Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/280

234 when he wrote his book De laudibus Legem Angliæ, which was on purpoſe in a dialogue with the prince of Wales, to inform him of the nature of the Engliſh conſtitution, and to let him know by what ſort of laws the realm, in which he was to ſucceed his father, was to be governed. And therefore he adjures him over and over again to addict himſelf to the underſtanding of the laws of his father’s realm, wherein he was to ſucceed; and having ſhewn the prince the different nature of realms, where a King could tyrannize, and where he could not, being reſtrained by politic laws. Rejoice therefore, ſays he, moſt excellent prince! and be glad, That the law of the realm, in which you are to ſucceed, is ſuch, for it ſhall exhibit and miniſter to you and your people no ſmall ſecurity of comfort.

out of that excellent book which I believe no way warped, (for then it muſt lean towards the court, partly becauſe of the flattery and officiouſneſs, which are too often found in dialogues with princes, and partly becauſe the author was retained on the crown-ſide by the greateſt office in England) I will confine myſelf to thoſe paſſages only which relate to the frequency of parliaments. And the firſt I meet with is in his 18th