King Henry IV. Princes were nothing fubject to the Pope's Supremacy. For, otherwife, this Archbishop, the Pope's adopted and Fofter-Son, would not have fo flighted the Pope's Buils, which he plainly took for mere Bells and Baubles (g).

A&t against
Riots.

On the 20th of December, which was the last Day of this Parliament, the Lords and Commons, by their joint Petition, feemed to lament, that a Report was fpread, that the King was offended with fome, in both Houfes, for Matters done in the laft Parliament; and they defired that the King would embrace and efteem them as his loyal Subjects; which Request he, out of meer Grace, granted. Then the Speaker, again, recommended to the King the Perfons of the Queen, the Prince, and the rest of the King's Sons, praying the Advancement of their Estates; for which his Majesty returned them his hearty Thanks. And, after the more private Petitions of the Commons were answered, the Chancellor, by the King's Command, gave Thanks to the Three Estates of the Realm, and diffolved this Parliament.

But we must not omit to mention that a Statute was paffed in this Parliament against Riots and other Public Aflemblies, whereby it was enacted, That all Juftices

of Peace fhould have a very ftrict Eye upon the Subject to prevent all riotous Meetings, and Sheriffs to be as watchful to fupprefs them; which, if they neglected, they fhould each of them forfeit 100%. for every fuch Offence (h). By which, adds the Hiftorian before quoted, it feems that King Richard's Ghoft haunted this King to his dying Day; that the People were never thoroughly fatisfied, but difturbed his Peace, on every occafion, by Riots and Tumults (i). A general Pat- However, we find in the Public Acts a general Pardon, or Act of Grace, not mentioned by the Abridger of the Records, which must have paffed in this Seffion of Parliament, tho' it is dated December 22, or two Days after the Diffolution of it, The King's Writ or Proclamation of the Act, was fent to all the Sheriffs in England;

don.

(g) COTTON's Abridgement, p. 480.

(b) Stat at Large, Aon. 13. Hen. IV. Cap. VII.
(i) Daniel in Kennet, p. 301.

England; and there are but two Exceptions, vz. King Henry IV, Owen Glendour and Thomas de Trumpyngton, with their Adherents, included (1). This feems to be a very feafonable Act of Grace, both for the King and his Subjects; fince, as he fhewed Mercy to them, he had the better Title to expect it himself, from the King of Kings, before whom he was fhortly to appear. For,

very foon after, Henry was feized with a Distemper, The Death of which, in three Months Time, brought him to his End; Henry IV. dying March the 20th, 14, in the 46th Year of his Age, and the 14th of his Reign (m).

An Abstract from the Speech that Shakespear makes this King Henry give to his Son the Prince of Wales, on his Death-Bed, by way of Advice to him, may not improperly conclude this Reign.

KING. Come hither, Harry, fit thou on my Bed,

And hear, I think, the very latest Counsel,
That ever I shall breathe. Heav'n knows, my Son,
By what Bye-Paths and indirect crook'd Ways.
I met this Crown; and I myself know well
How trouble fome it fat upon my Head.
It seemed in me,
But as an Honour fnatched with boiftrous Hand,
And I had many living to upbraid

My Gain of it by their Affiftance;

Which daily grew to Quarrel and to Bloodshed.

Therefore, my Harry,

Be it thy Courfe to bufy giddy Minds

With Foreign Quarrels; that Action, hence,
born out,

May wafte the Memory of former Days.
More would I fay, but my Lungs are wafted fo,
That Strength of Speech is utterly deny'd me.
How I came by the Crown, O God, forgive!
And grant it may with Thee in true Peace live.
TAXES

(1) Fad. Ang. Tom. VIII. P. 711.
(m) Moft of our old Chronicles will have it, that Henry died before
the laft Parliament was diffolved. But few of them agree in the Dif-
temper that caufed it; fome fay, that he died of an Apoplexy, and
Polydore Vergil will have it, that it was an incurable Difeafe, inflicted
for his Ufurpation, and fays, Subito Morbo tentatus, nulla Medicing
fublevari potuit. Lib. XXI. p. 438.

King Henry IV.

TAXES in the Reign of King HENRY IV.

N his firft Year there was granted to him 50s. on

Pounds from Aliens for three Years: Alfo a Tenth and a Fifteenth.

In his fecond Year, a Subfidy was granted of one Tenth, and one Fifteenth; Two Shillings on every Ton of Wine, and Eight-Pence in the Pound on Mer

chandize.

In his fourth Year there was granted to the King, the ufual Subfidy on Wools, Wool-Fels and Skins, for three Years; alfo Three Shillings on every Tun of Wine, and Twelve-pence in the Pound on Merchandize, befides a Tenth and a Fifteenth.

In his fifth Year there was a Tax of Twenty Shillings on every Knight's Fee, and Twenty-pence of every one that had Twenty Pounds Lands a Year, and One Shilling in the Pound for Money or Goods, and fo upwards according to that Rate. But the Record of this Subfidy was burnt by Order of the Parliament that granted it.

In his fixth Year he had two Tenths and two Fifteenths, also, the Subfidy on Wools, Wool Fells, and Skins; that is, of every Denizen, for each Sack of Wool 435. 4 d. for every 240 Wool-Fels the like Sum, and for every Laft of Skins Five Pounds: Of Aliens 10s. more, to fubfift for two Years; Three Shillings on every Tun of Wine, imported or exported, and Twelve-pence in the Pound on Merchandize.

In his feventh Year, there was granted a Subfidy of one Tenth and one Fifteenth, befides the ufual Grant upon Wools.

In his ninth Year, he had one Tenth and a Half, with the fame Subfidy as in the laft Parliament, for two Years.

In his eleventh Year, the fame Tax was granted; And,

In his thirteenth Year, it was again repeated, with the Addition of 6s. and 8d upon every Owner of Lands of zo, a Year clear Eftate.

Towards

Towards forming fome Notion of the Value of thefe King Henry IV. Taxes, take the following Account of

The Price of PROVISIONS in this Reign.

In 1401, Wheat very dear, at 16 s. the Quarter (n). In 1407, a Cow was fold for 7 s. and her Calf for 15. 8 d. Five Bufhels and a half of Salt for 3 s. 41⁄2d. Two Bufhels of Wheat for 10d. A Thresher for a Day's Labour 2 d. An Ox fold for 13 s. 4 d. A new Plough 10 d. For eleven Bufhels of fowing Wheat 5 s. 10 d. For eighteen Bushels of fowing Oats 4 s. 6d. For a Dung-Cart and all Materials Is, 2 d. For a Pair of Cart-Wheels 3 s. 2 d. (0)

(z) FABIAN's Chronicle.

(0) KENNETT's Parochial Antiquities. FLEETWOOD's Chronicon Pretiofum.

HENRY

King Henry V.

His Speech to the Parliament

on his Acceffion to the Crown.

HENRY the Fifth began his Reign March 20,

Anno 1413, the Day of his Father's Death, and was proclaimed on the next, with the ufual Ceremonies. Our older Chronicles, and their Copiers, impute feveral Wildneffes and light Behaviour to the Minority of this Prince, very unbecoming his high Birth and Station. But the Reader may obferve, in the Course of these Enquiries, throughout his Father's Reign, that feveral high Compliments were made this Prince of Wales, on his Valour and Prudence, by Parliament; very inconfiftent with fuch a Character (p). We are told by a cotemporary Hiftorian, and an ancient Manufcript Chronicle of this King's Life, that the late King, his Father, had fummoned a Parliament to meet at Westminster, on March the 24th this Year, which was four, Days after he died (g). That being met, accordingly, they gave an extraordinary Teftimony of their entire Confidence in the new King, by an Addrefs to him from both Houses, wherein they offered to fwear Allegiance to him before he was crowned, or had taken the customary Oath to govern according to the Laws. The King gave them Thanks for their good Affections to him, and exhorted them to employ all their Power for the Good of the Nation, in their several Places and Stations. He told them, That he began his Reign by pardoning all that had offended him; and, with a fincere Defign for his People's Happiness, faid, that he would be crowned on no other Condition, than to make ufe of all his Authority to promote it. And, prayed to God, that if he forefaw he was like to prove any other than a juft and good King, he would please to take him immediately out of the • World, rather than feat him on the Throne, to be a public Calamity to his People.'

6

The generous Offer made by both Houfes of Parlia

(p) See before, p. 108, and 112.

ment

(9) Titus Livius, a M. S. wrote under that Name, of this King's Reign, and dedicated to his Son and Succeffor. NICHOLSON'S Hift. Library, P. 82.

Walfingham writes that this Parliament met on the Day after Candlemas-Day, but that the King did not live to fee the End of it, dying on March 20, as aforefaid, P. 382.