The Privy Council of tlie Time of Richard II 7 have reasonable wages for their time.^ Again, a petition of the com- mons in 1406 expresses it, that the councillors be " reasonably guer- doned for their labor ".- Certain it is from the rolls of the ex- chequer that the payment of councillors was never so consistently carried out as in the years of the Parliamentary councils.' 5. Still another concern of Parliament was that the councillors approved by it remain unchanged and unsuperseded. This proved to be a difficult matter to control, for once Parliament had adjourned there was nothing to prevent the king's changing or overthrowing the council elected. The commons, indeed, more than once recog- nized that removals should be made for cause, and in the first year allowed that any vacancies which might occur between Parliaments be filled by the king and council.* At the same time, with some inconsistency, they passed a resolution that the estate and power of the councillors were not repealable except by Parliament.^ But with more care in the tenth year, when the noted reform council was appointed, the utmost precautions were taken to prevent its being set aside. It was resolved by the commons that none should be associated with or assigned to the council other than the lords named, and that if in any way the lords were prevented from carrying out their powers, the validity of all grants should cease. A further clause was put into the statute that no person privily or apertly should give to the king counsel to repeal the power thus given, under penalty.' Yet it is familiar history that all efforts on the part of this council to govern '■ were thwarted by the king and his " false counsellors ".° The status of these false or evil counsellors, as they are called, might be considered doubtful, did it not appear that one of them certainly, if not the others, was formally retained and sworn a member of the council.'" How they superseded the 'Nicolas, Proceedings of the Pihy Council, I. i8 b. ^Rot. Pari., III. 577. ' With the subject of councillors' fees and wages in a more general way I have dealt in " Antiquities of the King's Council ", English Historical Review, January, 1906 (XXI. 1-20). ^■Rot. Pari., II. 333; III. 16. =Ibid.. 6, 15. ^Ibid., 221 ; Oose Roll, 10 Ric. II., m. 22. Rot. Pari., III. 221 : Statutes of the Realm. 11. 42.
- Evidences of their efforts to govern are seen in a series of articles stated
in the manner of a council agenda (Nicolas. Proceedings of the Privy Council, I. 3), and in allusions to certain letters of the great seal issued by them {Rot. Pari, III. 376, 381). sStubbs, op. cit., II. 501. '"In the impeachments of the traitors in 1387, it was said, " firent le dit John Blake estre retenu du Counseill le Roi . . . Et sur ce il jurra de conseiller en mesme le Purpos, et le celer." The fact Blake himself admitted, but claimed that the king had a right so to retain him (Rot. Pari., III. 240).
