incline his Heart to God's Laws and Commandments. King Henry VI. The fecond, what Thirft every fick Chriftian ought

to have, to crave and feek Peace, after his manifold Conflicts and Battles in this World.

As to the firft, that God fhould open the Heart, and not the Hearts, fince the Words were spoken to the Children of Ifrael; he noted that thereby was meant a mystical Unity, according to thefe Words in Judges ii. Convenit univerfus Ifrael ad Civitatem quafi Homo unus, eadem Mente, unoque Confilio. 'Which being fpoken to them, was left for our 'Learning, that we might follow the fame, and might ' attain to true Peace.

To the fecond, By this Word Ifrael is understood their States, namely, of Princes, of Nobles, of Power and of Wifdom; all which, if they the fame agreed in Unity, there was no doubt but Peace of Body and Soul would enfue.

For the Reftoring of which, he told them, that this 'Parliament was called; remembring them, that the King would have all Eftates enjoy their Liberties; then defired the Commons to chufe, and the next 'Day present their Speaker to the King.'

This formal Prelate having ended his Spiritual Ha- William Trefrangue, the next Day the Commons prefented to the ham, Efq; King William Tresham Efq; who with the ufual Solem- Speaker. nity was allowed.

The Subfidies granted, by this Parliament, were a Tenth, and a Fifteenth; and half a Fifteenth was granted to be levied of the Laity, in fuch Form as was in the fourth Year of this King. An Impoft on Wools was alfo granted for three Years, as Anno 14. Hen. VI. The Commons alfo, granted to the King, that all Aliens, not Denizens, within the Realm, fhould pay to the King Yearly, Sixteen Pence for each, being an Houfekeeper; being none, Six Pence.

The fame Authority was alfo given to the Treasurer of England, and others, to make Securities for 100,000 l. as in former Parliaments.. An Order was alfo taken for the Payment of the King's Debts, contracted for the Provifions of his Houfhold.

December,

Supplies granted.

King Henry VI.

December, 21, the Chancellor by the King's Command declared to the Lords and Commons, that the The Parliament King had prorogued the Parliament from that Day unto the Day after St. Hilary next coming, to be holden at Reading.

Prorogued to
Reading.

Acts pafs'd.

There were no lefs than Nineteen Statutes made in this Parliament, tho' how long it fat at both Places, is uncertain. The moft remarkable of which Acts are thefe,

I.That Cheese and Butter may be carried out of the Kingdom without Licence."

6

II. That Merchant Strangers shall not fell their Merchandizes one to another in England, but that every fuch Merchant fhall have an Hoft or Surveyor, appointed him at his landing, by the Chief Officer of the Town or Place where he fhall land, who fhall keep a Register of all he buys and fells, and take two Pence in the Pound of him for all Merchandize by him bought or fold, and the faid Merchants fhall fell and buy all within eight Months.'

III. That all Perfons, made Juftices of the Peace, fhould have Lands and Tenements to the Value of twenty Pounds a Year, except in Cities and Corporations.' The Reafon affigned for this Statute was then, as it has very lately been thought proper, because that fome Perfons had been appointed Juftices, who, on account of their Meannefs and Incapacity could not govern cr direct the People; whilft others, by reaion of their Neceffities, committed great Extortions and Oppreffions.

IV. That no Captain fhall detain the Wages of Common Soldiers, except it be for their Clothing, under the Penalty of twenty Pounds for every Spear, and ten Pounds for a Bow; to be paid to the King (t}.'

V. That every Perfon mustering and receiving the King's Wages, who fhall depart from their Captains and the King's Service, without apparent Licence granted them by the faid Captains, fhall be punished as Felons.'

6

VII. That no Perfon fhall be a Collector of Difmes and Quinzimes, [Tenths and Fifteenths,] in any Coun

(1) Statute 18 Hen. VI. Chap. 18.

ty,

y, who is fo in the City of the fame; except he be King Henry VI ble to difpend, in Lands and Tenements, in the said County,an Hundred Shillings a Year, over and above all Charges and Reprises.'

There are, alfo, many Petitions on Private Affairs, which are not worth Notice; the most publick from the Commons, with their Anfwers, are as follows:

Pet. That no Perfon once making Fine for not being Knighted, be ever again called for it; and that the Fines be no other than usual.

Anfw. The King will be advised.

Pet. That every Merchant may lawfully transport all manner of Hides, Calf-fkins, Long-Fells and Tallow, to what Place he liketh, befides to Calais.

Anfw. The King, will be advised.

Pet. That no Owner of any Ship be impeached for any Hurt done by his Ship to any other Ship on the Sea, or in Port, or Creek, it he was not a Party thereto. Anfw. The fame as before.

Pet. That every Collector of Cuftoms, and Comptrollers of every Port, may licence the King's Subjects to tranfport Corn from one Shire or Town, to another, taking Surety of Debt, to the Value, that the fame be not carried beyond Sea.

Anfw. As before.

Pet. That no Italian, or other Merchant, beyond the Streights of Morocco, [now Gibralter,] bring any Merchandize into the Realm, but fuch as is the Produce of their own Countries; for very good Reasons mentioned in the Record.

Anjw. The fame as above.

Pet. That all Spiceries fold in any Port within the Realm, by any Merchants Strangers, be as clear garbelled as the fame is in London.

Anfw. The King will be advised.

An Act was made this Seffion that the fourth Part of the Tenth and Fifteenth fhall be paid to the Treasurer of the King's Foufhold, in order to make ready Payment for the King's Purveyance. And, by the faid Act it appears, the Revenucs of the Dutchies of Lancaster and Cornwal were alfo appropriated to that Ufe.

On the Petition of the Juuges it was enacted, That all

the

Petitions.

King Henry V1. the Justices of both Benches, Juftices of Affize, the King's Serjeant and Attorney, fhall yearly, at two Feafts of the Year then expreffed, be paid, and allowed their Fees and Liveries, by the Hands of the Clerk of the Hanaper, for the Time being, out of the Cuftoms of London, Bristol, and Kingston upon Hull.

Anno Regni 20. 1442.

The Archbishop of Roan, Cardinal Luxenburg (u), to whom the Pope at the Death of the Bishop of Ely, had granted to the faid Archbishop, during his Life, all the Profits of the faid Bifhoprick, by the Name of Adminiftrator, fhew'd his Bull to the King, who utterly rejected it. Notwithstanding, for his Services done in France, the King makes him a Grant of the Adminftration aforefaid. So ftrictly was the Statute of Pramunire, fo often mentioned, adhered to in thofe Days.

The last Thing that we think proper to take Notice of among the Tranfactions of this Parliament, is, that in Confideration of the great Plague of Peftilence, fo called, it was enacted, That all fuch Perfons as thould do Homage to the King, fhould do the fame without kissing him; and the fame Homage to be as good as though the Kis was given.' On which William Prynne makes this wife Remark, That, by this it appears that the Custom of Homage done in thofe Times doth greatly vary from the prefent Ceremony; for now they are fo far 'from kifling the King, that they do not fo much as • fee him.'

In the 20th Year of this King, another Parliament was called by Writ, to meet at Westminster, on the Feast of the Converfion of St. Paul, but no more than the Names of the Peers, fo Summoned, is given in the AbridgAt Westminster. ment of the Records about it. But, in the Statutes at large, there are thirteen Acts faid to be made in this Parliament; yet, none of them being particular, we must refer the very curious Enquirer to the Statute-Book aforefaid for them (x). And, it was not 'till three Years

(u) Collier's Eccles. Hift. Vol. I. P. 668.

after

(x) One of them feems to be well calculated for the publick Good, viz. That no Officer of the Cuftoms, or Searcher, fhall have a Ship of his ufe Merchandize, keep a Wharf or Inn, or be a Factor; in order to avoid the many Frauds that would naturally enfue from thence, Chap. 5. Mr. Daniel has wholly omitted this Parliament.

own,

fter this Period, that we meet with any Account of King Henry VI.
Parliament, when Writs were iflued out, dated at
Vestminster, January 13. for one to meet at the fame
Place on the 25th of Feburary following.

In Prefence of the King fitting in Perfon in his Chair

1445.

f State, and of the Lords and Commons, John Staf- Anno Regni. 23. rd late Bishop of Bath and Wells, but now Arch- At Westminster. bishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, Deputy o the See of Rome, and Chancellor of England, declared the Caufe of calling this Parliament, and took For his Subject thefe Words from Palm lxxxiv. Juftitia Pax ofculata funt.

ed.

On which he told them, That thro' the great Diligence and Conduct of the Earl of Suffolk, the King's dear Coufin, and other Noblemen, fent as Embaffadors The King's into France, as well upon a Treaty of Marriage to Marriage notifibe had between the King and Margaret, Daughter to the King of Sicily, as for to fettle a Peace between · England and France, the faid Marriage was contracted; and a Sufpenfion of Arms, for a Time, was grant= ed.

He further faid, that the faid Earl staid in France for the fafe Conduct of the faid Princefs Margaret into the Realm of England, by which two Means he nothing doubted, but that, thro' God's Grace, the 'faid Truce would end fo well that Juftice and Peace 'fhould be within this Nation more than it had been.' He then bid the Commons chufe and prefent their Speaker to the King.

On the fecond Day of this Parliament the Commons notified to the Lords, that they had chofen their Speak- William Burgher; and the next Day they prefented William Burghley, ley Efq; SpeakEfq; to the King, whofe Excufe being rejected, he was allowed as Speaker, under the Common Proteftation.

This Seffion, we find, by the Record, was continued to March the 15th, but no Notice taken of any more Bufinets done in it; when the Chancellor, by the King's Command, with the Affent of the Lords, and in the Prefence of the Commons, prorogued the Parliament from that Day to the 19th of April next enfuing, at Westminster aforefaid.

This Prorogation we may fuppofe was defigned to

give

er.