310 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



it should be void and of none effect ; for that it was 

 agreeable to reason of estate, that the subject should 

 not inquire of the justness of the king s title or quarrel; 

 and it was agreeable to good conscience, that, what 

 soever the fortune of the war were, the subject should 

 not suffer for his obedience. The spirit of this law was 

 wonderful pious and noble, being like, in matter of 

 war, unto the spirit of David in matter of plague ; 

 who said, &quot; If I have sinned strike me : but what 

 &quot; have these sheep done ?&quot; Neither wanted this law 

 parts of prudent and deep foresight ; for it did the 

 better take away occasion for the people to busy 

 themselves to pry into the king s title ; for that how 

 soever it fell, their safety was already provided for. 

 Besides, it could not but greatly draw unto him the 

 love and hearts of the people, because he seemed 

 more careful for them than for himself. But yet 

 nevertheless it did take off from his party that great 

 tie and spur of necessity, to fight and go victors out 

 of the field ; considering their lives and fortunes were 

 put in safety and protected, whether they stood to it 

 or ran away. But the force and obligation of this 

 law was in itself illusory, as to the latter part of it, 

 by a precedent act of parliament to bind or frustrate 

 a future. For a supreme and absolute power can 

 not conclude itself, neither can that which is in na 

 ture revocable be made fixed, no more than if a 

 man should appoint or declare by his will, that if he 

 made any latter will it should be void. And for the 

 case of the act of parliament, there is a notable pre 

 cedent of it in King Henry the Eighth s time ; who 

 doubting he might die in the minority of his son, 



