n the king's service are insufficient without
further assistance for so great a charge, pray that the council be
strengthened by the addition of ten or twelve bishops, lords, and
others, to be constantly at hand, so that no business of weight should
be despatched without the consent of all; nor smaller matters without
that of four or six."[134] The king pretended to come with alacrity into
this measure, which was followed by a strict restraint on them and all
other officers from taking presents in the course of their duty. After
this, "the said commons appeared in parliament, protesting that they had
the same good will as ever to assist the king with their lives and
fortunes; but that it seemed to them, if their said liege lord had
always possessed about him faithful counsellors and good officers, he
would have been so rich that he would have had no need of charging his
commons with subsidy or tallage, considering the great ransoms of the
French and Scotch kings, and of so many other prisoners; and that it
appeared to be for the private advantage of some near the king, and of
others by their collusion, that the king and kingdom are so
impoverished, and the commons so ruined. And they promised the king
that, if he would do speedy justice on such as should be found guilty,
and take from them what law and reason permit, with what had been
already granted in parliament, they will engage that he should be rich
enough to maintain his wars for a long time, without much charging his
people in any manner." They next proceeded to allege three particular
grievances; the removal of the staple from Calais, where it had been
fixed by parliament, through the procurement and advice of the said
private counsellors about the king; the participation of the same
persons in lending money to the king at exorbitant usury; and their
purchasing at a low rate, for their own benefit, old debts from the
crown, the whole of which they had afterwards induced the king to repay
to themselves. For these and for many more misdemeanours the commons
accused and impeached the lords Latimer and Nevil, with four merchants,
Lyons, Ellis, Peachey, and Bury.[135] Latimer had been chamberlain, and
Nevil held another office. The former was the friend and creature of the
duke of Lancaster. Nor was this parliament at all nice in touching a
point where kings least endure their interference. An ordinance was
made, that, "whereas many women prosecute the suits of others