56 The Earldom of Wiltes. 



could not have the force of a legal attainder, and the entry on the 



Roll makes no mention of his dignity as Earl, and therefore could 



not deprive his Representatives of it." 



[The following paragraphs are those entered on the Roll referred 



to (I. Hen. IV.) which bear upon the point. 



" Item le mesquerdy le xix jour de Novembre, en le dit Parlement les ditz 

 communes prierent au Roy, &c., Que la pursyte, I'areste, et les juggementz, 

 et quant q fuist fait envers William le Scrope Henri Grene et John Bussy 

 pourrient estre affermez en cest present Parlement, et tenuz pour bones, &c." 

 . . " Lesqueulx seignours toutz dune accorde disoient qe mesraes les pursuite, 

 areste, juggementz et quant q fuist fait, come desuis est dit, furent bons et 

 profitables." 



. . Et puis le Eoy declara, qe ne fuist pas son entent davoir nuUes terres ne 

 tenement es queux les ditz William Henri et Johan furent enfeffez a autri seps, 

 mes q leur droit leur soit save en toutz poyntz, non obstant le conquest avant 

 dit.* Et outre le Roy disoit a dit Richard (Lord Scrope, father of Sir William) 

 quil ne voillait avoir null terre q fuist a luy ni a ses enfauntz a present vivantz, 

 mez luy tenoit pur loial Chivaler, et tout temps pur tiel luy ad tenuz. Et 

 outre le Roy declara q I'Estatut fait devant ces heures, Q,e nully forface apres 

 sa morte, &o. estoit en sa force ; et cette ordinance et declaration en mesme le 

 Parlement ne soit prejudiciel a mesme I'Estatut a cause quils furent juggez et 

 conquiz en leur vies. Et sur ceo, &c.] 



It will probably be argued, to account for the fact that neither 

 Sir Roger Scrope nor his descendants ever laid claim to the title, 

 that at first, and indeed throughout the reign of the entire House 

 of Lancaster, it might have been imprudent to revive the memory 

 of their Yorkist ancestors' ofiFencea ; especially as another member 

 of their family, Richard, Archbishop of York, had since been guilty 

 of open rebellion against Henry IV. and suffered execution for his 

 alleged treason. And before the restoration of the House of York 

 the title of Earl of Wiltshire had been bestowed by Henry VI. 

 upon another family in the person of Sir James Butler. Under 

 these circumstances it may be readily understood, why the Lords 

 Scrope of Bolton being constantly summoned to sit in Parliament 

 by that title should have rested satisfied with their Baronial 

 honours, and put forward no pretension to the higher dignity of 

 the Earldom of "Wiltes. Moreover the peculiar terms of the 

 original patent may have been ignored or forgotten, or, finally, the 



•The King baying in an earlier speech in the same sitting groimdcd his occupation of the throne 

 inter alia, on the right of conquest. 



