Parliament Rolls of Medieval England. Originally published by Boydell, Woodbridge, 2005.
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'Edward III: October 1363', in Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, (Woodbridge, 2005) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/parliament-rolls-medieval/october-1363 [accessed 19 April 2024]
In this section
1363 October
Intoduction 1363
Westminster
6 October - 3 November
(C 65/21. RP , II.275-282. SR , I.378-383)
The proceedings of the parliament of 1363 are recorded in C 65/21. This is a roll of 4 membranes, each approximately 330 mm. in width, sewn together in the chancery style. The condition is good, although there is gallic acid staining at the top of membrane 1 and the bottom right-hand corner of membrane 4 has been torn and is missing. The text, written in a small, clear chancery script, occupies the rectos of the membranes only. The dorses are blank, apart from the heading, 'Rotulus parliamenti tenti apud Westm' die veneris in octabis Sancti Michaelis anno regni regis E. tercii post conquestum tricesimo septimo', at the top of membrane 1. There are no marginal headings. Arabic numerals throughout the roll are later. The roll does not appear to be incomplete. It provides no evidence on the identity of the clerk of this parliament.
The parliament of 1363 was summoned by writs dated 1 June to assemble at Westminster on 6 October. (fn. f1363int-1) The ranks of the temporal lords, somewhat depleted in the previous assembly of 1362, were modestly swollen by the elevation of four distinguished soldiers to the parliamentary baronage: Roger Beauchamp of Bletsoe, John Bohun of Midhurst, Robert Holand and John Stryvelyn. (fn. f1363int-2) Some nine royal ministers were also summoned in an official capacity. The election returns, supplemented by the writs de expensis , are sufficiently well preserved to provide the names of all 74 knights of the shires and 125 of the citizens and burgesses. (fn. f1363int-3) As generally during the 1360s, the level of parliamentary experience among the commons (or at least among the shire representatives) was relatively high. (fn. f1363int-4) There are six extant returns of proctors of the lower clergy to this parliament. (fn. f1363int-5)
The parliament assembled on 6 October and, after an announcement in the Great Hall of Westminster Palace, met in plenary session in the Painted Chamber, though only to hear the adjournment pronounced by Sir Henry Green, chief justice of king's bench, for the accustomed reason of the late arrival of various unnamed members of the lords and commons. There is no direct evidence that the king was present for this sitting (item 1). The parliament reconvened on Monday 9 October in plenary session in the Painted Chamber, with the king this time specified as being in attendance, to hear the opening speech, made by the chancellor, Simon Langham, bishop of Ely: this was the first of a series of such speeches (1363-8) to be made by Langham during his chancellorship, and once after that, during his tenure as archbishop of Canterbury. The mood of this, as of the later speeches, was general and unassertive: the king had called parliament for the defence of the liberties of the church, the relief of the grievances of his people, and the audience of private petitions (item 2). Those intending to submit private petitions were given a deadline of the following Wednesday, 11 October (item 3).
The roll provides little further information on the chronology of the assembly: after recounting business done on 11 October concerning a ban on the export of various commodities from the country (item 7), it proceeds straight to a transcription of the common petitions and the royal responses (items 8-37) and concludes with a summary of business in a plenary session held on the final day of the assembly, Friday 3 November (items 38-40). The dating of the writs de expensis on 30 October (a date falsely supposed by the Handbook of British Chronology to be the last day of this assembly) may perhaps suggest that the crown attempted to dismiss the assembly on that day but was held up by some unspecified business. (fn. f1363int-6) (It is to be noted in this respect that, although the chancery rolls yield only a small number of cases relating to private petitions entered in this parliament, the place-dates of the resulting instruments, which run on through November and December 1363 into January 1364 [Appendix nos. 4-11], suggest that the committees of triers - or at least the chancery, charged to take action on their decisions - may not have been especially swift or efficient in undertaking their business. Note also the interesting record of proceedings in parliament in the case of Rodland v. Spink, which must have taken place on or after 13 October [Appendix no. 3]: the account does not make it clear whether this trial took place before the inner council or the great council, but it is evident that the adjournment of the matter into parliament was inconclusive, possibly because the king, who was an interested party, may not have been present at the relevant moment.) The shortage of information on such matters is both a signal of the incompleteness of the parliament roll as a 'total' record of business in such an assembly and an important reminder that much of such business was presumably done in procedural meetings of the council, the lords and the commons, either meeting in full or in select intercommuning committees.
The parliament addressed no fiscal agenda: the grant of the wool subsidy in 1362 meant that the crown was provided with as much parliamentary taxation as it could reasonably expect until 1365, and there is no evidence that the assembly of 1363 was asked either to extend the duration or to increase the rate of the 1362 grant. It would seem, in fact, that the only reason for holding parliament in October 1363 was the crown's commitment, iterated in the statute of 1362, that it would hold parliament once a year: the assembly of 1363 met almost exactly twelve months after its predecessor. (fn. f1363int-7) Unlike the parliament of 1366, however, in which the absence of a royal request for taxation may mean that the commons were deprived of their right to express the grievances of the commonalty (see Introduction to parliament of 1366), the assembly of 1363 was used as an opportunity for testing and (where appropriate) responding to the concerns of the realm at large: 22 separate common petitions, preceded by a rather high-flown preamble, are given on this parliament roll (items 8-23, 25, 33-37).
After the usual requests regarding the liberties of the Church and the upholding of Magna Carta (items 9, 10), the list of petitions turns to what was evidently one of the more pressing issues in 1363: namely, the impact of the crown's actions earlier in 1363 in setting up a new staple at Calais (item 11). The question of moving the staple to Calais had been discussed in the parliament of 1362, but no agreement had been reached there; the crown had therefore proceeded unilaterally to establishing the wool staple at Calais in March 1363 (see Introduction to parliament of 1362). The commons of 1363 were not opposed to this measure per se, but did express concerns about the levies and restrictions which the new company of the staple at Calais placed upon wool passing through this compulsory entrepôt on its way to continental markets. The crown's response was somewhat oblique, promising good faith and action; in fact, what happened was that the terms of reference of the tribunal already set up under the arrangements of March 1363 to make inquiry (after a year) into the activities of the Calais company were extended (though not, apparently, brought forward). (fn. f1363int-8) After some details on the state of the bullion supply and the manufacture of low denomination coins at the mint (items 12-14), the commons then turned their attention to a range of perennial legal, administrative and economic issues (items 15-22, 33-37). Perhaps building on the apparent success of their predecessors in the parliament of 1362 in influencing appointments to the commissions of the peace (see Introduction to parliament of 1362), the commons asked that they be granted the authority to select those who would enforce the labour laws in the peace sessions (item 19). Despite the king's statement that he would nominate the commissions in parliament (and name whomever he wished), nothing seems to have been done and the next peace commissions, issued in 1364, actually took from the justices the power to enforce the labour laws (an action evidently contrary to the commons' agenda). (fn. f1363int-9) In 1365, the crown's stance on this matter would became still more bullish, when it responded to a request that new commissions be appointed 'chosen by the knights of the shire before their departure from this parliament' to the effect that the existing commissions would remain in force (parliament of 1365, item 15, no. VII). There was little indication in the mid-1360s, then, that the crown was inclined to allow the commons to control either the powers or the personnel of the peace commissions.
The main historical interest of the parliament of 1363 lies in the measures it took to regulate trade and to legislate on the qualities of clothing and food to be consumed by different levels of society. The legislation on merchants and artificers was in response to a common petition claiming, that as a result of connivance between merchants, prices for merchandise and victuals were being artificially increased and requesting that each tradesman in the realm be restricted to one commodity or craft ('vintners to wine, wool merchants to wool, drapers to cloth, shoemakers to shoes, tailors to tailoring ...') (item 23). The logic behind this argument was not stated, and is not particularly clear; it is noticeable that in the following parliament, in 1365, it was claimed that the effect of the ensuing ordinance restricting tradesmen to one commodity or craft per head had in fact been to cause still more manipulation of market forces artificially to raise prices (parliament of 1365, item 11, no. II). The crown was prepared to go along with the proposal in 1363, however, and outlined the details in its response to the common petition.
The petition on trade was followed hard upon by one requesting remedy of the situation whereby 'various people of various conditions wear various apparel not appropriate to their estate' (item 25), to which the crown responded with the first comprehensive sumptuary legislation regulating clothing and food known in English history (items 25-32). The commons' opposition to the phenomenon whereby (as they claimed) 'craftsmen wear the apparel of gentlemen, and gentlemen wear the apparel of esquires, and esquires wear the apparel of knights ... and poor clerks wear clothes like those of the king and other lords' was expressed in economic terms: the items of clothing that ought rightly to be worn only by those of relatively high social status (including, of course, themselves) were in short supply and were therefore over-priced. It has been usual to suppose that behind the petition lay a more deep-seated insecurity about social hierarchy, which was deemed to be under some form of threat as a result of the prosperity won by the lower orders in the new economic dispensation prevailing since the advent of the Black Death. The aspiration towards a restoration of a perceived pre-plague established social order should not be underplayed, but it needs perhaps to be emphasised that the economic argument was the one that prevailed: when the commons argued in 1365 that prices had in fact risen, rather than fallen, they were quite prepared to propose 'that all people, of whatever estate or condition they may be, may freely determine their consumption of victuals and apparel for themselves, their wives, children and servants in the manner that seems best to them for their own profit, without being impeached for this by any means whatsoever for things done in times past as well as in times to come' (parliament of 1365, item 11, no. II). (fn. f1363int-10) In other words, the orders of society represented in the parliamentary commons would not remain insistent on the outward trappings of social hierarchy if this proved incompatible with their own economic interests.
A number of other interesting points arise from a close study of the sumptuary laws of 1363. Written out in full in the crown's responses to the common petitions on the parliament roll (items 23-24, 25-32), the legislation was also copied verbatim onto the statute roll, where it was combined with a small number of other measures arising from other legal and economic matters raised in this assembly. (fn. f1363int-11) It is to be noted that the commons petitioned only in general terms, and that the very detailed arrangements made to graduate society according to patterns of consumption was evidently left to the council: the efforts to produce 'equivalences' between the relative standing of landed and mercantile society, and between laymen and clerks, are both complex and subtle, and paved the way for similar conceptual gradations in the poll tax schedules of 1379. (fn. f1363int-12) Special attention is also needed to the status of the resulting legislation. In the closing plenary session of the parliament of 1363, the chancellor informed the lords and commons that the measures taken in the new laws on trade and apparel 'were new and never before witnessed' (item 38), and seemingly asked that, given uncertainty about their impact, they be registered as an ordinance (that is, temporary legislation) rather than as a statute (that is, a permanent measure). The lords and commons had sufficient experience of the distinction between the two types of law to be able to make an informed response (witness the 'upgrading' of the 1353 Ordinance of the Staple to a statute in 1354 [parliament of 1354, item 1]): they reported that it would be better done as an ordinance 'so that if anything should be amended it might be amended at the next parliament' (item 39). In fact, this notion was slightly beyond the contemporary constitutional distinction between statute and ordinance, which held that an ordinance could be altered or withdrawn by the crown at any time; perhaps it was felt in this case that a measure adopted in one parliament ought rightfully to continue in force until the next. In any case, the crown drew no formal distinction between the sumptuary legislation and the other legislation arising from the common petitions of 1363; nor, when the sumptuary legislation was annulled in 1365, did it seek explicitly to confirm, or to embody as statutes, the elements of the 1363 legislation still deemed to be in force. This therefore stands as a significant example of the flexibility with which the crown continued to regard its commitment to the enforcement of parliamentary legislation in the mid-fourteenth century.
Text and translation
| [p. ii-275] | |
| [col. a] | |
| [memb. 1] | |
| [memb. dorse] | |
| [ROTULUS PARLIAMENTI TENTI APUD WESTM' DIE VENERIS IN OCTABIS SANCTI MICHAELIS ANNO REGNI REGIS EDWARDI TERCII POST CONQUESTUM TRICESIMO SEPTIMO.] | [THE ROLL OF THE PARLIAMENT HELD AT WESTMINSTER ON THE FRIDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF MICHAELMAS IN THE THIRTY-SEVENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF KING EDWARD THE THIRD SINCE THE CONQUEST.] |
| [memb. 1] | |
| Fait a remembrer qe au parlement tenuz a Westmonstier, venderdy en les utaves Seint Michel, l'an du regne le roi Edward trente septisme; premerement feust crie fait en la sal de Westm' par commandement le roi, qe touz les prelatz, grantz et communes qe sont venuz au parlement se treont en la chambre Depeinte. Et puis le dit jour en mesme la chaumbre, esteantz illoeqes chanceller et tresorer et ascuns des prelatz, grantz et communes, Sire Henri Grene, chief justice le roi, dit en Engleis qe le roi estoit prest de comencer son parlement, mes par cause qe pluseurs des prelatz, grantz et communes qe sont sommons au parlement ne sont pas uncore venuz, le roi voet qe chescun se departe et ese tanqe lundy preschein. Au quel jour, esteantz le roi, prelatz, grantz et communes en la dit chaumbre Depeinte, feurent monstrez en Engleis par l'evesqe d'Ely, chanceller, la cause des sommons du parlement, en la fourme qe s'ensuit: | Be it remembered that at the parliament held at Westminster on the Friday in the octave of Michaelmas in the thirty-seventh year of the reign of King Edward, first, an announcement was made in Westminster Hall, by the king's command, that all the prelates, great men and commons who have come to the parliament should gather in the Painted Chamber. And then, on the same day, in the same chamber, with the chancellor and treasurer and some of the prelates, great men and commons being there, Sir Henry Green, the king's chief justice, said in English that the king was ready to begin his parliament, but because many of the prelates, great men and commons summoned to the parliament had not yet arrived, the kings willed that each person should depart and take his ease until the following Monday. On which day, with the king, prelates, great men and commons being in the said Painted Chamber, the bishop of Ely, chancellor, declared in English the reasons for the summons of the parliament, in the form that follows: |
| 2. Premerement, le roi considerez les grandes graces et beles oevres qe Dieu lui ad en pluseurs maneres fait et monstrez, et auxint les grantz eides qe les nobles, grantz, et communes du roialme lui ont sovent faitz, et les charges q'ils ont suffert et perils q'ils se sont pur lui exposez en pluseurs maneres; et par tant desirrant, adeprimes, les attemptatz, si nuls soient, contre la franchise de seint eglise duement redrescer; et les grevances, outrages et meschiefs faitz sibien as grantz come a son poeple contre la fourme des estatutz et ordinances einz ces heures faitz, et autrement, en ese et quiete de eux ouster et amender. Et outre le dit roi voet qe si nul se sent grevez, mette avant sa peticion en ce parlement, et il en aura covenable respons. Et sur ce ad assignee ascuns de ses clercs de la chauncellerie receivours des ditz peticions; c'est assavoir, |
[Reasons for the summons of parliament.] 2. First, the king, having considered the great favours and good works which God has done and shown to him in many ways, and also the great aids which the nobles, great men and commons of the realm have often made to him, and the charges which they have suffered and the perils to which they are exposed for him in many ways, and therefore desiring firstly that prejudicial acts, if there are any, against the franchise of holy Church be duly redressed; and secondly that the grievances, outrages and misfortunes done to great men as well as to his people contrary to the form of the statutes and ordinances made before this time be removed and corrected for their ease and quiet. And further the said king wills that if anyone shall feel himself aggrieved, he shall put forward his petition in this parliament and have suitable answer thereon. And therefore he has assigned some of his clerks of the chancery as receivers of the said petitions; that is to say: |
| 3. Pur les peticions d'Engleterre, Irland, Gales et Escoce: |
[Receivers and triers of petitions.] 3. For the petitions from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland: |
| Et ces qe voillent liverer peticions les liverent entre cy et mekerdy, le jour acomptee. | And those who wish to deliver petitions should deliver them between now and Wednesday, the day assigned. |
| 4. Pur les peticions d'Aquitaigne et autres terres et paiis dela la meer et les Isles: | 4. For the petitions from Aquitaine and other lands and countries overseas and the Channel Islands: |
| Et ces qe voillent liverer peticions les liverent entre cy et mekerdy. | And those who wish to deliver petitions should deliver them between now and Wednesday. |
| [col. b] | |
5. Et sont assignez triours des peticions d'Engleterre, Irland, Gales et Escoce:
|
5. And the following are assigned triers of petitions from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland:
|
| - appellez a eux chanceller, tresorer, seneschal et chaumbirlein quant mester serra, et ils purront entendre, et aussint les sergeantz le roi s'il busoigne. Et tendront lour place en la chambre du chaumbirlein pres la chambre Depeinte. | - consulting with the chancellor, treasurer, steward and chamberlain when necessary and when they are able to attend, and also the king's serjeants when necessary. And they shall hold their session in the chamberlain's chamber near the Painted Chamber. |
6. Et sont assignez triours des peticions d'Aquitaigne et autres terres et pays par dela la meer et les Isles:
|
6. And the following are assigned triers of petitions from Aquitaine and other lands and countries overseas and the Channel Islands:
|
| - appellez a eux chanceller, tresorer, seneschal et chambirlein quant mester serra, et ils purront entendre, et aussint les serjantz le roi s'il busoigne. Et tendront lour place en la chambre Marcolf. | - consulting with the chancellor, treasurer, steward and chamberlain when necessary and when they are able to attend, and also the king's serjeants when necessary. And they shall hold their session in the Marcolf Chamber. |
| 7. Et le mekerdy suant, pur pluseurs causes monstrez devant les grantz en parlement, feust commande qe defense soit faite par brief par toute le roialme qe nul marchant n'autre n'amene ne face amener hors du roialme harang soer, draps de lenne, bletz, brees ne cervoise; horspris qe les marchantz de Alemaigne peussent amener draps de worstede et autres draps [p. ii-276][col. a] estreites. Et forspris qe les marchantz de Gascoigne qi amenent vins en Engleterre peussent amener hors du roialme en Gascoigne harang et draps de lenne, [col. b] a la value des vins q'ils amenont ou ameneront en Engleterre. (fn. ii-275-29-1) |
[Prohibition on exports.] 7. And on the following Wednesday, for many reasons declared before the great men in parliament, it was commanded that a prohibition should be made by writ throughout the realm that no merchant or other should export or cause to be exported out of the realm red herring, linen cloth, corn, malt or ale; except that the merchants of Germany may export worsted cloth and other narrow cloths. [p. ii-276][col. a] And except that the merchants of Gascony who bring wines into England might export herring and linen cloth out of the realm into Gascony [col. b] to the value of the wines which they bring or will bring into England. (fn. ii-275-29-1) |
| CES SONT LES PETICIONS DES COMMUNES ET LES RESPONS SUR ELLES FAITES. | THESE ARE THE PETITIONS OF THE COMMONS AND THE ANSWERS MADE UPON THEM. |
| [col. a] | |
| 8. Sire, la charge livree en ceste present parlement les communes mercient a lour seignur liege, en quantqe ils scievent et plus purront, des pluseurs graces, pardons et bones voluntez a eux monstrez; et meement au darrein parlement, de ce qe lui pluist de sa bon grace monstrer a ses dites communes ses volentez, de sa bouche propre. Et suppliont ses dites communes a sa haute seigneurie: qe lui plese ce continuer come a ses liges qi de coer mercient entierement a Dieu, qe lour ad done tiel seignur et governour, qi les ad mis hors de servage des autres terres, et plusours charges q'ils ont sustenuz en temps passe. | 8. Sir, the commons thank their liege lord, as far as they are capable and able, for the charge delivered in this present parliament concerning the many favours, pardons and good will shown to them; and especially at the last parliament, because it pleased him of his good grace to declare his wishes to his said commons from his own mouth. And his said commons petition his high lordship: that it may please him to continue this practice to his lieges who wholly thank God from the heart that He has given them such a lord and ruler who has prevented them from being subject to other lands, and has freed them from many charges which they have sustained in times past. |
| 9. Premerement, priont les dites communes: qe plese a lour dit seignur lige prier as ercevesqes, evesqes et a toute la clergie pur prier pur son estat et la pees et bon governement de la terre, et pur la continuance de sa bone volente devers ses dites communes. |
[Prayers for the peace of the land.] 9. First, the said commons pray: that it may please their said liege lord to ask the archbishops, bishops and all the clergy to pray for his estate and the peace and good government of the land, and for the continuance of his good will towards his said commonalty. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi de les prier. | It pleases the king to ask them. |
| 10. Item, qe la grande chartre, la chartre de la foreste et les estatutz faitz avant ces heures, et meement l'ordinance du darrein parlement, (fn. ii-275-40-1) soient ferment tenuz et gardez; et qe les justices < de l'une > place ou de l'autre et barons del escheqer, les serjantz le roi et autres sages soient chargez de surveer les estatutz et ordinances devant ces heures faitz qe n'ont pas este executz, et les monstrer au grant conseil, issint qe nostre seignur le roi purra ordeiner qe les execucions soient faites solonc les ordinances et establissementz, sibien pur profit le roi come pur quiete et ese de son poeple. |
[Confirmation of the Charters.] 10. Also, that the Great Charter, the Charter of the Forest and the statutes made before this time, and especially the ordinance of the last parliament, (fn. ii-275-40-1) shall be firmly upheld and observed; and that the justices of both places, the barons of the exchequer, the king's serjeants and other wise men shall be charged to examine the statutes and ordinances made before this time which have not been enforced, and to show them to the great council, so that our lord the king will be able to ordain that the enforcement be made according to the ordinances and statutes, for the king's profit as well as for the quiet and ease of his people. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi qe ensi soit; (fn. ii-275-43-1) et si nul se sente greve contre la fourme de nul des estatutz, viegne et alegge sa grevance, et droit lui serra fait saunz delaie, solonc la fourme et effect des estatutz. | It pleases the king that it shall be so; (fn. ii-275-43-1) and if anyone shall feel himself aggrieved contrary to the form of any of the statutes, he shall come and plead his grievance; and justice shall be done to him without delay, according to the form and effect of the statutes. |
| [memb. 2] | |
| 11. Item, qe l'ordinance du darrein parlement faite de la custume des leins (fn. ii-275-45-1) soit en toute tenuz, saunz fraude, engine, subtilte ou ordinance au contreire tart assentuz et fait, en partie ou en tout, en charge et pert de la commune par la novele compaignie des marchantz demurantz ore a Caleis. Et qe les defautes expressement faitz illoeqes soient amendez ore a cest present parlement; et les imposicions par les ditz marchantz mis sur le sak, c'estassaver sur le sak .xl. d. a Caleis, les queux deniers sont resceuz a lour oeps propre, soient de toute oustez. Et qe les marchantz peussent franchement vendre lour leines illoeqes saunz pris mettre d'ycelles, qe par les subtiltees et ordinances de la dite compaignie sur ce faites, grandes sommes y demurent es meins des marchantz illoeqes, queux ne sont mye de la compaignie; et grandes sommes es meins de marchantz et autres, sibien des seignurs come des communes en Engleterre noun pas venduz, a greindre damage du poeple. |
[Confirmation of legislation on the wool trade.] 11. Also, that the ordinance made at the last parliament concerning the custom of wool (fn. ii-275-45-1) shall be fully upheld, without fraud, deceit, trickery or ordinance contrary to that, recently agreed and made, in part or in full, to the burden and loss of the commonalty, by the new company of merchants now residing at Calais. And that the defaults expressly made thereon shall be corrected now at this present parliament; and the impositions put on wool by the said merchants, that is to say, 40d. per sack at Calais, which money is received to their own use, shall be completely removed. And that merchants may freely sell their wool there without putting a price on the same, since by the trickery and ordinances of the said company made thereon, great amounts of wool remain in the hands of merchants there who are not of the company; and great amounts also remain unsold in the hands of merchants and others, lords as well as commons, in England, to the very great damage of the people. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le conseil ad tretee et parle ove les grantz et autres sages des pointz compris en ceste peticion pur ouster les charges et faire redrescer les meschiefs en celle partie, queux ne poent estre faites saunz bone deliberacion; [col. b] et par tant le roi, eue sur ce ove son conseil bon avis, ferra issint qe les ditz charges serront pur la greindre partie oustez, et les meschiefs redrescez a pluis tost qe bonement purra, en ese et profit de sa commune. | The council has discussed and spoken with the great men and other wise men concerning the points contained in this petition in order to remove the charges and redress the misfortunes in this matter, which they cannot do without good deliberation; [col. b] and therefore the king, having had the good advice of his council in this matter, will make it so that the said charges will for the most part be removed, and the misfortunes redressed as much as possible, in ease and profit of his commonalty. |
| 12. Item, qe la monoie d'Engleterre qe y est a ore, par avis des seignurs et ceux q'ont conissance en monoie, soit sauvement ordeine et garde, pur profit de la terre pur y demurer. Et pur les grosses merces et marchandises, qe ordinance se face a ore, qe paiement d'or soit faite as marchantz Engleis pur les dites merces et marchandises pur la greindre partie, et meement pur leines, esteyme et plom. |
[Currency.] 12. Also, that the money of England that now exists shall be safely regulated and protected, by the advice of the lords and those who have knowledge of money, in order that the profit of the land remains in the kingdom. And as regards great wares and merchandise, an ordinance shall now be made that payment in gold shall be made to English merchants for the said ware and merchandise for the most part, and especially for wool, tin and lead. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le conseil ad sovent debatu et trete ove pluseurs des pointz en ceste article; et pur la sutivete qe chiet en la monoie par diverses maneres monstrez devant le dit conseil, ne poet le roi saunz bon avis mettre remede. Mes voet qe, eue sur ce bone deliberacion ove son conseil, ferra issint ordeiner de la monoie, qe serra au profit et ese de sa dit commune, saunz changer ou mettre la dite monoie au meindre pris. | The council has often debated and discussed several of the points in this article; and because of the complexities relating to money, declared in various ways before the said council, the king cannot provide remedy without good advice. But he wills that, having had good deliberation with his council in this matter, he will make an ordinance concerning money which will be to the profit and ease of his said commonalty, without changing or devaluing the said money. |
| 13. Item, prient les dites communes: qe nul ne preigne, en cas qe riens serroit pris, pur eschange du noble qe la somme ne passe un denier. |
[Charges for exchange of gold coinage.] 13. Also, the said commons pray: that, if anything is to be taken, the amount charged for the exchange of one noble should not exceed one penny. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le roy ne le poet faire bonement par diverses causes monstrez devant son conseil. | The king cannot do this appropriately for various reasons declared before his council. |
| 14. Item, qe les coignours soient chargez de faire la moite del or, de mails et ferlinges, pur profit des communes, queux ne peussent achater lour viandes ne lour menues choses a la value d'un noble. |
[Coining of lower denominations.] 14. Also, that the coiners shall be charged to make the half noble, and halfpennies and farthings, for the profit of the commonalty, who cannot buy their food or their lesser things to the value of a noble. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il est contenu pleinement en l'endenture faite parentre le roi et les monoiours q'ensi soit. (fn. ii-275-63-1) | It is fully contained in the indenture made between the king and the moneyers that it shall be so. (fn. ii-275-63-1) |
| 15. Item, < qe > coment au darrein parlement estoit grantee qe paiementz serroient faitz saunz prises des purveiours ou de autres ministres a les communes de la terre pur vitailles et autres despenses, les queux paiementz sont bien et graciousement faitz, sibien pur l'oustel nostre seignur le roi come pur autres seignurs de la terre; (fn. ii-275-65-1) et jademeins les marchantz, hostillers, regraters, forstallers et autres tielx, sibien en portz come en villes marchandes et aillours parmy la terre, engrossent toutes maneres de marchandises et vitailles, sibien stokfissh, saltfissh, vins, cire et spicerie come autres, et les vendent volentrivement pur tieu pris come ils mesmes voillent mettre, et ce q'ils achatent pur .xij. d. ils vendent pur .iij. s. ou pur demy marc; et en hostilleries le bussell des aveins pur .viij. d. la ou ils les achatent pur .iij. d. Et issint en autres matires semblables parmy toute la terre, a grant damage nostre dit seignur le roi, les grantz, nobles et communes de la terre, nient contreesteantz les ordinances de ce ent faites. Sur quoi ils priont remede. |
[Forestalling of victuals.] 15. Also, that whereas at the last parliament it was granted that payments should be made to the commonalty of the land for victuals and other expenses without prises being taken by purveyors or other officers, which payments are properly and graciously made, for the household of our lord the king as well as for other lords of the land; (fn. ii-275-65-1) and nevertheless the merchants, innkeepers, regraters, forestallers and other such people, in ports as well as in market towns and elsewhere throughout the land, engross all manner of merchandise and victuals, stockfish, saltfish, wine, wax and spices and other things, and deliberately sell them at whatever price they wish to put on the same; and that which they buy for 12d. they sell for 3s. or for a ½ mark; and in hostelries they sell a bushel of oats for 8d. when they buy it for 3d. And likewise in other similar matters throughout the land, to the great damage of our said lord the king, the great men, nobles and commonalty of the land, notwithstanding the ordinances made thereon. Wherefore they pray remedy. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soit l'ordinance faite de pesson salez a Blakeneye tenuz et gardez; (fn. ii-275-68-1) et soient assignez William de Wichingham et Johan de Berneye par commission d'enquere de touz ces q'ont rien fait ou attempte contre nul des pointz de mesme l'ordinance, et de les punir solonc la [p. ii-277][col. a] fourme d'ycelle en manere come ils voillent respondre en preschein parlement. (fn. ii-275-68-2) Et quant a les autres pointz de ceste peticion, soient les estatutz ent faitz tenuz et gardez et duement executz. (fn. ii-275-68-3) | The ordinance made concerning salt fish at Blakeney shall be upheld and observed; (fn. ii-275-68-1) and William Wichingham and John Berneye shall be assigned by commission to inquire into all those who have done or attempted anything contrary to any of the points of the same ordinance, and to punish them according to the [p. ii-277][col. a] form of the same in the manner for which they will answer in the next parliament. (fn. ii-275-68-2) And as regards the other points of this petition, the statutes made thereon shall be upheld, observed and duly executed. (fn. ii-275-68-3) |
| 16. Item, come autresfoitz estoit ordeine qe nul cariage soit fait hors de la terre de bledz, brees n'autres vitailles saunz especial congie, et sur ce certein peine ordeine; (fn. ii-275-70-1) nient contreesteant celle ordinance, les marchantz de Loundres et aillours font achater parmy la terre les bleedz et brees et autres tieles vitailles et font carier par eawe hors de la terre, a grant cherissement des ditz bledz et a grant damage nostre seignur le roi, les grantz et les communes de la terre. Sur qoi ils priont qe remede soit fait. |
[Export of corn.] 16. Also, whereas it was previously ordained that no export of corn, malt or other victuals shall be made from the land, without special permission, and a certain penalty was ordained thereon; (fn. ii-275-70-1) notwithstanding this ordinance, the merchants of London and elsewhere buy corn, malt and other such victuals throughout the land and carry them out of the land by water, to the great increase in price of the said corn and to the great damage of our lord the king, the great men and the commonalty of the land. Wherefore they pray that remedy shall be made. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Proclamacion et defens ad este fait, et est ore de novel. (fn. ii-275-73-1) | Proclamation and prohibition has been made, and is now renewed. (fn. ii-275-73-1) |
| 17. Item, prient les dites communes: qe gores et weres qe sont faites parmy la terre en ewes, qe niefs et bateux ne purroient venir as citees, burghs ne as autres villes, pur diverses vitailles carier, come avant soleient faire; plese au dit conseil ordeiner qe remede de ce soit fait, et qe justices soient assignez es diverses countees par la ou mester serra pur ouster tielx gores et weres, en manere come soleit estre fait en temps passe. |
[Freedom of river traffic.] 17. Also, the said commons pray: that whereas gorces and weirs are made in waters throughout the land, so that ships and boats cannot come to cities, boroughs or other towns in order to carry various victuals, as they were previously accustomed to do; may it please the said council to ordain that remedy be made thereon, and that justices shall be assigned in various counties where necessary to remove such gorces and weirs, in the manner which it used to be done in times past. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soit l'estatut sur ce fait tenuz et gardez et duement executz. (fn. ii-275-78-1) | The statute made thereon shall be upheld, observed and duly executed. (fn. ii-275-78-1) |
| 18. Item, prient les dites communes: q'il plese a lour seignur lige granter, ordeiner et establir qe les justices de l'un bank et de l'autre et barons del escheqer puissent prendre nisi prius en chescun plee dont le roi est partie, come ils peussent prendre la ou autres persones sont parties, soit le plee meu par brief, bille, peticion, office des eschetours ou par accusement d'enqueste, et en autres maneres de plees qeconqes q'ils soient, dont parties sont mis en respons par proces fait devers eux, en qeconqes places q'ils soient, et pledent au pays jurez et enquestes. Et si l'attourne le roi, ou ascun qe sue pur le roi, ne voille sure brief de faire venir pays jurez et enquestes qe serront a prendre parentre le roi et les parties qeconqes q'ils soient, apres le primer jour apres le plee pledee, q'adonqes les justices de l'un bank et l'autre et barons del escheqer et autres justices qeconqes q'ils soient devant queux les plees sont pledez, eient pouair de granter brief de faire venir pays jurez et enquestes, a suite de parties queux issint ont pledez devers le roi, come ils dussent granter pur le roi, saunz estre deneye par nully. |
[Nisi prius in cases to which the king is a party.] 18. Also, the said commons pray: that it may please their liege lord to grant, ordain and establish that the justices of both benches and the barons of the exchequer may take nisi prius in every plea of which the king is a party, as they may take it where other people are parties, whether the plea is moved by writ, bill, petition, office of escheators or by accusation of inquest, and in all other manner of pleas, whatsoever they may be, in which parties are brought to answer by process made against them, in any places whatsoever they may be, and put themselves upon their country, juries and inquests. And if the king's attorney, or anyone who sues for the king, will not sue a writ to bring the juries and inquests that are to be taken between the king and the parties, whosoever they may be, after the first day after the plea has been impleaded, then the justices of both benches and the barons of the exchequer and other justices, whosoever they may be, before whom the pleas are impleaded, shall have power to grant a writ to bring country, juries and inquests, at the suit of the parties who have thus impleaded against the king, as they ought to grant for the king, without their being denied for any cause. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Chescun qe se sente greve en tieu cas viegne au chanceller ou clerk du prive seal et monstre son cas, et il ent ferra resoun. | Each person who feels himself aggrieved in such case shall come to the chancellor or clerk of the privy seal and declare his case, and he will do justice thereon. |
| 19. Item, plese a nostre seignur le roi granter as chivalers de countees, citeins et burgeis de citees et de burghs qe sont venuz a cest present parlement pouair de eslire gentz d'estre justices de laborers et artificers et gardeins de la pees; et qe mesmes ceux gentz issint esluz ne soient remuez par nul suggescion, pur mettre autres meins suffisantz en lieu de eux. |
[Appointment of the justices of the peace.] 19. Also, may it please our lord the king to grant the knights of the shires, citizens and burgesses of cities and boroughs who have come to this present parliament power to elect people to be justices of labourers and of craftsmen and keepers of the peace; and that the same people thus elected shall not be removed by any suggestion, in order to put others less appropriate in their place. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Facent nomer gentz covenables ore en ce parlement, et le roi assignera ces qe lui plerra. | Suitable people shall now be named in this parliament, and the king will assign those who please him. |
| 20. Item, come eschetours, et autres ministres nostre seignur le roi, plus diversement sovent, et autrement q'ils ne soleient, seisent ore les terres et tenementz, biens et chateux de pluseurs gentz, surmettantz q'ils sont utlaiez, qe ne sont point en rei verite, par cause q'ils portent tieux nouns come ceux qe sont utlaiez, pur defaute de bone declaracion des surnouns nomer et addiscion; [col. b] prie la dit commune: de amendement en ce cas, qe touz les justices preignent bone declaracion desore enavant de les nouns de ceux qe sont enditez devant eux, issint qe damage ne viegne au poeple pur les enchesons susdites. Et en cas q'ils peussent estre resonablement apris q'ils ne soient mesmes les persones, qe saunz rien prendre de les parties q'ils preignent sufficeant seurte de eux descharger sur lour acompt. |
[Liability to escheat and forfeiture of lands.] 20. Also, whereas escheators and other officers of our lord the king, more specially often, and otherwise as they were accustomed, now seize the lands and tenements, goods and chattels of many people, claiming that they are outlawed, where in truth they are not, because they bear the same names as those who are outlawed, for default of good declaration of the surnames and additional information on their names; [col. b] the said commons pray: for correction in this case, that all the justices shall henceforth take a good declaration of the names of those who are indicted before them, so that damage shall not come to people for the aforesaid reasons. And in the event that they may be reasonably informed that they are not the same people, without taking anything from the parties, they shall take sufficient security from them to be discharged on their account. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Si nul viegne et se pleinte en tieu cas, eit brief de idemptitate nominis, en manere come ad este use avant ces heures. Et si terres, biens ou chateux soient seisiz en tiel cas par eschetour, visconte ou autre ministre, troeve la partie seurte devant le ministre q'ad garant de seisir, de respondre au roi de la value de tieux terres, biens et chateux en cas q'il ne se poet descharger, saunz rien prendre de la partie. Et si tieu ministre ne se face, et de ce soit atteint, eit la partie sa suite devers tieu ministre, et recovre ses damages au double; et nientmeins soit grevousement puniz devers le roi. (fn. ii-275-93-1) | If anyone shall come and complain in such case, he shall have a writ of idemnitate nominis, in the manner that has been used before this time. And if lands, goods or chattels are seized in such a case by an escheator, sheriff or other officer, the party shall find security before the officer who has the warrant to seize, to answer to the king concerning the value of the said lands, goods and chattels in the event that he cannot be discharged, without anything being taken from the party. And if such officer does not do this, and is attainted of the same, the party shall have his suit against such officer, and recover double his damages; and nevertheless the officer shall be grievously punished by the king. (fn. ii-275-93-1) |
| 21. Item, s'il plest au roi et a son conseil qe petites vitailles come chapons, gelyns, pulcyns et autres tieles vitailles, qe purroient par reson estre mis en certein a covenable pris, en ese et profit nostre dit seignur le roi et autres seignurs et communes; et avis est a la dit commune, si plest a nostre seignur le roi et son conseil et autres seignurs de la terre, qe le pris d'un joefne chapon ne passe trois deniers et un auncien quatre deniers, une gelyne deux deniers, un pulcyn un denier, un auce quatre deniers; et en lieux ou la vente de tieles vitailles est meindre, q'il se tiegne saunz estre encherrez par celle ordinance. Et qe es villes et marchees de uplond soient venduz a meindre pris, solonc ce qe poet estre accordee entre l'achatour et le vendour. |
[Price of victuals.] 21. Also, that it may please the king and his council that small victuals such as capons, hens, chickens and other such victuals shall be fixed at a suitable price, so far as can reasonably be done, in ease and profit of our said lord the king and other lords and commons; and it seems to the said commons, if it may please our lord the king and his council and the other lords of the land, that the price of one young capon should not exceed 3d. and an old capon 4d., a hen 2d., a chicken 1d., a goose 4d.; and in places where the sale price of such victuals is less, it shall remain without being raised by this ordinance. And that in towns and markets in the country they shall be sold at a lesser price, according as can be agreed between the buyer and the seller. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le roi le voet; et qe justices sur ce soient assignez par commission de mettre la chose duement en execucion. (fn. ii-275-98-1) | The king wills it; and justices shall be assigned by commission in this matter to put the thing duly in execution. (fn. ii-275-98-1) |
| 22. Item, prie la dit commune: qe ceux qe sont acquitez par juggement en l'escheqer en un place soient acquitez parmy et par toute en touz les offices, saunz novele suite faire as officers; et qe les barons et officers du dit escheqer soient chargez devant le roi de ce faire, come estoit accordee au darrein parlement. (fn. ii-275-100-1) |
[Discharges in the exchequer.] 22. Also, the said commons pray: that those who are acquitted by judgment in one department of the exchequer shall be acquitted throughout and completely in all the departments, without making a new suit to the officers; and that the barons and officers of the said exchequer shall be charged before the king to do this, as it was agreed at the last parliament. (fn. ii-275-100-1) |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soit un clerc de la remembrancie title de seer amont le clerc de la pipe, de veer les descharges faitz en la pipe, et les enbrever en la remembrancie, pur faire cesser toute manere de proces sur ce fait. Et auxi qe la sommons de la pipe soit retrete solonc ce qe parties par proces sont deschargez. Et en cas qe defaute volontrivement soit trovee, le tresorer par commandement du roi le ferra duement punir. (fn. ii-275-103-1) | One clerk of the remembrances shall be appointed to sit above the clerk of the pipe to see the discharges made in the pipe roll and to record them in the remembrances, to bring a stop to all manner of process made in this matter. And also that the summons of the pipe shall be duly withdrawn as the parties are discharged by process. And in the event that deliberate default shall be found, the treasurer will duly punish it by the king's command. (fn. ii-275-103-1) |
| [memb. 3] | |
| 23. Item, pur ce qe grandes meschiefs sont avenuz de novel, sibien a nostre seignur le roi, les grantz et communes come autres de la terre, de ce qe les marchantz nomez grossers engrossent toutes maneres de marchandies vendables; et ceux as qeux le marchandie est le pris levent sodeinement dedeinz la terre, mettantz a vente, par covyn et ordinance entre eux faite appelle fraternite et gilde de marchant, et par lour conseil et assent mettont les autres marchandises en repose tanqe au temps qe chierte ou defaute soit d'ycelles en la dite terre, et adonqes par lour dit accorde les mettent a vente en la fourme avantdit: et font les achates de touz aliens de merces et marchandises avantdites, qe les seignurs et communes ne peussent avoir lour achates, come soleient avant ces heures. Et par les enchesons susdites les vitailles sont ensi encherrez de jour en autre qe trope damages sont avenuz a nostre dit seignur le roi, grantz, nobles et communes, et le profit singulerment as fraternitez et gildes des marchantz [p. ii-278][col. a] avantditz, en grant enpovrissement nostre dit seignur le roi, grantz, nobles et communes susditz. |
[Merchants to trade in only one form of merchandise.] 23. Also, because great misfortunes have recently come, both to our lord the king, the great men and the commonalty as well as to others of the land, because the merchants called forestallers engross all manner of saleable merchandise; and those to whom the merchandise belongs raise the price suddenly within the land, putting it to sale by agreement and ordinance made between those called the fraternity and guild of merchants; and by their council and assent they put the other merchandise in store until there is a scarcity or lack of the same in the said land, and then by their said accord they put it up for sale in the aforesaid form; and they make all the purchases of the aforesaid goods and merchandise from aliens, so that the lords and commonalty may not have their purchases as they were accustomed before this time. And for the aforesaid reasons the victuals thus rise in price from day to day, so that great damages have come to our said lord the king, the great men, nobles and commonalty, and the profit only to the aforesaid fraternities and guilds of merchants, [p. ii-278][col. a] to the great impoverishment of our said lord the king, the great men, nobles and aforesaid commonalty. |
| Priont les communes susdites: qe chescun marchant de la terre soit title a marchandie propre; c'estassavoir, vineters as vins, marchantz des leines as leines, drapers a draperie, chaucours au chaucerie, taillours au taillourie soulement; et touz autres chescun severalment a lour marchandie propre, saunz ce qe nul se melle en prive ne apert d'autre marchandie, sur les peines qe par l'avis des seignurs et du sage conseil serra de ce ordeine. Et en tieu manere lour plese ordeiner de toute manere de gentz de mestir. | The aforesaid commons pray: that each merchant of the land shall be restricted to his own merchandise; that is to say, vintners to wine, wool merchants to wool, drapers to cloth, shoemakers to shoes, tailors to tailoring only; and all others each separately to their own merchandise, without anyone privately or publicly concerning himself with other merchandise, on the penalties that will be ordained thereon by the advice of the lords and wise council. And may it please them to ordain in like manner concerning all manner of craftsmen. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Est accordee qe nul marchant Engleis ne use merce ne marchandie par lui ne par autre par nul manere de covyne, mes soulement une quele il vorra eslire entre cy et la feste de la chandelure preschein avenir. Et ces q'ont entre meins autres merces et marchandises qe celes q'ils ont esluz, les peussent mettre a vente devant la feste de la nativite Seint Johan preschein suant. Et si nul face au contreire de ceste ordinance en nul point, et de ce soit atteint en manere qe s'ensura, forface devers le roi la marchandie q'il avera issint usee contre ceste ordinance, et outre face fin au roi solonc la quantite du trespas. Et coment cest ordinance serra mis en execucion, est ordeine qe bones gentz et loials de chescun marchandie soient esluz et jurez de surveer qe ceste ordinance soit tenuz et execut; c'estassaver, deux marchantz de chescun marchandie en chescun citee et burgh, et deux marchantz en chescun contee, et les defautes redrescer; et ce q'ils ne poent redrescer certifier au chanceller et conseil le roi. Et soient commissions faites as certeins gentz, qeux et quant il plerra au roi assigner, d'enquere en citees, burghs et contees ou il busoignera, sibien de trespassours en celle partie come des surveiours, en cas q'ils soient necligentz ou de covyne de trespassours, par le serement de sis jurez, et outre sur ce proces faire par oier et terminer de jour en jour, de punir les trespassours et surveiours; c'estassaver, les trespassours solonc ce q'est ordeine paramont, et les surveiours solonc la discrecion des justices; et ce par la jure de dusze en cas q'ils se voillent mettre en pays de lour accusement. Et qeconqe qe vorra sure pur le roi en tieu cas soit a ce resceu, et eit le quarte denier de la forfaiture de celui qe issint serra atteint a sa suite. (fn. ii-275-108-1) | It is agreed that no English merchant shall sell goods or merchandise by himself or by another by any manner of agreement, except only the one which he will choose between now and the feast of Candlemas next coming. And those who have other goods and merchandises in hand than those which they have chosen may put them up for sale before the feast of the Nativity of Saint John immediately following. And if anyone acts to the contrary of this ordinance in any point, and is attainted of this in the manner that follows, he shall forfeit to the king the merchandise that he has thus sold contrary to this ordinance, and shall further make fine to the king according to the quantity of the trespass. And so that this ordinance will be executed, it is ordained that good and lawful people of each trade shall be chosen and sworn to oversee that this ordinance is upheld and executed; that is to say, two merchants of each trade in each city and borough, and two merchants in each county, and they shall redress the defaults; and that which they cannot redress shall be certified to the chancellor and the king's council. And commissions shall be made to certain people, whomever and whenever it will please the king to assign, to inquire in the cities, boroughs and counties where necessary, into trespassers in this matter as well as into overseers in case they are negligent, or in league with the trespassers, by the oath of six jurors, and further to make process on this by oyer and terminer from day to day, to punish the trespassers and overseers; that is to say, the trespassers according as is ordained above, and the overseers according to the discretion of the justices; and this shall be done by the jury of twelve in the event that they will put themselves upon their country concerning their accusation. And whoever will sue for the king in such case shall be accepted for this, and shall have the fourth penny of the forfeiture of him who will thus be attainted at his suit. (fn. ii-275-108-1) |
|
24. Ensement est ordeine qe artificers, gentz de mester, se tiegnent chescun a une mestere quele il vorra eslire entre cy et la dit feste de la chandelure. Et soient esluz deux de chescun mestere a surveer qe nul use autre mestere qe cele quele il ad eslu; et justices assignez d'enquerre par proces d'oier et terminer en ceste article, come est ordeine en l'article devant; forspris qe les trespassours en ceste article soient puniz par emprisonement de demy an, et outre face fin au roi solonc la quantite du trespas, et les surveiours par discrecion de justices come devant. Mes l'entencion nostre seignur le roi
[[The following text has been deleted: est]] et son conseil < est > qe femmes, c'estassaver braceresces, pesteresces, tisteresces, fileresces et oevresces sibien de leine come de liegne toile et de soie, broudesters, kardesters, pyneresces de leine et toutes autres qe usent et oeverent overaignes manueles, peussent user et overer franchement come eles ont fait avant ces heures, saunz nul empeschement ou estre restreint par ceste ordinance. (fn. ii-275-110-1) |
24. In addition, it is ordained that artificers and craftsmen shall each be held to one craft which he will choose between now and the said feast of Candlemas. And two men of each craft shall be chosen to oversee that no-one practises a craft other than that which he has chosen; and justices shall be assigned to inquire by process of oyer and terminer in this article, as is ordained in the previous article; except that the trespassers on this article shall be punished by imprisonment of half a year, and shall further make fine to the king according to the quantity of the trespass, and the overseers at the discretion of the justices as above. But the intention of our lord the king and his council is that women, that is to say brewers, bakers, websters, spinsters and workers of wool as well as of linen and silk, embroiderers, carders, combers of wool and all others who work and labour at manual tasks, may work and labour as freely as they have done before this time, without any impeachment or restriction arising from this ordinance. (fn. ii-275-110-1) |
| 25. Item, monstrent les communes: qe come diverses vitailles dedeinz le roialme sont grandement encherrez, par cause qe diverses gentz de diverses condicions usent diverse apparaill nient appertenant a lour estat; c'estassaver, garceons usent apparaill des gentz de mestire, et gentz de mestire apparaile des valletz, et valletz apparaile des esquiers, et esquiers apparaill de chivalers, l'un et l'autre pellure qe seulment de reson appertienent as seignurs et chivalers, femmes povres et [col. b] autres apparaile des dames, povres clercs pellure come le roi et autres seignurs. Issint sont les marchandises susdites a plus grant pris qe ne soleient estre, et le tresor de la terre destruit, a grant damage des seignurs et communes. Dont ils priont remede, si ce soit avys as seignurs du conseil. |
[Regulation of clothing.] 25. Also, the commons declare: that whereas the prices of various victuals within the realm are greatly increased because various people of various conditions wear various apparel not appropriate to their estate; that is to say, grooms wear the apparel of craftsman, and craftsmen wear the apparel of gentlemen, and gentlemen wear the apparel of esquires, and esquires wear the apparel of knights, the one and the other wear fur which only properly belongs to lords and knights, poor and other women [col. b] wear the dress of ladies, and poor clerks wear clothes like those of the king and other lords. Thus the aforesaid merchandises are at a much greater price than they should be, and the treasure of the land is destroyed, to the great damage of the lords and the commonalty. Wherefore they pray remedy, if it is the opinion of the lords of the council. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Quant a la peticion mise avant par les communes d'exces d'apparaill des gentz outre lour estat, en tresgrande destruccion et empovrissement de la terre, par quele cause toute la richesse du roialme est a poi consumpte et anientiz, est ordeine par manere qe s'ensuit: (fn. ii-275-115-1) | As regards the petition put forward by the commons concerning the excess of dress of people beyond their estate, to the very great destruction and impoverishment of the land, for which reason all the wealth of the realm is on the point of being consumed and destroyed, it is ordained in the manner that follows: (fn. ii-275-115-1) |
| 'Premerement, quant as garceons, sibien servantz as seignurs come de mestere et des artificers, soit ordeine q'ils soient serviz de manger et de boire un foitz le jour, de char ou de pesson, et le remanant d'autres vitailles, come de let, formage, buire et autres tieles vitailles acordantz a lour estat. Et q'ils eient draps pur lour vesture ou chauceure, dont le drap entier ne passe deux mars; et q'ils ne usent drape de plus haute pris de lour acat, n'autrement, ne nul chose d'or, d'argent, n'embroidez, aymelez ne de soye, ne rien appendant des dites choses. Et soient lour femmes, files et enfantz de mesme la condicion en lour vesture et apparaill; et ne usent nuls voiles passant la voile dousze deniers. | 'First, as regards grooms, whether the servants of lords or of craftsmen and artisans, it shall be ordained that they shall be served with food and drink, with meat or fish once a day, and the rest with other victuals such as milk, cheese, butter and other such victuals in accordance with their estate. And they shall have cloths for their clothing or shoes, of which the whole cloth shall not exceed 2 marks; and they shall not wear clothes of a higher price of their purchase or otherwise, or anything of gold or silver, or embroidered, enamelled or of silk, or anything belonging to the said things. And their wives, daughters and children shall be of the same condition in clothing and apparel; and they shall not wear any veil worth more than 12d. |
| 26. Item, qe gentz de mestere d'artifice et d'office appellez yomen ne preignent ne usent drape de plus haute pris pur lour vesture ou chauceure qe deinz quarante soldz le drape entier, par voie d'acat, n'autrement; ne perre, drape de soy, ne d'argent, ne ceynture, cotel, fermaill, anel, garter, n'ouches, rubans, cheisnes, bendes, sealx n'autre chose d'or ne d'argent, ne nul manere d'apparaill embroidez, aymelez ne de soy, par nul voie. Et qe lour femmes, files et enfantz soient de mesme la condicion en lour vesture et apparaill; et qe eles ne usent nul voile de soy, mes soulement de fil fait deinz le roialme, ne nul manere de pellure ou de bugee mes soulment d'aignel, conil, chat et gopil. | 26. Also, that craftsmen and people called yeomen shall not take or wear cloth for their clothing or shoes of a higher price than 40s. for the whole cloth, by way of purchase or otherwise; nor precious stones, cloth of silk or silver, or a belt, knife, brooch, ring, garter, or clasps, ribbons, chains, bracelets, seals or other things of gold or silver, or any manner of apparel embroidered, enamelled or of silk, in any way. And that their wives, daughters and children shall be of the same condition in their clothing and apparel; and that they shall not wear any veil of silk, but only of yarn made within the realm, and or any manner of fur or budge except only that of lamb, rabbit, cat and fox. |
| 27. Item, qe esquiers et toutes maneres de gentils gentz desouz l'estat de chivaler qe n'ont terre ou rente a la value de cent livres par an ne preignent ne usent drape pur lour vesture ou chauceure de plus haut pris qe deinz le pris de quatre mars et demy le drape entier, par voie d'acat n'autrement; ne q'ils ne usent drape d'or, de soy ne d'argent, ne nul manere vesture embroidez, anel, fermaill n'ouche d'or, ruban, ceynture, ne nul autre apparaile ne hernies d'or ne d'argent, ne riens de perre, ne nul manere de pellure. Et qe lour femmes, filese et enfantz soient de mesme la condicion quant a lour vesture et apparaill, saunz ascun revers ou purfil; et qe eles ne usent esclaires, crimiles ne troefles, ne nul manere d'apparaill d'or, d'argent ne de perre. Mes qe esquiers eantz terre ou rente a la value de deux centz livres par an et outre peussent prendre et user drape du pris de cynk mars le drape entier, et drape de soy et d'argent, ruban, ceynture et autre apparaill resonablement garniz d'argent. Et qe lour femmes, files et enfantz peussent user pellure revers de menevoir, saunz ermyns ou letuses ou ascun manere d'apparaill de perre, sinoun pur lour testes. | 27. Also, esquires and all manner of gentlemen below the estate of knight who do not have land or rent to the amount of £100 a year shall not take or wear cloth for their clothing or shoes of a higher price than within the price of 4½ marks for the whole cloth, by way of purchase or otherwise; and they shall not wear cloth of gold, silk or silver, or any manner of embroidered clothing, ring, brooch, clasp of gold, ribbon, belt or any other apparel or attire of gold or silver, or any precious stones, or any manner of fur. And their wives, daughters and children shall be of the same condition as regards their clothing and apparel, without any turning back or trimming; and they shall not wear adornments, crimpings or knickknacks, or any manner of apparel of gold, silver or precious stones. But esquires having land or rent to the value of £200 a year and more may take and wear cloth of the price of 5 marks for the whole cloth, and cloth of silk and silver, ribbon, belts and other apparel reasonably decorated with silver. And their wives, daughters and children may wear fur reveres of miniver, without ermine or weasel-fur or any manner of apparel of precious stones, except for their heads. |
| 28. Item, qe marchantz, citeins et burgeis, artificers, gentz de mestere, sibien deinz la citee de Loundres come aillours, qe ont clerement biens et chateux a la value de cynk centz livres, et lour femmes et enfantz, peussent prendre et user en manere come les esquiers et gentils gentz qe ont terre et rente a la value de cent livres par an. Et qe les marchantz, citeins et burgeis q'ont clerement biens et chateux outre la value de mill livres, et lour femmes et enfantz, puissent prendre et user en manere come les esquiers [p. ii-279][col. a] et gentils gentz q'ont terre et rente a la value de deux centz livres par an. Et qe nul garceon, yoman ne servant des marchantz, marchandie artificer ou gentz de mestere ne use autrement en apparaile qe n'est ordeine des garceons et yomen des seignurs paramont. | 28. Also, that merchants, citizens and burgesses, artisans and craftsmen, within the city of London as well as elsewhere, who clearly have goods and chattels to the value of £500, and their wives and children, may take and wear in the same manner as the esquires and gentlemen who have land and rent to the value of £100 a year. And that the merchants, citizens and burgesses who clearly have goods and chattels above the value of £1000, and their wives and children, may take and wear in the same manner as the esquires [p. ii-279][col. a] and gentlemen who have land and rent to the value of £200 a year. And that no groom, yeoman or servant of merchants, artisans or craftsmen may wear in apparel otherwise than is ordained above for the grooms and yeomen of lords. |
| 29. Item, qe chivalers qe ont terre ou rente deinz la value de deux centz mars par an preignent et usent drape de sis marcs le drape entier pur lour vesture, et nounpas de plus haute pris. Et q'ils ne usent drape d'or, ne cloche, mantel ne goune fururez de menevoir purez, manches d'ermyns, ne nul apparaill broidez de perre n'autrement. Et qe lour femmes, files et enfantz soient de mesme la condicion, et qe eles ne usent revers d'ermyns, ne de letuses esclaires, ne nul manere d'apparaill de perre sinoun pur lour testes. Mes qe touz chivalers et dames qe ont terre ou rente outre la value de quatre centz mars par an tanqe a la somme de mille livres par an usent a lour volente, forspris ermyns, letuses et apparaille de perre sinoun pur lour testes. | 29. Also, that knights who have land or rent within the value of 200 marks a year may take and wear cloth of 6 marks for the whole cloth for their clothing, and nothing of a higher price. And they may not wear cloth of gold, or a cloak, mantle or gown lined with pure miniver, sleeves of ermine or any apparel embroidered with precious stones or otherwise. And that their wives, daughters and children shall be of the same condition, and that they shall not wear reveres of ermine, or adornments of weasel-fur, or any manner of apparel of precious stones, except for their heads. But that all knights and ladies who have land or rent above the value of 400 marks a year up to the sum of £1000 a year shall dress at their will, with the exception of ermine, weasel-fur and apparel of precious stones, and these only on their heads. |
| 30. Item, qe les clercs qe ont degre en eglise cathedrale, collegiale ou es escoles, et clercs du roi q'ont tiel estat qe demande pellure, facent et usent solonc la constitucion d'ycelles. Et touz autres clercs q'ont outre deux centz marchees de rente par an usent et facent come les chivalers de mesme la rente. Et les autres clercs deinz mesme la rente usent come les esquiers de cent livres de rente. Et qe touz ceux, sibien chivalers come clercs, qi par ceste ordinance puissent user pellure en yverne, par mesme la manere usent en este linure. | 30. Also, that clerks who hold positions in cathedral churches, collegiate churches or in schools, and clerks of the king who have such estate as requires fur, shall act and dress according to the constitution of the same. And all other clerks who have above £200 marks of rent a year shall dress and act as knights of the same rent. And the other clerks within the same rent shall dress as the esquires of £100 rent. And that all those, knights as well as clerks, who by this ordinance may wear fur in winter, in the same manner shall wear lawn in summer. |
| 31. Item, qe charetters, charuers, chaceours des charues, bovers, vachers, berchers, porchers, deyes et touz autres gardeins des bestes, batours des bledz et toutes maneres des gentz d'estat de garceon entendantz a husbonderie, et toutes autres gentz qe n'eient quarante solidees de biens, ne de chateux a la value de quarante soldz, ne preignent ne usent nul manere des draps sinoun blanket et russet l'aune de dousze deniers; et usent lour ceyntures et lienge tele accordant a lour estat. Et q'ils vivent de manger ou de boire par manere come a eux affiert, et nounpas excessivement. Et est ordeine qe si nul use ou face au contraire des nuls des pointz susdites, q'il forface devers le roi toute l'apparaill q'il avera issint use contre la fourme de ceste ordinance. | 31. Also, that carters, ploughmen, drivers of ploughs, oxherds, cowherds, shepherds, swineherds, dairymaids and all other keepers of beasts, threshers of corn and all manner of people of the estate of groom attending to husbandry, and all other people who do not have 40s. in goods, nor chattels to the value of 40s., shall take or wear no manner of cloths except blanket and russet of 12d. for the ell; and they shall wear their girdles of linen according to their estate. And they shall support themselves with food and drink in the manner which belongs to them, and not excessively. And it is ordained that if anyone shall wear or act to the contrary of any of the aforesaid points, he shall forfeit to the king all the apparel which he will have thus worn contrary to the form of this ordinance. |
| 32. Item, au fin qe ceste ordinance quant a la pris et usage de draps soit maintenuz et gardez en touz pointz saunz emblemure, soit ordeinez et establiz qe touz les fesours de draps deinz le roialme d'Engleterre, sibien hommes come femmes, se conforment de faire lour draps solonc les pris limitez par ceste ordinance. Et qe touz les drapers achatent et purvoient lour sortes acordantz a mesme le pris; parensi qe si grande plente de tieux draps soit faite et mis a vendre en chescun citee, burgh et ville marchande et aillours deinz le dit roialme, qe pur defaute de tieux draps la dit ordinance ne soit enfraint en nul point, sur peine de forfaire au roi toute l'apparaile q'ils usent contre ceste ordinance. Et a ce soient les fesours des draps et drapers constreintz par qeconqe voie qe meltz semblera au roi et son conseil. Et commencera ceste ordinance a la chandelure preschein avenir.' | 32. Also, to the end that this ordinance, as regards the price and wearing of clothes, be maintained and observed in all points without impairment, it is ordained and established that all makers of cloth within the realm of England, men as well as women, shall agree to make their cloths according to the price limited by this ordinance. And that all the drapers shall buy and provide their lengths of cloth in accordance with the same price; so that so great an abundance of such cloths shall be made and put up for sale in each city, borough and market town and elsewhere in the said realm, that the said ordinance shall not be broken in any point for default of such cloths, on penalty of forfeiting to the king all the apparel that they wear contrary to this said ordinance. And the makers of cloths and drapers shall be bound to this by any way that seems best to the king and his council. And this ordinance will begin at Candlemas next coming.' |
| [memb. 4] | |
| 33. Item, come par les pestilences et grantz ventz sont diverses meschiefs et merveillouses avenuz, qe diverses manoirs, terres et tenementz de nostre seignur le roi, tenuz en chief auxibien come autres, sont touz desolatz, gastez et anientez, sibien les hommages et [col. b] bondages come les chiefs manoirs, et tieux tenantz de bondage come feurent devant ne poent ore estre trovez. Et pur les dites meschiefs eschuire, et pur avoir ascun profit des ditz terres et wastes, les seignurs des ditz ruinouses places les lessent, toute ou partie, a terme de vie pur les enhabiter, q'est survys et acomptez alienacion saunz congie du roi; les queux lessez ne poent estre alienacions la ou nostre seignur le roi ad tenantz en droit. Prie la commune: qe plese a lour seignur liege qe tieles lessez de frankes tenementz soient faites tanqe la terre soit en partie releve, saunz congie pursuire. |
[Leasing of lands held in chief.] 33. Also, whereas as a result of the pestilences and great winds various misfortunes and outrageous things have occurred, so that various manors, lands and tenements of our lord the king, held in chief as well as of others, are completely desolated, wasted and destroyed, the lands held in homage and [col. b] bondage as well as the chief manors, and such as were previously tenants in bondage cannot now be found. And in order to avoid the said misfortunes and to have some profit from the said lands and wastes, the lords of the said ruinous places let them, in whole or part, to be inhabited for term of life, which alienations are undertaken and effected without the king's licence; which leases cannot be converted to alienations where our lord the king has tenants in right. The commons pray: that it may please their liege lord that such leases of freeholds shall be made until the land shall be in part recovered, without licences being sought. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Quant a ceste article il demande grant avisement; et par tant le roi se ent avisera par son conseil coment son droit purra estre sauve, et les grantz et communes de son roialme purront estre esez. | As regards this article, it requires great deliberation; and therefore the king will be advised by his council how his right can be preserved, and the great men and commons of his realm can take their ease. |
| 34. Item, prient la comune: qe plese a nostre seignur le roi et a son conseil qe remedie soit ordeine sur la vente des vins; c'estassaver, qe chescun an, au temps de vendage des vins, le conestable et meir du Burdeux facent enquere de l'achate des marchantz, et facent certifier en la chancellerie. Et apres lour certificat, le chanceller et le conseil facent ordeiner a chescun port ce qe les marchantz prendront pur lour travaill. Et qe les ditz vins soient auxibien gaugez en Burdeux come en Engleterre. Et qe l'ordinance sur ce autrefoitz faite soit mis en oevre. |
[Regulation of the wine trade.] 34. Also, the commons pray: that it may please our lord the king and his council that remedy shall be ordained on the sale of wines; that is to say, that each year, at the time of the harvest of vines, the constable and mayor of Bordeaux shall inquire into the purchase of merchants, and cause them to be certified in the chancery. And after their certificate, the chancellor and the council shall cause to be ordained at each port that which the merchants shall take for their work. And that the said wines shall be measured in Bordeaux as well as in England. And that the ordinance previously made thereon shall be put into practice. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soit l'auncien estatut fait l'an .xxvij. me tenuz en touz pointz, forspris le punissement des terres et tenementz et de vie et de membre, le quele punissement est repellee en cest present parlement, sibien de temps passe come de temps avenir. Et outre est ordeine qe chescun an soit mande as meir et conestable de Burdeux, a la Rochell et as touz autres villes et portz en Gascoinge et aillours qe sont de la ligeance nostre seignur le roi hors de queux les vins vienent en Engleterre, d'estre certifie du pris des vins et autres custages et de cochours Engleis contre la fourme de estatut; et par celle certificacion de cochours contre l'estatut soient mis a respondre si le corps soit mande, come est contenu en l'estatut. Et s'il contredie la certificacion, soit trie par marchantz usantz celles parties et autres gentz qe meltz ont de ce conissance. Et si le corps ne soit mande, soit la certificacion mande en bank le roi ou devant autres justices, solonc ce q'il busoignera, et illoeqes proces fait par capias et exigende ou trie par mise come dessus est dit. (fn. ii-275-139-1) | The ancient statute made in the twenty-seventh year shall be upheld in all points, except the punishment of lands and tenements and of life and limb, which punishment is repealed in this present parliament, for times past as well as for times to come. And it is further ordained that each year it shall be sent to the mayor and constable of Bordeaux, to La Rochelle and to all other towns and ports in Gascony and elsewhere which are of the allegiance of our lord the king, from which wine comes into England, to be certified of the price of wines and other expenses, and of English couchers contrary to the form of the statute; and by this certification of the couchers contrary to the statute they shall be put to answer if the body is sent, as is contained in the statute. And if he denies the certification, it shall be tried by merchants using those parts and other people who have better knowledge thereof. And if the body is not sent, certification shall be sent to the king's bench or before other justices, according as is necessary; and there process shall be made by capias and exigent or tried by mise as is aforesaid. (fn. ii-275-139-1) |
| 35. Item, qe le gauge des vins soit moltz tenuz, et qe les marchantz qe amenent les vins en Engleterre portent chartres souz le seal le conestable de Burdeux tesmoignantz l'achate et le pris des vins; et qe mesmes les chartres soient livrez as baillifs des portz ou ils arrivent, et les ditz baillifs monstrent les ditz chartres as justices de la pees des countees ou ils arrivent, issint qe eux purront duement mettre l'assise, eant regarde de lour coustages. Et si ascun defaut soit trove entre l'achatour et le vendour, fraude ou deceite soit trove par le conestable, qe les vins issint par fraude achatez al oeps nostre seignur le roi soient forfaitz, et les estretes de tieles forfaitures soient mandez a l'eschequer. Et mesme la lei soit tenu a Rochell et a Bayon et en chescun lieu deinz la ligeance nostre seignur le roi. |
[Price of wine.] 35. Also, that the measure of wine shall be better upheld, and that the merchants who bring wine into England shall carry charters under the seal of the constable of Bordeaux testifying to the purchase and price of the wine; and that the same charters shall be delivered to the bailiffs of the ports where they land, and the said bailiffs shall show the said charters to the justices of the peace of the counties where they land, so that they can duly set the assize, having regard to their expenses. And if any default shall be found between the buyer and the seller, or fraud or deceit shall be found by the constable, the wine thus bought by fraud shall be forfeited to the use of our lord the king, and the estreats of such forfeitures shall be sent to the exchequer. And the same law shall be upheld at La Rochelle and at Bayonne and in every place within the allegiance of our lord the king. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soient les estatutz ent faitz tenuz et gardez et mis en execucion. (fn. ii-275-144-1) | The statutes made thereon shall be upheld, observed and duly executed. (fn. ii-275-144-1) |
| 36. Item, qe nul brief soit abatu par excepcion de conissance de villenage si le demandant ou le pleintif voile averer qe celui q'ad alegge l'excepcion qe feust frank jour du brief purchase. |
[Exception of villeinage.] 36. Also, that no writ shall be abated by exception of acknowledgement of villeinage if the demandant or plaintiff will prove that he who alleged the exception was free on the day the writ was purchased. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi qe ensi soit. (fn. ii-275-149-1) | It pleases the king that it shall be so. (fn. ii-275-149-1) |
| [p. ii-280] | |
| [col. a] | |
| 37. Item, prient les dites communes: qe come il est contenu en la grande chartre qe nul homme soit pris n'emprisone ne oustez de son frank tenement saunz proces de lei; et pluseurs gentz font faux suggescions a nostre seignur le roi mesmes, sibien par malice come en autre manere, de quoi nostre dit seignur le roi est soventfoitz trope grevez; et priont les dites communes: qe touz ceux qe font tieux suggescions soient mandez ove les ditz suggescions devant le chanceller et tresorer et son grant conseil, et qe illoeqes ils troevent seurte a pursuire lour suggescions, et d'encoure mesme la peine qe l'autre averoit s'il feust atteint en cas qe sa suggescion soit trove malveis; et qe adonqes proces de lei soit faite devers eux, saunz estre pris ou emprisonez contre la fourme de la grande chartre et autres estatutz. |
[Punishment for those making false accusations.] 37. Also, the said commons pray: that whereas it is contained in the Great Charter that no man shall be taken or imprisoned or removed from his freehold without process of law; and many people make false accusations of the same to our lord the king, by malice as well as in other manner, as a result of which our said lord the king is often very aggrieved; and the said commons pray: that all those who make such accusations shall be sent before the chancellor, treasurer and his great council with the said accusations, and that there they shall find security to pursue their accusations, and shall incur the same penalty that the other party would have if he were attainted in the event that his accusation is found to be evil; and that then process of law shall be made against them, without being taken or imprisoned contrary to the form of the Great Charter and other statutes. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest bien au roi. (fn. ii-275-154-1) | It well pleases the king. (fn. ii-275-154-1) |
| 38. Et issint le parlement continue sur tretee de divers choses, touchantz sibien les peticions bailliez par les communes et autres singulers persons come les busoignes du roi et son roialme, tanqe a venderdi le tiercze jour de Novembre. Au quel jour le roi, prelatz, ducs, countes, barons et communes esteantz en la chambre Blanche, et les peticions des comunes et [col. b] les respons sur elles faitz luees, le chanceller, du commandement le roi, monstra a les grantz et communes qe la volunte le roi est de tenir et garder l'ordinance fait d'apparaill. (fn. ii-275-156-1) Et par tant charga les ditz grantz et communes illoeqes esteantz q'ils, et chescun de eux, teignent et facent tenir et garder mesme l'ordinance d'apparaill, saunz attempter ou faire au contraire en nul point. Et qe les communes, a lour venue en pays, ils se facent monstrer et publier au poeple, au fin qe chescun se guye et face sa menee et servantz user en apparaill solonc la fourme de mesme l'ordinance. Et, ovesqe ce, dit as ditz grantz et communes coment les choses acordez en ce parlement sont novels et nounpas veues avant ces heures. |
[Close of parliament.] 38. And thus the parliament continued to discuss various things, touching the petitions delivered by the commons and other individuals as well as the business of the king and his realm, until Friday 3 November. On which day, with the king, the prelates, dukes, earls, barons and commons being in the White Chamber, and the petitions of the commons and [col. b] the answers made to them having been read, the chancellor, at the king's command, declared to the great men and commons that it was the king's will to uphold and observe the ordinance made concerning apparel. (fn. ii-275-156-1) And therefore he charged the said great men and commons who were there that they, and each of them, should uphold and cause to be upheld and observed the same ordinance of apparel, without attempting or doing anything to the contrary in any point. And that the commons, upon their return to the country, should cause this to be declared and announced to the people, to the end that each should dress and cause his household and servants to wear apparel according to the form of the same ordinance. And, in addition to this, he told the said great men and commons how the things agreed in this parliament were new and never before witnessed. |
| 39. Et par tant demanda de eux s'ils voleient avoir les choses issint acordez mys par voie de ordinance ou destatuyt qi disoient qe bon est mettre les choses par voie d'ordinance, et nemye par estatut, au fin qe si rien soit de amender puisse estre amende a [preschein] parlement, et issint est fait. | 39. And therefore he asked whether they would be willing to have the things thus agreed put in the form of an ordinance or a statute, and they said that it was good to put the things in the form of an ordinance, and not a statute, so that if anything needed to be amended it might be amended at the next parliament, and so it was done. |
| 40. Et puis le roi mercia as grantz et comunes de lour venue et de lour bon conseil, et de lour bon port devers lui en pluseurs maneres; et lour dona congie a departir chescun en son paiis. Et issint departi le parlement. | 40. And then the king thanked the great men and commons for their attendance and their good counsel, and for their good bearing towards him in many ways; and he gave them permission to depart, each to his own country. And so ended the parliament. |
Appendix 1363
1
Ordinances of 1363 (the 'statute' 37 Edw III: SR , I.378-83): this document is the copy of the legislation of 1363 communicated by the chancery to the exchequer.
Source : E 175/2/28.
2
Ordinances of 1363 (the 'statute' 37 Edw III: SR , I.378-83): this document, preserved in the series of chancery parliament rolls, may either represent a copy made and kept by the chancery to stand as a duplicate alongside the record made on the parliament roll, or could be one of the copies of the legislation prepared for circulation to the government departments and agents and either never despatched or later returned to the chancery.
Source : C 66/25.
3
Exemplification at the request of Richard Spink of Norwich of process against him brought by a writ of sub pena dated 3 July 1363, with proceedings before king and council on 12 July 1363, instigated by a petition made by John Rodland concerning Spink's deception of the crown over the latter's release from Dover Castle of four burgesses of Amiens. After proceedings in council, the matter was adjourned to parliament on the quindene of Michaelmas (13 October) 1363. (An extant writ to the mayor of London dated at Hatfield on 16 July 1363, however, ordered that Rodland be brought out of the Fleet before king and council at Westminster on 6 October.) In parliament, 'although none of the parliament had knowledge of what Richard had said for his excuse, nevertheless because the deliverance of the burgesses of Amiens was made by the king himself, the council of parliament would not make exception of this matter as the king had said his will of it.' The case was therefore adjourned to 8 April 1364. There is no record of the proceedings that took place at that point, but the exemplification notes that the king sent a writ of privy seal to the chancellor, dated 30 April 1364, ordering that all proceedings against Spink on the matter should cease, and records the agreement made between the parties at the chancery on 3 May 1364 when Spink was formally acquitted. The exemplification itself is dated 5 May 1364.
Source : CPR 1361-4 , 502-3. The section 'Richard came on the Wednesday .... to the Fleet prison' is SC 8/210/10487; the petition of John Rodland in SC 8/ 210/10486; the sub pena writ of 3 July is SC 8/210/10485; and the writ of 16 July 1363, endorsed with names of Rodland's mainpernors, is SC 8/210/10484.
4
Petition of Margaret, wife of Walter Norwich, resulting in a chancery instrument dated 8 October 1363 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Sources : SC 8/211/10509; CCR 1360-4 , 484.
5
Petition (not extant) of Richard Pont and Joan, his wife, resulting in a chancery instrument dated 10 November 1363 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'. Pont referred to the same matter in a later petition which survives.
Sources : CCR 1360-4 , 493; SC 8/134/6665.
6
Petition (not extant) of the abbott of Eynsham, resulting in a chancery instrument dated 25 November 1363 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Source : CCR 1360-4 , 561.
7
Petition (not extant) of the men and tenants of Penrith, Salkeld and Sowerby, Cumberland, resulting in a chancery instrument dated 26 October 1363 and warranted 'by king and petition of parliament'.
Source : CPR 1361-4 , 414.
8
Petition (not extant) of the saddlers of London, resulting in a chancery instrument dated 1 December 1363 and warranted 'by king and petition of parliament'.
Source : CPR 1361-4 , 433-4.
9
Petition (not extant) of Nicholas Kyghlay and his wife, Joan, resulting in the issue of a commission of oyer and terminer dated 20 November 1363 and warranted 'by petition of parliament and by privy seal'.
Source : CPR 1361-4 , 451.
10
Petition (not extant) of the prelates, magnates and people of Kent concerning their grievances against the barons of the Cinque Ports, resulting in the appointment of a commission of inquiry dated 1 December 1363 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Source : CPR 1361-4 , 451.
11
Petition (not extant) of William son of William Radeclif and others resulting in a chancery instrument dated 30 January 1364 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Source : CPR 1361-4 , 456.