ers make part of a synopsis

comprehending what has already been printed at p. 346., and other matter quite beside any of the subjects of this collection. As I think this must be the true origin of the paragraphs in question, I have printed them in this form.

The Answers to the Questions of Sir A. Hay, follow: and then the other matter lastly here printed.

On this last portion Archbishop Sancroft notes, "Written, some say, by Sir John Doderidge." On referring to Doderidge's History of the Principality of Wales (which, though the earliest printed edition in the Brit. Mus. is of 1631, appears to have been written when Lord Buckhurst was Treasurer, and Lord Zouch President of the Welsh Council, and was therefore probably accessible to Bacon and others in 1608), I find that the greater part of the matter is to be found there with such differences as to make it specially applicable to Wales. Bacon, or whoever the compiler may be, must have thought it a handy summary, and so have adopted and adapted it. I think it probable the greater part of the collection might in like manner be traced to other hands, Lambard, &c., if it were worth while to make the search.

CASES OF THE KING'S PREROGATIVE.

The king's prerogative in parliament.

1. THE king hath an absolute negative voice to all bills that pass the parliament, so as without his royal assent they have a mere nullity, and not so much as

authoritas præscripta, as senatus consulta had notwithstanding the intercession of tribunes.

2. The king may summon parliaments, dissolve them, adjourn and prorogue them at his pleasure.

3. The king may add voices in parliament at his pleasure, for he may give privileges to borough towns, and call and create barons at his pleasure.

4. No man can sit in parliament unless he take the oath of allegiance.

The king's prerogative in war and peace.

1. The king hath power to declare and proclaim war, and make and conclude peace.

2. The king hath power to make leagues and confederacies with foreign estates, more or less strait, and to revoke and disannul them at his pleasure.

3. The king hath power to command the bodies of his subjects for service of his wars, and to muster, train, and levy men, and to transport them by sea or land at his pleasure.

4. The king hath power in time of war to execute martial law, and to appoint all officers of war at his pleasure.

5. The king hath power to grant his letters of mart and reprisal for remedy to his subjects upon foreign

wrongs.

6. The king may give knighthood, and thereby enable any subject to perform knight's service.

The king's prerogative in matter of money.

1. The king may alter his standard in baseness or fineness.

2. The king may alter his stamp in the form of it.

3. The king may at his pleasure alter the valuations, and raise and fall moneys.

4. The king may by proclamation make money of his own current or not.

5. The king may take or refuse the subjects' bullion or coin for more or less money.

6. The king by proclamation may make foreign money current, or not.

The king's prerogative in matters of trade and traffic. 1. The king may constrain the person of any of his subjects not to go out of the realm.

2. The king may restrain any of his subjects to go out of the realm in any special part foreign.

3. The king may forbid the exportation of any commodities out of the realm.

4. The king may forbid the importation of any commodities into the realm.

5. The king may set a reasonable impost upon any foreign wares that come into the realm, and so of native wares that go out of the realm.

The king's prerogative in the persons of his subjects. 1. The king may create any corporation or body politic, and enable them to purchase, to grant, to sue, and be sued; and with such restrictions and limitations as he pleases.

2. The king may denizen and enable any foreigner for him and his descendants after the charter; though he cannot naturalize, nor enable him to make pedigree from ancestors paramount.

3. The king may enable any attainted person by his charter of pardon, and purge the blood for time to

come, though he cannot restore the blood for the time past.

4. The king may enable any dead persons in the law, as men professed in religion, to take and purchase to the king's benefit.

A twofold power of the law

A twofold power in the king

1. Direction

2. Correction

In this respect the king is underneath the law, because his acts are guided thereby.

In this respect the king is above the law, for it may not correct him for any offence.

1. His absolute power, whereby he may levy forces against any nation.

2. His limited power, which is declared and expressed in the laws, what he may do.

Of the jurisdiction of Justices itinerant in the principality of Wales.

1. They have power to hear and determine all criminal causes, which are called, in the laws of England, pleas of the crown; and herein they have the same jurisdiction that the justices have in the court of the king's bench.

2. They have power to hear and determine all civil causes, which in the laws of England are called common pleas, and to take knowledge of all fines levied of lands or hereditaments, without suing any dedimus potestatem; and herein they have the same jurisdiction that the justices of the common pleas do execute at Westminster.

3. They have power also to hear and determine all assizes upon disseisin of lands or hereditaments, wherein they equal the jurisdiction of the justices of assize.

4. Justices of oyer and terminer therein may hear all notable violences and outrages perpetrated within their several precincts in the said principality of Wales.

These offices

are in the

The prothonotary's office is to draw all pleadings, and to enter and ingross all records and judgments in civil causes.

king's gift.

The clerk of the crown his office is to draw and ingross all proceedings, arraignments, and judgments in criminal causes.

These offices are in the

judges' disposition.

The marshal's office is to attend the persons of the judges at their coming, sitting, and going from their sessions or court.

The crier is tanquam publicus præco, to call for such persons whose appearances are necessary, and to impose silence to the people.

The office of justice of peace.

There is a commission under the great seal of England to certain gentlemen, giving them power to preserve the peace, and to resist and punish all turbulent persons, whose misdemeanors may tend to the disquiet of the people; and these be called justices of the peace, and every of them may well and truly be called Eirenarcha.

The chief of them is called Custos rotulorum, in whose custody all the records of their proceedings are resident.

Others there are of that number called justices of peace and quorum, because in their commission they have power to sit and determine causes concerning