With regard to the Acts printed separately in the Appendix, the first which appears most worthy of Observation, is the famous Dictum de Kenelworth, made in the 51 of Henry III. containing the Award made between the King and his Commons, which affords a striking Picture of the miserable State of Government among our feudal Ancestors. The Intent of this Award, for it seems to be improperly called a Statute, was apparently to quiet those who feared to be disinherited, on account of the Part they took against the King in the Civil Wars, and to ascertain what the Offenders were to pay for their Ransom. Among the rest we meet with the following curious Clause, the Purport of which is, that " Knights and Esquires who were Robbers, and among the principal Robbers in Wars and Plunderings, if they have no Lands but have Goods, shall pay half of their Goods for their Redemption; and find sufficient sureties henceforth [1] to keep the Peace of the King and the Kingdom." How deplorable must have been the Poverty of these Times, and the Weakness of civil Institutions!
The next Act which merits particular Notice, is the Statute of 16 Edw. II. revoking an Establishment of the Household, as being too restrictive on his Majesty, and against the Dignity of his Crown. The Establishment hereby revoked was made in the 3d of Edw. II. in Ease of the People oppressed with Purveyance; and about this Time the King's House was new formed, and every Officer's Charge and Salary was limited[2]. In these early Times the King's Household was frequently reformed at the Petition of the People. It underwent a Reformation in 36 Edw. III. and again in the 1st of Richard II. Such Liberties were taken with that weak Prince, that a Commission [3] was granted, at the Petition of the Commons, to survey and abate the Household, which not having the desired Effect, the Commons soon after petitioned that the excessive Number of his menial Servants might be reduced, and that his Household might not exceed the ordinary Revenues of the Realm. In the 4th of Hen. IV. likewise a Reformation was made in the Household, whereby the Charge was limited to 1600 Marks. And Edw the IVth, in the twelfth Year of his Reign, settled a new Form, which, as Sir Robert Cotton faith, is extant in many Hands, intitled, Ordinances for the King's House. This Book, he tells us, was amended by Cardinal Wolsey, and was, in the Time of this great Antiquarian, the Groundwork of the then Establishment. He observes, however, that it was much corrupted, and proposes either to put down the Tables, and leave all Attendants to Allowance of Money, or else by restoring the Hall again, to reduce the Household to the most magnificent Order. So all Things, he adds, being spent in Publick, will be to the King's Honour, and secret Waste will be prevented. For he concludes, that every Back-door in the Court costs the King 2000 l. yearly.
It is to be observed likewise, that to ease the Charge of the King's Household, the Queens in former Times have allowed a Portion of their Jointure adequate to their own
- ↑ The words in the Latin are, quod amodi pacem servabunt &c. The word amodo is an obsolete Adverb, which signifes henceforth: And in the marginal Note, the Reader will percive that a gross Error has intervened; for instead of distinguishing it as an abverb, according to the Editor's Intention, it stands altered to quoadmodo, a word not to be found in the language
- ↑ Cotton's Post. 166.
- ↑ This Commission is printed in the Appendix
