hurtful or preiudiciall to the estates of the Prince or common welth For these and such like causes beeing of great weight charge and importaunce the King by the aduise of his councel may call summon his high Court of Parlement and by the authoritie therof establish and order such good Lawes and orders as then shal be thought moste expedient and necessary The order and manner how to summon the Parlement THe King ought to send out his writs of summons to all the estates of his Realme at least forty dayes before the beginning of the Parlement First to all his Lords and Barons that is to wit Archbishops Bishops Dukes Marquesses Earles Vicountes and Barons and euery of these must haue a speciall writ then to the Clergie and the writ of their summons must be addressed to euery perticuler Bishop for the Clergie of his diocesse all these writs which are for the Clergie the King alwaies sendeth to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York by them they are sent and dispersed abrode to euery perticuler Bishop within their seuerall prouinces and so the Bishops giue summons to the Clergie Lastly for the summoning of the Commons hée sendeth his writ to the Lord warden of the fiue portes for the election of the Barons therof and to euery seuerall Shiriffe for the choice and election of Knights Citizens and Burgesses within his countie How and what persons ought to be chosen for the Clergie and of their allowaunces THe Bishop ought vpon the receipt of the writ sent vnto him for the sumoning of his Clergie forthwith to summoÌ„ and warne all deanes and Archdeacons within his diocesse to appéer in proper person at the Parlement vnlesse they haue some sufficient and resonable cause of absence in whiche cace he may appéer by his Proctor hauing a warrant or proxie for the same Then must he also send the like summons to the Deane and Chapter of his Cathedrall Churche who shall foorthwith assemble their Chapter and make choice of some one of them selues to appéer in their behalf and this man thus chosen must haue thrir commission or proxie He must also send out his summons to euery Archdeaconry and peculier requiring that the whole Clergie doo appéer before him his ChauÌ„celler or Officer at a certain day time and place who béeing so assembled shall make choice and election of two men of the said Clergie to appéer for them and these shall haue their commission or proxie for the same These Proctors thus to be chosen ought to be graue wise and learned men béeing professors either of Diuinitie or of the ecclesiasticall Lawes and that can wil and be able to dispute in cause of controuersie conuincing of heresies appeasing of Scismes and deuising of good and godly constitutions concerning true Religion and orders of the Church These Proctors thus elected ought to haue resonable allowances for their charges according to the state qualitie or condition of the person as also a respect had to the time the proctors of the Dean and Chapter are to be paid out of the Eschequer of the Cathedrall Churche The Proctors of the Clergie are to be paid of the Clergie among whome a collection is to beleuied for the same according to an olde order vsed among them How and what maner of Knights Citizens and Burgesses ought to be chosen and of their alowances THe Sheriffe of euery Countie hauing receiued his writê ought foorthwith to send his precepts summons to the Maiors Bayliffes and hed Officers of euery Citty Town corporate Borough and such places as haue béen accustomed to send Burgesses within his Countie that they doo choose and elect among them selues two CitizeÌ„s for euery Citty two Burgesses for euery Borough according to their olde custome and vsage And these hed Officers ought then to assemble them selues and the Alder men and commen councel of euery Citty or Town to make choice among them selues of two able and sufficient men of euery Citty or Town to serue for and in the said Parlement Likewise at the next Countie day to be holden in the said Countie after the receipt of this writ the Sheriffe ought openly in the Court of his Shéer or Countie betwéen the houres of viij and .ix. of the fore noon make Proclamation that euery frée holder shall come into the Court and choose two sufficient men to be Knightê for the Parlement then he must cause the writ to be openly and distinctly read whervpon the said frée holders then and there present ought to choose two Knights accordingly but he him self cannot giue any voice neither be chosen These elections a forsaid so past and doon there ought to be seuerall Indentures made betwéen the Sheriffe the frée holders of the choise of the knights and betwéen the Maior and the hed Officers of euery perticuler Cittie Town of the choice of their Citizens and Burgesses and of their names of their mainperners and Sureties Of these IndeÌ„tures the one parte béeing sealed by the Sheriffe ought to be returned to the Clark of the Parlement and th' other parte of the Indentures sealed by such as made choice of the Knights and such as made choice of Citizens and Burgesses vnder the seuerall common seales of their Citties and Townes ought to remain with the Sheriffe or rather with the partyes so elected and chosen The charges of euery knight and Citizen was wunt to be a like which was xiij shillings .iiij. peÌ„ce by the day but now by the Statute it is but viij shillings that is to euery Knight euery Citizen iiij shillings to euery Burgesse the olde vsage to haue v. shillings but now it is but iij. shillings iiij pence limitted by the Statute which alowaunces is to be giuen from the first day of their iorney towards the Parlement vntil the last day of their return from theÌ„ce Prouided that euery such person shal be alowed for so many daies as by iorneyiÌ„g xxvj miles euery day in the Winter and xxx miles in the Summer hée may come and return to and from the Parlement In choice of these Knights Citizens and Burgesses good regarde is to be had that the Lawes customs of the Realme be héerin kept and obserued for none ought to be chosen vnlesse he be resiant and dwelling with in the Shéer Citty or Town for which he is chosen And he ought to be a graue wise learned skilful and of great experience in causes of policies and of such audacitie as bothe canne and will boldely vtter and speak his minde according to duety and as occation shall serue for no man ought to bée silent or dum in that house but according to his talent hée must and ought to speak in the furtheraunce of the King and common welth And the Knights also ought to be skilful in martiall affaires and therfore the woords of the writs are that such should be chosen for Knights as be Cincti gladio not because
it is to be noted that the two principall Clarks of the Parlement for the King and his Councel and other secondary Clarks of whom and of whose office mencion shal be héerafter made The chéef Cryer of England with his deputies and the chéef Porter of England howbeit these two offices were accustomed to be occupyed by one person these ought to be there the first day of the Parlement The Lord Chaunceler of England the Treasurer the Chamberlain the Barons of the Eschequer the Iustices all the kings Clarks and knights with Sergeants at the Law of the kings retinew or fée ought to be there the second day vnlesse they haue a resonable impediment or let Of the beginning of the Parlement THe King ought to be in the Parlement the first day and should sit in the midst of the high bench The sixt day the Chaunceller the Treasurer the Barons of the Eschequer and the Iustices were accustomed to recorde the defaults doon in the ParlemeÌ„t in forme folowing The first day they must call all the Citizens and Burgesses of all England and for lack of their apparaunce a Citty shal be amerced in a C. pound and a borough a C. markê The second day they shall call knights of Shéeres and in default of their apparance the shéere shal be amerced a C. pouÌ„d The third day the Barons of the fiue portes after them th' other Barons and then the Earles and for lack of apparance of euery Baron they shal be amerced a C. markê and of an Erle a C. pound the like shal be doon to them that be Earles and Barons Péeres that is to say as haue Lands and rents to the yéerly value of an Earledome or of a barony as is before expressed The fourth day the Proctors of the Clergie shal be called and for lack of their apparance their Bishops shal be amerced a C. marks for euery Archdeaconry that maketh default The fifth day Deanes Priors Abbots Bishops and Archbishops and for lack of apparaunce of an Archbishop he shal be amerced a C. pound a Bishop an Abbot and a Prior whiche holde an whole barony a C. marks Of the Proclamations THe first day of the Parlement proclamation shal be made first in the Hall or in the Monastery or some other open place where the Parlement shal be holden or kept and after in the Citty or Town opeÌ„ly that euery man hauing Bil or Peticion to be eranuned or determined in the Parlement that is should be laid in within fiue dayes of the beginning of the parlement Of the preaching of the Parlement AN Archbishop or some famose discrete and eloquent Clark tobe assigned by the Archbishop in whose prouince the Parlement shal be kept and holden shall preach on the first of the fiue dayes in the ful Parlement in the Kings presence and he shall begin when all the Parlement or the moste parte shal be there assembled in his prison or prayer he shall require all the whole Parlement that they humbly beséech almightie God for the peace and tranquilitie of the King and Realme Of the Speaker of the Parlement AFter the Sermon doon the L. Chaunceller of England or the chéef Iustice elect shall stand declaring in the parlement house first generally and then specially the causes of the Parlement and wherfore the same is holden And it is to be noted that euery man the King excepted shall stand while the said Speaker dooth declare his matter to th'entent that euery man may hear him in cace he doo speak obscurely or darkly or so lowe that he cannot be heard he must begin again or els an other speak in his place What the King shall say after the Speaker hath doon THe King after the speaker hath declared the causes of the Parlement shall desire the Spiritualtie and the Temporaltie naming euery degrée that is to say Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Archdeacons proctors and others of the Clergie Earles Barons knights Citizens and Burgesses and others of the Temporaltie that they doo diligently studiously and loouingly indeuer them selues to examin pertract and handle the causes of the Parlement to the honor of God principally secondarely to the Kings honor and lastly to the welth of the Realme Of the Kings absence THe King ought dayly to be present in the Parlement vnlesse he be sick or diseased and then he may kéep his chamber so that he lodge not out of the manor or town where the Parlement is holden and then he ought to send for xij persons of the great estates that be monished or summoned to the Parlement wherof two to be Bishops two Earles two Barons two Knights two Citizens and two Burgesses to sée his person to certifie of his estate in their presence he ought to commit power to the Archbishop of the prouince to the Lord Steward and to the chéef Iustices that they ioyntly and seuerally shall begin and continew the Parlement in the Kings name making expresse mention in his commission of his disease to th' other estates and that the persons abooue named can expresse the same for it is a perilous cace and dangerous for the communaltie and Realme that the King should be absent from the Parlement but onely for bodely sicknes Of places and seates in the Parlement FIrst as it is before said the King shall sit in the midst of the bench vpon the right hand the Archbishop of Canterbury at his left hand the Archbishop of Yorke and then Bishops Abbots and Priors in order and then euery man in his degrée and amongst his péeres and that this order be kept the Lord Steward of England is bound to look vnto vnlesse the King assigne some other At the Kings righ foot the Chaunceller of England the chéef Iustice of England with his felowes and their Clarks that be of the ParlemeÌ„t And at his left foot shall sit the Treasurer the Chamberlain the Barons of the Eschequer the Iudge of the common place with their Clarks that been of the Parlement Of the porters of the Parlement THe chéef Porter of the Parlement shall stand within the great gate or Monastery hall or place wher the Parlement is holden and shall attend that no man enter into the Parlement except he be called for matters that he sheweth in the Parlement And it is expedient that the said Porter haue knowledge of euery mannes name that shall enter into the Parlement and if need require to haue many porters vnder him Of Cryers of the Parlement THe Cryer shall stand without the Parlement door and the Porter shall shew him when and what he shall call The king was accustomed to appoint his SergeaÌ„ts at armes to kéep the Parlement door that no thrust presse or noyse were made there by meanes wherof the Parlement might be letted and that such thrust preace or noyse might he auoyded and proclamation should be made that no person enterprise such things there vnder pain of imprisonment for by Law
this house his office is to sit next before the Speaker at a Table vpon which he writeth and layeth his books He must make true entrie of the recordes and Billes of the house as also of all the orders therof The Billes appointed vnto him by the Speaker to be red hée must read openly plainly and sensibly The Billes which are to be ingrossed he must doo it If any of the house aske the sight of any Bil there or of the book of the orders of the house he hath to deliuer the same vnto him If any desire to haue the copy of any Bil he ought to giue it him receiuing for his paines after ten lines a peny He may not be absent at any time of sitting without speciall licence He ought to haue for euery priuate Bil passed and enacted forty shillings He hath allowed vnto him for his charges of the King for euery Sessions ten pound Of the Sergeant or porter of the lower house THe Sergeant of this house is commonly one of the Kings Sergeants at Armes and is appointed to this office by the king His office is to kéep the doores of the house and for the same he hath others vnder him for he him self kéepeth the door of the inner house wher the commons sit and séeth the same to be clene Also he may not suffer any to enter into this house during the time of the sitting there vnlesse he be one of the house or be sent from the King or the Lords or otherwise licenced to come in If any such person doo come he ought to bring him in going before him with his Mace vpon his shoulder If any be commited to his warde he ought to take charge of him and to kéep him in safetie vntil he be required for him If he be sent for any person or to go in any message hée must leaue a substitute behinde him to doo his Office in his absence He must alwaies attend the Speaker and go before him carying his mare vpon his shoulder His allowance during the time of the Parlement is xij d. the day of the Kings charges Also he hath of euery Knight and Citizen ij shillings and vj. pence and of euery Burgesse ij shillings If any be commaunded to his warde he hath of euery such Prisoner by the day .vj. shillings and .viij. pence If any priuate Bil doo passe and be enacted he hath for euery such Bil .xx. shillings Of the Conuocacion house THe conuocation house is the assemblie of the whole Clergie at and in some peculier place apointed for the purpose But as the Barons and Lords of the Parlement haue their house seuerall and distinct from the Commons euen so the Archibishops and Bishops doo sequester them selues and haue a house seuerall from the residue of the Clergie And this their house is called the higher Conuocation house the other béeing named the lower Conuocation house Bothe these houses haue their seuerall Officers orders and vsages eche Officer hath his peculier charge and function as also certain allowances euen as is vsed in the Parlement houses of the Lords and commons The Archbishops and Bishops doo sit all at a Table and doo discourse all such causes and matters as are brought in question before theÌ„ either of their owne motions or from the higher Court of Parlement or from the lower house of Conuocation or from any priuate person Euery Archbishop and Bishop sitteth and taketh place according to his estate and degrée which degrées are knowen by such degrées and offices in the Church as to euery of them is assigned for one hath the personage of a Preest an other of a Deacon this is a SubdeacoÌ„ he is a Sex ten and so foorth as such officers were wunt to be in the Church The Bishops doo not sit at the fore noon but onely at the after noon because they béeing Barons of the higher house of parlement doo resorte and assemble them selues there at the forenoones with the Temporall Lords The Conuocacion house of the rest of the Clergie doo obserue in a maner the like orders as the lower house of the commons doo vse for béeing assembled togither on the first day with the Bishops are by them willed to make choice of a Speaker for them whome they call the Proloquutor when they haue chosen him they doo present him vnto the Bishops and he thus presented maketh his oration and dooth all things as the Speaker of the lower house for the Commons dooth as wel for the ordering of the Clergie and of the house for his order in sitting the order in speaking the order of recording the things doon emong them and all other such like things And this is to be vnderstanded that the whole Clergie can deale and intreat but onely of matters of Religion and orders of the Church whiche their dooings conclusions cannot binde the whole Realme vnlesse they be confirmed by Act of Parlement but yet sufficient to binde the whole Clergie to the kéeping therof so that the King who is the supreme gouernour of bothe estates doo consent and confirme the same And forasmuch as by knowing the orders of the Parlement house you may also knowe the orders of bothe the Conuocation houses which are like and correspondent to y others These shall suffise for this matter Of extraordinary persons which ought to be summoned to the Parlement BEsides the personages of the former degrées which ought to be summoned to the parlement the King also must warne and summon all his councellers bothe of th' one Law and of th' other and those haue their places onely in the higher house namely the two chéef Iustices and their associates of the Kings bench and the common places the Barons of the Eschequer the Sergeants the Attorney the Soliciter the Maister of the Rolles and his fellowes of the Chauncerye The offices of these personages are to giue councel to the King and Parlement in euery doutful cause according to the Lawes Also if any Bil be conceiued and made disorderly they ought to amend and reforme the same vpon order and commaundemet to them giuen Also they must attend to come and go at the commaundement of the King and Parlement Also they may not speak nor giue aduise but when they be asked and put to question Also they haue no voice in Parlement because they are commonly councellers to the same They are all retained at the Kings charges Likewise all officers of the Parlement are to be summoned as namely the Chaunceller of the Parlement the Clarks the Sergeants the Porters and such others who likewise are retained at the Kings costs Of their offices and charges it is alredy perticulerly declared Of the dayes and houres to sit in Parlement ALl dayes of the wéek are appointed sauing and excepted the Sundayes and all principall feastes as namely the feasts of All hallown day Christmas Easter Whitsontide and Saint Iohn the Baptistê day also such other dayes as the Parlement
to choose such for Knights as be girded with the Swoord yet it is not ment therby that they should come and sit armed but bee such as be skilful in feates of Armes and besides their good aduises can wel serue in martiall affaires And thus the Romain Senators vsed who béeing men of great knowledge and experience as wel in martiall affaires as in politique causes sat allwaies in the Senate house and places of councel in their Gownes and long Robes The like also was alwaies and hath been the order in the Parlements of this Realme as long as the auncient Lawes the olde customes and good orders therof were kept and obserued Also if any other person or persons either in message or béeing sent for doo come he ought to be brought in by the Sergeant at the first entring must folowing the Sergeant make one lowe obeysaunce and beeing past in the middle way must make one other and when he is come before the Speaker he must make the third and then doo his message the like order he must kéep in his return But if he doo come alone or with his learned councel to pleade any matter or to answere to any obiection he shall enter and go no farther then to the Bar within the door aud there to doo his thrée obeysaunces Also when any Bil is committed the Committes haue not authoritie to conclude but onely to order reforme examin and amend the thing committed vnto them and of their dooings they must giue reporte to the house again by whome the Bill is to be considered Also euery Bil whiche is brought into the house must bée red thrée seuerall times and vpon thrée seuerall dayes Also euery Bil which vpon any reading is committed and returned again ought to haue his thrée readings vnlesse the Committes haue not altred the bil in any substaunce or forme but onely in certain woords Also when any Bil vpon any reading is altogither by one concent reiected or by voices after the third reading ouerthrown it ought not to be brought any more to be red during the Sessions of Parlement Also if any man doo speak vnto a Bill and be out of his matter he ought to be put in remembraunce of the matter by the Speaker onely and by none other and be willed to come to the matter Also whensoeuer any person dooth speak to any Bill hée ought to stand vp and to be bare headed and then with all reuerence grauitte and séemly spéech to declare his minde But when so euer any Bil shal be tryed either for allowances or to be reiected then euery one ought to sit because he is then as a Iudge Also euery Knight Citizen and Burgesse before he doo enter into the Parlement and take his place there ought to bée sworne and to take his othe acknowledging the King to be the supreme and onely gouernour of all the estates within his Realme as also to renounce all forrain Potentates The order of the beginning and ending of the Parlement ON the first day of the summons for the Parlement the King in proper person vnlesse he bée sick or absent out of the Realme béeing apparailled in his royall and Parlement Robes ought to be conducted brought by all his Barons of the Clergie and Laitie and the Commons summoned to the Parlement vnto the Churrh where ought a Sermon to be made by some Archbishop Bishop or some other famouse learned man The Sermon ended he must in like order be brought to the higher house of Parlement and there to take his seat vnder the cloth of estate likewise euery Lord and Baron in his degree ought to take his place This doon the Lord Chaunceller or he whom the King appointeth to be the speaker of that house maketh his oration to the whole assembly declaring the causes why wherfore that Parlement is called and summoned exhorting and perswading euery man to doo his best indeuor in all such matters as shal be in the said Parlement proponed as shal be moste expedient for the glory of God the honor of the King and the common welth of the whole Realme Then he directeth his talke vnto the Knights Citizens and Burgesses aduertising them that the Kings pleasure is that they doo repair to their house and there according to the olde and auncient custome to choose and elect some one wise graue and learned man emong them selues to be Speaker for them and giueth them a day when they shall present him to the king And these things thus doon the King ariseth and euery man departeth This is accounted for the first day of the Parlement THe second or third day after when the Speaker is to be presented the King with all his Nobles in like order as before doo assemble again in the higher house and then come vp all the commons of the lower house and then and there doo present their Speaker vnto the king The Speaker foorthwith maketh his dutiful obeysaunces beginneth and maketh his oration before the King and prosequuteth such matters as occasion serueth and as is before resited in the office of the Speaker and this doon euery man departeth And this is accounted for the beginning of the Parlement for before the Speaker be presented and these things orderly doon there can no Billes be put in nor matters be entreated of LAstly when all matters of weight be discussed ended and dermined the King commaundeth an end to be made And that day the King his Nobles and Commons doo again assemble in the higher house in their Robes and in like order as is before recited where the Speaker maketh his oration and is answered by the Lord Chaunceller or Speaker of the higher house Then all the Billes concluded and past in bothe houses that is to say in the higher house of the Lords and in the lower house of the commons are there red by the titles and then the King giueth his concent or discent to euery of them as he thinketh good And when the titles of all the the Billes are red the Lord Chaunceller or Lord Speaker by the Kings commaundement pronounceth the Parlement to bee proroged or cleane dissolued And this is called the last day or the end of the Parlement and euery man is at libertie to departe homewards The names of all such personages as ought to appeer and be in the Parlement In the higher house ¶ The King. The Lord Speaker A Proctor for the kingdome of Fraunce A Proctor for Scotland A Proctor for the Duchie of Aquitane A Proctor for the Duchie of Guyen A Proctor for the Duchie of Angewe The Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of York The Bishop of London The Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Elye The Bishop of Couentrie The Bishop of Rochester The Bishop of Sarisbury The Bishop of Welles The Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Lincolne The Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Herford
domiciliis sunt nobilitate But the reuerence of these writers reserued this cannot be so of this Church the Charter therof witnesing the contrary declaring how that King Edward Edith his wife did put Bishop Leofricus in possession of this Sea them selues Likewise VVilliam the Conquerour in the third yéer of his reign Anno. 1069. did not onely confirme the former Charter but also at the instance and sute of VVilliam vvareweste then his Chaplain and after Bishop of the same Sea did giue vnto it the segniory of Plimpton Brampton and S. Stephens in Exeter which the said VVilliam béeing Bishop did distribute giuing Plympton to the Channōs there Brampton was afterward annexed to the Deanry but Saint Stephens with a Court Baron to the same was alwaies reserued to the Bishop and his successors wherby they are Barons and so Lords of the Parlement It was also enlarged from time to time with possessions reuenewes buildings riches priuileges by Kings Princes Prelates Bishops and sundry others as héerafter I shal particulerly touch declare by Gods grace at large in a perticuler Book therof And this one thing is to be noted that albeit there were néer iiij hundred yéeres distant from the foūdation to the absoluing therof yet is so vniformely and decently compact as though it had béen buylded at one instant The Bishop is distinct from the Channons bothe in house and reuenew his liuelihods béeing no parcel of that which doth appertain to the Church and Channons It was sometimes of great large reuenewes but the more parte therof prodigally hath béen exhaunsed by a wastful Bishop The Bishop and Chānons haue very fair houses which are situated about the Church and Cemitory and are inclosed euery night by shutting fast of certain gates wherby they claime them selues to be exempted from the iurisdiction of the Cittie In the middle therof is a very fair Conduict or fountain wher into waters by certain pipes are conueyd from certain places out of the Cittie and the same from thence conueyed to the Bishops and some of the Channons houses The Cittie it self is very populus was sometimes chéefly inhabited with Clothyers or Clothworkers of brode clothes seruing much for the Spanish and South Countries whiche were of such goodnes and substaunce as that the names of them doo yet continew in these partyes but now it is chéefly inhabited with Merchaunts Kersey Clothyers of all sortes of Artificers emong whom the Merchants are the chéefest the welthiest The gouernment of this Cittie was sometimes by foure Bayliffes called Prouostres but shortly after the Conquest there was ordred a Senate of xxxvj and in these latter dayes of xxiiij persons of the moste sober graue and wisest Cōmoners and franchised men of the same of which number one was and is yéerly chosē to be the chéefest gouernour for the yéer folowing and is called by the name of a Maior This Mayor associated with the foresaid foure Bayliffes hath the discerning of and in all maner of actions betwixt partie and partie for which he kéepeth on euery Monday a Court in the Guilde hall of the said Cittie but the Bayliffes hauing the like iurisdiction doo according to their olde and ancient customes kéep the like Courts beeing distinct from the Mayor at all dayes and times when them best liketh which their Court is called by the name of the Prouostres Court for Prouostres was their first names Thus the Maior and Bayliffes bothe ioyntly and seuerally haue iurisdiction to discerne in causes betwéen partie and partie but if the matter doo touch the Prince the Crown the common peace or the state of the Cittie and the common welth of the same then the same are decided and determined either by the Maior and Iustices or by the Mayor and common Coūcel or by the Maior him self or by some other Officer or officers according to the nature or qualitie of the cause or matter But because it requireth a large discourse to discribe the gouernment of the common welth of this Cittie the charge of euery seuerall Officer the diuersitie of officers their seuerall iurisdictions with a number of other things incident to their charges I doo minde héerafter by Gods grace at large to set the same foorth in such sort that all estates and degrées and euery perticuler Officer and other person within that Cittie shall knowe his charge Office and dutie and what to euery of them appertaineth In the mean time let it suffise that partely through good gouernment and partely of a ciuil inclinatiō the people of this Cittie as very obsequions and obediēt to the Quéen and her lawes and haue in great reuerence and awe their gouernours and Magistrates for the time béeing And this one thing is not so straunge as notable that euen from the beginning they haue from time to time béen careful for their common welth moste vigilant for the preseruation therof which as in time of peace they did wel rule gouerne so also in the troublesome times and vnquiet estates they haue moste valiantly defēded against the incurtions and assaultes of their enemyes as by the sundrye Historyes it may appéer For Aruiragus King of this land minding to stay the Realme in his ancient libertyes denyed to pay to the Romains the tribute which they demaunded wherfore Claudius the Emperour sent Vespasian the Duke of the Romain Armye into this Realme either to recouer the tribute or to subdue the land This Vespasian is he who in the xxiiij yéer after this did besiege and destroy Iherusalem wherfore the Duke landing in Torbay which was then called Totonesium littus came to this Cittie layd siege to the same with continuall assaults and batteryes for eyght dayes Aruiragus the King béeing then in the East partes and hearing of this gathereth his Armye and power marcheth towards this Cittie and incountreth with the enemye The Romain after long fight not able to preuail endeth the matter by composicion and because this shall not séem to be a deuised and fained matter I wil write the woords of foure sundry Historyes The Cronicle of the Cathedrall Church of the said Cittie hath these woords Anno dom 49. Vespasianus cum Romano exercitu ciuitatem nunc voca tam Exeter octo diebus obsedit sed minime preualuit Aruirago Rege Ciuibus auxilium prestante Gaulfride of Monmothe writeth thus Vespasianus a Claudio missus est vt Aruiragū vel pacificaret vel Romanae subiectioni restitueret cum igitur in portu in rutupi applicare Vespasianus cepisset obuiauit ei Aruiragus atque prohibuit ne portū ingrederetur retraxit itaque se vespasianus a portu illo retortisque velis in littore Totnesio applicuit nactus de inde tellurem Kayerpenhulgoite que nunc Exonia vocatur obsessurus eandem adiuit cumque diebus octo eam obsedisset superuenit Aruiragus cum exercitu suo preliumque commisit die illa valde laceratus sunt vtrorumque exercitus sed neuter est