of London Stows Survey of London Chronic Robert Fabian Heylin History of the Reformation of the Church of England Scrinia Ceciliana 198. 199. Spelman glossar in voce Forefang LL. Inae ca. altero ante penult Somners glossar ad Brompton alios veteres Angliae Historicos Genesis c. 41. Sir Francis Moores Reports 764. Camden 2. part Annalls of Queen Elizabeth Vide Act of Parliament or Declaration touching the Settlement of Ireland Craig de Feudis apud Scotos dieg 14. Parliament James 1. c. 8. Spelman Glossar in voce Borrow mealis 2 Parliament King James the 4 th Choppinus de Domainio Regum Franciae lib. 1.15 Tacitus de moribus Germanorum Radenicus de gestis Frederici lib. 2. ca. 5. Besoldus de AErario principis Bullinger de vectigalibus Zecchius de principat administrat Varenius de Regno Japan Genesis c. 14. Grotius Anonotat ad Genesin 1 Sam. 17. 1 Sam. 25. 1 Sam. 25. 2 Sam. 8. 1 Chron. 21. 2 Reg ca. 4. Isaiah 16. v. 1. Grotius Annot ad locum Nehemiah 4.17 Mr. Stephens Treatise of Synodals Procurations Somner Glossar in appendice ad Brompton aliâ—s veteres Historicos Angliae Skaeneus tit de Herezeldis in Quon Attach c. 15. Alciat lib. 1. Parerg. c. 45. Spelman Glossar in voce Heriotum Neostadius de Feudis Hollandicis Cowell interpret verborum Mich. 4. E. 1. coram Rege Somners Treatise of Gavelkind Cart. 17 H. 3. m. 6. in 2. parte Dugdales Monastic Anglic Rot. pat 27 30 H. 6. Ex antiquo Codice M.S. de customes de London in Bibliotheca Cl. viri Galfridi Palmer Milit. Baronetti Attorn Generalis Regis Caroli secundi Coke Comment in Artic super Chartas 542 543. Act of Parliament for Subsidies in 3 4 Car. primi Charles Loyseau traictè des Seigneuries Stows Survey of London 9 H. 3. Sir John Davies Treatise of Impositions Ad Cur. tent ibid. Anno 5 8 E. 3. Glos. in verb. usque ad hoc tempus C. Servitium 18. q. 2. Sir John Heywards History of King Edward the 6 th Heylins History of the Reformation of the Church of England Stows Survey of London Sir Francis Bacons letter to the Duke of Buckingham Baldus in proaemio seudorum in Consil. 274. lib. 3. Cynus in l. si viva matre de bonis matern Bodin de Repub lib. 1. Besoldus dissert politic Juridic de Juribus Majestatis ca. 9. Genesis c. 43. 1 Reg. ca. 10. v. 15. 25. Grotius Annotat ad vet testamentum AElianus Hist. variar lib. 1. Brissonius de regno Persiae lib. 1. Gervasius Tilburiensis 20 H. 3. Lois d' Orleans ouuertures de Parlement ca. 8 Exodus 22. v. 29. Deut. 24. v. 19 20 21. Stows Survey of London Heylin Ecclesia restaurata or History of the Reformation of the Church of England fol. 114. Levit. ca. 1. v. 2 3. Levit. 2 3. 25 Exod. 21 22 23 29 Deut. 15. 16. 1 Sam. 15. 2 Sam. 10. Plutarch Apothegm Speed Hist. of Britain Leiger Book of St. Albans Zonaras in 2 part Annal. Suetonius in vita August Cassiodorus lib. 6. Epist. 7. Rosinus de Antiquitat Rom. 54. Selden ad Marmora Arundeliana Mat. Paris 549. Walsingham Hist. Angl. 85. Rot. Parl. 40 E. 3. m. 78 9. Rot. Parl. 42 E. 3. m. 7. Rot. Parl. 17 R. 2. 16 R. 2. Coke 1. part 5. Reports 26 M. S. Francisci Junii fil Francisci Junii in diatrib de vocibus Lord Lady 20 H. 6. Vide Oath of the Treasurer and Comptroller of the Kings house Cantic 2. Deut. 23. v. 4. Judges 8. v. 35. 1 Reg. 10. 2 Chron. ca. 9. Bodin de Repub 6. Tacitus de moribus Germanorum ca. 13 14. Hieron Epist. In LL. Canuti 102. Dugdales Warwickshire illustrated 679. 680. Dugdales Warwickshire illustrated 317. Dant 4. Ex veteri libro M. S. Prioris de Spalding in Comitat. Lincoln in Bibliotheca Antonii Oldfeild Baronetti Spelman glossar 405. in voce Marletum Dugdales Warwickshire illustrated Pat. 27. 30. H. 6. Amos 1. v. 6. Isaiah 58. v. 6 7. Marsellaer de legatis Nehemiah 5.17 Hebrews 13. v. 1. 2. Selden hist. of Tithes 319 320. Spelman glossar in voce procuratio Selden hist. of Tithes 320. Dugdales Warwickshire illustrâ—ted 373. ex ipso autograph Spelman glossar in voce Mails Lambard Itinerar 212 Spelman glossar in voce Scot. Idem glossar in vocibus Ward-peny Brigbote Spelman glossar in voce Romescot voceâ— Rode-knight Spelman glossar in voâ— Scavage Vzzonius de mandatis principum cap. 7. §. 1. Jeremy 49. v. 31. David Lloid in vita Antonii Brown militis Idem in vita Johannis Russel militis Idem in vita Jacobi Dier militis Claudian aâ— quarto Consulat honor Claudian de Bello Geticoâ— Heylin hist. Ecclesiae Anglicanae reformatae Speed hist. of England David Lloid in vita Davidis Brook militis In the life of Almansor translated out of the Arabick by Robert Ashley J. C. Heylin hist. Ecclesiae Anglicanae reformatae Haggaiâ— Dan. 11. v. 20.
his Crown Lands turned from small and easie old-fashion'd Reserved Rents upon Leases for Lives or years into Estates of Inheritance and very many Liberties as Fishings Free-Warrens Court-Leets Court-Barons Eschetes Felons Fugitives and Outlaws Goods Deodands Forfeitures Waiss Estraies Fines Amerciaments retorn and execution of Writs and in some Manors a liberty of receiving to their own use Fines for licenses of concord or agreement upon the making of Conveyances and Post-Fines upon Fines leavied in the Kings Courts Profits of the year day and wast and all Fines Issues Amerciaments returned set or imposed upon any of their Tenants in any of the Kings Courts or by any Justices of Assize or of the Peace With many other Franchises Liberties and Participations of his Regality which they do now enjoy tanquam Reguli as little Kings in their several Estates and Dominions in many of them more by claim and prescription allowed by the favour and indulgence of the King and his Royal Progenitors and Predecessors Kings and Queens of of this Nation unto them and their Posterities then by any any Grants they can shew for it very much exceeding in yearly profit and conâ—ent the small charges which they have used to have been at for the Pourveyance or Provisions for the Kings Houshold Take his Fee-farme Rents which do amount unto above threescore thousand pounds per annum but according to their first and primitive small reservation though the Lands thereof be now improved and raised in some a ten and in others a twelve to one moâ—e then they were then accompted to be either in the intentions of the Donors or Donees and many other his Fee-Farmes of some casuall Profits and Revenues granted to Cities and Corporations which do now ten to one exceed what they were when they were first granted Grant and confirme to the Vulgus or Common people many great immunities and Priviledges as Assart Lands and permit them to enjoy in his own Lands and Revenue large Common of Pasture and Common of Estovers and Turbary in his Forrests and Chaces and protect from oppression in that which are holden of their Mesne Lords their Copihold Lands Customes and Estates which being at first but temporarily permitted and allowed patientia charitate in quoddam jus transierunt are now by an accustomed and continued charity taken to be a kind of Tenant Right and Inheritance Grants and permits many Charters of Liberties Privileges and Freedoms to the Cities Boroughs and Towns Corporate of England and Wales and to the Lord Mayor and Commonalty of London all Issues Fines and Amerciaments retâ—rned and imposed upon them in any of the Kings Cours freedome from payment of Tolls and Lastage in their way of an universall and diffused Trade in all places of England and for a small Fee Farme Rent of Fifty pounds per annum for the Kings Tolls at Queen-Hithe Billingsgate and other places in the City of London accepted in the Reign of King Henry the Third suffers them to have and receive in specie or mony towards their own Pourveyance as much as would goe a good way in his Allows the Tenants in antient Demesn their Exemptions from the payment of Toll for their Houshold Provisions which in the opinion of Sir Edward Coke was at the first in regard of their helping to furnish the Kings houshold Provisions and suffers the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and the Colleges and Halls therein Colleges of Winchester and Eaton and the Reâ—ients in the Cinque Ports and Rumney Marsh to enjoy a Freedom from Subsidies Who together with all the people of England may by the Accompt of benefits received by and from him and his Royall Progenitors and Predecessors know better how to value them if they had not received them and if he should but retire himself into himself and withdraw his bounties from us Or take his Customes and Imposts inward and outward Reliefs Ayds Subsidies Fifteens Tenths and First-fruits Profits of his Seals Pâ—ae-fines Post-fines Licences and Pardons for alienation of Lands Fines upon Foâ—medons and reall Actions at the full value and rate which the Law will allow and the rise of money might perswade him unto or take all occasions to invade or clip the peoples Liberties and Privileges as they do his Or seise and take advantage of the forfeitures of our sufficiently misused Fairs and Markets which without the many inconveniences of Barrage Billets peages or Tolls taken at many places as they pass thither as the people of France and our Fashion makers are tormented with do yield and save the people yearly in that which otherwise would be lost some hundred of thousands pounds per annum or should withdraw his favours and countenance from the Trade which our Merchants have into forreign Parts since the Reign of Queen Mary by the benefits and blessings of the Leagues and Alliances of him his Royall Progenitors made with forreign Princes continued with a great yearly charge of Embassadours Ordinary and Extraordinary sent and received and render it to be no no more then it was in the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth when the difference of the gain of forreign Trade and Merchandize betwixt the little which was then and that which is now by reason of the East-Indie Turkie Muscovie Ligorne and East-land Trades and our many flourishing American Plantations would appear to be some millions sterling money in a year And were notwithstanding never so gratefull to our King for it as the English Merchants of Calais were whilst King Edward the Third caused the Staple of Wool to be kept there who so ordered the matter as the King spent nothing upon Souldiers in defence of the Town which was wont to cost him eight thousand pounds per annum and the Mayor of that Town could in Anno 51 of the Reign of that King furnish the Captain of the Town upon any Rode to be made with one hundred Bill-men and two hundred Archers of Merchants and their Servants without any wages Or if the Peoples Liberties acquired by the munificence and Indulgence of our Kings since the making and confirming of our Magna Charta in the ninth year of the Reign of King Henry the Third now 437 years ago when they took it to be for their good as well as the Kings to give him a Fifteenth part of all their Moveables not by a conniving and unequall but a more real and impartiall Taxation in recompence and as a thankfull Retribution for their Liberties then granted and confirmed which are now as many again or do farre exâ—ed them were buâ— justly valueâ— or if the benefits accrewed unto forreign Merchants or those of our own Nation by the Charâ—a Mercatoria granted by King Edward the First in the 31 year of his Reign to the Meâ—chants Strangers and confirmed by Act of Paâ—liament in Anno 27 Ed. 3. for the releasing of an antient Custome and Duty to the Kings of England of
fallen upon the Orphans or fatherless Children of that part of the People and their Estates when the Wolves shall be made the Keepers of the Lambs and every indigent or wastfull father in Law shall be a Guardian to those whose Estates he makes it his business to spend and ruine or to transferre upon his own Children and the charge and trouble of Petitions at the Councell Board or more tedious Suits in Chancery to be relieved against them the pay of more Life-guards or a small standing Army to keep the People within the bounds of their duty and secure good Subjects from the mischief intended by the bad frequent Musters of the Trained Bands more then formerly and of an Army to be hired upon an occasion of an Invasion or the transferring the sedem belli or miseries of warre into an Enemies Country much whereof would not have needed to be if the Tenures in Capite and by Knight-service those stronger Towers and Forts of our David those Horsemen and Charriots of our Israel and alwayes ready Garrisons composed of the best and worthiest men of our Nation not hirelings taken out of the Vulgus nor unlettered unskilfull and uncivilized nor rude or debauched part of the people but of those who would fight tanquam pro aris focis as they and their worthy Ancestors ever used to do for the good and honour of their King and Country and the preservation of their own Families as being obliged unto it by the strongest tyes and obligations of law and gratitude which ever were or could be laid upon the fortunes Estates Souls and Bodies of men that would have a care but of either of them Or to put in the Ballance against the benefits which they had in the preservation of their Woods recording their discents and titles to their Lands and many a Deed and Evidence which would otherwise have been lost or not easie to be found and the help and ayd which their heirs in their infancies have never failed of in all their Suits and Concernments And the seldome abuses of some naughty Pourveyors and the complaints thereby do not any thing neer amount unto the immense gains of the people of some millions sterling per annum in their vast improvements of their Lands and Estates by the rack and rise of rents enhaunce of Servants and Labourers wages and all commodities in all parts of the Kingdome before and since the Reign of Queen Elizabeth when the Compositions for the Pourveyance were made and agreed upon may seem but a very small yearly Retribution to the King or his Royall Progenitors for permitting so much as shall be reasonable of it And the People of England might better allow him those small and legall advantages which are and will be as much for publique good as his own then they do themselves in many of their own affairs one with another in many of their particular private ends advantages wherein the will and bequests oâ— the dead their Hospitalls Legacies or Gifts to charitable uses are not nor have been so well managed as they ought to be As may be instanced in those multitudes of charitable Legacies or Gifts in lands originally cut out and proportioned to the maintenance of certain numbers of poor or for some particular uses which by the increase and improvement of Rents before and since the dissolution of the Abbies Religious Houses and Hospitals did very much surmount the proportions which were at the first allowed or intended for them And with more Reason and Justice then the City of London and many of their Guilds and Fraternities do now enjoy divers Lands which were given for Lamps and other superstitious uses for which they compounded by order of the Councell Board with King Edward the Sixth for twenty thousand pounds and more then that which that and many other Cities and Towns do take and receive for Tolls which being many times only granted for years or upon some temporary occasions are since kept and retained as rights besides many Gifts and Charitable Uses since the dissolution of the Abbies and Religious Houses amounting to a very great yearly value which by the improvement and rise of Rents beyond the proportion of the Gifts or the intention of the Givers have been either conveyed by Jâ—yntures or leases to wives or children or much of the overplus which came by the improvement or concealed Charitable Uses converted by the Governours of many a City and Town Corporate to the maintenance of themselves the Worship of the Corporation and many a comfortable Feast and Meeting for the pretended good of the 〈◊〉 people thereof who are but seldome if at all the better for it Some of which not to mention any of greater bulk or value may appear in a few instances instead of a multitude of that kind dispeâ—sed in the Kingdom as two Closes of Land or Meadow Ground lying in the Parish of Shoreditch in the County of Middlesex given by Simon Burton Citizen and Merchant-Taylor of London in the year 1579. unto St. Thomas Hospital upon condition that the Governors of the said Hospitall should yearly give unto 30 poor Persons of the said Parish on the 21 22 or 23 dayes of December for ever the summe of eight pence a piece Mr. William Hanbury Citizen and White-baker of London did by a Surrender in the year 1595. give unto Elizabeth Spearing certain Copihold Lands in Stebuâ—heath and Ratcliffe in the said County to pay the Parson and Church-wardens of the said Parish for ever to the use of the poor People there two and fifty shillings yearly which by consent of the Parish is by twelve pence every Wednesday weekly bestowed upon the Poor abroad And Mrs. Alice Hanbury Widow by her will did in the same year give unto Mr. George Spearing a Tenement in the said Parish wherein William Bridges a Taylor then dwelled upon condition that the said George Spearing his Heirs and Assignes should yearly pay to the Churchwardens of the said Parish and their Successors to the use of the poor and impotent People thirteen shillings and four pence And that whether the King be enough recompenced or not at all recompenced for his Pourveyance it would be none of the best bargains for the Subjects of England or their Posterity to exchange or take away so great and nâ—â—â—ssary a part of his Prerogative or support of Majesty as the Pourveyance or Compositions for them were which in the Parliament in the 4 th year of the Reign of King James were held to be such an inseperable Adjunct of the Crown and Imperiall dignity as not to be aliened and some few years after believed by that incomparable Sir Francis Bacon afterwards Lord Chancellor of England to be a necessary support of the Kings Table a good help and justly due unto him And the Learned both in Law and Politiquâ—s in other Nations as well as our own have told us that such Sacra
unworthy sparing and avarice of Subjects in withholding their Oblations from his Deputies and disabling them from relieving the Strangers the Fatherless and the Widows And that the rates of his houshold provisions being much the same or very near unto those which were agreed upon by the Justices of Peace of every County who cannot be understood to be any Strangers to the rates and Market prices of every County might not be now as cheap afforded as they were then or when they were cheaper in the â—3 year of the Reign of King Henry the Eighth now not much above 130 years agoe when 24 great Bâ—eves were provided for a great and pompous Serjeants Feast at Ely house in London where the King Queen and many of the Nobility the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London were present such provisions being then probably at a greater price then ordinary for 26 s. 8 d. a piece from the Shambles a Carcase of an Oxe at 24 aâ—â— s. 10 d. a piece one and fifty great Veals at 4 s. 8 d. a piece four and thirty Porks at 3 s 8 d. a piece ninety one Pigs at 6 d. a piece Capons ten dozen at 20 d. a piece Kentish Capons nine dozen and a half at 12 d. a piece Capons course nineteen dozen 6 d. a piece Cocks of gross seaven dozen nine at 8 d. a piece Cocks course fourteen dozen and eight at 3 d. a piece Pullets the best at 2 d. ob a piece other Pullets 2 d. Pigeons thirty seaven dozen at 10 d. a dozen and Larks three hundred and forty dozen at 5 d a dozen if the Magistrates of England who are trusted by the Law with the Assiâ—e and correction of the rates and prices of victuals and houshold provisions and the punishment of Ingrossers Forestallers and Regrators did not sleep over their duty or too many of the Justices of Peace and Lords of Leets did not finde it to be more for their own advantages to improve and raise their Lands to the highest rack rather then reduce those now exorbitant rates and prices into that order which the Laws and Statutes of England do intend they should be There being no just cause to complain of our payments to the King for his Pourveyance or any other of his necessary affairs when the cry and daily complaints of our want of money is not so much by reason of our want of Trade as our want of wit by mispending that which should regularly and orderly maintain us and our Families and it is not our want of Trade but our too much trading in pride excess and superfluities which hath brought the Nation into that Hectique Feaver and almost incurable Consumption which hath now seised upon the vitalls of it and would be very evident if a strict accompt and view were taken of what hath been needlesly and vitiously spent within these last twenty or thirty years more then formerly in Apparrel Diet Wine Tobacco Jewels Coaches new Fashions greater Portions given with Daughters then our Forefathers could either have given or thought fitting increase of Servants Artificers and Labourers wages gaming by women as well as men great interest and Brocage paid for money and buying upon Trust to support their vanities and twenty millions sterling lately spent in the enterteynment of the Devil and a most horrid Rebellion and seeking for a Liberty to loose all our own Liberties and may give us to understand that if we had that money again which was so foolishly mispended those that could then lay it out and now want it might subscribe unto this undenyable truth that there would be greater riches and less necessities seen in England then in any other Nation and enough and more then enough to drive the Trade thereof and that whilst the back and belly have vyed who should be most inordinate and profuse the improvement of Rents Wages and Commoditâ—â—s have been to no better a purpose then to improve our vices and the Nationaâ—l as well as particular miseries and damage which are and will be the never â—aâ—ling concomitants and consequents of it For no reason can be given why we should not as chearfully submit to any thing that tends to the support of the King and the Honour 〈…〉 Nation as every Citizen of London and man of Trade will do to the furnishing of Pageants or publick 〈◊〉 for the honor and Reputation of their City or Company or as the Universities sometime do in an Entertainment of the King or their Chancellour though they did at the same time contribute to the Pourveyance or as the People of England did in the 5 th year of the Reign of King Edward the 6th when the Queen Regent of Scotlandâ—n â—n her return out of France thither desiring to take her Journy through England was by the City of London presented at her fiâ—st coming with Muttons Beefe Veals Poultry Wine and all other sorts of Provisions necessary for the Entertainment of her and her no small Train even to Bread and Fâ—well and when she departed to goe for Scotland was after great and Princely Entertainments by the King at Whitchall conducted by the Sheriffs of London to whose care the King had committed it as farre as Waltham and by all the Sheriffs of all the Counties through which she passed untill she came unto the Borders of Scotland her Enterteynment being provided by the Kings appointment at the charge of the Counties Nor can it be for the honour of the English Nation to come behind the Jews that stiffe necked and Rebellious Race of Mankind in their kindness and returns unto their Kings and Princes who notwithstanding that pedagoguy and hard hand of Government which the Almighty in his eternall Wisdome found necessary to put upon them in their releasing of Servants and letting their Lands lye untilled every seaventh year permitting their Debtors and Mortgagors or Venâ—ors in every Jubile or 50 year to enjoy their Lands and Estates and to be at liberty their many and many times Free-will and Thanksgiving Offerings Peace-Offerings Sin-Offerings costly Sacrifices Feasts unto the Lord and Journeys to Jerusalem the Offerings which were brought and prepared for the building of the Tabernacle in such aboundance a readiness and zeal not now to be found amongst us as formerly in the building of Churches or repair of the Cathedral of St. Paul as God directed Moses by a Proclamation to restrain them from bringing any more and their Males appearing three times in every year before the Lord not empty handed and their very large Offerings also at the Dedication of the Temple when Solomon their King invited them unto it and their Corban or money often given to the Treasury of it could not forget their respects and duty to their Kings in their Presents or Pourveyance for them and their Houshold When God would not suffer the Majesty of Kings shining as the beams reflections of his divine Majesty upon the face of Moses
when he came down out of the Mount from his conference with him to be abated or lessened but shewed his care of it in the severe punishment of the gain-saying of Corah Dathan Abiram and their saying that Moses took too much upon him and is and ever hath been so essentiall very necessary to the preservation of Authority and Government and the Subjects and People under it as Saul when he had incurred the displeasure of God and his Prophet Samuel desired him not to dishonour him before the People And David when he heard how shamefully his Embassadours had been abused by the King of Ammon ordered them to stay at Jericho untill their beards were grown out The Romans who being at the first but Bubulci and Opiliones a rude Company oâ— Shepheards Herdsmen and were looked upon as such a base and rude Rabble as the Sabines their Neighbours scorned to marry or be allyed with them did afterwards in their growing greatness which like a torrent arising from a small assembly of waters did afterwards overrun and subdue the greatest part of the habitable World hold their Consuls in such veneration as they had as Cicero saith magnum nomen magnam speciem magnam majestatem as well as magnâ—m potestatem as great an outward respect and veneration as they had authority and were so jealous and watchfull over it as their Consul Fabius would rather lay aside the honour due unto his Father from a Sonne of which that Nation were extraordinary obseâ—vers then abate any thing of it and commanded his aged Father Fabius the renowned rescuer and preserver of Rome in a publique Assembly to alight from his Horse and do him the honour due unto his present Magistracy which the good old man though many of the people did at the present dislike it did so approve of as he alighted from his horse and embracing his Son said Euge fili sapis qui intelligis quibus imperes quam magnum magistratum susceperis my good Son you have done wisely in understanding over whom you command and how great a Magistracy you have taken upon you And our Offa King of the Mercians in An. Dom. 760 an Ancestor of our Sovereign took such a care of the Honour and Rights due unto Majesty and to preserve it to his Posterity as he ordained that even in times of Peace himself and his Successors in the Crown should as they passed through any City have Trumpets sounded before them to shew that the Person of the King saith the Leiger Book of St. Albans should breed both fear and honour in all which did either see or hear him Neither will it be any honour for Christians to be out-done by the Heathen in that or other their respects and observances to their Kings when the Romans did not seldome at their publique charge erect costly Statues and Memorialls of their gâ—atitude to their Emperours make chargeable Sacrifices ad aras in aedibus honoris virtutis in their Temples of Honour and Virtue could yearly throw money into the deep Lake or Gulfe of Curtius in Rome where they were like never to meet with it again pro voto salute Imperatoris as Offerings for the health and happiness of their Emperouâ—s and all the City and Senate Calendis Januarii velut publico suo parenti Imperatori strenas largiebant did give New years-gifts to the Emperour as their publick Parent bring them into the Capitol though he was absent and make their Pensitationes or Composition for Pourveyance for their Emperours to be a Canon unalâ—erable Or by the Magnesians and Smirnaeans who upon a misfortune in Warre hapned to Seleucus King of Syria could make a League with each other and cause it to be engraven in Marble pillars which to our dayes hath escaped the Iron Teeth of time majestatem Seleuci tueri conservare to preserve and defend the Honor and Majesty of Seleucus which was not their Sovereign or Prince but their Friend and Ally Nor any thing to perswade us that our Forefathers were not well advised when in their care to preserve the honor of their King and Country they were troubled and angry in the Reign of King H. 3. that at a publick Feast in Westminster-Hall the Popes Legate was placed at the Kings Table in the place where the King should have sate or when the Baronage or Commonalty of England did in a Parliament holden at Lincoln in the Reign of King Edward the First by their Letters to their then domineering demy-God the Pope who was averse unto it stoutly assert their Kings superiority over the Kingdome of Scotland and refuse that he should send any Commissioners to Rome to debate the matter before the Pope in Judgement which would tend to the disherison of the Crown of England the Kingly Dignity and prejudice of the Liberties Customes and Laws of their Forefathers to the observation and defence of which they were ex debito prestiti juramenti astricti bound by Oath and would not permit tam insolita praejudicialia such unusuall and prejudiciall things to be done against the King or by him if he should consent unto it Or when the Pope intending to cite King Edward the Third to his Court at Rome in Anno 40 of his Reign to do homage to the See of Rome for England and Ireland and to pay him the Tribute granted by King John the whole Estates in Parliament did by common consent declare unto the King that if the Pope should attempt any thing against him by process or other matter the King with all his Subjects should with all their force resist him And in Anno 42 of King Ed. 3. advised him to refuse an offer of peace made unto him by David le Bruse King of Scotland though the Warâ—es and frequent incursions of that Nation were alwayes sufficiently troublesome chargeable so that he might enjoy to him in Fee the whole Realm of Scotland without any subjection and declared that they could not assent unto any such Peace to the disherison of the King and his Crown and the great danger of themselves Or that William Walworth he gallant Mayor of London whose fame for it will live as long as that City shall be extant was to be blamed when he could not endure the insolency of the Rebel Wat Tyler in suffering a Knight whom the King had sent to him to stand bare before him but made his Dagger in the midst of his Rout and Army teach his proud heart better manners Or Richard Earl of Arundelâ—nd â—nd Surrey did more then was necessary when as he perceiving before hand the after accomplished wicked designe and ambition of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster and titular King of Leon and Castile did before the downfall of that unhappy Prince King Richard the Second complain in Parliament that he did sometimes go arme in arme with the King and make
permitting their Officers and Servants to take what the King pleased out of Forreign Commodities and Merchandize brought into England upon payment of such rates as he pleased which amount unto no small yearly profit for an Exchange and grant by the Merchants Strangers of three pence per pound now called the Petit Customes of all forreign Merchandises imported except Wines for every Sack of Wool forty pence for every 300 Wolfels forty pence and for every last of Leather to be exported half a mark over and above the Duties payable by Denizens were but rightly estimated Or the benefits which the Subiects of England have had and received by the Act of Parliament made in Anno 14 Ed. 3. granting that all Merchants Denizens and Aliens may freely and safely come into the Realme of England which before they could not or durst not adventure to do without speciall licence and safe conduct under the great or some part of the Seal of England with their Goods and Merchandize and safely tarry and return paying the Subsidies and Customes reasonably due together with the ease and benefit but to the great loss and damage of the Crown which the Merchants of England as well as those of forreign Parts have by the loss of Calais since Queen Maries time and the remove of the Staple from thence whither all Goods Exported out of England were to be first brought a Custome Inward the second time paid and for so much which may be believed to be the greatest part as was again from thence Exported into other Countries the Customes a third time paid which made the Customes and Subsidies only for Goods Exported in the later end of the Reign of King Edward the Third and during the Reigns of King Richard the Second Henry the Fourth Henry the Fifth and the beginning of the Reign of King Henry the Sixth as appeareth by the Records of the Exchequer to amount unto threescore or threescore and ten thousand pounds per annum which according to the valuation of mony at this day saith Sir John Davies the ounce of Silver being raised from twenty pence unto five shillings would amount unto two hundred thousand pounds sterling per annum And the difference betwixt the payment of Customes and Subsidies then paid three times over for one and the same thing and the payment of it but once as is now used with many other great benefits beyond a valuation not here particularized And consider how unworthy it would be for the Natives and People of England after many Knights Fees and Lands freely given and granted by the Kings Royall Progenitors to their Forefathers and their Heirs to be holden by Knight-service and in Capite of which if the sixty thousand Knights Fees and more reckoned by antient Authors should be no greater a number then ten thousand and valued but at twenty pounds per annum as they were reckoned in anno primo Edwardi secundi they would amount unto two hundred thousand pounds per annum and if but at three hundred pounds per annum which is now the least â—mprovement would amount unto three Millions per annum besides great quantities of other Lands being twice or thrice as much more in the severall Reigns of his Majesties Royall Progenitors freely granted and given unto otheâ—s of them and their Heirs to be holden in Socage to endeavour to extinguish the right use of them and forget their Obligations to their Prince and Common Parent and his Royall Progenitors And in too many of their Actions and business cozen or beg all they can from him and in stead of saying Domine quid retribuam Lord what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits make it the greatest of their care imployment and business not only to take but keep from him all they can even at the same time when they had obteyned of him an unparralleld Act of Indempnity and Oblivion and to to forget all their evil designes and offences intended or committed against him and his blessed Father and to pardon and give them as much as fifteen or sixteen millions sterling in the Arrears of his own Revenue and two or three hundred millions Sterling at least for the forfeiture of theirs And might have remembred how they promised him their lives and fortunes and to be his Tenants in Corde and with what a Princely and Fatherly affection he told their Representatives that he was sorry to see so many of his good people come to see him at Whitehall and had no meat to feed or entertain them and how ashamed and unwilling they are in their ordinary and daily Actions and Affairs to come behind or be upon the score one to another in their reciprocations retributions and retorns of gratitudes and take it to be a disparagement not to out-vie or undo one another therein how willingly they can part with their money to their children at School to make Oblations or Presents to their School-masters at their Intermissions or Breaking up of School at Christmas Easter or Whitsontyde a course newly invented by School-masters to better their Allowances and Incomes and chargeable enough to the Parents as may appear by the Offerings at a Christmas made unto some Capital School-Masters which have singly amounted unto five or six hundred pounds which with the Beds and Furniture and silver Spoons to be brought thither by the Boarders and left behind them at their departure do make as great or a greater charge to many Parents then what they were ever rated for the Pourveyance And how accustomed and willing an expence all people are desirous to put themselves unto pro honestate domus for the good and content of any Inne Tavern or Alehouse to make them some recompence for but coming into those houses upon any occasion or necessity of business And can notwithstanding so readily finde the way to that unchristian River of Lethe and sinne of unthankfulness which God and all good men do abhorre and the most fierce and savage of the Beasts of the field Fowls of the Ayr do scorn to be guilty of and make it their business to desire the King to foregoe his Pourveyance and take a seeming recompence of fifty thousand pounds per annum for it of the moyty of the Excise to be raised out of the Moans and Laments of the multitude which are the labouring and poorer sort of the people to free richer and better able from their heretofore small Payments or Contributions in Cattle and other Provisions for the Royall Pourveyance now that England enjoyeth a greater plenty then ever it did by some hundred thousand Acres of Fenne Lands drained many Forests and Chases deafforrested mâ—ny Parks converted unto Tillage or Pasture great quantities of other Lands inclosed and as much or more of Abby and Religious Lands retorned into Lay-hands fewer Taxes and publique Assessments by one to ten then are in the Kingdomes and Dominions of Spain France Empire of