King Henry VIII. Favour, Lewis thought himself above a Match for Henry.

A Parliament at Weftminster. Anno Regni 4, 1512.

On Nov. the 4th, this Year, the same Parliament met again, by Prorogation; though our StatuteBooks, and all our Hiftorians, call it a new one. But, tho' the Journals exprefly mention this Prorogation, and add, that the Proceedings of this fecond Seffion are contained in a Book of the 4th of this King; yet, that Book, by Negligence, is loft; fo that what we can find, must be taken from the Authorities above mentioned.

Lord Herbert writes, That the King being now refolved to go abroad in Perfon, in order to fecure his own Dominions from the Scots, he fent the Earl of Surrey with an Army into Yorkshire, to protect thofe Northern Parts of the Kingdom. Whilft this was doing, he call'd a Parliament to meet at A Subfidy grant- Westminster; where, befides enacting feveral good

ed.

A Poll-Tax.

The French land in England.

Laws, he had a Grant of two more Tenths and Fifteenths (r), as a Subfidy. Befides this, he had a Poll-Tax granted him; which was, of every Duke ten Marks; of every Earl five Pounds; a Lord four Pounds; a Knight four Marks; of every Man worth eight hundred Pounds in Goods the fame; of each Man who had forty Shillings in Wages, twelve Pence; and of all who were at, or above, fifteen Years of Age, four Pence.

These were heavy Taxes, but the Nation being at that Time threatned with a double Invafion, both from France and Scotland, the prefent Danger took off any Refentment from it. We find that the very first Act that was paffed this Seffion, was, in order to fecure the Sea-Coafts; by erecting of Bulwarks, Brays and Walls, in Cornwall, and elsewhere; and fortifying the Caftles on thefe Coafts. Nor was this Precaution without Reafon, for the very next Summer the French landed a Number of Men in Suffex, but they were foon beat back again to their Ships.

On

(r) Storve writes, two Fifteenths and four Demies; and that it was refolv'd in this Parliament, that the King fhould go to the Wars in Perfon. STOWE'S Chron. p. 491.

On the Authority of Lord Herbert, we venture King Henry VIII. to fay, that after paffing the above-mention'd A& and fome others of lefs Concern, this Parliament was again prorogued to January the 23d, which was in the Year 1513, or the 5th of this King.

Anno Regni 5,

1513.

In the mean Time Henry had headed an English Army in Perfon in France, had won the Battle of the Spurs, and had taken Terwin and the City of Tournay; the Citizens of which, to the Number Henry takes of 80,000, took Oaths to become true Subjects to Tournay. Henry. James the fourth, King of Scotland, had brought a puiffant Army into England, also, in Henry's Abfence; but was met in Northumberland

by the Earl of Surrey, when the fatal Battle of Flod- The Scots routden Field was fought; in which the Scotch King ed at Floddenwas kill'd, and about ten Thoufand of his Follow- Field. ers left dead upon the Spot.

After Henry's Return to England, the Parliament met as before mentioned; but as far as we can find, very little was done in it. The Title of the first Act paffed, in the Statute,Books, is to ordain, How the King's new Subjects of Tournay • and Terwin, in France, may have Affurance and Recovery of their Debts due to them by Englishmen; and how Englifbmen of them." It was also enacted, That every Man that would fue for the King's Pardon, granted on certain Articles, • fhould have it (/).'

Our noble Hiftorian (t) mentions another Thing, remarkable enough, done in this Seffion of Parliament; which was, That Margaret, Daughter

to George Duke of Clarence, late Wife to Sir • Richard de la Pole, Knight, petitioned the King, that fince Edward Earl of Warwick, her Bro⚫ther, had been attainted in a Parliament, held the 19th of Henry VII. and all his Lands confifcated, "it would please the King to restore her to Blood and Inheritance, and that he might be filed • Countess of Salisbury; which was granted, and • confirmed by Parliament.'

Statutes at large 5 Hen. VIII. Cap. i. and viii, () Lord Herbert in Kennet, p. 19.

Net

King Henry VIII.”

A Peace with France.

Not long after this, Lewis the French King, having first reconciled himself to the Pope and Holy Church, concluded a Peace alfo with Henry; and, tho' he was far advanced in Years, propofed himself as a Match, and actually married the Princefs Mary, Henry's Suter, one of the faireft Ladies of her Time. But, dying within little more than a Month after this, without Iffue, the Crown of France defcended to the next Heir, Francis de Valois, his Coufin German.

But, to purfue the Thread of our own Hiftory; Henry, in the fixth Year of his Reign, thought. proper to call another Parliament. And Writs Anno Regni 6. were accordingly iffued out, dated Nov. 23. to meet at Westminster, on the 5th Day of February following,

1514.

At Westminster.

The Chancellor's
Speech to the
Parliament.

Being all affembled, as ufual, before the King, in the Painted Chamber of the Palace, at Weftminfter, William Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chancellor, made an Oration to them on these Words. Nunc Reges intelligite, erudimini qui judicatis Ter

ram.

On which Words he obferved, That the Antients with great Care, Study and Love, nourish'd the Commonwealth; and that it was their greateft Glory and Comfort, when they faw it flourish under their Aufpices. But our Republick fickens and decays; because, adds he, the Moderns prefer their own private Affairs to the Public. In order, therefore, to reftore the Commonwealth to its priftine Sanity, the ableft Phyficians are; first, a wife King, which is the Standard of the People; and a Multitude of wife Counsellors, which give Health to the whole World. Afterwards, he told them that the ruling Rod of a Kingdom, was what all Kings ought chiefly to understand, fince it went by a triple Direction. The firft was, that Kings fhould carry themfelves towards God, both in loving, fearing, and ferving him. In the next Place, that they should 'know how to govern themfelves, by Knowledge, Judgment and Reformation. Lastly, that every

• King

King ought to learn how to carry himself towards King Henry VIII. his Subjects; viz. in adminiftring impartial Juftice, in giving Audience equally, and in taking 'the Trouble himself to hear the Complaints of his 'Subjects. To this, he added, what Qualities be'longed alfo to good Counsellors, viz. that they fhould give fuch Counfel as was heavenly, ho'nourable to the King, and useful both to the People and Commonwealth. That they should be Speakers of Truth, and not Flatterers; firm and 'not wavering in their Councils, and neither co" vetous nor ambitious.'

To the fecond Part of his Text, which was, Erudimini qui judicatis Terram, which concerns Judges, and all other Officers in the Administration of Juftice, he faid. That it behoved them to judge righteously, without Dread or Fear of any Man; for, by Fear, the Courfe of Juftice hath been oftentimes hindered and perverted. The princi'pal Cause of which Fear, is, the Want of Love for Juftice; he exhorted them, therefore, that they all fhould endeavour to cherish that Love; according to the Saying of Solomon, Love ye Juftice. He told them, that Juftice ought to be highly respected by all, for many Reafons. As • well because the Wife Men of old did fo, as for its Neceffity and Usefulness in Life, in the Prefer⚫vation of Property. And, as well, becaufe God loved Justice, as it is written, Righteous is the Lord and he loveth Justice; as because the LoC vers of Justice fhall be bleffed of the Lord; for, ' in the Gospel, it is faid, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness, and that fuffer Perfecution for it. Finally, he exhorted them, diligently to obferve the abovefaid Inftructions, and that what wanted Reformation in the State ' he hoped would be amended in this prefent Parliament; which, if it was done, would be pleafing to God, give Honour to the King, and abun'dant Peace and Tranquility to the whole Kingdom. Quod Deus concedat. Amen.' (a)

VOL. III.

B

The

(a) This whole elaborate Speech of the Prelate's, feems to be comprifed in one Line of the Poet;

Difcite Juftitiam, Meniti, et non temnere Divos.

King Henry VIII

Tho. Neville,
Efq; chofen
Speaker.

The Chancellor having recommended it to the Commons to chufe a Speaker, and the Receivers and Tryers of Petitions being appointed, the next Day they prefented Thomas Nevile, Efq; for that Office. Whofe Excufe being rejected, with the ufual Proteftation, he was allow'd.

Next follows, in the Journal Book, the Names of all the Bishops, Abbots, Priors and Lords, then prefent, in the House, to the Number, in all, of ninety-one. And it is there remarked that their Names are every Day fet down, only distinguishing those that are prefent that Day, with a particular Mark of the Pen against each Name.

On the 6th Day of this Seffion, Feb. 10, the Lord Chancellor, attended by the Archbishop of York, the Bishops of Winchester and Durham, the Earl of Surrey Lord Treafurer, the Earl of Worcefter, with other Peers, went down to the House of Commons, where the Chancellor declared the more particular Caufes of the Calling this Parlia

ment.

.

He first acquainted them, That the Money < granted to the King, by the laft Parliament, was not yet fully received; and that it had been thought neceflary to collect the Poll-Tax, he fuppofed, not from the poor and needy, but from the rich, and those who were able to pay it.' To this he added, That the Scotch had lately, at feveral Times, done great Injuries to the King's Sub'jects, both by Land and Sea, and were daily meditating more. By which Attempts, his Majefty, being fufficiently provoked, had determined to 'declare War against them. Therefore, the Chancellor exhorted the Commons, diligently to confider thefe Things, and the King's neceflary Expences on that Occafion.'

On the 14th of the fame Month, a Committee of the Lords, confifting of the Lord Treasurer, the Earls of Shrewsbury, Derby, Wiltshire, Surrey; the Lords Fitz-Walter, Bergavenny, Willoughby, and Cobham, were appointed to meet certain of the Lower Houfe, in order to confult together on the prefent State of Affairs.

The