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Show \ 3 6 A Report,inthe lloufe ofCommons,ofthe Earl ofSalisburies, ---- the crown of England , was ever invefred ( a~on.gfr other Prero .. g~ttives, not difput~ble)ofan abfolute De t ennmat~on, & ~ow er~ of concluding, and making, War and Peace. ~htc.h, that I t was no new Dota.tion, but of an ancient Foundatton,, tn the ~ ron'11~ he would recite unto us, ~number of Pr~fidents.J tn the Ra1gne ~ , offeveralliCings; And chtefi~ ofthofe K.tngs )wh.tch come nearcff his .ltlajeflies own worthinefi~~· Wheretn He fatd:>that ~e would not put his Credit, upon Cip~\rs, and Dates; Becaufe 1t was ea· fie to mifrake the year of a Ra1g1t, or number of a Rowle, but he would avouch them, in fubflance, to be perfect an~ tr~e, as they are taken out of the Records.By which Prefidents, tt. will appear. ; That Petitions made in l'arlianten~ to K~ngs, of thiS Rea/me, h1~ ~Jajeflies Progenitours; Intermedlmg, wnh matter, of Warr, 01 Peace. ·Or inducement thereunto; 1\ec.eived.fmall Allowance:> or Suc~effe; But were alwaies put off, .wnh Dilatory A.nfwers: Sometimes,teferringthe matter, t.o then Co~ncell; Somettmes,_ to their Letters; fometimes to thetr fur.ther Pleafore, ~~1d Adv1ce:, And fuch other Formes; Exprdling plamly, that t~e- K mgs,meant to referve:> Matter of that Nature, entirely to their own Power, and pleafure. . . In the 18ch. yeare of King Edward the Fzrft; Comphunt was made, by the Commons, again~ the Su~jefJs, of the Earl~ ofF lm~· ders with Petition, ofR.editffe =The Ktngs Anfwer w~s; Rex mhil aiiHJ potefl, q1~am eodenz mod1 pet ere : That is, The King cott!d do 110 more, but ma~ Requ~fi, to the Earle of~la'!ders,_ as Reque~,had betn made to him: And yet no Body wtllun a g1~e, but Kmg Edward the Firjt was potent enough, to ha-ye had h1s B..eafon., .of~ Co~tnt ofFlaunders,by a Warr: And yet, hts Anfwer was; Nth~/ alt~d poteft; As giving them to underfrand; That the Entenng mto a warr, was a Matter ttanfce:~den ,., that mufi not depend, upon fuch Controverfies. . . In the 4th. year of King Ech:trdt'd th~ ''Ihird; ':fhe Co1nmons Pe · titioned; that the King would enter,tnto certai~ Cove~~nts,and Capitulations, with the nuks of Br~bant = In whtch Pet1t10n,t~ere was alfo inferted fomewhat touching a .Money Matter. The Kmgs Anf wer was; That for that , that concerned the Moneys, they mought handle it, and examine it; But touching the Peace, he would do as to himfelf feemed good. · In the IJ8th. year, of King Edward th.e Third; The Comm_ons p~titioned, that they might have, the Tnall, and proceed tog, ~Ith certain Merchants Stranget-s, as Enen'Jiet to the State. The Kmgs Anf wer was; It Jhould remain, as it did, tiU the King bad takJn fur~ ther order. In the 45th. yeare of King Edward the Third; The Commonr complainfd; That their Trade with the Elljierlings, was not upon equall Tearms; (which is one,ofthe poyJ?ts, infifted upon in the prefent Petition;) And prayed an AlteratiOn, and R.educcment. The Kings Anf wer was ; It fhall be fo, as eccajon fhall reqHire. In1 And the Earle of NorihamptonJ SpeecheJ. In the 50th. year, of the fame Kmg;-TheCom-n-ons_p_e_t-it-io_I_H-~d-to ! the King,for Remedy, againfi the subjects of Spaine, as rhey now 1 do. The Ki'!gs Anfwer was; that he would write his Letter, for Remedy. Her~ 1s Letters of Reque.ft, no Letters of Mart: Nihil potefl niji eodem modo peter e. In the fame year, the MerchantsofTorfte, petitioned in Parlit~ ment, againfr the Hollanders; And defired their Shipp! mought be frayed, both in England, and at C a! #lis. The Kings Anf wer was : Let it b~ declared, to the Kings Councell 5 And they fhall havefoch remedy, a.r tJ according to R eafon. . In the 2d. year of Xing Richard the fecond5 the Merchants of the Seacoafi,did compJ~ine, ofdiverfe fpoiles upon their Shipps, and Goods, by the spaniard. TheKingr Anfwer was, that with the Advife of his Councell, he would proc~_lfe remedy. His Lordfhip cited two other Prefidents; the one,in the fecond yeare, of King Henry the Fourth; of a Petition.,Againfi: the Jl,Jerchamts of Genova: The other, in the 11th .. yeare, of King Henry the 6th ; Of a Petitionj againfr the Merchants,ofthe Stilliard; which I omit bec~mfe they contain, no variety of Anfwer. ' ~is Lordjhip further cited, two rrejdents ~ concerning other potnts of Prerogative; Which are,Iikewife,F/owers of the Crowne 3 T heone; Touching the Kings foprentacy Ecclefiafljcall :The other; T ouching the Order. of Waightes, and Meafores. The former of them, was, in the time, of King Richard the 2d. At what time, the Commo1u complained, againfr certaine Encroachments,and Ufurpation s,of the rope : And the Kings Anf wer was ; The King hath given Order ,to hi I C ouncell,ttJ treat with the Bifoops, therenf. The other was, in the 1 8ch. year of King Edward the lliift; At which time, Complaint was made, againfi uneven Waights ; And the Kings Anfwer was, f/ocentur parte.r, ad placila Regis, & fit Juflitia : Whereby it appeared, that the Kings of this Realme, frill ufed 0 to refer Caufe.c:, petitioned in Parliament, to the proper places, of CognizanceJand Decifion. But for the Matter, ofWarr:>and Peace; Asappearesinallthe former Prefidents; TheKi11gs, everkept it, in Scrinio pectoriJ; In the Shrines, of their own Breafi:; Afiified and advifed, by their CmmfollofEftate. His Lordjhip did conclude, his Enumeration ofPreftdent.r, with a notable Prejide11t, in the 17· year, of King Richard the Second. A Prince, of no fitch glory> nor ftrengrh: And Jet, when he made offer-, to the Comm()~s in Parliament; That they fhould take into their Confiderations, Matter of Warr, and Peace, then in in hand; The Commons, in Modefiy, excufed themfel ves, and anf wered : The Commons will not prefome to treat of fo high A. charge. Out of a!J which Prejidcnts, his Lordjhip made this Inference,. that as, D!es Di11m docet; So by thefe Examples, Wife Men, will be admonHhed , to forbear thole Petition.r to Pritlces, which are not likely, to h~ve, either a Welcome· H'eariog, or an effecrua11 Anjwer. And 37 |