Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/317

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PARLIAMENTS.
271

others at Wincheſter. Whereby it appears that the Kings of England had a power to ſummon parliaments when and where their weighty affairs required them, in all places of the realm, and at all ſeaſons of the year. This is an undoubted prerogative lodged in the King for the ſake of the ardua contingentia; and no man would govern a kingdom that could not command the advice and aſſiſtance of his ſubjects to be forth-coming, when the occaſions of the kingdom required it. And for the ſake of theſe ardua negotia, the knights, citizens, and burgeſſes are to be impowered to act in parliament-buſineſs by thoſe that ſent them; leſt, for want of a full and ſufficient power, or by means of an improvident election, theſe arduous and weighty affairs of the kingdom ſhould, in any wiſe, remain infecta, or be left undone. This is contained in the preſent writ of eletions directed to every ſheriff of a county at every election of parliament-men.

But that is not my preſent buſineſs; for I am in a further ſearch after the annual, or rather the anniverſary Folkmote.

CHAP.