venly Bodies, when three of them meet in Conjunction, do ufe to produce fome admirable effects in the Elementary World; So when these three States convene and affemble in one folemne great Iunta, fome notable and extraordinary things are brought-forth, tending to the welfare of the whole kingdom, our Microcofme.

HE that is never fo little verfed in the annals of this Isle, will find that it hath bin her fate to be four times conquered. I exclude the Scot: for the fituation of his Country, and the Quality of the Clime, hath been fuch an advantage and fecurity to him, that neither the Roman Eagles would fly thither for fear of freezing their wings, nor any other Nation attempt the work.

Thefe, fo many, Conquests must needs bring with them many tumblings and toffings, many disturbances and changes in Government; yet I have obferved, that, notwithstanding thefe tumblings, it retained ftill the forme of a Monarchy, and fomething there was always that had an Analogy with the great Affembly of parlement.

The firft Conqueft I find was made by Claudius Cæfar: at which time (as fome well obferve) the Roman Enfignes and the Standard of Chrift came-in together: It is well known what Lawes the Roman had; He had his Comitia, which bore a resemblance with our Convention in parlement; their place of their meeting was called prætorium, and the Laws which they enacted, Plebiscita.

The Saxon Conqueft fucceeded next, which were the English, there being no name in Welsh or Irish for an Englishman, but Saxon, to this day. These alfo governed by Parlement, though it were under other names, as MichelSinoth, Michel Gemote, and Witena Gemote,"

* These words mean the Great Synod, the Great Meeting, and the Meeting of wise men.

There

There are Records, above a thoufand years old, of thefe Parlements in the Reigns of King Ina, Offa, Ethelbert, and the rest of the feven Kings during the Heptarchy. The British Kings alfo, who retain'd a great while fome part of the Ifle unconquered, governed and made Laws by a kind of Parlementary way; witneffe the famous Laws of Prince Howell, called Howell Dba, (the good Prince Howell) whereof there are yet extant fome British Records. Parlements were alfo ufed after the Heptarchy by King Kenulpbus, Alphred, and others: witneffe that renowned Parlement held at Grately by King Athelstan.

The third Conqueft was by the Danes: and they govern'd alfo by fuch generall Affemblies, (as they do to this day) witnesse that great and fo much celebrated Parlement held by that mighty Monarch Canutus, who was King of England, Denmark, Norway, and other Regions 150 years before the compiling of Magna Charta; and this the learned in the Laws do hold to be one of the fpecialest and most authentick peeces of antiquity we have extant. Edward the Confeffor made all his Laws thus, (and he was a great Legif-lator,) which the Norman Conquerour (who, liking none of his fons, made God Almighty his heir by bequeathing unto him this Inland for a legacy) did ratifie and establish, and digested them into one entire methodical Syfteme, which being violated by Rufus, (who came to fuch difaftrous end as to be fhot to death in lieu of a Buck for his facriledges) were reftor'd by Henry the first; and fo they continued in force till King Lohn; whofe Reign is renowned for firft confirming Magna charta, the foundation of our Liberties ever Since; which may be compar'd to divers outlandish graffes set upon one English flock; or to a pofie of fundry fragrant flowers; for the choicest of the British, the Roman, Saxon, Danish, and Norman Lawes being cull'd and pick'd-out and gathered, as it were, into one

bundle,

bundle, out of them the forefaid Grand Charter was extracted; and the establishment of this great Charter was the work of a Parliament.

The origin

of France's

power of

taxes on his

Paris and the Isle of France,

without the

the three

Nor are the Lawes of this Island only, and the freedome of the Subject in it, conferved by a Parlement; but all the beft-policed Countries of Europe have the like. The Germanes have their Diets, the Danes and Swedes their Rijck Dachs; the Spaniard calls his Parlement las Cortes; and the French have, (or fhould have, at leaft) their Assembly of three States, though it be growne now in a manner obsolete, because the authority thereof was (by accident) devolv'd to of the king the King. And very remarkable it is, how this happened; for, when the English had taken fuch large footing in most imposing parts of France, having advanced as far as Orleans and subjects in driven their then King Charles the feventh, to Bourges in Berry, the Assembly of the three States in these preffures, being not able to meet after the usual manner in full Par-consent of lement because the Countrey was unpaffable, the Enemy States of the having made fuch firme invafions up and down through Clergy, the Nobility, the very bowels of the Kingdom; that power which for- or merly was inhærent in the Parlementary Affembly, of Third Esmaking Laws, of affeffing the Subject with taxes, fubfidiary Commonlevies, and other impofitions, was tranfmitted to the King alty. during the war; which continuing many years, that entrusted power by length of time grew, as it were, habitual in him, and could never after be re-aflumed and taken from him; so that ever fince, his Edis countervaile Acts of Parlement. And that which made the bufineffe more feasable for the King, was, that the burthen fell moft upon the Commonalty; the Clergy and Nobility not feeling the weight of it, and being willing to fee the peasan pull’ddown a little, because, not many years before, in that notable Rebellion, call'd la Jaquerie de Beauvoifin, which was fuppreffed by Charles the wife, the Common people put

themselves

and the

tate, or

themselves boldly in Arms against the Nobility and Gentry, to leffen their power. Adde hereunto, as an advantage to the work, that the next fucceeding King, Lewis the eleventh, was a close, cunning, Prince, and could well tell how to play his game, and draw water to his own mill; For, amongst all the reft, he was faid to be the first that but the Kings of France, Hors de page, out of their minority, or from being Pages any more, though thereby he brought the poor peafans to be worse than Lacquays, and they may thank themselves for it.

Nevertheleffe, as that King hath an advantage hereby one way, to Monarchize more abfolutely, and never to want money, but to ballaft his purse when he will; so there is another mighty inconvenience arifeth to him and his whole Kingdom another way; for this peeling of the Peafan hath fo dejected him, and cowed his native courage fo much by the fenfe of poverty (which brings along with it a narrowneffe of foul) that he is little ufeful for the war: which puts the French King to make other Nations mercenary to him, to fill-up his Infantery: Infomuch, that the Kingdom of France may be not unfitly compared to a body that hath all it's bloud drawn-up into the arms, breaft, and back, and scarce any left from the girdle downwards, to cherish and bear-up the lower parts, and keep them from ftarving.

All this feriously confidered, there cannot be a more proper and pregnant example than this of our next Neighbours to prove how infinitely neceffary the Parlement is to affert, to prop-up, and preferve, the publick liberty, and nationa! rights of a people, with the incolumity and welfare of a Countrey.

Nor doth the Subject only reap penefit thus by Parlement, but the Prince, (if it be well confider'd) hath equal advantage thereby. It rendreth him a King of free and able

men;

men; which is far more glorious than to be a King of Cowards, Beggars, and Bankrupts ; Men that, by their freedom and competency of wealth, are kept ftill in heart to do him service against any forrain force. And it is a true maxime in all States, that 'tis leffe danger and dishonour for the Prince to be poor, than his people: Rich Subjects can make their King rich when they please; if he gain their hearts, he will quickly get their purfes. Parlement encreaseth love and good intelligence 'twixt him and his people: it acquaints him with the reality of things, and with the true ftate and diseases of his Kingdom; it brings him to the knowledge of his better fort of Subjects, and of their abilities, which he may employ accordingly upon all occafions; It provides for his Royal iffue, pays his debts, finds means to fill his Coffers; and it is no ill obfervation, that parlement-moneys (the great Aid) have profpered best with the Kings of England: It exceedingly raifeth his repute abroad, and enableth him to keep his foes in fear, his Subjects in awe, his Neighbours and Confederates in fecurity, the three main things which go to aggrandize a Prince, and render him glorious. In fummé, it is the Parlement that fupports, and bears-up the honour of his Crown, and fettles his throne in fafety; which is the chief end of all their confultations: for whofoever is entrusted to be a Member of this High Court, carryeth with him a double capacity; he fits there as a Patriot, and as a Subject: as he is one, the Country is his object, his duty being to vindicate the publick liberty, to make wholefome Lawes; to put his hand to the pump, and stop the leaks of the great veffel of the State; to pry into, and punish, corruption and oppreffion; to improve and advance trade; to have the grievances of the place he ferves-for redressed, and to caft-about how to find something that may tend to the advantage of it.

But he must not forget that he fits there alfo as a Subject :

and