The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 181
TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAZ. This might have been made more manifest as
to the presence and acts of the prince in days of
OUR VERY GOOD LORD, sitting, if, through the negligence of officers, the
We thought it our duty to impart to his majesty, journal books of the Upper House of Parliament,
by your lordship, one particular of Parliament before the reign of King Henry VIII., were not
business, which we hold it our part to relate, all missing.
though it be too high for us to give our opinion of it. All which we thought it appertained to our care
The officers that make out the writs of Parlia- to look through, and faithfully to represent to his
ment, addressed themselves to me, the chancellor, majesty. And having agreed secrecy amongst
to know whether they should make such a writ ourselves, and enjoined it to the inferior offiof summons to the prince, giving me to under- cers, we humbly desire to know his majesty's
stand that there were some precedents of it, which pleasure, whether he will silence the question
I, the chancellor, communicated with the rest of altogether, or make use of it for his service, or
the committees for Parliament business, in whose refer it to his council, or what other course he
assistance I find so much strength, that I am not will be pleased to take, according to his great
willing to do any thing without them. Where- wisdom and good pleasure.
upon, we, (according to his majesty's prudent This we have despatched the sooner, because
and constant rule, for observing in what reigns the writs of summons must have forty days disthe precedents were,) upon diligent search, have tance from the first days of the Parliament. And
found as followeth: for the other parts of our accounts, his majesty
That King Edward I. called his eldest son shall hear from us, by the grace of God, within
Prince Edward, to his Parliament, in the thirtieth few days. Evermore praying for his majesty's
year of his reign, the prince then being about the prosperity, and wishing your lordship much hapage of eighteen years; and to another Parliament, piness,
in the four-and-thirtieth year of his reign. Your lordship's to be commanded,
Edward TII. called the Black Prince, his eldest FR. VERULAM, Cane.,
son, to his Parliament in the five-and-twentieth, H. MONTAGU,
eight-and twentieth, and two-and-fortieth years of EDw. CORE,
his reign. HENRY HOBARTE,
Henry IV. called Prince Henry to his Parlia- RAN. CREW.
ments in the first, third, eighth, and eleventh YorkHouse N:ov. 21st 1620.
years of his reign, the prince being under age in
the three first Parliaments; and we find in particular, that the eighth year, the prince sat in the
Upper House in days of business, and recom- TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCrINGHAM.
mended a bill to the lords. MY VERY GOOD LORD,
King Edward IV. called Prince Edward, his We have, these two days past, made report to
son, to his Parliament, in anno 22 of his reign, the board of our Parliament committee, upon rebeing within age. lation whereof, for some things we provide, for
King Henry VII. called Prince Arthur to his some things we arm.
Parliament in the seventh year of his reign, The king, by my lord treasurer's signification,
being within age. did wisely put it upon a consult, whether the paOf King Edward VI. we find nothing; his tents which we mentioned in our joint letters,
years were tender, and he was not created Prince were at this time to be removed, by act of council
of Wales. before Parliament. I opined, (but yet somewhat
And for Prince Henry, he was created Prince of like Ovid's mistress that strove, but yet as one
Wales during the last Parliament at which he lived. that would be overcome) that yes. My reasons:
WAe have thought it our duty to relate to his That men would go better and faster to the
majesty what we have found; and, withal, that main errand.
the writs of summons to the prince are not much That these things should not be staged, nor
differing from the writs to the peers; for they run talked of, and so the less fuel to the fire.
in fide et ligeancia, and sometimes in fide et homa- That in things of this nature, wherein the coungio in quibus nobis tenemini, and after consilium cil had done the like in former particulars (which
nobis impensuri circa ardua regni. Whereby it I enumerated) before Parliament, near Parliament,
should seem that princes came to Parliament, not during Parliament, the council were to keep their
only in the days of solemnity, when they came wonted sentinel, as if they thought not of a Parwithout writ, but also on the days of sitting. liament, to destroy in other patents, as conceal
And, if it should be so, then the prince may vote, ments.
and likewise may be of a committee of the Upper The reasons on the other side were,
House, and, consequently, may be of a conference That it would be thought but a humouting of
with the Lower House, and the like. the Parliament, (being now in the calends of a
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