Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/99

 the Six Clerks to make a docket containing the whole number and causes of all such injunctions as either in his time had already passed, or at that present depended in any of the king's courts at Westminster before him. Which done he invited all the judges to dine with him in the council chamber at Westminster: where after dinner, when he had broken with them what complaints he had heard of his injunctions, and moreover showed them both the number and causes of every one of them, in order so plainly, that, upon full debating of those matters, they were all enforced to confess that they, in like case, could have done no otherwise themselves. Then offered he this unto them; that if the justices of every court unto whom the reformation of the rigour of the law, by reason of their office, most especially appertained, would upon reasonable considerations by their own discretions, as they were, as he thought, in conscience bound, mitigate and reform the rigour of the law themselves, there should from thenceforth by him no more injunctions be granted. Whereunto, when they refused to condescend, then said he unto them, Forasmuch as yourselves, my lords, drive me to that necessity for awarding out injunctions to relieve the peoples' injury, you cannot hereafter any more justly blame me. After that he said se-