knights for the ſaid counties to be preſent in parliament, and to lay open their grievances, and to proſecute for remedies thereupon as they think fit; notwithſtanding, the ſaid King, that in his parliaments he might obtain his will which was raſh, often, directed his mandates to his ſheriffs, that they ſhould return certain perſons nominated by the King himſelf as knights of the ſhires; which knights indeed he could make pliable to him, as he very often did, ſometimes by various threats and terrors, and ſometimes by gifts, to conſent to thoſe things which were prejudicial to the realm, and extremely burdenſome to the people; and particularly to grant the ſame King the ſubſidy of wool during his life, and another, ſubſidy for certain years, thereby too much oppreſſing his people.”
Now if he could have made long parliaments, he need not have made uſe of theſe mean ſhifts. But he could make uſe of no other way, becauſe parliaments, as I ſaid, were freſh and freſh, and antiquity knew no other. And if any man can make out of this authentic record, that it was any otherwiſe, than ſo many parliaments, ſo many elections, then I have done with be and reading.
