finde that Egbert who was an vnder Kyng in West Saxons was expelled by Brithricus the King there and fled into Fraunce but Brithricus being poysoned by his wife Ethelburga Egberte retourned and obtayned the whole principality the yere 793 others say 802 and withal brought the most parte of England vnder his obeysance tamed the Welchmen and toke from them Chester by meanes of which his good fortunes he called a counsel of hys Lordes at Wynchester and by their aduises and agreements was crowned kyng and chiefe Lord of the land whervpon he sent forth commaundemente thorowe out his country straightlye charging the people thenceforth to bee called Angles and no more Britains and the kingdome Anglia and not Britaine In the yeare 800. some accompte thirteene lesse the Danes being also Paynims firste entred this region according to the most The Danes inuaded the seconde tyme the yere 838 Athelwolph raygning who of himselfe first graunted the tyth of corne Hey and Cattel to the cleargy And after toke such fast footing as they continually infested this Iland with cruell wars vsurpation and conquest til the death of Hardicanutus or Hardiknought the last king of that breed 1034 some accompt two sewer Alured alias Alphred before spoken began to gouerne the West Saxons who beyng a most iuste Prince very wel learned and carefull for the makyng and execution of good lawes collected and caused to be brought into the Saxon or English tong al such as by the kings his forgoers were stablished selecting out of them such as were thought most fit for the gouernement confirming them and secluding the rest reciting many of the commaundements and precepts giuen by God to Moyses and the message that the apostles and elders sent to Antiochia Siria and Cilicia by Saint Paul Barnabas Iudas and Silas touching the diuerting of themselues as we haue it in the Acts of the Apostles and also by the assembly and conference of the Bishoppes and other noble and wise counsellours diuers money penalties and others were appointed and the same not onely declared in their sermons but also put in writing He proceedes in the beginning of such as are allowed by him In haec verba These decrees and ordinaunces I Alured King haue gathered together and caused to be written a greate parte whereof our auncestours haue carefully kepte with manye other that I haue thoughte worthye in this our age to be helde and maintained with the like obseruation other some which I haue thought not to be so needful I haue with the conference of considerate couÌ„sellors in parte abrogated and partly established And bycause it maye seeme a pointe of too much rashnesse of a mans owne heade to adde any thing more also that it is vncertaine what credite our posteritie will giue thereto which we make greate reconing of what euer I haue founde worth the regarde in the Actes of my kynnesman and countryman Inas of Offa the King of Mertia or of Ethelbert the first christened of the Angles I haue brought together omitting the rest And in the consultation of them I Alured King of West Saxons haue vsed the couÌ„sell of the grauest of our people to al the whiche I haue commanded that the same be executed and kept Moreouer in this kings time Gutteron alias Gowthram alias Gythrun alias Gurmund of some named king of Danes by some king of Denmarke ariued in this land and sometime hauing the better in armes and sometyme put to the worse was at the last christened and named by Alured Athelstane the yere 878 to whom he gaue the kingdome of East England with the gouernemente of Saint Edmundes kingdome and also some write NorthumberlaÌ„d with whome making league and agreing in the confynes of their countries beginnes in this manner The truce aliaunce which Alured and Guthrun kings haue agreed by the aduise of the wise of the English nation and of all the inhabitauntes of East England to the which they not onely for themselues but also for their children to come are sworne Edward the first before the conquest called Edward the elder his eldest son beginning to raigne next after him the yeare 900. made and confirmed also certain lawes the first chapter wherof is intituled Of controuersie and iudgement and goes thus 1 king Edwarde do againe and againe commaunde all those who beare office in the common wealth that they beare themselues asmuch as in them lies iust â—udges to all men as it is written in the Iudiciall booke without feare boldely and freely to declare the common lawe and do appoint denounced daies wherein they will deale in euerye question and controuersie This Edwarde also confirmed the league with the fornamed Guthrun the Dane in this maner adding also to the former decrees by equal coÌ„sents these bee the councels institutes and ordinaunces whiche firste Alured and Guthrun then Edwarde and Guthrun kings at those dayes were agreed on when both the Danes and English accepted the treaty of peace Athelstane King Edwardes eldest sonne by whose prowesse and valure it is affirmed thys lande was reduced into one Monarchie againe and layde so sore too the Danes that since their first landing they were neuer so harde driuen did also constitute certaine lawes and ordinances beginning them wyth these wordes Athelstane King by the councel of the graue father Vlfhelme Archbishop and other my Bishops do wil and commaunde to al officers and such as haue charge of Iustice. 1 Athelstane king giue notice to all put in authority in our dominioÌ„s that with the aduise of Vlfhelme Archbishop and other Bishops and seruaunts of god haue ordered and set fourth In the ende of all he closeth with these woordes These be the ordinances decrees determined of in the honorable counsell of Grantamlean where was present VVolstane the Archbishop and with him great companie of the best and wisest sorte called togeather by Athelstane The asseÌ„bly parted the king had enquired how the peace was kept among his people fynding it and iustice smally to hys mind delt inioyned more laws to his first and thus shewes the cause â— Athelstane king will all men to know that hauing demanded why our peace is not manteyned according to my commaundement the decree at Grantamlean I am certefied from the experienced of my dominions that the same is happened by my ouermuche sufferance and remissnesse in punnishing But now at Christmas last at Exeter being attended on with grauewise men whom I found moste readye to venture their facultie themselues wiues and children to most greate hazarde that these peace breakers might vtterly without retourning be expelled the lande The yeare 946. Edmund his brother beganne to rule after him in whose time the Danes held Lincolne Nottingham Darby Stafford and Leicester who also erecting and confirming lawes shewes this by whom they were consented on Edmund King helde the solempne Feaste of Easter at London where were mette a greate companie of the Cleargie and laity
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
Parliament M Mallerie coulde not be contented with a Recognizaunce of M. Halles as it was decreed but muste haue his minde satisfied with the infringement of the resolution of that place and what soeuer coÌ„mes of the rest his quietnesse must be prouided for for forsooth he doubted further trouble nothing done Chambers was willed to proue a day or twoo for prouision of the money whiche if he could he would not haue done without commission thereto he therfore might haue played Coleprophetes parte if he had pleased one of the xxiiij orders and told his message before he went aboute it The recognizaunce M. Mildmay kéepes and Chambers goes aboute to see if he can finde an hundred pounds in the streates or meete with some one wil giue him so much M. Mallerie hath Smalley faste the bonde no doubte if the worst fall will at length be payde tho it tarry long spite of all M. Halles debts for yet he is a free holder The viij of May God be thanked the money is reddy somewhat before appoyntmeÌ„t with harde shift inough for beggers without daunger of lawe cannot haue money when they woulde before sir â—ater Mildmay it is by Huyt the Malleries receiued the releases performed a warraÌ„t for the prisoner to goe play him selfe signed by M. Mildmay the whiche nowe the Recorder firmes with William Fleetâ—wood the ix of the same paying xij pound to the Leuetenaunt M. Hals cosen without dayes giuen and other charges bâ—sides of xliij shillings and ten pence he was turned forth â—nd bycause he haâ—h song in so worthy a Gayle his Mastâ—r thought him not meete to chaunte in so mâ—ane a Cadge as the beste house he is like to haue so that now he may beyng Sommer learne a new note in the gréene fields Here haue you the end of this great cause thuâ— far to the excessiue charge of M Hal one way other trouble of Frendes and minde and slaunderous reporte among such as know not the truth and therfore to the more preiudice of his simple reputation My excuse I made to you at the beginning and I nothing doubt of your good accepting of my well meanyng if by accident or otherwise than I desire or hope this priuate certificate hap to the handes of any who be offended for not beyng soothed beare malicâ— for being contraried thinke vnkindnesse bicause they are not coÌ„mended as other quarrel bicause I wrote the truth or for affection sake can daunce nothing but theyr owne galliarde I must thus answeare that I haue wronged them for naming any person in this manner particularly and not put too my name your selfe knowes my stile simple God wote and therefore neede I the lesse to auoyde further question if my letters should be intercepted to set to my hande Contra verbosos nolo contendere verbis I loue no disputatioÌ„ but where I may learne Quoniam senex esse volo citò si possem eâ—o olde I must be or die yong And therefore will I yeelde ouer to the yonger to play with the worlde who carelesse hope with vncertaine likyng for great things while I with regarde to my whyte heares comming on with coÌ„tentement am glad to enioye mine owne small porcion for my paynes I craue no thankes of any straunger neyther yet of M. Hall him selfe whose good partes I muste of force confesse I do vnfaynedly loue for the rest I am sory and remayne with his enimies in one predicament for the conceyuing of his wantes but differ in desire with them towardes him bycause I pray the amendment which I doubt not of and they gape for his ouerthrow whiche were pitty if my request would come to passe I wishe truth to be reported in all causes whiche if it had bene I had saued this labour for at my beyng at Killingworth in the beginning of Aprill laste where what greate company were assembled what liberall cheere spent what familiar welcome vsed and Honorable consideration of all sortes had I referre to them that know what is incorporate to that house since it came into the handes of hym that now hath it There I say I sawe M. Hall by his owne brother in lawe M. Henry Skipwith by M. George Holte M. Iames Cressey and others who loue the man well so loden with euil fame and opinion that went of him for the premisses herein recited and that vntruly as of myne owne knowledge I am assured that I pitying the case determyned at the last with you who tenders him not to suffer so vniustly his credite tho small to be so wildly tyred on with my old and accustomed well thinking and praying for you I leaue you From London the xix of May. 1576. Your Frende no chaungeling F. A. 〈…〉 haue obtayned for you my place in the common house of Parliament for the increase of your knowledge you growing to the worlde and I from it I thought to bestowe a few lynes vpoÌ„ you tho I had long since yelded my pen to be quiet my ability to write being decayd which neuer was great and my memory alway bad now in a maner grown to litargie wherin to lay before you as wel as I could such aduises as to folowe I haue founde profitable But considering mine owne wants I withdrew my selfe froÌ„ my determinatioÌ„ Yet minding with whoÌ„ I shold deale whom I should counsel to whom I shoulde sette abroade the shewe of my experience in good houre I hope I proceeded herein for straungers will take thankfully what is don by others of a good meaning for their behouf and muche more children that whiche is done in the same kinde by their parents I suppose it not needelesse lightly to runne ouer as I can call to minde by what Lawes this Realme of England hath beene gouerned where altered where cleane abrogated and others confirmed which laste of al is your Parliament whereto I meane to come Wee alow the report of Brutes arriuing inhabiting this I le the yeare of the worlde after the most writers 2855. before the incarnation of Christ. 1108. He builte London calling it Troynouant wherein he stablished with the name the Troyan Lawes what they were I finde no recorde but that King Alured about the time of Christes birth 872 did gather the same Lawes together and translated them into english But for the religioÌ„ it seemed he followed the Paganisme then vsed through the whole worlde as a greate number of yeares after it did continue Til the 441 yere before the comming of Christ this lande was ruled nowe with law and now without lawe bycause of the ciull dissention therein at which time Mulmutius Dunwallo or Dunwallo Mulmutius chose you the sonne of Cloten Duke of Cornewayle by strong hande bringyng the new righte called Lawe Moluntine which graunted great priuileges to Temples to plowes to fayres and markettes and too the way leading to them prohibiting men to bee troubled for any cause in the same the wars among themselues had so