that parliament. At all events, such a
proceeding appears altogether irreconcilable with the conduct both of
the parliament and of the King on the very last day of their sitting.
"On Saturday, December 20th, (say the Rolls,) being the last day of
parliament, the Speaker, recommending the persons of the Queen, of the
Prince, and of other the King's sons, prayeth the advancement of their
estates; for the which the King giveth hearty thanks."

Had any such transaction taken place during this parliament as the MS.
records, would the King, on the last day of the session, without any
allusion to it, have given hearty thanks to the Commons for their
recommendation of the Prince's person (coupled with the name of (p. 442)
his Queen and his other sons), and their prayer for further provision
for his dignity and comfort?

There are, however, two or three more circumstances upon which it may
appear material to make some observations; or even, should these
closing observations not seem altogether indispensable, yet, since
this is all new and untrodden ground, it may yet be thought safer to
anticipate conjectures, than to leave any questions unopened and
unexamined on this point--a point which the Author trusts may be set
at rest at once, and for ever.

The Author then is ready to confess his belief that both the MS. and
its commentator, the modern historian, have confounded this parliament
of November 1411 with the parliament of February 3, 1413, which was
opened in the illness of the King, and which he never was able to
attend. But if it be attempted to engraft on this fact the surmise
that it might have been in the latter parliament that the Prince
demanded the surrender of the throne, and that it is after all a mere
mistake of dates, the material fact being unshaken and unaffected,--to
this suggestion he replies, that there is no evidence, directly or
indirectly bearing on the subject, in support of such a surmise. The
only statement in printed book or manuscript known, is that which we
have now been sifting; and which with a precision, as though of set
purpose, minute and pointed, fixes the alleged transaction to the year
1411.[329] Not only so. We have, on the contrary, reason to believe
that before the meeting of the next parliament, February 1413, _all
differences had been made up between the King and his son_; and that
from the day of their reconciliation they lived in the full
interchange of paternal and filial kind