king by a free choice, than for giving him an immediate
right of possession, he durst not speak openly even on this
head; and to obviate any notion of election, he challenges
the crown as his due, either by acquisition or inheritance.
The whole forms such a piece of jargon and nonsense, as is
almost without example: no objection, however, was made to
it in parliament: the unanimous voice of lords and commons
placed Henry on the throne: he became king, nobody could
tell how or wherefore: the title of the house of Marche,
formerly recognized by parliament, was neither invalidated
nor repealed, but passed over in total silence: and as a
concern for the liberties of the people seems to have had no
hand in this revolution, their right to dispose of the
government, as well as all their other privileges, was left
precisely on the same footing as before. But Henry having,
when he claimed the crown, dropped some obscure hint
concerning conquest, which, it was thought, might endanger
these privileges, he soon after made a public declaration,
that he did not thereby intend to deprive any other of his
franchises or liberties; which was the only circumstances
where we shall find meaning or common sense in all these
transactions.

The subsequent events discover the same headlong violence of conduct,
and the same rude notions of civil government. The deposition of Richard
dissolved the parliament: it was necessary to summon a new one: and
Henry, in six days after, called together, without any new election, the
same members; and this assembly he denominated a new parliament. They
were employed in the usual task of reversing every deed of the opposite
party. All the acts oL the last parliament of Richard, which had been
confirmed by their oaths, and by a papal bull, were abrogated: all the
acts which had passed in the parliament where Glocester prevailed:
which had also been confirmed by their oaths, but which had been
abrogated by Richard, were anew established:[**] the answers of
Tresifian and the other judges, which a parliament had annulled, but
which a new parliament and new judges had approved, here received a
second condemnation.

* Knyghton, p. 2759. Otterborne, p. 220.

** Cotton, p. 390.

The peers who had accused Glocester, Arundel, and Warwick, and who
had received higher titles for that piece of servi