420 ADVICE TO SIR GEORGE VILLIERS. 



abrogated or altered, but by common consent in 

 parliament, where bills are prepared and present 

 ed to tbe two houses, and then delivered, but nothing 

 is concluded but by the king s royal assent ; they 

 are but embryos, it is he giveth life unto them. 



31. Yet the house of peers hath a power of judi 

 cature in some cases : properly to examine, and then 

 to affirm ; or, if there be cause, to reverse the judg 

 ments which have been given in the court of king s 

 bench, which is the court of highest jurisdiction in 

 the kingdom for ordinary judicature ; but in these 

 cases it must be done by writ of error &quot; in parlia- 

 mento :&quot; and thus the rule of their proceedings is not 

 &quot; absoluta potestas/ as in making new laws, in that 

 conjuncture as before, but &quot; limitata potestas,&quot; 

 according to the known laws of the land. 



32. But the house of commons have only power 

 to censure the members of their own house, in poiat 

 of election, or misdemeanors in or towards that house ; 

 and have not, nor ever had, power so much as to ad 

 minister an oath to prepare a judgment. 



33. The true use of parliaments in this kingdom 

 is very excellent ; and they would be often called, 

 as the affairs of the kingdom shall require ; and con 

 tinued as long as is necessary and no longer : for 

 then they be but burdens to the people, by reason 

 of the privileges justly due to the members of the 

 two houses and their attendants, which, their just 

 rights and privileges are religiously to be observed 

 and maintained : but if they should be unjustly 

 enlarged beyond their true bounds, they might 



