nostre seigneur le Roy; et sur ceo prierent a mesme nostre seigneur le Roi, qe pur grande ease et confort des ditz Communes y pleust a nostre seigneur le Roy de grantir as mesmes les Communes, q'ils puissent avoir conisance des responses de leur dites petitions devant ascune tiele grante ensy a faire.

A quoy leur feust responduz, Qe de ceste matire le Roi vorroit communier ovesqe les seigneurs du Parlement, et sur ceo faire ceo qe meulx luy verroit a faire par advys des ditz seigneurs.

Et puis apres, c'est assavoir le darrein jour de Parlement, leur feust responduz, Qe celle manere de fait n'ad este veue ne use en nul temps de ses progenitours ou predecessours, q'ils aueroient ascun respons de leur petitions, ou conisance d'icelle, devant q'ils avoient monstrez et faitz toutz leur autres bosoignes du Parlement, soit il d'ascune grante a faire, ou autrement. Et partant le Roy ne vorroit ascunement chaunger les bones custumes et usages faitz et usez d'auncien temps. (Rolls of Parliament, III. p. 458, § 23.)

Initiation of Money Grants by the Commons (1407)

Item, Vendredy le second jour Decembre, qe feust le darrein jour de Parlement, les Communes viendrent devaunt le Roy et les seigneurs en Parlement, et illeosqes par mandement du Roy une cedule de Indempnitee fur certein altercation moeve par entre

whereupon they prayed our said lord the King that for the great ease and comfort of the said Commons it would please our lord the King to grant to the said Commons, that they should be able to know the answers to their said petitions before any such grant is thus made. To which answer was made to them, that on this matter the King wished to communicate Iwith the lords of Parliament and to do with regard to it what it would seem best to him to do by advice of the said lords. And then afterwards, that is to say, on the last day of Parliament, answer was made to them, that this kind of act had not been seen nor used at any time by his ancestors or predecessors, that they should have any answer to their petitions or knowledge of the same before they had shewn and done all the other business of the Parliament, whether it were of a grant to be made or otherwise. And therefore the King did not wish in any way to change the good customs and usages made and used of old time.

Translation.

On Friday, the second day of December, which was the last day of Parliament, the Commons came before the King and the lords in Parliament, and there by command of the King a schedule of indemnity for a certain dispute between the lords and the

les seigneurs et les Communes feust lue; et sur ce commande feust par mesme nostre seigneur le Roy, qe mesme la cedule soit entrez de record en Rolle de Parlement, de quele cedule le tenure s'enseute.

Fait a remembrer, qe le Lundy le xxi jour de Novembre, le Roy nostre seigneur soveraigne esteant en la Chaumbre du Counseil deinz l'Abbacie de Gloucestre, y esteantz en sa presence les seigneurs espirituelx et temporelx a cest present Parlement assemblez, communez estoit entre eux de l'estate du Roialme, et la defence d'icell pur resister la malice des esnemyes, qi de chescun coust soi apparaillent de grever mesme le Roialme et les foialx subgitz d'icell, et qe homme ne poet resistre a ycell malice, sinon qe pur la saufe-garde et defence de son dit Roialme nostre soverein seigneur le Roy suis dit ait en cest present Parlement ascune notable aide et subsidie a luy grauntez. Et sur ce des suis ditz seigneurs demandez feust par voie de question, Quele aide purroit suffisre et ferroit busoignable en ce cas? A laquell demande et question feust par mesmes les seigneurs severalement responduz, Qe consideree la necessite du Roy d'une parte, et la poverte de soun poeple d'autre parte, meindre aide suffisre ne purroit, qe d'avoir une disme et demy des Citees et Burghs, et une quinzisme et demy des autres laies gentz. Et outre, de graunter prorogation du subsidie des lains, quirs et pealx lanutz, et de trois souldz de tonell, et dusze deniers de la livre, de la fest de Seint Michell pro

Commons was read; and thereupon it was commanded by our said lord the King, that the said schedule be entered for record in the Roll of Parliament: of which schedule the tenor was as follows:

Be it remembered that on Monday the twenty-first day of November, the King our sovereign lord being in the Council room within the Abbey of Gloucester, there being in his presence the lords, spiritual and temporal, assembled at this present Parliament, there was a discussion among them on the state of the realm, and the defence of the same in order to resist the malice of the enemies, who on every coast appeared to be harassing the said realm and the faithful subjects of the same, and no man would be able to resist that malice, unless for the safeguard and defence of his said realm our sovereign lord the King aforesaid had in this present Parliament some notable aid and subsidy granted to him. And thereupon it was demanded of the aforesaid lords by way of question, What aid would be sufficient and needful in this case? To which demand and question answer was made by the said lords severally, that considering the necessity of the King on one side and the poverty of his people on the other side, a less aid would not suffice than to have a tenth and a half from the cities and boroughs, and one fifteenth and a half from other laymen. And besides, to grant a prolongation of the subsidy on wool, leather and woolfels, and three shillings

schein venaunt tan qe a la fest de Seint Michell en deux ans lors proschein ensuantz. Sur quoy, par commaundement du Roy nostre dit Seigneur, feust envoiez au Commune de cest present Parlement, de faire venir devaunt mesme nostre seigneur le Roy, et les ditz Seigneurs ascune certein noumbre des persones de leur compaignie pur oier et reporter a lour compaignons ce q'ils aueroient en commandement de nostre seigneur le Roy suis dit. Et sur ce les ditz Communes envoierent a la presence du Roy nostre dit seigneur, et des ditz seigneurs, dusze de lour compaignons: as queux par commandement de mesme celuy nostre seigneur le Roy, feust declare la question suis dite, et la responce des suis ditz seigneurs a ycelle severalement donee. Quele responce la volunte d'icelui nostre seigneur le Roy estoit q'ils ferroient reporter a les autres de lour compaignons; aufin q'ils soy vorroient prendre le pluis pres pur lour conformer a l'entent des seigneurs avaunt ditz. Quele report ensi fait as ditz Communes, ils ent furent grandement destourbez, en disant et affermant ce estre en grand prejudice et derogation de lour libertees; et depuis qe nostre dit seigneur le Roy ce avoit entenduz, nient veullant qe riens soit fait a present, n'en temps advener, qe tournir purroit ascunement encontre la libertee de l'Estate, pur quelle ils sont venuz au Parlement, n'encountre les libertees de les seigneurs suis ditz, voet, et graunte, et de