A Brief Register Part 2, Part 2 · Section 4 · Subsection 7 – Subsection 9
Eodem modo mandatum est singulis Vicecom.
Angliae, mutatis mutandis. T. ut supra.
In these two Writs there are many things worthy our special observation.
1. That the word Parliamentum is not used in them, but only Colloquium et Tractatum. 2ly. That there is no mention in these Writs of any Colloquium or Tractatum, cum Praelatis; but only cum Comitibus, & caeteris Magnatibus de regno nostro. 3ly. That the Sheriffs are required only Duos Milites de Com. praedicto eligi fac. &c. without any Citizens or Burgesses of the Cities or Boroughs within their respective Counties. 4ly. That these two Knights were to be thus qualified; De discretioribus, et ad laborandum potentioribus, & magis legales; and to be de Com. praedicto; not of any other County. 5ly. That they were to be elected, De consensu ejusdem Comitatus, not without or against their consents. 6ly. That they were to appear at the day and place prescribed in the Writs; Cum plena potestate pro se et tota Communitate Com. praedict. ad consulend. et consentiend. and that only, hiis quae Comites, Barones & Pr…eres praedicti concorditer ordinaverint in praemissis; not what the Knights themselves should ordain or prescribe: who could then vote, order, determin nothing, but what the Earls, Barons, Nobles, and the King did first ordain and advise: much less ordain or order any thing without and against their wills, order and assents, as some of late most insolently and unparliamentarily have presumed to doe without the least ground, warrant, reason, president: As is further evident by this in the later Writ; ad audiendum et faciendum quod et tunc ibidem plenius injungemus. 7ly. That there is but one days difference between the dates of both these Writs, and that they issued in the self-same form (mutatis mutandis) to all the Sheriffs of England. 8ly. (which is most observable). That the King by these Writs enjoyns every Sheriff in each County of England, quod praeter duos illos Milites, which they were to elect by virtue of the first Writs, eligi facias Duos alios Milites legales, &c. et eos una cum dictis duobus Militibus usque Westm. venire facias, &c. So that they were to elect no less than 4. Knights by these two Writs for every County, with equal power and authority; who were all to appear and serve in this Parliament: A clear evidence, that the King in this age was not confined to any certain Number of Knights (nor yet of Citizens or Burgesses) in any County, but might then summ…n so many Knights, as he thought most expedient and necessary, since reduced to a certainty by the subsequent Statutes of 5 R. 2. c. 4. 7 H. 4. c. 15. 11 H. 4. c. 1. 1 H. 5. c. 1. 6 H. 6. c. 4. 8 H. 6. c. 7. 10 H. 6. c. 2. 23 H. 6. c. 11. 15. 27 H. 8. c. 26. 34 H. 8. c. 13. 35 H. 8. c. 11. 9ly. That the King by his Tibi praecipimus firmiter injungentes, & hoc nullo modo omittatis; manifests, that the Sheriffs were bound at their peril to obey, execute both these Writs, without disputing or disobeying them. 10ly. That though the Writs enjoin the Sheriff only, & habeas ihi hoc breve; yet the Sheriff was to return the names of the Knights elected together with the Writ, as the practise and returns in those times resolve.
The next Writs I have met with for electing Knights Citizens and Burgesses, are those in Claus. 23 E. 1. m' 4. dorso.
Rex Vic. Northt. salutem. Quia cum Comitibus, Baronibus, & caeteris Proceribus regni nostri super remediis contra pericula quae eidem regno hiis diebus imminent providend. Colloquium habere volumus et Tractatum, per quod eis mandavimus, quod sint ad Nos die Dominica prox. post sestum Sancti Martini in yeme prox. futur. apud Westm. ad tractand. ordinand. & faciend. qualiter sit hujusmodi periculis obviand, Tibi praecipimus firmiter injungentes, quod de Com. praevicto Duos Milites, & de quolibet Civitate ejusdem Com. Duos Cives, & de quolibet Burgo Duos Burgenses, de discretioribus, et ad laborand. potentioribus sine dilatione eligi, et eos ad Nos ad praedictos diem & locum venire fac. Ita quod dicti Milites plenam & sufficientem potestatem pro se & Communitate Com. praedicti, & dicti Cives et Burgenses pro se et Communitate Civitatum et Burgo…um praedictorum divisim ab ipsis tunc ibidem habeant ad faciend. tunc quod de Communi Consilio ordinabitur in praemissis. Ita quod pro defectu hujusmodi potestatis negotium praedictum infectum non remaneat quoquo modo. Et babeas ibi nomina Militum, Civium & Burgenfium, & hoc breve. Teste Rege apud Cantuar. tertio die Octobr.
Consimiles literae diriguntur singulis Vicecom. per Angliam, et de eadem data.
The next Writs of this kind now extant, are those of Claus. 24 E. 1. m. 7. dors. little different from the former.
Rex Vic. Linc. salutem. Quia cum Comitibus, &c. (as in the former Writ) quod sint ad Nos in crastino Animarum prox. futur. apud Sanctum Edmundum ad tractand. ordinand. et faciend. qualiter sit periculis obviand. hujusmodi et statui ejusdem Regni tutius, et utilius consulend. Tibi praecipimus quod de Com. praedicto duos Milites, et de qualibet Civitate ejusdem Com. duos Cives, et de quolibet Burgo duos Burgenses de discretioribus et ad laborand. potentioribus, sine dilatione eligi, et cos ad Nos ad praedictos diem et locū venire facias. Ita quod dicti Milites plenam & sufficientem potestatem pro se et Communitate Com. praedicti habeant in praemissis; Ita quod pro defectu potestatis hujusmodi negotium praedictum non remaneat quoquo modo inane. Et habeas ibi nomina Militum, Civium et Burgensium et hoc breve. T. ut supra.
Consimiles literae diriguntur singulis Vicecomitibus per Angliam. T. ut supra.
There is nothing remarkable in this Writ, but only that it differs somewhat in words, but not in substance from the ordinary Writs succeeding it, in the Ita quod, &c. I shall therefore proceed to the next Writs of this kind.
The next are these notable Writs (unobserved by others) which I meet with in 25 E. 1. when the great De veniendo pro confirmatione Magnae Cartae.Charter of the Liberties and of the Forest were to be confirmed, in respect of a great ayd given to the King against the French, thus entred in Claus. 25 E. 1. d. 6. after the Writ de Parliamento tenendo to the *See Part 1. p. 9.Archbishop of Cant. dated 9 die Septembris, and the list of the names of the Spiritual and Temporal Lords.
Rex Vic. Ebor. salutem. Quia in relevationem omnium incolarum et populi Regni nostri pro Octava omnium honorum singulorum ligeorum per totum idem Regnum pro urgentissima nunc dicti Regni contra Gallicos necessitate levanda, concessimus pro Nobis et Haeredibus nostris confirmare, et firmiter teneri facere Magnam Cartam de Libertatibus Angliae; et Cartam de Libertatibus Forestae; & concedere omnibus & singulis ejusdem Regni literas nostras Patentes; quod dictae Octavae levatio non cedat eisdem in praejudicium, servitutem et exhaeredationem, usum vel consue tudinem in futurum. Tibi praecipimus firmiter injungentes, quod sine dilatione aliqua duos de probioribus et legalioribus Militibus Com. tui Eligi, et eos plenam potestatem pro ipsis & tota Communitate dicti Com. habentes, ad Edwardum filium nostrum carissimum, tenentem in Anglia locum nostrum, venire facias. Ita quod sint London. ad eundem filium nostrum modis omnibus in Octabis Sancti Michaelis proximo futuri ad ultimum, Cartas super Confirmatione nostra Cartarum praedictarum, et literas nostras super dicta concessione pro ipsa Communitate in forma praedicta recepturi, & facturi ulterius, quod per dictum filium nostrum ibidem fuerit ordinatum. Et boc nullo modo omittas. Et habeas ibi boc Breve. T. Edwardo filio nostro apud Sanctum Paulum London 10. die Septembr.