Formerly the parliaments of England
were held in Westminster Hall; but King
Richard II. having occasion to call one in
the year 1397, when that building was in
a very ruinous condition, erected an house
on purpose in the middle of the palace
court, at a small distance from the gate
of the old Hall.  This was a plain and
mean structure, open to the common
people, that all might hear what passed;
while the King's person, and those assem-
bled there for the service of the nation,
were secured by a guard of archers main-
tained at the public expence.  Two years
after, Westminster Hall being rebuilt and
sufficiently accommodated for the meeting
of this great assembly, they met there
again; till at length a taste for regularity
and magnificence increasing with our im-
provements in arts, this noble room was