}

THE

PARLIAMENTARY

O R

CONSTITUTIONAL

History of England;

From the earliest TIMES,

TO THE

Restoration of King CHARLES II.

COLLECTED

From the RECORDS, the ROLLS of PARLIAMENT, the JOUR-
NALS of both HOUSES, the public LIBRARIES, original MA-
NUSCRIPTS, scarce SPEECHES, and TRACTS; all compared
with the feveral Contemporary WRITERS, and connected,
throughout, with the Hiftory of the Times.

By SEVERAL HAND S.

The SECOND EDITION.

VOL. III.

From the Acceffion of King Henry VIII. to the fifth Year of Queen
Elizabeth.

LONDON,

Printed for J. and R. TONSON, and A. MILLAR, in the Strand; and
W. SANDBY, in Fleet-Street. MDCCLXII.

1

THE

Parliamentary History

OF

ENGLAND.

N the Demife of King Henry VII. his The Acceffion of
only Son, Henry, fucceeded to the K. Henry VIII
Anno 1509.
Throne, by the Name of Henry VIII.
Never did Prince come to that Dig-

nity with more fhining Qualities, fuch a natural Difpofition to do Good, and so many Advantages for reigning happily; infomuch that no Perfon in England could doubt but that he would efface the Glory of the most illuftrious of his Predeceffors. He began his Reign at a Time also when the moft happy Circumftances concurred to make it eafy to himself, and favourable to his People. Befides his indifputable Title to the Crown, he found the Kingdom peaceable; his Treasury immensely rich; his Subjects engaged to him in Love and Efteem; the neighbouring Princes divided, and obliged to feek to him as an Arbitrator of Peace of War; in fhort, to hold the Balance between the two great Houses of Valois and Auftria, who were then extremely jealous of each other's Power: But, VOL. III.

A.

though