The constitution of parliaments in England deduced from the time of King Edward the Second, illustrated by King Charles the Second in his Parliament summon'd the 18 of February 1660/1, and dissolved the 24 of January 1678/9 : with an appendix of its sessions / observed by Sr. John Pettus ... Knight.

SECT. I.

I Have shewn in Chap. 2. how Parliament Writs are sorted into Close Writs, and Open Writs or Patents, and those into Exemplars and Consimilars. I need not inlarge more therein, but proceed to the first Exemplar Writ of Summons, and so to other such Writs of Summons to other Degrees as concern the Lords House; for I shall speak of other Parliament-Writs of another nature, when I have dispatcht the Summoning Writs and Patents of Creation, according to the method of Pawns and Clause-Rolls made before the Act of Precedency, as also in all Pawns since that Act. Those of the Bloud-Royal are placed in the first Rank of those Re∣cords, and were still Exemplar to the rest, and therefore the Writ which I am now to speak of, viz. To the Duke of York (Brother to King Charles the 2d.)

is the Exemplar of the Consimilar Writ to Prince Rupert Duke of Cumberland, (being Son to the Sister of King Charles the First) and so persuant not only to the said Act, but to the most ancient methods of Writs of Summons, (as will be more fully shewn in the following Chapters.)

But before I recite this Writ, methinks I hear some say, Nolumus consuetudines Angliae mutare, therefore let us know what Writs of this nature were issued in former Ages by former Kings, which is a Question so pertinent to my own scruples, that (I hope) the same ease I gave to my self (after my inquiry) will serve to satisfie others; for having gone backward with as much safety (to the avouching of Records as I could,) and being not satis∣fied with what was delivered to us, concern∣ing the Parliament Writs in the Brittish, Ro∣mans, Danes, Saxons, or Norman times, or by some of the Plantagenets, or those of Hen. 3ds. time, from whence most Writers of our English Parliaments take their Original; I fixt upon and took my Rise from the Writs in the 15th. of Edw. 2d. which are clear and still extant in the Records of the Tower, which the other are not.

By these Records it is evident, that in 97. Parliaments, as I account them, which were Summon'd from that 15th. year to

this Parliament, there is no material dif∣ference in this Exemplar Writ from those Antecedent; and therefore that this Writ to the Duke of York may be compar'd with that of Edw. 2d. I have here set them both down verbatim, so that upon 339. years experience, viz. from the year 1322. to the year 1661. Inclusive, we may ac∣quiesce, that we in this Age have not much trespass't or varied from the ancient and wise Form prescribed to us by so many former Kings, and continued to this time.

The Form of the Exemplar Writ to the Princes of the Bloud.

Tempore Edw. 2.15.

EDwardus Dei Gratia Rex Angliae Do∣minus Hiberniae & Dux Aquitaniae,

Edwardo Comiti Cestriae filio suo Charissi∣mo Salutem,

Super diversis & arduis nego∣tiis nos & statum Regni nostri speciali∣ter tangentibus Parliamentum nostrum apud Eboracum a die Paschae prox' futuro in tres septi'anas teneri & vobiscum & cum ceteris Prelatis Magnatibus & Proceribus dicti Regni habere proponimus collo∣quium & tractatum.

Vobis Mandamus in fide & diléctione quibus nobis tenemini firmiter injungentes.

Dictis die & loco omnibus aliis preter∣missis personaliter intersitis ibidem nobis∣cum & cum ceteris prelatis magnatibus & proceribus supradictis negotiis tractatur' vestrum{que} Consilium impensur' Et hoc Nullatenus omittat'

Teste me ipso apud Westm' decimo quarto die Martii Anno Regni nostri decimo quinto.

Caroli 2.13.

CArolus Secundus Dei Gratia Angliae Scotiae Franciae & Hiberniae Rex fidei defensor, &c.

Praecharissimo & dilecto fratri Jacobo Duci Eborum & Albaniae magno Admirallo suo Angliae Salt'm

Quia de

Advisamento & assensu Consilii nostri pro quibasdam arduis & urgentibus nego∣tiis nos statum & defensionem Regni no∣stri Angliae & Ecclesiae nostrae concernen∣tibus Quoddam Parliamentum nostrum apud Civitatem nostram Westm' octavo die Maii prox' futur' teneri ordinavimus & ibidem nobiscum ac cum magnatibus & proceribus dicti Regni nostri collo∣quium habere & tractatum.

Vobis Mandamus in fide & ligeantia quibus

nobis tenemini firmiter injungentes quod consideratis dictorum negotiorum ardui∣tate & periculis imminentibus cessante ex∣cusatione quacunque

Dictis die & loco personaliter intersitis nobiscum ac cum magnatibus & proceri∣bus predictis super predictis negotiis tra∣ctatur' vestrumque consilium impensur' Et hoc Sicut nos & honorem nostrum ac Salvationem & defensionem Regni & Ecclesiae predictae expeditionemque dicto∣rum negotiorum diligitis nullatenus omit∣tatis

Teste me ipso apud Westm' decimo octavo die Februarii Anno Regni nostri Decimo tertio.