X.
THE MANNER OF HOLDING PARLIAMENT.
(Stubbs' " Charters," p. 502.)
Here is described the manner in which the parliament of the king of England and of his English was held in the time of king Edward, son of king Ethelred. Which manner, indeed, was expounded by the more discreet men of the kingdom in the presence of William, duke of Normandy, and Conqueror and king of England, the Conqueror himself commanding this; and was approved by him, and was customary in his times and also in the times of his successors, the kings of England.
The Summoning of Parliament.
The summoning of parliament ought to precede the first day of parliament by forty days. To the parliament ought to be summoned and to come, by reason of their tenure, each and all the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, and, by reason of such tenure, the other greater clergy who are holders of a county or a barony; and none of the lesser, unless their presence and coming is required otherwise than on account of their tenures: that is, if they belong to the king's council, or if their presence is thought useful or necessary to the parliament. And the king is required to furnish their outlays and expenses in coming to and remaining at the parliament. Nor should such lesser clergy receive a summons to parliament; but the king usually sent his writs at the proper time, requesting that they might be present at his parliament.
Likewise the king used to send his summons separately to the archbishops, bishops and other exempt persons — such as the abbots, priors, deans and other ecclesiastical persons who have jurisdictions through sixch exemptions and privileges—to the effect that they, for each deanery and archdeanery of England, should, through the deaneries
