Parliament
meets in
September
1402.
Conference
of lords and
commons.
Grants of
money.
38 Constitutional Hisiori/. [chλp.
writs of expenses, or of prorogation. The working parliament
of the year met on the 30th of September1; Henry Bowet, the
king’s old chaplain, being treasurer, and bishop Stafford still
chancellor. The latter in his opening speech said what could
be said for the king, but did not attempt to conceal the distress
of the country. True, Henry had been, as the mightiest king
in the world, invited by the king of the Romans to attempt to
heal the schism in the church, and the victory over the Scots
was an almost miraculous proof of divine favour. Still the
realm was enduring punishment at God’s hand2. The com-
mons in reply gave a proof of their earnest desire to work for
the public good, that awoke the suspicions of the king ; they
desired, as they had done in the evil days of King Richard, to
have 1 advice and communication ’ with certain of the lords on
the matters to be treated. Henry granted the request with a
protest that it was done not of right, but of special favour ;
and four bishops, four earls, and four lords were named3. The
most important business dispatched was the grant of supplies.
The subsidy on wool was continued for three years, tunnage
and poundage for two years and a half ; and, protesting that
the grant should not be made an example for taxing except by
the will of lords and commons, the poor commons by assent
of the lords granted a tenth and fifteenth for the defence of the
realm4. The most important statute of the session is one
which confirms the privileges of the clergy ; and the majority
ofNorwich was, on Aug. 24, 1401, directed to attend a council to be held
Jan. 27, 1402; Ordinances,!. 167; and we know from the minutes of
the council held in November, that both a great council and a parliament
were to be held ; the aid for the marriage of Blanche was to be discussed
at the council on Jan. 2 7 ; Ordinances, i. 179. One short minute of such
a council is preserved ; ib. p. 180.
1 Bot. Parl. iii. 485 ; Eulog. iii. 395.
2 ‘ Dieux ad mys punissement en diverse manere sur ceste roialme ; ’ ‘ le
roi de Rome, pur appaiser et ouster cel schisme ad escript a notre dit
seigneur le roi corne a le pluis puissant roi du monde ; ’ Rot. Pari. iii. 485.
2 Rot. Pari. iii. 486.
4 Dep. Keeper’s Rep. ii. App. ii. p. 182 ; Rot. Pari. iii. 493 ; Ann. Henr.
p. 35o- Great sums were borrowed in anticipation of the first instalment
of the grants ; letters asking for loans to the amount of 2 2,200 marks were
issued April ɪ, 1403 ; Ordinances, &c., i. 199-203. The clergy of Canter-
bury met, Oct. 21, and on Nov. 27 granted a tenth and a half; Wilkins,
Cone. iii. 271.
χvrιi∙]
Rebellion of Hotspur.
39
л-f the petitions concern private suits. The commons seem how- Proceedings
uι ɪ ∙l of the com-
ever to be fully aware of the character of the king's difficulties ; n≡inι402
they pi"ay that the king will abstain from fresh grants, and
retain the alien priories in his hands ; that Northumberland
may be duly thanked, Grey of Ruthyn ransomed, and Somerset
restored to his dignity of marquess, an offer which he wisely
declined. George of Dunbar, earl of March, whose adhesion to
the king had led to the victory over the Scots, entreated Henry
to recover for him his lost estates. The increase in the number
of petitions, the revival of old complaints, the demand for the
enforcement of old statutes, show a great increase of uneasiness.
The session ended on the 25th of November’.
In February 1403 Henry married his second wife, Johanna of Henry
Navarre, the widowed duchess of Brittany, an alliance which chancellor,
gave him neither strength abroad nor comfort at home2. The 4 3
same month Stafford resigned the great seal, which was in-
trusted by the king to his brother, Henry Beaufort, bishop of
Lincoln. The appointment of Beaufort, coupled with the no-
mination of the prince of Wales as lieutenant in Wales, and
Thomas of Lancaster, the king’s second son, as lieutenant in
Ireland, perhaps implies that Henry was severing himself from
his old friends. Beaufort and Arundel do not seem to have
acted well together, and the proud independence of the Percies
was becoming, if not intolerable to the king, at least a source
of danger to him as well as to themselves.
309. Northumberland and Hotspur had done great things The Perdts.
for Henry. At the outset of his reign their opposition would
have been fatal to him ; their adhesion insured his victory. He
had rewarded them with territory3 and high offices of trust,
and they had by faithful service ever since increased their
claims to gratitude and consideration. The earl was growing
old ; he was probably some years over sixty ; Hotspur was
about the same age as the king. Both father and son were
ɪ Kot. Karl. iii. 487, 488, 491, 495.
‘ Utinam fausto pede Otterbourne, p. 239 ; Ann. Henr. p. 350.
3 The earl, as late as March 2,1403, had a grant of the Scottish lands of
lɔougɪas, which however could scarcely be a profitable gift so long as they
were in Scottish Iiands ; Rymer, viii. 289.