nience of transacting this
business with every particular borough was soon felt; and Edward became
sensible, that the most expeditious way of obtaining supply, was to
assemble the deputies of all the boroughs, to lay before them the
necessities of the state, to discuss the matter in their presence, and
to require their consent to the demands of their sovereign, For this
reason, he issued writs to the sheriffs, enjoining them to send to
parliament, along with two knights of the shire two deputies from each
borough within their county,[****] and these provided with sufficient
powers from their community to consent, in their name, to what he and
his council should require of them.

* Madox, Firma Burgi, p. 21.

** Brady of Boroughs, App. No. I, 2, 3.

*** The king had not only the power of talliating the
inhabitants within his own demosnes, but that of granting to
particular barons the power of talliating the inhabitants
within theirs. See Brady's Answer to Petyt, p. 118. Madox,
Hist, of the Exch. p. 518.

*** Writs were issued to about one hundred and twenty cities
and boroughs.

"As it is a most equitable rule," says he, in his preamble to this writ,
"that what concerns all should be approved of by all; and common dangers
be repelled by united efforts;"[*] a noble principle, which may seem to
indicate a liberal mind in the king, and which laid the foundation of a
free and an equitable government.

After the election of these deputies by the aldermen and common council,
they gave sureties for their attendance before the king and parliament:
their charges were respectively borne by the borough which sent them;
and they had so little idea of appearing as legislators,--a character
extremely wide of their low rank and condition,[**]--that no
intelligence could be more disagreeable to any borough, than to find
that they must elect, or to any individual than that he was elected, to
a trust from which no profit or honor could possibly be derived.[***]
They composed not, properly speaking, any essential part of the
parliament: they sat apart both from the barons and knights,[****] who
disdained to mix with such mean personages: after they had given
their consent to the taxes required of them, their business being then
finished, they separated, even though the parliament still continued
to sit, and to canvass the national business.[*****] And as they all
consisted of men who wer