thin the province of Canterbury, met at
Northampton; those within the province of York, at that city. And
neither assembly was opened by the king.[70] This anomalous convention
was nevertheless one means of establishing the representative system,
and, to an inquirer free from technical prejudice, is little less
important than a regular parliament. Nor have we long to look even for
this. In the same year, about eight months after the councils at
Northampton and York, writs were issued summoning to a parliament at
Shrewsbury two citizens from London, and as many from each of twenty
other considerable towns.[71] It is a slight cavil to object that these
were not directed as usual to the sheriff of each county, but to the
magistrates of each place. Though a very imperfect, this was a regular
and unequivocal representation of the commons in parliament. But their
attendance seems to have intermitted from this time to the twenty-third
year of Edward's reign.[72]

[Sidenote: Barnstaple.]

Those to whom the petition of St. Albans is not satisfactory will hardly
yield their conviction to that of Barnstaple. This town set forth in the
eighteenth of Edward III. that, among other franchises granted to them
by a charter of Athelstan, they had ever since exercised the right of
sending two burgesses to parliament. The said charter, indeed, was
unfortunately mislaid; and the prayer of their petition was to obtain
one of the like import in its stead. Barnstaple, it must be observed,
was a town belonging to Lord Audley, and had actually returned members
ever since the twenty-third of Edward I. Upon an inquisition directed by
the king to be made into the truth of these allegations, it was found
that "the burgesses of the said town were wont to send two burgesses to
parliament for the commonalty of the borough;" but nothing appeared as
to the pretended charter of Athelstan, or the liberties which it was
alleged to contain. The burgesses, dissatisfied with this inquest,
prevailed that another should be taken, which certainly answered better
their wishes. The second jury found that Barnstaple was a free borough
from time immemorial; that the burgesses had enjoyed under a charter of
Athelstan, which had been casually lost, certain franchises by them
enumerated, and particularly that they should send two burgesses to
parliament; and that it would not be to the king's prejudice if he
should grant them a fresh charter in terms equally ample with