But the queen now affected great scruples and grief at these
proceedings; declared her fears, that the parliament had exceeded its
powers, and exhorted her son, it is said, to refuse the crown. On the
ground of this delicacy of feeling, a deputation of both lords and
commons was appointed to wait on the deposed monarch,--to give him
notice of the election of his son; tender him back their homage, and
"act as circumstances might suggest." Their measures are variously
related by the partisans of the new and old king. They flattered and
they threatened him; they exhorted him to show that greatness of mind,
which could sacrifice a throne to the good of his people, and promised
him an ample revenue and the indulgence of all his personal wishes, if
he should freely resign the crown. At last he was brought, dressed in a
plain black gown, into a room where the deputation had been arranged to
receive him; and sir William Trussel, a judge, addressed him in these
words: "I, William Trussel, procurator of the earls, barons, and others,
having for this full and sufficient power, do render and give back to
you Edward, once king of England, the homage and fealty of the persons
named in my procuracy: and acquit and discharge them thereof, in the
best manner that law and custom will give. And I now make protestation,
in their name, that they will no longer be in your fealty, or
allegiance, nor claim to hold any thing of you as king, but will account
you, hereafter, as a private person, without any manner of royal
dignity." Then sir Thomas Blount, the steward of the king's household,
broke his staff of office, as is usual on the death of a king, and
declared all persons once in his Majesty's service, to be discharged
from their former duty.
On the return of the deputation, the new king was proclaimed in the
metropolis by the heralds, in the following unprecedented form.
"Whereas, sir Edward, late king of England, of his own good will, and
with the common advice and assent of the prelates, earls, barons, and
other nobles, and all the commonalty of the realm, hath put himself out
of the government of the realm, and has granted and willed that the
government of the said realm should come to sir Edward, his eldest son
and heir, and that _he_ should govern the kingdom, and be crowned king,
on which account all the lords have done him homage; we cry and publish
the peace of our said lord, sir Edward, the son, and on his part
strictly command and enjoin under pain and peril of disherison and loss
of life and member, that no one break the peace of our said lord the
king. For he is, and will be ready to do justice to all and each of the
said kingdom, both to the little and the great, in all things and
against all men. And if any one have a claim against another, let him
proceed by way of action, and not by violence or force."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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