Throne, and the Peers in their Parliament Robes; King Henry VIII. the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, now Sir Thomas Inglefield, Knt. fpoke to the King, on prefenting the Bills, to this Effect:

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.

The Speaker's

He first bestowed great Praifes on his Majefty Speech to the for the Gifts of Nature, Fortune, and Grace, ing the SubfidyKing on prefentwhich God had given to him. But, more Bill. particularly enlarged on his promifing Valeur,

⚫ wonderful Temperance, divine Moderation in Juftice, and his avowed Defire for Clemency. At the fame Time he declared, by many Examples, the great good Will and due Obedience which his Subjects payed him; and as a Teftimony of which, the Grant for the Subfidy, which he then prefented, containing a very large Sum of Money, was a fure and certain Proof of their Fidelity and Affection towards his moft excellent Majefty's Perfon and Government.'

After this Harangue was ended, all the Bills paffed by this Parliament were feparately read for the Royal Affent; and then the Lord Chancellor, in the King's Name, after reciting what Acts, then made, were most conducive to the publick Good, recommended to all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, the due Obfervance of thefe Laws, in the feveral Parts of the Kingdom, where they dwelt. Then, returning Thanks to the whole Body, for their great Care and Diligence The Parliament in enacting them, by the King's Command, he dif- diffolv'd. folved the Parliament.

of France.

Quarrel between The next Year an unnatural Quarrel began be- Pope Julius II. tween Julius II. then Pope, and his moft Chriftian and Lewis XII. Son, Lewis XII. King of France. All the Princes in Europe were interefted, one Way or other, in this Difpute; which had proceeded to an open War between them. Amongst the reft, our Henry thought proper to take the weaker Side, and to defend the Caufe of Religion; either, because, as Lord Herbert expreffes it, that he might gain from France the Title of CHRISTIANISSIMUS, or, what was more folid, thofe long loft Dukedoms, which his Predeceffors, Kings of England, had formerly held in France. Stirred up with Religion or Am

bition,

King Henry VIII. bition, young Henry refolved to push this Affair against Lewis, and to that End he fummon'd a Parliament, to lay the Matter before them. Accordingly Writs were fent out, dated Nov. 28. for one to meet at Westminster, on the 4th Day of February following.

A Parliament call'd on that Account.

1510.

At which Time being all affembled in the Painted Anno Regni 2, Chamber, as ufual, the King fitting on the Throne, William Archbishop of Canterbury, ftill Lord Chancellor, opened the Seffion by a Speech, or rather a Sermon, from this Text, Juftitia & Pax ofculatæ funt.

At Westminster.

The Chancellor's

This, according to Form, he divided into two Parts. In the former of which he took Notice, Speech to them. how neceffary and even wholfom it was, for any powerful Empire, or Government, on any urgent Occafion, fuch as the prefent was, to call Parliaments, or publick Councils. This, he faid, was the constant Custom of the Roman Government; which he proved from the Teftimony of Valerius Maximus. It was alfo the Advice of Solomon, faying, Choofe ye juft Men; be wife all ye that prefide over the People; from whence Wifdom, Juftice, and Peace, the most shining Virtues of a Commonwealth, muft neceffarily arife. He fhewed, that the Divine Wisdom, coming ⚫ from Kings and Rulers, was far above all Earthly Knowledge. And from the Love of two other Virtues, viz. Juftice and Peace, thofe fruitful, mutual, and amicable Commodities, neceflary in Society, might fooner be gained. But, then, laftly, he fhewed, that when the Streams of Juftice are perverted by Men who feek to obtain their Worldly Promotions and Power, varioufly and fcandaloufly, per Fas aut Nefas; by "Neglect of the Poor, and being wholly fway'd by ⚫ carnal Affections; by making Juries forfwear⚫ing themselves, by Threats and other over bearing Ways; then he said, it was full Time to reform thefe Abuses, left worse should follow.' To the fecond Part, he faid,Of holy Peace, which Chrift had left to his Disciples by this Text,

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⚫ and

and when Wars fhould happen, God only fuffer'd King Henry VIII. them on Account of the Sins committed by wicked Princes or Rulers. From the Authority of 'the Old Testament, he inftanced the Story of Jofua against the Amalekites, and David against the Philiftines; who made War by the immediate Command of God. He likewife told them, that in proclaiming War with an Enemy, we fhould first of all examine the Juftness of the Quarrel and the Intention of the Proclaimer. He added further, what was abfolutely neceffary in those that took the • Field and hop'd for Victory, firft, that they should "walk in the Ways of the Lord, and in him alone place their Dependance; that every Man fhould keep the Poft he was order'd to; that each Indi'vidual should be content with his Pay, and avoid 'all Plunder.'

Laftly, he told them, That this prefent great Council, or Parliament, was called, in order to ⚫ correct and amend all the Statutes and Ordinances, which were found to be erroneous; or, contrary ⚫ to the common Courfe of Juftice and the Laws. At the Conclufion, he directed the Commons to 'meet the next Day to choose their Speaker, and afterward present him to the King.'

Sir Robert Shef

The Receivers and Tryers of Petitions being named and appointed, as ufual, the next Day the field chofen Commons prefented Sir Robert Sheffield (1), Knt. Speaker. for their Speaker, who was approved of by the King and confirmed accordingly.

But, it was not 'till the 15th Day of this Seffion

of Parliament, that a direct Declaration of the in- Henry takes Part with the Pope, tended War with France was made to them. At and declares War which Time, the Lord Chancellor, by the King's against France. Command, in a very folemn Manner, opened to the Bishops and Lords the more fecret Causes for calling this Parliament. He acquainted them first, That the King of Scots had many Ways infulted and even destroy'd feveral of the King's Subjects, on the Borders. Next, the War between the • King

(1) Sometime Recorder of London. Holling fhead.Anceftor of the late Duke of Buckingham's Family.

He was an

King Henry VIII. King of Caftile and the Duke of Guelderland, the King's Ally, was to be confidered. And, laftly, an Account, tranflated into English, was read by the Mafter of the Rolls, concerning the Diffenti< ons, which were then on Foot, between our holy Father the Pope and Lewis King of France; containing a Recital of all the Contumelies, Mifchiefs and Injuries, which had been done to the Holy See, by the faid French King.' And, afterwards, the faid Lord Chancellor with the Lord Treasurer, and other Peers, went down to the Lower House, to acquaint the Commons with these Matters.

Which is ap

prov'd by Parlia

ment, and a Subfidy granted thereupon.

Acts paffed.

It hath been feveral Times obferv'd, in the Courfe of thefe Enquiries, that a Propofal of a War with France was always well entertain'd by an English Parliament. Accordingly, this laft, tho' on no extraordinary Grounds, was no fooner propounded to the Houses, than accepted of. The Lords order'd in a Bill and paffed it, containing certain great Privileges granted to the Marquefs of Dorfet, and other great Men, that would go beyond Sea with the King. And, the Commons voted a large Supply, of two Tenths and two Fifteenths, with Tonnage and Poundage, to carry on the War (m).

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The most remarkable Acts that were paffed, in the firft Seffion of this Parliament, were thefe: First, Every Perfon that is or fhall be in the King's Wars, beyond the Sea, or upon the Sea, fhall have a Protection of Profecturus, or Moraturus, cum Claufula, volumus. And he may alienate his Lands, holden in Capite, without Licence. And, if he die in that Service, his Heir within Age and in Ward, his Executors, Feoffees, or Affigns, fhall have the Wardship and Marriage, towards the Performance of his Will.' Alfo, by another Act, Penalties were ordained for Captains that abridged the Number of their Soldiers, or detained their Wages; alfo, for Soldiers departing without • Licence.

• That

(m) Hall writes, that it was two Fifteenths of the Temporality, and of the Clergy two Difmes.

HALL'S Chronicle, Hen. VIII. Fol. xvi.

That because Money, Plate, and Jewels, &c. King Henry VIII. being carried out of the Kingdom, impoverish'd it; it was enacted, that every Offender that Way fhould forfeit double Value (n).

An Ordinance formerly made against Escheators, Commiffioners, and finding and turning of Offices, was alfo confirmed. This, it feems, had still Relation to Empfon and Dudley's Proceedings (0). Because, several unlawful Games kept Men from fhooting in the Long Bow, they were put down, and Archery commanded. For the better underftanding of which Act another paffed, whereby the Ufe of the Crofs- Bow was alfo forbidden (p).

We find by the Journal-Book, that in this Parlia- The Attainder ament the King reverfed the Attainder against the gainft Sir Edm. late Sir Edmund Dudley, and reftored his Son John Dudley revers❜d. to all his Lands and Poffeffions. This John Dudley,

towards the latter End of this Reign, was conftituted Lord High Admiral of England, and was in the highest Esteem.

March 30. The Parliament, by the King's Command, was prorogued to the 4th of November following (q).

Great Levies and Preparations were now made An Embarkation for the French War; and being all ready, the Mar- against France. quefs of Dorfet, with a large Retinue of other Noblemen, and a Body of 10,000 choice English Soldiers, were fent into Spain, to join with the Duke D'Alva, the Spanish General, and carry Destruction into France from that Quarter. But, meeting with fome unforefeen Accidents and Difappointments, the General return'd home the next Win

ter, Re infecta. And now the French, according The French draw to Cuftom, having drawn in the King of Scots by in the Scots to Treaty, to make a Diverfion into England, in their their l'arty.

(n) Statutes at large, 3 Hen. VIII. Cap. i, iv, v. (0) Lord Herbert in Kennet, p. 8.

Favour,

(p) Ibid. and Statutes at large, 3 Hen. VIII. Cap. iii. and xiii. (9) During the fitting of this Parliament, one Nervbolt, Yeoman of the King's Guard, and highly favour'd by him, wilfully flew a Servant of the Lord Willoughby, in the Palace at Westminfier; but the King refented this fo much, that setting afide all Affection, he caus' him to be hang'd in the Palace-yard; where he hung two Days, as an Example to others. HALL'S Hen. VIII. Fol. xvi,