History of the Kingdom

...by Parliament, the Law was established and sanctioned: Which law he saw to it was fortified by a Papal Bull Original: Bullâ Papali. A formal proclamation issued by the Pope, used here to provide spiritual legitimacy to Henry's legal claim. in the following year; though mention was nonetheless made, by way of recital, of his other titles, both of Blood and of Victory. Thus, that Triple Title of his had now become Quintuple; with Papal and Parliamentary authority being added to those three upon which he initially relied.

In these same sessions Original: Comitiis. This refers to the parliamentary meetings., the King obtained what he desired regarding the rescinding of the convictions of those who had stood on his side, and the exempting of those same men from all crimes and punishments for what they had committed in his cause: and Statutes were enacted to that effect. But while that Statute was still under the hammer Original: sub Incude. A metaphor for a law being forged or debated., a rather subtle Question of Law Original: Quæstio Juris. intervened. For it was doubted whether the votes of several men then present in the lower House were valid and lawful, because they had been condemned for Treason in the time of Richard; whereby they had been rendered incapable and unfit in the highest degree. For it seemed a certain incongruity that those who were themselves Outlaws Original: Ex-leges. should be the ones to establish Laws. This was the state of affairs: many of those who, in the time of Richard, had most strongly leaned toward King HENRY'S side, had been elected and delegated as Knights and Burgesses of Parliament: whether the King had secretly procured this, or it proceeded from the mere affection of the People; most of whom, in Richard’s time, had been condemned and proscribed. The King was not a little troubled by this question. For although it rested upon a grave and plausible pretext, it nonetheless touched upon the King’s own position in a way that was not hidden. But restraining himself with very prudent counsel, he showed himself fair enough toward that question, as if it were nothing other than a certain controversy over the fine points of Law. Therefore, he consulted the Judges about it, who assembled for that purpose in the Exchequer Chamber Original: Scaccarii Camera. Historically, the room where the King's judges met to discuss difficult legal matters of national importance. (where the Council of Judges is usually held). They, after more mature deliberation, delivered a grave and sober Opinion, tempered by the Rule of Law Original: Legum Normâ. and Natural Equity: for they pronounced that those condemned and proscribed Knights and Burgesses should stay away from the Parliamentary assembly until a Law had been passed for the revocation of their convictions.

At that same time, a question happened to be raised among the Judges (while they were consulting on the previous question) as to what should be done regarding the King himself, who, like the others, had undergone condemnation. But it was concluded and affirmed by the unanimous consent of the Judges;

That the Crown itself clears all obstructions of blood Original: Sanguinis Oppilationes. A legal term referring to a blockage in the "flow" of inheritance due to a criminal conviction. which in any way hinder the descent of the Crown.

Therefore, from the time the King had assumed the Crown, the Fountain of Blood had been purified; and all corruptions and impurities of the blood were removed, so that there was no need for the King to have parliamentary assistance in this matter. Nevertheless, for the sake of honor, it was then commanded by the Estates of the realm that whatever Archives and Records made any mention of the King's condemnation should be obliterated, cancelled, and utterly abolished.

On the part of the King's enemies, however, there were condemned by Parliament the late Duke of Gloucester, calling himself Richard the Third; the Duke of Norfolk; the Earl of Surrey; Viscount Lovell; Baron Ferrers; Baron Zouch; Richard Ratcliffe; William Catesby; and several other eminent...