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Anno Qunquagesimo primo Edwardi Tertii. The Parliament holden at Westminster, the Fifteen of S. Hilary, in the One and fiftieth Year of Edward the Third.
[unspec 1] * 1.1IN the Fifteen of S. Hilary, being Tuesday next after the Conversion of S. Paul, the year aforesaid, was the first day of the Parliament: At what time the noble and puissant Richard Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwal, and Earl of Chester, together with the Bishops, Lords, Justices, Commons, and others summoned to this Parliament, assembled to the Palace at Westminster in the Painted Chamber;* 1.2 where the Prince sitting in the Kings own place, in the absence of the King, being partly diseased, the King sent thither his Letters-Patents to the said Prince to begin the Parliament.
[unspec 2] * 1.3The Commission or said Letters-Patents made to the said Prince.
[unspec 3] After the reading of which Commission, the Bishop of S. Davids being Chancellor,* 1.4 at the commandment of the said Prince then and there President, continued the said Parliament until the next day at nine of the clock in the morning, for that divers of the Lords and Commons were not then come.
[unspec 4] * 1.5The next day the Prince, Bishops, Lords and Commons assembled in the place aforesaid, where the said Chancellor began his long Oration with S. Paul, viz. Libenter suffertis insipientes, and applied it, That being wise, desired to hear him the contrary.
[unspec 5] * 1.6He proceeded with Scripture; as, that every Messenger bringing joyful news, is welcomed: Thereby proving that he should be so, for that he brought joyful news of the Kings good recovery of a dangerous sickness.
[unspec 6] * 1.7By the which he shewed, that God loved the King, and Realm: The King; for that, quos diligo castigo: The King by the Psalmist saying, Uxor tua sicut vitis abundans in lateribus; and thereby sheweth, that for children, no Christian Prince was so happy; and confirmeth the said happiness by the above saying, Et videas filios filiorum, which the King saw.
[unspec 7] That God thereby loved the Realm, he proved by the recovery of so renowned a Prince; and that his recovery to be the Fiftieth year of his Reign, the year of Jubile, the year of joy, for that he would thereby impart to his said Subjects as well spiritual as temporal or bodily comforts.
[unspec 8] He then by the similitude, That if the head be sound, and some particular member of the body diseased, that the said infected member can receive no vertue or salve from the head; inferreth, that as the King being the sound head, and willing to shew grace and favor to the Subjects the members, the infected with vice cannot receive the same.