King of his grace towards him concerning the fine and ransome and if at any time he doe any thing against our Lord the King other then liegeancy that they make no prayer nor request for him in whatsoever ensueth thereon but that they be altogether against him And also the same Friday it was adjudged by the King and the Lords in Parliament that leave of Battaile be made by the said Mr. Henry Mr. Thomas which are holden to be guilty of Treason and that as well for themselves as for others which shall bee in their company at the time of the said licence And those to whom the King had granted favour and pardon the King will that they stand firmely in their force and vertue Ex rotulo Parliamenti Anno 31. H. 6. N. 26. ITem the Friday the 15. of February it was opened and declared to the Lords Spirituall and Temporall being in the Parliament chamber by the Counsell of the Duke of Yorke that whereas Thomas Thorpe the monday the first day of August in the raigne of Henry the sixt 30. camâ— to the place of the Bishop of Durham and then and tâ—ere tooke and bore away certaine goods and â—attle of the same Dukes against his will and licence and thereupon the said Duke came and tooke an action by Bill in Mich Terme last past against the said Thomas in the Court of Exchequer according to the Priviledge for so much as the said Thomas was one of the Court to which Bill the said Thomas willingly appeared and had divers dayes to imparle at his request and desire and to the said Bill and action pleaded not guilty whereupon there was awarded in the said Exchequer a venire facias to the Sheriffe of Middlesex returnaeble in the said Exchequer and thereby the Iury that passed betweene the Duke and the said Thomas it was found that the said Thomas was guilty of the said trespasse contained in the said Bill and the same Iury assessed the dammages to the said Duke of the said trespasse to a 1000. l. and for his costs 10. l. And thereupon Iudgement was given in the said Exchequer and the said Thomas acâ—â—rding to the â—ourse of the Law was committed to the Fleete for the fine belonging to the King in that behalfe And thereupon it was prayed humbly on the behalfe of the said Duke that it should like their good Lordships considering that the said Trespasse was done and committed by the said Thomas since the beginning of the present Parliament And also the said Bill and action were taken and scanned and by processe of Law Iudgement given thereupon against the said Thomas in time of vacation of the said Parliament and not in Parliament-time and also that if the said Thomas should bee relieved by priviledge of Parliament ere the time that the said Duke bee satisfied of his said dammages and costs the said Duke should bee without remedy in that behalfe That the said Thomas according to the Law bee kept in ward according to the time that he have fully satisfied and contented the said Duke of his dammages and costs the said Lords Spirituall and Temporall not intending to impeach or hurt the liberties and priviledges of them that were come for the Commons of this Land in this prâ—sent Parliament but equally afâ—er the course of the Law to minister Iustice and to have knowledge what the Law will weigh in that behalfe opened and declared to the Iudges the premisses and asked of them whether the said Thomas ought to be delivered from prison by force and vertue of the priviledges of Parliament or no To the which Question the chiefe Iustice in the name of all the Iustices after some Communication and mature deliberation had among them answered and said that they ought not to answer to that question for it hath not beene used aforetime that the Iudges should in any wise determine the Priviledges of this High Court of Parliament for it is so high and mighty in his nature that it may make Law and that which is Law it may make no Law and the determination and knowledge of that priviledge belongs to the Lords of Parliament and not to the Iudges But as for the Declaration of proceedings in the lower Courts in such cases as Writs of Supersedias of priviledge of Parliament to bee brought and delivered to the said chiefe Iustice hee said there be many and divers Supersedeas of priviledge of Parliament brought into the Courts but there is no generall Supersedias brought to surcease all processe but if there should bee it should seeme that this high Court of Parliament that ministreth all Iustice should let the proces of the common Law and so it should put off the party complaynant without remedy for so much as actions of common law be not determined in this high Court of Parliament and if any person that is a member of this high Court of Parliament bee arrested in such cases as be not for felony or Treason or security of the peace or for condemnation had before a Parliament it is used that all such persons should be released of all such arrests and make an Attourney so that they may have their freedome and liberty freely to attend the Parliament After which answer and declaration it was throughly agreed assented and concluded by the Lords Spirituall and Temporall that the said Thomas according to the Law should remaine still in prison for the causes above said the priviledge of Parliament or that the said Thomas was Speaker of the said Parliament notwithstanding and that the Premisses should be opened and declared to them that were common for the Commons of this Land and they should bee charged and commanded in the Kings name that they with good hast and speed proceed to the Election of another Speaker The which Premisses for as much as they were matters in Law by the commandement of the Lords were opened and declared to the Commons by the mouth of Walter Moyle one of the Serjeants at Law in the presence of the Bishop of Elie in the Kings name that they should proceed to the Election of another Speaker with all godly hast and speed so that the matter for which the K. called this Parliament tooke good and effectuall conclusion and end ITem 16. die Febr. tunc prox sequenti praefati Communes quidam de sociis suis declaraveruÌ„t dominis spiritualibus teÌ„poralibus in presenti Parliamento quòd ipsi per mandatum ex parte domini Regis pridie sibi injunct cum omni diligentia exequentes eligerunt loco praefat. Thom. Thorp Thom. Carleton militem prolocutorem suum humillimè deprecando quatenus praefatus dominus Rex hujusmodi electionem vellet acceptare Quâ—bus per domiâ—um Cancellarium Angliae de mandato dicti Domini Regis advisamento consilii extitit respons quod quidem dominus Rex de electione praesenti Thom. Carleton se bene contentavit injungendo eis quatenus ad
tryall shall bee by his Peeres And this is cleere for all Temporall Barons and their Ladies but it hath beene doubted whether the same Law bee in case of tryall of spirituall Barons or no and without doubt one speciall Argument among others hath beene made from the name of Peeres some concluding thus Spirituall Barons are no Peeres therefore not to be tryed by their Peeres others for the other part thus Spirituall Barons are Peers therefore to be tryed by their Peeres but of these two Arguments the first is false in matter the second in forme For the first it is true and plaine that Spirituall Lords have beene Peeres and of the antecedent false the Testimonies justifying them to have beene so are very frequent in the Bish of Winchesters case who departed from the Parliament at Salisbury about the beginning of Edward the third and was questioned for it afterwards in the Kings Bench hee pleaded to the Declaration Quod ipse est unus ê paribus Regni Praelatus c. and in that short disputation of the case which is lest in the the yeare bookes hee is supposed cleerely both by the Court and Councell to bee a Peere So afterwards under the same King in a Writ of Wards brought against the Bishop of London he pleaded to issue and the Defendant could not have day of grace for he said as the words of the booke are that a Bishop is a Peere of the Land Et haec erat causa c. And in a like case upon an Action of trespasse against the Abbot of Abyndon who was one of the Lords Spirituall day of Grace was denyed against him because he was Peere de la terre So expressely upon the Question of having a Knight returned into a Jury where a Bishop was Defendant in a quare impedit the rule of the Court was that it ought to bee so because the Bishop was a Peere of the Realme So the Iudgement given against the Bishop of Norwich in the time of Richard the second hee is in the roll expressely allowed to bee a Peere for hee had tooke eeceptions that some things had passed against him without assent or knowledge of his Peeres of the Realme To which exception the answer was It behooves you not at all to touch your Prelate of onely certaine misprisisions which you as a Souldier of the King c. have done and committed c. Here is to be avoided that challenge of Stafford Arch-Bishop of Canterbury under Edward the third when upon his being excluded the Parliament he thus challenged his place Ego tanquam major par Regni post Regem vocem habeus Jure Ecclesiae mea tantum vendico ideo ingressum in Parliamento peto the same is justified by the Clergy touching their Ius paritatis before recited at large and entered in the Parliament roll And in the Assignement of the Errours under Henry the fifth for the reversall of the Attayndor of the Earle of Salisbury one errour is assigned that Iudgement was given without assents of the Prelates which were Peeres in Parliament and that although that were adjudged to bee no errour yet it hath been allowed cleerely in the roll and the Petition that they were Peeres So in an Act of Parliament under the same King the Bishops and Arch-Bishops and Arch-Bishops of Ireland are called Peers of that Kingdome and divers other passages occurre touching this name of Prelate neither could any scruple bee further made of it untill the passing of an Act of this Parliament 17. Car. 1641. But as this is cleere that they were Peeres so also it is cleere that they were not by the lay to bee tryed as Temporall Barons by their Peeres and the conclusion of the contrary drawn as before out of that that they have been Peers is wholy without consequence this having been a point of the common Law as it is distinguished from Acts of Parliament which falls out generally to bee onely the knowne and received custome within the Kingdome if the practise and custome within the Kingdome be therein observed the point of Law may bee soone resolved In the practises and customes divers Bishops are found to have beene arraigned and legally tryed upon Capitall offences yet all that have beene so have had their Triall onely by common Iuries and whether by Statute any alteration bee of this common Law shall presently be examined there being many Bishops now to be tryed THat practise and Custome appeareth in particular examples found from the time of Edward the second to the age next before us thus collected Adam Bishop of Hereford under Edward the second was indicted of divers Felonies and of joyning with Roger Mortimer hee is arraigned in the Kings Bench and upon question how hee will be tryed he saith Quòd ipse est Episcopus Heref. ad voluntatem Dei summi Pontificis quòd materia praedicta Articulorum sibi imposit adeò ardua est quod ipse non debet in Curia sic super praedictis sibi impositis respondere nec inde responders potest absque offensu divino sanctae Ecclesiae Hereupon day is given over and then the Inditement is brought into the Parliament whereupon his arraignment hee giveâ— the like answer and Walter Arch-Bishop of Canterbury petit eum ei liberatur and this is commanded that hee have him ready at a certaine day in the Kings Bench Et praeceptum est vicecomiti Hereford quòd venire faciat coram Domino Rege tot tales c. ad inquirend. prout moris est c. And a common Iury is returned which finds the Bishop guilty whereupon hee is committed to the Arch-Bishop and convict and his Lands and goods are seised into the KINGS hands Here was the Bishop tryed by a common Iury although it appearâ—s both in the Record and in the History of that time that the whole Clergy earnestly indeavouâ—ed to have kept him from conviction but no pretence of any right of Tryall by Peeres is once mentioned in this behalfe though other complaints are full enough expressed against the wholâ— proceedings VNder Edward the third Iohn de Isle brother to Thomas Hen Bishop of Ely was indiâ—ed in Huntingtonshire that he with divers others per assensum procurationem Episcop 28. E. 3. die Lunae post festam Sancti Iacobi burnt the house of the Lady Wake at Colne by Sommersham quòd praedictus Thomas Episcopus sciens praedictam combustionem per praedict. servientes suos esse factam dictos servientes apud Somersham postea receptavit c. And also it was found before the Sheriffe and Coroner that 29 Edward the third the Bishop was guilty de assensu of the murther of one William Holme slaine by Ralph Carelesse and Walter Ripton called little Watt upon malice conceived against Holme because hee followed the suit of the Lady Wake the principalls were attainted by Outlary
if any such right had anciently belonged to them not only they themselves but the temporall Baronage under H. 6. protesteth by the mouth of Viscount Beaumont for their triall by Peeres when William de la Poole put himselfe upon the King and not on his Peeres in such sort as those Bishops put themselves on the Pope and not upon any legall Triall But one particular case is here to be added touching this right singled by it selfe that is Triall by Peeres upon the third offence against the Statute of Service and Sacraments under Queen Elizabeth for the known triall by Peeres is in cases of treasons or misprisions or one of them And triall by Peeres saved to the Baronage in the Statute of new treason of felony hath reference only to the known use of such triall so that in those new treasons or felonies such as for other offences which were before treason or felony were to be tried by their Peeres are likewise and none else to be tried by their Peeres for new treasons or felonies and therein the Spirituall Lords are equally excluded But this of the third offence against that Statute is neither treason felony nor misprision but a Trespasse punished only by forfeiture of goods and perpetuall imprisonment In which Case this act saith without reference to the use of triall by Peeres as it is usually expressed in other Statutes that all and singular Lords of the Parliament for the third offence shall be tried by their Peeres CHAP. III. Scandala Magnatum IF any person shall divulg false Tales of any of the Lords of Parliament by which dissention may bee betwixt the Commons and them the offender is to be imprisoned untill hee bring forth the Author but this also is communicated to the greaâ—er Officers of the Kingdom CHAP. IV. Proces against them in English Courts by Bill and Answer THe course of the Chancery is and of the late Starcham was that the Chancellor writes to the Lords of Parliament and sends out Subpoena's and usually his letters are prayed in the Bils that are exhibited against them But whether upon a Barons not appearing on a Subpoena an attachement may be awarded hath been a question neither do I find it cleerely resolved otherwise than that in later times the practise is that it may but in the time of Queen Elizabeth in a suit between Tavernor and the Lord Cromwell the defendant disobeying an Injunction in the Chancery it was questioned what course should bee taken against him and upon good and deliberate advice taken by the Court having the opinion of some of the Iudges herein an attachment was awarded to the Sheriffe of Norfolke and returned so and the Sheriffe had his costs for bringing him This attachment was awarded in Michaelmas Terme and in Hillary Terme he was returned so but afterwards there being a Parliament began in May and ended in June the Lord Chancellor complained of it and it was pretended that it was gotten in Court in the absence of the Lord Chancellor and advice was had with Councell and Iudges and it appeares not as the words of the Iournall booke are that by the Common Law or by any presidents of the said Court of Chancery it was warranted that the person of any Lord having place and voyce in parliament in the like case in the said Court of Chancery before this time had been attached and therfore they took it to be against the priviledges of the Lords of this Kingdom and he was discharged But for that of attachment upon Subpoenas and in the course of proceeding against noble men by such Writs or Bils as are used in the Exchequer Chancery or elsewhere it is not likely that any certain Course of ancient Common Law or proceeding in equity can be found to justifie it at all either against them or any other persons beyond the time of R. 2. under whom John Waltham Bishop of Salisbury and Chancellor of England brought in the Writs of Subpoena caeteris de causis in the Chancery and the Exchequer by example whereof other Courts have used them against which the Commons passed a Bill in Parliament under Henry the fift but the King would not give assent to it The like is found under Henry the sixt and Henry the fourth CHAP. V. Their number of Chaplaines qualified BY the Statute of Pluralities every Arch-bishop may have eight Chaplaines that may take dispensations for a plurality but for the plenty of Schollers of good ability in Arts and Learning it is like the Law in these points will be altered that they all have and none want convenient benefice Every Marquesse and Earle may have 5 Chaplaines Every Viscount may have 4 Chaplaines Every Bishop may have 6 Chaplaines Every Temporall Baron may have 3 Chaplaines Every Dutchesse being Widdowes two Every Marchionesse being Widdowes two Every Countesse being Widdowes two Every Baronesse being Widdowes two CHAP. VI Their retaining of Strangers A Baron of the Parliament may keepe six strangers borne out of the Kings obeysance at one time whereas another man may retaine not above foure CHAP. VII Clergy VNder Edw. the sixt a priviledge was given to the Nobility that in all cases where a common person as a Clerke convict shall and may have benefit of his Clergy and in all cases where priviledge of Clergy is restrained or taken away by that Statute except in willfull murder that is Burglary Robbery by or neere the high-way stealing of Horses and Sacriledge a Lord of the Parliament and Peere of the Realme should at the first offence only of common grace without prayer have benefit of the Clergy and stand as a Clerke convict to make purgation although hee cannot read But as Stamford notes in all other cases in which Clergy is taken away since that Act. A Baron of the Parliament is in the same case as any other common person is And by Acts made since it was taken away generally 1 For stealing of Horses 1. E. 6. cap. 33. 2 Robbing in dwelling houses c. in or neere the high way 5. E 6. c. 9. 3 Burning of Houses or Barnes pety treason 5 Phil Mar. c. 4. 4 Stealing of 5 s. in any dwelling house or any place adjoyning 39. Eliz. cap. 15. 5 Stealing of 12 d. or more without the knowledge of the person c. 8. Eliz. cap. 4. 6 Burglary and Rape 16. Eliz cap. 7. 7 Killing one that hath no weapon drawn 1 Jac. cap. 9. CHAP. VIII Their liberty of hunting in the Kings Forrests QVicunque Archiepiscopus Comes vel Baro veniens ad nos per mandatum nostruÌ„ transiret per forestam nostram liceat ei capere unam bestiam vel duas per visum Forestarii si presens fuerit sin autem faciat cornare ne videatur hoc furtim facere hoc liceat eis redeundo facere sicut praedict est and this hath been interpreted to the comming of a Lord by summons to the Parl. by
The Priviledges OF THE BARONAGE OF ENGLAND When they sit in Parliament Collected and of late revised by John Selden of the Inner Temple Esquire out of the Parliament Rolles and Journalls Patent and close Rolls the Crowne Rolls the proceedings of the English Courts at Westminster the Register of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the Delegates yeare-Bookes of the Common Law Statutes other good Authorities and in such sort that frequently the words of the chiefest Testimonies are transcribed least the freedome of the Readers Iudgement might be other wayes prevented by short Collections The recitalls of the French Records in the 4th Chap. also newly translated into English for the benefit of others as well as the Students of the Lawes of England Quo communius eo magis bonum quod est justum LONDON Printed by T. Badger for Matthew Wallbanck and are to be sold at his shop at Grase-Inne Gate 1642. The Introduction by way of Table or Index to the Chapters following contained in this Treatise PRiviledges are speciall Rights belonging to the Baronage of England In which name are comâ—rehended all those who as Magnati proceres regni by common right are summoned to every Parliament wherein also they have place and voyce as incident to their Dignities and what things doe concerne them eâ—ther as they are one Estate together in the upper House or as every one of them is privately a single Baron As for the prelacy who had heretofore the first place in the summons viz. Praelati magnates c. they have now lost all their Priviledges oâ— sitting in Parliament and of bearing of any secular Offices in the Kingdome they are disabled by act of this present Parliament 17. Car. 1641. For Priviledges of the first kinde CHAP. TEstimonies are hereby collected touching CHAP. 1. Their proxies and making of proxies 1 CHAP. 2. Their proceedings in Suits as well for followers as for themselves during the Parliament 7. CHAP. 3. That none of them bee subject to bee questioned before the lower House onely 9. CHAP. 4. Their Jurisdiâ—â—ion in matters of offences as well capital as not capitall Errors out of the Kings Bench 10 CHAP. 5. Their passing of Bills and giving of Iudgements heretofore without any assent of spirituall Lords 120 CHAP. 6. Their appointing of Iudges out of themselves for examination of delaies of Iudgements in other Courts 127 CHAP. 7. Their Tennants of ancient Tennancies bring discharged of paying the charges of Knights of the shiere 129 For Priviledges of the second kinde of which also some are communicated to Baronesses The heads of the Collections are CHAP. 1. FIrst touching Oathes and Protestationt upon Honour 131 CHAP. 2 Tryall by Peeres 142 CHAP. 3 Scandala magnatum 155 CHAP. 4. Processe against them in English Courts Proceedings by Bill and Answere id CHAP. 5. Their number of Chaplaines is qualified 158 CHAP. 6. Their retayning of strangers 159 CHAP. 7. Clergy without reading id CHAP. 8. Their libertie of hunting in the Kings Forrests 161 CHAP. 9. Amerciaments of them id CHAP. 10. No Processe in a civill account to bee awarded against the body of a Baron 163 CHAP. 11. A Knight to bee returned upon every pannell where a Baron is party 16 CHAP. 12. No day of grace against a Baroâ— of Parliament ib. CHAP. 13. Making Deputies of places of Trust committed to them without words of the special power 167 BEsides these they have some Rights which are so commonly knowne that there needs no particular mention of them as their interest in making or repealing of Lawes or the like and divers others may perhaps be found which have not been oblivious in the late search made for them but of these particulars before mentioned according to the order in which they are described such store as are here collected doe follow First of the speciall RIGHTS WHICH Concerne them as they are one estate in the upper House of Parliament CHAP. I. Of Proxies of the Lords of Parliament VPON the summons of the Parliament licence of absence being obtained and the same licence as usually it being provided that a proxie bee made the Baron so licensed may appeare onely by that proxie to whom his voyce is so committed although his Writ bee Quod personaliter interâ—it and so also without licence upon sicknesse or such inevitable cause of absence The first mention of Proxies that occurres in the memories of our Parliaments is of Carlile under Edward the first where the words are Quia omnes Praelati Milites alij de communitate Regni tunc plenariè non venerunt receptis quibusdam procurationibus Praelatorum qui venire non poterant adjornantur omnâ—s qui summoniti sunt ad Parliamentum usqué ad diem Mercurij proximum sequentem ad horam primam And in a Parliament held at Westminster under Edwaâ—d the second the Biâ—hops of of Durham and Carlile remaining upon the defence of the marches of Scotland were severally commanded to stay there And in the Writ this clause was ordered to both of them Sed procuratorem vestrum sufficientèr instructum ad dictos diem locum mittatis ad consentiendum quod tunc ibidem per dictos praelatos proceres contigerit ordinari And the like Testimonies are afterwards under the same King for allowance and making of proxies by the name of procuratores sufficientes And in succeeding times the Testimonies of them downe to this day are most frequent But two things are most especially observable touching them 1. THat although the generall proxies were admitted yet when the nature of the Parliamentory businesse required more speedie and full advice a clause was inserted into the summons to premonish the Baron summoned that his proxie should not bee admitted unlesse he were compelled to absent himselfe by most inevitable necessity So was it in the Writs of summons under Edward the third to the Parliament held for advice touching the voyage of the King of France into the holy Land every Baron having these words in his Writ Scientes pro certo quod nisi evidens manifestus id exposcat non intendimus procuratores seu excusatores pro vobis admittere ea vice propter arduitatem negotiorum praedictorum And likewise under Richard the second the summons to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the rest had these words Et 〈◊〉 nullatonus amittatis â—ne quid absit per vestram absentiam quà m necessitate infirmitate tunc â—etenti fueritis quòd aliqualiter illuc laborare non poteritis nullo modo excusatum habere volumus ista vice expeditio ne potior nostrâ—rum praedictorum retardetur seu aliqualâ—ter deferatur And divers other Examâ—lâ—s are for personall appearance and excâ—uding Proxies 2. That the course of the elder time was not that Barons onely were made Proxies in the upper House as at this day but other men also of low condition and this hath beene very frequently in the case of Bishops and Parliamentory Abbots
or inheritance and in capitall offences so Arbitrary that the forme of the death inflicted sometimes varied from the ordinary course used in the common Law for such offences Under the first Head these cases of 1. Iohn Matravers 2. Borges of Bayons 3. Iohn Deverill 4. Thomas Gourney 5. William of Ocle 6. Iohn of Gomeniz and 7. William of Weston All condemned to death for Treason and all to bee drawne and hanged saving Gomeniz who was judged to bee beheaded because he was a Banneret and had served the King in his Warres Under the second Head are these cases of 1. Iohn at Lee Steward of the houshold 2. Richard Lions 3. William Lord Latimer 4. William Ellis 5. Chichester and Botesham 6. Alice Pierce 7. Cavendish against Sir Mich. de la Poole Chancellour of England 8. The Earle of Northumberland For Writs of error their power and course in them may bee seene some speciall examples which are expressed whereunto is added that of Thorpe being Speaker of the Lower House under Henry the sixt which specially shewes the power of Iudicature in the Lords although otherwise it tast too much of what is wholy against the priviledges of every member of the Parliament at this day Ex rot Parliamenti 4. E. 3. mem. 3. num 3. WItnesse the Peeres Earles and Barons assembled in this Parliament at Westminster that it is openly assented and agreed that Iohn Matravers is guilty of the death of Edmund Earle of Kent the Vnckle of our Lord the King that now is as he that principally traiterously and falsely compassed the death of the said Earle so that the said Iohn did know of the death of King Edward our Father when the said Iohn by haynous manner and by his false and wicked deeds conspiring with the sonne of the said Earle against the life of the King which hee did actually commit for which the said Peeres of the Land and Iudges of the Parliament adjudge and award that the said Iohn bee drawne hanged and quartered as a Traitor in what part of the Kingdome soever he be found and the said Peeres doe pray our Lord the King that hee will command that a writ be made to make search and enquiry throughout the Realme and that he that can take the said Iohn alive and bring him to the King shall have a hundred markes and if in case he cannot be taken alive he that brings his head shall have fiftie pounds of the Kings guift Moreover to have such judgement it is agreed that it be put in execution of Boges de Boyons and John Deverell for the cause afore-mentioned and that hee that can take the said Boges alive and bring him to the King shall have a hundred pounds and he which brings the head of the said Iohn shall have forty pounds of the Kings guift Item it is assented and agreed that Thomas Gourney and William of Ocle shall have such judgement for the death of King Edward Father of our Lord the King that now is who falsely and traiterously murdered him and who can apprehend the said Thomas and take him alive shall have a hundred pound and he that can bring the head of him a hundred markes likewise he that can take the said William alive shall have a hundred markes and hee that brings the head of him if in case hee cannot be taken alive shall have forty pound of the Kings guift Rot. Parliamen 4. R. 2. M. 5. in Schedula annexa THis Schedule the Commons made and caused to be brought in Parliament praying the Lords to ratefie the same and to put in execution in that schedule amongst divers others this Article occurres Item that all those which have lost or rendred when necessity required not Castle Towne or Fortresse to the dishonour of our Lord the King the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament being every of them attainted of such fault shall be punished according to their desert without partiality for to avoyde the evill example which they have given to all others Then afterwards followes an Accusation and a Iudgement upon an offence of that nature ITEM where the Supplication is by the Commons that all those which have rendred and lost Castle or Townes lost by the very default of Captaines may be put to their answer at this Parliament and according to their desert throughly punished by the award of the Lords and Baronage avoyding the evill example which they have given to others and that Allen Buxall Constable of the Tower of London shall cause to come before the Lords of Parliament at Westminster on friday the 27. day of November in the yeare afore mentioned Iohn Lord of Gomeniz and William of Weston imprisoned and detain'd in the said Tower at the commandement of our Lord the King because they have rendered and lost faithfull Castles and Townes of our Lord the King for to answer upon the Articles which there shall be preferred for the said cause on the behalfe of our Lord the King At which day being friday the said John and William were brought by the said Constable of the Tower before the Lords aforesaid sitting in full Parliament in the great chamber They were severally put to answer at the commandement of the said Lords by sir Richard Scroope Knight Steward of the Houshold of our Lord the King in manner as followeth William of Weston you have taken upon you to the thrice powerfull Prince whom God have in his keeping Lord Edward late King of England Vnckle of our Lord the King that now is surely to keepe to him and his Heires Kings of England the Castle of Barwick without surrendring the same to any but him or his said Heirs have you William who were a leige man of our Lord the King that now is true Heire of the late King Edward delivered and surrendered the said Castle to the Enemies of our Lord the King without his Commandement in dishonour of him and his Crowne and of the Estate of his Realme of England against your leigeance and undertakings whereupon hee put his answer in writing having a Schedule contayning the Tenor of many things and came and read the said Schedule in full Parliament upon which the Law was demanded by the said Steward if the said Schedule should bee taken for his finall answer in that behalfe or not And thereupon the said William prayeth that the said Schedule may be redelivered to him and there hee putteth in his finall answer and after the said William put in to the said Schedule an Addition in full Parliament for finall in that behalfe The Tenor of which Schedule is such as followeth To the most sage Councell of our Lord the King and to the other Nobles and Commons of Parliament WIlliam of Weston beseecheth and shewes that he is accused maliciously to have rendered the Castle of Barwick which he had in keeping upon the Trust and assignement of our Lord the King may it please your just
for moving the King and power of France and by such repute as then and yet is taken to bee wherefore all the said profit ought to appertain to the KING as of a Schismatick and alien which thing of reasoâ— ought to have beene made known by the said Eaâ—le before hee demanded of the KING the said profit and hee kâ—ew expressely that hee demanded it for â—is sonne as an Hospitall and alleadged not in his answer that the King when hee granted the profit was informed of the matters aforesaid and also in that that when hee was such an Officer as beforesaid hee sent to the Court of Rome to have the same profit for his Sonne of the Collation of the Pope as benefice of the holy Church and to have also the profit out of the KINGS hand by the Sea Apostolicall as the Record termeth it and hee denies not that hee received of the said profits foure hundred pounds per annum alleadging that hee rendered to the KING the sâ—me and that after the said Earle had made a bargainâ— to have the provision which hee claymed of the said profit in England of the Pope a hundred pound per annum of the said provision to him and his Sonne John for term of their two lives for to deliver the said profit to the said provision for payment of which 100. l. to him and his sonne he tooke surety of the provision by recognizance and Obligations of divers summes notwithstanding that the King had commanded by his Letters to deliver all the profit aforesaid out of his hands to the said provision there where it seems for any thing that yet was shewn that all the said profit ought to have rested in the Kings hand for the causes aforesaid at least untill it had beâ—ne discussed whether the said profit were the benefit of holy Church grantable by the Pope or appurtenant to the K. by reason of Schismasie and endemnity of the said Master and he alleadged not in his answer that the King was cleerely informed of the matters aforesaid wherefore it is awarded that the said foure hundred markes per annum in time that the said profit was so granted to him by the King untill the time that hee delivered the same profit to the said provision as also the said 100. l. a yeare received also of the sâ—id provision untill the same bee levied to the use of our Lord the King of his Lands and chaâ—tells and that all the profit which should of late appertaine to the said Earle by reason of the said recognizance or of other Obligations and Covenants also made in surety of payment And as also to the 1000. markeâ— which hee had alleadged that he payed to the King for the said Exchanges It is awarded that the said 1000. markes remaining in the hands of the King as part of payment of the fine and ransome thâ—t the said Earle shall likewise make to the King before hee be delivered from prison Ex rotulo Parliamenti Anno 5. H. 4. N. 11. ITem Friday the last day of February the Earle of Northumberland came before the King and the Lords and Commons of Parliament and there the Chancellor of England shewed how on Tuesday last past hee had beene before the King the Lords and Commons in the same Parliament and there beseeched the King as hee had done at other times at his comming before him in Yorke that it would please our said Lord the King to grant him pardon of those things wherein he hath offended against him not keeping his Lawes and Statutes as Ligeance demandeth as by a Petition by him preferred in Parliament written in English whereof the Tenor ensueth may appeare more at large To my most Dreadfull and Soveraigne liege LORD I Your humble liege beseech your Highnesse to have in remembrance my comming to your Highnesse to have in remembrance my comming to your Worshipfull presence unto Yorke of my free will by your goodly Letters where I put mee in your Grace as I that nought have kept your Lawes and Statutes as liegeance asketh and especially of gathering of power and giving of Liveries as that time I put mee in your Grace and yet doe And I sent it like to your Highnesse that all gracelesse should not goe Wherefore I beseech you that your High Grace be seene on mee at this time and of other things which you have examined mee of I have told you plainely and of all I put mee wholy in your Grace WHich Petition by Commandement of the King examined by the Iustices for to have their Counsell and advice in this behalfe by Protestation made by the said Lords that the Iudgement appertained to them onely and after reaâ—ing and understanding of the same Petion before the Lords as Peers of the Parliament to whom such Iudgements appertaine of right to heare and understand by the Statutes made in the 25th yeare of the King that now is by deliberation of King Edward cozen of our Lord the King that now is they adjudge that those things which the said Earle hath don contained in the said Petition are not treason nor Felony but onely Trespasse for which Trespasse hee ought to make fine and ransome according to the Kings pleasure wherefore the said Earle most humbly reverenceth our Lord the King and the said Lords the Peeres of Parliament concerning the right Iudgement and further the said Earle prayed our Lord the KING that in affirmance of those matters hee might bee purged from all suspitions and prayed to bee judged de Novo in the presence of the KING and of the LORDS and Commons in Parliament the said Earle tooke his Oath upon the Crosse of the Arch-bishop to bee faithfull and loyall liege man to our Lord the King and to his eldest sonne and to the Heires issuing of his body and to his brothers and their Issue successesively and inheritably at which time if the King would command him hee should bee ready to shew and declare that which hee knowes in that he halfe and set forth the truth thereof And that our Lord the King might not bee deceived the said Earle was present and charged in his liberty the said Earle upon his Oath which hee had made upon the said crosse setteth forth and declareth openly in Parliament that which hee knoweth in this matter upon which charge to him given the said E. saith That at the day of Tryall of his life hee knew not of the Dukes and Bishops and other Lords any thing that â—ounded in derogation of the honourable estate of the K. and of his royall Majesty but that they were and are to him good and lawfull Lieges and that for such our Lord the King may hold and repute them and may faithfully put his trust in them in perill of his life and by the Oath which heâ— had made as before said And moreover the said Earle of Northamberland humbly beseeched the Lords and Earles and Commoners that they will beseech our Lord the
added Sworn and Examined And agreeable hereunto is the examination in the Case of Alice Pierce in the beginning of Rich. the 2. Barons answering to Bils as Defendants For Barons answering in Chancery as Defendants are divers presidents of such their answers in the times of H. the 7 and Henry the eight but there are none of that time that cleeres it whether they were sworne or no for the answers of that time as also of the time following till about the middle of Elizabeth or later are frequently filed without any Jurat to them BVt under Queene Mary in a suit by William Armer against Thomas Lord Wentworth touching the Inheritance of Copy-holders in Stepney the defendant presents in his answer with Master Sackfords hand to it who was his Councell And on the upper part of his answer wher Iurat is sometimes but rarely in that Age written These words are found this answer is made by councell and the Defendant not sworne by order of Court Then in Queene Elizabeths time the Lord Dacres being Plaintiffe against the Lord Buckhurst and Parker and Manwood these two defendants are sworne but not the Lord Buckhurst And afterwards the Lord Buckhursts answer is inscribed per traditionem Comitissae super honorem suum So the Countesse of Northumberland In virtute honoris sui agnovit responsionem suam esse veram as the entry is upon her answer at that time And in the Countesse of Rutlands case where she with Sir George Shaworth were Defendants about the later end of Queene Elizabeth The Dedimus potestatem was to answer upon his Oath super Evangelia as also a Dedimus towards the end of Queene Elizabeth was directed to Roger Bromeley and Richard upon the bill of complaint of one Brooke against George Earle of Huntington to take his Oath super honorem c. About which time also the Lord Eure put in his answer super honorem only to the bill of John Barnes and Robert Talbois In other Courts as the Starr-chamber and Court of Wards it was questioned in Queene Elizabeths time whether Barons being Defendants should put in their answers upon Oath and in the Court of Wards an Order was made in the Lord Mountagues case that they should and that so the course should be henceforth constant The like course hath beene held of late in the Starre-chamber as also in the Ecclâ—siasticall proceedings and about the end of Queen Elizabeths time in Chancery also the Lord Wharton by a compulsory order answered there upon Oath And within these few dayes the Earle of Shrewsbury was ordered to answer upon Oath to one Revell being plaintife there and divers Noble men have beene sworne to their answers in Chancery since the beginning of the King and some in Queene Elizabeths time also neither is the time of Queene Mary and Edward the sixt wholy without example but the summe of all seemes this that according to the clayme of the Barons in 20. E. 1. they were not anciently till about the end of Queene Elizabeth or the time of King James and of our present Soveraigne compellable to sweare to their answers for the first compulsory order falls in the 33. of Eliz. in the Court of Wards but that some of them taking no advantage of their priviledges in this case voluntarily tooke the Oath and others standing upon their ancient right put it in onely upon honour as also we see in that case of Gravenor and Scroope and Alice Pierce under Richard the first for it were not a speciall Priviledge it will fall out that in all the Examples where they were not sworne the Iudges committed great Injustice in receiving their answers and depositions without oath if they had not beene subject by compulsion to an oâ—th no otherwise then if a Iudge of the Common Law should admit evidence given to a Iury or take a verdict without Oath which were not excusable And a few examples of giving in their answer without Oath upon this reason are of great weight against many that shewed that they were voluntary sworne and these orders which were compulsory are of so late time and of so weak power that they cannot at all take any right from the Baronage which was before setled in them Examined as Plaintifs in actions of debt upon arrerages of accompts BY the Statute of 5. Henry 4. cap. 8. In actions of debt upon Arrerages of accounts the Iudges have power to examine the Attourney of the Plaintife or whom they please this examination was meant and hath beene practised upon Oath yet in action brought by the Lady of Abergavenny being a Baronesse against another in the time of Henry the sixt when the Counsell of the Defendant desired that the plaintife might be examined Cockanie the Iustice said that they should not doe well to make her being a Baronesse come to be examined And how ever the Statute were generall for high as well as low as the words of the bookes are yet hee saith the Law will bee otherwise and different betweene another common person Of the forme that was used in swearing of spirituall and Temporall Barons IN the forme of swearing the promissory Oath a difference hath been amongst the Barons of Parliament the Temporall Barons under Henry the 7. sweare with their hand upon the Booke the Spirituall with their hand upon their breast first the one tactis the other visâ—s Evangeliis Anciently this Oath was taken by the Lords in the house upon the Arch-Bishops crosse To this day the Spirituall Lords have challenged it sometimes have used to sweare visis onely as a thing to be done by the priviledge of the Church But there is the Testimony that shewes that all the Bishops in a provinciall Synode did sweare here their Iuramentum corporale which is tactis howsoever if it be a priviledge of Nobility in some other States or of Gentry to depose by writing without a corporall oath as in Bohemia Austria Bavier c. yet there is no sufficient certainty with us for aâ— establisht difference of forme in swearing CHAP. II. Tryall by Peeres IN all cases of Treason or felony or misprision of either of these offences a Temporall Lord of Parliament is to bee tryed only by his Peeres if arraigned by inditement per Judicium parium suorum or of 12. or more Temporall Barons of Parliament This holds as well in all cases made Treason or Felony by Statute as received anciently to be so by the Common Law as Iustice Stamford expressely affirmeth although usually in Statutes which make Treason or Felony a speciall clause bee inserted for Peeres to be tryed by their Peeres as also to the now tryall where perhaps more need was of such a clause upon the Statute of remainder made for tryall of offences committed by the English in Scotland It is added that if the Offender bee a Peere of the Realme then his