Parliament Rolls of Medieval England. Originally published by Boydell, Woodbridge, 2005.
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'Edward III: January 1365', in Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, (Woodbridge, 2005) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/parliament-rolls-medieval/january-1365 [accessed 19 April 2024]
In this section
1365 January
Introduction 1365
Westminster
20 January - 17 February
(C 65/23. RP , II.283-288. SR , I.383-387)
The roll of the parliament of 1365, C 65/23, comprises 3 membranes, each approximately 335 mm. in width, sewn together in the chancery style. The condition of the roll is good, apart from gallic acid stains towards the bottom of membranes 1 and 3. The text, written in a small, clear chancery script, occupies the rectos of the membranes only. The dorses are blank, apart from the headings, 'Rotulus parliamenti tenti apud Westm' in octabis Sancti Hillarii anno Edwardi tercii tricesimo octavo', at the head of membrane 1, and 'Rotulus parliamenti de anno regni regis E. tercii tricesimo octavo', at the foot of membrane 3. There are no marginal headings. Arabic numerals throughout the roll are later, but Roman numerals alongside the petitions are contemporary. The roll does not appear to be incomplete. It makes no mention of the identity or work of the clerk of parliament.
The parliament of 1365 was summoned under writs dated 4 December 1364 to assemble at Westminster on 20 January following. (fn. f1365int-1) The list of lords spiritual and temporal was the same as in 1363, with the addition of William Ufford, eldest son of the earl of Suffolk, who was apparently summoned by right of his wife, Joan, who had recently succeeded to the estates of her deceased father, Edward, Lord Montagu. (fn. f1365int-2) The prior of Lewes, who had been summoned to this as to the two previous assemblies, successfully secured a permanent exemption on 10 February 1365 on the grounds that his predecessors had only intermittently been summoned since the time of Edward II and had no ancient obligation to be included in the list of parliamentary lords spiritual (Appendix no. 2). (fn. f1365int-3) In line with the tendency of the 1360s, the number of royal ministers receiving special summonses ex officio was small: only six royal lawyers (and no clerks) were instructed to attend. The names of all 74 knights of the shire elected to this assembly, and of 112 urban representatives, are recoverable from the sheriffs' returns and the writs de expensis , though some of the names are not complete and exact identities are therefore difficult to establish. (fn. f1365int-4) As was common in the 1360s, the number of shire representatives with previous and recent parliamentary experience was relatively high. (fn. f1365int-5)
The 1365 parliament convened on the appointed day, 20 January, but only to be immediately adjourned to the following day, when, in a plenary session of the lords and commons in the Painted Chamber at Westminster Palace, the chancellor, Simon Langham, bishop of Ely, made the opening speech, deploying the high-flown discourse of royal gratitude to loyal subjects that was a stock in trade of his speeches to parliament between 1363 and 1368 (item 2). There were few hints of a specific agenda, although the statement that the assembly would be called upon to confirm or amend the statutes as necessary ('as will be declared to them very openly and explicitly in this parliament') may point to the crown's evidently pre-arranged plan to use this assembly for a revival of the anti-papal legislation of the 1350s (see below). Otherwise, the opening speech merely invited the submission of private petitions (the record, however, specifies no deadline for their delivery). After the appointment of the receivers and triers of private petitions, the king and the lords removed from the Painted Chamber to the White Chamber, where they debated the pressing matter of relations with the papacy. After charging the lords to have discussion on this matter, the king called the commons into the White Chamber and asked them to deliberate in similar fashion. The assembly was then adjourned, and the roll records no more business until Saturday 25 January. In the intervening time it is possible that a good deal of discussion went on among the lords, among the commons, possibly between the lords and commons (by the device of intercommuning), and between both groups and the council; ultimately, there is no evidence on which to base an argument about the degree to which the legislation read out on 25 January had been informed by the attitudes of parliament.
What followed was a revival, in modified form, of the Statutes of Provisors (1351) and Praemunire (1353) (item 8). The crown was persuaded to take this action because of three interconnected initiatives by the pope, Urban V. (fn. f1365int-6) First, Urban had successfully blocked the marriage of Edward III's son, Edmund of Langley, to Margaret, the heiress of the count of Flanders, by refusing to grant the couple a dispensation and by supporting, instead, Margaret's marriage to Philip of Burgundy, son of John II of France. This caused a serious interruption to Edward's desire to maintain Flanders within the English orbit following the Anglo-French settlement of 1360. Secondly, in 1363-4 Urban had banned the holding of church offices (including sinecures) in plurality and had demanded that an inquiry be carried out into the state of pluralism in England. This latter intervention threatened the livelihoods of the king's clerks (William Wykeham, keeper of the privy seal, was the richest pluralist in the kingdom), (fn. f1365int-7) and thus fundamentally challenged the crown's right to use church offices as a means of providing incomes for its clerical servants. The only way that Edward III could protect the interests of his clerks was by preventing papal providees from entering their benefices, and the statutes of 1351-3, which had been only erratically observed, had therefore to be put back into operation. Thirdly and finally, the pope had accept an appeal made by the bishop of Chichester against one of Edward III's closest councillors, the earl of Arundel, and the crown was greatly exercised by the resulting threat to its own claimed jurisdiction and anxious to ensure that the mechanism of praemunire was properly enforced.
While the crown had an obvious interest in the matter, it is somewhat difficult to judge how the other groups in parliament perceived the resulting legislation. The prelates were evidently hostile: although the preamble to the transcription of the new legislation on the roll records that it was made 'by the advice and counsel of the prelates, great men and commons', the text of the statute itself said that it was made 'with the assent and express will and concord of the dukes, earls, barons, nobles and commons of his realm ...' (that is, omitting the prelates); and at the end of the transcription, it was noted that 'the prelates continued to protest that they could agree to or do nothing that might be or turn in prejudice of their estate or dignity'. (fn. f1365int-8) The lords temporal and the commons were, by contrast, presumably more malleable to the royal will, given that the promulgation of the legislation was part of a more general package of measures taken in the mid-1360s that pandered to general suspicions (demonstrated earlier in parliament during the 1340s) of the manner in which alien clergy holding benefices in England stripped the land of its economic resources. (fn. f1365int-9) Nevertheless, the fact that the Statute of Provisors of 1365 was carried through primarily in the context of a royal agenda and a diplomatic imperative is important both for an understanding of subsequent re-issues of the legislation under Richard II and for revealing the strength of the crown in directing the business of this parliament.
No further details of parliamentary business are recorded until Thursday 29 January (item 9): it is interesting to notice that the roll specifies that the 'prelates, dukes, earls and barons were occupied with much private business [ busoignes senglers ]'. This could mean either the conduct of their own affairs, or the audience of private petitions. Since the roll does not specify the deadline for submission of private petitions, it is unclear as to when the committees of triers went into session. But although the petitions traceable to actions in the chancery rolls produced instruments with place-dates in February (Appendix nos. 4-9), it is possible to suggest, for example, that a certain amount of time in late January might have been left open for discussion of the case of Molyns v. Fiennes, which raised complicated issues about the relationship of rights guaranteed under common law to those gained under the terms of international diplomacy (Appendix no. 3).
The 'common' business conducted on 29 January was of great importance and significance. The roll reports how, before a plenary session of the lords in the White Chamber, the chancellor declared that a special meeting of the king and 'some of the great men' had been held, in which the king's 'estate' had been considered, as a result of which it could be demonstrated that 'all the revenues of his land could not suffice to provide half of his expenses'. The lords were then asked to consider how to help the king in his financial need. The outcome was a grant of the wool subsidy made by the lords and commons, at the rate of £2 per sack, to last from 2 February 1365 to Michaelmas 1368 (item 9).
A number of features of this incident require comment. First, it is striking, in light both of the commitment made by the crown in the parliament of 1362 (the occasion of the previous grant of the wool subsidy) to guarantee parliament a monopoly over the sanctioning of this levy, (fn. f1365int-10) and of the principle clearly upheld by the roll of 1365 itself that the lords could only make grants of taxation binding upon themselves, that the discussions leading to the authorisation of the subsidy were apparently held among the lords alone. Either the commons were called (in full, or by deputation) in a manner not specified by the roll, and arrived at least in time to give their consent (a consent that would be necessary to make the grant binding on all the king's subjects), or, as is perhaps more likely, a parallel discussion took place among the commons in separate session along lines similar to those in the next parliament (that of 1366), when the chancellor addressed both lords and commons, sitting apart, on the matter of the annulment of Peter's Pence (parliament of 1366, items 7-8).
It is also to be remarked that this is one of the earliest texts in which it can clearly be demonstrated that the word 'estate' ( estat ) was used in specific relation to the king's finances: it thus has an interesting place in the early history of fiscal systems and the notion of a royal 'budget'. Dr Harriss has demonstrated that this 'estate' was based in, and perhaps even circulated as, a statement of the current, peacetime, income and expenditure of the crown, carefully weighted in order to accentuate the continuing burden of defence in the king's peripheral territories and thus to emphasise the moral obligation of parliament to respond to the king's plea for financial assistance. (fn. f1365int-11) Such a statement was necessary, not only in light of the suspicion already demonstrated by parliament earlier in the reign that money paid out for the needs of defence was sometimes diverted to the private usage of the king, his friends and his agents, but also, and more particularly, because the parliament of 1365 met within a period of truce, and the crown was unable to use the plea of necessity as a means of inducing the assembly to sanction taxation.
Since the parliament roll specifies that discussion of the common petitions proceeded after the grant of the wool subsidy (item 9), it is also evident that the commons did not know before they authorised the tax what political concessions they were likely to win in return: whereas in 1362 (the only other occasion on which the same conditions had applied), the wool subsidy had been granted on the day that the crown's (very generous) responses to the common petitions were read out (parliament of 1362, item 35), in 1365 the only 'achievement' of the parliament by the time the tax was discussed was the Statute of Provisors. (fn. f1365int-12) Given that the 1365 assembly also agreed to increase the rate of the wool subsidy from the £1 per sack granted in 1362 to the standard rate of £2 per sack that had been observed during the war years in the 1340s and 1350s, and agreed to introduce this with immediate effect rather than awaiting the conclusion of the 1362 subsidy at September 1365, it is worth asking how the crown was able to act so assertively and drive such an apparently hard bargain in the 1365 parliament.
The answer may simply lie in the growing sense of a reciprocal dependency and respect between crown and parliament articulated in the preliminaries and concluding ceremonies of assemblies during the years of peace in the 1360s. It may also be found in a genuine relief on the part of the parliament of 1365 that the terms of peace established in 1360 were indeed going to stick: the death of John II in 1364, which might have precipitated a change of policy, as yet showed little or no sign of altering the diplomatic landscape. Most interestingly, however, there is the suggestion that, once parliament had accepted the idea of peacetime continuation of the wool subsidy in 1362, it had in effect obliged itself to respond to any reasonable request for renewal in the future: while the crown seems to have been scrupulous in avoiding the use of the plea of necessity in 1365, the financial situation conveniently allowed the crown to override the restrictions placed upon the 1362 grant (that, at its expiration, all subsidies should cease) (parliament of 1362, item 26) and effectively made the wool subsidy a permanent weapon in its fiscal armoury.
There is no further information within the parliament roll to distinguish the chronology of business between 29 January and the closing day of the assembly, 17 February (item 31). Since the common petitions had not yet been entered when the wool subsidy was authorised, it may be that the knights and burgesses requested, or took, more time than was originally thought necessary to discuss their grievances in the context of the renewal of taxation and to formulate their suggestions for better governance in a more assertive or positive mode than might otherwise have been possible. Nevertheless, of the eighteen common petitions that subsequently made their way onto the parliament roll (items 10-26, nos. I-XVIII), only six were taken up as the basis for formal legislation; and on a number of issues the government substantially qualified the commons' initial suggestions. The commons were successful in securing the repeal of the sumptuary ordinance of 1363 (item 11, no. II). They claimed that the effect of the restriction of merchants to trade in only one commodity had the effect of pushing up prices (presumably because it was inclined to create monopolies); and they asked that everyone be allowed to decide for themselves how they dressed and ate (or, strictly, that all men in effect be allowed to choose for themselves and on behalf of their wives, children and servants). (fn. f1365int-13) On the matter of freedom of trade, however, the crown made an important qualification: whereas the commons requested that all merchants, alien and denizen, be granted the right to trade freely both within the realm and in the export of goods, the government agreed only with the qualification that 'English merchants shall not export wool or woolfells out of the realm' (item 11, no. III).
Dr Lloyd has demonstrated that this latter measure was part of the crown's strategy for dealing with the ongoing debate about the status of the Calais staple. (fn. f1365int-14) English merchants were banned from exporting wool to the continent between 31 January and 17 May 1365; it is likely that this ban had already been decided upon when the common petition was heard and answered. Indeed, another of the common petitions (item 24, no. XVI), requesting the return of the wool staple to England, seems to have been made specifically in order to resist this restriction and to open up the export trade to native merchants. The crown responded by agreeing that the staple should be in England and by confirming the Ordinance of the Staple of 1353 'with the declarations, additions and modifications made thereon' (fn. f1365int-15) - a reference, perhaps, not only to the supplementary legislation added when the ordinance had been confirmed as a statute in 1354, but also to the decisions taken in the assembly of 1365 both to reduce the penalties against denizens carrying wool out of the country during bans on native exports (item 21, no. XIII) (fn. f1365int-16) and to increase the list of staple towns in England by the addition of Melcombe and Ipswich (item 30). The apparent withdrawal of these arrangements after the lifting of the ban on denizen exports in May 1365 does not, however, mean that the crown was necessarily flying in the fact of parliamentary opinion: the arrangement from that point was that wool for shipment to the continent had to pass both the English and the continental staples; this had the effect of guaranteeing the rights, and the prosperity, of those (well represented among the commons) who ran the English staples. The larger question of the monopolistic tendencies of the company set up to run the Calais staple were thereby obviated, though the issue remained until the Calais staple was officially abandoned in 1369.
The parliament of 1365 also precipitated a number of developments and changes in the administration of the law. It is interesting that while the common petitions provoked the change in the penalty against illegal exportation under the Statute of the Staple, two further adaptations of recent legislation, on the punishment for unsubstantiated charges brought in the courts and the treatment of corrupt jurors, were evidently made at the instigation of the government (items 27, 29). (fn. f1365int-17) These therefore stand as examples of the crown's use of parliament to adapt statutes that had proved to be unworkable or inefficient in their original form. On two further matters of judicial administration, the commons received something of a rebuff: when they asked that the king's bench remain stationary and hold its sessions only at Westminster or York, they were told that the king would continue to send the court wherever he wished (item 13, no. IV); (fn. f1365int-18) and when they requested that new commissions of the peace be issued, 'chosen by the knights of the shire before their departure from this parliament', they were told that the existing commissions would remain in force and were given no indication that either they, or the commons in future parliaments, could expect to be consulted on the membership of the county benches (item 15, no. VII). (fn. f1365int-19) These rather peremptory replies stand as examples of the brisk attitude evidently taken by the crown in this parliament to any issues that did not concur with the substance and direction of its own current policy.
The parliament of 1365 was dissolved on Monday 17 February after a plenary session in the White Chamber, where the new Statute of Provisors, the common petitions and the crown's responses to them, and the grant of the wool subsidy were all duly rehearsed by the chancellor (item 31). The writs de expensis for the commons were dated the same day. (fn. f1365int-20) The assembly had been in session for precisely four weeks, though the exact number of days of active business conducted during that period remains a matter of conjecture.
Text and translation
| [p. ii-283] | |
| [col. a] | |
| [memb. 1] | |
| ROTULUS PARLIAMENTI TENTI APUD WESTM' IN OCTABIS SANCTI HILLARII, ANNO TRICESIMO OCTAVO [EDWARDI TERCII.] | THE ROLL OF THE PARLIAMENT HELD AT WESTMINSTER IN THE OCTAVE OF SAINT HILARY IN THE THIRTY-EIGHTH YEAR OF EDWARD THE THIRD. |
| Lundy, le primer jour du parlement sommons a Westmonstier as utaves de Seint Hiller, l'an du regne le roi Edward trente oetisme, feust crie fait en la sale de Westmonstier par commandement du roi, qe ces qe feuront venuz par sommons de parlement se deveroient trere a lour hostelx, et lendemain par matyn venir en la chambre Depeinte de oier la volunte le roi. A quel jour le roi, prelatz, ducs, countes, barons et communes en la dit chambre assemblez, feust monstre a eux en Engleis, par Simond evesqe de Ely adonqes chanceller, les causes du sommons du dit parlement, en manere qe ensuyt: | On Monday, the first day of the parliament summoned at Westminster in the octave of Saint Hilary in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Edward, an announcement was made in Westminster Hall by the king's command that those who had come by summons of parliament should proceed to their lodgings, and on the morrow in the morning come to the Painted Chamber to hear the king's will. On which day, with the king, prelates, dukes, earls, barons and commons assembled in the said chamber, Simon, bishop of Ely, then chancellor, declared to them in English the reasons for the summons of the said parliament, in the manner that follows: |
| 2. Le prophet David dit qe verroi justice et droiturel juggement aournent le see du roi. (fn. ii-283-7-1) Nostre seignur le roi, eant oyle et regarde as beles et graciouses oevres qe Dieu de sa benignite lui ad fait et monstrez en toutz ses feitz de guerre de sa juvent en cea, et auxint as grantz et sovers eides qe les grantz et communes de sa terre lui ont fait, en priers, en bon et loial conseil et sage, et lour corps, et avoir, par plusours maneres, en sauvacion de lui, sa terre, et des droitz de sa corone exposez, dont il mercy de tout son coer toutdis, entendant leur bone et ferme continuance en tout temps avenir; et lors seant et demorant en sa terre propre en see de pees, sur tout desirant quiete et tranquillite des nobles, grantz et communes de sa terre et la pees estre garde, les outrages damages et grevances contre lui, les droitz de sa corone et pluseurs persones de son roialme de novel faitz et attemptez, come lour serra plus overtement et en especial monstre en ce parlement, de lour avys et conseil duement corriger et amender, et les lois, custumes, estatutz et ordinances en son temps et en temps de ses auncestres faites meintenir; et si nuls soient qe busoignent declaracion, ajoustement ou artement, solonc le cas, temps et necessite, ensement de lour bon avis et conseil declarer, ajouster, retrere et amender. Et outre voet le roi et commande qe ces qe se sentent grevez en nul point mettent avant lour peticions en ce parlement, et ils en averont covenable respons et remede; et a ce ad assigne ascuns de ses clercs de la chauncellerie resceivours des ditz peticions, et auxint ascuns des prelatz, grantz et autres de les oier et respondre en due et resonable manere; c'est assavoir: |
[Reasons for the summon of parliament.] 2. The prophet David said that true justice and lawful judgment honour the king's throne. (fn. ii-283-7-1) Our lord the king, has seen and considered the beautiful and gracious works which God of his kindness has hitherto made and shown to him in all his acts of war from his youth to the present time, and also the great and frequent aids which the great men and commonalty of his land have made to him, through prayers, through their good, loyal and wise counsel and in their bodies and wealth in so many ways, in salvation of him, of his land and of the rights of his crown, for which he gives thanks always with all his heart, in the hope of their good and firm continuation in all times to come. Now sitting and presiding in his own land on his throne of peace, he desires above all the quiet and tranquillity of the nobles, great men and commonalty of his land, so that peace may be observed, the outrages, damages and grievances recently done and attempted against him, the rights of his crown and various people of his realm (as will be declared to them very openly and explicitly in this parliament) may be duly corrected and amended with their advice and counsel, and the laws, customs, statutes and ordinances made in his time and in the time of his ancestors may be maintained; and if there is anything that needs declaration, addition or correction, according to the case, time and necessity, it may similarly be declared, added, withdrawn and amended. And moreover, the king wills and commands that those who feel themselves aggrieved in any point shall put forward their petitions in this parliament, and they shall have convenient answer and remedy thereon; and he has assigned some of his clerks of the chancery as receivers of the said petitions, and also some of the prelates, great men and others to hear and answer them in a due and reasonable manner; that it to say: |
| 3. Soient assignez resceivours des peticions d'Engleterre, Irlande, Gales et Escoce: |
[Receivers and triers of petitions.] 3. The following were assigned receivers of petitions from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland: |
| 4. Item, pur les peticions d'Aquitaigne et autres terres et paiis pardela la meer et les Isles: | 4. Also, for the petitions from Aquitaine and other lands and countries overseas and the Channel Islands: |
| [col. b] | |
5. Et sont assignez triours des peticions d'Engleterre, Irlande, Guales et Escoce:
|
5. And the following are assigned triers of petitions from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland:
|
| - appellez a eux chanceller, tresorer, seneschal et chambirlein quant mestir serra, et ils purront entendre; et auxint les serjantz le roi s'il busoigne. Et tendront lour place en la chambre du chamberlein 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 paiis pardela 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 auxint 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 mesme le jour, le roi (les comunes des countees, citees, et burghs demorantz en pees en la dit chambre de commandement le roi) prist ovesqe lui les prelatz, ducs, countes, barons sommons au parlement en la chambre Blanche et illoeqes leur feust expose en especial les causes monstrez a eux et les communes en general; c'est assavoir, coment de jour en autre personeles citacions parmy faux et feintes suggescions faitz au pape encontre tout plein des persones du roialme, [p. ii-284][col. a] sur causes dont la conissance et discussion appertient au roi et a sa court et autrement; et auxint des impetracions et des provisions faitz en mesme la court de Rome des benefices de seint eglise appurtenantz a donacion, presentacion ou disposicion le roi et autres patrons lais de son roialme, et des eglises, chapelles et autres benefices apropriez as eglises cathedrales, collegiales, abbaiees, prioriees, chanteries, hospitalx et autres povres mesons. Par queux suggescions les leys, usages et < aunciens > custumes et franchises de son roialme sont molt grandement empeschez, la corone le roi abessee, et sa persone diffamee; et les avoirs et richesses du roialme emportez, les mesons et habitacions des benefices gastez et destruitz, divin service, almoigne, hospitalitez et autres oevres de charite southtraitz et lesseez; et tout plein d'autres malx et meschiefs avenuz et de jour en autre sembleablement avenir. Dont le roi supplie as ditz prelatz, ducs, countes et barons, en queux il ad toutdis trove loialte et sein conseil, qe sur les meschiefs, grevances et damages issint contre lui et les droitz de sa corone, et autres pluseurs persones de son roialme, les leis et custumes de son roialme, attemptez, se voillent aviser et conseiller ensemble, et doner lour conseil et avys coment tieux attemptatz peussent estre restreintz, et les droitz de lui et de sa corone, les leis et custumes de sa terre garder et meintenir, come il est tenuz. |
[The Statute of Praemunire.] 7. And on the same day, the commons of the counties, cities and boroughs waiting peacefully in the said chamber at the king's command, the king took the prelates, dukes, earls and barons summoned to the parliament with him into the White Chamber, and there the causes which had been declared in general to them and the commons were explained to them in detail; that is to say, how from day to day personal citations were made by false and feigned accusations to the pope against all sorts of people of the realm, [p. ii-284][col. a] upon causes whose cognisance and discussion pertain to the king and his court and otherwise; and similarly how claims and provisions were made in the same court of Rome upon benefices of holy Church pertaining to the donation, presentation or disposal of the king and other lay patrons of his realm, and of churches, chapels and other benefices appropriated to cathedral churches, collegiate churches, abbeys, priories, chantries, hospitals and other poor houses. By these deceits, the laws, usages and ancient customs and franchises of his realm were very greatly damaged, the king's crown diminished and his person defamed; and the wealth and riches of the realm were carried away, the houses and habitations of benefices were wasted and destroyed, divine service, alms, hospitality and other works of charity were withdrawn and neglected; and all sorts of other evils and misfortunes had occurred and likewise will occur from day to day. Wherefore the king asked his said prelates, dukes, earls and barons, in whom he has always found loyalty and sound counsel, regarding the misfortunes, grievances and damages thus attempted against him and the rights of his crown and against many other people of his realm and the laws and customs of his realm, that they would consider and confer together, and give their council and advice as to how such outrages might be restrained, and how his rights and those of his crown and the laws and customs of his land might be observed and maintained, as he is bound to do. |
| Et ce monstree, vindrent les dites communes en mesme la chambre Blanche, et illoeqes en presence du roi et des ditz prelatz et grantz feurent les dites causes en especial a eux monstrez, et dit a eux sur ce q'ils se aviseroient et < doner > tiel avys et conseil au roi come ils verroient qe meltz soit en sauvacion de lui et des droitz de sa corone, et les leis et custumes de sa terre, a quiete de lui et de son poeple; et issint departirent cel jour. | And this having been declared, the said commons came into the same White Chamber, and there in the presence of the king and of the said prelates and great men, the said reasons were declared to them in detail, and they were told that they should consider this and give such advice and counsel to the king as they would decide was best in salvation of him and of the rights of his crown and of the laws and customs of his land, for his ease and that of his people. And thus they departed for the day. |
| 8. Et puis le samady suant, par avys et conseil des prelatz, grantz et communes, feurent lues ascuns ordinances sur tielx attemptatz faites en presence des prelatz, ducs, countes, barons et communes, en la fourme qe s'ensuyt: (fn. ii-283-28-1) | 8. And then on the Saturday following, by the advice and counsel of the prelates, great men and commons, certain ordinances made upon such outrages were read in the presence of the prelates, dukes, earls, barons and commons, in the form that follows: (fn. ii-283-28-1) |
| 9. 'Pur nourir amour, paix et concorde entre l'eglise et le roialme, et empescher et faire cesser les grantz malx, perils et importables domages et grevances q'ont este faites et avenuz en temps passe, et avendront en apres si la chose serroit soeffert passer avant, par cause des personeles citacions et autres q'ont passez avant ces heures, et passent communement de jour en autre hors de la court de Rome parmy feintes ou faux suggescions et proposicions deceivantz le seint piere, encontre tout plein des persones du dit roialme, sur causes dont la cognissance et finable discussion appertient a nostre seignur le roi et a sa court roial et autrement; et aussi des impetracions et provisions faites en mesme la court de Rome des benefices et offices d'eglise, appertenantz a la donacion, presentacion ou disposicion nostre dit seignur le roi et d'autres patrons lais de son roialme, et des eglises, chapelles et autres benefices apropriez as eglises cathedrales, collegiales, abbeiees, prioriees, chanteries, hospitalx et autres povres maisons, et des autres dignitez, offices et benefices occupez en temps passe et present par diverses et notables persones du dit roialme. Pur les queles causes, et les dependences d'yceles, les bones et aunciens lois, usages, custumes et franchises du dit realme ont estez et sont molt grandement empeschez, blemiz et confonduz, la corone le roi nostre seignur abessee, et sa persone molt durement et fausement diffamee, les avoirs et richesses du roialme emportez, les habitantz et subgiz d'yceux empovrez et trublez, les benefices d'eglises gastez et destruitz, divin service, hospitalitez, almoignes et [col. b] autres oevres de charite entrelessez et souztraitz, les grantz, comunes et subgiz du dit realme travaillez et en corps et en biens domagez. Nostre dit seignur le roi a son parlement tenuz a Westm' en les oetaves de Seint Hiller l'an de son regne trente oeptisme, eant regarde a la quiete de son poeple, le quele il desire tressoverainement a sustenir en tranquillite, paix et repos, et governir solonc les lois, usages et franchises de sa terre, et sicome tenuz y est par son serement donez en sa coronacion, en aide et confort du pape, qe molt sovent ad este trublez par tieles et sembleables importuns clameurs et impetracions, et qe y meist volantiers covenable remede si sa saintete estoit sur ces choses enfourme; et passant parmy les voies de ses nobles progenitours, les queux pur le temps lors corant firent certeins bones purveances et ordinances encontre les avantdites grevances et perils, les queles ordinances et purveances et aussi toutes les autres faites en son temps, et par especial en l'an de son regne .xxv. et .xxvij. me nostre dit seignur le roi, (fn. ii-283-29-1) de l'assentement et expresse volante et concorde des ducs, countes, barons, nobles et communes de son roialme, et de touz autres qe la chose touche, par bon et meure deliberacion et avisement ad approve, accepte et conferme, sauf l'estat des prelatz et d'autres seignurs du roialme < touchant la liberte de lour corps si qe par force de cest estatut lour corps ne soit pais pris; > ajoustant a yceles ad purveu et ordeine qe touz ceux q'ont impetrez, purchacez ou pursuiz tieles personeles citacions et autres en ascun temps passe, ou impetreront, purchaceront ou pursueront sembleables en temps avenir, encontre lui ou ascun de ses subgetz; et aussi touz ceux q'ont impetrez ou impetreront de la dit court deanees, arcedeaknees, provostez et autres dignitees, offices, chapelles ou autres benefices d'eglise qeconqes, appertenantz a la collacion, donacion, presentacion ou disposicion nostre dit seignur le roi ou d'autre patron lai de son dit realme; et aussi totes sembleables persones impetrours d'eglises, chapelles, offices, benefice d'eglise, pensions ou rentes amortisez et apropriez as eglises cathedrales ou collegiales, abbaiees, priories, chanteries, hospitalx ou autres povres maisons avant ce, qe tieles apropriacions et amortissementz soient cassez et anullez par due proces; ensamble touz ceux q'ont impetrez en mesme la court dignitees, offices, hospitalx ou benefice qeconqe d'eglise, qe sont occupez a present par title resonable par ascuns persones du dit realme, si tiele impetracion ne soit ja pleinement executee, ou impetreront en apres sembleables benefices, par quoi prejudice, domage ou empeschement ad este ou purra estre fait en apres a lui ou a ses ditz subgiz, en persones, heritages, possessions, droitures ou biens qeconqes, ou a les lois, usages, custumes, franchises et libertez de son dit realme et de sa corone, ensamble touz lour meintenours, conseillours, abbettours et autres aidours et fauteurs scientement, tant a la suite le roi come de la partie ou d'autre qeconqe du realme trovant plegges et seurte de pursuir contre eux; en ce cas soient toutes les dites persones diffamees et suspectes violement de tieles impetracions, pursuites ou grevances arestuz et pris par les viscontes des lieux, et justices en lour sessions, deputez, baillifs et autres ministres le roi, et par bone et sufficeant meinprise, replevissement, bail ou autre plegerie le plus brief qe faire se purra, soient ils presentez au roi ou a son conseil, pur y demorer et ester au droit et rescevoir ce qe la lei leur durra. Et s'ils soient attaintz ou convaincuz d'acuns des dites choses, aient le penance comprise en l'estatut fait en l'an nostre dit seignur le roi .xxv. qe comence, 'Au parlement sommons a Westm', etc.' (fn. ii-283-29-2) Et si ascunes persones diffamees ou suspectes des dites impetracions, prosecucions, grevances ou entreprises soient hors du dit realme ou dedans, et ne purront estre attachez ne arestuz en lour propres persones, et ne se presentent devant le roi ou a son consail dedans deux mois preschein apres ce q'ils serront [p. ii-285][col. a] sur ce garniz en leur lieux si ascuns en aient, ou ascuns des courtz le roi, ou en les countees, ou devant les justices le roi en lour sessions, ou autrement sufficeaument pur respondre au roi et a la partie, et a y demurer et ester a la lei en ce cas devant le roi et son consail, soient puniz par fourme et manere comprise en l'estatut fait l'an .xxvij. me nostre seignur le roi, qe comence, 'Nostre seignur le roi de l'assent et a la prier, etc.' (fn. ii-283-29-3) et autrement sicome a faire semblera au roi et a son consail, saunz faire a ascun de eux par nostre dit seignur le roi ascun grace, pardonance ou remission saunz la volante et assentement de la partie qe se provera estre greve, et saunz faire a lui due satisfaccion en ce cas.' | 9. 'In order to nourish love, peace and concord between the Church and the realm, and to impede and put a stop to the great evils, perils and unbearable damages and grievances which have been done and have occurred in times past, and which will occur hereafter if the matter shall be tolerated, because of personal citations and other things which have passed before this time, and commonly pass from day to day, out of the court of Rome by feigned or false accusations and propositions, deceiving the holy father, against all sorts of people of the said realm, upon causes whose cognisance and final discussion pertains to our lord the king and otherwise to his royal court; and also of claims and provisions made in the same court of Rome of benefices and offices of the Church, pertaining to the donation, presentation or disposal of our said lord the king and other lay patrons of his realm, and of churches, chapels and other benefices appropriated to cathedral churches, collegiate churches, abbeys, priories, chantries, hospitals and other poor houses, and of other dignities, offices and benefices occupied in times past and present by various and notable people of the said realm. For which causes, and matters associated with them, the good and ancient laws, usages, customs and franchises of the said realm have been and are very greatly damaged, impaired and confounded, the crown of our lord the king diminished, and his person very severely and falsely defamed, the wealth and riches of the realm carried away, the inhabitants and subjects of the same impoverished and troubled, the benefices of churches wasted and destroyed, divine service, hospitality, alms and [col. b] other works of charity neglected and withdrawn, and the great men, commons and subjects of the said realm tormented and damaged in body and goods. Our said lord the king at his parliament held at Westminster in the octave of Saint Hilary in the thirty-eighth year of his reign, having regard for the quiet of his people, whom he desires above all to sustain in tranquillity, peace and rest, and to govern according to the laws, usages and franchises of his land as he is bound by his oath given at his coronation, in aid and comfort of the pope, who has very often been troubled by such and similar importunate complaints and claims, and who would willingly provide convenient remedy if his holiness was informed of such matter; and following the ways of his noble progenitors, who in their time made certain good provisions and ordinances against the aforesaid grievances and perils, which ordinances and provisions and also all the others made in his time, and especially in the twenty-fifth and twenty-seventh years of his reign, (fn. ii-283-29-1) our said lord the king has approved, accepted and confirmed, with the assent and express will and concord of the dukes, earls, barons, nobles and commons of his realm, and of all others whom the matter concerns, by good and noble deliberation and advice (saving the estate of the prelates and other lords of the realm concerning the liberty of their bodies, so that by force of this statute their bodies shall not be taken). In addition, he has provided and ordained concerning all those who have obtained, purchased or pursued such personal citations and others in any times past, or will obtain, purchase or pursue the same in times to come, against him or any of his subjects, and also all those who have obtained or will obtain from the said court deaneries, archdeaconries, provostships and other dignities, offices, chapels or any other benefices of holy Church whatsoever, pertaining to the collation, donation, presentation or disposal of our said lord the king or other lay patron of his said realm, and also all similar people, seekers of churches, chapels, offices, benefices of churches, pensions or rents amortised and appropriated to cathedral or collegiate churches, abbeys, priories, chantries, hospitals or other poor houses before this: that such appropriations and amortisations shall be void and annulled by due process. And that all those who have obtained in the same court dignities, offices, hospitals or any benefices of churches whatsoever, which are occupied at present by reasonable title by any people of the said realm, if such claim is not yet fully executed, or who will afterwards obtain similar benefices, by which prejudice, damage or impeachment has been or might henceforth be done to the king or to his said subjects, whether in their persons, inheritances, possessions, rights or goods, or to the laws, usages, customs, franchises and liberties of his said realm and of his crown, together with their maintainers, advisors, abettors and others who knowingly help and support them, may be charged at the suit of the king as well as of the party or of any other whatsoever of the realm finding pledges and security to pursue against them; in this case all the said people defamed and strongly suspected of such claims, pursuits or grievances shall be arrested and taken by the sheriffs of the places, the justices in their sessions, the deputies, bailiffs and other officers of the king, and by good and sufficient mainprise, replevin, bail or other pledge, whichever is quickest, they shall be presented to the king and his council, to remain there and stand trial and accept what the law will give them. And if they are attainted or convicted of any of the said things, they shall have the penalty contained in the statute made in the twenty-fifth year of our said lord the king which begins, 'At the parliament summoned at Westminster, etc.'. (fn. ii-283-29-2) And if any of the people defamed or suspected of the said claims, prosecutions, grievances or enterprises are outside or inside the said realm, and cannot be attached or arrested in their own persons, and do not appear before the king or his council within two months next after they were [p. ii-285][col. a] warned in their own places of residence (if they have any), or in any of the king's courts, or in the counties, or before the king's justices in their sessions, or otherwise sufficiently to answer to the king and to the party, and to remain there and stand trial at law in this case before the king and his council, they shall be punished in the form and manner contained in the statute made in the twenty-seventh year of our lord the king which begins, 'Our lord the king, with the assent and at the prayer, etc.' (fn. ii-283-29-3) and otherwise as seems best to the king and his council, with no favour, pardon or remission being made by our said lord the king without the will and assent of the aggrieved party, and without due satisfaction being made to him in this case.' |
| [memb. 2] | |
| Item, ordeine est qe nul autre subget du dit realme, gardant et sustenant ces ordinances, n'encourge aucune forfaiture de vie et de membre, de terres, de heritage ne des biens devers le roi n'autre persone qeconqe, nene perde estat ne faveur par cause de les susdites choses ordenez, ne lui ne ses heirs ne purrent ne devrent estre reprovez, diffamez n'empeschez par ascun des dites causes en ascun temps avenir. Et si ascune persone, de qeconqe estat ou condicion q'il soit, par qeconqe manere qe ce soit, attempte ou face ascun chose a l'encontre des dites ordinances ou d'acune chose comprise en ycelles, soit la dit persone mene a respons en manere come dessus est dit; et si ele serra sur ce attaint ou convaincu, mise hors la proteccion le roi et puniz par fourme du dit estatut de l'an .xxvij. me . Et si ascune persone face maliciousement ou fausement aucune pursuyt encontre persone qeconqe du dit realme par cause compris en ces presentes ordinances, et de ce soit duement attaint, soit tiel pleintif duement puniz a l'ordinance du roi ou de son conseil, et neantmeins face gre et l'amende a la partie q'ad este greve par sa pleinte. Et au fin qe les dites ordinances et chascune d'ycelles pur ese, quiet et bien commune, soient le meltz sustenuz, executez et gardez; et qe touz ceux q'ont mespris ou mesprendront encontre cestes ordinances par prosecucions, accusacions, denunciacions, citacions ou autres proces faites ou a faire hors du dit realme ou dedans, ou autrement contre qeconqe persone du realme, soient le plus covenablement et promptement menez a respons pur recevoir droit selonc lour deserte: le roi, les prelatz, ducs, countes, barons, nobles, communes, clercs et lais sont tenuz par ceste presente ordinance a aider, conforter et conseiller l'un a l'autre, et tant sovent qe busoigne serra, et par touz les meillours maneres qe faire se purra, de parole et de faite pour empescher tieles meffesours, et resister de fait a lour entreprises, et saunz les soeffrer habiter, demorer ne passer par lour seignuries, poissance, terres, jurisdiccions ne lieux; et sont [col. b] tenuz de garder et defendre l'un a l'autre de tout domage, vilenie, et reproeve sicome ils ferroient leur propres persones, et pur leur fait et busoigne, et par tiele manere, et si avant come tieles prosecucions ou proces feussent faites ou attemptez encontre eux en especial ou en commune. | Also, it is ordained that no other subject of the said realm, keeping and observing these ordinances, shall incur any forfeiture of life and limb, lands, inheritance or goods against the king or any other person whatsoever, or lose estate or favour because of the aforesaid ordained things, nor can or should he or his heirs be accused, defamed or impeached for any of the said reasons in times to come. And if any person, of whatever estate or condition he may be, in whatever manner it shall be, attempts or does anything against the said ordinances or of anything contained in the same, the said person shall be brought to answer in the aforesaid manner; and if he is attainted or convicted of this, he shall be put outside the king's protection and punished by the form of the said statute of the twenty-seventh year. And if any person maliciously or falsely makes any suit against any person of the said realm whatsoever for a reason contained in these present ordinances, and is duly attainted of this, such a plaintiff shall be duly punished at the order of the king or of his council, and nevertheless shall make payment and amends to the party who has been aggrieved by his complaint. And to the end that the said ordinances, and each one of them, shall be the better kept, executed and observed, for the ease, quiet and common good, and that all those who have offended or will offend against these ordinances by prosecutions, accusations, denunciations, citations or other process made or to be made outside or inside the said realm, or otherwise against any person of the realm whatsoever, shall be more conveniently and promptly brought to answer, to be given justice according to their deserts: the king, the prelates, dukes, earls, barons, nobles, commons, clerks and laymen are bound by this present ordinance to aid, comfort and counsel each other whenever necessary and by all the best ways possible by words and deeds, to impeach such offenders and to resist in deed their enterprises, without suffering them to inhabit, remain in or pass through their lordships, dominions, lands, jurisdictions or places; and they are [col. b] bound to keep and defend each other from all damage, villainy and reproach as they should do their own persons and for their deeds and business, and in such manner and as completely as if such prosecutions or process were made or attempted against them individually or in common.' |
| As queles ordinances issint lues les ducs, countes, barons et communes se assenteront bien si il plust au roi, les prelatz toutdis fesantz lour protestacions de rien assenter ne faire qe purra estre ou tourner en prejudice de lour estat ou dignite. Et issint les prelatz, ducs, countes et barons occupiez sur pluseurs busoignes senglers tanqe joedy devant la chaundeleure; quel jour les prelatz, ducs, countes et barons en la dit Blanche chambre esteantz, monstre feust a eux par le chanceller coment ascuns des grantz avoient este devant le roi, et en presence de lui estoit pleinement monstre son estat, et coment et en quele plit il estoit; et overtement declare ce q'il avoit; et a quele somme les revenuz de sa terre se extendent, les fees et annuitees des queux il estoit chargez, les grantz sommes de payementz q'il avoit fait pur l'establissement de Gascoigne, de Caleis, de diverses chastelx et villes devers le north, et pur les guerres de Irlande et aillours, et les custages et dons faites as pluseurs estranges venantz devers lui par divers causes. Par quele monstrance feust prove qe touz les revenues de sa terre ne poent suffire de trover la moite de ses despens; par quoi il supplie a vous de coer, come a ces en queux il ad toutdis trove eide et socour, q'en sauvacion de son estat et honur as qeux ils ont einz ces heures eu effectuele regarde, treter et ordeiner coment et en quele manere il purra meltz estre eide, a greindre profit de lui et meindre grevance de son poeple. Queles choses issint exposez, fust demande et debatu entre eux coment et par quele voie il purroit meltz estre eidez, et son honur et estat sauvez. Et chescun des prelatz, ducs, countes et autrez grantz par soy et d'une accorde et assent, et les communes auxint, granteront au roi des leynes, quirs et pealx lanuz qe serront mesnez hors du realme, c'estassavoir de chescun sake de leine .xl. s. et de chescun trois centz de pealx lanuz .xl. s. et de chescun last de quirs quatre livres, a prendre outre l'aunciene custume de demy marc de chescun sake de leine de deniszeins et dis soldz des aliens, et demy marc de chescun trois centz de pealx lanuz de deniszeins et dys soldz des aliens, et de un marc de chescun last de quirs de deniszeins et vint souldz des aliens; le terme commenceant ore a la feste de la purificacion nostre dame tanqe al Seint Michel preschein suant, et de cel feste de Seint Michel par trois aunz pleinement acompliz. |
[Grant of subsidy.] These ordinances having been read, the dukes, earls, barons and commons fully agreed to them, if it pleased the king, although the prelates continued to protest that they could agree to or do nothing that might be or turn in prejudice of their estate or dignity. And the prelates, dukes, earls and barons were occupied with much private business until the Thursday before Candlemas; on which day, with the prelates, dukes, earls and barons being in the said White Chamber, the chancellor declared to them how some of the great men had been before the king, in whose presence his estate had been fully declared, and how and in what condition it was; and it was openly declared what he had, and to what sum the revenues of his land amounted, the fees and annuities of which he was charged, the great sums of payments which he had made for the establishment of Gascony, Calais and various castles and towns in the north, and for the wars of Ireland and elsewhere, and the expenses and gifts made to many foreigners coming to him for various reasons. Which declaration proved that all the revenues of his land could not suffice to provide half of his expenses; wherefore he sincerely requested them, as those in whom he had always found aid and succour, in salvation of his estate and honour, for which they have previously had effective regard, to discuss and ordain how and in what manner he could best be aided, to his greater profit and to the least grievance of his people. These things having been thus explained, it was asked and debated among them how and in what way he could best be aided, and his honour and estate safeguarded. And each of the prelates, dukes, earls and other great men, by himself and of one accord and assent, and the commons also, made a grant to the king from the wool, leather and woolfells which are exported out of the realm, that is to say, 40s. for each sack of wool, 40s. for each 300 woolfells, and £4 for each last of leather, to be taken in addition to the ancient custom of a ½ mark for each sack of wool from denizens and 10s. from aliens, and a ½ mark for each 300 woolfells from denizens and 10s. from aliens, and 1 mark for each last of leather from denizens and 20s. from aliens; with the term beginning now at the feast of the Purification of Our Lady until Michaelmas immediately following, and from this feast of Michaelmas for three full years. |
| Et issint le parlement continue, et les grantz et communes occupiez sur divers busoignes touchantes sibien l'estat et governement du roi et du roialme come le profit et relevement des grantz, commune et senglers persones d'ycelle, sur diverses et pluseurs, articles monstrez en dit parlement et meement des peticions mis en dit parlement par les communes; [...] queles peticions [...] et les respons sur eles faites sont compris en la fourme qe s'ensuyt: | And thus the parliament continued, and the great men and commons were occupied with divers business touching the estate and government of the king and the realm as well as the profit and relief of the great men, commonalty and individual people of the same, on various and many articles declared in the said parliament and especially the petitions put forward in the said parliament by the commons; which petitions and the answers made upon them are contained in the form that follows: |
| [col. a] | |
| Primer. | [I.] The first [for the Confirmation of the Charters]. |
| 10. I. A nostre seignur le roi; prient ses simples communes: qe la grande chartre et la chartre de la foreste et l'estatut fait en l'an .xxxvi. e touchantz les purveours nostre seignur le roi q'ore est (fn. ii-283-37-1) et les autres estatutz faitz en son temps et en temps de ses progenitours soient fermement gardez et maintenuz en touz pointz et execuz duement solonc la lei. Et qe brief [col. b] soit grante a chescun qe s'en vodra sure sur chescun point contenuz en qeconqe estatut; et si ascun justice ou autre ministre face encontre ascun estatut ent fait, qe quant q'il face a l'encontre soit tenuz pur nul et eroigne. | 10. I. To our lord the king; his simple commons pray: that the Great Charter, the Charter of the Forest, the statute made in the thirty-sixth year touching the purveyors of our present lord the king (fn. ii-283-37-1) and the other statutes made in his time and in the time of his progenitors shall be firmly observed and maintained in all points and duly executed according to the law. And that a writ [col. b] shall be granted to each person who will sue on each point contained in any statute whatsoever; and if any justice or other officer acts to the contrary of any statute made thereon, when he shall act to the contrary it shall be treated as null and erroneous. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi. (fn. ii-283-40-1) | It pleases the king. (fn. ii-283-40-1) |
| [p. ii-286] | |
| [col. a] | |
| 11. II. Item, pur ce qe tout la communalte du roialme, sibien marchantz come autres, sont durement grevez par l'ordinance fait au darrein parlement, (fn. ii-283-42-1) prie la commune: qe celle ordinance soit reherce et examine en cest present parlement, et par bon avis du parlement, touz les pointz par qeux touz les povres communes sont mis en daunger et en subjeccion soient repellez et adnullez. |
[II. Repeal of the ordinance on trade and regulation of dress.] 11. II. Also, because all the commonalty of the realm, merchants as well as others, are severely aggrieved by the ordinance made at the last parliament, (fn. ii-283-42-1) the commons pray: that this ordinance shall be recited and examined in this present parliament, and that, by the good advice of the parliament, all the points by which all the poor commons are put in danger and in subjection shall be repealed and annulled. |
| Et q'il plese a nostre dit seignur le roi granter qe ses povres comunes soient si franks en touz pointz come ils y feurent avant le dit parlement, et qe chescun homme du roialme franchement purra marchander toute manere de marchandie saunz estre artee a nul en certein, nient contreesteant qeconqe chartre de ce ent faite avant cest heure ou ent affaire en apres a singulers persones; et qe toutes les dites chartres desore soient tenuz pur nules. Car ceux qe sont mis a marchandie en certein, et eont la dite marchandie entermeins, ils le vendent plus chier le tiercz denier q'onqes ne feurent, a grant damage a toute la commune du roialme. Et aussint qe toutes gentz, de quele estat ou condicion q'ils soient, puissent franchement ordeiner lour sustenance en vivre et en apparail pur eux, lour femmes, enfantz et servantz en manere come meltz lour semble pur lour profit demesne, saunz estre de ce empesche par qeconqe voie sibien de chose faite en temps passe come en temps avenir. |
[II. Repeal of the ordinance on trade and regulation of dress.] And may it please our said lord the king to grant that his poor commons shall be as free in all matters as they were before the said parliament, and that each man of the realm can freely trade all manner of merchandise without being forced to any one in particular, notwithstanding any charter whatsoever made thereon before this time or to be made thereon after to individual persons; and that all the said charters henceforth shall be treated as null. For those who are set a certain merchandise, and have the said merchandise in hand, sell it a third more dearly than they ever did, to the great damage of all the commonalty of the realm. And also 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. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soient si franks come estoient de tout temps auncienement devant les dites ordinances, et meement come estoient en temps del aiel nostre seignur le roi et de ses autres bones progenitours. (fn. ii-283-46-1) | They shall be as free as they always were in the time before the said ordinances, and especially as they were in the time of the grandfather of our lord the king and of his other good progenitors. (fn. ii-283-46-1) |
| III. Item, qe toute manere de gentz, sibien marchantz aliens come deniszeins, et touz autres gentz du roialme, puissent franchement achater et vendre par tout le roialme, saunz empeschement par qeconqe manere, nient contreesteant ascun estatut ent fait a l'encontre; et q'ils puissent franchement amener lour marchandie hors du roialme, paiant lour custumes come appertient. |
[III. Freedom of trade within the realm.] III. Also, that all manner of people, alien merchants as well as denizens and all other people of the realm, may freely buy and sell throughout the realm without impeachment by any means whatsoever, notwithstanding any statute made thereon to the contrary; and that they may freely export their merchandise out of the realm, paying their relevant customs. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi qe touz marchantz puissent vendre et achater toute manere de marchandie, et franchement amesner hors du roialme, paiantz les custumes et subsides ent dues; forspris qe les marchantz Engleis ne passeront hors du roialme leines ne pealx lanuz, et qe nul emporte ore n'argent, en plate n'en monoie, sauns les vitaillers de pesson qe peschent harang et autre pesson, et ces qe amesnent pesson deinz le realme en petitz vessealx qe ne se mellent d'autre marchandie; et ce solonc l'arbitrement du chanceller. (fn. ii-283-51-1) | It pleases the king that all merchants may sell and buy all manner of merchandise, and freely export it out of the realm, paying the customs and subsidies due thereon; except that English merchants shall not export wool or woolfells out of the realm, and that no one shall carry away gold or silver, in plate or in money, except the victuallers of fish who fish for herring and other fish, and those who bring fish within the realm in small vessels who do not concern themselves with other merchandise; and this according to the arbitration of the chancellor. (fn. ii-283-51-1) |
| 12. IIII. Item, pur ce qe bank nostre seignur le roi est errant de countee en countee par tout le roialme, et es countees ou le dit bank demura toutes les communes de countees sont faitz venir et demorer devant les justices du dit bank par une cause ou par autre, a grant destruccion et coustages de les dites communes, de qoi le roi ne prent qe poy des avantages. Et aussint pluseurs gentz sont susduit defeet et anientiz pur defaute de sage conseil, q'ils ne poent nul trover en celle place, et pur la nouncerteinete de lieu. Prie la commune, qe le dit banc demoerge en certein a Westm' ou a Everwyk, la ou le commune bank demoert, qe home puisse avoir sage conseil de l'une place ou de l'autre, issint qe nul homme soit susduit pur defaute de sage conseil, et pur la nouncerteinete de lieu. |
[IIII. The king's bench to be established in a fixed place.] 12. IIII. Also, because our lord the king's bench is itinerant from county to county throughout the realm, in counties where the said bench remains all the commons of the counties are made to come and appear before the justices of the said bench for one reason or another, to the great destruction and expense of the said commonalty, of which the king takes only a little of the profits. And also many people are deceived, destroyed and ruined for default of wise counsel, because they cannot find any in this court as a result of the uncertainty of its location. The commons pray: that the said bench shall remain for certain at Westminster or York, in the same place as the common bench, so that anyone may have wise counsel from either court, and so that no man shall be deceived for default of wise counsel and as a result of the uncertainty of location. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le roi ne voet nene poet desporter de mander son bank ou lui plerra, mes sur ce ordeinera en manere qe mieltz serra en ese et quiete de son poeple. | The king neither wills not is able to abstain from sending his bench where he pleases, but he will ordain thereon in a manner that seems best in ease and quiet of his people. |
| 13. V. Item, pur ce qe avant ceste heure pluseurs gentz, q'ont este a fin faire au roi devant justices et [col. b] autres ministres le roi, ont este destruitz par cause qe lour fins ne feurent mis en certein en lour presence, mes feurent artees de trover plegges de lour fins, et apres lour departir lour fins outrajousement mises par justices et autres ministres le roi, et entrees et enroules par les justices et autres ministres; prie la comune: qe nuls fins soient desore resceux ne entrez en absence de partie ne de lour plegges, mes qe lour fins soient mis en certein en lour presence, et ce resonablement solonc la cause pur quele ils eient fait fin. Et si ascuns fins soient resceuz en autre manere en temps avenir, soient voides et tenuz pur null. |
[V. Reasonable fines.] 13. V. Also, before this time many people, who have been about to make a fine to the king before justices and [col. b] other officers of the king, have been ruined because their fines were not fixed in their presence, but they were forced to find pledges for their fines, and after their departure their fines were set at outrageous levels by the justices and other officers of the king, and entered and enrolled by the justices and other officers. The commons pray: that no fines shall henceforth be received or entered in the absence of the parties or their pledges, but that their fines shall be clarified in their presence, and this shall be done reasonably according to the cause for which they had made the fine. And if any fines shall be received in other manner in times to come, they shall be void and treated as null. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi qe les fins qe serront a prendre devant les justices soient faitz en presence de plegges, et qe les plegges sachent la somme de lour fins devant lour departir. (fn. ii-283-61-1) | It pleases the king that the fines which will be taken before the justices shall be made in the presence of pledges, and that the pledges shall know the amount of the fines before their departure. (fn. ii-283-61-1) |
| 14. VI. Item, pur ce qe les comunes sont tresdurement grevees et empovres par cause qe singulers persones sont assignez par commission a terme de vie d'oier et terminer divers trespas, et pluseurs divers articles, sibien de biens forfaitz au roi par qeconqe cause qe soit come de touz articles qe purront eschere a fins et a raunceons a nostre seignur le roi; et le roi ad grantee as ditz commissioners la tierce partie de les les [sic] issues, fins et amercimentz et biens forfaitz et toutz autres profitz sourdantz de lour sessions; et par covetise de cele profit avoir a lour oeps propre ils font lour session plus sovent q'il ne busoigne, et ont jurrours de lour covyne; et a la foitz recordent enditementz de gentz q'onqes ne feurent enditez ne q'onqe n'avoient coupe pur estre mis en daunger, et tout pur avoir lour biens a lour oeps demesne. Et issint sont ils juggez et parties au profit prendre, et en manere champertours par la lei, a tresgrant grevance et anientisement a toute la commune du roialme. |
[VI. Judicial commissions issues as life grants.] 14. VI. Also, the commons are very severely aggrieved and impoverished because certain persons are assigned by life commissions to hear and determine various trespasses, and many other articles, whether concerning goods forfeited to the king for some reason or relating to offences that can result in fines and ransoms to our lord the king; and the king has granted to the said commissioners the third part of the issues, fines, amercements and goods forfeited and all other profits arising from their sessions. As a result of their greed to have this profit to their own use, they hold their sessions more often than necessary, and have jurors in their pay; and they sometimes record indictments of people who were never indicted and never ought to have been put in danger, and all in order to have their goods to their own use. And thus they are both judges and parties to the profits, and commit champerty, to the very great grievance and destruction of all the commonalty of the realm. |
| Par quoi prie la commune: qe toutes tieles commissions soient de tout repellez et anientiz, et qe tout le proces fait par ycell soient tenuz pur eroigne et anientiz; et qe mes nulles tieles commissions ne soient grantez a nuly, et qe nul partie de issues ne profitz de sessions soient grantez desore a nulles des justices. | Wherefore the commons pray: that all such commissions shall be completely repealed and annulled, and that all the processes made by the same shall be treated as erroneous and null; and that no such commissions shall be granted to anyone, and that no part of the issues or profits of sessions shall be granted henceforth to any of the justices. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soient tieles commissions de tout repellez, et le roi quant busoignera assignera en ses commissions tieles persones qe serront bones et covenables, qe ferront droit et reson a son poeple. | Such commissions shall be completely repealed, and the king when necessary will assign in his commissions such people as be good and suitable, so that right and justice will be done to his people. |
| 15. VII. Item, qe commissions de la pees soient faites a plus loialx et plus sages de chescun countee, esluz par les chivalers de countee avant lour departir de cest parlement. Et qe les commissions soient enlargiez q'ils puissent oier et terminer toute manere de felonies et trespas a suite le roi, a toute la foitz q'il busoignera, pur la garde de la pees, et aussint des artificers et laborers. Et qe les justices soient as gages le roi, come ils soleient estre. |
[VII. Appointment of justices of the peace.] 15. VII. Also, that commissions of the peace shall be made to the most loyal and wisest men of each county, chosen by the knights of the shire before their departure from this parliament. And that the commissions shall be extended so that they may hear and determine all manner of felonies and trespasses at the king's suit, whenever necessary, for the preservation of the peace, and also of craftsmen and labourers. And that the justices shall be at the king's wages, as they were accustomed to be. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Estoisent les commissions ore faites en lour force, et quant al nominacion de justices et lour gages, le roi se avisera et sur ce commandra as chanceller et tresorer sa volunte. | The commissions already made shall remain in their force, and as regards the nomination of justices and their wages, the king will consider this further and entrust his will thereon to the chancellor and treasurer. |
| 16. VIII. Item, prie la commune: qe come divers gentz du realme sont liez en autri court hors du realme par instrumentz et en autre manere, et en asseurtee de paiement faire as creansours, par qeux liens et instrumentz divers sommes et grandes sont mandez et emportez hors du dit roialme, a tresgrant damage du realme et de la commune; prie la commune: qe plese as seigneurs sur ce ordeiner covenable remede. |
[VIII. Bonds for which liability falls in a court outside the realm.] 16. VIII. Also, the commons pray: that various people of the realm are bound in another court outside the realm by instruments and in other manner, and in promises of payment made to creditors, by which bonds and instruments various great sums are sent and carried out of the said realm, to the very great damage of the realm and of the commonalty. The commons pray: that it may please the lords to ordain a suitable remedy thereon. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soient touz tieles liens penales en la tierce persone voides et pur nul tenuz. (fn. ii-283-76-1) | All such penal bonds in the third person shall be void and treated as null. (fn. ii-283-76-1) |
| 17. IX. Item, prie la commune: qe le drape de ray fait en Engleterre soit de la longeure et laeure come ray [p. ii-287][col. a] de Gaunt, pur profit de la dit commune, sur peine de forfaiture du dit drape, come autrefoitz feust ordeine. |
[IX. Measures of cloth.] 17. IX. Also, the commons pray: that cloth of ray made in England shall be of the same length and width as the ray [p. ii-287][col. a] of Ghent, for the profit of the said commonalty, on penalty of forfeiture of the said cloth, as was formerly ordained. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soit l'estatut sur ce fait tenuz et gardez, et duement execut. (fn. ii-283-81-1) | Let the statute made thereon be upheld, observed and duly executed. (fn. ii-283-81-1) |
| 18. X. Item, pur ce qe plusours gentz sont grevez et attachez par lour corps en la citee de Loundres, a pursuite de gentz de mesme la citee, surmettantz a eux qe sont dettours, et ce voillent ils prover par lour papirs, la ou ils n'ont fait ne taille; prie la comune qe chescun ensi empledee se poet mettre a sa lei, et se acquiter s'il vodra. |
[X. Debt proceedings in London.] 18. X. Also, many people are aggrieved and attached by their bodies in the city of London, at the suit of the people of the same city, claiming that they are debtors and that they will prove this by their papers, when they have no deed or tally. The commons pray: that each person thus impleaded may put himself to law, and clear himself if he will. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soit chescun resceu a sa lei par gentz sufficeantz de sa condicion contre tiels papirs, et preigne le creaunsour seurte par autre voie s'il vorra saunz mettre la partie de pleder a l'enquest s'il ne le voet de son gree. (fn. ii-283-86-1) | Every man shall be received to law by suitable people of his condition against such papers, and the creditor shall take security in another way if he will, without putting the party to plead at the inquest if he does not wish to do so of his free will. (fn. ii-283-86-1) |
| [memb. 3] | |
| 19. XI. Item, prie la comune: qe les citees et burghs, et touz autres q'ont franchises du grant nostre seignur le roi ou de ses progenitours, et par lui ou par son piere confermez, q'ils puissent enjoier lour franchises en touz pointz. |
[XI. Urban franchises.] 19. XI. Also, the commons pray: that the cities and boroughs, and all others who have franchises of the grant of our lord the king or his progenitors, confirmed by him or by his father, may enjoy their franchises in all points. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Eient lour franchises, usages, et custumes come ils ont eu et usee resonablement avant ces heures, s'il ne soit estatut ou ordinance fait au contraire pur commune profit; et sauvant totdis autri droit. | Let them have their franchises, usages and customs as they had them and used them before this time, according to reason, unless there shall be a statute or ordinance made to the contrary for the common profit; and saving always the rights of others. |
| 20. XII. Item, prie la commune: qe touz les tenantz des seigneurs, si bien deinz franchise, de quele condicion q'ils soient, come dehors, soient assis as custages de chivalers qi sont sommons pur le parlement, pur profit du realme, sibien come autres franks tenantz; car autrement le remanant de la commune serroit tresgrevousement chargez. |
[XII. Liability to pay the expenses of knights of the shires.] 20. XII. Also, the commons pray: for the profit of the realm, that all the tenants of lords, inside as well as outside franchises, of whatever condition they may be, shall be assessed for the expenses of the knights who are summoned to parliament, as well as other free tenants; because otherwise the remainder of the commonalty will be very grievously charged. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Soit fait come ad este fait et usee avant ces heurs. | Let it be done as it has been done and observed before this time. |
| 21. XIII. Item, prie la commune: qe come ordeine feust par l'estatut de l'estaple qe nul Engleis passeroit la meer ove leines, quirs, pealx lanuz, par lui ne par autres estranges, sur peine de forfaiture de vie et de membre, terres et tenementz, biens et chateux; qe le punissement de vie et de membre, terres et tenementz, soit repellez, sibien des enditementz faitz du temps passe come du temps avenir; et qe la forfaiture de biens et chateux estoise en sa force, come il feust ordeine par mesme l'estatut. |
[XIII. Revision of Statute of the Staple.] 21. XIII. Also, the commons pray: whereas it was ordained by the Statute of the Staple that no Englishman shall cross the sea with wool, leather or woolfells, by himself or by other foreigners, on penalty of forfeiture of life and limb, lands and tenements, goods and chattels; that the punishment of life and limb, lands and tenements, shall be repealed, for indictments made both in times past and in times to come; and that the forfeiture of goods and chattels remain in force, as was ordained by the same statute. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi qe la forfaiture de vie et de membre soit ouste de tout en l'estatut de l'estaple, et qe nul homme soit empesche par cause de tiel forfaiture sibien de temps passe come avenir, la forfaiture de terres et tenementz, biens et chateux, esteant en sa force. (fn. ii-283-101-1) | It pleases the king that the forfeiture of life and limb shall be completely removed from the Statute of the Staple, and that no man shall be prosecuted for such forfeiture in times past and to come, and the forfeiture of lands and tenements, goods and chattels shall remain in its force. (fn. ii-283-101-1) |
| 22. XIIII. Item, prie la commune de north: q'il soit defenduz qe nulles vitailles ne bledz ne passent les marches d'Engleterre as gentz de Escoce, car les bledz sont si chiers en celles marchees qe les povres comunes sont en grant meschief de vitailles; et aussint qe nulles proteccions ne conduitz ne soient mes granteez as ditz gentz de Escoce, pur aler dela la meer et revenir parmy le roialme, pur doute de fraude ou de mal engyn q'ils purront emporter au damage du roialme; sinoun conduit de roi, quele heure q'il plese au roi qe les Escoces viegnent pur treter pur profit du roialme. |
[XIIII. Victuals in the north.] 22. XIIII. Also, the commons of the north pray: that it shall be forbidden for any victuals or corn to cross the marches of England to the people of Scotland, because the corn is so dear in these marches that the poor commons suffer great lack of victuals; and also that no protections or safe-conducts shall be granted to the said people of Scotland for going overseas and returning through the realm, lest by fraud or deception that they carry away goods to the damage of the realm; except for safe-conducts granted by the king whenever it may please him that the Scots shall come to negotiate for the profit of the realm. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le roi ordeinera issint sur ceste article, par avis de son conseil, qe damage ne grief ne avendra a son roialme. | The king will ordain duly upon this article, by the advice of his council, so that no damage and grief come upon his realm. |
| 23. XV. Item, pur ce qe les fins en la chancellerie sont plus grevouses q'ils ne feurent, prie la commune: qe les fins affaires en la chancellerie soient come ils soleient en [col. b] temps le piere nostre seignur le roi, ou a primer coronement nostre seignur le roi q'ore est. |
[XV. Fines in chancery.] 23. XV. Also, because the fines in the chancery are more grievous than they were, the commons pray: that the fines to be made in the chancery shall be as they were in the [col. b] time of the father of our lord the king, or at the first coronation of our present lord the king. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le roi voet qe les fins soient resonables, en ese et quiete de son poeple. | The king wills that the fines shall be reasonable, in ease and quiet of his people. |
| 24. XVI. Item, prie la comune: qe l'estaple soit en Engleterre au profit de toute la commune, si qe touz marchantz, sibien aliens come deniszeins, puissent venir ove lour marchandie et de achater les leines au profit nostre seignur le roi et ses communes ou qe lour plerra deinz le roialme; et qe toutes maneres de imposicions, charges et fees soient nettement oustez, forspris le subside a nostre seignur le roi grante pur un temps. |
[XVI. Domestic staples.] 24. XVI. Also, the commons pray: that the staple shall be in England to the profit of all the commonalty, so that all merchants, aliens as well as denizens, may come with their merchandise and buy wool to the profit of our lord the king and his commonalty wherever pleases them within the realm; and that all manner of impositions, charges and fees shall be completely removed, except the subsidy granted to our lord the king for an agreed term. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Le roi, grantz et communes sont assentuz qe l'estaple soit en Engleterre, et qe l'estatut de l'estaple fait l'an .xxvij. e ove les declaracions, addicions et modificacions ent faites, et affaires en ceste parlement, soient tenuz et gardez; (fn. ii-283-116-1) nul grant, congie n'autre estatut ou ordenance faitz depuis contreesteantz. | The king, great men and commons are agreed that the staple shall be in England, and that the Statute of the Staple made in the twenty-seventh year with the declarations, additions and modifications made thereon, and to be made in this parliament, shall be upheld and observed; (fn. ii-283-116-1) notwithstanding any grant, licence or other statute or ordinance made since. |
| 25. XVII. Item, prient les dites communes: qe les .xl. d pris de chescun sak de leine a Caleis et toutes autres imposicions nientresonables soient oustez et repellez; et qe briefs soient faitz a les coillours de dites imposicions de surseer desore en avant. |
[XVII. Impositions on wool at Calais.] 25. XVII. Also, the said commons pray: that the 40d taken on each sack of wool at Calais and all other unreasonable impositions shall be removed and repealed; and that writs shall be made to the collectors of the said imposition to cease them henceforth. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi qe toute manere de imposicions et charges nientresonables soient de toute oustez. | It pleases the king that all manner of unreasonable impositions and charges shall be completely removed. |
| 26. XVIII. Item, prient les seigneurs de niefs: come lour niefs soient arestuz et tenuz come forfaitz par cause d'un petit chose mis en lour dites niefs nient custumez, dont les ditz seigneurs sont mesconissantz; qe plese a nostre seignur le roi et son bon conseil ordener a ceste present parlement, qe les ditz seignurs ne perdent lour niefs par tiele cause, mes qe lui plese prendre devers les trespassours en corps et biens en le relevement de la navie. |
[XVIII. Requisitioning of ships.] 26. XVIII. Also, the masters of ships pray: that whereas their ships are arrested and held as forfeit because of some little thing put in their said ships uncustomed, of which the said masters are ignorant; may it please our lord the king and his good council to ordain at this present parliament that the said lords shall not lose their ships for such reason, but that it may please him to proceed against the trespassers in body and goods in order to relieve the fleet. |
| [editorial note: Responsio.] | [editorial note: Answer.] |
| Il plest au roi q'ensi soit de ce jour en avant. (fn. ii-283-126-1) | It pleases the king that it shall be thus from this day forward. (fn. ii-283-126-1) |
| 27. Et quant al article contenu en mesmes les ordinances, (fn. ii-283-128-1) 'de ces qe font grevouses pleintes au roi mesmes,' est assentu qe si celui qe fait sa pleinte ne poet prover sa entente devers le defendant par proces limite en mesme l'article, q'il soit commande a la prisone, a y demurer tanqe il ait fait gree a la partie de ses damages et de l'esclandre q'il avera suffert par tiele cause; et apres face fin et raunceon au roi. Et soit oustez le point en mesme l'article, 'qe le pleintif encourge mesme la peine qe l'autre averoit s'il feust atteint, en cas qe sa suggescion soit trove malveis'. (fn. ii-283-128-2) |
[Amendments to various previous statutes.] 27. And as regards the article contained in the same ordinances, (fn. ii-283-128-1) 'concerning those who make grievous complaints to the king himself', it is agreed that if the person who makes his complaint cannot prove his intent against the defendant by the process specified in the same article, he shall be sent to prison, to remain there until he has made satisfaction to the party of his damages and of the slander that he has suffered for such reason; and after, he shall make fine and ransom to the king. And the following point in the same article shall be removed, 'that the plaintiff shall incur the same penalty as the other would have if he was attainted, in the event that his accusation is found to be evil.' (fn. ii-283-128-2) |
| 28. Quant a marchandie de vins et de ces qe passeront de quere vins en Gascoigne, pur la diversete des opinions de pluseurs, il plest au roi qe les estatutz et ordinances sur ce faites estoisent en lour force. Et qe de sa grace et soeffrance touz marchantz deniszeins qe ne sont artificers passent en Gascoigne de quere vins illoeqes, a fin et entente qe parmy ceste general congie greindre plente viegnent, et meillour marche soient des vins deinz le roialme. Et qe les Gascoignes et touz autres aliens puissent venir en dit roialme ove lour vins et franchement vendre, saunz nul destourbance ou empeschement; toutdis sauve au roi qe bien lui lise a quele heure qe soit avis a lui et son bon conseil de ordeiner sur ceste article en manere qe meltz lui semblera, pur profit de lui et de sa commune. (fn. ii-283-130-1) | 28. As regards the trade of wine and those who cross to fetch wine in Gascony, as a result of the diversity of opinions of many, may it please the king that the statutes and ordinances made thereon shall remain in force. And that, of his grace and sufferance, all denizen merchants who are not artisans shall cross into Gascony to fetch wine there, to the end and intent that through this general licence a greater plenty may come, and there may be a better market of wine within the realm. And that the Gascons and all other aliens may come into the said realm with their wines and freely sell them, without any disturbance or obstruction; always saving to the king that it is lawful for him, whenever he and his good council are advised, to ordain on this article in the manner that seems best to him, for the profit of him and of his commonalty. (fn. ii-283-130-1) |
| 29. Quant al article fait de jurrours l'an .xxxiiij., (fn. ii-283-132-1) est assentu et ajouste a ycele qe si nuls jurrours [p. ii-288][col. a] rours en assises jurees et autres enquestes a prendre entre le roi et partie, ou partie et partie, par lui ne par autre rien preignent de la partie pleintif ou defendant pur dire lour verditz, et de ce soient atteintz par proces contenu en mesme l'article, soit il a la seute de partie qe vorra sure pur lui mesmes ou pur le roi ou d'autre persone qeconqe, paie chescun des ditz jurrours dis foitz a tant come ils ont pris; et eit celui qe ferra la suite l'une moite et le roi l'autre moite. Et qe touz les embraceours d'amener ou procurer tieles enquestes en pais pur gayn ou profit prendre soient puniz en mesme la manere et fourme come les jurrours. Et si tiele jurrour ou embraceour issint atteint n'eit biens ne chateux dont faire gree en manere susdit, eit la prisone d'un an. Et est l'entencion du roi, des grantz et communes qe nul justice n'autre ministre enquerge d'office sur ceste article, mes soulement a la suite de partie ou d'autri, come dessus est dit. (fn. ii-283-132-2) | 29. As regards the article made concerning jurors in the thirty-fourth year, (fn. ii-283-132-1) it is agreed and added to the same that if any juror [p. ii-288][col. a] sworn in assizes and other inquests to be taken between the king and party, or party and party, by himself or by another takes anything from the party plaintiff or defendant for giving their verdicts, and is attainted of this by the process contained in the same article, whether at the suit of the party who will sue for himself or for the king or of any other person whatsoever, then each of the said jurors shall pay ten times that which he has taken; and he who will sue shall have one half and the king the other half. And that all embracers who bring or procure such inquests in the country to make gain or profit shall be punished in the same manner and form as jurors. And if such a juror or embracer thus attainted does not have goods or chattels with which to make payment in the aforesaid manner, he shall be imprisoned for one year. And it is the intention of the king, great men and commons that no justice or other officer shall inquire officially into this article, but only proceed at the suit of the party or of another, as is aforesaid. (fn. ii-283-132-2) |
| 30. Fait a remembrer qe est acorde et assentu qe une estaple soit a Melcombe de novel, et une autre a Gippewicz, outre les plas limitez en l'estatut de l'estaple. Et auxi pur ese et quiete de pluseurs gentz, et pur ouster custages et travaill par le lointisme cariage des [col. b] leines et pealx lanuz, est assentu qe touz ces qe voillent amener leines et pealx lanuz a Lewes franchement le peussent faire, et qe les custumers de Cicestre quant mestir serra viegnent illoeqes et facent poiser les leines et preignent la custume et subside dues des ditz leines et pealx, les soeffrant passer en le porte de Lewes saunz destourbance. Et en mesme la manere facent les custumers de Jernemuth de leines et pealx lanuz qe serront amenez a Lenn. | 30. Be it remembered that it is agreed and assented that there shall be a staple at Melcombe Regis for the first time, and another at Ipswich, in addition to the places specified in the Statute of the Staple. And also for the ease and quiet of many people, and to remove the costs and labour caused by the far distant carriage of [col. b] wool and woolfells, it is agreed that all those who will bring wool and woolfells to Lewes may freely do so, and that the customs officers of Chichester shall come there when necessary and weigh the wool and take the custom and subsidy due from the said wool and woolfells, suffering them to pass through the port of Lewes without disturbance. And the customs officers of Yarmouth shall act in the same manner concerning the wool and woolfells which will be brought to Lynn. |
| 31. Et le .xvij. jour de Feverer, le roi, grantz et communes assemblez en la chambre Blanche, et l'ordinance fait contre ces qe empugnent les droitz le roi et de sa corone primes lue, et puis les peticions des comunes et les respons et le grant faite au roi del subside de leines, quirs et pealx lanuz recite et monstre as ditz grantz et comunes par le chanceller, le roi mercia as ditz grantz et communes durement de lour bon conseil et avis, et du grant travail q'ils avoient eu et auxint del eide q'ils lui avoient fait et grante en ce parlement, et dona congie as ditz grantz et comunes a departir chescun ou lui plust. Et issint finist le parlement. |
[Ending of parliament.] 31. And on 17 February, with the king, great men and commons assembled in the White Chamber, and the ordinance made against those who oppose the rights of the king and of his crown having first been read, and then the petitions of the commons and the answers, and the grant made to the king of the subsidy of wool, leather and woolfells having been recited and declared to the said great men and commons by the chancellor, the king greatly thanked the said great men and commons for their good counsel and advice, and for the great labour which they have had and also for the aid which they have made and granted in this parliament, and he gave permission for the said great men and commons to depart, each when he pleased. And so ended the parliament. |
Appendix 1365
1
Transcript of the Statute of Praemunire (38 Edw III st 2: SR , I.385-7), verbatim (with only minor orthographic differences) as both on the parliament roll for 1365 (item 9) and on the statute roll; this may be a copy made for circulation to one of the government departments.
Source : C 49/8/6.
2
Exoneration of the prior of Lewes from the obligation to attend parliament, dated 10 February 1365, granted on the grounds that his predecessors had only intermittently received summonses since the time of Edward II and had no ancient obligation to be included in the list of parliamentary lords spiritual.
Source : CCR 1364-8 , 100, printed in full in RDP , IV.638.
3
Record of process in parliament headed 'Placita in parliamento apud Westm' in octabis Sancti Hillarii anno Edwardi tertii tricesimo nono [ sic ]'. The case was brought by a petition (recited verbatim) to parliament by Gill, widow of Sir John Molyns, who asked that the king and council review in parliament the record of the matter brought by writ of scire facias in chancery concerning her dispute with Robert Fiennes of France over the manor of Wendover, and claiming that the judgment given there was in error. The schedule records that the petition was heard in parliament and it was decided by the lords and others of the king's council to have the record and process of the case brought by scire facias in chancery delivered for consideration. The writ of scire facias , dated 1 September 1364 and warranted 'by letter of secret seal', follows, together with a record of the case in chancery. The case rested on the two parties' competing rights to the manor of Wendover, seized from Robert Fitz William, uncle of Robert Fiennes, at the outset of the French wars on account of his allegiance to the throne of France, and held since 1340 in a joint life interest by John and Gill Molyns; Fiennes claimed that the crown was under an obligation, according to the terms of the 1360 truce with France, to restore such property. The king and the lords of the council to whom the case in chancery was sent had decided that Fiennes ought to have restoration, and had ordered that the sheriff of Buckinghamshire be instructed to act accordingly. The schedule states that the record of the case in chancery, together with the record of the king's grant of the manor to Molyns in 1340 (not itself transcribed on this schedule), was heard by the lords and other great men of parliament, who decided that the manor should be taken into the king's hands.
Source : C 49/8/7, printed in full in Select Cases before the King's Council, 1243-1482 , ed. I.S. Leadam and J.F. Baldwin, Selden Society 35 (1918), 48-53 (with references); and in RPHI , 273-8.
4
Petition of the mayor and good men of Newcastle upon Tyne for the repeal, in parliament, of a licence of confraternity deceitfully obtained in chancery, already annulled by the king and council, but which is now being reasserted through the machinations of certain men in the town. Endorsed: the ordinance is upheld and the fraternity repealed in the present parliament; they may have letters patent in these terms. The resulting chancery instrument is dated 13 February 1365 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Sources : SC 8/207/10313; Ancient Petitions Relating to Northumberland , ed. C.M. Fraser, Surtees Society 176 (1961), no. 223; CPR 1364-7 , 97-8.
5
Petition of the citizens of Lincoln, for themselves and the merchants of Nottingham, York and Hull and all other merchants denizen and alien, complaining of impediments to traffic on the Fossdyke. Endorsed: let certain persons (not named) be appointed to inquire on this matter. The resulting commission of inquiry is dated 8 February 1365 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Sources : SC 8/210/10453; CPR 1364-7 , 138.
6
Petition of the commonalties of the counties of Somerset and Wiltshire concerning free passage on the River Avon. Endorsed: appoint a commission of inquiry. The resulting commission of inquiry is dated 22 February 1365 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'. Note also a similar petition from the same counties avowed by the commons in 1372 (parliament roll of 1372, item 24).
Sources : SC 8/293/14647; CPR 1364-7 , 140-1.
7
Petition of Edmund Swynford requesting satisfaction in his dispute with John Brewes over the manor of Harlaxton (Lincolnshire). Endorsed: let Brewes and his family and friends be summoned before the council. Attached is the resulting writ of praemunire facias issued against Brewes, ordering the sheriff of Lincolnshire to have him in chancery on the quindene of Easter; the writ is dated 26 February 1365 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'; it is endorsed with the sheriff's return.
Source : SC 8/226/11278-9.
8
Petition of Henry Beaumont, resulting in the appointment of a commission of inquiry dated 14 February 1365 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Sources : CIM 1348-77 , no. 570; CPR 1364-7 , 139.
9
Petition (not extant) of the prior and convent of St Katharine's without Lincoln, resulting in a chancery instrument dated 8 February 1365 and warranted 'by petition of parliament'.
Source : CPR 1364-7 , 136.