A common councillor of London promptly retorted that benevolences were illegal by statute of Richard III.

Wolsey cared little for the constitution, and was astonished that any one should quote the laws of a wicked usurper; but the common councillor was a sound constitutionalist, if Wolsey was not.

"An it please your grace," he replied, "although King Richard did evil, yet in his time were (p.

166) many good acts made, not by him only, but by the consent of the body of the whole realm, which is Parliament."[471] There was no answer; the demand was withdrawn.

Never had Henry suffered such a rebuff, and he never suffered the like again.