he
current coin is not so good as formerly;[92] 4, 5. That the steward and
marshal enlarge their jurisdiction beyond measure, to the oppression of
the people; 6. That the commons find none to receive petitions addressed
to the council; 7. That the collectors of the king's dues (pernours des
prises) in towns and at fairs take more than is lawful; 8. That men are
delayed in their civil suits by writs of protection; 9. That felons
escape punishment by procuring charters of pardon; 10. That the
constables of the king's castles take cognizance of common pleas; 11.
That the king's escheators oust men of lands held by good title, under
pretence of an inquest of office.[93]

These articles display in a short compass the nature of those grievances
which existed under almost all the princes of the Plantagenet dynasty,
and are spread over the rolls of parliament for more than a century
after this time. Edward gave the amplest assurances of putting an end to
them all, except in one instance, the augmented customs on imports, to
which he answered, rather evasively, that he would take them off till he
should perceive whether himself and his people derived advantage from so
doing, and act thereupon as he should be advised. Accordingly, the next
year, he issued writs to collect these new customs again. But the Lords
Ordainers superseded the writs, having entirely abrogated all illegal
impositions.[94] It does not appear, however, that, regard had to the
times, there was anything very tyrannical in Edward's government. He set
tallages sometimes, like his father, on his demesne towns, without
assent of parliament.[95] In the nineteenth year of his reign the
commons show that, "whereas we and our ancestors have given many
tallages to the king's ancestors to obtain the charter of the forest,
which charter we have had confirmed by the present king, paying him
largely on our part; yet the king's officers of the forest seize on
lands, and destroy ditches, and oppress the people, for which they pray
remedy, for the sake of God and his father's soul." They complain at the
same time of arbitrary imprisonment, against the law of the land.[96] To
both these petitions the king returned a promise of redress; and they
complete the catalogue of customary grievances in this period of our
constitution.

During the reign of Edward II. the rolls of parliament are imperfect,
and we have not much assistance from other sources. The assent of the
commons, w