HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 311 



procured an act to pass, That no statute made during 

 the minority of a king, should bind him or his suc 

 cessors, except it were confirmed by the king under 

 his great seal at his full age. But the first act that 

 passed in King Edward the Sixth s time, was an act 

 of repeal of that former act ; at which time never 

 theless the king was minor. But things that do not 

 bind, may satisfy for the time. 



There was also made a shearing or under 

 propping act for the benevolence : to make the sums 

 which any person had agreed to pay, and neverthe 

 less were not brought in, to be leviable by course of 

 law. Which act did not only bring in the arrears, 

 but did indeed countenance the whole business, and 

 was pretended to be made at the desire of those that 

 had been forward to pay. 



This parliament also was made that good law, 

 which gave the attaint upon a false verdict between 

 party and party, which before was a kind of evangile, 

 irremediable. It extends not to causes capital, as 

 well because they are for the most part at the king s 

 suit, as because in them, if they be followed in 

 course of indictment, there passeth a double jury, 

 the indictors and the triers ; and so not twelve men, 

 but four and twenty. But it seemeth that was not the 

 only reason ; for this reason holdeth not in the appeal. 

 But the great reason was, lest it should tend to the 

 discouragement of jurors in cases of life and death; 

 if they should be subject to suit and penalty, where 

 the favour of life maketh against them. It extendeth 

 not also to any suit, where the demand is under the 

 value of forty pounds ; for that in such cases of petty 



