wasted the subiects as liberty and freedome muste nowe bring people together againe to ioine in a newe corporation of frendship And to exclude al feare he pardoned most freely al offences past These ordinaunces did holy Gildas about the yeare of Christ. 543 translate oute of Brytishe into latine Alured as afore about the. 872. out of Latin into the English Gurgunstus of some Gurguintus the son of Belinus before Christ. 375. was the first it shold seme that imposed death and losse of lim for transgression dyd also grieuously punish the peace breakers Quinthelinus his sonne married a noble gentlewoman to name Martia who erected certaine decrees of gouernement whiche were called after hir Martian Laws brought likewise into English by king Alured leauing theÌ„ the little Marthehelage asmuch to say the law of Martia Lucius it is said the eight yeare of his raigne of Christ â—88 some smal controuersye there is of the time was christened Eluthrius being Bishop of Rome and counted the first christened King of this Iland of the most credible writers tho some woulde haue Aruiragus 138. yere before to haue the preheminence aswel by the preachyng of SimoÌ„ Zelotes one of the disciples of Christ here martyred and buryed as by Ioseph of Arymathy who had Mutryn now Glastenbury his place appointed of habitation sente hyther with twelue disciples by the Apostle Philip then preaching in Gaul nowe Fraunce too sone to come to Christ onlesse we would felowe him better Lucius was very timely coÌ„sidering the late repayre to him of many nations nerer the plat of his birth and passion whom I would recite but I haue digressed too long Lucius set to Eleutherius desiring him he might haue the imperial and Romaine Lawes to guide and gouerne his countrey who retourned him this answere As touching the rightes of the Churche and seruice of God whiche you haue receiued they must remaine alwayes one vntouched the policie for ciuill rule may bee abrogated and altered as occasion shall serue you haue the booke of the olde and newe preceptes the Bible with the aduise of your kingdome make a Lawe thereby to gouerne your subiectes Here some will say was your first Parliamente and the verie originall thereof whyche I no way can agree to and the cause hereafter I wyl shewe you Lucius died wythout heire for the space of fifteene yeeres or more all wente to hauocke tyll Seuerus the Emperour discended rightlye from King Lud toke the gouernement vpoÌ„ him about the yere 208. some account lesse the Romaines seldome quietly but for the most parte to their excessiue charge and trouble held the domynioÌ„ til the death of CoÌ„staÌ„tine the yere .445 then neglecting the same as a country not worth the keeping who leauing behind him CoÌ„stant or CoÌ„stantin for his simplicity in his fathers time shorne a monk at Winchester Vortiger alias Vortigern of some the Duke of West SaxoÌ„s of other the Duke or Erle of Iewesses who after were called West Saxons toke him out of the Cloyster and crowned him king whome yet hee caused to bee murdered the first yeare of his raigne so that for those 240. yeares few laws were made and fewer executed Vortiger vsurping or being chosen king the 448. yeare so continued but a while in rest for not onely his nobles but the Pictes and Scottes layde so sore to him that driuen to extremitie he sent into Germany for the SaxoÌ„s and Englishmen to aide him in his waxres not only against the forraine enimye but his owne people promysing too them habitation whiche hee might well spare the land being in a manner wast by the meanes of the great mortalitie by pestilence the Scottes and Pictes inuasions and the ciuill slaughter Their request was accepted Horsus Hengist brought hether certain souldiers Panims by whose valure Vortigers contraries were tamed by the continuall repaire and flocking hether of those straungers the inhabitaunts were put to the dore For before the yere of our Lorde 1498 there were three kingdomes erected by the EnglishmeÌ„ and Saxons the first of Kent by Hengist the second by Hella his three sonnes of the south Saxons comprising Deuonshire and Cornewal Somersette and Southery or rather Hampshire for Southery according to the more probable writers The third of east Angles by Vffa coÌ„teining Norfolk and Suffolke These broyles being no time for lawes or letters but for fier bloud Arthur the son of Vther PeÌ„dragoÌ„ was crowned king of Britayne tho a greate part as you heare were takeÌ„ froÌ„ him The yere â—16 he fought twelue greate battayles with the Saxons in all the which he put theÌ„ to the worse yet coulde he not auoyde them the Land neyther yet so subdue them but that Cerdicus the fifth yere of his raigne began the fourth kingdome of west Saxons which consisted as I gather of Worcester Dorcet Wiltish â–ª Stafford and those western partes adiacent Aboute the yeare 547. the two Kingdomes of Northumberland that is the fifte and sixte principality of the Saxons toke roote In the one called Breuitia Ida first had rule In the other called Deira Ella was gouernor These two kingdomes had in theÌ„ the countries froÌ„ Humber northward to the Scottish sea and continued somtime vnder one king sometime vnder two The yere 586. the Britains were driueÌ„ into Wales presently the Saxons had the dominion of the whole lande At whyche time was the Christen religion thereby extinct and not thought on but amoÌ„g the Britaynes in Wales After some Sebertus leader of the East Saxons 614 gaue first beginning to that kingdome and had in it Essex Not long after Penda the Miscreant the yeare 626. made the kingdome of Mertia who gouerned Huntingtonshire Hertfordshire Glouc. War. Lecester Nottingham Northumberland and others Cadwallader the last king of Britaine died at Rome the yeare of grace 656 about whiche time according to some writers but I thinke rather the yeare 712. Inas otherwise called Iue or Iew a Christian helde the rule of the West Saxons He set downe certaine laws the preamble to the whiche is this Inas by the grace of God king of west Saxons with the consultation and aduise of Kenred my father Hedda and Erkenwald my Bishoppes of all my councellours and the olde wise men of my people in the greate congregation of the seruauntes of God did labour to confirme Iustice and equitie to bee executed in my whole territorie These particular edictes are not to my purpose to wright but the firste intituled Of the manner of the liuing of the ministers of God toucheth somwhat the matter which goes thus First wee commaunde that Gods ministers doe obserue the order of life alreadie sette downe and further wee will that to the rest of our people the lawes and iudgementes bee in this manner and so goeth on This also is alleaged for the confirmation of antiquity of our parliament I
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
c. the thirde yeare of king Edwarde the fourth after the conquest diuers statutes c. By the aduise and assent of his Lordes spiritual and temporal the commons of the same Parliament assembled and by auctority of the same were made c. During which Sessions he had granted him by statute the tonnage and pondage of wines and wayres not for a yeare or two but during hys naturall life In his second yeare he had liberally yeelded him large summes vpon his priuy Seales he had also diuers fifteenes Loanes and beneuolences In his first Parliament Charters priuiledges and liberties were coÌ„firmed But I sée no stoare of generall pardons in hys time although it was and had byn a busye age by meanes of the quarel betwene the two great houses of Yorke and Lancaster His brother Richard by that vnkinde making away of his nephewes ruled the rost two yeres two moneths a day whose statutes are enacted as before at the requeste of the commons of the same â—â—â—lme yet sought hee by all the fauourable wayes hee coulde too purchase hym selfe naturall subiectes though he vnnaturally came to the kingdome Henrie the seuenth after him obtained the Crowne in the beginning as it were by force next confirmed by the marryage of Elizabeth eldest daughter to Edwarde the fourth who called diuers Parliaments and in them al takes this course of auctority for enacting of the statutes of the same The King our soueraigne lord Henry the seventh c. in the first yere of his raigne to the honor of god and holy church for the coÌ„mon profite of the Realme by the assent of the Lords spiritual and temporal and the commons in the same Parliamente assembled by auctority of the same Parliament hath done to be made certaine statutes c. He had sundry exactions subsidies and beneuolences wherof ensued some daÌ„gerous and troublesome ciuil warres besides the putting in execution of many penal statutes more profitable to him than welcome to those who payde for them If you loke Maister Hal the Cronycler you shal finde more than enough touching the same and specially so broadely to touch Councellours for doing their princes commaundement in matters lawful tho in deede I must confesse odious to the people King Henrie being not like to recouer a sickenesse had taken him either by remorse of conscience or by other occasion it pleased him to conceiue did pardon those matters for the which he could not chose but heare the grieuous repining and murmure of his subiectes Henrie the eighte followed him in whose time were made a Bible of statutes and till the two and twentith of his raigne hâ—â—ad the very same wordes as his father vsed in the beginning of his Parliamentes and tho then the same still followed not in course yet the Parliamentes were held of the estates wherein the commons were one What subsidies and aides of money he had and what and howe many enacted pardons hee gaue nowe to repeate is but losse of time sith we are come thus farre To go thorow with king Edward queene Marie king Philip and our most gracious Princesse hir maiestie that now is as I haue with the rest were burning of daylight Sith we haue hetherto brought the Parliament nowe let vs shortely gather what wee can of these Collections touching the original Antiquitie and the manner thereof First Brute in the yeare of the worlde 2855. before the yeare of grace 1108. began the Empire of this I le Hee founde it without laws he made some Mulmutius 441. yeres before christ added more Gurguintus put a litle to Marcia that noble Quéene about the 360. yeare before Christ confirmed many and so remayned this lande gouerned I suppose without our forme of Parliament for I cannot perceiue there was any state of nobility The greate Cities and Borowes were long a building some 300.400.500 yeares one after another and more The Shires nether deuided nor inhabited a nation liuing in ciuil warres thefte and rauyne barbarous often for want of foresight and lawe so dispeopled as hardely there remayned sufficient to manure their landes and lesse too defende their Territories The yeare 51. before our sauyour toke flesh Iulius Caesar the Romaine made conquest of this region and anexed it to the Romayne auctority who had tribute tho sometime it were denyed and gouerned by their Captaynes and Emperors toke the defence of the same vpon theÌ„ as their often hither coÌ„ming with armies building of walles betwene the Scottes Pictes and Britons doth wel witnesse til the 443. yeare of Christes Natiuity at whiche time they neglected the matter not willing as it seemed to buy a trifle too deare nor dayly to be troubled to come from Rome but a steppe to defende them who had no ability to holde their owne féete nor as it is to be feared woulde learne And although in this time somewhat is indited by Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome to Lucius who is accepted the first Christened king yet if you wey the matter wel you shal finde that wil not doâ— About the yeare 450. the Saxons and Angles being senâ—e for entred and loke howe many kingdomes they erected how long in warres before how they continued how they were brought to one Monarchie and the sequele then and you shall finde there was no leysure for Parliaments In reading I haue gathered many floures out of Maister VVilliam Lamberts garden a gentleman after my verdict tho vnknowne to mee for hys payneful rare and learned Collection worthy to bee knowne and then no doubt of all wel disposed too learning and knowledge of the antique customes of our Country to be greatly honored I coulde make many Nosegayes for you oute of his wel set plantes but you are yong enough to gather them your selfe I will yelde that to Caesar which is Caesars due tho perhaps I wold be glad to be worthy to be Caesar my selfe Yet thus much I wil put you in minde what you shal haue in Maister LaÌ„bert for the seasons of the SaxoÌ„s and Angles kingdomes They deuided the Shires the worlde is theirâ— they parted into hundreds and weapon-taxes the speeche is olde English Folkmoot and Sheremote was appointed by them compounded SaxoÌ„ words of the which there were two vses in the Saxons time for there were two sortes therof one in the same nature that we haue le Countie Courte the other le Turne del Vicont S. Edward in his lawes appointed also two kinds of Folkmotes which were giuen notice of by the ringing of belles in olde Englishe called Mothel The first was when any vnaccustomed peril or daunger was doubted to the common wealth And then were the hundreds and Weapontackes within the Shriualties gathered together And also wythin them selues the Burgesses of Cities walled Borowes and fortresses of strength to the which liberties and priuiledges were graunted bicause their force was better able to keepe together and defende the people in the tyme of