King Richard III Revived, Title page
KING Richard the Third REVIVED. Containing A Memorable Petition and Declaration contrived by himſelf and his Inſtruments, whiles Protector, in the name of the three Eſtates of England, to importune and perſwade him to accept of the Kingſhip, and Crown of England, by their joynt Election, (as if he were unwilling to undertake, or accept, though he moſt ambitiouſly aſpired after them, by the bloudy murthers of K. Henry 6. Edward 5. and ſundry others) before his Coronation; preſented afterwards to, and confirmed by the three Eſtates and himſelf, in his firſt Parliament, to give him a colourable Title both by Inheritance, and their Election to the Crown. Tranſcribed out of the Parliament Roll of 1. R. 3. (printed in Speeds Hiſtory of Great Britain: where his other Additionall Policies to engage the City of London, Lawyers, Divines and People, to elect, and make him their King, are at large recorded.)
Eccleſ. 3. 15.
That which hath been, is now, and that which is to be, hath already been: and God requireth that which is driven away.
1 Sam. 12. 17, 19.
The Lord ſhall ſend thunder and rain, that ye may perceive and ſee, that your wickedneſſe is great which ye have done in the ſight of the Lord, in asking you a King. And all the people ſaid unto Samuel, Pray for thy ſervants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not; for we have added unto all our ſins, this evil, to ask us a King.
LONDON, Printed for William Leak, at the Crown in Fleetſtreet, betwixt the two Temple-Gates. 1657.
In Rotulo Parliamenti tenti apud Weſtm. die Veneris viceſsimo tertio die Januarii, Anno regni Regis Richardi Tertii primo, inter alia continentur ut ſequitur.
Memorand. quod quaedam Billa exhibita fuit coram Domino Rege in Parliamento praedicto in haec verba.
WHereas late heretofore, that is to ſay, before the Conſecration, Coronation, and Inthronization of our Soveraign Lord King Richard the Third, a roll of Parchment containing in writing certain Articles of the tenor underwriten, on the behalf, and in the name of the three Eſtates of this Realm of England, that is to ſay, of the Lords Spiritual, and Temporal, and of the Commons by name, and divers Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and other Nobles and notable perſons of the Commons in great multitude, was preſented & actually delivered unto our ſaid Soveraign Lord, the intent and effect expreſſed at large in the ſame roll, to the which roll, and to the Conſiderations, and inſtant petition comprized in the ſame, our ſaid Soveraign Lord for the publique weal, and tranquility of this Land being duly aſſented.
Now for as much as neither the ſaid three Eſtates, neither the ſaid perſons,Things done & concluded without the 3. eſtates in Parliament, gave little or no ſatisfaction to the People, though in the name of the Parliament & 3. Eſtates. which in their name preſented, and delivered as it is aforeſaid the ſaid Roll unto our ſaid Soveraign Lord the King, were aſſembled in form of Parliament, by reaſon whereof divers doubts, queſtions, and ambiguities been moved and ingendred in the minds of divers perſons, as it is ſaid.
Therefore, to the perpetual memory of the truth, and declaration of the ſame, be it ordained, provided, and eſtabliſhed in this preſent Parliament, that the Tenor of the ſaid Roll, with all the Contents of the ſame, preſented as is aboveſaid, and delivered to our aboveſaid Soveraign Lord the King, in the name, and in the behalf of the ſaid three Eſtates out of Parliament; Now by the ſaid *The 3. Eſtates muſt concurr to make a Parl. elſe his Title would neither be valid, nor ſatisfactory, but ambiguous, as before: No one or two of them being a full Parl. but all 3. conjoyned.three Eſtates aſſembled in this preſent Parliament, and by authority of the ſame, be ratified, enrolled, recorded, approved, and authorized to the removing of the occaſions of doubts, and ambiguities, and to all other lawfull effects that ſhall now thereof enſue, ſo that all things ſaid, affirmed, ſpecified, deſired, and remembred in the ſaid Roll, and in the tenour of the ſame, underwritten in the name of the ſaid three Eſtates to the effect expreſſed in the ſaid Roll, be of the like effect, vertue, and force, as if all the ſame things had been ſo ſaid, affirmed, ſpecified, and remembred in full Parliament, and by authority of the ſame accepted, and approved, the Tenor of the ſaid Roll of Parchment wherof above is made mention, followeth, and is ſuch.