councel was helde at Claringdone and before the King the Bishoppes and nobilitie were sworne to kepe and confirme many decrees and ordinaunces Iohn Stow writes in his Summary of the Cronicles of Englande that the 34 of his ragne at Geldington about ten myles from Northamton he shoulde holde a Parliamentâ— touching a voyage to be taken to the holy lande But if you consider the haste the king made thether the state at that present he stode in the place the shortnesse of the time and the matters there communed of you shall finde that in terming this or suche like consultation Parliaments Maister Fabian Stow Harding and other Englishâ— writers do rather vse the worde as in deede it is proper where any conference is than that it carries with it where it coÌ„mes the same to be vnderstand to be the greate Courte of Parliament in such general forme and vniuersall manner as nowe and since the time of Kyng Henrie the thyrde we haue and do vse it as you knowe the worde is Frenche and this much importeth A debating together A conference A consultation A conferring An enterspeech A Communication A discoursing one with another which may bee aswel with Ten for the worde as with Tenscore Kyng Richard the first in the eighte yeare of hys raigne retourning from the holy lande his brother Iohn in his absence vsurping the Crowne summoned a counsell of hys Lords at Winchester where by auctority of the said counsell 〈…〉 ments and landes whyche before hee hadde bestowed on hym After Richards deceasse he possessed the Crowne and in the firste and thirde yeare by the holding of two counsels as some affirme hee had certaine exactions agreed vppon for the maintenaunce of his wars others write that of himselfe hee leuied the sayd summes The eleuenth yeare all men toke the othes of Allegeance too hym from 12 yeres vpward The fourthteenth yere here is some difference for the yere the Lordes and Barons required the vse of Saint Edwardes Lawes and the reuoking of other wicked ordinaunces the which he not harkening to the ciuil warre begonne yet at Barhamdowne the king and nobilitie meeting they confirmed so much as they departed quietly The sixtenth of his raigne the king being slowe to performe that which he was brought to perforce the nobility toke them againe to armes and so hardlye sette hym as in a meadowe betweene Windsor and Staynes in a manner Nolens volens hee graunted their liberties and the Charter for their confirmation thereof is dated at Rime meade betweene the places beforenamed to the which al the Realme was sworne In the same yere the Lords perceiuing the Kings disposition to shifte from that hee hadde agreed on sente into Fraunce for Lewes the sonne of Philip the Frenche king who arriuing here was receyued by the Barons and Londoners honorably who sware fealty to hym and did him homage and then al with one crye they séeke oute the king who being at Winchester was driuen to flye whyche towne yeelded was sworn to Lewes whether also repayred in a maner al the nobility For al this sturre King Iohn procured the Pope by meanes of Pandolphe the legate to dispence with his othe to reuerse the Charter and liberties graunted and also excoÌ„municate the Barons and Frenchmen Henrie his sonne of the age of nine yeres yong enough 〈…〉 Kingdome and specially during such garboyles yet by the good gouernemente of Marshal Erle of Penbroke many of the Lordes drewe to him and very shortly after Lewes was driuen to leaue the land and being released of his excommunication the peace was agreed on the ninth yeare of his raigne of his age the seuententh or thereabout At the motion of the Archbishoppe of Caunterbury and other the Lordes the king graunted and confirmed the greate Charter whereuppon as I can gather by some records the warde and mariage of our children was graunted to the king and his successours the twelfth yeare the king refused to perfourme the liberties Charter graunted as before for that the ratification past in his minoritie and that now being of ful yeres to beare the sway himselfe hee woulde bee better aduised The twentith of his raigne is found the first Parliament of name and record and yet not to be so thought a Parliament as now we vse ours It is entituled The statuts made at Merton And further he sayes It was prouided in the Courte of our soueraigne Lord the king holden at Mertoâ— the morrowe after the twentith day of Saint Vincent the twentith yere of the raigne of king Henrie the son of king Iohn before VVilliam Archbishoppe of Caunterburie and other his Bishoppes and suffraganes and before the greater parte of the Earles and Barons of England there assembled c without addition of the thyrde state of this land Also you haue a statute made the yeare after entituled for the leape yeare beginning The King vnto the iustices of his Bench greeting The 42. yere or after some the 41 the barons vnwillingly bearing the kings driuing off for the restitution of certaine auncient lawes there was a Parliament at Oxforde which was called the madde Parliament yet not so mad but the king his brother king of Romains and Edward his sonne must and did agrée thereto tho much against their willes bycause many matters were ordeyned greatly and too much against the kings prorogatiue for the sure establishing and execution whereof there were 〈…〉 charge auctority to see the ordinaunces made maintayned whether for the small worthynesse of the lawes or the disorder in making or the shortnesse of the continuaunce I knowe not but I finde not any of those statutes with the rest which are rekened to be King Henrie the thirds These twelue noble meÌ„ were no soner in coÌ„mission but they begaÌ„ roughly presently exiling foure of the Kings brethreÌ„ by the mother The 43. and 44 yere of his raigne there were certain assemblies sometime of the nobility without the King and of the king without the Lordes without any mention of our thirde interest and al called Parliaments Thys yere in a Folkmote at London were al aboue twelue yeres sworne to the king In the 45. yeare he had obtained from Rome a dispensation for his othe and all others of his which he and they had taken for the maintenance of Oxforde folly The péeres during this pastime vnwitting vnwilling the kyng discharged Hugh le Spencer chiefe Iustice and put an other in his place expelled officers and Sherifes admitted by the king appointed other to supplie their romes Further the king was growâ—n to harde termes which was hee shoulde not passe ouer the Seas hauing large Territories in other countries without licence obtained as in this yeare appeareth The next yeare as before in the. 44 were al men in London aboue twelue yeares of age sworne too the king and his successours The 47 of his raigne the barons armed themselues the Kyng Queene fled from the tower to
cockpitte yarde too him and séeing my Lorde putting off his cappe lefte him and stil restlesse in hys minde he retournes to Poules where hee méetes Maister Farmer of whoÌ„ he receiues as much as Maister FinchaÌ„ deliuered and so much more as it is straunge that any man shoulde haue the disposition to vtter At Maister Frauncis Woodehouse lying in Charter house Churche yarde at a lodging of my Lorde Pagettes and there mette that nyght at supper maister George Cheworth maister Farmer maister Fincheam and maister Roberte Bale where Malleries wordes were againe recited Supper ended Hall went forthe in some soddaine being required earnestlye to tarye but hee promising partly to retourne departed and finding three of his men at the dore as in very deede he hathe kepte more than his abilitie as it is thoughte is able thoughe he had more in the Towne who were slacker in attendaunce with them whose names were Edward Smalley Iohn Nicholas Henry Woodward he went to Wormes found in the place Maister Butcher Maister Fisher and others and at tables M Mallerie playing wyth Mayster Iohn Spenser sonne and heire to sir Iohn Spenser and drawing his dagger mente as hee saith too haue stroke M. Mallerie therewith on the face thoughâ— his backe were towarde him Mallerie hauyng a glaunce of hys hande bowed downe hys heade crying oute wherewith M. Hall beeing readye too haue followed wyth an other blowe he was helde the house growyng full as with my Lorde Souche many Gentlemen and other by the noise of the struggeling and Malleries crye in whiche time so recouering hymselfe drue his dagger and mighte as easilie haue slayne M. Hall beeing in handes as hee hadde pleased but what was his staye god onelye knowes M. Hall seeing himselfe in this daunger and his dagger also in that moment wrested out of his handes wyth greate furis saide wil you holde me while I am murdered â–ª with that his three men not knowing any part of the quarrel came in of the which Iohn Nicholas hauing his dagger drawen stroke ouer his Maisters head to haue hit Mallerie hee stouping downe before M. Hal scaped the blowe sauing a smal cut in the backe part of his skul with the pointe the hilts light on his Maisters pate with the part of the blade next y same cutte his forehead M. Mallerie would haue runne out of the doore but Woodward hauing his sword drawen knew not whoÌ„ to strike made hym doubt The bloud fel faâ—â— in M. Hals eyes so that with the company and the want he was quiet yet wiping the same out as fast as he could he had a sight of M. Mallerie and taking one of his mens daggers â—â—oÌ„ theÌ„ was pressing to Mallerie who with a great shreke ranne with al speede out of the doores vp a paire of Stayres there alofte vsed moste harde wordes againste M. Hal as are before recited moreouer auouching he was a traytor in déede left nothing out which might almost be to the preiudice of any honest mans good fame and that in the bearing of Sir Iohn Conway Worme the good man of the house others My lord Souche vsed some hote spéeche too M. Hal as hee was a dressing for y he vsed such disquietnes in his lodging but sir Iohn Conway did very worshipfully satisfie my Lorde so that no matter grew therof Among the reste I remember that M. Hal smarting in being drest aduised the surgion to vse him wel saying he was beholding to his hornes that the wound was not greate there was that remembred the olde prouerbe that it was not good iesting with edge tooles The nexte day being the firste of Iuly M. Mallerie was at dinner at Wormes and therfore his hurt was not very great where maister FinchaÌ„ was c. there he gaue it out that he carryed a reuenging mind would be reuenged on Maister Hal if he could take him at any aduantage To veryfie such meaning Master Edward RaÌ„dal of London sente M. Hal worde that M. Mallerie hadde affirmed that he would shew him an Italian tricke intending therby to do him some secret vnloked for mischiefe Til the sixth of this month M. Hal lay at Maister Frauncis Woodhouse his house not being fit to goe abroade for his hurte but with a mufle in maner halfe ouer his face yet vpon busines he had in the countrie of Lincolneshire where he dwels he toke hys iorney thitherward that same day hiring post horses taking with him one Roger Moore seruaÌ„t to master Wodhouse wâ—â— was very fiâ— in a maner acquainted with the dressing of such hurts as M. Hals was In his absence M. Mallerie reported that he was gone out of the towne disguised toke none of his owne men with him bycause he wolde not be knowne howe hymselfe lay to meete him by the waye as indéede he did mist the knowledge of him and in diuerse open places offred teÌ„ pounde to any man could bring him into the fielde that hée might try the cause The 22. of Iuly M. Hal came to London where hee hadde knowledge of many of M. Malleries defamations of him yet that time so serued for it it had pleased their noble good mindes my lords the Erle of Sâ—ssex and Leicester to accept in matching at shoting M. Hal that he directed himselfe to attend on their honors the time of the progresse to perfourme the matches set downe betweene theÌ„ and therefore with asmuch spéede as as he could he dispatched his businesse to that purpose which soner he had done wyth fulfilling of his duty if his forehead had bin ful hoale The second of August he went to the Courtward at Sudley the house of the Lord Shaundoys late disceased now that old Ladies ioynture he found hir maiestie so remained til his highnesse came to Winchester where leauing the courte the 14 of SepteÌ„ber he came to his own home into the couÌ„try At Mychelmasse terme following he came vp to London and so continued M. Mallerie and he many tims in sight one of another and no harme done but fatum is ineuitabile else Troy perhap had stoode so it might haue bin this stage shewe had not made so many laugh Of all dayes in the yeare it was the 29. of Nouember M. Hal dyned at Iames Lumelius in Bishops gate streate the son as it is sayde of old M. Dominicke borne at Genoa of the losse of whose nose there goes diuers tales but tho he waÌ„ted a piece there he waÌ„ted nether honesty nor sensible good iudgement And coÌ„ming by master Arundels lying in his way to his lodging for the men who owe money in Cheapside like not alwaies to be pluckte by the sleue and therfore toke Sainte Martines the next way from Bishops gate to Pater noster Row he found at dice master Anthony Rush master Drake master Iasper More master Beniamin Hanam and master Rich. Gréene and fel to do as the rest hauing tryed the pastime a while
life being more beneficial to him and his posterity than the country zeale of the rest By meanes wherof they yelded their dead Carcases Decius Muries the elder Consul with Manlius Torquatus in armes against the Latines had both one â—reame that thoâ—e people woulde be vanquished whose captaine shoulde be lefte dead in the field They brake one with another and agreed that whiche of their bands did first giue place the leader must vow himselfe to the infernal ghostes contented to dye which Decius his chance was to do therby with great slaughter of the enimies the gaine was the Romaines Publius Decius Muries his son did the same Titus Manlius Torquatus stroke off his own sons head for putting in veÌ„ture by fight contrarie to commaundement the souldiers of the Common welth The prisoner Mar. Attilius Regulus his returne to Affricke to Barboras tyrannie wyth his considerations alledged in the Senate which induced him thereto Publius Scipio Nasica chosen Consull of Rome with vnluckie shew of the Auspices coÌ„ming would in no respect take vpon him the dealing of the office doubting the incoÌ„uenience might hap to the Empire not by his waÌ„t of abilitie or good wil but by euyl fortune to the state coÌ„trarie aspects of the superor Planets so tender a mynde he had of his Countrie Silla surnamed the happy for all his reuengeful mynde when he had obteyned his owne will helde hard hand on his countrie was content to restore the old gouernemeÌ„t of Rome to die a priuate man Quintus Curtius his willing decay for Rome Codrus the AtheniaÌ„ king for his people also Themistocles that couÌ„triemaÌ„ for all the iniuries he had receyued at home woulde rather willinglye drinke his owne bayne than see his natyue kinde harmed Melsiades of the same breede at Marathon against the inuincible scull of the Persians Epaminondas the Thebane and thousandes more for their wilful entire only and auowed loue to their countries haue susteyned more trauayle suffered greater torment dyed assured deathes and with better contented mindes than men of this age can beleeue to bee able to bee endured by mortlings which we al are If Paynimes did goe so far in supremo gradu looke to your selfe somewhat who is a Christian and so farre credited as Parliament menne are They expect in you grauitie wysedome experience and diligent consideration Part of the which as they be onely the giftes of God as wisedome and grauitie so experience and diligent consideration be the confirmers that strengthen and the artificers that beautifie their work and proceede of paynâ— taking and good disposition of the minde The foremost two bee the most beneficialst Ladies wyth their acquaintance and the other handmaydes or rather fellowe dames so necessarie as they cannot bee deuided furnishe most commodiously the place where they come These foure met in one man make a happie person in particular and where they ioyne in Lawe makers there must needes bee a flourishing Commonwealth What inconuenience doth followe if you shoulde pipe after other mennes whistles induced thereto by a busie treble string or a slight Scottishe Iygge in one respect I haue already tolde you that is howe maister Iohn wil be thought of by the Prince and nobilitie Nowe see what harme lightes thereby on those who put their confidence in you and what a Iohn you shall be made and thought of the whole world If you serue the Princes turne hee findes no fault if you broke for the Lordes they haue no losse â–ª but they will take you still for a Iohn if agaynste your trust you be wonne In this seconde parte if you daunce drunkenly you will breake your shinnes and beray your trusters to whom you are bounde by al the laws possible If all the Knights and Burgesses in Parliament were Vlisseses the Syrenes might fal to a newe occupation But of that huge multitude that came to the warre of Tryoe hee was taken the odde manne for witte and iudgement If but one Vlisses coulde scape those fiendish monsters and so few Vlisseses in so great an armie what perill is to be feared to fall vpon our Common wealth if many Syrenes or any at all shoulde be in the trade of our whole trafficke of welth and welfare They allured vnto them by all pleasant meanes the passengers to spoyle theÌ„ for their owne direct and particular gaine if you sing their songs you are brought to it to please and to profit others the acte in them is not so discommendable but you shall be the Iohn and rewarded at the seconde hande your faulte is greater tâ—an the Syrenes who harme but the present persons for their owne lucre you present absent and posteritie you cut large thongs out of other mens lether you fleâ—â—e not but you â—ley you write not lawes with Milke but bloud you sende not the Pyper to make poore men daunce in the countrye but the Hangman to tye vp the rich and take from the needy no more but all they haue and thus muste your trusters suffer for other mens pleasures who neuer after wil trust you knowing you are such a mercinarie The Parliament Sirene if he be of the Lordes breede as manie times in your house you haue of their children if of the familye of gentry assure your selfe he is a Basterd if hee loke neuer so bigge feare him not he is a Coward if he florish with neuer so fayre a tayle he is an Asse Noble gentlemans bloud wil not be woon against his duety and specially where it touches his country neither with honor threatnings greate Territories much calling gay apparel nor a ship ful of red Ruddocks A valiant minde doth detest such chaffe A wise man wil see the infamy of the facte and with both his hands kepe his face from such a wounde Who then must be your Parliament Iohn if you haue any some durte daubers sonne or Coblers brat or such like whelpe of a worthy Kenel who wyll play Cat after kinde do the best you can he is Camelionte mutabilloâ— yet for his harte the pretie pricke cannot be white he liues by ayre a foode of a smal substance and he is of small contynuing hee is Proteus Cousyn Germayne when he failes in hand with his matter But mark how like Iacke lokes the father his eye shewes the relicks of his thoughts hys countenaunce is forced his gesture not natural if his speech be not learned without booke for the most parte he â—acks it hardly oute he sweates there is no ioy in his face he feares how he shal be taken he lokes as he were fearde wyth Hobgoblyn But what will you more tho Maister Morrice dauncer be dronke yet will hee daunce til he sweate for a clap of the backe of the chiefe man of the parish tho he be the worse for it as long as hee lyue euen so this your Morrice footer shakes his Belles among you hoping hee makes good musicke as the foole with the Towne Morrishers forgetting his maisters
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