Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/446

 318 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. vers persons in the House of Commons, for that they were attainted, and thereby not legal nor ha bilitate to serve in parliament, being disabled in the highest degree, and that it should be a great incongruity to have them to make laws who them selves were not inlawed. The truth was, that di vers of those which had inthe.time of King Rich ard been strongest, and most declared for the king s party, were returned knights and burgesses for the parliament, whether by care or recommen dation from the state, or the voluntary inclination of the people ; many of which had been by Rich ard the Third attainted by outlawries or otherwise. The king was somewhat troubled with this ; for though it had a grave and specious show, yet it reflected upon his party. But wisely not show ing himself at all moved therewith, he would not understand it but as a casein law, and wished the judges to be advised thereupon; who for that purpose were forthwith assembled in the Exche quer Chamber, which is the council chamber of the judges, and upon deliberation they gave a grave and safe opinion and advice, mixed with law and convenience; which was, that the knights and burgesses attainted by the course of law should for bear to come into the house till a law were passed for the reversal of their attainders. ft was at that time incidently moved amongst the judges in their consultation, what should be done for the king himself, who likewise was at tainted 1 But it was with unanimous consent re solved, &quot;That the crown takes away all defects and stops in blood : and that from the time the king did assume the crown, the fountain was clear- ed, and all attainders and corruption of blood dis- cuarged.&quot; But nevertheless, for honour s sake, it was ordained by parliament, that all records, wherein there was any memory or mention of the king s attainder, should be defaced, cancelled, and taken off the file. But on the part of the king s enemies there were by parliament attainted, the late Duke of Gloucester, calling himself Richard the Third ; tne Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Surrey, Viscount Lbvel, the Lord Ferrers, the Lord Zouch, Richard Ratcliffe, William Catesby, and many others of degree and quality. In which bills of attain ders, nevertheless, there were contained many just and temperate clauses, savings, and provisoes, well showing and fore-tokening the wisdom, stay, and moderation of the king s spirit of government. And for the pardon of the rest that had stood against the kinor, the king, upon a second advice, thought it not fit it should pass by parliament, the better, heing matter of grace, to impropriate the lhanks to himself, using only the opportunity of
 * t parliament time, the better to disperse it into the

veins of the kingdom. Therefore, during the par liament, he published his royal proclamation, offer ing pardon and grace of restitution to all such as had taken arms, or been participant of any at- tempts against him, so as they submitted them- ! selves to his mercy by a day, and took the oath of allegiance and fidelity to him. Whereupon many came out of sanctuary, and many more came out of fear, no less guilty than those that had taken sanctuary. As for money or treasure, the king thought it not seasonable or fit to demand any of his subjects at this parliament; both because he had received satisfaction from them in matters of so great im portance, and because he could not remunerate them with any general pardon, being prevented therein by the coronation-pardon passed immedi ately before : but chiefly, for that it was in every man s eye, what great forfeitures and confisca tions he had at that present to help himself, where by those casualties of the crown might in reason spare the purses of the subject, especially in a time when he was in peace with all his neigh bours. Some few laws passed at that parliament almost for form s sake; amongst which there was one to reduce aliens being made denizens, to pay strangers custom ; and another to draw to himself the seizures and compositions of Italians goods, for not employment, being points of profit to his coffers, whereof from the very beginning he was not forgetful ; and had been more happy at the latter end, if his early providence, which kept him from all necessity of exacting upon his peo ple, could likewise have attempered his nature therein. He added, during parliament, to his former creations, the ennoblement or advancement in nobility of a few others ; the Lord Chandos of Britain was made Earl of Bath ; Sir Giles Daubeney was made Lord Daubeney; and Sir Robert Willoughby, Lord Brook. The king did also with great nobleness and bounty, which virtues at that time had their turns in his nature, restore Edward Stafford, eldest son to Henry, Duke of Buckingham, attainted in the time of King Richard, not only to his dignities, but to his fortunes and possessions, which were great; to which he was moved also by a kind of gratitude, for that the duke was the man that moved the first stone against the tyranny of King Richard, and indeed made the king a bridge to the crown upon his own ruins. Thus the parlia ment brake up. The parliament being dissolved, the king sent forthwith money to redeem the Marquis Dorset and Sir John Bourchier, whom he had left as his pledges at Paris, for money which he had bor rowed when he made his expedition for England. And thereupon he took a fit occasion to send the Lord Treasurer and Master Bray, whom he used as counsellor, to the Lord Mayor of London, re quiring of the city a prest of six thousand marks ; but after many parleys he could obtain but two thousand pounds ; which, nevertheless the king took in good part, as men use to do that practise to borrow money when they have no need. About