IMPOSITIONS ON MERCHANDISES. 51 



mers I do not much trust, for they of their gentle 

 ness did likewise bring in doubt the demy-mark, 

 which it is manifest was granted by parliament, and 

 pronounced by them the king should have it, &quot; s il 

 &quot; avoit le doit :&quot; but this is declared void by 1 E. III. 

 which reneweth &quot; chart, mercator.&quot; and void must 

 it needs be, because it was an ordinance by commis 

 sion only, and that in the time of a weak king, and 

 never either warranted or confirmed by parliament. 

 Secondly, I note that petitions were made promis 

 cuously for taking away impositions set by parlia 

 ment as well as without parliament ; nay, that very 

 tax of the &quot; neufiesme,&quot; the ninth sheaf or fleece, 

 which is recited to be against the king s oath and in 

 blemishment of his crown, was an act of parlia 

 ment, 14 E. III. So then to infer that impositions 

 were against law, because they are taken away by 

 succeeding parliaments, it is no argument at all; 

 because the impositions set by the parliaments them 

 selves, which no man will say were against law, were, 

 nevertheless, afterwards pulled down by parliament. 

 But indeed the argument holdeth rather the other 

 way, that because they took not their remedy in the 

 king s courts of justice, but did fly to the parliament, 

 therefore they were thought to stand with law. 



Now for the king s answers : if the impositions 

 complained of had been against law, then the king s 

 answer ought to have been simple, &quot; tanquam re- 

 &quot; sponsio categorica, non hypothetica ;&quot; as, let them 

 be repealed, or, Let the law run : but contrariwise, 

 they admit all manner of diversities and qualifica 

 tions : for 



