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AN ESSAY ON
Somner’s, ſays thus under the word Gemotum[1]; “A wittenagemote was the ſame thing amongſt the Engliſh Saxons, as now at this day a parliament is amongſt us, and a wittenagemote differed little from a folkmote, only that this laſt was annual, and chiefly ſat about the ſtanding affairs of the nation.” The other was called at the King’s pleaſure upon emergencies of the ſtate, and for the ſake of making laws.
Now let us ſee what the learned antiquary ſays concerning folkmotes by themſelves in the ſame place, p. 315.[2] “In a folkmote once every year at the beginning of the kalends of May (as in a yearly parliament) there met together the princes of the realm, as well biſhops
- ↑ Wittenagemot idem apud Angloſaxones quod apud nos hodie parliamentum, paramque a Folcmoto differebat, niſi quod hoc annuum eſſet & e certis plerumque cauſis, illud ex arduis contingentibus & legum condendarum gratia, ad arbitrium principis indictium.
- ↑ In Folcmoto ſemel quotannis ſub initio kalendarum Maii (tanquam in annuo parliamento) convenere Regni principes, tam epiſcopi quam magiſtratus liberique homines. Jurantur laici omnes coram epiſcopis in mutuum fœdus, in fidelitatem Regis, & in jura regni conſervanda. Conſulitur de communi ſalute, de pace, de bello, & de utilitate publica promovenda.
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