Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/292

246 holding of a parliament, cap. X. agreeth with the record.” Now the print is, “Item, For maintenance of the ſaid attic and ſtatutes, and redreſs of divers miſchiefs which daily happen, a parliament ſhall be holden every year, as another time was ordained by ſtatute.”

that ſtatute, as I find by the ſtatute-book, for I cannot find it in Sir, is thus 4 III. cap. 14. “Item, It is accorded that a parliament ſhall be holden every year once, and more often if need be.”

the reaſon given in 36 III. cap. X. juſt now recited, for a yearly parliament, one would think it ſhould be a daily parliament; becauſe it is for the maintenance of former ſtatutes, and redreſs of divers miſchiefs which daily happen: but I believe that a parliament which ſits but forty days in the year are able to do that work; concerning which we will inquire further afterwards.

50 III. p. 138. The parliament’s demand or petition is this, “That a parliament may be holden every year; the knights of the parliament may be choſen by the whole