he head is to call the body
together; and for the clergy the bishops are chief, for shires
their knights, for towns and cities their burgesses and citizens.
These are to treat of difficult matters, and counsel their king
with their best advice to make laws[A] for the commonweal and the
Lower House is also to petition the king and acquaint him with
their grievances, and not to meddle with the king's prerogative.
They are to offer supply for his necessity, and he to distribute,
in recompense thereof, justice and mercy. As in all Parliaments
it is the _king's_ office to make good laws, whose fundamental
cause is the people's ill manners, so at this time.

[Footnote A: Meaning advice to him how he shall make laws, as is
evident from what is said below.]

"For a supply to my necessities, I have reigned eighteen years,
in which I have had peace, and I have received far less supply
than hath been given to any king since the Conquest. The last
queen had, one year with another, above a hundred thousand pounds
per annum in subsidies; and in all my time I have had but four
subsidies and six fifteens[B]. It is ten years since I had a
subsidy, in all which time I have been sparing to trouble you. I
have turned myself as nearly to save expenses as I may. I have
abated much in my household expenses, in my navies, and the
charge of my munition."

[Footnote B: Species of taxes granted by Parliament.]

After speaking about the affairs of the Palatinate, and calling upon
the Parliament to furnish him with money to recover it for his
son-in-law, he adds:

"Consider the trade for the making thereof better, and show me
the reason why my mint, these eight or nine years, hath not gone.
I confess I have been liberal in my grants; but if I be informed,
I will amend all hurtful grievances. But whoever shall hasten
after grievances, and desire to make himself popular he hath the
spirit of Satan. I was, in my first Parliament, a novice; and in
my last, there was a kind of beasts, called _undertakers_, a
dozen of whom undertook to govern the last Parliament, and they
led me. I shall thank _you_ for your good office, and desire that
the world may say well of our agreement."

This kind of harangue from the king to his Parliament seems not to
have been considered at the time, at all extraordinary;