Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 When the parlement was begun the sixt daie of Ianuarie, the pardon of the spirituall persons was signed with the kings hand, and sent to the lords, which in time conuenient assented to the bill, and sent it to the commons in the lower house. Now when it was read, diuers froward persons would in no wise assent to it except all men were pardoned, saieng that all men which had anie thing to doo with the car|dinall were in the same case. The wiser sort answe|red, that they would not compell the king to giue them his pardon, & beside that it was vncharitablie doone of them to hurt the cleargie, and doo themselues no good: wherefore they aduised them to consent to the bill, and after to sue to the king for their pardon, which counsell was not followed, but they determi|ned first to send the speaker to the king yer they would assent to the bill.

Thom. Aud|lie speaker for the commons.Wherevpon Thomas Audleie speaker for the commons, with a conuenient number of the com|mon house, came to the kings presence, and there elo|quentlie declared to the king, how the commons sore lamented and bewailed their chance, to thinke or imagine themselues to be out of his gratious fauor, bicause that he had gratiouslie giuen his pardon of the premunire to his spirituall subiects and not to them: wherefore they most humblie besought his grace of his accustomed goodnesse and clemencie to include them in the same pardon.The summe of the kings wise answer. The king wiselie answered that he was their prince and souereigne lord, and that they ought not to restraine him of his libertie, nor to compell him to shew his mercie; for it was at his pleasure to vse the extremitie of his laws or mitigate and pardon the same: wherefore sith they denied to assent to the pardon of the spirituall per|sons, which pardon (he said) he might giue without their assent by his great seale, he would be well adui|sed yer he pardoned them, bicause he would not be noted to be compelled to it.

With this answer the speaker and the commons departed verie sorowfull and pensiue, and some light persons said that Thomas Crumwell, which was newlie come to the fauour of the king, had disclosed the secrets of the commons, which thing caused the king to be so extreame. The king like a good prince considered how sorowfull his commons were of the answer that he made them,The kings voluntarie inclination to pardon the premunire. and thought that they were not quiet: wherefore of his owne motion he caused a pardon of the premunire to be drawne, and signed it with his hand, and sent it to the common house by Christopher Hales his atturneie, which bill was soone assented to. Then the commons louinglie thanked the king, and much praised his wit, that he had denied it to them when they vnworth [...]lie deman|ded it, and had bountifullie granted it when he per|ceiued that they sorrowed and lamented.