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1587

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Compare 1577 edition: 1 The king then being aduertised of all this procée|ding, called immediatlie before him the lord chancel|lor of England and his iudges, with the speaker of the parlement, and other of the grauest persons of the nether house, to whome he declared his opinion to this effect. First commending their wisedomes in mainteining the priuileges of their house (which he would not haue to be infringed in anie point) he alle|ged that he being head of the parlement, and atten|ding in his owne person vpon the businesse thereof, ought in reason to haue priuilege for him and all his seruants attending there vpon him.Priuilege of a burgesse of the parlement or of anie ser|uant to such like officers belonging. So that if the said Ferrers had beene no burgesse, but onlie his ser|uant, yet in respect thereof he was to haue the pri|uilege as well as anie other.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 For I vnderstand (quoth he) that you not onelie for your owne persons, but also for your necessarie seruants, euen to your cookes and horssekéepers, in|ioie the said priuilege; in somuch as my lord chancel|lor here present hath informed vs, that he being spea|ker of the parlement, the cooke of the Temple was arrested in London, and in execution vpon a statute of the staple. And for somuch as the said cooke, du|ring all the parlement, serued the speaker in that of|fice, he was taken out of execution, by the priuilege of the parlement. And further we be informed by our iudges, that we at no time stand so highlie in our estate roiall, as in the time of parlement, wherein we as head, and you as members, are conioined and knit togither into one bodie politike, so as whatsoe|uer offense or iniurie (during that time) is offered to the meanest member of the house, is to be iudged as doone against our person, and the whole court of par|lement. Which prerogatiue of the court is so great (as our learned councell informeth vs) as all acts and processes comming out of anie other inferiour courts must for the time cease and giue place to the highest.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 And touching the partie,The king counted it presumption to arrest the burgesse. it was a great presump|tion in him, knowing our seruant to be one of this house, and being warned thereof before, would ne|uerthelesse prosecute this matter out of time, and therevpon was well worthie to haue lost his debt (which I would not wish) and therefore doo commend your equitie, that hauing lost the same by law, haue restored him to the same against him who was his debter. And if it be well considered, what a charge hath it béene to vs and you all, not onelie in expense of our substance, but also in losse of time, which should haue béene imploied about the affaires of our realme, to fit here welnigh one whole fortnight a|bout this one priuat case, he may thinke himselfe better vsed than his desert. And this may be a good example to other to learne good maners, & not to at|tempt anie thing against the priuilege of this court, but to take their time better. This is mine opinion, and if I erre, I must referre my selfe to the iudge|ment of our iustices here present, and other learned in our lawes.

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