his may suffice for
the notice, taken by law, of his majesty's royal family.

[Footnote e: 4 Inst. 362.]

[Footnote f: Fortesc. Al. 401-440.]

CHAPTER THE FIFTH.

OF THE COUNCILS BELONGING TO THE KING.

THE third point of view, in which we are to consider the king, is with
regard to his councils. For, in order to assist him in the discharge
of his duties, the maintenance of his dignity, and the exertion of his
prerogative, the law hath assigned him a diversity of councils to
advise with.

1. THE first of these is the high court of parliament, whereof we have
already treated at large.

2. SECONDLY, the peers of the realm are by their birth hereditary
counsellors of the crown, and may be called together by the king to
impart their advice in all matters of importance to the realm, either
in time of parliament, or, which hath been their principal use, when
there is no parliament in being[a]. Accordingly Bracton[b], speaking
of the nobility of his time, says they might properly be called
"_consules, a consulendo; reges enim tales sibi associant ad
consulendum_." And in our law books[c] it is laid down, that peers are
created for two reasons; 1. _Ad consulendum_, 2. _Ad defendendum
regem_: for which reasons the law gives them certain great and high
privileges; such as freedom from arrests, &c, even when no parliament
is sitting: because the law intends, that they are always assisting
the king with their counsel for the commonwealth; or keeping the realm
in safety by their prowess and valour.

[Footnote a: Co. Litt. 110.]

[Footnote b: _l._ 1. _c._ 8.]

[Footnote c: 7 Rep. 34. 9 Rep. 49. 12 Rep. 96.]

INSTANCES of conventions of the peers, to advise the king, have been
in former times very frequent; though now fallen into disuse, by
reason of the more regular meetings of parliament. Sir Edward Coke[d]
gives us an extract of a record, 5 Hen. IV, concerning an exchange of
lands between the king and the earl of Northumberland, wherein the
value of each was agreed to be settled by advice of parliament (if any
should be called before the feast of St Lucia) or otherwise by advice
of the grand council (of peers) which the king promises to assemble
before the said feast, in case no parliament shall be called. Many
other instances of this kind of meeting are to be found under our
antient kings: though the formal method of convoking them had been so
long left off, that when king Charles I in 1640 issued out writs