equiring you in the king's name, that ye, according to the king's
commandment, contained in his writ sent unto you in that behalf, come to
this his present parliament, and intend to the good effect and speed of
matters to be demesned and treted in the same, like as of right ye owe
to do."[438]

It is evident that this plain, or rather rude address to the duke of
Gloucester, was dictated by the prevalence of cardinal Beaufort's party
in council and parliament. But the transactions in the former parliament
are not unfairly represented; and, comparing them with the passage
extracted above, we may perhaps be entitled to infer: 1. That the king
does not possess any constitutional prerogative of appointing a regent
during the minority of his successor; and 2. That neither the heir
presumptive, nor any other person, is entitled to exercise the royal
prerogative during the king's infancy (or, by parity of reasoning, his
infirmity), nor to any title that conveys them; the sole right of
determining the persons by whom, and fixing the limitations under which,
the executive government shall be conducted in the king's name and
behalf, devolving upon the great council of parliament.

The expression used in the lords' address to the duke of Gloucester,
relative to the young king, that he was far gone and grown in person,
wit, and understanding, was not thrown out in mere flattery. In two
years the party hostile to Gloucester's influence had gained ground
enough to abrogate his office of protector, leaving only the honorary
title of chief counsellor.[439] For this the king's coronation, at eight
years of age, was thought a fair pretence; and undoubtedly the loss of
that exceedingly limited authority which had been delegated to the
protector could not have impaired the strength of government. This was
conducted as before by a selfish and disunited council; but the king's
name was sufficient to legalize their measures, nor does any objection
appear to have been made in parliament to such a mockery of the name of
monarchy.

[Sidenote: Henry's mental derangement.]

[Sidenote: Duke of York made protector.]

In the year 1454, the thirty-second of Henry's reign, his unhappy
malady, transmitted perhaps from his maternal grandfather, assumed so
decided a character of derangement or imbecility, that parliament could
no longer conceal from itself the necessity of a more efficient ruler.
This assembly, which had been continued by successive p