is no where else produced in that abundance and excellency as in England Beside there is in England great plenty of excellent Leather for all sorts of uses nor wants it Hemp and Flax at least not ground fit to produce them For Building it wants not Timber nor Iron Stone nor Slate Brick nor Tiles Marble nor Alablaster Mortar nor Lime c. Lead nor Glass For Firing either Wood Sea-Coal or Pit-Coal almost every where to be had at reasonable rates For Shipping no where better Oak no where such Knee Timber as they call it or Iron to make serviceable and durable Guns For War for Coach for Highway and Hunting no where such plenty of Horses also for Plow Cart and Carriages insomuch as Mules and Asses so generally made use of in France Italy and Spain are utterly despised in England Moreover England produceth besides a mighty quantity of Tinne Lead and Iron some Brass Copperas Allome Salt Saffron and divers other beneficial Commodities it wants not Mines of Silver yielding more in their small quantities of Ore and so richer than those of Poâ—osi in the West Indies whence the King of Spain hath most of his Silver those yielding usually but one Ounce and a half of Silver in one hundred Ounces of Ore whereas these in Wales Cornwall Lancashire and the Bishoprick of Durham yield ordinarily 6 or 8 Ounces per Cent. â—ut these lying deep are hard â—o come unto and Workmen â—ear which is otherwise in Poâ—osi Vineyards have been heretoâ—ore common in most of the â—outhern and Middle Parts of England and Silks might be â—ere produced as it was once â—esigned by King James but a great part of the Natives prone to Navigation supplying England at a very cheap rate with all sorts of Wine Silks and all other Forreign Commodities it hath been found far better Husbandry to employ English Ground rather for producing Wooll Corn and Cattle for which it is most proper In a word though some Countries excel England in some things yet in general there is no one Countrey under Heaven whose Aire is better stored with Birds and Fowls Seas and Rivers with Fishes Fields with all sorts of â—orn the Pastures with Cattel the Forests Parks and Woods with Wild Beasts onely for Recreation and Food the Mines with Metals Coals and other Minerals where are fewer ravenous and hurtful Beasts fewer venemous Serpents or noisome Flies fewer Droughts Inundations or Dearths fewer Unwholsom Serenes Pestilential Aires Tempestuous Hurricanes or Destructive Earthquakes lastly where there is a greater abundance of all things necessary for mans life and more especially for all kind of Food insomuch that it hath been judged that there is yearly as much Flesh and Beer consumed in England by over plentiful Tables as would well serve three times the number of People Add to all this that being encompassed with the Sea and well furnisht with Ships and abundance of Commodious and excellent Havens and Ports it excels for safety and security which is no small praise all the Neighbouring Countries if not all the Countries in the World It hath been possest by five several Nations and coveted by many more and no wonder so fair and rich a Lady should have many Lovers it being a Countrey as was said of the Tree in the midst of Paradise good for food pleasant to the eyes and to be desired whereas Scotland Wales Biscay Switzerland and other like Countries continue still in the possession of their Aborigines of the first that laid claim unto them none since judging it worth their pains to dispossesse them The first Inhabitants of England are believed to be the Britains descended from the â—auls subdued afterward by â—he Romans who by reason of â—â—eir troubles nearer home â—ere constrained to abandon this Countrey about 400 years afâ—er Christ whereupon the Picts â—ahabitants of Scotland invaâ—â—ng the Britains they call to â—â—eir aid the Saxons who chaâ—ng away the Picts soon made themselves Masters of the Britains but these not able to enâ—ure the heavy yoke of the â—axons after many Battels and Attempts to recover their lost Liberties and Countrey retired â—r were driven most of them â—nto the two utmost Western â—arren and mountainous parts of this Countrey called afterwards by the Saxons Walishland instead of Gaulishland as the Germans still call Italy Walishland because inhabited by the Cisalpine Gauls and the French call our Countrey of Britains Le Pais de Gales The Saxons solely possest of all the best part of this Isle were for a long time infested and for some time almost subdued by the Danes and afterwards wholly by the Normans who drave not out the Saxons but mixed with them so that the English blood at this day is a mixture chiefly of Normaâ— and Saxon not without 〈◊〉 tincture of Danish Romish and Britain Blood The English Tongue being aâ— present much refined exceedingly copious expressive and significant by reason of a liberty taken by the Natives of borrowing out of all other Languages whatever might conduce thereunto is as their blood a mixture chiefly of the Old Saxon a Dialect of the Teutonick and the Old Norman a Dialect of the French not without some savour of the Britains Romans and Danes Languages The Romans possessing England caused their Tongue the Latine once to be generally used in this Countrey The Saxons succeeding introduced their Language wheresoever they seated themselves The Normans afterwards getting possession of England caused the Norman or French Tongue to be learnt at School by the Saxons and for a long time had all Lawes Pleadings Sermons c. in French The Latine Tongue at present is made use of in Court Rolls Processes of Courts in Charters Commissions Patents Writs Bonds c. The Names of all Shires Cities Towns and Villages Places and Men in England are generally Saxon and so are most Nouns Appellative and a great part of the Verbs In French or rather Norman are still written the Common Laws and learnt by young Students thereof Also some Pleadings and all Mootes and Law Exercises are wholly French In Parliaments the King doth in French signifie his assent or dissent to all Bills The Natives of England by reason of the Temperate Climat Mild Aire not rendred unequal by high Mountains nor unhealthy by many Marshes plenty of wholsome food and the use of Beer rather than Wine pour la belle taille le beau teinct au visage as the French say for a just handsome large proportion of body for clear complexions and pleasing features do surpasse all the Nations of the World The English are generally great Flesh-eaters although by the nearness of the Sea and abundance of Rivers and Fish-ponds there is no want of Fish In former times their Table was in many places covered four times a day they had Breakfasts Dinners Beverages and Suppers and every where set Dinners and Suppers until in the late troubles wherein many eminent families were much impoverisht a
his Subdean is Doctor Jones whose Fee is 100 l. yearly The Fee of each Priest and Clerk of the Chappel is 70 l. yearly The Clerk of the Closet is Doctor Blandford Bishop of Oxford hath no Fee The Lord High Almoner is Doctor Henchman Bishop of London hath no Fee his Sub-Almoner is Doctor Perinchef whose Fee is 6 l. 6 s. 10 d. Of the Civil Government of His Majesties Houshold FOr the Civil Government of the Kings Court the Chief Officer is the Lord Steward quasi Stede ward Locum tenens called also in the time of Henry 8. the Great Master of the Kings Houshold after the French Mode but Primo Mariae and ever since called the Lord Steward of the Kings Houshold He hath Authority over all Officers and Servants of the Kings House except those of His Majesties Chappel Chamber and Stable c. He judgeth of all disorders committed in the Court or within the Verge which is every way within 12 miles of the chief Tunnel of the Court only London by Charter is exempted for the Law having an high esteem of the dignity of the Kings settled Mansion House laid out such a Plot of ground about his House as a half-pace or Foot-Carpet spread about the Kings Chair of Estate that ought to be more cleared and void than other places to be subject to a special exempted jurisdiction depending on the Kings Person and Great Officers that so where the King comes there should come with him Peace and Order and an Awfulness and Reverence in mens hearts besides it would have been a kind of eclipsing of the Kings Honour that where the King was any Justice should be sought but immediately from the Kings own Officers and therefore from very antient times the Jurisdiction of the Verge hath been executed by the Lord Steward with great Ceremony in the nature of a peculiar Kings Bench and that not only within but without the Kings Dominions for so it is recorded that one Engleam of Nogent in France for stealing Silver dishes out of the House of Edward 1. King of England then at Paris after the matter had been debated in the Council of the King of France touching the Jurisdiction and ordered that the King of England should enjoy this Kingly Prerogative of his Houshold was condemned by Sir Robert Fitz-John then Steward to the King of England and hanged in St. Germans Fields The Lord Steward is a White Staffe Officer for he in the Kings Presence carrieth a White Staffe and at other times going abroad it is carried by a Foot-man bare-headed At the death of the King over the Hearse made for the Kings Body he breaketh this Staffe and thereby dischargeth all the Officers whom the succeeding King out of his meer grace doth re-establish each one in his former Office This eminent Emploiment is now enjoyed by James Duke of Ormond Lord Lieftenant of Ireland whose Fee is 100 l. yearly and 16 Dishes daily each Meal with Wine Beer c. The next Officer is the Lord Chamberlain who hath the over-sight of all Officers belonging to the Kings Chamber except the Precincts of the Kings Bed-Chamber which is wholy under the Groom of the Stool and all above Stairs who are all sworn by him or his Warrant to the Gentlemen Ushers to the King He hath also the over-sight of the Officers of the Wardrobes at all his Majesties Houses and of the removing Wardr or of Beds of the Tents Revels Musick Comedians Hunting and of the Messengers of the Trumpetters Drummers of all Handy-Crafts and Artisans retained in the Kings Service Moreover he hath the over-sight of the Heraulds and Pursivants and Sergeants at Arms of all Physitians Apothecaries Surgeons Barbers c. To him also belongeth the over-sight of the Chaplains though himself be a Lay-man contrary in this particular to the Antient Custom of England and Modern Custom of all other Kingdoms where Ecclesiastiques are never under the ordering of Lay-men The Fee of the Lord Chamberlain of the Kings House is 100 l. yearly and 16 Dishes each Meal with all the Appurtenances This Office is now in the hands of Edward Montague Lord Montague and Earl of Manchester Most of the above-named Offices and Places are in the Gift and Disposal of the Lord Chamberlain The Third Great Officer of the Kings Court is the Master of the Horse antiently called Comes Stabuli or Constable to whom a higheâ— Employment and Power was then given and this taken from him This great Officer hath now the ordering and disposal of all the Kings Stables and Races of Horses and had heretofore of all the Posts of England He hath also the power over Escuiries and Pages over the Footmen Grooms Riders of the Great Horses Farriers Smiths Coach-men Sadlers and all other Trades working to the Kings Stables to all whom he or by his Warrant the Avener giveth an Oath to be true and faithful He hath the Charge of all Lands and Revenues appointed for the Kings breed of Horses and for Charges of the Stable and for Litters Coaches Sumpter Horses c. Also for the Charges of Coronations Marriages Entries Cavalcades Funerals c. He only hath the Priviledge to make use of any Horses Pages Foot-men belonging to the Kings Stable At any Solemn Cavalcade he rides next behind the King and leads a Lear Horse of State This great honour is now enjoyed by George Monk Duke of Albemarle in consideration of his unparalleld Services to the King to his Crown and Dignity at a juncture of time when his Affairs and Friends were in a very desperate condition His yearly Fee is 666 l. 16 s. 4 d. Under these Three Principal Officers of His Majesties Houshold are almost all the other Officers and Servants First under the Lord Steward in the Compting-House is the Treasurer of the Houshold Comptroller Cofferer Master of the Houshold Two Clerks of the Green-Cloth Two Clerks Comptrollers One Sergeant Two Yeomen The Cofferers Clerk The Groom Two Messengers It is called the Compting-House because the Accompts for all Expences of the Kings Houshold are there taken daily by the Lord Steward the Treasurer the Comptroller the Cofferer the Master of the Houshold the two Clerks of the Green Cloth and the two Clerks Comptrollers who also there make Provisions for the Houshold according to the Law of the Land and make Payments and Orders for the well governing of the Servants of the Houshold In the Compting-House is the Green-Cloth which is a Court of Justice continually sitting in the Kings House composed of the Persons last mentioned whereof the three first are usually of the Kings Privy Council To this Court being the first and most ancient Court of England is committed the charge and oversight of the Kings Court Royal for matters of Justice and Government with Authority for maintaining the Peace within 12 miles distance wheresoever the Court shall be and within the Kings House the power of correcting all the Servants therein that
are 2 Clerks of the Avery or Avenry One Clerk of the Stable Three Surveyors 2 Gentlemen Riders 4 Yeomen Riders 4 Coachmen 8 Littermen a Sergeant of the Carriage 2 Sadlers a Squire Sadler and a Yeoman Sadler a Yeoman of the Stirrup 4 Yeomen Purveyors 4 Yeomen Granators a Sergeant Farrier 4 Yeomen Farriers a Yeoman of the Male a Yeoman Peckman a Yeoman Bilmaker a Yeoman of the Close Cart Sixty four Grooms of the Stable 26 Footmen in Liveries to run by the Kings Horse There is besides some other Officers not here named an Antient Officer in the Kings Houshold called Clerk of the Mercat who within the Verge of the Kings Houshold is to keep a Standard of all Weights and Measures and to burn all false Weights and Measures and from the Pattern of this Standard are to be taken all the Weights and Measures of the Kingdom There are divers other Offices belonging to the King of great importance which are not subordinate to any of the 3 fore-mentioned Great Officers as Master of the Great Wardrobe Master of the Ordnance Warden of the Mint c. and above all for profit is the Office of Post-Master settled by Act of Parliament on the Duke of York and worth about 20000 l. yearly but managed by the order and oversight of His Majesties Principal Secretaries of State who also are Principal Domestiques of the King of whom a farther account shall be given in the Chapter of the Kings Privy Council Master of the Robes is Laurence Hyde Esquire second Son to the late Lord Chancellour whose Office is to have in Custody all His Majesties Robes as those of Coronation of St. Georges Feast and of Parliament also the Custody of all His Majesties Wearing Apparel and of his Collar of Esses Georges and Garters beset with Diamonds Pearls c. Of this Office there is one Master 2 Yeomen 4 Grooms 3 Pages c. In the Court of King James there were many more Offices and to many Offices there belonged many more persons which King Charles the first much lessened and the present King now raigning hath yet lessened much more Of the Military Government in the Kings Court. AS in a Kingdome because Civil Governours proposing Temporal and Ecclesiastical Governours Eternal Rewards and Punishments are not sufficient to secure Peace therefore a Military force is alwayes in readiness so in the Kings Court besides Civil and Ecclesiastical Officers it is thought necessary alwayes to have in readiness Military Officers and Souldiers to preserve the Kings Person whereupon depends the Peace and Safety of all his Subjects Belonging peculiarly to the Kings Court besides above 4000 Foot and above 500 Horse who are alwayes in Pay and readiness to assist upon any occasion there are Guards of Horse and Foot The Horse Guard which the French call Garde du Corps the Germans Lieb Guardy we corruptly Life Gard that is the Gard of the Kings Body hath consisted of 500 Horsemen all or most Gentlemen and old Officers commanded by the Captain of the Guard now James Duke of Monmouth whose Pay is 30 s. a day and each Horseman 4 s. a day These Horse have been divided into Three Parts whereof 200 under the immediate Command of the Captain of the Guard 150 under Monsieur le Marquis de Blancfort and 150 under Sir Philip Howard whose Pay to each is 20 s. a day Under the Captain of the Guard are four Lieutenants Sir Thomas Sandis Sir Gilbert Gerard Major General Egerton and Sir George Hambleton the Cornet is Mr. Stanly Brother to the Earl of Derby also four Brigadeers The Office of the Captain of the Life Guard is at all times of War or Peace to wait upon the Kings Person as oft as he rides abroad with a considerable number of Horsemen well armed and prepared against all dangers whatsoever At home within the Kings House it is thought fit that the Kings Person should have a Guard both above and below Stairs In the Presence Chamber therefore wait the Gentlemen Pensioners carrying Pole-axes there are 50 who are usually Knights or Gentlemen of good Quality and Families their Office is to attend the Kings Person to and from his Chappel only as far as the Privy Chamber also in all other Solemnities their yearly Fee is 100 l. to each Over these there is a Captain usually some Nobleman at present the Lord Bellassis whose Fee is 200 l. yearly a Lieutenant Sir John Bennet his Fee 66 l. 13 s. 4 d. a Standard-Bearer Fee 100 l. a Pay-masters Fee 50 l. and a Clerk of the Check Again in the first Room above Stairs called the Guard-Chamber attend the Yeomen of the Guard whereof there are 250 men of the best quality under Gentry and of larger Stature wearing Red Coats after an Antient Mode bearing Halberds at home and Half-Pikes in Progress and alwayes wearing a large Sword Their Pay is daily 2 s. 6 d. Their Captain the Lord Grandison The Kings Palace Royal ratione Regiae Dignitatis is exempted from all Jurisdiction of any Court Civil or Ecclesiastical but only to the Lord Steward and in his absence to the Treasurer and Comptroller of the Kings Houshold with the Steward of the Marshalsey who may by vertue of their Office without Commission hear and determine all Treasons Felonies Breaches of the Peace committed within the Kings Court or Palace The Kings Court or House where the King resideth is accounted a place so sacred that if any man presume to strike another within the Palace where the Kings Royal Person resideth and by such stroke only draw blood his right hand shall be stricken off and he committed to perpetual prison and fined By the Antient Laws of England only striking in the Kings Court was punisht with death and loss of goods To make the deeper impression and terrour into mens minds for striking in the Kings Court it hath been ordered that the Punishment for striking should be executed with great Solemnity and Ceremony in brief thus The Sergeant of the Kings Woodyard brings to the place of execution a square Block a Beetle Staple and Cords to fasten the hand thereto the Yeoman of the Scullery provides a great fire of Coals by the Block wherein the Searing Irons brought by the Chief Farrier are to be ready for the Chief Surgeon to use Vinegar and Cold Water brought by the Groom of the Saucery the Chief Officers also of the Cellar and Pantry are to be ready one with a Cup of Red Wine and the other with a Manchet to offer the Criminal after the Hand cut off and the Stump seared The Sergeant of the Ewry is to bring linnen to wind about and wrap the Arm. The Yeoman of the Poultry a Cock to lay to it the Yeoman of the Chandry seared Clothes the Master Cook a sharp Dresser Knife which at the place of Execution is to be held upright by the Sergeant of the Larder till Execution be performed by an Officer appointed thereto