king to haue any conference with them. So that from this Henrie it may
be thought the first vse of the parlement to haue proceeded, which sith
that time hath remained in force, and is continued vnto our times,
insomuch that whatsoeuer is to be decreed touching the state of the
commonwealth and conseruation thereof, is now referred to that councell.
And furthermore, if any thing be appointed by the king or any other
person to be vsed for the wealth of the realme, it shall not yet be
receiued as law, till by authoritie of this assemblie it be established.

Now bicause the house should not be troubled with multitude of vnlearned
cōmoners, whose propertie is to vnderstand little reason, and yet to
conceiue well of their owne dooings: there was a certeine order taken,
what maner of ecclesiasticall persons, and what number and sort of
temporall men should be called vnto the same, and how they should be
chosen by voices of free holders, that being as atturnies for their
countries, that which they confessed or denied, should bind the residue
of the realme to receiue it as a law. This counsell is called a
parlement, by the French word, for so the Frenchmen call their publike
assemblies.

[Sidenote: The maner of the parlement in England] The maner of their
consulting heere in England in their said assemblies of parlement is on
this wise. Whereas they haue to intreat of matters touching the
commoditie both of the prince and of the people, that euerie man may
haue free libertie to vtter what he thinketh, they are appointed to sit
in seuerall chambers, the king, the bishops, and lords of the realme sit
in one chamber to conferre togither by themselues; and the commoners
called knights for the shires, citizens of cities, and burgesses of good
townes in another. These choose some wise, eloquent, and learned man to
be their prolocutor or speaker (as they terme him) who propoundeth those