At the daie appointed the parlement began, on which daie the king came by water to his place of Bridewell, Edw. Hall. in H. 8. fo. clxxx [...] An oration made in the audience of the parlement by sir Tho|mas Moore. and there he and his nobles put on their robes of parlement, and so came to the Blacke friers church, where a masse of the Holie-ghost was solemnelie soong by the kings chappell: and after the masse, the king with all the lords of parlement and commons, which were summoned to appeare at that daie, came into the parlement chamber, where the king sate in his throne or seat roiall: and sir Thomas Moore his chancellor, standing on the right hand of the king behind the barre, made an eloquent ora|tion.

In this oration he declared, that like as a good shéepheard, which not alonelie keepeth and attendeth well his shéepe, but also foreseeth and prouideth for all things which either may be hurtfull or noisome to his flocke, or maie preserue and defend the same against all perils that may chance to come: so the king which was the shéepheard, ruler and gouernour of his realme, vigilantlie foreséeing things to come, consi|dered how diuers laws before this time were made, now by long continuance of time and mutation of things, verie insufficient and vnperfect: and also by the fraile condition of man, diuerse new enormities were sproong amongest the people, for the which no law was yet made to reforme the same. Which was the verie cause whie at that time the king had sum|moned his high court of parlement. And hée re|sembled the king to a shéepheard or heardman for this cause: for if a prince be compared to his riches, he is but a rich man; if a prince be compared to his honour, he is but an honourable man: but compare him to the multitude of his people, and the number of his flocke, then he is a ruler,Wherein the person of the king is pro|perlie reputed a ruler. a gouernor of might & puissance, so that his people maketh him a prince, as of the multitude of shéepe commeth the name of a shéepheard. And as you sée that amongst a great sort of shepe some be rotten & faultie, which the good shéep|heard sendeth from the good sheepe: so the great wed|der which is of late fallen (as you all know) so crafti|lie, so scabbedlie, yea and so vntrulie iugled with the king, that all men must néedes ghesse and thinke, that he thought in himselfe that he had no wit to per|ceiue his craftie dooing; or else that he presumed that the king would not sée nor know his fraudulent iug|ling and attempts. But he was deceiued: for his graces sight was so quicke and penetrable, that hée saw him, yea and saw through him, both within and without, so that all things to him was open, and ac|cording to his desert he hath had a gentle correction.

Which small punishment the king will not to be an example to other offendors, but clearelie decla|reth, that whosoeuer hereafter shall make like at|tempt, or commit like offense, shall not escape with like punishment. And bicause you of the common house be a grosse multitude, and can not speake all at one time: therefore the kings pleasure is, that you shall resort to the nether house, & there amongst your selues, according to the old and ancient custome, to choose an able person to be your common mouth and speaker: and after your election so made, to aduertise his grace thereof, which will declare to you his plea|sure, what day he will haue him present in this place. After this doone, the commons resorted to the nether EEBO page image 911 house,Thomas [...]udleie cho|sen speaker. and they chose for their speaker Thomas Aud|leie esquier, and attourneie of the duchie of Lanca|ster: and the same daie was the parlement adiorned to Westminster.