[The King accepts £30,000 to be assessed, by named commissioners, on real and personal property in each county.]

7.

[Clerical Subsidy. 5 June, 1489. Campbell, Materials, ii. p. 452.]

Clerical subsidy, province of York: Writ from Thomas, by divine permission archbishop of York, to the treasurer and barons of the exchequer, certifying them (in compliance with the mandate of a king's writ, 12 May, 4 Hen. VII.) that he has appointed the abbot and convent of the monastery of Kirkstall, co. York, . . . [and others] to be collectors of the two entire tenths granted to the king, for the preservation and defence of the church and kingdom of England, by the prelates and clergy of the northern province assembled in the chapter-house of the cathedral church of York, in convocation held on 27 January 1488, with continuation and prorogations of subsequent days.

8.

[Example of a Benevolence, 1491. Cal. Pat. Rolls, 1485-1494, p. 366.]

Appointment of Thomas earl of Surrey, the abbot of the monastery of St. Mary by York, Richard Tunstall, knight, Henry Wentworth, knight, Nicholas Knyfton, and Master John Beverley, clerk; inasmuch as the king's adversary Charles of France not only unjustly holds the king's realm of France, and his duchies of Normandy, Anjou, Touraine and Aquitaine, but threatens also to subvert England, and the king intends to invade France in person, and as funds are required for the expedition; to go to Yorkshire, and exhort and require the inhabitants

to assist according to their means, in person or otherwise, in this arduous undertaking, and certify the king and Council of what they had done.

9.

[Examples of Loans to Henry VII. (a) 1485. Kingsford, Chronicles of London, p. 193.]

In this yere was a preest of ij m1 li. made to the kyng, which was cessid and allowed by the ffelyshippys and not by the Warders. Wherof the ffelishippys of Mercers, Grocers, and Drapers bare ix C xxxviij li. vj s.

[(b) 1487. Ibid., p. 194.]

Also this yer was a prest lent vnto the kyng of iiij m1 li. made vnto the kyng, which was assessed by the ffelyshippys, wherof Mercers, Grocers, and Drapers bare M1 vj C xv. li. And the Craftes of Goldsmythes, ffysshemongers, and Taillours bar ix C xlvj li. xiij s. iiij d. Summa that these vj ffelishyppys bare M1M1 v C lxj li. xiij s. iiij d. And so all the Remenaunt of the Craftes bare M1 iiij C xxxviij li. vj s. viij d. Also in July the same yer was made a prest vnto the kyng of M1M1 li., Cessed after the Rate of that other, which were Justly content, and paied the yer folowyng.

[(c) 1496. Ibid., p. 212.]

Also vpon the Sonday folowyng was sent from the kyng M. sir Rignold Bray, with other of the kynges Counsell, to the Mair to borow of the Citie x m1 li. And vpon the Thursday next folowyng was graunted by a Comon Counsell to lende to the kyng iiij m1 li.1

1 lbid., p. 223: "The said moneth was Repayd the iiij m1 li. before borowid by the kyng of the Cite of London, as afore Sweth.

10.

[Arrangements for repayment of a loan. 10 July, 1486. Campbell, Materials, i. p. 494.]

Thys bille, endented the xth day of July, the furste yere of the reigne of Kynge Henry the vijth., wytnesseth, that, Richard Gardyner and Willyam Pratte, and other citezins of the citee of London, by thandes of Thomas Stokes, have receyved of the abbot of Bardenney, collector of the seconde half of a dysme payable at the feste of Seynt John Baptiste laste passed, by thandes of [ ], the somme

of, in parti of payment, lxvi. li. xiij. s. iiij. d., to theym, by a taylle levyed at the kynges recepte, the vijth day of Marche laste passed, upon the collectour of the seconde half of a dysme of the clergie unto Richarde, late, in dede and not of right, kynge of Englond . . . in the parties of Kesten', in the archidecounrey of Lyncolne, graunted, the whiche taille is by oure said soverayne lord, unto the said Richard and Wyllyam Pratte and other citezenes for contentacion of so moche money late by thayme unto oure said soverayne lord lente, delyvered.

11.

[Distraint of Knighthood. P.R.O. Close Roll, 10 Hen. VII., m. 9d. (Latin.)]

The King to his beloved and faithful Thomas son and heir of our beloved cousin Thomas Marquis of Dorset greeting. Since we, by the advice and assent of our council have decreed to our dear son Henry our second born the Order of Knight of the Bath, and create him Duke of York in the feast of All Saints next following, and have named and chosen you and others of our kingdom

according to the ancient custom used in this creation to raise you to the aforesaid knighthood along with our aforesaid second born son. We, therefore, command and enjoin you to appear forthwith in your own person before us in the aforesaid feast, and you should prepare yourself to receive this rank without delay: and this under penalty of £500 if you fail to do so.

D. COUNCIL AND STAR CHAMBER.

1.

[Henry VII.'s Council, 1485. Hall, Chronicle, p. 424. The following must not be taken as an exhaustive list of Henry's councillors. A much longer list of persons termed councillors can be compiled from the Calendar of Patent Rolls and from other sources: but the exact status of such councillors it is difficult to establish.] [Henry] established in his house a graue counsaill of wyse and pollitique men, by whose iudgement, ordre & determinacion the people might be gouerned accordyng to iustice and equitie, and that all causes might be finyshed and ended there, without great bearyng or expence in long sute. And for hearyng & decydynge these causes iustly and spedely, he sware of his counsaill dyuerse noble and discrete persones, whiche for their pollecy, wit & singuler grauitie, were highly estemed and renoumed, whose names folowe, Iaspar duke of Bedfoorde, Ihon erle of Oxford, Thomas Stanley erle of Darby, Ihon bishop of Ely, Sir Wyllyam Stanley lord Chamberleyn of his housholde, Sir Robert Willoughby, lord Brooke, lord Stuard of his houshold, Gyles lord Dawbeney, Ihon lord Dynham after made tresorer of England, Sir Reignold Brey, Sir Ihon Cheiney, Sir Richard Guyldforde, Sir Richard Tunstall, Sir Richard

Egecombe, Sir Thomas Louell, Sir Edward Pownynges, Sir Ihon Risley, with diuerse other wyse men, whiche as the tyme required he called to his counsayll and seruyce nowe one and nowe another.

2.

[A great council, 24 October, 1496. Kingsford, Chronicles of London,

p. 211.]

In this yere the xxiiij day of Octobre beganne a grete counsaill holden at Westmynster by the kyng and his lordes spirituell and temporall, to the which counsaill come certeyn burgises and merchauntes of all Cities and good Townes of Englond: at which Counseill was graunted vnto the kyng for the diffence of the Scottes cxx m1 li; which counseill ended the vth day of Nouembre.

3.

[Henry VIII.'s Council, circa 1509.

Letter from Henry to the rebels in Yorkshire, 1536. State Papers, i. p. 507.]

As touching the begynnyng of our reigne, where ye say so many noble men were Counsaillours; who were then Counsaillours, I well remember, and yet of the Temporaltee I note non but 2, worthie calling noble; the one Treasourer of Englonde, the other High Stewarde of our House; others, as the Lorde Marney, and Darcye, but scant well borne gentilmen; and yet of no grete landes, till they were promoted by Us, and so made Knightes, and Lordes: the rest were lawyers and preestes, save 2 Bisshoppes, which were Caunterbury and Wynchester.