castle-under-Lyne; in exchange for which he should receive other
lands of the same annual value. At length the terms were settled, and
confirmed by the parliament, with every additional security which the
jealousy of the faction could devise. It was enacted "by common
consent of the King, his son Edward, the prelates, earls, barons, and
commonalty of the realm," that the charters and the ordinances should
be inviolably observed; that neither the King nor the Prince should
aggrieve the earl or his associates for their past conduct; that if
they did, their vassals and subjects should be released from the
obligation of fealty till full redress were obtained, and their
abettors should be punished with exile and forfeiture; that the
barons, whom the King had defied before the battle of Lewes, should
renew their homage and fealty; but on the express condition that such
homage and fealty should be no longer binding if he violated his
promise; that the command of the royal castles should be taken from
suspected persons and intrusted to officers of approved loyalty; that
the Prince should not leave the realm for three years, under pain of
disherison; that he should not choose his advisers and companions
himself, but receive them from the council of state; that with his
father's consent he should put into the hands of the barons for five
years, five royal castles, as securities for his behavior, and should
deliver to Leicester the town and castle of Bristol in pledge till a
full and legal transfer should be made of Chester, Pec, and Newcastle;
that both Henry and Edward should swear to observe all these articles,
and not to solicit any absolution from their oath, nor make any use of
such absolution, if it were to be pronounced by the Pope; and lastly,
that they should cause the present agreement "To be confirmed in the
best manner that might be devised, in Ireland, in Gascony, by the King
of Scotland, and in all lands subject to the King of England."

These were terms which nothing but necessity could have extorted; and
to add to their stability, they were for the most part embodied in the
form of a writ, signed by the King, and sent to the sheriffs, with
orders to publish them in the full court of each county twice every
year.

It is generally supposed that the project of summoning to parliament
the representatives of the counties, cities, and boroughs grew out of
that system of policy which the earl had long pursued, of flatte