om the court; the
lords concurred in displacing four of these, one being the king's
confessor. Henry came down to parliament and excused these four persons,
as knowing no special cause why they should be removed; yet, well
understanding that what the lords and commons should ordain would be for
his and his kingdom's interest, and therefore anxious to conform himself
to their wishes, consented to the said ordinance, and charged the
persons in question to leave his palace; adding, that he would do as
much by any other about his person whom he should find to have incurred
the ill affection of his people.[209] It was in the same session that
the archbishop of Canterbury was commanded to declare before the lords
the king's intention respecting his administration; allowing that some
things had been done amiss in his court and household; and therefore,
wishing to conform to the will of God and laws of the land, protested
that he would let in future no letters of signet or privy seal go in
disturbance of law, beseeched the lords to put his household in order,
so that every one might be paid, and declared that the money granted by
the commons for the war should be received by treasurers appointed in
parliament, and disbursed by them for no other purpose, unless in case
of rebellion. At the request of the commons he named the members of his
privy council; and did the same, with some variation of persons, two
years afterwards. These, though not nominated with the express consent,
seem to have had the approbation of the commons, for a subsidy is
granted in 7 H. IV., among other causes, for "the great trust that the
commons have in the lords lately chosen and ordained to be of the king's
continual council, that there shall be better management than
heretofore."[210]

In the sixth year of Henry the parliament, which Sir E. Coke derides as
unlearned because lawyers were excluded from it, proceeded to a
resumption of grants and a prohibition of alienating the ancient
inheritance of the crown without consent of parliament, in order to ease
the commons of taxes, and that the king might live on his own.[211] This
was a favourite though rather chimerical project. In a later parliament
it was requested that the king would take his council's advice how to
keep within his own revenue; he answered that he would willingly comply
as soon as it should be in his power.[212]

But no parliament came near, in the number and boldness of its demands,