20.1. A speech vttered by Empson to the lords of the councell to find fauour.
A speech vttered by Empson to the lords of the councell to find fauour.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 _I Know (right honorable) that it is not vnknowne to you, how profitable and necessarie lawes are for the good preseruation of mans life: without the which neither house, towne, nor citie can long continue or stand in safetie. Which lawes heere in England, thorough negligence of magi|strates, were partlie decaied, and partlie quite forgotten and worne out of vse; the EEBO page image 816 mischeefe whereof dailie increasing, Henrie the seauenth a most graue and prudent prince wished to suppresse, and therefore appointed vs to see, that such lawes as were yet in vse might continue in their full force; and such as were out of vse might a|gaine be reuiued and restored to their for|mer state; & that also those persons which transgressed the same, might be punished according to their demerits. Wherein we discharged our dueties in most faithfull wise, and best maner we could, to the great aduantage & commoditie (no doubt) of the whole commonwealth. Wherfore we most humblie beseech you in respect of your ho|nours, courtesie, goodnesse, humanitie, and iustice, not to decree any greeuous sentence against vs, as though we were worthie of punishment, but rather to appoint how with thankfull recompense our paines & trauell may be worthilie considered.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Manie of the councell thought that he had spoken well, and so as stood with great reason: but yet the greater number (supposing that the reuiuing of those lawes had procéeded rather of a couetous meaning in the king and them, than of anie zeale of iustice, and hauing also themselues felt the smart latelie be|fore for their owne offenses and transgressions) had conceiued such malice towards the men,Most of the [...] of the co [...]cell a|gainst Emp|son. that they thought it reason, that such as had béene dealers therein, were worthie to lose their heads, in like sort as they had caused others to lose their monie. Héere|vpon, their accusors were mainteined, and manie od matters narrowlie sought out against them, as by two seuerall indictments framed against sir Ri|chard Empson (the copies whereof I haue séene) it may well appeare.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Matters ob|iected against Empson.In the one he is charged, that to win the fauour and credit of the late king, not weieng his honor nor the prosperitie of him, or wealth of his realme, hee had (in subuersion of the lawes of the land) procured diuerse persons to be indicted of diuerse crimes and offenses surmised against them, and therev [...]on to be committed to prison, without due proces of law; who not suffered to come to their answers, were kept in durance, till they had compounded for their fines, to their great importable losses, and vtter impouerish|ment. Also diuerse vntrue offices of intrusions and alienations, made by sundrie the late kings liege people, into manors, lands, and tenements were found; it being vntrulie alleged, that they held the same of the king In capite. And when such persons as were thus vexed, offered to trauerse those offices, they could not be admitted thereto, in such due and lawfull forme as in such cases the law prouideth,Wrong main|teined against the kings li [...]ge people. till they had compounded to paie great fines and ran|somes.