Magna Charta of King John is not extant in any Record in the Tower or elsewhere as several affirm nor the Magna Charta of H. III. but only by Inspeximus in the time of Edw. I. A thing much to be wondered at Rudburne writeth of the Charters of Hen. I. Sublatae sunt omnes variis fallaciis exceptis tribus All but three were embezel'd 4. The Magna Charta of King John and that of Hen. III. are said to be the very same where as they do exceedingly differ as Mr. Selden in his Epinomis hath partly observed and may further appear to any that will compare them Matthew Paris pag. 323. The Tenor of these Charters is fully set down above where our History treateth of King John So as the Charters of King John and Hen. III. are not found to differ in any thing These words are not the words of Matthew Paris but of Roger VVendover whom Matthew Paris often transcribeth very hastily in whose History the Charter entred as King John's is exactly the same with that Charter of Henry the Third 5. As to that remarkable Article Et ad habendum commune concilium Regni And to the holding the Commune Council of the Realm c. I shall briefly say 1. That it hath been left out of all the Charters after King John's time but is found in several Copys very Authentick and particularly in the French Copy now here printed 2. That this Article doth not as some have written give the Original to our Parliaments for such Parliaments or communia concilia were held before this time King Richard the First after his return from the Holy VVar summon'd a Common Council or Parliament at London of the Clergy and Laity where he demanded Council about his making War upon the King of France Earl Roger answered for the whole Parliament The Earls Barons and Knights will aid you O King with their Swords the Archbishops Bishops Citizens Burgesses and Ecclesiastick Persons will aid you with Money Abbates Priors and such others will aid you with their Prayers So the English Chron. And to omit others an Instance of such a Parliament is found in the Annales of Burton pag. 263. compared with page 265. King John call'd to Northampton all the Earls and Barons of England it followeth Pandulfus spake at the same time to the Earls Barons and Knights O that you c. The Clergy indeed are not here mentioned but were certainly present because the occasion of that Council was to restore Peace to the Church and Kingdom as Matthew Paris or as the Annalist of Waverly wordeth it betwixt the King and the Archbishop 3. I conceive the chief end of adding this Article was to prevent the taking of Aids commonly called Talliage or Escuage by surprize or by the consent only of a few which King John had lately done For the summoning of the Commune concilium here is plainly limited to the Sessing of Aids and Escuage But the Mirror giveth another account of the meeting of Parliaments worthy of Consideration page 225. where the Author refers us to higher times There is yet one Article more in this Charter of King John which deserveth our regards the rather because it being lately alledged in the Pastoral Letter hath much scandalized some with its suprising Novelty The words are Barones cum communia totius terrae gravabunt nos The Barons with the Community of the Land shall aggrieve or distress us c. But why should this sound uncouth to any who have with Reflection perused the Histories of this or the Neighbouring Kingdoms wherein the same Practice is frequently found Andrew King of Hungary allowed the same Liberty to his People as may be seen at large in the Decrees of the Kings of Hungary in the end of Bonfinius Like Examples occur in the French Annales and in the Annales of Waverly in the time of Hen. the Third pag. 217. If any will yet suspect that Matthew Paris in this Point hath not writ fairly or that the Articles produced by the Bishop of Salisbury are not to be relied on and some such dissatisfied People there are then let them if they can be believed desirous of satisfaction repair to the Red Book of Exchequer where fol. 234. they may find the very same VVords and Liberty granted as before Which Record cannot well be suspected of being corrupted because it
shall be present or before Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury if he can be there and those that he shall call to him and if he cannot be present Matters shall proceed notwithstanding without him so always that if one or more of the said Five and twenty Barons be concern'd in any such Complaint they shall not give Judgement thereupon but others chosen and sworn shall be put in their room to act in their stead by the residue of the said Five and twenty Barons If we have disseiz'd or esloin'd any Welshmen of Land Franchises or of other things without lawful judgment of their Peers in England or in Wales they shall forthwith be restored unto them and if Suits arise thereupon right shall be done them in the Marches by the Judgment of their Peers of English Tenements according to the Law of England and of Tenements in Wales according to the Law of Wales and Tenements in the Marches according to the Law of the Marches And in like manner shall the Welsh do to us and our Subjects As for all such things whereof any Welshmen have been disseiz'd or esloyn'd without Lawful Judgment of their Peers by King Henry our Father or by King Richard our Brother which we have in our hands or which any others have to whom we are bound to warrant the same we will have respit till the common Term be expir'd of all that crost themselves for the Holy Land those things excepted whereupon Suits were Commenced or Enquests taken by our Order before we took upon us the Cross and when we shall return from our Pilgrimage or if peradventure we forbear going we will presently cause full Right to be done therein according to the Laws of Wales and before the said Parties We will forthwith restore the Son of Lewellyn and all the Hostages of Wales and the Deeds that have been delivered to us for security of the Peace We will deal with Alexander King of Scotland as to the restoring him his Suitors and his Hostages his Franchises and Rights as we do with our other Barons of England unless it ought to be otherwise by vertue of the Charters which we have of his Father William late King of Scotland and this to be by the Judgment of his Peers in our Court. All these Customs and Franchises aforesaid which we have granted to be kept in our Kingdom so far forth as we are concerned towards our Men all Persons of the Kingdom Clerks and Lay must observe for their Parts towards their Men. And whereas we have granted all these things for God's sake and for the amendment of our Government and for the better compremising the discord arisen betwixt us and our Barons We willing that the same be firmly held and established for ever do make and grant to our Barons the scurity underwritten to wit That the Barons shall chuse Five and twenty Barons of the Realm whom they List who shall to their utmost Power keep and hold and cause to be kept the Peace and the Liberties which we have Granted and Confirmed by this our present Charter insomuch that if we or our Justice or our Bayliff or any of our Ministers act contrary to the same in any thing against any Persons or offend against any Article of this Peace and Security and such our Miscarriage be shown to four Barons of the said Five and twenty those four Barons shall come to us or to our Justice if we be out of the Realm and show us our Miscarriage and require us to amend the same without delay and if we do not amend it or if we be out of the Realm our Justice do not amend it within Forty days after the same is shown to us or to our Justice if we be out of the Realm then the said Four Barons shall report the same to the residue of the said Five and twenty Barons and then those Five and twenty Barons with the Commonalty of all England may distress us by all the ways they can to wit by seizing on our Castles Lands and Possessions and by what other means they can till it be amended as they shall adjudge saving our own Person the Person of our Queen and the Persons of our children and when it is amended they shall be subject to us as before And whoever of the Realm will may swear that for the Performance of these things he will obey the Commands of the said Five and twenty Barons and that together with them he will distress us to his Power And we give Publick and free leave to swear to all that will swear and will never hinder any one And for all Persons of the Realm that of their own accord will swear to the said Five and twenty Barons to distress us we will issue our Precept Commanding them to swear as aforesaid And if any of the said Five and twenty Barons die or go out of the Realm or be any way hindred from acting as aforesaid the residue of the said Five and twenty Barons shall chuse another in his room according to their discretion who shall swear as the others do And as to all things which the said Five and twenty Barons are to do if peradventure they be not all present or cannot agree or in case any of those that are Summon'd cannot or will not come whatever shall be determined by the greater number of them that are present shall be good and valid as if all had been present And the said five and twenty Barons shall swear that they will faithfully observe all the matters aforesaid and cause them to be observed to their power And we will not obtain of any one for our selves or for any other any thing whereby any of these Concessions or of these Liberties may be revoked or annihilated and if any such thing be obtained it shall be null and void nor shall ever be made use of by our selves or any other And all ill will disdain and rancour which has been betwixt Us and our Subjects of the Clergy and Laity since the said discord began we do fully release and pardon to them all And moreover all Trespasses that have been committed by occasion of the said discord since Easter in the sixteenth year of our Reign to the restoring of the Peace we have fully released to all Clerks and Lay-men and so far as in us lies we have fully pardoned them And further we have caused Letters Patents to be made to them in testimony hereof witnessed by Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury Henry Archbishop of Dublin and by the aforesaid Bishops and by Mr. Pandulphus upon this Security and these Concessions Whereby we will and strictly Command that the Church of England be free and enjoy all the said Liberties and Rights and Grants well and in Peace freely and quietly fully and entirely to them and their Heirs in all things in all places and for ever as aforesaid And we and our Barons have sworn that all things above written shall be kept on our parts in good Faith without ill design The Witnesses are the Persons above-named and many others This Charter was given at the Meadow called Running-Mead betwixt Windsor and Stanes the 15th day of June in the Seventeenth Year of our Reign JOHN by the Grace of God King of England to the Sheriff of Hampshire and to the Twelve that are chosen in that County to enquire of and put away the evil customs of Sheriffs and of their Ministers of Forests and Foresters of Warrens and Warrenners of Rivers and of guarding them Greeting We command you that without delay you seize into our Hand the Lands and Tenements and the Goods of all those of the County of Southampton that will not swear to the said Five and twenty Barons according to the form exprest in our Charter of Liberties or to such as they shall have thereunto appointed and if they will not swear presently at the end of Fifteen days after their Lands and Tenements and Chattels are seized into our Hands that ye sell all their Goods and keep safely the Money that ye shall receive for the same to be employed for the Relief of the Holy Land of Jerusalem and that ye● keep their Lands and Tenements in our Hands till they have sworn or that Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury and the Barons of our Kingdom have given Judgment thereupon In witness whereof we direct unto you these our Letters Patents Witness our Self At Odibaam the Seven and twentieth Day of June in the Seventeenth Year of our Reign FINIS Books lately Printed for Richard Chiswell THE Case of Allegiance in our present Circumstances considered in a Letter from a Minister in the City to a Minister in the Country 4o. A Breviate of the State of Scotland in its Government Supreme Courts Officers of State Inferiour Officers Offices and Inferiour Courts Districts Jurisdictions Burroughs Royal and Free Corporations Fol. Some Considerations touching Succession and Allegiance 4o. Reflections upon the late Great Revolution Written by a Lay-hand in the Country for the satisfaction of some Neighbours The History of the Desertion or an Account of all the Publick Affairs in England from the beginning of September 1688. to the Twelfth of February following With an Answer to a Piece called The Desertion discussed in a Letter to a Country Gentleman By a Person of Quality K. William and K. Lewis wherein is set forth the inevitable necessity these Nations lie under of submitting wholly to one or other of these Kings And that the matter in Controversie is not now between K. William and K. James but between K. William and K. Lewis of France for the Government of these Nations An Examination of the Scruples of those who refuse to take the Oath of Allegiance by a Divine of the Church of England A Dialogue betwixt two Friends a Jacobite and a Williamite occasioned by the late Revolution of Affairs and the Oath of Allegiance The Case of Oaths stated 4o. A Letter from a French Lawyer to an English Gentleman upon the Present Revolution 4o. The Advantages of the Present Settlement and the great danger of a Relapse The Interest of England in the Preservation of Ireland