A Brief Register Part 2, Part 2 · Section 4 · Subsection 40 – Subsection 41
Consimilia brevia diriguntur singulis Vicecomitibus per Angliam: & carissimo Anvunculo Regis Johanni Regi Castellae & Legionis, Duci Lancastr. vel ejus Cancellario in eodem Ducatu, sub eadem data.
From these two memorable Writs, compared with some of the limitations in the precedent Writs, it is evident, 1. That although the King may by his Writs advise and command the Sheriffs and people by general clauses, to elect two of the best, wisest, discreetest, fittest, elegantest ablest Knights, Citizens, Burgesses in each County, City, Borough, and most able to take pains: and likewise probibite them to elect maintainers of Quarrels and false sutes, persons of ill fame, living by maintenance and dishonest gain, Sheriffs of Counties, practising Lawyers, Barons of the Realm, and other unfitting persons for such a publick Service; Yet he ought not to insert any new qualifications or restraints into his Writs, contrary to the amient, usual form, liberty, and freedom of the peoples Elections, which may tend to the packing of any Parliament, to promote any particular factions, parties, or designs to the publick prejudice, or deprive the people of their antient legal freedom in their Elections, especially in times of general discord, discontents, jealousies, or open sad debates between the King and his Subjects, as these new clauses, in debatis modernis magis indifferentes, &c. and other late Army qualifications, restraints duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page of more dangerous consequence do in the late Instrument of Government, and Petition and advice prescribed by the New-Modellers of Parliaments, and our Republicans since, to advance their own particular designs, & admit, seclude, what Members they please, though best affected to the publick welfare, ease, peace, fafety, settlement of our distracted Nations, and most desired, confided in by the people who elected them by their unanimous Votes.
2ly. That our Kings themselves are bound in Justice and prudence to reverse and revoke all such unusual, illegal clauses and restraints, inserted into writs for Elections, which are inconsistent with the just rights and freedom of the people in their elections, according to the Statutes of 3 E. 1. c. 5. 9 E. 4. c. 14. 7 H. c. 15. and this memorable President of King Ri…bard the 2d. and that before any publick report thereof in Parliament, or examination by the Commons.
3ly. That no Peer or Baron of the Realm, may or ought (a) See my plea sor the Lords, p. 144, 145, 146.to be elected a Knight of the Shire, or Burgess of Parliament, That the King himself may by his Writ, null and declare their Elections void, and command a new Election to be made, before the Parliament assembles, without the Commons precedent or concurrent Votes.
4. That if the same person be elected Knight of the shire in two several Counties, the King by his Writ may null and discharge the second election before the Parliament meets, and order the election of a New Knight for the County wherein he was last elected, (he being uncapable to serve in both) without the Commons order or privity. 5ly. That the Commons House or Committees in this Age, were not the ludges, Desciders of the lawfulness of Knights and Burgesses elections, (as now they make themselves) but the King himself, or the King and Lords House, or his Counsel in Parliament, without the Commons, as I have bPlea for 376 to 410. the Lords, p.elsewhere proved at large by sundry Presidents.
Besides, the writs for elections under King Richard the 2d. entred in the Clause Rolls, there are five several Bundles of writs, anno 3, 10, 11, 13, & 16 R. 2. issued to Sheriffs for electing Knights, Citizens, Burgesses, for the respective Parliaments held in those years, having the Retorns of the Sheriffs. with all the names of the knights, Citizens, Burgesses then elected indorsed on them, or in Cedules annexed to them, most of them having two Manucaptors apiece for their appearance at the day and place of the Parliament, and some few of them no Manucaptors at all; the forms of the Retorns agreeing for the most part with those of 26 & 28 E. 1. & 42 E. 3. forecited. upon which confideration I shall wholy pretermit them, to avoid prolixity and nauseousness.
The original writs of Elections and their Retorns under K. Henry 4. are either mislayed or totally lost, embeseled, perished through negligence, or casualty, so as I can give you no particular account of them, but only of their transcripts entred in the Clause-Rolls. The first of them are enrolled, in Claus. 1 H. 4. m. 37. dors. claus. 2 H. 4. pars 2. dors. 8. cl. 3 H. 4. dors. 2. 17. cl. 5 H. 4. pars 1. dors. 28. pars 2. dors. 11. agreeing all in words, substance, form, with the usual VVrits forecited under Richard the second, without any variation, except in their Prologues and dates, being the same with those to the Prelates, Section 1. But in Cl. 5 H. 4. part 2. m. 4. dors. there was an unusual new Clause inserted into the VVrits then issued, prohibiting all Apprentices, or any other man of Law to be elected, as well as Sheriffs, these Writs else agreeing in all things with the ordinary form.
Rex Vic. &c. Jalutem, &c. Nolumus autem quod tu sive aliquis alius Vicecomes Regni nostri, nec Apprenticius, aut aliquis alius homo ad legem aliqualiter sit electus. Teste Rege apud Lichefeld, quinio die Augusti.
cHist. Angl. p. 414.Thomas of Walsingham, a credible Historian then living, took special Notice of this extraordinary VVrit, recording in his History of England, direxit ergo Rex brevia Vicecomitibus, ne quosquam pro Comitatibus eligerent quovismedo Milites. qui in Iure regni docti fuissent vel Apprenticii, sed tales omnino mitterentur ad boc negotium, quos constat ignorare cujusque Iuris methodum, quod et factum est. But what prejudice to the Republike and people this produced by imposing new insupportable Taxes upon them, he informs us in his Ypodigma Nestr. p. 164. Grave Sir d4 Instit. p. 10.Edward Cook (the most confident common Mistaker, Mis-reporter of Records that I have hitherto read) peremptorily affirms, That the Historian (VValsingham) was (herein) mistaken, and that there was no such Clause in the Writs then issued. A clear evidence he never perused this Clause Roll or VVrit with his own eyes (or most else be cites) as I have done more than once for my own and others satisfaction; transcribing this passage out of it, with my own hand, which I have also met with in sundry other transcripts, as well as in the Roll it self, where all may peruse it when they please. And if this be not sufficient evidence, our learned Antiquary Sir Henry Spelman, (a person of far greater judgement and learning in Antiquities than Sir Edw Cook) hath assured us thereof in his Glossarium p. 44. Prohibet Rex Henrious 4 legum Apprenticios ad Parliamentaria Comitia Coventriae habita sexto die Octob. anno Regni sui sexto in Comitatibus eligendos, ut non solum meminêre Annales nostri, sed ipsum etiam (e2 Par. Claus. m. dors. n. 4. breve Parliamentarium unicuique Vicecomitum directum, datumque vigessimo quinto die Aug. anno ejusdem 5. uti patet ibidem in pede, viz. Nolumus autem quod tu seu aliquis alius Vic. Regni nostri praedicti, aut Apprenticius sive aliquis alius homo ad legem aliqualiter sit electus, &c. Hinc Parliamentum illud Laicorum dicitur & indoctorunr, quo & jugulum Ecclesiae atrocius petebatur. And Sir Edward Cook himself at unawares confesseth as much, some few pages after 4 Instit. p. 48. as I have evidenced in my Plea for the Lords. p. 379, 380, 381. and Preface to the Exact Abridgement of the Records in the Tower. I find in truth, that there were no less than three several writs of Summons and Elections to three distinct Parliaments in this one year of 5 H. 4. The first dated apud Leichfeld 5 die Augusti, for a Parliament to be held at Coventree octavo die Octobr. entred Claus. pars 2 H. 4 dors. 4. whereinto this clause was inserted, omitted in most Collections of Parliamentary writs of Summons. The second entred in Claus. 5 H. 4. pars 2. dors. 11. Teste Johanne Duce Bedford, Custode Angliae apud Westm. 5 die Octobris. The third entred Clause 5 H. 4. pars 1. dors. 28. for a Parliament apud Coventre, tertio die Decembris. Teste Rege apud VVestm. 20 die Octobris, in which two latter writs there is no such Clause inserted, but only in the first, which perchance was the ground of f4 Instit. p. 10. 48.Sir Edward Cooks confident mistake, who only saw a transcript of the latter, not of the first Writs.
This Clause was warranted by and grounded on the forecited Ordinance of 46 E. 3. as Sir Edward Cook a… tests, and I subscribe to; but that this was an Ordinance … ly of the Lords, or that Ordinances differed from Acts of Parliament in those times, in this, that one had the threefold concurrent assent of the King, Lords and Commons, the other not, &c. as he there affirms, I utterly deny, and have gIrenarches Redivivus, near the eud. My Table to the Exact Abridgement of the Records in the Tower, Tit. Ordinance of Parliament.elsewhere at large resuted by unanswerable evidences, and above an hundred Acts of Parliament, which make them both one and the same, they having both this threefold concurrent assent to make them Acts, or Ordinances, without which they are neither: and himself confesseth it in his 2. Institutes p. 101. 645, 646. & elsewhere. The reason for secluding practising Lawyers from being elected, whiles they actually continued to plead and prosecute Suites in the Kings Courts for others, are expressed in the Ordinance, now fit to be revived, (h) See Cook. 4 instit p. 10, 48, 49.that so the Lawyers elected may totally attend the publick businesses of the Kingdom and Parliament in the House, and not neglect them: which if they do faithfully and conscienciously execute with publick spirits, there are no Members whatsoever more usefull, necessary, beneficial to the publick than they, both forthe penning of good laws, debating all businesses of law, examining all complaints'and grievances: whence none but Lawyers for the most part in antient or late times have been chosen iSee Mr. Will. Hackwells Catalogue of the Speakers names printed, 1641.Speakers of the Commons House, & few else but they imployed as Chair-men in most Committees.
After this, upon the making of the Statutes of 7 H. 4. c. 15. & 11 H. 4. c. 1. upon the Commons petition, as appears, by 1 H. 4. rot. parl. num. 83. 139. & 11 H. 4. n. 54. for regulating former abuses in the elections of Knights of Shires to serve in Parliaments; the ant… ent form for the VVrits for electing Knights, was somewhat altered and enlarged; as is evident by the next ensuing VVrits of Clause 8 H. 4. dors. 2. cl. 11 H. 4. dors. 32. cl. 12 H. 4. dors. 2. cl. 14 H. 4. dors. 22. & cl. 1 H. 5. dors. 9. & 37. agreeing all in one form, and differing only in the prologues, dates, and places of the Parliaments; I shall therefore present you only with a Transcript of the last of them.
Rex Vic. Kanc. salutem. Quia de avisamento Consilii nostri, &c. (as in the former VVrits.) Tibi praecipimus sirmiter injungentes, Quod facta proclamatione in proximo Comitatu tuo post receptionem hujus brevis tenendo, de die & loco (Parliamenti) praedictis, duos Milites gladiis cinctos, magis idoneos & discretos de Com. praedict. &c. libere et indifferenter per illos qui proclamationi hujusmodi interfuerint juxta formam Statuti inde editi et provist, eligi, & nomina eorum Militum Civinm & Burgensium sic …eligendorum, in quibusdam Indenturis inter te & illos Electorum.qui hujusmodi electioni interfuerint inde constituend. licet hujusmodi eligendi praesentes vel absentes fuerint, inseri, eosque ad dictos diem & locum venire facias. Ita quod, &c. (as in former writs) Nolumus autem quod tu, vel, (seu) aliquis alius Vicecomes Regni nostri praedicti aiiqualiter sit electus. Et electionem tuam in pleno Comitatu tuo distinctè & apertè factam sub sigillo tuo & sigillis eorum qui electioni illi interfuerint Nobis in Cancellaria nostra ad dictos diem & locum certifices indilatè. Remittend, Nobis aliam partem Indenturarum praedictarum praesentibus consutam una cum hoc breve. Teste Rege apud Westm. 22 die Maii.
The like writs then issued to all other Sheriffs of Counties, and this form with little or no variation, continued from 1 H. 4. to all Sheriffs of particular Cities and Boroughs, made Counties within themselves, (as Lincoln, York, Bristol, Coventre, Norwich, Notyngham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Kingstone upon Hull, and Southampton, mutatis mutandis) till the Statute of 8 H. 6. c. 7. concerning Elections was made, as the Clause. Rolls assure us, where the writs of Summons are recorded; only the writs to the Sheriffs of London were to elect Qua…uor Cives de discretioribus & magis sufficien…ibus; the writs to the Sheriffs of other Cities that were Counties, to elect Duos Cives, and to those Boroughs which were Counties, to choose Duos Burgenses.
The bundle of those original writs which issued in 1 H. 5 is yet extant, together with the several retorns and Indentures of the Sheriffs, and names of the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses then elected and retorned, the major number of them having Manucaptors retorned for their appearance at the day and place of the Parliament, which others of them have not. The Statutes of 7 H. 4. c. 15. & 11 H. 4. c. 1. enacting all Sheriffs to make their Retorns of the Knights elected by Indentures, between the Sheriffs and Electors, under their respective Seals, never in use before, thereupon the forms of their Retorns were accordingly altered and made by Indentures, wherein the names of the Knights elected and of their Electors were retorned, some inserting more, some fewer names of the Electors, with general clauses for the rest; on the dorse of many of which Indentures the names of the Knights, Manucaptors, and sometimes of the Citizens and Burgesses, and their Manucaptors are entred, and others of them on the dorses only of the Writs; These Indentures are somewhat various and different in their forms and words, but for the most part they accord in substance: All those from 7 H 4. to the end of his Reign, being not extant, but lost or mislayd, I shall present you with some few of the first of them yet extant in 1 H. 5. upon the retorn of the last forecited writ that year.
Executio istius brevis patet in quadam Cedula, & in quadam Indentura huic brevi consuta.
Haec Indentura facta apud Lostwythiel, 24 die Aprilis Anno Regni Regis Henrici quinti, post conquestum Angliae primo, in pleno Com. ibidem tent. inter Johannem Arundel Vic. Com. praedicti; & Johan. Whalesbrew, Willum. Grynevile, and 32. more there named, & plures alios de dicto Com. ibidem tunc praesentes, secundum Proclamationem dicti Dom. Regis, de Militibus pro Parliamento in dicto brevi specificato eligendis factam. Qui tunc ibidem unanimi assensu et consensu eligerunt Johan. Wibbury & Johan. Trelonny Milites, qui habent plenam & sufficieutem potestatem pro se & communitate Com. praedicti, ad faciend. & con. sentiend, prout breve praedictum in se exegit & requirit. In cujus rei testimonium huic parti Indenturae huic breve consut. proedictus Johannes Whalesbrew & caeteri omnes praenominati sigilla sua apposuerunt. Et alteri parti Indentur. praedictarum Vic. sigillum suum apposuit. Dat. die, loco & anno supradictis.
Nomina Militum electorum pro Parliamento in brevi huic Cedulae consut. Those named in the Indenture having each two Manucaptors.
Nulla est Civitas in Com. praedicto.
Nomina Burgensium pro Parliamento in Com. praedicto: Dounhevedburgh, 2. Bodmyn Burgh. 2. Helston Burg. 2. Lostwithiel Burg. 2. Truru Burg. 2. having every of them two Manucaptors retorned over against their names, all there named.
The Counties of Snssex & Surry having a several writs, and but one Sheriff are retorned both together; the Indenture for Surry runs thus, Haec Indentura facta apud Guldeford, &c. testatur, quod virtute brevis Dom. Regis in pleno Com. praedicto plenarie lecti & auditi, per assensum & consensum Willi Weston, (and three more there named) & omnium aliorum fidelium ibidem existentium, electi sunt in Milites pro communitate Com. praedicti existend. ad Parliamentum Dom. Reg…s apud Westm. ex tunc proxtenend. Johannes Burg…. & Willielmus Aferde. In cujus rei Testimonium, &c.
The Indenture annexed to the Writ for Sussex is in Surry and Suffolk.French, between the Sheriff, & les gentilles homes & comunes du dit Counte, dauter part, witnessing, that the Gentlemen and Commons had chosen Richard Sayvyle and Richard Wakebira, a consentie & affaire ceo que as Chivalers de Parliament affaire duement appertient, pur le bonor & profit du dit nostre seigneur le Roy & son Roialme: in testimony whereof the Sheriff and the Gentlemen, and Commons, to wit, 14 there named, and other Gentlemen and Commons, set to their Seals the day and year aforesaid.
None of the Knights, Citizens or Burgesses tetorned upon this Indenture, have any Manucaptors indorsed on the Indenture, nor retorned in the Cedule, as most of the others have in other Counties, though not all; and some of them are retorned to be atached, & quilibet eorum separatim per se, by particular persons there retorned, without any Manucaptors for them, as in the retorn for Cambridge-shire.
Most of the Indentures mention, that the Knights elected and retorned have plenam & sufficientem potestatem pro se & communitate Com. praedict. ad faciend. & consent. …iis qu… tunc ibidem de communi co…silio dicti Regni favente Domino ordinari contigerit super negoti… in praedicto brevi specificatis. In cujus rei testimonium, &c. as the retorns of the Sheriff of Hertford-shire & Essex, (which Counties had then but one Sheriff) and sundry others attest. The Indenture for Wyltes addes: Item praesens Indentura, testatur, qnod Cives & Burgenses de qualibet Civitate & Burg. Com. praedict. electi, &c. plenam & sufficieneem potestatem prose, & communitate Civitatum & Burgorum praedictorum divisim habentes ad faciend & consentiend, prout dictum breve in se exigit & requirit. Incujus rei Testimonium, &c. In some Retorns is added, by the Electors, (as also in 3 H. 5. for Essex.) Dantes & concedentes eisdem Roberto Darcy & Johanni Tyrrel Militibus, pro proedicto Parliamento, plenam & sufficientem potestatem prose, & communitate Com. praedicti ad faciend. & consentiend. hiis quae tunc ibidem de communi Consilio Regni Domini Regis favente Domino ordinari contigerit super negotiis in praedicto brevi specificatis. The substance whereof is expressed in most Retorns.
The retorn of the She…iff of Bristol is thus endorfed. Bristol.Adprox. Com. tentum apud Bristol postquam istud Breve mihi deliberatum fuit, viz die Lunae 10 die Aprilis, Anno Regni Henrici quarti post conquestum primo, proclamari feci breve infra scriptum prout illud requirit. Et ulterius vobis certifico, quod ad eundem. Com. & coadunatis, discretioribus & magis sufficientibus Burgensibus dictae Villae ex assensu Jobannis Clyve, Majoris Villae praedictae & aliorum plurimorum ibidem existentium, eligimus duos discretos & magis sussicientes Burgenses Com. Bristol, viz. Thomam Norton & Iohannem Leycestre, qui tam ut Milites pro Com. Bristol, quam ut Burgenses Villae praedict. respondeant in Parliamento Domini Regis tenend. apud Westm. a die Pasche in tres Septimanas, prox. futur. & eos ad praedictum Parliamentum venire faciam, prout in altera parte quarundam Indenturarum: inde inter me & illos qui electioni praedict. interfucrunt confect. huic brevi consut. continetur, prou… istud Breve requirit. Iohannes Sherpe Vic. Bristol.
Haec Indentura facta Bristol inter Johannem Sherpe Vicecomitem Com. Bristol, ex parte …una, & Johannem Clyve Majorem villae praedict. (and thirty more named particularly) & alios probos homines villae praedictae, ex. parte altera testatur; quod virtute brevis. Domini Regis uni parti harum Indenturarum consut. in Com. tento apud Bristol die Lunae, &c. (as before in the Retorn) coadunatis discretioribus & magis sufficientibus Burgensibus dictae villae, Thomas Norton & Johaennes Leycestre Burgenses & Mercatores villae Bristol sunt electi, essendi in Parliamento Domini Regis tenend. &c. (as before) ad respondend. in Parliamento praedicto tam ut Milites pro Com. Bristol, quam ut Burgenses pro Burgo praedict. villae: qui quidem Thomas Norton et Iohannes Leycestre praesentes in Electione praedict. praemuniti (sunt) comparendi in dicto Parliamento ad diem et locum praedictum, ex consensu & assensu dictorum Majoris et proborum hominum praedictorum, et communitatis villlae praedictae, ad consentiend. et faciend. omnia et singula quae in dicto Parliamento contigerit ordinari, ac omnia alia quod breve praedictum exigit. In cujus rei testimonium tam praedictus Vicecomes, quam praefatus Major et singuli probi homines supradicti, sigilla sua alternatim apposuerunt. Dat. Bristol anno et die supradictis.
The Counties of Somerset and Dorset had then two distinct writs, and but one Sheriff, who retorned both writs together.
In the Indenture for the County of Somerset, dated at Yuelchester, 1 die Maii, anno 1 H. 5. there are 24 Electors only named; Qui ex assensu totius Com. praedicti eligerunt. Thomam Brooke Militem, et Rogerum Chedder, Milites essendi apud Westm. ad Parliamentum &c. ad faciend, et consentiend pro Commun. praedict. tunc. ibidem prout breve praefato Vic. inde direct. &c. in se exigit et requirit, &c.
These 2. Knights have each one Manucaptor over against their names, but the Citizens and Burgesses in the County none, except those of Wells, who have two Manucaptors over against their names: But the Knights for the County of Dorset have no Manucaptors, nor any of the Burgesses, except Lyme, who have only two Manucaptors for both Burgesses.
I shall trouble you with no more varieties of Indentures of this kind to avoid prolixity: Those who are not sufficed with these, may peruse them in the Bundles of writs and retorns, anne 1, 3, 8, 9 H. 5. 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 20 H. 6. & 7. & 12 Edw. 4. where they may satiate, if not surfet themselves with retorns and Indentures of this nature.
The forms and substances of all the several writs for elections of Knights, Citizens and Burgesses from 11 H. 4. till 2 H. 6. and of their respective retorns by Indenture in the Bundles of writs and retorns of Anno 3, 8, & 9 H. 5. et Anno 1, 2, 3, 6 H. 6. are the same with those of 1 H. 5. last cited, and all the transcripts of writs for elections recorded in Cl. 2 H. 5. dors. 16. cl. 3 H. 5. dors. 15. cl. 4 H. 5. dors. 18. cl. 5 H. 5. dors. 11. cl. 7. H. 5. d. 9. cl. 8 H. 5. d. 2. cl. 9 H. 5. d. 13. cl. 1 H. 6. d. 22. cl. 2. H. 6. d. 18. cl. 3. H. 6. d. 9. cl. 4. H. 6. d. 15. cl. 5 H. 6. d. 4. cl. 7. H. 6. d. 2. agree in substance and form with the last recited writs of 1 H. 5. Therefore I shall not repeat any of them, but refer you to their perusal in these Rolls. Yet after the Statute of 8 H. 6. c. 7. touching elections of Knights, made upon the Commons Petition to the King and Lords, entred in the Parliament Roll of 8 H 6. num. 57. the form of the Writs for …lections was somewhat altered and enlarged, yet without any ses form or alteration prescribed by that Parliament or Statute, as is evideut by the Clause rolls of 9 H. 6. dors. 28. 10 H. 6. dors. 16. 11 H. 6. d. 10. 12 H. 6. d. 2. 13 H. 6. d. 18. 18 H. 6. d. 33. 20 H. 6. d. 27. et 23 H. 6. d. 21. and the bundles and retorns of the writs, an. 11, 13, 20 H. 6. which all accord in this ensuing form of 23 H. 6. which I shall only here insert.
Rex Vic. Kanc. salutem. Quia pro quibusdam, &c. Teste, ut supra usque ibi: Et tunc sic: cum Praelatis, Magnatibus, et Proceribus dicti Regni nostri Colloquiū habere volumus et Tractatum. Ac in stat. nostro in Parl. apud West: (so the writ in 9 H. 6. but those in 10 H. 6. and after) apud Westm. An. regni nostri 8. tento edito, inter caetera provisum et ordinatum, existit. Quod Milites Com. infra Regnum. nostrum Angl. eligend. ad veniond. in parl. ex tunc tenend. eligantur in quolibet Com. per homines in eodem Com. commorantes et residentes, quorum quilibet habeat liberum tenement. ad valorem quadraginta solidorum peran. ad minus, ultra reprisas, et quod illi qui eligendi fuerint sint similiter in eisdem Com. commorantes et residentes; quodque illi qui habuerint majorem numerum ipsor. qui quadraginta solidos per an. ac ultra expendere possunt, ut praedict. est, per Vicecom. cujuslibet Com. per Indenturas inter ipsos Vicecom. et praefatos electores inde conficiend. sigiliatas, Milites pro Parl. returnentur. Et quod quilibet Vic. Angliae habeat potestatem autoritate Parliamenti praedicti, examinandi super sacra dei Evangelia quemlibet hujusmodi electorem, quantum per annum expendere possit. Et si aliquis Vic. Milites de veniendo ad Parliamentum in contrarium ordinationis praedictae retornaverit, habeant *Not the Commons-House, or Committee of Privilege.Justic. ad Assisas in Sessionibus suis assisarum, potestatem autoritate supradicta de et super hoc Inquisitionem capiendi, per quam si id coram eisdem Justiciariis comperi & Vicecomes inde debite convinci contigerit, tunc idem Vic. paenā cent. librarum Nobis solvend. incurrat, et imprisonetur per unum annum absque traditione in ballium, aut manucaptione. Et quod milites pro Parliamento nostro in contrarium ordinatione praedicta retornati vadia sua perdent, prout in statuto praedicto plenius continetur. Tibi praecipimus firmiter injungentes, quod facta proclamatione in prox. Com. tuo post receptionem hujus brevi… tenend. de die et loco praedictis, duos milites gladiis cinctos, magis idoneos et discretos Com. praedicti, et de qualibet Civitate Com. illius duos Cives, et de quolibet Burgo duos Burgenses de discretioribus et magis sufficientibus, libere et indifferenter, per illos qui proclamationi interfuerint, juxta formam statuti praedicti, ac cujusdam alterius statuti inde dudum editi et provisi eligi, et nomina eorundem militum, Civium et Burgensium sic eligend. in quibusdam Indenturis inter te et illos, qui hujusmodi electioni intersuerint inde conficiend. sive hujusmodi eligendi praesentes fuerint vel absentes, inseri, eosque ad dictos diem et locum venire sac. Ita quod iidem milites plenam et sufficient. potestatem pro se et commun. Com. illius, ac dicti Cives et Burgenses pro se et communitatibus Civitatum et Burgorum praedictorum, divisim ab ipsis habeant, ad faciend. et consentiend. hiis quae tune ibidem de communi Consilio dicti regni nostri savente domino contigerit ordinari super negotiis antedictis. Ita quod pro defectu potestatis hujusmodi, seu propter improvidam electionem Militum Civium aut Burgensium praedictorum, dicta negotia infecta non remaneant quovis modo. Nolumus autem quod tu, aut aliquis alius Vicecomes dicti Regni nostri aliqualiter sit electns. Et electionem tuam in pleno Com. tuo factam distinctè et apertè sub sigillis tui et sigillis eorum qui electioni illi interfuerint Nobis in Cancellariam nostram ad dictos diem et locum certifices indilatè, remittens nobis alteram partem Indenturarum praedictarum praesentibus consutam una cum hoc breve. Teste Rege apud Westm. 12 die Januar.
Consimilia brevia diriguntur singulis Vic. Ang…: sub eadem data.
Rex Vic. London salutem. Quia, &c. ut supra.