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
wasted the subiects as liberty and freedome muste nowe bring people together againe to ioine in a newe corporation of frendship And to exclude al feare he pardoned most freely al offences past These ordinaunces did holy Gildas about the yeare of Christ. 543 translate oute of Brytishe into latine Alured as afore about the. 872. out of Latin into the English Gurgunstus of some Gurguintus the son of Belinus before Christ. 375. was the first it shold seme that imposed death and losse of lim for transgression dyd also grieuously punish the peace breakers Quinthelinus his sonne married a noble gentlewoman to name Martia who erected certaine decrees of gouernement whiche were called after hir Martian Laws brought likewise into English by king Alured leauing theÌ„ the little Marthehelage asmuch to say the law of Martia Lucius it is said the eight yeare of his raigne of Christ â—88 some smal controuersye there is of the time was christened Eluthrius being Bishop of Rome and counted the first christened King of this Iland of the most credible writers tho some woulde haue Aruiragus 138. yere before to haue the preheminence aswel by the preachyng of SimoÌ„ Zelotes one of the disciples of Christ here martyred and buryed as by Ioseph of Arymathy who had Mutryn now Glastenbury his place appointed of habitation sente hyther with twelue disciples by the Apostle Philip then preaching in Gaul nowe Fraunce too sone to come to Christ onlesse we would felowe him better Lucius was very timely coÌ„sidering the late repayre to him of many nations nerer the plat of his birth and passion whom I would recite but I haue digressed too long Lucius set to Eleutherius desiring him he might haue the imperial and Romaine Lawes to guide and gouerne his countrey who retourned him this answere As touching the rightes of the Churche and seruice of God whiche you haue receiued they must remaine alwayes one vntouched the policie for ciuill rule may bee abrogated and altered as occasion shall serue you haue the booke of the olde and newe preceptes the Bible with the aduise of your kingdome make a Lawe thereby to gouerne your subiectes Here some will say was your first Parliamente and the verie originall thereof whyche I no way can agree to and the cause hereafter I wyl shewe you Lucius died wythout heire for the space of fifteene yeeres or more all wente to hauocke tyll Seuerus the Emperour discended rightlye from King Lud toke the gouernement vpoÌ„ him about the yere 208. some account lesse the Romaines seldome quietly but for the most parte to their excessiue charge and trouble held the domynioÌ„ til the death of CoÌ„staÌ„tine the yere .445 then neglecting the same as a country not worth the keeping who leauing behind him CoÌ„stant or CoÌ„stantin for his simplicity in his fathers time shorne a monk at Winchester Vortiger alias Vortigern of some the Duke of West SaxoÌ„s of other the Duke or Erle of Iewesses who after were called West Saxons toke him out of the Cloyster and crowned him king whome yet hee caused to bee murdered the first yeare of his raigne so that for those 240. yeares few laws were made and fewer executed Vortiger vsurping or being chosen king the 448. yeare so continued but a while in rest for not onely his nobles but the Pictes and Scottes layde so sore to him that driuen to extremitie he sent into Germany for the SaxoÌ„s and Englishmen to aide him in his waxres not only against the forraine enimye but his owne people promysing too them habitation whiche hee might well spare the land being in a manner wast by the meanes of the great mortalitie by pestilence the Scottes and Pictes inuasions and the ciuill slaughter Their request was accepted Horsus Hengist brought hether certain souldiers Panims by whose valure Vortigers contraries were tamed by the continuall repaire and flocking hether of those straungers the inhabitaunts were put to the dore For before the yere of our Lorde 1498 there were three kingdomes erected by the EnglishmeÌ„ and Saxons the first of Kent by Hengist the second by Hella his three sonnes of the south Saxons comprising Deuonshire and Cornewal Somersette and Southery or rather Hampshire for Southery according to the more probable writers The third of east Angles by Vffa coÌ„teining Norfolk and Suffolke These broyles being no time for lawes or letters but for fier bloud Arthur the son of Vther PeÌ„dragoÌ„ was crowned king of Britayne tho a greate part as you heare were takeÌ„ froÌ„ him The yere â—16 he fought twelue greate battayles with the Saxons in all the which he put theÌ„ to the worse yet coulde he not auoyde them the Land neyther yet so subdue them but that Cerdicus the fifth yere of his raigne began the fourth kingdome of west Saxons which consisted as I gather of Worcester Dorcet Wiltish â–ª Stafford and those western partes adiacent Aboute the yeare 547. the two Kingdomes of Northumberland that is the fifte and sixte principality of the Saxons toke roote In the one called Breuitia Ida first had rule In the other called Deira Ella was gouernor These two kingdomes had in theÌ„ the countries froÌ„ Humber northward to the Scottish sea and continued somtime vnder one king sometime vnder two The yere 586. the Britains were driueÌ„ into Wales presently the Saxons had the dominion of the whole lande At whyche time was the Christen religion thereby extinct and not thought on but amoÌ„g the Britaynes in Wales After some Sebertus leader of the East Saxons 614 gaue first beginning to that kingdome and had in it Essex Not long after Penda the Miscreant the yeare 626. made the kingdome of Mertia who gouerned Huntingtonshire Hertfordshire Glouc. War. Lecester Nottingham Northumberland and others Cadwallader the last king of Britaine died at Rome the yeare of grace 656 about whiche time according to some writers but I thinke rather the yeare 712. Inas otherwise called Iue or Iew a Christian helde the rule of the West Saxons He set downe certaine laws the preamble to the whiche is this Inas by the grace of God king of west Saxons with the consultation and aduise of Kenred my father Hedda and Erkenwald my Bishoppes of all my councellours and the olde wise men of my people in the greate congregation of the seruauntes of God did labour to confirme Iustice and equitie to bee executed in my whole territorie These particular edictes are not to my purpose to wright but the firste intituled Of the manner of the liuing of the ministers of God toucheth somwhat the matter which goes thus First wee commaunde that Gods ministers doe obserue the order of life alreadie sette downe and further wee will that to the rest of our people the lawes and iudgementes bee in this manner and so goeth on This also is alleaged for the confirmation of antiquity of our parliament I
yeare it was enacted that no subsidie nor other charge shoulde be sette nor graunted vppon the Woolles by the Marchants nor by any other from thenceforth without the assent of the Parliament rare presidents to finde before the conquest in William CoÌ„querors time or since in a manner at all til this kings dayes Richard the seconde his successor helde euen on as his Graundfather began had almoste euery yeare a Parliament according to the statuts that there shoulde bee one yearely at the leaste In the beginnings of al the whiche almost the great Charter and that of the Forrest with all Liberties to holy churches fraunchises c. were granted stablished and confirmed and the authority of passing the actes is as you haue in his predecessors time Edward the thyrde sometime with one maner of words and somtime another He had very many free bountiful aydes of his subiectes by mony in number for hys two twenty yeares time no whit wanting with his Graundfathers likewise by diuerse pardons he declared his good accepting of them Kyng Henry the fourth first Erle of Darby then Duke of Herforde by his father Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth begotteÌ„ son of king Edward the second also inuested with the title of the Dukedome no more against king Richard 〈◊〉 than against lawe ryght and iustice did clayme the Crowne and at London called a Parliament in king Richards name asmuch without his direction as without iust aucthority and howe far wythout the ful partes of an Englishe Parliament which wee brag of and iustly may I referre mee to the iudgemente of deeper heades than mine owne In this Parliament forsooth is 31. Articles at the leaste layde to our Kyng Richarde a shrewd an vnaccustomed president Wel it was thought by the most parte that he was worthy to be deposed and prouision according was prouided But King Richardes friendes going to bed without candel when none was to be had perswaded their maister too yeeld contented the Crowne from his heade whiche otherwise woulde haue byn snatched off perforce and brought the skyn with it He doth resign he craues life without raigne it is liberally granted but more liberally broken with hasty shameful slaughter As who searches shal find to whoÌ„ I rather coÌ„mit the reading thaÌ„ I to cal to remeÌ„brance such vndutiful hard dealing specially when the Parliament hath any interest in the same or should be noted with error This Henrie the fourth raigned thirtéene yeares and somewhat more in whose time there was almost euery yeare a ParliameÌ„t in all the which for the most parte first the Charters and liberties be confirmed to all men and the Actes be thus aucthorized Henrie by the grace of god c. of the assent of the Prelates Dukes Erles Barons and at the instant special request of the commons of the same Realme assembled at his Parliament holden at Westminster c. Al establishmeÌ„ts coÌ„firmations and makings of statuts in his time you shal finde stil at the request ernest instance and prayer of the commons yet was he king as you haue hearde and in the first yeare of hys raigne he had such a heauy Taxe graunted him as it was conditioned it should not be recorded for a president diuers others he reaped the benefite of retourned also sundry pardons to the freeing of many of his subiectes His sonne Henrie was Kyng nine yeares and somewhat more and yerely as it seemes helde a Parliamente but hys sixt yeare in al which wherin the commons were named he sayth as before for himselfe and the Lords he hath at the special instance and request of the CoÌ„mons in the same ParliameÌ„t c. Hath don to be ordained c. The liberties of holy Churches the Charters and priuileges are enacted and agreed soundely to abide in force I can not perceiue for all his great Conquest and warres in Fraunce that he troubled his Subiectes in a manner at all to speake of wyth Taxe or Subsidie That smal ayde hee had rose as I can gather of some Tenthes and Fifteenthes were graunted him And yet did he for custome curtesie or congratulation sake also imparte his pardons He left his sonne Henrie in his place being but eighte monethes olde during whose raigne the Parliamentes were very thicke helde as in the former times As thys Prince was very yong at the death of his father so was he when he came to age more giuen to quietnesse and Religion than to worldly affayres or weapons And therefore it may be gathered that the nobility and commons stoode not in doubt of the infringing by him of great Charters and liberties Wherefore they labored not euery Parliament the confirmation of them as in his Predecessors tyme they did for in his Parliaments wee finde no suche mention made of them as vsually is had before his gouernement for making of Lawes most commonly I see Our soueraigne Lord king Henry the sixth at his Parliamente c. By the aduise and assente of the Lordes spirituall and temporal and at the speciall request of the commons of the Realme being in the same Parliament haue done to be made c. There is also Our soueraigne Lord King Henrie c. For the weale of him and of his Realme by the aduise and assent of the lords spiritual and temporal and the commons of the same Parliament assembled hath made ordayned c. This last manner of mencioning the coÌ„mons it is in the middle of the kings raign which might proceede of some occasions which your selfe maye finde out if you tourne ouer the cronicles I take it needlesse to be written In the thâ—â—tie three yeare of his raigne there was something enacted in a Parliamente touching the Lord Richard Duke of Yorke and also in another in his thirtie three yere concerning the same Prince which I cannot be perswaded that King Henrie de mero motu consented to I do not vnderstande that he burdened his subiectes in a manner at all with exactions for al his continuall and great warres in Fraunce but rather contented him selfe with the losse and so far as in lesse than fourtie yeres he forewent the Crowne of Fraunce abroade and lost his kingdome of Englande at home And tho by hys friendes he recouered the one againe yet woulde it not be kept but hee that receiued it firste efte obtayned it so that Kyng Henrie was depriued the second time not only of hys regalty but presently of his life Edward Earle of March righte heire of the house of Yorke was the man that Kinged it in King Henries rome and so continued it twenty two yeares and somewhat more during which gouernement he hadde at leaste tenne Parliaments in all the which hee names his auctority and the nobilityes aduise and consent and the instaÌ„ce and request of the commons but only in the Parliamente the thirde yeare of his raigne wherin he sayes At the Parliament summoned at Westminster