from the said 16 of April to the 30th of October following Accordingly Prorogu'd the 16th of April 24 Car. 2d 1672 to the 30th of October following By Commission Prorogu'd the 30th of Dec. 24 Car. 2d 1672 to the 4th of Feb. 25 Car. 2d 1672 3. By Commission Session the 4th Feb. 25 Car. 2d 1672 3. continued to the 29th March 1673. Acts Publick 10 Private 11 Adjourn'd the 29th of March 25 Car. 2d 1673 to the 20th of October following Prorogu'd the 20th of Oct. 25 Car. 2d 1673 to the 27th of the same Month. By Commission Session the 27th of Oct. 25 Car. 2d 1673 to the 4th of November following No Bills past this Session Prorogu'd the 4th of Nov. 25 Car. 2d 1673 to the 7th of January 1673 4. The King Present Proclamation dated the 10th of Decem. 25 Car. 2d to require the Members of both Houses to attend the 7th of Jan. following Session the 7th of Jan. 25 Car. 2d 1673 4. continu'd to the 4th Feb. 26 Car. 2d 1673 4. No Bills past this Session Prorogu'd the 24th of Feb. 26 Car. 2d 1673 4. to the 10th of Novem. 26 Car. 2d 1674. The King Present Proclamation dated the 1st of July 26 Car. 2d 1674 declaring the Kings pleasure to prorogue the Parliament to the 13th of April 1675. Proclamation dated the 3d. Septem 26 Car. 2d 1674 for Proroguing the Parliament from the 10th of Nov. to the 13th of April 1675 27 Car. 2d Prorogu'd the 10th of Nov. 26 Car. 2d 1674 to the 13th of April 1675 27 Car. 2d By Commission Session the 13th of April 27 Car. 2d 1675 continu'd to the 27th of June following Acts Private 5 Prorogu'd the 4th of June 27 Car. 2d 1675 to the 13th of October following The King Present Session the 13th of October 27 Car. 2d 1675 continu'd to the 22d of November following No Bills past Prorogu'd the 22d of Nov. 27 Car. 2d to the 15th of Feb. 28 Car. 2d 1675 6. Proclamation dated the 20th of Dec. 28 Car. 2d 1676 requiring both Houses to give their attendance on the 15th Feb. next Session the 15th Feb. 28 Car. 2d 1676 continu'd to the 16th of April 29 Car. 2d 1677. Acts Publick 10 Private 14 Adjourn'd the 16th of April 29 Car. 2d 1677 to the 21st of May following The King Present Acts Publick 10 Private 14 Proclamation dated the 2d of May 29. Car. 2d 1677 requiring both Houses to give their attendance the 21st of May. Session the 21st May 29 Car. 2d 1677 continued to the 28th of the same Month. Adourn'd the 28th of May 29 Car. 2d 1677 to the 16th of July following Adjourn'd the 16th of July 29 Car. 2d 1667 to the 3d. of December following Proclamation dated the 26th of Octo. 29 Car. 2d 1677 for Adjourning the two Houses of Parliament from the 3d. of Dec. to the 4th of April 30 Car. 2d 1678. Proclamation dated the 7th of Decem. 29 Car. 2d for Adjourning both Houses back from the 4th of April 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 15th Janu. 29 Car. 2d 1677 8. requiring the Members of both Houses to attend that day Adjourn'd the 15th of Jan. 29 Car. 2d 1677 8. to the 28th of the same Month. Session the 28th of January 29 Car. 2d 1677 8. continu'd to the 27th of March 30 Car. 2d 1678. Acts Publick 2 Private 13 Adjourn'd the 27th of March 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 11th of April 30 Car. 2d 1678. Adjourn'd the 11th of April 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 15th of the same Month. Adjourn'd the 15th of April 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 29th of the same Month. Session the 29th of April 30 Car. 2d 1678 continu'd to the 3d. of May following Prorogu'd the 13th of May 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 23d of the same Month. By Commission Session the 23d of May 30 Car. 2d 1678 continu'd to the 15th July following Acts Publick 9 Private 12 Prorogu'd the 15th of July 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 1st of August following By Commission Prorogu'd the 1st of August 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 29th of the same Month. By Commission Proclamation dated the 2d of August 30 Car. 2d 1678 requiring the Members of both Houses to give attendance on the 29th of August Proclamation dated the 8th of August 1678 declaring that the Parliament shall be prorogu'd the said 29th of Aug. to the 1st of Oct. 30 Car. 2d 1678. Prorogu'd the 29th of August 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 1st of Oct. following By Commission Proclamation dated the 25th Sept. 30 Car. 2d 1678 for the further Proroguing the Parliament to the 21st of Oct. in the same Month. By Commission Session the 21st of Oct. 30 Car. 2d 1678 continued to the 30th of Dec. following Acts Publick 1 Private 0 Prorogu'd the 30th of Dec. 30 Car. 2d 1678 to the 4th of Feb. 31 Car. 2d 1678. Proclamation dated the 24th of Jan. 30 Car. 2d 1678 9. wherein the King discharges the Members of both Houses from meeting the 4th of Feb. 31 Car. 2d 1678 and declare the Parliament Dissolv'd Dissolution the 24th Jan. 30 Car. 2d 1678 9. but in the Proclamation His Majesty further Publisheth his pleasure that Writs should be issued for another Parliament to meet the 6th of March following viz. 31 Car. 2d 1678 9. I did design to deferr the Printing of this Diary till I publish some discourses of the nature of Sessions Proclamations Adjournments Recesses Prorogations and Dissolutions but because it will take long time before I shall publish them some friends did persuad me to add this Appendix as very useful to all such as may have any recourse in point of times to matters transacted in this Parliament of which I chiefly treat Summon'd the 18th of Feb. 1660 1. 13 Car. 2d and ended the 14th January Car. 2d 1678 9. and though the dates of Session c. are repeated in several Paragraphs yet it is so ordered for the case and advantage of him that desires to satisfie himself in the Chronological questions of that Parliament without looking on the Antecedent or Subsequent Paragraphs FINIS A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS Printed for Tho. Bassett at the George in Fleet-street AN Institution of General History or the History of the World in two volumns in folio by Dr. William Howel Chancellor of Lincoln Printed 1680. Historical Collections being an exact Account of the Proceedings of the four last Parliaments of the Renowned Princess Queen Elizabeth containing the Journals of Both Houses with their several Speeches Arguments Motions c. in folio writ by Hayward Townshend then Esq Member of Parliament Printed 1680. The Antient Right of the Commons of England Asserted or a Discourse Proving by Records and the best Historians that the Commons of England were ever an Essential part of Parliament By William Petyt of the Inner Temple Esq Of the French Monarchy and Absolute Power and also a Treatise of the three States and their power deduced from the most Authentick Histories for above 1200 years and digested this latter by Mat. Zampini de Recanati L. L. D. The Politicks of France by Monsieur P. H. Marquis of C. with Reflections on the 4th and 5th Chapters wherein he censures the Roman Clergy and the Hugonots by the Sr. l'Ormegregny Le Bean Pleadeur a book of Entries containing Declarations Informations and other select and approved pleadings with Special Verdicts and Demurrers in most Actions real Personal and mixt which have been argued and adjudged in the Courts at Westminster together with faithful references to the most Authentick printed Law books now extant where the Cases of these Entries are reported and a more Copious and useful Table than hath been hitherto printed in any book of Entries by the Reverend Sr. Humphrey Winch Knight sometime one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas. A Display of Heraldry manifesting a more easie access to the knowledge thereof than hath been hitherto published by any through the benefit of Method whereunto it is now reduced by the study and industry of John Guillim late Pursuivant at Arms. the 5th Edition much enlarged with great variety of bearings to which is added a Treatise of Honour Military and Civil according to the Laws and Customs of England collected out of the most Authentick Authors both Antient and Modern by Capt. John Logan illustrated with Variety of Sculptures suitable to the several subjects to which is added a Catalogue of the Atcheivments of the Nobility of England with divers of the Gentry for Examples of Bearings Now in the Press Dr. Heylins help to the English History with very large Additions
assisting Interests to those three Estates The rest is divided into twenty Chapters with several Sections and Observations in them as followes CHAP. I. SECT I. The form of the Kings Warrant for Summoning this Parliament SECT II. Observations on the Names and Progresses of the Names of our English Kings more Especially and Prophetically of the Names of Carolus or Charles as also of variations of the words in the Titles of several Kings of England fixt in this Warrant SECT III. Observations and proceedings on this Warrant shewing the Kings Prerogative in Summoning Parliaments Of the difference between Warrants and Writs in signing and Sealing in Generals and particulars The variation of the form of Warrants Advised by the Kings Privy Council How that Council differs from the Great Council of Parliament The Warrant is first issued to the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper The Lord Chancellors Warrant to the Clerks of the Pettybag Of the first Digest of Writs kept there called the Parliament Pawn How these Pawns were Anciently us'd CHAP. II. A Transcript of the Pawn for this Parliament began the Eight of May 1661. Divided into twelve Paragraphs whereof the five first concern only the House of Lords the seven other the House of Commons Observations on this Pawn The reasons of placing figures on the Margent of the Pawn The Reason of the different Dates of Writs in the Pawn Why some of the Writs are abbreviated in the Pawn Of General Writs viz. Original and Judicial and of Parlimentary Writs viz. Brevia Clausa Patentia Exemplars and Consimilars The difference of the Lords Writs and Commons Writs The agreement of Writs in the Pawn Derivative Writs not in the Pawn are Equivalent to those in the Pawn Of Exemplar and Consimilar Writs viz. both in the Lords and Commons Houses The method propos'd for treating of these Writs CHAP. III. Of the Act of Precedencies divided into observations That the Act of Precedency is concern'd in the Lords House only The nature of the Act The Title of the High Court of Parliament used in that Act The Siting and calling over the Lords different from the method in the Act Why some Titles are named in the 4th Paragraph of the Act omitted in the 8th Of the Woolsacks in the Lords House Of the four degrees of State Officers which are placed by this Act. How the Pawn and Acts do disagree therein Of such as sit in the Lords House yet not mentioned in the Act but in the Pawn Of former Proceedings in the House of Lords omitted in this Act. CHAP. IV. Of the Degrees concern'd in the Act of Precedency SECT I. Of the Kings Privy Councellors Of the word Council apply'd to individual Persons and to an Assembly Of the Kings Privy Council Of several other of the Kings Councils Of the Kings Great Council or Parliament Of the Number and Quality of the Persons constituting the Privy Council Of the Antiquity of Councils Of the Nature and condition of Councellors in our Councils Elected for merit Of lesser Councils and Parliaments in this Kingdom Of the Privy Council and Parliament how sometimes mixt SECT II. Of the Princes of the Blood Of the seven degrees of the Blood Royal whose places are appointed by the Act of Precedency That any of the seven are Prior to all other degrees of Nobility That in their absence the Arch-Bishop hath precedence SECT III. Of the Kings Vicegerent Declaring the Kings Supremacy in the Church of England The great power granted to the Vicegerent in Church affairs None made since the 31 of H. the 8th but supply'd by Bishops SECT IV. Of Bishops The Antiquity of Bishops The meaning of the Word Of their Jurisdictions Of the Convocation Houses where they sit as Bishops and in Parliament upon a Baronial account How plac'd Call'd Lords Spiritual Anciently they did manage the Chief Offices of the Kingdom Of their Priviledge in the Lords House SECT V. Of the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper Referred to Chap. the 8th SECT VI. Of the Lord Treasurer Referred to Chap. the 9th SECT VII Of the Lord President of the Kings Council Of it's Antiquity Discontinuance and Supply Of other Lords Presidents SECT VIII Of the Lord Privy Seal It 's Antiquity and several Titles How granted Considered as Master of Requests Of his Seals and other Seals Of his Clerks concern'd in the Summons of Parliaments Of his Antiquity in Sitting in the Lords House Formerly supply'd by Ecclesiasticks now by Temporal Lords These three last mention'd Great Officers are thus Plac'd whether they be Nobles or not SECT IX Of the Lord Great Chamberlain Rais'd by Merit Had lands given to hold in Grand Sergiantry consisting of great Immunities The Antiquity of the Title Confer'd on some Noble Person whereby he sat in Parliament Made Hereditary his Employments in Accommadations for Parliaments SECT X. Of the High Constable His Antiquity since the 12 of Hen. 8. granted but pro hac vice at Coronations c. Their Power formidable to former Kings Devolv'd into Lord Marshal Of other Constables of lesser Qualities but still of gaeat use Of such of the Higher sort as were formerly Summoned to Parliaments SECT XI Of the Earl Marshal Of his Power and Jurisdiction Of the Original of the Title Of the Courts and Offices under him especially the Court of Chivalry and Heraulds A description of them Of their Employments relating to Parliaments Of the Earl Marshals Summons to Parliaments and how it became Hereditary SECT XII Of the Lord Admiral of England How the Title sprung Of his Power and Jurisdiction guided by the Civil Laws not repugnant to the Common Always plac'd in the hands of some of the Chief of the Nobility Had antiently their Sumons to Parliaments and so continue SECT XIII Of the Lord Steward Of the Orthography of the Name and Antiquity of the Office Of several Offices under that Title and particularly of the Title of this Office and of his Antient and Present Summons to Parliaments and of his Vses there SECT XIV Of the Lord Chamberlain of the Kings House Of his Authority and usefulness before in Parliaments Of Antient Presidents of Summoning him to Parliaments SECT XV. Of the Principal Secretary of State When the Act of Precedency was made he was the 12th Officer of State a Number of Esteeme the difference of his Writ when his Summons are single without annexing some Noble Degree to it CHAP. V. SECT I. Of the Decrees of Nobles From whence the word Nobility is derived Divided into Majores and Minores The Majores into 5 degrees the Minores into three the Majores makes the Lords House the Minores the Commons House SECT II. Of Dukes Duke from the Latin word Duco Dux Antiently Earls were Prior to Dukes in England How Dukes got the Priority Of the several Titles attributed to Dukes Duke and Earl promiscuously us'd And of the name Grace apply'd to Dukes in England Dukes were in England before they were formally Created The time
of Commons c. These Patent Writs have no other appellation than Literal or Letters Patents as I said But the Parliamentary close Writs are divided into two Titles viz. Exemplars and Consimilars and though the word Exemplar is not us'd in the Pawns yet the word Consimile is constantly us'd there which doth imply an Exemplar The Exemplars are Writs set down at large in the Pawns and the Consimilars are Writs not inserted in the Pawns and yet are to have a consimilitude with their Exemplars the Exemplar being so made upon some extraordinary reason as will be shewn hereafter As for those Writs which concern the House of Lords of which I only treat in this first Part as they are more in number than any of the other Houses not including derivative Writs Precepts or Citations so they are of a more nice nature in respect as I said they are personal for a distinct Writ is to be provided for every individual Lord sitting in the Lords House but not so in the House of Commons or lower Convocation as will be shewn and though the main body of the Writs in those concerning the Lords House do differ but little from the Writs of former Kings or from those of the House of Commons yet the Titles do very much vary in every Parliament partly by the new Creation of Barons partly in their Ascension from Barons to higher degrees and partly by splitting of Titles upon extinction of Families and for other causes they are in few years subject to variation in Titles wherein every Lord is exact in having his due and therefore some of the Heralds as I said according to the several districts of the Kingdom under their managements are or ought to be consulted with that the Clerks may commit no mistakes either in their Titles of Grace and Favour or in their Titles of Rights and Concessions before the Writs be sealed and the not effectual doing this which ought to be done might occasion some mistakes and differences between the Exemplar and Consimilary Writs in point of Titles as will be shewn The other parts of the Writs as well in Exemplars as Consimilars which concern not the Titles of the Peers are the same both in the declaratory and mandatory parts except some few words of which I shall take notice in my proceedings and herein I shall not trouble my self with shewing what reasons were given in some Writs for summoning a Parliament or what in others or the reason of those Reasons and why in some there were no Reasons given only a short Mandamus All Writs at large recited in this and all former Pawns are the Exemplars of all other Writs of Summons for a Parliament which are not in the respective Pawns whereby these in this Pawn with the addition of the Bishops Exemplar Writs which are entred in all former Pawns did and do now make 12 Exemplars but the Writs which are not recited in this and former Pawns which I term Consimilars at the calling this Parliament were in all 262. Some of the 12 are Exemplars and other Writs have a consimilitude to them yet have no positive Consimilars appointed them whereof there are but three viz. One to the Lord Chancellor in the Lords House and to the two Palatines in the Commons All Writs of Summons to the House of Lords both Exemplars and Consimilars are Personal and Local but all Writs of Summons for the House of Commons are only Local These 12 Exemplars are in this following method stated with their Consimilars viz. those 5 for the Lords House are   Exemplar  Consimilar I. To the Duke of York 1  1 II. To the Archbishop of Canterbury 1  25 III. To the Lord Chancellor 1  0 IV. To the Earl of South-hampton L. Treasurer 1 In this Parliament 3 Dukes 4 Marque 55 Earls 8 Visc 68 Barons 138 V. To the Chief Justice of the Kings Bench 1  15 So there was in the Lords House 5 Exemplar Writs and 179 Consimilars in all 184. The remaining Exemplar Writs relating to the House of Commons are 7. of which I shall speak more in the next part of this Treatise viz. VI. To Cornwall 1  4 VII To Cambridge 1  1 VIII To London 1  18 IX To Dover 1 Cinqports 7 X. To Lancaster 1  0 XI To Chester 1  0 XII To Carmarthen 1 Wales 11 So there is for the Commons House 7 Exemplars and 73 Consimilars in all 80 Writs in both Houses 264 So many Exemplar and Consimilar Writs were issued to Constitute this Parliament An. 1661. in the Lords House to Countreys Shires and Comitated Cities and Towns in the Commons House whereof some years after its Sitting one Exemplar and one Consimilar was issued for the Bishoprick of Durham all the rest of the Writs for Cities Towns and Burroughs not Comitated of which I shall give an account do lose their names of Consimilars when the Exemplar Writs do come to the respective Sheriffs for then they pass from the respective Sheriffs under the titles of Precepts or Derivative-Writs as shall be more fully discourst of in the second part where I treat of the House of Commons Now I shall proceed to the Act of Precedencies and give a short description of such as are to be Summon'd for the lords-Lords-House only because I speak more amply of their Individual-Writs whereby they are Summon'd CHAP. III. Of Precedencies HAving shewn the Kings Warrant and the Lord Chancellors and the Record made up in the Pettibag call'd the Parliament Pawn and given a touch of the nature of Writs in general and in particular of Parliamentary Writs of Summons consisting of Writs Exemplar and Consimilar as also an hint of Precepts or Derivative-Writs from those Exemplars which are to be more fully treated of in the 2d part I shall proceed to the Act of 31 of Hen. the 8th concerning Precedencies in the Lords House occasion'd from the defect or long disusage of Pawns or other State reasons for there being no Pawns extant but as I said from the 21 of Hen. the 8th to this time the other being by Endorsment c. on the Records in the Tower or Rolls Chappel Our King Hen. the 8th did make this Act of Precedencies which hath its chief Reference to the time when a Parliament is Sitting and so not proper to be inserted in this place seeing my design in this first part is to treat of matters previous to a Parliament before I speak of matters Sedente Parliamento yet it may be allow'd in respect I make no other present use of it than to inlighten the Readers with the Characters of such Persons and Degrees as are to have Writs of Summons to sit there according to that Act and therefore I shall first shew a Transcript of that Act then some Observations upon it and then give some short discourses of the Noble Degrees therein mention'd in order to their Writs which shall distinctly follow The
Privy Seal the Great Chamberlain the Constable the Marshal the Lord Admiral the Grand Master or Lord Steward the Kings Chamberlain and the Kings chief Secretary shall sit and be placed in such order and fashion as is before rehearsed and not in any other place by Authority of this Act. SECT I. Observations Obs 1. THis Act is observable being Enacted as it were by the King 's single Authority yet by the Preamble it seems to be only an Order or Ordinance at most and this upon Record in that House for it doth not concern the Commons 2. The Lords House is here call'd the High Court of Parliament i. e. the highest Court of Judicature in Parliament and so it is an Act by authority of the same including the Kings 3. It is also Parag. 2. call'd the Parliament Chamber and Parag. 8. the said House not the House of Lords or House of Peers as it is now call'd 4. Though this Act doth contain the Rules for Places as the several degrees do sit in their distinct degrees yet it doth not contain the intermixt Precedencies of the several Degrees both in calling over the House and at other Solemnities as will be more exactly shewn in the local part 5. In the 8th Paragraph the Lord great Chamberlain Constable Marshal Admiral Steward and King's Chamberlain are omitted because it is presum'd that those Titles were never given to any under the degree of a noble Baron 6. Here the Seat for the State-Officers being not Barons is call'd a Sack but in all Records where those Seats are mention'd they are call'd Wool-Sacks being stuff'd with Wool to mind them of the Staple Commodity of the Kingdom 7. The use which I make of this Act is to shew the several Titles of the Degrees of such as are mention'd therein 2dly the ordering of those Degrees and 3dly how this Act doth agree or disagree with the Pawns before and subsequent to it First The Degrees mention'd therein are four viz. first Princes of the Blood 2dly Lords Spiritual 3dly Ministers and Officers of State 4thly Lords Temporal 1st The Princes of the Blood are said therein Parag. 4. to be first the King's Son 2dly the King's Brother 3dly the King's Uncle 4thly the King's Nephew 5thly the King's Brother's Son 6thly the King's Sister's Son as in Paragraph the 1st and 4th 2dly The Lords Spiritual are said therein to be the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and York the Bishop of London Duresm and Winchester and all the Bishops of both Provinces according to their Ancientries Paragraph 2 3. 3dly The Ministers and Officers of State Ecclesiastical and Civil are in the 2d and 4th Paragraphs said to be the Vice-Gerent and eleven more therein mention'd of which I shall speak distinctly Paragraphs 2 4 5 6 8 9 10. 4thly The Lords Temporal are said to be those five Degrees mention'd in the seventh Paragraph viz. Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts and Barons of which I shall also speak more fully and lower than to these Degrees the Act doth not extend 5thly This Act doth agree with the Method of the Pawns in the placing of the Princes of the Blood as also of the Bishops but the Pawns do differ from the Act concerning the Ministers and Officers of State for they meddle with them no otherwise than they are annext to some Spiritual or Temporal Degrees but if they are under the Degree of those Degrees they have then only particular Writs of Assistance as shall be shewn 6. The Act doth not take notice of the several Assistants of the Long Robe viz. the Lords Chief Justices c. But the Pawn makes a Record of them also and of their Writs and of their Precedencies in relation to each other of whom I shall speak more particularly in the Thirteenth Chapter 7. This Act was made upon the dissolution of the Abbots and Priors and that there might be no more room for them in the House of Lords whereas the two preceeding Pawns remaining still in the Pettibag viz. of the 22 and 31 Hen. 8. did place them next the Bishops now their Abbies Monasteries and Priories being dissolved they in this Act were excluded as in all future Pawns only Queen Mary did venture to summon the Abbot of Westminster and the Prior of St. John's of Jerusalem but that being turn'd into a Deanry and this dissolved they were as useless as all the others the Ecclesiastical and Civil Estate of this Kingdom being thereby restor'd to its Primitive Constitution as will be shewn CHAP. IV. A Discription of the Degrees concern'd in this Act of Precedency HAving spoken of the Pawns or Digest of Writs of Summons in general as also of the Act of Precedency this having respect only to the House of Lords and other great Councils those both to the House of Lords and House of Commons this only to the Dignity of the Nobles those not only to the Dignity and Degrees of Nobles but also of the form and order of the Writs constantly enabling the Nobles to make a noble use of their distinct Degrees that to the Places and Precedencies of such persons whenever they meet in Parliament as by the King's favour may be summon'd those to the persons actually summon'd wherein these Pawns much ancienter than the Act were doubtless a good Guide to the framing of this Act I think it convenient before I proceed to particularize their Writs for the Titles must be fix'd before the Writs can be perfected to take a view of the order of such Degrees as are mention'd in the Pawns but better methodiz'd in the Act viz. 1st of the King's Counsellors comprehending all the following degrees and others 2dly of the Princes of the Blood consisting of seven Degrees 3dly of the grand Officers and Ministers of Church and State consisting also of seven Degrees some of them being of a mixt nature viz. Spiritual Ecclesiastical and Civil and 4thly of the Temporal and Hereditary Nobility consisting of five intire Degrees and this I shall do by a distinct account of them for the clearer understanding of the Writs and Persons concern'd in them And this I do to entertain the Readers time whilst the Clerk and others are busied in Drawing Writing and Ingrossing the Writs and carrying them to be Seal'd and then disposing them to the several persons and places to whom and where they are to be deliver'd which will admit of as much or more time than may be spent in reading these following Discourses intended for the reviving of the memory of some and improving the knowledge of others concerning the Persons to be imploy'd in the House of Lords as also concerning the Writs for the House of Commons and herein in this First Part as to the House of Lords I shall be guided by the ancient Method of the King's Warrant the Pawns and the Act of Precedency And first of the King's Counsellors SECT II. Of the Kings Privy-Counsellor AS to the Original of this Officer and of the reason
Rewards in store which they conferr'd proportionably to their Services and such Rewards were purposely reserv'd for such as had either given good Counsel or followed it by venturing their Lives and Fortunes for preservation of the Empire and some such Orders were made in our Edw. the 3ds time and confirmed by many Successive Councils as may be read in Sir Edw. Coke and Judge Dodridge 12. There are also other lesser Councils besides what I mentioned before as the Common Council of London and the like though not for number in other Cities which relate only to the Government of those Cities and Counsellors at Law and the meeting of such degrees as are qualified for that purpose are called in some of the Inns of Court Parliaments which relate only to matters of Law and Government of their Societies and Councils of War and Trade and many of these are great Assistants and often imploy'd both in the Privy and publick Council of the Kingdom 13. I have been the longer on this subject because all the Degrees hereafter mentioned are Members either of the Kings Privy Council or the Parliament or both yet their Writs of Summons are not singly Conciliario but by annexation to those Degrees which are capacitated to be Counsellors but the Degrees mentioned in the Act of whom I treat next are constantly of the Privy Council or Parliament but there are only some of the Parliament which are of the Privy Council by which means matters are more easily manag'd between the King the Privy Council and the Parliament the one constantly Sitting the other Summon'd only upon Emergencies of State which latter being thus Constituted it may well be call'd Magnum Concilium Animarum or a Council of Souls rather than Bodies so as the King may say with Cicero Conscientia conciliorum meorum me Consolatur i. e. The knowledge and Conscientious concurrence of minds or Souls for so Conscientia sometimes siguifies and integrity of my Counsellors are my Consolation 14. In the first Chapter I have shewn the List of the Privy Council who gave their Advice as t is said in the Warrant for Summoning the Parliament to begin the 8th of May 1661. and all but one of them had Summons and did sit in the Lords House or were Elected for the Commons House yet it may be observed that Prince Rupert was Summon'd as Duke of Cumberland The Duke of Laderdale being a Scotch Lord was not Summon'd till he was made Earl of Gilford some years after The Duke of Ormond was Summon'd as Earl of Brecknock in Wales the Lord Anthony Ashly Cooper was chosen a Burgess of Dorsetshire for the House of Commons but his Writ was time enough to sit in the Lords House Sir Charles Berkley Knt. was chosen a Burgess in Somersetshire and soon after made Lord Fitz Harding an Irish Title and so continued in the House of Commons to his death Sir George Cartret Knt. and Bar. was chosen Burgess for Portsmouth and continued in the Commons House to the end of that Parliament Sir Edward Nicholas Knt. was Summon'd to the Lords House but Sir William Morrice was chosen Burgess for Plymouth and continued with the Commons to his death Now I proceed with the chief of such as are for the most part of the Kings Privy Council mention'd in the Act and do with others of lesser Degreees Constitute both the Privatum and Magnum concilium or Parliament SECT III. Of the Princes of the Bloud IN this Act the King by vertue of his Kingly Office for so is the word in the Act and Prerogative Obs I. having power to give such Honors Places and Reputation to his Counsellors and other his Subjects as shall seem best to his most Excellent Wisdom especially to his Council or Parliament gives the Priority of all Places and Precedings to these following seven Degrees of the Bloud-Royal viz. 1. to the Kings Son first entituled Prince of Wales in the 11. Edw. the 3d. 2. to the Kings Children 3. to the Kings Brother 4. to the Kings Uncle 5. to the Kings Nephew 6. to the Kings Brothers Son 7. to the Kings Sisters Son all of these have Title of Earls or Dukes and any one of these where others in priority are wanting are to be accounted the first in their own seven Degrees and are Prior to the 5 following Degrees which comprehend all the Lords Temporal and these as they happen to be more or less have their distinct Writs as also their proceedings to all or any other Degrees either Spiritual or Temporal Official or Hereditary of whom I shall speak more in the following Sections and Chapters but if there be a failour of any of these or that they are absent from Parliaments in respect of Minority or otherwise then some of the Lords Spiritual have precedency to the Lords Temporal as will be shewn All that were Summon'd of this Degree to this Parliament were only the Duke of York the Kings Brother and Prince Rupert his Sisters Son Sect. Cap. 2. Fig. 1. and 2. SECT IIII. Of the Kings Vice-Gerent or Vicar-General Obs THe words of the Act are That forasmuch as the Kings Majesty is justly and lawfully Supream Head on Earth under God of the Church of England and for the good Exercise of that most Royal Dignity and Office viz. of Supream Head of the Church hath made Thomas Lord Cromwel who was not only Lord Privy Seal as in the Act is exprest but Master of the Kings Jewel-House Baron of Okham Knight of the Garter Earl of Essex and Lord Great Chamberlain 2. His Vice-Gerent for the good and due administration of Justice to be had in all Causes and Cases touching the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and for the Godly Reformation of all Errors Heresies and Abuses in the said Church so as he injoy'd Dignities and Offices of a mixt nature Ecclesiastical and Civil and thereby was placed above all the Lords Spiritual and above all the Lords Temporal of the following Degrees and not only in respect of his Temporal Dignities but as Vice-Gerent in Ecclesiasticals had power given him and to his Successors in that Office to sit above those Degrees in Parliament and to have a Voice and Liberty to assent or dissent as other Lords 3. But there hath been none imploy'd in this Office since that time as needless I conceive for the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in their Provinces and the Bishops in their Diocesses have ever since in a manner suppli'd the Duty of that Office under their own Titles and by their own Jurisdictions especially the Archbishop of Canterbury who is rankt in the next place in this Act and in all Pawns except this where some of the Bloud Royal are not exemplars SECT V. Of the Arch-Bishops and Bishops Obs I THE Title of Bishop is more ancient than the Title of Christian as I shall shew in the seventh Chapter however it became more general after Christianity spread it self The word comes from the
Marshal and Duke Thomas dying at Padua about the end of this Parliament Henry the Brother succeeded in the Dukedom and sat as Duke of Norfolk and Henry the Eldest Son of the said Duke Henry being then intituled Earl of Arundel did sit as Earl of Arundel and Lord Mowbray so as that Title of Earl Marshal is in Duke Henry and the Title of Mowbray in the Earl of Arundel and that Title of Earl Marshal only inpossibility to come again into Mowbray And this may be added that during Duke Thomas his Life James Earl of Suffolk by Deputation did execute that Office for reasons which I leave to other Writers SECT XIII Of the Lord Admiral of England Obs I THE Kings of England do constantly make Admirals of Squadrons of Ships but the Admiral which I am here to speak of is the highest of all intituled the Lord Admiral of England and may be well call'd Admirals from their seeing and knowing the mirabilia or Wonders of the Deep The Greeks call'd this Officer Thalassiarcha from Thalassa the Sea and Archos the Chief at Sea and from thence the Romans according to the Latin Idiom call'd him Thalassiarchus and of later days Admirallus which is no Latin word and in English Admiral 2. To him is committed the Government of the King of England's Navy and Power to decide all causes Maritim as well Civil as Criminal and of all things done on or beyond the Seas in any part of the World and many other Jurisdictions on the Coasts and in Ports Havens and Rivers and of such Wrecks and Prizes as are call'd by the Lawyers Lagon Jetson and Flotson that is Goods lying in the Sea floting on the Sea or cast by the Sea on the shore admitting some few exceptions and Royalties granted to other Lords of Mannors And these and all other Cases dependant on this Jurisdiction are determin'd in his Courts of Admiralty by such Rules of the Civil Law as do not invade the Common Laws of England 3. And of these Civil Laws which concern Sea assairs there are two most eminent Guiders to Civilians viz. Those made at Rhodes in the Mediterranean by the Grecians and augmented by the Romans call'd Lex Rhodia or the Rhodian Law The other made at Oleron an Island anciently belonging to England but lying on the borders of France by out King Richard the First both of which are still in great veneration 4. So as well for the Laws by which he governs the Maritim concerns as for his great Jurisdiction being as vast as the Ocean he may be said to have alterum Imperium extra intra Imperium and therefore this Honour and Care is intrusted to the hands of some one of the Blood Royal or some one or more joyntly of the most eminent of the Nobility 5. And in respect of this Power there is a constant Converse and Commerce with all parts of the World especially where the Civil Laws are practis'd and therefore it hath been the prudence of our former Kings even to this day to allot him a place in the Lords House as to the Marshal of England for both of their concerns are chiefly manag'd as I have shewn by the Civil Laws so as the Lord Marshal and Lord Admiral may be look'd on as the two Supporters to the learned Professors of those Laws as the other Lords are to the Professors of the Common Laws and possibly the greatest number of the Masters of Chancery of whom I shall speak in order who sit in the Lords House were originally contrived to be Doctors of the Civil Laws upon this ground That if there were at any time just occasion in that House to make use of any points in that Profession they might give their advices or opinions therein 6. This Dignity as I said was ever conferr'd upon some of the chief Nobility by vertue whereof they had their Writs of Summons and their Place in the Lords House and this long before the Act of Precedency for we find the Earl of Arundel in 13 Edw. 3. and the Earl of Northumberland in 7 R. 2. the Earl of Devon and Marquess of Dorset in the same Kings time and so the Earls of Salisbury Shrewsbury Worcester and Wiltshire and others of the like Degrees recited in the Clause Rolls needless to renumerate being Admirals were summon'd and in our extant Pawns in 36 H. 8. Johanni Dudley Vicecomiti Lisle Magno Admirallo and in 1 E. 6. Tho. Dom. Seymer Magno Admirallo and in 7 Edw. 6. Edv. Fenys Domino Clinton Magno Admirallo and in 1 2 3 4 Mariae Phil. Mar. Gulielmo Howard de Effingham Magno Admirallo and in 4 5 Phil. Mar. Edw. Fenys again and Charles Earl of Nottingham in Queen Elizabeth's time and George Duke of Buckingham in King James's time and King Charles the First 's time were still summon'd to Parliament with the Title of Admiral added to their hereditary Titles in their Writs and to this Parliament Jacobo Duci Ebor. Magno Admirallo c. And all these had their places in the Lords House according to the Act of Precedency as those before the Act was made This Office was conferr'd on the Duke of York for this Parliament Vid. Cap. 2. SECT XIV Of the Lord Steward of the King's House AS for the Orthography and Etymology and Antiquity of this Title Steward Obs I. I shall refer them to my Annotations However as it is sometimes writ with a T and sometimes a D it is under four Considerations the first as it represents a Royal Name and Family and therefore for distinction this is writ Stewart with a T and hath the superintendence chief interest and influence in all Parliaments since that Name was of that use in England 2. The other three are Titles official and written Steward with a D and as a further distinction from the first in Latin they are call'd Seneschalli and this the chief of the three is call'd Seneschallus Angliae or Lord High Steward of England of whom I shall give a full account in the Chapter of the Trials per Pares and shew how this great Officer is imploy'd either in or out of Parliaments 3. The last and least Degree of the 3 is call'd also Senescallus such as are the Stewards of Corporate Towns or Mannors which are not concern'd in the Summons or of use in Parliaments otherwise than as considerable Assistants in Elections of Members to serve in Parliaments But the Lord Steward of whom I now speak was call'd in H. the 8th time Magnus Magister Hospitij Regis or the Great Master of the Kings Houshold and ever since Magnus Senescallus Hospitij Regis or the Lord high Steward of the Kings House and he hath not only an eminent Employment Trust and Authority in ordering the Kings Houshold but an Authority above all Officers of that House except the Chappel Chamber and Stables but in all Parliaments is obliged to attend the Kings
tells us That about this time the Abbots Bishops c. which were placed here by the Pope were so numerous that it was proposed to him by the Commons that he would please with their Revenues to make 150 Earls 1500 Knights 6200 Esquires and Erect 200 Hospitals for maintaining of maimed Soldiers c. But it seems he had not that Courage which Henry the Eighth did after assume and it was needless for one or two to oppose his Power However H. 4. Henry the Fourth went on and in the Second and Seventh Years of his Reign made Acts against Purchasing of Bulls from the Pope for Exemptions or Benefices Also Henry the Fifth H. 5. Anno 5. cap. 4. made Acts against Provisors from the Pope and all these subject to a Praemunire In Henry the Sixth's time H. 6. the Bishop of Winchester being made Cardinal was admitted of the King's Council with this Protestation That he should absent himself in all Affairs and Councils wherein the Pope or See of Rome were concerned which he assented to and also he Enacted That no Alien should be a Broker That Priories and Aliens Lands should be seiz'd in time of War That no Advowson Presentation Collation or Induction be made to any Alien of any Benefice or Ecclesiastick Dignity That Aliens attending the Queen or King be removed and banished except those allowed by the Council That Aliens should lodge only in Englishmens Houses and to serve in War if able That no Priors be Collectors of Disms He also confirmed the Statutes against Provisions by the See of Rome In Edward the Fourth Ed. 4. R. 3. H. 7. Richard the Third and Henry the Seventh's time there was a Calm to that See none of the Laws repealed but so slenderly used that they made no great impression at Rome and though these and former Kings did strive to make their respective Supremacies in Ecclesiastick Matters within their Dominions and to lessen the Pope's Power and Profit yet none could substantially effect it till Henry the 8th who seeing there was no other remedy and that all Laws against the Roman See were evaded and other Essays fruitless he fell to 't with right down Blows which is the only way to master a good Fencer as will appear in this next Section 8. Henry the Eighth did so contrive his matters H. 8. that he did first ingratiate himself with the Pope by writing in defence of the Church of Rome a Book against Luther which so affected the Pope that he immediately sent him a Bull which is in the same nature of a Patent with us and therein gave him the Title of Defensor Fidei Anno 12. which he accepted and for three years Anno 21 22 23. viz. in the 21 22 and 23 years of his Reign went plausibly on by making several Acts about Wills and Testaments Mortuaries and against Pluralities and Sanctuaries and Deeds to Churches but in the 24th he began to discover his Opinion Anno 24. that though he was for the Doctrine of the Church of Rome against Luther yet he had no mind to suffer his Kingdom to be exhausted for the Support of the Court of Rome whereupon an Act of Parliament was made against all Appeals to Rome Anno 25. and the next year Anno 25. That no First Fruits should be paid as formerly out of this Kingdom to Rome And in another Act That not any Imposition should be laid on his Subjects by colour of any Power from the Pope and then to secure himself and rivet his Subjects to him an Act was made declaring his Title and his Successor's to the Crown That being done an Act of Parliament was made Anno 26. to intitle him Supream Head of the Church of England and in the same year a positive Act Anno 26. That no First Fruits or Tenths should be paid out of any Promotions in England to the Pope of Rome In this time the King makes Archbishops Bishops Anno 27. and Suffragans and in the 27th year chuseth sixteen Spiritual and 16 Temporal Lords to settle the Canons for the Church of England and erect an Office of Augmentation so as having gained the two points of his Supremacy in opposition to the Church and Court of Rome viz. Defensor Fidei Supremum Caput one from the Pope himself the other from the Parliament and setled an Office for his purpose In the same year all Monasteries c. under 200 l. per Annum and all the Ornaments Goods and Jewels belonging to those Houses were setled on him and his Heirs by Acts of Parliament And four years after viz. 31 H. 8. it was Enacted Anno 31. That the King and his Heirs should have all Monasteries Abbies Priories and other Religious Houses dissolved or to be dissolved with their Mannors Lands c. And yet it is observable That in this very Parliament of 31 H. 8. there were twenty Roman Bishops twenty four Abbots and two Priors in all forty six and but forty four Temporal Lords the Act for Precedency in the House of Lords made the same year being not as I conceive altogether for regulating Precedencies but for purging the Abbots c. by that Act of Parliament so as doubtless they lost their Interest more by the King's resolution for expunging them than by Vote of Parliament 9. However the Abbots Priors c. being thus dissolved their Baronies by which they did formerly there sit being disposed of to other persons they had no foundation to sit in the Lords House which caus'd the first great Alteration in the Method of the following Writs for such as were to sit there as will be further shewn And in this great Alteration doubtless there was also a Divine Hand for as Pope Boniface the Third before mentioned did put out all the English Bishops and placed Foreigners his creatures in their rooms and made many more Bishopricks than he found so now by the Lex Talionis Like for Like Henry the Eighth did put out all the Pope's dependents and placed such Bishops in their rooms as would justifie the King's Supremacy here and renounce the Pope's And accordingly Bishop Bonner Cranmer Gardiner and others who wrote against the Pope's Supremacy were made one an Archbishop and the others Bishops And he also did erect six new Bishopricks viz. Chester Gloucester Peterborough Bristol Oxford and Westminster which last after one Bishop 〈◊〉 was turned to a Deanary as now 〈…〉 such of the Nobility and Gentry tha◠〈◊〉 to his Resolutions wanted not Lands and Mannors to gratifie them So that now he had the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament and the Kingdom it self on his side and even the Nobility and Gentry of England who formerly were almost entire for the Popes Authority their Judgments were now split in two some for the Court and some for the Church of Rome and so even the King and many of his Council did live
repealing that Act in order to which the remnant of the Parliament of 1640 which still continued in several shapes was by the Kings Consent dissolv'd his Majesty appointing another to begin in April 1660. So the 29th of May 1660. he came successfully from beyond Seas to confirm it and this Parliament lasted till December following in which time as Preparatories to the Bishops Introduction provisions were made for restoring Ministers who had been outed of their Livings and also Commissioners were appointed who did sit accordingly to compose the differences which might arise between the Purchasers of the Bishops Lands and the Bishop wherein they us'd so great Lenity that the Bishops did come into their Temporalities with some satisfaction to both Interests after they had been injoyed by the Purchasers near Twenty Years and in the same Month his Majesty did also set out a Declaration before mention'd concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs and after these Preparatories that Parliament consisting of the King Lords Temporal and Commons being also Dissolv'd as I said in Decemb. His Majesty was pleas'd in February following to Summon another Parliament of the Lords Temporal and Commons to begin the Eighth of May 1661. before which time his Coronation was Solemniz'd viz. the Twenty third of April 1661. yet before the Ceremony was perform'd he thought himself oblig'd to take Care for the Bishops for many Ceremonies essential to his Coronation were to be perform'd by them and thereupon at a full Council in Whitehall the Tenth of April this Order was made ORdered by his Majesty That the Lord Chancellor do forthwith give directions to the Clerk of the Crown to draw up Writs of Summons to pass his Majesties Great Seal directed to the most Reverend Father in God William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Accepted Lord Bishop of York for Convocation of the Lords Bishops Deans Archdeacons and the Clergy of their respective Provinces in usual Form Accordingly the Parliament met the said Eighth of May 1661. and did sit till the Thirtieth of July where amongst other Acts one did pass for Repealing the Act of Abolishing Bishops and Restoring them to their Estates Dignities and Places and so the Parliament Adjourned to the Twentieth of November following after which Adjournment upon the Twenty ninth of August following the Writs which were ordered the Tenth of April aforesaid did pass under the Great Seal and were distributed so as the Twentieth of November 1661. they did take their places in the House of Lords and have continued so to do during this Parliament and notwithstanding this long deprivation wherein the King himself the Temporal Lords and the chief of the Commons were Sharers they may be said to be in the House of Lords upon an Interest of Right though the Interest of Form in their Introduction was wanting that Act of Abolition being partly Authentick and partly not for Acts of Parliament are good Absente Clero though not Excluso Clero and so next I shall shew the Exemplar Writ as it is entered in the Crown Office for it was too late to enter it amongst the Deposits or Pawns in the Pettibag SECT XX. The Form of the Writ to the Archbishop of Canterbury the 29th of Aug. 1661. REx Reverendissimo in Christo Patri praedilecto fideli Conciliario nostro Gulielmo eadem gratia Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi totius Angliae Primat ' Metropolitano Salutem Quia de Advisamento Assensu Concilii nostri pro quibusdam arduis urgentibus negotiis nos Statum defensionem Regni nostri Angliae Ecclesiae Anglicanae concernen ' quoddam Parliamentum nostrum apud Civitatem nostram Westm ' octavo die Maii praeterito teneri ordinavimus ibidem nobiscum cum caeteris Praelat ' Magnatibus proceribus dicti Regni nostri Colloquium habere tractare Vobis in fide dilectione quibus nobis tenemini rogando Mandamus quod consideratis dictorum negotiorum arduitate periculis imminentibus Cessante excusatione quacunq ' dictis die loco personalit ' intersitis nobiscum ac cum Praelatis Magnatibus Proceribus praedictis super dictis negotiis tractatur ' vestrumque Concilium impensur ' hoc sicut nos honorem nostrum ac Salvationem defensionem Regni Ecclesiae praedict ' Expeditionemque dictorum negotiorum diligetis nullatenus omittatis Praemontes Decanum Capitulum Ecclesiae vestrae Cantuariae ac Archidiaconos totumque Clerum vestrae Diocesis quod idem Decan ' Archidiaconi in propriis personis suis ac dictum Capitulum per unum idemq ' Clerum per duos procuratores idoneos plenam sufficientem potestatem ab ipsis Capitulis Clero divisim habentes praedictis die loco personaliter interfuerint ad consentiendum hiis quae tunc ibidem de Communi Concilio dicti Regni nostri divina favente Clementia contigerint ordinari Teste meipso apud Westm ' vicesimo nono Augusti Anno Regni nostri 13. Annoque Dom. 1661. SECT XXI Consimilia Brevia dirigenda TO the Archbishop of York Reverendissimo Accepted Archiepiscopo Eborum Angliae Primati leaving out Totius before Angliae as in the former To each of the other Bishops Reverendo c. as they are entred in the Memorials of the Chancery Crown Office in this following order Reverendo Gilberto Johanni Briano Gulielmo Roberto Gulielmo Johanni Mattheo Henrico Humphrido Georgio Roberto Georgio Gulielmo Benjamino Hugoni Richardo Briano Johanni Gilberto Edwardo Gulielmo Nicolao Episcopo Londini Dunelmensis Wincestriae Bathon Wells Oxoniae Bangor Ruffensis Eliensis Cicestriae Sarum Worcestriae Lincolniae St. Asaph St. Davids Burgi Petri Llandaff Carlioniae Cestriae Exoniae Bristoll Norwici Glocestriae Herefordiae Vulgo Durham Rochester Chichester Salisbury Minuensis Peterborough Carlile Exeter All these Writs dated 29. Aug. 1661. except the last Johanni Episcopo Lichfeildiae Coventriae Jan. 30. 1662. There is also the Bishop of Man Island but in respect he hath no Writ to sit in the Lords House I have not entered him Note That except the two Archbishops and the Bishops of London Durham and Winchester whose Precedencies are setled by the Act of 33. H. 8. all the other Bishops are entred into the Pawns according to the dates of their Consecrations SECT XXII Observations on the Writ UPon comparing the Writ of Edw. the Second with the middle Writ of 21th of Hen. the Eighth and the Writ of the 13. Car. Secundi these follow-Particulars may be observ'd First The Titles of several Kings in their Writs as well to the Lords Temporal as Spiritual have varied according to the Successive Kings Increase or Decrease of their Dominions but more remarkably in Hen. the Eighths time relating to the Clergy as I have shewn Secondly All Writs concerning Bishops from Edward the Seconds time and before to the 13. of Car. Secundi inclusive were directed to the Archbishop of Canterbury as the Exemplar Writ in respect of his Dignity except where any Cardinal was
Allegations it is evident That the Lords Spiritual are Pares or Peers but inter seipsos gradu Episcopali vitali but not Pares to the Temporal Lords who are Pares gradu haereditario Nobilitatis honoris either Descendent or Created so that though all the Lords in the Lords House may be said to be Peers yet the Lords Temporal being in gradu celsior is Nobilitatis are more properly to be accounted so than any other Degree in respect that as their Interest is greater than any other Degree so they cannot be said to be Pares to any lesser than themselves and therefore it may aptly be said that none but such Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts and Barons as are summon'd by Writ to sit in Parliament are to be accounted Peers of the Realm or of Parliament All other Degrees of Nobility or Degrees under these five Degrees are only Pares sui cujusque ordinis and not Pares Regni and so the House of Commons in time of Parliament are Pares minoris Nobilitatis and the Lords of the Lords House Pares majoris Nobilitatis The next subject that I am guided to treat of is concerning Proxees to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal which may be made either of Lords or Peers or of neither Lords nor Peers yet by this Proximation are pro hac vice nobilitated CHAP. XII Of Proxees I Am now to speak of such as are substituted by the Lords Spiritual or Lords Temporal to sit in the Lords House and these are called by the name of Proxees 1. The Latin word for Proxee is Procurator which is sometimes English'd Proxee and sometimes Proctor according to the Employment of the Person to whom it is apply'd Proxee in a Parliamentary sence is constantly apply'd to such a Deputy or Substitute as is chosen by any Lord Spiritual or Lord Temporal by Licence first had from the King in case of just occasion alledged for absence to supply his Deputy in the Lords House and thereupon his Vote to be as significant to all purposes as if the absent Lord were present and therefore the word Proxee may well be thought to be only the Tachygraphy or short writing of Proxime signifying the next in Judgment Opinion Degree or Quality to the Lord who chooseth him for his Proxee But Proctor which is the most literal abbreviation of Procurator hath several applications first to such as are in some sort a Limb or Branch of Parliaments viz. such as are chosen by the Chapters and Clergy together with Archdeacons and Deans to represent the whole Clergy as Knights Citizens and Burgesses do the Laity or whole Commons of England but these are more usually call'd Representatives the other constantly Proctors both being deputed by distinct Degrees to distinct Purposes as will be more fully shewn Secondly There are also Proctors for the two Universities of Cambridge and Oxford And Thirdly Proctors of Ecclesiastical Courts which have no other relation to Parliaments than according as they are concern'd in Elections The Proxees which are admitted to the Lords House are like those in the old Roman Empire call'd Procuratores Caesaris which were the chief of four sorts of Procuratores amongst them because that first and chief of the four were only imploy'd ad Res publicas administrandas the other three for lesser matters and so the Proxees of the Lords House being the chief of all other Proxees are to be esteemed Publicarum rerum administratores as fully as the absent Lords except in some particulars as to Place Continuance c. 2 These Noble Proxees are as I said lincensed by the King upon the Petition or Request of some Lord Spiritual or Lord Temporal and are not usually made of Strangers who are not Members of the Lords House nor of the Assistants of that House When the absent Lords occasions of absence have not been just or his absence inconvenient to the Publick the King hath often deny'd to License their Proxees but when the Allegations have been just the Proxee hath been sometimes allow'd without the Kings License Sometimes it hath been allow'd to the absent Lord to make a Proxee of such a person as is otherwise incapacitated to sit in the Lords House for by this he is nobilitated but there hath been none such allow'd in this Parliament 3. Generally the absent Lord doth six upon such a Lord as I said doth sit in the Lords House by his own Right and Writ of Summons whereby the Proxee-sitting Lord hath a double Voice one for himself the other for the absent Lord to whom he is Proxee 4. These Noble Proxees are made sometimes before the sitting of a Parliament after the Writs are issued and sometimes in the time of their sitting and their Deputations both before and after the sitting have several Forms as will be shewn 5. In former times the Lords Spiritual had the privilege to make two or three Proxees but since the dissolution of Abbies and that Abbots c. were excluded no Proxor or absent Lord doth make but one Proxee 6. The Licenses for Proxees as I said were granted by the King upon the absent Lords Petition which Petition from Edward the Third's time was in this Form Serenissimo Principi Domino Edwardo Dei gratia Regi Angliae Franciae Hiberniae Domino c. Quia impedimentis varijs arduis negotijs c. sumus multipliciter impediti quo instante Parliamento vestro apud Westmonasterium in Quind ' c. proximo futur ' personaliter esse non valentes And so others for other reasons pray that he may be allow'd his Proxee whereupon License was granted as may be seen in ancient Journals but more lately in Queen Elizabeth's time thus Right-trusty and well-beloved We greet you well Whereas we are inform'd That by reason of Sickness you are not able to make repair hither to this our Parliament to be holden at Westminster We have thought good by these our Letters to dispense with you for your absence and to License you to remain still at home for this time so nevertheless that you send up your Proxee of such Personage as may be for you in your Name to give his Voice and Assent or Denial to such Matters as shall be concluded on in our said Parliament And this our Letter shall be your Warrant Given under our Signet at our Palace at Westminster the 20th of November in the Eighth Year of Our Reign 8. These Licenses are usually entred in the Signet or Privy-Seal-Offices and pass no further but are certified to the Lords when sitting 9. This regular Method of Licenses continued till about the end of Queen Elizabeth's Reign but by the kindness or connivance of her Successors to the Nobles there hath been of late no more Ceremony us'd than a Verbal Motion to the King and some Nobles by that Indulgence have constituted Proxees without application to the King only adding in their Deputations to their Proxees viz. per Licentiam
some few mix'd Observations 3. This great Minister of Justice was anciently made by Letters Patents with the Clause of Quam diu nobis placuerit and so it continued till about the end of Henry the Third and then and ever since he hath not been constituted by Commission or Patent as all the other Judges are but by Writ only in this form Rex c. R. F. Militi salutem Sciatis quod constituimus vos Justitiarium nostrum Capitalem ad placita coram nobis tenend'durante bene placito c. Teste c. And this Writ makes him capable of his Parliament-Writ before recited 4. The Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal as I said is admitted Chancellor or Keeper by delivery only of the Great Seal to him and taking his Oath without Patent or Writ but this Lord Chief Justice is admitted to his Office by Writ only and all the other Assistants of whom I shall speak do injoy their Offices in their respective Courts by Patent only and all of them durante bene placito except the Master of the Rolls whose Patent is durante vitâ as will be shewn 5. But neither the delivery of the Great Seal to the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper nor the aforesaid Official Writ to the Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench nor the respective Patents by which the other Justices enjoy their respective Offices do intitle them to sit in the Lords House without such an especial Parliament Writ of Assistance as is shewn in the Exemplar before recited to which all the other Assisting Writs have a Consimilitude 5. This Parliament or Assisting Exemplar Writ to the Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench and all the Consimilars to it mutato nomine titulo Officii agrees in all parts with the Writ to the Lord Chancellor as I have before shewn except the alteration of the words Praedilecto perquam Fideli into Dilecto Fideli which are in this and in all the Writs to the following Assistants 6. The differences between this Writ and that to the Hereditary Lords in Parliament are partly shewn in the Observations on the Lord Chancellors Writ the rest will be shewn 7. This Parliament writ diffeers but in few words from the form of the writ issued in the 15th of Edw. 2 d. from whence I take my rise nor from the Successive Writs to this time which for the satisfaction of others whereby they may see that no new form is obtruded on them I have set here down Verbatim Rex Dilecto Fideli suo Willielmo de Bereford salutem Quia super diversis arduis negotiis nos statum Regni nostri specialiter tangentibus in instante Parliamento nostro die Domincâ prox ' futur ' ante Festum sancti Laurencii prox ' futur ' fecimus summoneri vobiscum cum caeteris de Concilio nostro colloquium habere volumus tractatum vobis mandamus firmiter injungentes quod omnibus aliis pretermissis dictis die loco personaliter intersitis nobiscum cum ceteris de Consilio nostro super premissis tractatur ' vestrumque Consilium impensuri Et hoc nullatenus omittat ' Teste c. In this Writ the words after Regni nostri viz. Ecclesiae Anglicanae are omitted for the Church in those days was almost wholly manag'd by Ecclesiastick Persons who were Conversant in the Civil and Canon Laws c. but in the 26th of Henry the Eighth when the power of the Pope was here abridg'd those words Ecclesiae Anglicanae were entred and continued to this day Also after the word Vobiscum these words ac cum Praelatis Magnatibus Proceribus are omitted but as near as I can collect some of the most eminent of the Professors of the Law as the Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chief Baron c. were sometimes Summon'd by Peeral Writs that is by such Writs that were sent to the Nobles and then the words ac cum Praelatis c. as in Richard the Seconds time to Jo. Cavendish Capital'Justic ' and in Henry the Fifths time to William Hanckford and many more were inserted but when ever they were Summon'd meerly as Assistants the words cum Praelatis c. were left out and so have been ever since Edward the Fourths time 8. This Parliament Writ is directed Capitali Justitiario nostro ad placita c. and so is his Writ by which he enjoys that great Office yet his common and general appelation is Capitali Justitiario Angliae which we call Lord Chief Justice of England and sometimes Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench and by some one of those Titles he is called so in several Acts of Parliament and ancient Records as I have hinted and though the word Lord be added to his appellation both in his Assistancies and Office and so to some other of the Assistants yet neither he nor they are to be counted Lords of Parliament for his Writ by which he enjoys his Office which is the Inducement to his Assisting Writ is but durante Placito honore Officii and his Assistance being but durante Parliamento neither of them can six the Title further than the continuance of his Office or Assistance And here it may be observed that the word Vos a word of great eminency always signifying a plural though sometimes apply'd to a single Person is us'd in this Official Writ before mentioned to the this Lord Chief Justice but is not in his Parliament Writ nor in any of the Patents or Parliament-Writs to the other Justices of whom I shall speak in order 9. The antiquity of this great Minister of Justice and his Court is doubtless more ancient under various Titles than from Hen. the Thirds time from whence we vulgarly compute it for the Civilians do acknowledge that Justitiarii sunt umbrae quaedam illorum qui olim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Graecos dicebantur designati ad Custodiam Juris aequitatis However Sir Edward Coke to prove its antiquity tells us of an Epitaph in Ramsy Abby ingraven on Stone in these words Alvinus incliti Regis Edgari Cognatus totius Angliae Aldermannus saith that by Aldermannus is meant Capitalis Justitiarius Angliae and consequently his Assistance in all Councils before the name of Parliament and since that name hath always been esteem'd necessary and as he saith all these Courts of Justice are so ancient that they seem to have their Originals from Custom rather than by Commission 10. His Jurisdiction is so great as well out of Parliament as in Parliament that often times the Lords do wave their own Power and Priviledges of using their own Officers and do direct the Chief Justice to send out his single Warrant to Seize on Persons in case of Treason or Suspicion of it or for other high Crimes or Misdemeanors and the House of Commons have likewise sent to him to come to their House upon the like occasions
determin Causes yet appealable to the Lord Chancellor 5. There are other Masters of Chancery call'd Extraordinary and six Clerks of eminent Quality and other Clerks imployed both in the Chancery and Rolls but these are not Summon'd to Parliaments of whom I shall speak more but in in those capacities which I have mention'd the Master of the Rolls as Master of the Rolls or chief Clerk of the Pettibag or both or chief Master of Chancery or in all three Capacities he is very Assisting to a Parliament especially in the business of Summons c. For as I have shewn in Cap. 2. whenever the Kings Warrant is sent to the Lord Chancellor to issue out Writs for a Parliament his Lordship either sends it or a like Warrant to the Master of the Rolls who as chief Clerk of the Pettibag causeth the other Clerks of the Office to ingross all the Writs both for the House of Lords and House of Commons so as they may be fit for the Great Seal and these being thus done and fairly abstracted and ingross't into a Roll which is call'd the Parliament Pawn and lies there as a Memorial and Record of what they have done and as a President for the future all the particular Writs mention'd or intimated in that Pawn being fitted are carried to the Lord Chancellor and being in his presence Seal'd they are immediately delivered to Messengers belonging to the Chancellor who do take care to dispose some to the Persons to be Summon'd for the Lords House and others to the respective Sheriffs of all Counties and Comitated Cities for Elections of such as are to sit in the House of Commons and so the Master of the Rolls and the Clerks of the Pettibag having done all their parts and the Messengers and Sheriffs theirs the same Writs which concern the Lords House are or ought to be return'd to the Clerk of the Lords House at the first Sitting and the Writs for Elections are to be return'd by the respective Sheriffs to the Clerk of the Chancery Crown Office and not to the Pettibag as hath and will be shewn for they come no more there till some time after Dissolution of a Parliament and then for ease of that Office and more safely preserving them they are order'd to be carried to the Rolls and from thence to the Tower all which will be more fully shewn which method I often repeat in this Treatise because I find it so much neglected As to the Imployment of the other Eleven Masters of the Chancery in time of Parliament I shall shew it in a distinct Chapter This Master of the Rolls doubtless hath been anciently Summon'd to Sit in the Lords House yet I find no Writs issued to him till the 36th of Henry the Eighth and then as Master of the Rolls not as chief Master of Chancery and after that he was Summon'd to all Parliaments except the 39th of Eliz. and first of King James and in this very Parliament a Writ was prepared for him but being Elected a Member of the House of Commons his attendance was not requir'd in the House of Lords for what reason I know not but he hath his place whenever he Sits there next to the Lord Chief Justice of England upon the second Woolsack as will be shewn in the Chapter of Places The Consimilar Writ to the Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas THE Patent which invests this Chief Justice to his Imployment in this Office is in haec verba Carolus c. Omnibus ad quos Patentes Litterae nostrae pervenerint salutem Sciatis quod Constituimus dilectum fidelem Orlandum Bridgman Militem Capital'Justitiarium nostrum de Banco suo Duran ' bene placito Teste c. Observations HIS Writ of Summons to Sit in Parliament is also Capitali Justitiario nostro de Banco mutato nomine in all other words agreeing with the Exemplar and here it may be again observed to prevent vulgar misunderstandings That the Lord Chief Justice of England is Chief Justice of the Kings Bench or upper Bench and this is Chief Justice of the Common Bench and sometimes one is call'd Chief Justice of the Pleas of the Crown as in the Latin words De placitis Coronae and this Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas or Communia Placita yet in the Latin Writ it is de Banco so as both Courts are call'd Bancks or Benches and both call'd also Courts of Pleas in respect of Pleas or Pleadings one properly concerns the King in matters Criminal the other concerns the Pleas or Pleadings of the Commonalty or Common People among themselves in matters Civil and one also is call'd the Upper Bench the other the Common Bench and therefore what ever the Patent or Writs are yet for an easier distinction I here intitle one the Chief Justice of the Kings Bench the other Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas 2. As for the names Bench or Banc Pleas or Placita I refer them to my Annotations 3. The Chief Justice hath three more Justices to assist him in this Court 4. That which makes the eminency of this Court is That only the learned Serjeants of the Coife of whom I shall speak in order being the next Degree to Judges do Plead in this Court yet not prohibited from Pleading in all other Courts but all other Graduans of Law have the liberty to Plead in all other Courts but not in this 5. The Pleas of this Court cannot be so well ascertain'd as that of the Kings Bench because the Pleas held by Common Persons or between Subject and Subject are devided into as many Branches as Actions and the Actions into as many Causes as there are variety of Contests in the Kingdom yet all these Actions Causes and Contests are included under three notions Real Personal and Mixt which are here tried as they happen according to the strict Rules of Law As for Personal and Mixt Actions they are tried in other Courts but Real Actions are only Pleadable here nor are any Fines of Concord which is observable levied in any Court but this so that as Sir Edward Coke saith the Motto of this Court may be Haec est finalis Concordia 6. Upon these and other considerations the necessity of requiring Assistances from the Justices of this Court may appear For as the Justices of the Kings Bench may acquaint the Lords with what concerns the King so the Justices of the Common Pleas may most properly acquaint them with what concerns the People whereby Laws for either may be corrected repeal'd or made de novo as shall be thought most expedient 7. The Justices of this Court are not concern'd in the managing of any Summons to a Parliament as the Lord Chancellor and Master of the Rolls are Of the Consimilar Writ to the Chief Baron of the Exchequer THE Title of this is different from the two Chief Justices for his Pattent is thus Carolus c. Omnibus ad quos Patentes Litterae nostrae pervenerint Sciatis
gradum predict in forma predict Suscipiend'Ordinatis preparatis hoc sub paena mille Librarum nullatenus omittatis Teste c. Barker These Serjeants at Law are of two sorts viz. Serjeants at Law considered in their General Appellation and the Kings Serjeants at Law that is when the King selects some out of the rest and appropriates their Service to his occasions which he constantly doth at every Call thereupon they have two Writs one at the general Call of Serjeants which I have shewed the other as a particular Serjeant or Servant to the King the Form of which Writ also is as follows CArolus Secundus c. as in other Writs omnibus ad quos c. Sciatis quod nos de gratia nostra speciali ex certa scientia mero motu nostro constituimus dilectum fidelem nostrum J. M. servientem ad legem unum Servientem nostrorum ad legem nec non concessimus eidem J. M. Officium unius Servient ' nostror ad legem habendum occupandum exercend'dict ' officium nec non ad essendum unum ' Servient ' nostrorum ad legem quamdiu nobis placuerit capiendum percipiend anuatim in pro officio illo exercend'eidem J. M. vad'fead'vestur ' regard'dict ' officio debito sive pertinend'pro ut aliquis Servient ' nostrorum ad legem pro hujus modi officio exercend'percepit sive habere precipere debeat eo quod express a mentio non fit c. In cujus rei testimonium c. Teste c. Per ipsum Regem Barker And being thus made the Kings Serjeants by a distinct Writ they are capacitated to have a Writ of Summons to sit in the Lords House in Parliament and though none sit this Parliament yet Writs were provided for two of them in this Form following viz. Carolus c. dilecto fideli suo Johanni Glin Militi Servienti domino Regi ad legem Quia c. and so verbatim according to the Exemplar before recited to the Lord Chief Justice The other was Johanni Maynard militi who had the like Writ prepared for him Observations 1. THESE Professors of Law are call'd Servientes ad Legem in all Writs which are generally Writ in Latin but in English as I said they are called Serjeants or Servants at Law also Serjeant of the Coif from the white Coif which they wear uppermost at the Solemnization of their Order but at other times under a black Cap like the Twelve Judges because having past this Order they are then capable of being made one of the Twelve Judges and to exercise the imployment of a Judge upon emergent occasions 2. None of all the three Orbs of Professors have a Writ for their Office and Imployment but the Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench as I have shewn and these Serjeants at Law The difference in the Writs are that in the Writ to the Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench as to his Office and so in the Patents to the other Justices as to their Offices there is nothing but a Constituimus without any adjunct of Compliment but in this Writ to the Serjeants at Law it is Fideli nostro yet in both of their Writs of Summons to a Parliament they have equal words viz. Dilecto Fideli 3. In the Writ of the Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench there is no Advice of Council mention'd but in the Writ to every Serjeant at Law the words are as in Parliament Writs Quia de advisamento concilij nostri and so in the Mandatory part of it Vobis Mandamus firmiter injungend ' and then under the penalty of a 1000 l. to take upon them that Degree and in their second Writ to be the Kings Serjeant at Law they have Vadage Feodage Vesturage Regardage of which I shall speak in my Annotations yet I shall give this hint here That the word Investitura is us'd only in the Patents of Creation of the Lords Temporal and Vestura only us'd in the Patents to the Serjeants at Law and to no other Degree that sit in the Lords House as Peers or Assistants 4. That which makes this Degree more eminent is that by virtue of the first Writ to be a Serjeant at Law in general they continue their Title of Serjeant at Law Durante vita though not exprest in the Writ the other to be the Kings Serjeant at Law is equal with that Writ to the Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench and to the other Eleven Justices viz. Durante beneplacito the 3d. Writ gives him an interest in Parliament 5. It is to be noted That all the twelve Judges before they can take upon them those Offices of Judges are made Serjeants at Law so that though they quit those Offices of Judges and thereby loose the dignity of their Office yet the dignity of their Serjeantship still remains during life 6. It may be here pertinently observed That though Writs were prepar'd and inroll'd in the Pettibag for these two Serjeants yet whether the Writs were delivered to them I cannot inform my self or whether the delivery was declined in respect both of them were chosen Burgesses of the House of Commons where Sir John Glyn did sit during his lise and Sir John Maynard during the continuance of this Parliament or whether they were conniv'd at as being more ueful in the House of Commons or to themselves for being once admitted to sit in the Lords House they might not Plead in other inferior Courts which had been much to their prejudice 7. The Kings Attorney is placed in this Pawn before the two Serjeants which was some mistake in the Clerks and so I find the like misplacings of others in many other Pawns and therefore in this my method I pursue the order of all such other Solemnities as they usually attend and of their precedent sitting in the House of Lords as will be shewn and so place them here as they are placed there 8. As to the Antiquity and number of Serjeants which were formerly Summoned to Parliaments it is manifest that more or less of them were Summond in most Parliaments of former Kings viz. in the Reign of Edw. 3d. Rich. 2d Hen. 5th and Hen. 6th as appears in the Clause Rolls of those Parliaments and more easily seen in Mr. Prinns Breviary or in the Rolls Chappel for it were too great a diversion to recite them here but those of latter days do appear thus in the Pettibag viz. in the 21. Hen. 8th there were three Summon'd but in the 30th none in the 36th of Hen. 8th four in the first of Edw. the 6th three in the 6. of Edw. 6th four in the 7th of Edw. 6th four in the first of Mary two and also in the first of Mary two and in the first and second of Phil. and Mary one in the second and third of Philip and Mary one and in the 4th and 5th of Philip and
Mary two in the 28th of Eliz. two in the 30th of Eliz. one in the 35th of Eliz. three in the 39th of Eliz. one in the first of Jacob. three in the 21. of Jac. five in the first Car. prim four in the 15. Car. 1. three in the 13th Car. 2d the two before mentioned for whom Writs were order'd but not actually Summond as I have shewn 9. In the 39th Eliz. the Writs to the three Serjeants are directed distinctly Vni Vni Vni but in all the rest Servienti ad Legem without the addition of Vni nor do I find Vni added in any former Writs before Henry the Eighth but only this viz. 4 Hen. 5th Johanni Stranguayes Vno Servienti Regis ad Legem 10. And as a peculiar distinction the Kings eldest Serjeants have the Priviledge to Plead in all Courts of Westminster within the Bar but only in the Common Pleas where no other Graduats of Law but themselves can Plead as I have shewn and there all the Serjeants stand without the Bar. 11. They are also sometimes Assistants to the Judges and to the Lord Chancellor and Master of the Rolls and many times in case of age or infirmness of the Judges they do supply their places both in the Courts of Westminster and in their Itinerances and Circuits Pro hac vice and upon death of any of them if the King think fitting they are Constituted Judges in their Vacancies and this by Commission 12. As to their places in Parliament they are next the Judges as shall be shewn in the local part of this Treatise as also of their Imploymens sedente Parliamento Thus having brought the Servientes ad Legem to be Judices Magistros legum I pass to the second Degree of the third Orb or Rank viz. the Kings Attorney General The Consimilar Writ to the Kings Attorney General THis appellation of Attorney is deriv'd from Tourne so call'd in Magna Charta SECT 17 which anciently was call'd the Sheriffs Moot or view of Frankpledge and to this day is call'd the Sheriffs Tourne from Turris signifying a Tower or Castle where these Courts were kept and where inquiry is made upon Oath of all things done contrary to the peace of the Countrey c. as will be shewn when I come to the House of Commons and then those who did practise to those ends in those and other Courts were call'd Ad Tourny's or Attourny's generally the word doth signifie a Person intrusted to manage other mens Concerns And this being the most Eminent Trust in managing the Kings Concerns his Duty Care and Pains is the greater and more Eminent he hath also his Patent In haec verba CArolus Secundus c. Omnibus ad quos c. Salutem Sciatis quod nos de fidelitate Circumspectione dilecti fidelis nostri G. P. Mil. plurimum confidentes ipsum G. F. Constituimus Ordinavimus deputavimus assignavimus nostrum Generalem Attornatum in omnibus curijs nostris de Record'in Regno nostro Angliae Habendum occupand'officium hujusmodi Generalis Attornat ' nostri prefat ' G. F. quamdiu nobis placuerit percipiend'in pro officio illo exercend'Vad'Feod'Profic ' Regard'eidem officio pretinend'sive consuet ' Dedimus etiam ac tenore presentium damus prefat ' G. F. plenam potestatem authoritatem faciend'ordinand' deputand'tales clericos officiar ' sub seipso in quolibet Cur ' nostra quales aliquis alius officium illud proantea habens nomine occupans habuit fecit ordinavit seu deputavit aut facere ordinare seu deputare consuevit eo quod expressa mentio c. In cujus rei c Teste c. And he hath his Writ of Summons to a Parliament also In haec verba Carolus c. Dilecto fideli Galfrido which we in English call Jeffery Palmer Militi Attornato suo generali salutem and so verbatim according to the Exemplar Observations 1. THat which makes this Assistant the more eminent and remarkable is That as there is but one Lord Chancellor or Keeper one Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench one Master of the Rolls one Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and one chief Baron of the Exchequer so there is but one Attorney General and though those five have Judges and Masters of Chancery to assist them this hath no proper Officer under him yet hath power to depute Clerks and other Officers to assist him and is Singulus in omnibus omnis in singulis 2. Neither these nor any of the Assistants to the Lords House before named have the priviledge of making Proxies either before or in time of Parliament yet I remember something Equivalent in in the case of Valentine Elliot c. when upon a Writ of Error brought into the Lords House for reversing of a Judgment given in the Kings Bench against the said Elliot Sir Jeffrey Palmer being then Attorney General and indispos'd in his health and thereby finding himself unfit to manage that Case Mr. North then a young Professor of the Law was permitted to appear for the Attorney General and Plead the Case only here was the difference had Mr. Attorney been there in Person he had stood within the Bar and Pleaded but Mr North Pleaded without the Bar which he manag'd with so much Law Eloquence and Dexterity that his Abilities being known by usual Degrees in few years he was advanc't to his present Station of Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas 3. This Title of Attorney General began in Eward the Firsts time but I cannot be positive when they had their first Writs of Summons but in the 21.30 and 39. of Hen. 8. he had a Writ and so the 1.6.7 Edw. the 6. also the 1. and 1. of Mary and 2.3.4 and 5. Phil. and Mary and in those two last Writs he is term'd Attornat ' Dominorum Regis Reginae General ' and then in the 28.30.39 and 43. Eliz. Attornato Generali and so also the 1. and 21. of King James also the 1. and 15. Carol. primi and now 13. Caroli Secundi Sir Geffrey Palmer Attornato and after him none did sit in the House of Lords during this Parliament except Sir William Jones Knt. the Attorneys intervening those two being still chosen in the House of Commons as will be shewn Of the Consimilar Writ to the Kings Solicitor General THe words Attornatus Solicitator are us'd in the Civil Laws SECT 18 as here at the Common Law for such as do take care to manage or tend other mens Affairs and there is but one of that Profession as is before shewn of the Attorney General but because the Title should be distinguish't from the common sort of such Practisers as the Kings Attorney hath his Patent and Writ from the King so hath this thereupon call'd the Kings Solicitor General his Patent is In haec verba CArolus Secundus c. Omnibus ad quos c. salutem Sciatis
quod nos de gratia nostra speciali ac ex certa scientia mero motu nostris ordinavimus fecimus constituimus dilectum fidelem nostrum H. F. Mil. Solicitatorem nostrum Generalem ac ipsum H. F. Solicitatorem Generalem nostrum per presentes ordinavimus fecimus constituimus Habendum gaudend occupand exercend officium illud quamdiu nobis placuerit Percipiend annuatim eidem H. F. pro occupatione exercic ' officij predicti tal' tant ' Vad. Feod Profic ' commoditat ' qual' quanta dicto officio debito sive pertinend prout aliquis alius sive aliqui alij officium predict ' proantea habens sive occupans habuit vel percepit habuerunt sive preceperunt in pro exercitio ejusdem officij eo quod expressa mentio c. In Cujus rei c. Teste c. Observations THough this Imployment was granted by Patent in Edward the Fourths time yet for want of time I shall also begin his Writ of Summons the 21. of Henry the Eight and then Edward Griffin being Attorney General Gosnold was Solicitor and the Writ was Hen. Rex c. Dilecto fideli suo Johanni Gosnold Solicitatori suo Salutem Quia and so verbatim according to the Exemplar in the 36 Hen. 8. William Whorwood was Attorney General and Henry Bradshaw Solicitor and had his Writ the first of Edw. the Sixth Bradshaw was made Attorney General and Edward Griffin Solicitor and had his Writ and the 6. of Edw. 6. Griffith was made Attorney and Jo. Gosnold Solicitor and had his Writ and both continued so till the first of Mary and then William Cordel in the room of Gosnold was made Solicitor and had his Writ also in another Parliament of that year both had their Writs in the 1. and 2 3 and 4. of Phil. and Mary and in the 4. and 5. Phil. and Mary Griffith being Attorney General Rich. Weston afterwards Lord Treasurer was made Solicitor Dominorum Regis Reginae and had his Writ in the 38. of Eliz. Jo. Popham afterwards Lord Chief Justice was Attorney and Thomas Egerton afterwards Lord Chancellor was Solicitor and had his Writ and so they continued to the 39. Eliz. and then Edw. Coke after one of the Justices of the Common-Pleas was made Attorney and Tho. Flemins Solicitor and had his Writ and in the 43. Sir Edw. Coke was put back to be Solicitor and had his Writ and Thomas Egerton was Attorney and in the first of James Edw. Coke then Knighted was again made Attorney General and Tho. Flemins then Knighted also again made Solicitor and had his Writ and in the 21 Jacobi Thomas Coventry Miles after Lord Keeper was made Attorney and Robert Heath Knt. Solicitor after Chief Justice and had his Writ and both had Writs again the first Car. primi and the 15th Jo. Banks Knt. was made Attorney and Edward Harbert Solicitor and had his Writ But at the Summoning of this Parliament no Writ was sent to Sir Heneage Finch then the Kings Solicitor being chosen for the House of Commons and being after made Attorney General still he continued in the House of Commons till he was made Lord Keeper and then he was remov'd to the Lords House by Writ as Lord Keeper and so Sir Francis North being the Kings Solicitor did sit in the House of Commons this Parliament and was not removed thence till he was made Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas so that during this Parliament none whilst actually the Kings Solicitors were Summon'd or did sit in the Lords House yet I thought fit to insert this Degree here though he be not mention'd in this Pawn because there are so many Precedents of his Summons as are before recited in former Kings Reigns Of the Consimilar Writ to the Kings Principal Secretaries THis Officer of State and Assistant is plac't the last in most of the Pawns SECT 19 and brings up the Rear of all the forementioned Assistants which posture is a place of great Honour both in Civil Solemnities and Martial Imployments and that it may so appear in the aforesaid Act of the 31. of Hen. the Eighth none of the other Assistants before recited except the Lord Chancellor are so much as mention'd therein their precedencies being known in their own Courts from a greater antiquity but the Secretaries Place is fix't by that Act viz. if he be under the Degree of a Noble Baron yet it is above all the Assistants and next the Lord Chancellor if he be of the Degree of a Baron then above all Barons or if an Earl as in the case of the Lord Arlington then above all of that Degree unless any of the Superior Officers of State be of that Degree and then next to him and above the rest He hath his Office as Secretary not by Patent but by delivery of the Privy Signet to him and so if there be more than one as now there are two each considered as Principal hath also a Privy Signet delivered to him His Parliament Writ in this Pawn was thus Carolus c. Dilecto fideli Edwardo Nicolas Militi uno primariorum Secretariorum suorum salutem Quia c. and so verbatim according to the last mention'd Exemplar as an Assistant and the Title in the Label is like the Title of his Writ Observations 1. THis Writ agrees with all the former except in the word Vni and so if there be more as I have shewn in the Writ to the Judges yet commonly in Superscriptions he that is made Chief is Stiled Principal without the word one and the other One of the Principal Secretaries of State 2. The word Capitalis is us'd in the Writs to the two Chief Justices and Chief Baron but to the chief Secretary the word Principali is us'd not only signifying the Capital First or Chief but intimating his more immediate Imployment on his Prince for Principali is properly from Principe 3. If there be more Secretaries than one as there are seldom less than two they divide their negotiations into the Title of Provinces both in relation to this Kingdom or Foreign Kingdoms or States and so each of them give an account to the King accordingly and they have an Office appertaining to them call'd the Signet Office Signet where they have four Clerks as their Substitutes to perform their Directions for all Dispatches both Foreign and Domestick and generally they are of his Majesties Privy-Council 4. Their Imployments in Parliament are either in the House of Lords or House of Commons according as they are Summon'd to one or Elected to the other and as the King thinks them in either place most useful for his occasions 5. I need not go back to find the Antiquity of their Summons for it may be presum'd to be ancient from the Eminency and nature of their Imployments so it may suffice only to instance here that in the 36 Hen. 8. William Packet Mil. had his
stand fair but if divulged they are sure not only to lose the credit of the Event but double the disrepute if both be bad Herein some men are naturally of a more reserved temper than others however those are only fit to be Counsellors and Secretaries of State who have no Windows in their Breast that is no such transparent Eyes as men may easily see their disposures of Affairs but can wisely keep the Secrets of State from other mens Inspections and in Parliaments I conceive such Tempers are very useful for if the People Trust them they do well in performing their Trust but appealing again to the People shews a diffidence in their own Judgments Thus having shewn the Kings Warrant in the Front and the Secretaries Writ in the Rear and fix't the Noble Lords betwixt those who manage the Laws Divine and those who are Assistants in Human Laws and run through the most constant Writs which are us'd for Summoning such as are to fit in a Parliament either as Essential or Assisting Members thereof I should now proceed to the House of Commons but I shall crave leave First To speak of some accidentall Writs for Assistants Secondly Of the manner of return of all the aforesaid Writs Thirdly Of such as sit there without Writ or Patent Fourthly Of such as sit there only by Patent and Fifthly Of some other Officers who are imployed there by vertue of Patents CHAP. XIV Of Consimilar Writs and Patents upon Emergent occasions 1. I Find in Mr. Prins Breviary That he cites many Records long before Henry the Eighth which I shall not examine because some of them have been so long disus'd Of Knights Justices of North Wales Treasurer of Carnarvan Treasurer of the Kings House Chancellor of the Exchequer Deans Archdeacons Escheators and one Magister Thomas Yong which he takes to be a Master of Chancery that have been Summon'd by Writ to sit in Parliaments in the Lords House but since Henry the Eighth in the Pettibag several Writs of Assistants were issued as I have shewn in the 11th Chap. Sect. 9. to shew the Kings Power some of which were Professors of the Law and some not 2. There was another Writ viz. to the Warden of the Cinqueports which was not constant but occasional for sometimes it was directed to an Earl and sometimes to some one Person under the Degree of a Baron yet by vertue of the Writ he was impowr'd to sit in the Lords House but since Henry the Fourths time when that Office was supplied by the Prince of Wales after called Henry the Fifth who had a Writ with the addition of Guardian ' Quinque Portuum that Trust hath been committed to some one of the Blood Royal and from that Writ other Writs are derived to all the Cinqueports But in respect this Writ as to a Parliament is mostly concern'd about Election of 16. Members to serve in the House of Commons I shall refer the Discourse of it to the second part in that Chapter which particularly treats of the Cinqueports 3. If at any time the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper be absent upon just occasion as when the Lord Keeper Bridgman in this Parliament was Sick a Patent was made for Sir John Vaughan then Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas to supply his place and the like to Sir Francis North Chief Justice of the Common Pleas also c. and though for the most part this happens in time of Parliament yet because it may happen between the time of Summons and the Sitting of a Parliament which is the chief design of this part of this Treatise I have thought fit to enter the form of that Patent in this place rather than defer it viz. CHARLES c. To Our Right Trusty and Welbeloved Sir Francis North Knt. Chief Justice of Our Court of Common Pleas Greeting Whereas Our Right Trusty and Welboved Councellor Heneage Lord Finch Our Lord High Chancellor of England is often so infirm that he is not able constantly to attend in the upper House of this Our present Parliament now holden at Westminster nor there to supply the room and place in the said upper House amongst the Lords Spiritual and Temporal there Assembled as to the Office of the Lord Chancellor of England hath been accustomed We minding the same place and room to be supplied in all things as appertaineth for and during every time of his absence have named and appointed you And by these Presents do Name Constitute and Appoint and Authorize you from day to day and from time to time when and so often as the said Lord Chancellor shall happen at any time or times during this present Parliament to be absent from his accustomed place in the said upper House to Occupy Vse and Supply the said room and place of the said Lord Chancellor in the said upper House amongst the Lords Spiritual and Temporal there Assembled at every such day and time of his absence and then and there at every such time to do and execute all such things as the said Lord Chancellor of England should or might do if if he were there personally present Vsing and Supplying the same room Wherefore We Will and Command you the said Sir Francis North to attend to the doing and execution of the premisses with Effect and these Our Letters Patents shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge for the same in every respect In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patents Witness our Self at Westminster the Nineteenth day of March in the Nine and twentieth Year of our Reign Per ipsum Regem propria manu Signat And having now dispatch't all the Writs and Patents which concern the Summoning of such as sit in the Lords House it is proper to shew the manner of returning of those Writs which is usual in all Courts and ought to be strictly observed here CHAP. XV. Of Returns of Writs relating to the Summoning of such as are to Sit in the Lords House IN all Judicial Courts from whence Writs do issue there is care taken for their due Returns as may be seen in Fitz Herbert and such Authors who have treated of the nature of Writs and their Returns but none of them giving a full account of Parliament Writs and Returns gives me occasion to insert this Chapter As to the Return of the Writs to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Assistants they ought by every individual Person who had a Writ to be deliver'd to the Clerk of the Parliament before the House Sit or immediately upon their Entrance into the House at the Table and by the said Clerk they are to be kept with the Records of that House By the omission of this method many inconveniencies have and may happen to their Successors or Posterity and therefore it is wisht there were more care taken in their due Returns to which they may be incourag'd being of so little trouble in the performance But as to the
Silver and guilt with the Kings Arms at one end and a Lyon Couchant at the other end and a guilt Knob in the middle which he carries in his hand he is always a Person of Quality and born the Kings Subject and if not a Knight is made one upon admission to this Office and hath his Office by Patent the first Grant of it beginning in Hen. the 8. time 1. Before the Sitting of Parliament he observes the Lord Chamberlains directions in taking care that the House be fitted with all things for the Reception of the King and those who are to sit there 2. His Imployment also is to introduce Lords into that House 3. And after that House is Sat he hath Imployments concerning the Commitment of Delinquents c. 4. He hath a Seat allowed him but without the Bar and to ease him more in these and many other Imployments he hath an Usher to assist him call'd the Yeoman Usher also Door Keeper c. as will be shewn And so I am come to the last Attendant Officer of Note in that House viz. the Kings Serjeant at Arms. CHAP. XIX Of the Kings Serjeant at Arms Attendant in the House of Lords I Have spoken of the Servientes ad legem or Serjeants at Law Now I come to the Servientes ad arma Serjeants at Arms these were such as amongst the Romans were call'd Satellites Caesaris or a Guard to the Emperor and sometimes they were call'd Macerones from whence probably the word Mace might be us'd which these Serjeant at Arms use to carry before the King c. Of these Serjeants at Arms for I meddle not with the lower degree in Corporations sometimes call'd Serjeants of the Mace or only Serjeants there are twenty in number which are call'd the Kings Serjeants at Arms and these are Created with great Ceremony for the Person who is to be Created kneeling before the King the King himself lays the Mace on the Serjeants Right Shoulder and says these words Rise up Serjeant at Arms and Esquire for ever He hath his Patent for the Office besides of which and of the particulars of his Imployments Segar in his Book of Nobility gives a full account but of these twenty the King appropriates sixteen to his Personal Service whereof four wait on him every Quarter the other four are thus distributed viz. in time of Parliament one is to attend the Speaker of the House of Lords in case he is not Lord Chancellor another to attend the Speaker of the House of Commons one other to attend the Lord Chancellor and another the Lord Treasurer as well in as out of Parliament But in respect the Lord Chancellor and Speaker of the Lords House is usually the same Person there were but three of the twenty us'd in this time of Parliament and but two out of Parliament so as the other one or two are reserv'd for accidental occasions The Serjeant at Arms who attends the House of Lords hath the privilege of carrying the Mace before the Speaker whether he be the Lord Chancellor or not within the Lords House up to the very Chair of State and after he hath made his Obeysances he lays it down on the first Woolsack by the Speaker and so departs till the Speaker hath occasion to use him again upon the Rising of the House And herein methinks the Serjeant at Arms of the House of Commons hath more respect afforded him than the Serjeant at Arms to the House of Lords for the Commons Serjeant hath the freedom to stand at the Bar and hear all Debates and when weary of standing hath an easie seat by the door but the Lords Serjeant is not permitted to be in the Lords House whilst it is Sitting nor hath any Station within the Bar nor Seat without the Bar as the Gentleman Usher hath and yet this Office is more ancient than that and is not only Serjeant at Arms to the Speaker and Chancellor the Parliament not sitting but is the chief of the twenty of the Kings Serjeants at Arms he hath his Duputy so as if there should be occasion of two viz. for a Speaker and Chancellor he may supply one and his Deputy the other and besides his Deputy he hath also other Agents under him and hath use for them For upon Commitments of Delinquents without door he is to see them forth coming and in bringing them to the Bar but upon consmements or Commitment of any Member within doors that peculiarly belongs to the Gentleman of the Black Rod. So as these 2 Officers set the first wheel of a Parliament in motion for the Serjeant at Arms conducts the Chancellor or Speaker into the House of Lords the King sends the Black Rod to the Commons to bring up their Speaker who being confirm'd by the King goes to his Chair in the Commons usher'd with the other Serjeants at Arms and so when each Speaker retires from each House each Serjeant is to each a Conducter A Corollary to this First Part. I Have now shewn the General Warrants for Summoning a Parliament and the particular Writs and Patents impowring those who are to sit in the Lords House as also the Act of Precedency to prevent Disorders of Places when they meet there and given a touch of Proxies and of the words Lords and Peers and of other Accidental Writs and of the Returns of their Writs and of some who sit there without Writs or Patents and of others who are imployed there meerly by vertue of Patents And of all these I have made some Discourses as well to revive the notions of those who need no other information as to inform others who have little knowledge therein but what they gain from the short Memorials of Writers or from the imperfect Discourses which they glean from such as know some things in part but have not the true Concatenation of the Grandeur of a Parliament These discourses and those intended will I hope contain the whole System of this Constitution This part hath applied it self wholly to the Offices Degrees and Qualities pertinent to the House of Lords in general but as to the particular Persons owning those Offices Degrees and Qualities I reserve them for the Subsequent Parts of this Treatise that is after I have discours'd of the seven remaining Exemplar Writs in the Pawn which particularly concerns the House of Commons Viz. To Cornwall To Cambridge To London To Dover To Lancaster To Chester To Carnarvan in Wales And also shewn the Writs or Precepts derivative of those seven Exemplars and the manner of Elections and Returns of Writs and Precepts the Discourse of which will comprehend all the County Shires Cities and Burroughs which have power of Electing Members for Parliaments I shall then shew you the Places adapted for both Houses to meet in as also of the Members Summon'd and imployed in both Houses in this Parliament After these I shall speak of such Ceremonies as are us'd before any Members be admitted into
THE CONSTITUTION OF Parliaments IN ENGLAND Deduced from the time of King Edward the Second Illustrated by King Charles the Second In His Parliament Summon'd the 18 of February 1660 1. And Dissolved the 24 of January 1678 9. with an Appendix of its Sessions Observed by Sr. John Pettus of Suffolk Knight LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by Tho. Basset at the George in Fleetstreet 1680. The Epistle To the Generous READER HAving the Honor of Consanguinity to some of the House of Lords and free access to most of the Rest who make up the Harmony of that Noble Judicature I thought it not convenient as well to prevent exceptions as dissatisfactions to dedicate this to any one of their particular Lordships well knowing that to offer any addition to their Universal Intuitions had been needless But I devote it in General to such whose Youth or diversions by other Imployments have made them unknowing or less knowing in this Subject which I have brancht out into 16 parts whereof 12 consist of Precognita or things fit to be known or done after Summons and before the sitting of any Parliament the 13.14 and 15. are of matters to be known or done only during the sitting of a Parliament the 16th hath a relation and is a Supplement of such matters as could not well be Inserted to the foregoing 15 Parts T is true this subject of Parliaments hath been treated on by many Learned writers but because none of them have proceeded in such a due Series as they might have done for they were more for the Modus tenendi than Inchoandi I have partly from them and partly from my own observations having been a member of the House of Commons about 12 years and thereby had intercourse with the House of Lords and partly by the help of some worthy Friends digested this Constitution into as clear a Method as my lesser abilities could perform First I shew the Gradations and Progresses to a Parliament from the Fountain viz. the Kings Warrant to the Lord Chancellor Impowering him to Summon it in Generals by Writs Next I shew his Lordships Warrant to the Clerks of the Pettibag for framing according to former Precedents Writs of Summons in Particulars Thirdly I shew that these Clerks did Anciently and do still use a Method therein which Method being fairly ingrost on one large Parchment is called a Parliament Pawn I doe not find that any writers before me have made any mention of these Pawns nor doe I put any weight on them but in their Method whereby they are compos'd because I find that the Clerks not conferring with the Heraulds have committed many mistakes in Christian and Surnames in Titles and Orthography However the Method therein hath continued for many Ages as will be shewn and though I have tried many ways to frame this Treatise yet none pleased me so well as the Method used in the framing of a Pawn which I have herein pursued The Writs which are contain'd and Methodiz'd in all Pawns have two Appellations viz. Exemplars and Consimilars and from those do arise the Method of this Treatise But as the Pawn doth only recite one Writ of one sort as an Example for Consimilar Writs of the same sort to be issued yet are not therein mentioned So I by that Method do take occasion only to Treat of the Exemplars except in some few places for to Treat of all the Consimilars had been too great a task by which means I have here only five Writs which gives me opportunity to treat of the Blood Royal of the Lords Spiritual of the State Officers of the Lords Temporal and of the most Eminent Togati as the Assistants in that noble House the other seven concerning the House of Commons I shall treat of in a distinct Part. And though my design is wholly to treat of what concerns that noble House in this part yet I could not avoid the Intermixtures of some necessary hints of what properly concerns the House of Commons which I intend afvente Deo to publish by it self It was scarce possible that a Subject which spreads it self into such varieties should be so collected as not to have Omissions some of which were purposely done First that I might not injure the Reader nor my Method by two long diversions and yet satisfy him in conclusion 2ly I have been as careful as I could to prevent mistakes but some will be yet those which are necessary to be corrected viz. my own oversights or the Printers I have added them to the end of this Epistle but as for the Printers Omissions of Marginal Authorities and distinctions of Sections and observations which were in my Copy and for his not putting some words into Italick Letters and for want of Comma's Points c. the Ingenious Reader may Easily pardon them I have so order'd this Impression that you have a System or the Contents of an Introduction and of 20 subsequent Chapters Sections and Observations which I thought fit to exhibit that those who have not the Leisure to read all the Chapters may turn to such parts as most suit with their Genius I begin the proper matter of this Treatise with the Kings Warrant in Feb. 1660 1 for Summoning that Parliament and I shall End all with His Proclamation for its Dissolution in 1678 9. In these discourses I take the liberty to look back into former Ages but not forward beyond the Dissolution of that Parliament Only as an Appendix I shall speak of some things that are to be done with Records Leidger Books c. and Allowances to Knights Citizens and Burgesses after any one Parliament is ended Corrigenda Pag. 20 l. 25 d. are read or P. 79 l. 23 after Seal read till of Late years P. 100 l. 17 r. Hertford P. 124 l. 16. r. forgeting the Title of Knight P. 129 fill up the blanck thus L. 15 Ric. 3 11 38 Â 0 38 Â L. 16 Hen. 7 10 42 Â 1 29 Â L. 17 Hen. 8 37 45 Â 1 36 dele 28 44 P. 137 d. son r. Heir to Blanch the Wife of John P. 139 l. 6 d. and 6. P. 383 l. 7 read by this The Reader may also take notice that after the Contents there are observations Printed concerning the Names and Titles of our English Kings especially of the Name Carolus or Charles with some Prophetick Interpretations of it which should have been plac'd next the 14 Page of this Treatise but being omitted by an Accident he is desir'd to read them after that Page if he please THE CONTENTS of this TREATIS The Introduction SHewing the Original of Councils and the several Names of Councils in other Nations and in this Kingdom How and when the Name of Parliament began Of its Etymology and Definition That a Parliament is the Abstract yet includes the whole Constitution and Fabrick of the Government of this Kingdom That it Consists of a King and three Estates and of three
when Created Of two sorts of Dukes how distinguisht A Duke as Generall is not provided for in the Act of Precedency as other degrees of officiall honors are SECT III. Of Marquesses When begun in the Empire and in France When in England the reason of placing him between Duke and Earl From whence the Title is suppos'd to come Noble Actions caus'd Noble Titles and by some Hereditary SECT IV. Of Earls Of the word Comes or Count signifying Earl 6. sorts of Counts according to Selden 22. sorts according to Cassiadore 3. sorts in England Of the incongruity of the words Comes and Earl and from whence the word Earl is derived when first given in England Titutarly and upon what occasion when by Creation Of the Tachygraphy of the word Earl Of the Antient Titular and Created Earls little difference Of Local and Personal Earls here in England SECT V. Of Viscounts Sometimes considered as Equal sometimes of a lesier degree then an Earl Two sorts in England why the Hereditary Viscount interpos'd to Earl and Baron Of the first Created Viscount in England of the Parliamentary dignity of the one and Official Dignity of the other SECT VI. Of a Baron Of the word Baron the Baronial Tenures were the foundation of the Superior Tenures and Degrees Of Contributions to the King from Barons Spiritual Barons how Exempted from Contributions Of several other sorts of Barons The advantages of Created Barons CHAP. VI. Of the Writ to Princes of the Blood Royal. Of the Writ to Edward Earl of Chester Eldest Son to King Edward the 2d Anno 15. Ed. 2. And the Writ to James Duke of York 13. Car. 2. Compar'd Observations on both Writs A Recital or Numeration of the Exemplars of Earls Princes and Dukes of the Blood from Edward the 2d to this Parliament 1661. Observations on the Title of York the Consimilar to the Duke of York Observations on the Consimilars CHAP. VII Of the Writ to the Arch-Bishop and Bishops with Observations Reasons for incerting this Exemplar in this Place shewing that the Idolatrous Jews brought in Paganism into Britain manag'd by Druids and Bards after by Arch-Flamins and Flamins which were Pagan Priests Afterwards Christ Himself or his Apostles or Disciples or some of them brought in Christianity into Britain Bishops had Eleven several Titles according to several Regions given to the first managers of Christian Religion All included in the Word Bishop as Inspector or Father Of the Antiquity of the word Bishop Aristobulus the first Bishop of Britain who were his Successors Of King Lucius his message to Pope Eleutherius and the Popes answer about the first ordering of Christian affairs in Britain Of Linus the first Bishop of Rome and his Successors till the time of Lucius and Eleutherius all subsequent to Aristobulus The Amity between the Bishop of Britain and the Bishop of Rome in that time without any discord about Supremacy Afterwards the Bishop of Rome assum'd the Title of Pope and also a Supremacy to Britain and planted their Dependents there some small Endeavours to oppose it but Fruitless Of several Laws made to lessen the Power and Revenue of the Pope in Britain from the 9th of Hen. the 3. to the 5th of Hen. the 5th Of other wayes us'd by Hen. the 8th from the 9th of his Raign till his death in support of his Supremacy What Countermines were us'd by the Pope Historical passages from Hen. the 8ths Death to the dissolution of this Parliament Anno 1678. against and for the Papal Interest Of the the Titles of Defensor Fidei Supremum Caput how Vs'd disus'd and alter'd from the 12. of Hen. the 8th to the 13. Car. 2d Of Writs to Bishops before and in Edward the 2ds time having both the same and a greater Extention of Power than what is given in the Writs to the Lords Temporal and so to the 31. and 36. of Hen. the 8th and the 13. of Car. the 2d how they continued and alter'd some Observations on the old Writs Of the first Writ in the first Pawn of the 21. Pawns now remaining in the Pettibag Observations on that Pawn Of the 2d Pawn there Of the 3d. Pawn there Of the Pawn of this Parliament begun the 8th of May 1661. wherein Bishops were Omitted though entred in all former Pawns and the reasons of that Omission Of their Writ of Restitution in the same year Aug. 1661. and where Recorded Of their Consimilar Writs Fifteen Observations on their Writs and Temporal Employments CHAP. VIII Of the Writ to the Lord Chancellor Of the Original of the Office of Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper and of the Discription of them Antiently distinct but now Vnited Of their different Seals Of their eminent Imployments Seates and Stations in the Lords Houss Of his single Writ of Summons as Assistant and of his other Writ if otherwise dignified The Office antiently dispos'd of to Ecclessiasticks and of later years wholly to Laicks Of some difference between the Warrant and Writ to Sr. Edw. Hide The form of the Writ Observations on this Writ and the nature of the Office CHAP. IX Of the Writ to the Earl of Southampton Lord Treasurer of England and to the Nobles not of the Blood Of the form of the Writ to the Lords Temporal Observations upon it that the Degrees of Nobles viz. Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts and Barons and Titles of the Officers of State are still intermixt in the Writs with some of those fiue Degrees Which of these Degrees are usually made Exemplars Of the Antiquity of the method us'd herein Of their Consimilars Observations concerning the various applications of the Titles Chevaleer Dominus Miles Eques Auratus Bannerettus CHAP. X. Of Patents of Creation enabling the Lords Patentees to sit in Parliament The difference between Writs and Patents and advantages of Patents what the word signifies Patents of 3. sorts viz. of Confirming Reviving and Creating that is given where none was before The form of those 3. sort of Patents Their ellegant preambles The Patents consisting of 4. parts Of the distinct form of the Patents to Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts and Barons impowring them to sit in Parliaments Of the Confies of Antient Patents Of Creation money Of the difference in the former and late value of moneys CHAP. XI Of Lords and Peers Of the words Dominus Pares or Lords and Peers what the words signifie When Peers us'd in France and of their number there when in England and of their number there Of the words Praelates Magnates Proceres how to be appy'd Who properly called Peers how placed in the Lords House the words Generally applyed and promiscuously us'd the number increase or decrease according to the pleasure of the King a Corrollary on the Subject CHAP. XII Of Proxies in the Lords House Of the word Procurator Proxie Proctor considered as distinct appellation Proxie only proper in the Lords House Licenced by the King and to whom and sometimes denied A
Proxies double vote when Proxie made sometimes before and sometimes in time of Parliament and how many allow'd the Antient way to be Licenced upon any petition to the King Of the Licence where to be entred Of Tacit Licences Of the form of Licences at this day for a Lord Spiritual as also for a Lord Temporal how to be return'd Of the Titles which intitle Proxors and Proxes to be such The difference of Proxe Writs before the siting of a Parliament and after Prorogations How long they continue Of their places in the Lords House CHAP. XIII Of Assistants in the Lords House The Assistants are generally professors of the Laws the vertues arising from that Profession it is the path to wisdom How call'd Laws The antient way of distributing them The benefit of good Laws in any State The Revenues Honors Profits Places and other Rewards given to the Professors of them Intituled Justices and Judges c. Divided into 3 Orbs or degrees The several sorts of Laws in which they are to be conversant of the Titles of the chief professors 1st Of the Chief Justice of the Kings Bench with general observations on his Writ of Summons to Parliaments Of his Patent and Jurisdiction 2ly Of the Master of the Rolls with observations on his Patent and Writ and Office Of the chief Justice of the Common Pleas with observations on his Patent Writ and Jurisdiction 4ly Of the Lord chief Baron with observations on his Patent Writ Jurisdiction 5ly Of the 3 other Justices of the Kings Bench 6ly Of the 3 other Justices of the Common Pleas 7ly Of the 3 other Barons of the Exchequer with observations on their Writs Patents and Jurisdictions 8ly Of the Kings Sergent at Law with observations on their Writs Patents and Imployments 9ly Of the Kings Atturney General of his Writ Patent and Imployment 10ly Of the Kings Solicitor General of his Writ Patent and Imployment 11ly Of the Kings Principal Secretaries of State of their Writ Signet Precedencies Imployments and Influence CHAP. XIV Of Accidental Writs of Summons Of Antient Writs to Justices of North-Wales Treasurers of Wales Arch-Deacons Eschetors c. and of late to several Officers of the Kings Court and to the Lord Chief Justice to supply the Lord Chancellors or Lord Keepers place in case of sickness c. CHAP. XV. Of Returns of Writs Of the manner of returning all the forementioned Writs different from the return of Writs concerning the House of Commons CHAP. XVI Of Masters of Chancery That they sit in the Lords House without Writ or Summons How they were Imploy'd antiently and how in latter times of the word Magister and how apply'd CHAP. XVII Of the Clerks of the Lords House Some by Patent sit there but none by Writ others neither by Patent or Writ but ex Officio Of the several sorts of Clerks Imploy'd in the House of Lords and in Trials of Peers c. CHAP. XVIII Of the Gentleman Usher of the Black-Rod When and how Instituted and how Imploy'd CHAP. XIX Of the Kings Sergeant at Arms. Of their Antiquity how different from Sergeant at Law or other Sergeants of their Number and nature of their Imployments both in time of Parliament and out of it CHAP. XX. A Corollary to this first part of the Constitution of Parliaments Shewing what is intended to be spoken of in the following parts of this Treatize Observations on the Names and Titles of our English Kings THe Learned Mr. Selden having bestowed an Excellent Addition to Libraries by his book of the Titles of Honour and Sr. Edward Cook thinking it a necessary part of his Institutes for a Student to be well vers'd in the several Titles of our Kings and knowing that the substance flowing from those Titles are the chief Subjects which are handled in Parliaments I think fit to give a light touch by way of Preface to the seueral words of the Title in the Kings Warrant as also in the Title of his Latin Writs which are mentioned so often in the following discourses viz. Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Carolus Secundus Dei Gratia Rex Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae Defensor Fidei c. First It may be observed that all our Kings before and since the coming in of the Normans have been Usher'd into that Regal Dignity by their Christian Names whereof from that time we have Ten several Appellations viz. One Stephen 1 John 1 Mary 1 Elizabeth 1 James 2 Williams 3 Richards 6 Edwards 8 Henrys 2 Charles but of all these Ten Names Charles must have the Honour of Priority given to it To prove this I shall trace their Progresses through Empires Kingdoms Principalities and States under Secular Governours not medling with Ecclesiastical and first of the Name Carolus or Charles Concerning which I shall not goe so far back as Charellus Prince of Lacedemon but since Christianity was first Charles I find that the Name Charles or Carolus for they are agreed to be the same had its first splendor from Charles Surnam'd Martill a French King in Anno 714. who was the first that had the Title of Most Christian King and from whom came Caroloman and Charlemain in Anno 778 and after viz. in Anno 800 the Name of Charles went into the Empire and in Anno 1119 into Flanders In Anno 1150 into Swethland In Anno 1263 into Naples and Sicily In Anno 1310 into Hungary In Anno 1346 into Bohemia In Anno 1601 into Scotland King Charles the first being there Born And in Anno 1625 into England the same Charles being then King so as our Present King Charles the 2d Immediate Heir to Charles the 1st is the Second King of that Name in England and Scotland and that Name of Charles is the first of any of the aforesaid Ten Names affixt to any Diadem in Europe Edwardus or Edward Edward began but in the time of Edward the Elder who was the 24th King of the Saxon Race and 25th Monarch of England And he in Anno 901 gave the first reputation to it In Anno 1332 it went into Scotland And in Anno 1334 Carried into France by our Edward the third who laid Claim to that Crown And in Anno 1433 it went into Portugal continuing still in England with some interpositions of other Names till Queen Mary came to the Crown in Anno 1553. Henricus or Henry began in the Empire of the East Henry Anno 919 and in Anno 1101 came into England from thence Anno 1192 it went into Bohemia thence Anno 1206 to the Emperour then at Constantinople in Greece In Anno 1214 to the Kingdoms of Leo and Castile In Anno 1271 to the Kingdom of Navarr In Anno 1422 carried into France by our Henry the 6th who was then Crown'd in Paris King of France And in Anno 1573 it went into Poland so as this Regal Name of
of its different Orthography Obs I. sometimes beginning the second Syllable with C. or S. and of its affinitry to the old Roman Comites Consiliarij I shall refer them to my annotations and here only shew how that by the words in the Kings Warrant by the Pawns and by the said Act of 31. Hen. 8. all which I have recited at large we may clearly see that the word Council doth consist of the Persons of the best Quality and Abilities to give Counsel and Advice to the King And when such a number as the King thinks fit to select for that purpose do meet in a Body Conjunctively 2. This Council is called the Kings Council and also the Persons therein are called the Kings Council yet more properly Counsellors and to confirm this the Kings Warrant saith To Our Right Trusty and well beloved Counsellor Sir Edward Hyde Knight Chancellor of England here 't is Personal then follows Whereas We by Our Council this intimates a Body of Persons or Counsellors Congregated 3. The Writs in the Pawns sometimes do add to the Person to whom the Writ is sent Conciliario suo and sometimes not but these following words are constantly in every Writ Quia de advizamento assensu Concilij nostri which is more large than what is in the Kings Warrant by inserting the words Advice and Consent of Our Council 4. The said Act saith in the Preamble Forasmuch as in all great Councils and Congregations of men which explains Councils and then that there may be no displeasure or let of the Council in respect of Precedency therefore for the better reputation of his Counsellors and other Subjects doth Enact c. And in the 3d. Paragraph the President of the Kings Council is there also named by which we understand the Kings Privy-Council of which he is President to be a Council distinct from other Councils where there are Presidents 2ly And from Parliaments where there are Speakers instead of Presidents anciently called the Great Council and so it is still though the name is alter'd to Parliament and 3ly From other Assemblies and Conferences of Councils which are the words in the last Paragraph of that Act. 5. And therefore this Council here meant in this Warrant Pawn and Act is that which we now call the Kings Privy Council T is true the King hath several other Councils as that of Wales and in the North and others both here and in Foraign Plantations but this Privy-Council is the Supream standing Council out of which sometimes the King thinks fit to select some few for the more safe secret and easie dispatch of Affairs 6. Which by the Jews were called Cabala but by us properly Comitties However this Privy Council is the standing Council of the Kingdom giving Forms and Being to all other Councils especially what concerns the Beginning Continuing and Ending of any Parliament and yet this Council or Parliament is a greater Council than that and of greater Authority when it is in being and therefore anciently as I said call'd Magnum Publicum Concilium and this Privatum Concilium 7. This Great and publick Council consists of the King Lords Spiritual Lords Temporal viz. of such to whom the King sends Writs of Summons and of Commons viz. of such as the People think fit to Elect by vertue of the Kings Writs But this Privatum or Privy Council are of such only as the King Elects out of the Degrees next mentioned or out of other Degrees as he shall best judge of their Abilities for it Yet very often Parliaments have persuaded Kings to make Alterations in Privy Councils both as to Persons and Number 8. The number of the Persons of this Privy Council are in a manner indefinite because it depends upon the Kings pleasure But anciently it consisted only of 12. since that they have increased and varied and in the beginning of this Parliament they were 29. but before the end of it above 40. The number of the Great Council or Parliament is partly indefinite in the Lords House and partly circumscrib'd and so in the Commons House as will be shewn for these anciently had not above 2. or 300. but this Parliament had in both Houses above 700. as will be shewn 9. This very name of Council and Counsellors as they are or ought to be is much more ancient than the Consuls of Rome which had their name a Consulendo for their abilities in giving Counsel and possibly borrow'd from the name of Neptune the God of the Sea who was call'd also Consiliorum Deus so as probably of their two yearly Consuls one was chosen for the Affairs of the Sea as Admiral the other for the Affairs of the Land as General however it is observable that the Title of Consul or Counsellor did continue 1046. years in that Empire deducting three years interposition of the Decemviri or 10 Governors and 4 years of Tribunes or 3 Governors and 12 years of Tribunes consisting of 4 Governors and 30 years by Tribunes consisting of six Governors and 5 years under an Anarchy and 2 years wherein Tribunes had a Consulary power and then the Government again slid into Consuls so as deducting these 56 years they continued intire under that Consulary Tutelage 990 years and as that way of Government was useful to Rome whilst it was a Common-wealth so we see when Julius Caesar took on him the Roman Empire and turn'd it to a Monarchy he did not discard the Consulary way of managing Affairs nor did his Successors so as they continued full 540. years after Julius Caesar in prosecution of that Monarchical Empire till the Papal Interests had supplanted the Western Empire and made General Councils tending rather to the dis-uniting of Princes than for uniting Religion as was pretended and instead of Consuls erected a Consistory and Conclave the last being only new names for a Council 10. This is certain that Councils or Counsellors or Consuls are of that nature that no Government can subsist without them though by different Appellations and I read of few or none in all the Roman Stories who had the Title of Consul conferr'd on him but those who either by their Wisdom had given such good Counsel as prov'd prosperous to the Empire or had done such eminent Services that from such Heroick actions the Emperors and Senators derived Arguments of their Abilities to Counsel as having actually done and from that experience might Counsel what was fit to be done and thereupon formerly call'd Consul and now Counsel or Counsellor and fit to sit both in Privy Council or publick Parliament 11. This Honour was still founded in merit by the estimation of Judgment Experience or Resolution for what they had Advised Counsell'd or Successfully acted and therefore they were seldom made Viri Consulares till they were 43. years of age and for such as had been thus Serviceable to the Empire if a Consulship were not void yet they had always some Offices or
Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. one who is in Doctrinam mores sacros gregis Inspector and when Bishops grew numerous it was thought fit to place one to look after them and he had the addition of Archos i. e. principalis and so call'd Archi-Episcopus or Arch-Bishop having a certain number of Bishops and their Diocesses reduced to his Province or Care so that the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with his own Diocess hath twenty two Diocesses or Bishopricks of the twenty six within his Province and the Arch-Bishop of York hath with his own four which makes in all twenty six besides the Bishop of Man who hath no Writ of Summons Anciently these Arch-Bishops and Bishops with Abbots Priors Deans Arch-Deacons and Proctors making the two convocation-Convocation-houses were summoned to appear two days before the Temporal Lords but since Henry the Eighth's time when Abbots and Priors were excluded the Bishops are summon'd to meet the same day that the Parliament begins but as convocation-Convocation-houses they are not summon'd to meet at Parliament till two or three days after the Lords Spiritual and Temporal are met and sitting in Parliament and those two Convocation-houses are seldom Adjourn'd Prorogu'd or Dissolv'd in three or four days and sometimes longer after the two Houses of Lords and Commons are Adjourn'd Prorogu'd or Dissolv'd These Arch-Bishops and Bishops considering them upon a Baronial account distinct from the Convocations are entred in all Clause Rolls and Pawns next the Blood Royal except when there was a casual interposition as this last of Vice-gerent and their places distinctly set down as in this Act viz. the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury then the Arch-Bishop of York and the other according to Seniority or Antientry as the word of the Act is till the Bishops of London Durham and Winchester were as by this Act fix'd in their Precedencies to the other twenty one and yet there is another method of Precedencies us'd in the Lords House and in all Solemnities by way of counterchanging of Precedencies between the Lords Spiritual and Temporal as will be shewn These twenty six injoy their Offices of Bishops upon a Spiritual and Ecclesiastical account and therefore are call'd Lords Spiritual their Ecclesiastical serving in ordine ad piritualia These for many Ages did manage the Offices of Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal also of Treasurer President Privy-Seal and Secretary of which I shall speak more but since Henry the Eighth's time these five Offices have been distinctly manag'd by Laicks of the chiefest quality and merit and the Bishops in a manner circumscrib'd to the Jurisdiction of their respective Diocesses which are of a kind of mixt nature consisting of Spiritualities and Temporalities In the Lords House they have almost equal Prividledges with the Lords Temporal except in matters of Blood when in respect of their Canons they commonly withdraw themselves appointing Proxies and entring Protestation but these Priviledges are not Hereditary like the Temporal Lords but meerly Successive and their Writs are somewhat of a different Nature from those to the Lords Temporal in point of extent concerning the convocation-Convocation-houses which do make a kind of a Parliament annext to a Parliament of which I shall speak more at large But how the Bishops were Summon'd may be read in the seventh Chapter SECT VI. Of the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper Obs THis great Officer being not only recited in this Act but having a peculiar Writ of Assistance in this and other Pawns which the next Ten Officers following have not in respect of their Offices I shall discourse more fully of him so soon as I have given a short view of the Ten remaining to be spoken of Edward Hyde Baron Hyde and Lord Chancellor was Summon'd by Writ Feb. 18. 1661. See Chap. II. SECT VII Of the Lord Treasurer of England Obs THis Officer being joyn'd also in this Pawn to the Earl of Southampton then Lord Treasurer and in former Pawns to other Degrees and being intended to be discours'd of in the fourth Exemplar and in the fifth Section of the Barons of the Exchequer I shall defer its inlargement to those Chapters Thomas Earl of Southampton Lord Treasurer of England was Summon'd by Writ Feb. 18. 1661. See Chap. II. SECT VIII Of the Lord President of the King's Council Obs I THis Officer from the time of King John was call'd Principalis and Capitalis Consiliarius and so continu'd till Queen Elizabeth's time and after not us'd till once in King Charles the firsts time and ever since to the end of this Parliament the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper hath supply'd the duty of that Place though not the Title the difference of granting them was that one was always by Patent and the other only by delivery of the Great Seal 2. There are also other Lord Presidents which sit in the Lords House viz. the President of Wales and President of the North but being not mention'd in this Act and the latter not sitting in this Parliament I refer them to my Annotations as also other Presidents of lower Degrees as of Colleges c. SECT IX Of the Lord Privy-Seal Obs IN Edward the Third's time and long after this Office was call'd Keeper of the Privy or Private Seal distinguishing him from the other call'd the Keeper of the Great Seal afterward he was call'd Clerk of the Privy-Seal Clerk being then a Title of Eminency and Gardien del Privy-Seal and in 34 H. 8. Lord Privy-Seal 2. He hath his Office by Patent but the Keeper of the Great Seal as I said only by delivery of that Seal and 't is very probable that this Office was in imitation of that which was us'd by the Romans the Officer whereof was call'd Comes privatorum and as Cassiodore calls him the Governour of the King 's private Affairs 3. Whilst the Court of Requests was in use he was also call'd the Master of it being Master or Superiour to the Four Masters of Requests who were to receive peruse and present all Petitions to the King or to the Parliament in time of Parliament and direct the Petitioners in the right way of proceeding in their business and for want of this direction many men are ruin'd by crafty and unskilful directors and the Parliament troubled with needless applications for I conceive this Court was plac'd as will be shewn between the House of Lords and House of Commons for the Masters to sit there in time of Parliament as Tryers of Petitions to either House and were to judge whether the matter was proper for either House or any other Court which doubtless did take off a great expence of time from both Houses and from intangling them in matters which were properly relievable in other places 4. There are three forts of Seals which are chiefly us'd for publick Affairs two of them pass under the names of Privy or Private the other the Great or Broad-Seal yet for a clearer distinction one of the two is call'd the Privy
Person to adjust their Parliamentary expences Westminster being anciently the Kings Court and still within its Verge and his Lordships Jurisdiction 4. His place is appointed by the Act of Precedency in this order not but that he was Summon'd to Parliaments before that Act as may be seen in several Clause-Rolls of Rich. the 2d c. but after the said Act viz. 36. H. 8. Charles Duke of Suffolk was Summon'd and his Writs directed Magno Magistro Hospitij sui but after that as in this very Parliament 1661. the Writ to the Duke of Ormond was Jacobo D'no Brecon being his English Title by which he sits in Parliament Vid. Cap. 2. Senescallo Hospitij Magnus Magister Senescallus being still the same Officer though varying in Title SECT XV. Of the Lord Chamberlain of the Kings Houshold THat High-Chamberlain before mentioned is called Magnus Camerarius Obs I. but this hath not that Epethite of Magnus and yet his authority is very great within the Verge of the Kings Court so that though there is some Subordination yet in many great Regalios he hath an intire command and even in some things which concern the conveniency of a Parliament and its places of Addresses to the King that the furniture of the Rooms may be sutable to the Majesty and Grandure of such as are imployed there 2. He hath been anciently summon'd to sit there as may be seen in the Clause-Rolls of the 25. and 27. and 28. of Edw. the 3d. in the Summons of Sir Bartholomew Bergehurst Camerario Hospitij he being also Guarden of the Cinqueports and in 1. H. 4. to Sir Tho. Erpingham Baneret Camerario Hospitij he being also Guarden of the Cinqueports and so the 10. H. 6. to Radulpho Cromwel Chevalier or Baron Camerario Hospitij I might instance many others but I shall skip as the Records do to the Act of Precedency 31. H. 8. where he is call'd the Kings Chamberlain and in the Pawns of the 36. H. 8. the Writ was Carolo Duci Suff. Magno Magistro Hospitij sui Praesidenti Consilii sui and in the same Pawn which may be observable the Office of great Chamberlain of England was supplied by Edward Earl of Hereford of a lesser Degree than a Duke in the 6. and 7. Edw. 6. the Writ was Tho. D'no Darcy Chevaleer Camerario Hospitij sui and in the 43. Eliz. to Tho. Cary Lord Hunsden Camerario Hospitij and continues in the same Office he was Summon'd again primo Jacobi and in the 15. Car. 1. Philip Earl of Penbrook was Summon'd Camerario Hospiti sui and to this Parliament first Edward Earl of Manchester Camerario Hospitij then Henry Earl of St. Albans Camerario Hospitij and after him Hen. Earl of Arlington Camerario Hospitij who continued his place and precedency in this Parliament to the Dissolution of it 3. Edward Earl of Manchester Lord Chamberlain of the Kings Houshold was Summon'd so by Writ 18. Feb. 1661. Vid. Cap. 2. SECT XVI Of the Principal Secretary of State HE brings up the Honourable Rere to all the 12. Officers of State both in this Act of Precedency and in the Pawns and therefore I may the more justifiably defer my Discourse of him till I come to his Writ of Summons and past the method of the Pawn as I have done the method us'd in the Act of Precedency and so conclude these Sections with some few Observations Observations WHen the Act of 31. H. 8. was made Obs I. the State Officers though now but 9 in use were then 12. a Number as I shall shew agreeable to the 12 Judges 12 Masters of Chancery 12 Constituting a Jury and much more of the efficacy of that number cited by the Learned Institutor and Petrus Bongus de Sacris Numeris and this number is thus used by us as t is thought in veneration either to the 12 Tribes of the Jews or 12 Tables Sacred among the Old Romans or to to the 12 Apostles of the Christian Religion or 12 Signs in the Zodiack reverenct in Astrology 2. That if the Writs to any of these Officers be to any of the Lords Spiritual or such Officers as have usually consisted of the Clergy as the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper the Lord Treasurer Lord Privy Seal then the Writs were like the Assistants Writs to the Judges of which I shall speak in order but if any of these Offices be executed by any of the Temporal Lords then the Writ is the same as to that noble Person to whom the Office is anext or if any be Summon'd meerly virtute Officij without annexation to the Degree of some Lord Spiritual or Temporal Lord then the Writ is only as an Assistant Writ and they sit in the Lords House but as Assistants without Vote c. as will be shewn 3. Sir Edward Nicholas Knight was summon'd by Writ dat 18. Feb. 1661. Vid. Cap. 2. and now I proceed to the fixt Nobility call'd Lords Temporal CHAP. V. SECT I. Of the Degrees of Nobles Obs I Have given a short Character of the Grand Officers and Ministers of State and now according to the Act of Precedency I shall speak of the fixt Nobility as they are consider'd in Distinct Degrees and these are not mention'd distinctly in the Kings Warrant for Summoning a Parliament but referr'd therein to the Lord Chancellor to distinguish them by their Writs 1. As for the Nobility in general most Authors derive the word Nobiles or Nobles in the Plural from Noscibiles viz. Viri Nobiles or Persons indu'd with great knowledge than other men and so conceive it may admit of another Etymology viz. Nobilis quasi Non-bilis i. e. men of such debonair and complacent tempers and so much Masters of their passions that they are not in respect of their better Education subject to choler wrath or fierceness for so the word Bilis is Englisht but of even and serene tempers which dispositions are fittest for Affairs relating to Government but to pass these niceties the Question is amongst some 2. How far the Degrees of Nobility do extend which is partly resolv'd by Sir Tho. Smith in his Republica who saith there be two sorts of Nobles viz. Majores and Minores and this was according to the Old Romans the Majores he calls the fixt Hereditary Nobles diversifide into 6 Degrees viz. Princes of the Bloud of whom I have spoken in Cap. the 4th Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts and Barons not of the Bloud and descend no lower and these are capacitated by such Creations and Writs to sit in the Lords House The Minores he begins at Knights for he wrote before Baronets were known Esquires and Gentlemen and descended no lower and out of these the Knights Citizens and Burgesses for Parliaments are Elected and Compos'd and thereby capacitated to sit therein as the Representatives of the Commons of England but of these Nobiles Minores I shall speak more in the second part of this Treatise
but of the Majores now in their Order which consist of 5 Degrees besides those of the Stem Royal of which I have spoke and first of Dukes SECT II. Of Dukes BEfore I proceed to the Writs of Summons to the Individuals of these Degrees Obs I. I shall give a brief description of the nature of them and first as for the word Duke it is the same with Dux in Latin from Duco to lead for they were antiently Leaders of Armies and thereby gain'd that Title as might be shewn from Histories and were it not for hindering my other intentions I might recite most of the Learned Seldens Authorities which he hath rendred from other Authors concerning Dukes but in short he tels us that Comes i. e. a Count or Earl was esteemed of an higher quality than Duke and that Earl was chief in Matters Civil and Duke in Matters Military but in process of time the Sword got the upper hand and prioritie of Earl and further saith that both Dukes and Earls from Substitutes to their Princes in certain dependent Territories became afterwards Soveraigns as the great Duke of Tuscany c. and the Earl of Flanders c. still owning the Titles of Dukes or Earls though they had gain'd an intire and independent Soveraignty 2. The diversity of Names attributed to Dukes both in sacred prophane and modern stories were according to the humour of the region where they sway'd for in some Nations he was call'd Princeps Magnus Illustrissimus Robustus Millenarius that is a Duke or Leader of a Thousand Men in other Countries Grave Waiward and Despot and still the words Duke and Earl promiscuously us'd to one and the same Person but whatever they were or are in foreign parts Dukes are now in England accounted the chief and most honourable Subjects and first Degree of Nobility except Princes or Dukes of the Blood-Royal and as a distinction from the rest is call'd Grace given to no other Spiritual Lord but the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and York and to no other Temporal Lord except to the Lord High Steward pro hac vice upon tryal of Peers for the Princes and Dukes of the Blood are intituled Highness and all the other Temporal Lords Right Honourable but any of those being Admiral or General Excellence 3. The Title of Duke was very probably us'd here in England before Edward the Third's time for History tells us of Asclepiodolus Duke of Cornwal in Anno Christi 232. which was in the time of our old Britains and well might he be call'd Duke for disgarrisoning of all the Roman Holds Prideaux Introduct to Hist and for his quick Marches to London and killing the Governour thereof and for many other Heroick Actions in freeing his Country from their Servitude However there were many Dukes Created in Germany about that time But our History tells us That none was Created a Duke in England Selden Speed 's Acts. till 11 Edw. 3. An. Christi 1344. when the King in Parliament Created his eldest Son Edward being first made Earl of Chester then Duke of Cornwal and from thence that County was erected to a Dutchy or Dukedom and many more Dukes both in that King's time and almost in every Kings Reign since that time have been Created to that Title 4. The Dukes of England are of two sorts first those of the Blood Royal i. e. such as have a possibility to inherit the Crown upon a legal succession 2dly Those not of the Blood Royal i. e. such as are not related to the Succession of the Crown or at least so remote that it is not visible to meer probability and these two sorts have sat in former and in this Parliament as will be shewn 5. As they are distinguish'd in their Titles so they are also in their Coronets Robes and Habits c. with which they are invested before they enter the House of Lords which will be in the third Part of this Treatise represented in Figures 6. Here I must not pass over one observable That to this Parliament of 13 Car. 2. there were three Dukes summon'd by Writ viz. George Duke of Buckingham Charles Duke of Richmond and George Duke of Albemarle the Duke of Buckingham was then Master of the Horse the Duke of Richmond of the Blood Royal by the Scotish Line yet neither of those two appendant Titles were mention'd in their Writs but George Duke of Albemarle in his Writ is intituled Generalis exercituum suorum and is plac'd the third in that Record and the reason may be because there was no provision for that great Office in the Act of Precedency whereby to preceed all of the same degree as other degrees do being a Title not mention'd in the Act though on some occasions he preceeds by vertue of his Office the other grand Officers and so being not in the Act he is named in this Pawn the last of the three Dukes without respect to his Office of Generalship Nor do I find in any Clause Roll or Pawn the Title of General annext in any Parliament Writ to any one of the Degrees except this though History does plentifully furnish us with several persons of those several Degrees who were Generals when Parliaments were summon'd and yet as I said there is no provision in this Act for the Place or Precedency of this great Officer as there is for the Marshal Admiral c. although his great merits might well have deserv'd an additional Clause to that Act for his precedency 7. Three Dukes were summon'd 18 Feb. 1661. as in the Pawn vide cap. 2. The next Degree to Dukes are Marquesses SECT III. Of Marquesses THe third Degree of the Hereditary and fixt Nobility is intituled Marquio Obs I. and Marquess in English which began in Germany Anno Christi 925. when Henry Emperour of Germany and the first of that Name in that Empire Created Sigefred then Earl of Kinglesheim Marquess of Brandenburgh who after in the Year 1525. having the addition of Duke of Prussia did exchange the Title of Marquess to be call'd Duke of Brandenburgh However he was the first Marquess of that Empire and probably the Emperour did fix this Title between the Dukes and Earls that there might be no more disputes concerning them for the two Titles of Duke and Earl were promiscuously us'd till this Title of Marquess was interpos'd and the same reason might also occasion Philip the Fair King of France 425 years after viz. Anno Christi 1350. to insert into John Duke of Britain's Patent Vt ne posset saith the Patent in dubium revocari Ducem ipsum qui Comes fuit aliquando c. ut Ducem in posterum deberet vocari c. and the reason is therein given Selden Quod Comitatus ejus potius debet duci esse Ducatus quam Comitatus quoniam sub se habet decem ultra Comitatus and 56 years after viz. Anno Christi 1386. This might occasion also our Richard
Episcopo Carlilin P. Johanni Episcopo Roffensi P. Roulando Episcopo Coventry Lichffeldiae Henrico Episcopo Assanensis D. Georgio Episcopo Landavensis D. Thomae Episcopo Bangorensis P. Gulielmo Episcopo Norwicae P. Johanni Episcopo Herefordiae D. Roberto Episcopo Wintoniensis D. Gulielmo Episcopo Bathon Wellen. Roberto Episcopo Cecestriae D. Custodi Spiritualitatis Episcopatûs Wigorn ipso Episcopo in Remotis agente Custodi Spiritualitatis Episcopatûs Dunelmensis ipsa fede vacante XX. in all SECT XVI Observations on this Writ to Cardinal Wolsey THis Writ except the Title of it is like that of Ed. 2d yet I have thought fit to enter it for some reasons particularly 1st For the Eminent nature of the Titles which this Cardinal ascrib'd to himself who had also tryed several experiments to have been made Pope and probably the Passions of Hen. 8. and the Cardinals disappointments therein might hasten the dissolution of the Abbots and other proceedings in order to the lessening the Popes interest here and this refusal of the Cardinal may justly give an occasion to say that the English have always had hard measure in their Attempts therein for though the Conclave have admitted above 50. English men to be Cardinals yet it seems their Policy hath been not to admit of any English man to be Pope except one in our Henry 2. time called Nicolas Brakespear who being Pope Intituled himself Adrian the 4th so that from Higynus's time there hath been but one English man made Pope unless Johannes natione Anglicus Gussarus officio Papa Sexu Faemina quae sedet in Papatu An. 20. Mens 6. who in English we call Pope Joane be allow'd for one of the 246. Popes to this time yet the Pope hath exercised the highest Jurisdiction here that England could afford which is a very Partial and unequal way of dealing 2. The 2d reason of Entring this Writ is to shew that the Archbishop of York was herein the Exemplar to the Archbishop of Canterbury of which there is no Precedent before for the three Cardinals which were Archbishops viz. in the time of King John Edward the 3d and Hen. the 6th were all three Archbishops of Canterbury so as this precedency must be attributed to the Cardinals Dignity above all Archbishops and not to any irregularity in placing the Exemplar And here it may be observed that as the Title of Archbishop did long since leap over the Title of Bishop and the Titles of Patriarch and Pope over Archbishops afterwards viz. Anno Christi 1099. when the Title of Cardinal first began by Pope Pascal the 2d his institution the Title being rais'd by him of certain Parochial Priests in Rome of whom he had more confidence did in effect leap over all the Four other Degrees and by it had the sole power of Electing Popes being under their management so as the Pope hath only the Title left and the 70 Cardinals the power of Electing him in which they are unwilling to admit of any English man although if they did he would be so over-ballanc'd that there were no great hazard of his Election In the mean time the Conclave is so kind to its own Interest as to appoint one of those Cardinals to be Protector of England he being at this day Stiled Eminentissimus Dominus Franciscus Cardinalis Barbarinus Angliae Protector 3. It may be observed that amongst many other Titles he Intitled himself Presbyter to gratifie all interests 4. Though H. 8. might intitle himself Fidei Defensor 8 years before this Writ yet this is the first Writ on Record wherein this Title is given and this also is the last Writ that I find was sent to any Cardinal to sit in Parliament for though Cardinal Pool was Cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury in Queen Mary's time yet he had no Writ either as Cardinal or Archbishop or both but the Exemplar was in that Parliament to the Bishop of Winchester and no Writs to the Bishops of Canterbury York London or Durham 5. When this Writ was made he was Lord Chancellor yet it is not inserted in the Writ possibly because Sir Thomas More was in Prospect to be Lord Chancellor and was actually so before the Parliament met And now having shewn the first Writ among the Pawns I shall proceed to the Writs in the subsequent Pawns and then shew the alteration of them The second Pawn or bundle of Writs extant in the Pettibag is of the 31 of Hen. 8th wherein the first Writ is to Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury and this Writ also agrees with the former except in the Titles and with all the Writs to Archbishops from Edward the 2ds time to this as they are in the Clause Rolls The third Pawn or Record of Writs in the Pettibag is of the 36 of Hen. 8th which is the remarkable Writ because it differs from all the former Writs since Ed. 2ds time both in the Titles and the Praemonition for in this Writ he is intituled King of Ireland and Supream Head but before this only Lord of Ireland Now as to the Title of King of Ireland Hen. the 2d did give the same to his Son King John but the Pope would not let him enjoy it nor did any of his Successors assume it till Hen. the 8th resolved to reassume it in defiance of the Pope and writ himself King of Ireland instead of Lord of Ireland because as I said in the former Section he would not place the Title of Defender before Ireland as the Pope had directed him in his Bull or it may be in respect the Pope pretended a Title under King John to Ireland and as for the other Title of Supream Head though it was given him by the Parliament 12 years before yet I find it not in any Parliament Writ till this year of the 36. H. 8. So that the Preamble or Titular part of the Writ is thus Henricus Dei gratiâ Angliae Franciae Hiberniae Rex fidei Defensor Ecclesiae Anglicanae Hiberniae Supremum Caput Then for the Premonition whereas the words Priorem Capellanum or Capitulum were plac'd next unto Praemonentes in this Writ the words were Praemonentes Decanum Capitulum because Abbies and Priories were newly dissolv'd and Deanaries Constituted and so the Writs thus alter'd have continued till this Writ for the year 1661. But before I set down the Writ for 1661 I must a little repeat some short progresses and methods ushering in that Writ for though the Bishops were in the year 1641. by an Act of King Charles the First with the Consent of the Lords Temporal and Commons disabled from Exercising any Temporal Jurisdiction or Authority and thereupon soon after put out of the Lords House as I have shewn yet there was no occasion of new Writs to them till the year 1661. and then there could be no new Writs made for their Restauration till they were restor'd by the same power of King Lords Temporal and Commons by
a Bishop of England or the Popes Vicar-General or that the See of Canterbury was void or that a Bishop was Chancellor and then the Exemplar Writ was directed to that Bishop and to neither of the Archbishops or if both Archbishopricks were void then to the Bishop of London Thirdly The Exemplar and Consimilar Writs to Bishops have been generally plac't in the Clause-Rolls and in all the Pawns extant before any Degrees except Princes of the Blood though their places in the Lords House are otherwise Fourthly Sometimes the Writ to the Archbishop was without any Epethit to his Christian name but the Epithet of the most constant Application was Venerabili Archiepiscopo and the like to Bishops but in Hen. the Eighths time it was alter'd Reverendissimo to Archbishops and Reverendo to Bishops Fifthly Also an other Title is usually in the Bishops Writs as in the Writs to the Lords Temporal viz. Praedilecto fideli Conciliario which is not in the ancient Writ but of late it is entred as an addition to such as are of the Kings Privy Council whereof the Bishop of Canterbury is for the most part one Sixthly In the 36. of Henry the Eighth the Writ is Primati Metropolitano which latter word was not extant till that Writ Seventhly In the latter Writs the words de advisamento assensu Concilii nostri are entred which are not in the old Waits and some other words which are in the Dukes Writ and not in the old Writs as may be observed in the Figures which I have placed in that Writ Eighthly And in the Mandamus instead of Firmiter injungentes to the Temporal Lords the Writs to the Bishops are Rogando Mandamus and instead of Fide ligeantia to the Temporal Lords it is In side dilectione to the Lords Spiritual so that to the word Praemonentes the Writs both to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal do agree as well in the Originals as Alterations except in those particulars before nam'd Ninthly From the word Praemonentes in the Writ there is a greater Latitude of power granted to the Lords Spiritual than to the Lords Temporal for the Lords Temporal are not impowred by their Writs to Summon the Laity who sit in the House of Commons as Representatives of the Commonalty but the Lords Spiritual are impowred by their Writs to Summon Deacons Archdeans and Proctors to attend the Parliament as Representatives of the Clergy who being met at places appointed distinct from the House of Lords or House of Commons those places where they meet have the Titles of Convocations the Bishops making the upper Convocation the Representatives of the Clergy the lower Suting to those two of the Laity one called sometimes the House of Lords or Peers or upper House the other sometimes the House of Commons or lower House The General Writs for this Parliament were dated as I have shewn the 18th of Febr. 1661. to meet the 8th of May 1661. but the Writs to the Bishops were not dated till the 29. of August following yet by these Writs they are appointed to meet die loco at the day and place viz. on the Eighth of May and at Westminster as in the General Writs so as the latter Writs seem to command an Impossibility but this is to be understood in a Parliament-sence viz. That the first day of the Meeting of a Parliament continues to the end of a Session or Prorogation and is accounted but as one day for an Adjournment is but the continuance of that day and a passing of Acts upon an Adjournment as in this case was not a determining the Session because they were passed by way of Proviso That it should not thereby discontinue the Parliament so that the Bishops being admitted before any Session of determining the Parliament or before any Prorogation of it it is to be esteem'd in a Parliament-sence as I said as one day And so it is in Law where a Sum is due the Eighth of May payable at Westminster and not paid till the 29. of August and then paid in London and then accepted by the Creditor it doth bar all breaches or punctilios in Law or Equity between the Creditor and Debtor Besides If a Parliament continues some Months without Adjournments or Prorogations in which time many Members of both Houses Dye so as there is a necessity to send out Writs for a Supply of Members if the Writs should not issue in a certain Form with respect to a certain day though past it would produce many inconveniencies attending the Discretion or Indiscretion of Clerks who are to form such Writs and therefore all Writs though after Prorogations though many years subsequent have still reference to the first day of the Parliament as will be further shewn for it hath been the Wisdom of Parliaments to admit of no variation in that point Next As to the place of Meeting the Bishops are Summon'd to meet Cum Praelatis Magnatibus proceribus at Westminster which the Bishops do as to their Co-Interest in the House of Lords but in relation to the inferior Clergy the Bishops do meet at Westminster and sometimes Adjourn to such places out of Westminster as the Archbishop or his Vicar appoints which before the Fire in 1666. was at the convocation-Convocation-House on the South-side of St. Pauls Church in London but since in Westminster-Abby The Bishops in all this Parliament sit in Henry the Sevenths Chappel as the upper Convocation the Deans c. in St. Benedicts Chappel on the North-side of the Abby as the lower Convocation so as they have distinct Houses or Places from the House of Lords and House of Commons as also distinct days of meeting but always after the Parliament first meets and so of sitting some days after any Adjournment or Prorogation or Dissolution which is appointed beyond the Lords or Commons as will be shewn in the Chapter of Convocations 11. Concerning the alteration of Priorem into Decanum I have given an account 12. Instead of favente deo the later Writs say favente divina clementia 13. In the old Writs the year of Christ is not added for it was more than 300 years after Christ before the Computation was us'd but in the later Writs it is not omitted 14. Till about the year 855. there was not above 16 Bishopricks and then they increas'd to 19 and 21 and in Hen. 8. time to 26 and so they have continued ever since but in all times there have been several Transplacings and Transmutations so as the names of the Bishopricks of Dorchester Dunwich Haglested Sydnacester and Leicester Landasfirm Selsy Sherborn Chester in Durham Crediton and St. Petrocks 10 in all are utterly lost and drown'd in the now remaining 26 Bishopricks 15. The Bishops being men well Educated in all Sciences Divine and humane were stil imployed by our Successive Kings as well in matters Temporal as Spiritual for I find that of 153 Chancellors and Keepers of the Great-Seal from William the
Conquerours time there have been 62 Archbishops and Bishops employ'd in these Offices and from the first Institution of Treasurer in William the 2d's time to Ed. the 4ths time there have been 42. Archbishops and Bishops Treasurers but from Ed. the 4th's to this time no Bishop hath been Treasurer except William Archbishop of Canterbury in Charles the 1sts time then Bishop of London they have been also Chief Justices c. But for other Offices in respect I find them not mention'd in any of their Writs of Summons to Parliaments as additional Titles I shall not make any further inquiries but indeed anciently most of the Judicial Offices in the Kingdom or State were under the Care and Management of the Clergy and therefore the Chancellor Treasurer Privy-Seal c. were called Clerici or Clerks as a distinction from the Laity And being men generally of the greatest Knowledge and Learning were thereupon chosen into Offices of the highest nature 16. That though for many Ages before the end of Hen. the 8th's Reign the Bishops were then of the Roman Religion yet whenever they had the least encouragement from the present Kings of England and sometimes without it they still oppos'd the Superintendency and Supremacy both of the Church and Court of Rome as to the Dominions of the respective Kings of England protesting that the same was a destruction of the Realm and Crown of England which hath always said they been Free and hath no earthly Sovereignty but onely God in all Regalities as may be seen in the Parliament Rolls of Rich. 2d Hen. the 6th and in other Kings Reigns and since Hen. the 8th the Bishops and Clergy under them have been almost the only Bulwark against the Storms and Incroachments of Rome upon us 17. It appears by a long concatenation of Records that they have had these various Titles of Honour viz. in the Latin Records Archiepiscopi Episcopi Praelati Pares and in such Records as are writ in French or English Archevesque Evesque Archbishops Bishops Prelates Peers Grantz Grandees or Great ones in distinction of the Lesser Peers or House of Commons of which I shall speak more also Seigniors singly and Signiors du Parlement also Lords and Lords Spiritual and Barons claiming onely a Vital Feudal Tenurial and not Nobilitated Peerage in distinction of the Lords Temporal whose Peerage is Personal Hereditary and Nobilitated 18. Though they absent themselves from the House of Lords upon Tryals of blood yet it was and is still in obedience to the morality of the Canon-Laws for though those Canon-Laws were practised in times of Popery yet the reasonableness and conscientiousness of that Law still continues and now we are free from the bondage of Popery the Protestant Bishops still think themselves obliged to it as the Papal Bishops were before like the 4th Commandment which still morally obligeth Us as formerly it did the Jews yet where they do absent themselves in Cases of blood it is done by leaving Proxy or protestation of their Right of Sitting c. 19. And lastly it may be very well observed though their influence and Interest upon a Spiritual and Temporal account is spread over this whole Kingdom their Revenues great and thereby their Tenants Officiates and Dependents very numerous yet I do not find in Histories that the Bishops of England did ever raise an Army to justifie their interest against any of our Kings or against the other two Estates of Lords Temporal or Commons by Sword or Force but still supported it by their Pen or Prayers 20. Thus I have given an account of the Managers of Religion in this Island and of the Writs whereby they were Summon'd to Parliaments and of other great employments wherein they have been intrusted of a mixt nature part Civil and part Ecclesiastick and both tending to Religious Duties I should now proceed to the Writs which concern Abbots and Priors which till the 36. Hen. 8. were ever entred next the Bishops in the Clause-Rolls and Pawns but there having been no Writs directed to them since the said 36. of H. the 8th except two in Queen Mary's time one to the Abbot of Westminster the other to the Prior of St. John's of Jerusalem I shall follow the Method of the Pawns since the said 36th year referring the Discourse of them to the Chapter of Dissolutions and here proceed to the third Exemplar Writ viz. to the Lord Chancellor being the first Officer of State and Principal Assistant and now annext to a Barony and after to his Title of Earl as will be shewn CHAP. VIII The Third Exemplar of the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper AMongst the Romans this great Officer was called Actuarius Scriba Notarius Principis praesentis Vicarius Cancellarius and so it came into France and amongst the Saxons it had the name of Referendarius but in England we do not find this Title of Chancellor till the first of King John An. 1199 though Lambert and others derive it from Edward the Confessors time This Officer continued in so high an esteem that in the 5th of Richard the 2d The Commons in Parliament in their Exhibits to the King desired that the most wise and able man in the Realm might be chosen Chancellor which made Budaeus one of Hen. the 8ths Orators to give this Description Hunc saith he rerum omnium cognitione omni Doctrinarum virtutumque genere instructissimum ornatissimum ingenioque ad omnia versatili omnia in numerato habere oportere fatendum est This Discription is also to be applyed to the Keeper of the Great Seal which invention of a publick Seal as it was more ancient with the Romans so it seems to be very ancient with us in England that Office being Constituted by William the Conquerer in the Year 1067. and for the honour of both as it is shewn in this Section Geffrey a Natural Son to Hen. the Second was Chancellor and the Queen to Henry the Third was Keeper of the Seal 2. These two Offices were sometimes kept distinct and sometimes united in one Person till the Fifth of Queen Eliz. and then it was Enacted That both those Offices should be accounted but as one and the same and that hereafter both should not be used at one time by distinct Persons 3. Whilst they were distinct they had two Seals the Chancellors was of Gold and the Keepers of Silver the Court esteemed Officina Regis and the Seal Clavis Regni but whenever they were either united or distinctly executed still this high Office was managed by Archbishops or Bishops or by the most eminent Laicks for Learning Integrity and Abilities as may be seen by comparing the History of them with their Catalogues 4. To manifest their Eminency it is evident from the Rolls that in the opening of all Parliaments the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper did constantly by the Command of the King shew them the reasons of Summoning them unless in a Vacancy or
Richardo Percey Johanni Fitzwater Radulpho Dacres yet these were all Barons or Bannerets though the Title of Baroni was not in their respective Writs 3. Thus they continued without any other adjuncts to their names than what I have mentioned till the first of Richard the Second and then Willielmo de Morley Willielmo de Alborough Hugo de Dacres were writ Chevaliers amongst 48. others that were Intituled as before After in the 7th of Rich. the 2d William Botereaux was brought in and with the other Three written Chevaliers and in the second Parliament of that year that Title of Chevalier increas'd to three more viz. Johanni Falsly Henry le Scroop and Thomae Camois Chevaliers so there were then seven Chevaliers in all the rest of the Barons being then Fourty five were Intituled as before and so they continued not exceeding nine Chevaliers till the third of H. 6. and for that Parliament there were but twenty Barons Summoned whereof eleven were Stil'd Chevaliers and in the fourth of his Reign all the Barons but two were Stil'd Chevaliers and in the sixth year all the Barons were Stil'd Chevaliers and so to the Twenty third wherein all the Barons were written Chevaliers except Thomas de Scales Miles who was then Lord Scalds and Dominus de Molins so here came in Dominus for a Baron and in the Twenty fifth there were Twenty six Chevaliers whereof two Stil'd Milites and three Domini in the Twenty seventh Henry Percey is Writ Militi Domino and some others which shews that the words Militi Domino and Chevalier having Writs to Sit in the Lords House had one Denotation of a Baron and in the third of Edw. 4. almost all the Barons are written Domini and Chevaliers jointly yet in the end of these Consimilars it is writ in the Record Milites omnes except Audley and Clinton and so in the 3d. of Ed. 4. all are Chevaliers but in the Postscript is Equites aurati omnes praeter Dominum Scales by which must be understood that all the rest which were Summoned to those Parliaments and their names not entred in those Rolls were Milites or Equites Aurati Except Audley Clinton and Scales which latter in the Record of the 23d of Hen. 6. before mentioned is written Miles which shews there was a distinction then between Miles and Eques Auratus as may be seen in Mr. Seldens Titles of Honour and so in the 7th and 12. 22. and 23d of Ed. 4. all Chevaliers but two Milites which do argue some distinction though all intended to signifie a Baron Then passing over other Records to the 21. of Hen. 8. all the Barons are stil'd Chevaliers but in the 36. Hen. 8. the words Domini and Chevaliers are mixt and so they continued to the 28. of Eliz. and then all the Barons are writ Chevaliers and so have continued to this time singly with that Title of Chevaliers in all their Writs without adding Dominus miles or Eques Auratus Though the Title of Baro for Baron is not us'd in these Parliament Writs no more is Bannerettus or Banneret yet it is as evident that as Dominus does signifie a Baron so the word Miles and Chevalier did signifie a Knight Banneret and so I presume it was originally intended For by comparing the Writ in the 8th of Rich. 2d to William Botereaux with the Writ to him in the 15th of Rich. 2d where in one he is called Chevalier in the other Miles it may be presumed that the Titles are one and the same the words Chevalier and Miles being so interchangeably used and sometimes joyntly yet either being applicable to Denote a Baron or Banneret 8. This Identity of Chevalier and Banneret may be evident from the Writ to the Sheriff of Surry hereafter transcribed Cited by the Learned Mr. Selden where Thomas Camois beforementioned sometimes Stil'd Chevalier sometimes Miles for brevity omitting Bannerettus being then Lord Camois or Baron and being chosen Knight of the Shire for that County to serve in Parliament in the 8th of Rich. 2. the Sheriff was commanded by this Writ to make an Election of another Knight for that County because his place was in the Lords-House as a Banneret which Writ he sets down in these following words The Writ to the Sheriff of Surry 8. Rich. the 2d concerning Thomas Camois Banneret his being Elected Knight of the Shire REx Vic' Surr ' Salutem Quia ut accepimus tu Thomam Camois Chevalier qui Bannerettus est sicut quam plures Antecessorum suorum extiterint ad essendum unum militem venientium ad proximum Parliamentum nostrum pro Comunitate Comitatus predicti de assensu ejusdem Comitatus Elegisti Nos advertentes quod hujusmodi Banneretti ante haec tempora in militis Comitatus ratione alicujus Parliamenti eligi minime consueverunt ipsum de Officio Militis ad dictum Parliamentum pro Communitate Comitatus predicti ventur ' Exonerari volumus Et Ideo tibi precipimus quod quendam alium militem idoneum discretum gladio cinctum loco ipsius Thomae eligi eum ad diem Locum Parliamenti predicti venire facias cum plena sufficien ' potestate ad consentiend'hijs quae in Parliamento predicto fient juxta tenorem primi Brevis nostri tibi pro electione hujusmodi milit ' directi nomen ejus nobis scire facias Teste Rege apud Westm ' octavo die Octobris septimo Regis 8. R. 2. Accordingly the Parliament did sit the 3d. of March and Thomas Camois in the Lords House but that which Mr. Selden observes in this Writ is that this is not to be understood of any other Banneret than a Parliament Baron or a Banneret of that time The expressing of hujusmodi Bannoretti shews that it is not meant of all Bannerets but such only as have the Title either by inheritance or in such a kind that an inheritance might be of it which is apparent also by the precedent words in the Writ Bannerettus est sicut quam plures Antecessorum suorum extiterint for it was never conceived that the Title of Banneret as it denotes a Knight-Banneret was ever hereditary However another Knight for Surry was Chosen and this Thomas Camois being Lord Thomas Camois did sit that Parliament in the Lords House as his Ancestors had done for I find that in the 15th of Ed. 2d and 4th of Ed. 3d. Radulphus Camois was Summon'd by Writs and did sit in those two Parliaments but I find none in 54 years after viz. till the 7th of Rich. 2d and then that name continued in 37 successive Parliaments viz. to the 8th of Hen. 6. as may be seen in the Records I shall make no further use of this Writ here than that of the words Thomas Camois Chevalier qui est Bannerettus doe make it clear that Banneret was denoted by the word Chevalier and that that word Chevalier amongst the Lords did shew the difference between
concedo G. de M. pro servitio suo heredibus suis post eum hereditabiliter ut sit Comes de Essexia habeat tertium denariorum Vicecomitatus de placitis sicut Comes habere debet in Comitatu suo So here was both the Honor the Service and the Reward mention'd in less then thirty words There is nothing alledged for the length of these Patents but that the latter Ages as 't is said are more cautious than the former and that abundans cautela say we non nocet which occasions an abundance of words more than anciently were in use As to the sinalness of the Creation-Money those who have taken pains in Writing about raising of the price of Money both Gold and Silver since Edward the Third's time tell us That there are three ways of raising it First By encreasing the Value of it that is by giving more parts to it than originally it had as by ordaining an Angel of Gold to be valued at a 11 s. which was Coin'd for 10 s. or a Shilling to be valued at 14 d. The Second By diminishing the Matter but leaving the same Name and Value to the Money which it had before as when Angels or Shillings are Coin'd by the same Name and Value as before but diminished some Grains in the weight or if new Names be given to them and the same Value retain'd but the weight diminished for in this case there being really less Gold or Silver in weight in the price than was before and the value remaining the same this Silver and Gold which remains hath an high price set upon it The Third is When the Value remaining the same of the Species of Money and the Weight the same the fineness is abated by putting more Allay to it so as really then there is less Gold or Silver in fineness for it is supply'd by Copper which is usually the Allay to either whereby the Weight is made the same as before but the Fineness so much less They further tell us That the Causes of these Allays are first the Gain which the States make by it the better to supply themselves in their necessities for Money the other Cause is an Art which all States do frequently use as it were to rob one another of their Money by vying one upon another who shall raise their Money highest and this occasions the raise and fall of Exchanges of Money among our Merchants which is a Mystery worth the knowing by every one that serves in Parliament thereby to prevent Injuries and to maintain the Honour and Profit of our Kingdom But whatever uncertainties are in the raise or fall of Money this is certain That 20 l. per Annum in those days did go as far if not farther in managing Mens occasions where Money was to be us'd as 200 l. per Annum now and one great Reason was Because in almost all matters of Wars or Peace the Tenants were obliged by their Tenures to supply their Lords especially in Provisions for Hospitality and Labour without Wages or very little so as a little Money was lookt on as a great Reward as may be seen in the Tenure of the Lord of the Mannor of Carlton in Norfolk who is oblig'd every year with himself and his Servants to present to the King a certain number of Herrings from the City of Norwich with which the Town of Tarmouth are oblig'd by their Patent to supply that City for that purpose and after three days stay upon delivery of the Herrings to the King the Lord of Carlton is to be presented by the Master of the Green-Cloth with a Groat to buy him a pair of Gloves as a full Recompence of his Trouble and this continues to this day So as if we look upon the gift of 20 Mark or 20 l. according to the present Adequation of Money to the rates of other things it may seem a Sum derogatory to the Honour of the King that gives it as to him that receives it and therefore it must be considered as the Groat a Gift of Antiquity Noble and Liberal in its first Intention but had the large Encomium to it before recited been as ancient as the Gift I should not at this time have taken notice of its exuberancy However in pursuance of my Design these Patents of Creations do intitle them where to sit in the Lords House c. Thus having done with the Patents which concern the Lords Spiritual and Temporal I intended to have writ something here concerning the Antiquity and present Use of Seals and Labels to Patents and Writs and of various Superscriptions to the Lords and Commons c. as also of Wax Parchment c. as necessary Utensils for carrying on the Constitution of a Parliament but I shall reserve the Discourse of them till I have past through the Parliament-Writs as well concerning the House of Lords as House of Commons and Convocation-Houses and so now proceed to the General Titles given to the Grandees of the House of Lords viz. Nobles Lords and Peers CHAP. XI Of Nobles Lords and Peers I Have past through the four first Exemplar Writs in the Pawn concerning the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal and given an account also of so much of their Patents of Creations as relate to Parliaments But in respect these Nobles are sometimes call'd Lords and sometimes Peers and thereupon the very place where they sit in their High Judicatory is call'd the House of Lords or House of Peers I think fit to hint some few Memorials before I proceed to the Fifth Exemplar of Assistant Writs 1. It is agreed by all Inspectors of Words that Lords and Peers are of the same signification with us that Domini and Pares had with the old Romans so as we and the French are equally beholding to the Latin for them but when the word Dominus was chang'd into the word Lord having no more affinity of sound or Orthography than Comes and Earl or when Pares into Proceres of a nearer sound may be a question but it may be sufficiently evident that the word Lord was the Abbreviation of Louerd which the Saxons at their first coming about the year 448. used here instead of Dominus 2. As for the word Peer we commonly use it as signifying a Defence as Dover-Peer and Yarmouth-Peer c. which is from Petra a Rock which the French write Pierre and we Peer these Artificial Peers being made in imitation of Rocks to defend the Land against Inundations and it may very aptly allude to the Noble Peers in Parliament who are the Rocks or Peers of our Safety 3. To pass this it is allow'd That Pares in Latin Paires in French and Peers in our English Dialect are all three words of the same sence signifying Parity or Equality and as the French had it from the Romans by whom they were call'd Pares Curiae viz. Qui ab eodem domino feudum retinent so we had it from the French who
as happened when by their directions his Lordship sent out Warrants to Seize the five Lords of whom I shall speak in the Chapter of Tryals 11. Other uses are also made of him and some other of the Assistants in Parliament for when the Lords have any matter of importance to impart to the House of Commons then the Lord Chief Justice with the other Chief Justice or Lord Chief Baron or some other of the Judges but always one of them and no more is joyn'd with him in delivering the same but in matters of less importance two Masters of Chancery are imployed as will be shewn 12. When any Writs of Error or Writs of Habeas Corpus or Tryals of Peers or when any Pleas of the Crown or other cases Criminal Civil and sometimes Ecclesiastick or indeed any matters of Law are to be heard and determin'd in Parliament as also in the penning of new and altering explaining or repealing of former Statutes their assistances are required and more especially the Chief Justice 13. The number of Assistants Summon'd by Writ to appear in Parliament Cum caeteris de Consilio from the time of Henry the Third to the 21. of Henry the Eighth consisted of an uncertain number sometimes above fourty sometimes under but from the 21 of Henry the Eighth from which time the extant Pawns do give an exact account of them they never exceeded 27. and sometimes were not above 13. or 14. But in all Parliaments since Edw. the Firsts time some of them were Summon'd and very likely before For Mr. Prin though in his Breviary of Parliament Writs pag. 36. he tells us of Twenty four Parliaments from the 49. of Hen. the Third to the 49. of Edw. the Third and many more which he saith he omits of which Parliaments he saith there is no mention of Writs of Summons to any of the Kings Council Justices Officers or others in the Rolls of these Parliaments yet he kindly ascribes it to the negligence or slothfulness of Clerks in omitting the entries of their Writs This he saith but he had done much better for his own justification and others satisfaction being intrusted by his Majesty with the Records of the Tower if those Records which he cites both in his Breviary and many others montion'd by him in Sir Robert Cottons Abridgment now wanting might have been restored by him to their ancient Repositories there 14. As to the Lord Chief Justice and the Assistants Places in the Lords House none of them as I have said have their Places there by the Act of Precedency's but rather by custom and favour of which I shall speak more when I come to the actual Sitting of the Parliament as also of their Priviledges and Employments there 15. As to the Officers which are under the Lord Chief Justice his Jurisdiction none of them are imployed about the Summoning of a Parliament but many of them are imployed in other matters in time of Parliaments as in cases of Errors c. but more chiefly upon Tryals of Peers when only the chief Clerk of the Crown in the Kings Bench is the principal Manager of them as will be shewn 16. Regularly no Officer or Court either in Parliament or out of Parliament have greater Power or Jurisdiction or more publick affairs to manage except the Lord Chancellor in Chancery and yet in some cases above it For all appeals from the Chancery and other Courts are determin'd in this Court and no appeal from this Court but to the High Court of Parliament and all Records which are brought from other Courts into this are never return'd back into those Courts from whence they were brought and many others which might be instanc't 17. To conclude his Lordship or the other Lord Chief Justice or one of them are constantly appointed to be Speaker of the House of Lords Pro tempore when the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper is absent which is usually done by a particular Writ which I shall enter amongst emergent Writs Chap. 14. Thus having said as much as I think convenient concerning this Exemplar with some intermixtures of some of the Consimilars I proceed to give a short touch of each of the Consimilars more distinctly and first of the Master of the Rolls Of the Consimilar Writ to the Master of the Rolls 1. THE Office of Master of the Rolls is granted by Patent under several Titles viz. Clericus parvae Bugae Custos Rotulorum Magister Domus Conversorum and he Sits in the Rolls to hear Causes c. by vertue of a Commission to that purpose 2. But his Writ of Summons to a Parliament is directed as in this Pawn viz. Harbotello Grimston Baronetto Magistro Rotulorum Cancellariae suae and then the remaining part of his Consimilar as also the rest of the following Consimilar Writs agree in the same words with the Exemplar to the Lord Chief Justice as in Sect. the Eleventh 3. This Magister Rotulorum or Custos Rotulorum or Clericus parvae bugae is the same which we call in English Master of the Rolls anciently call'd Clerk of the Rolls but from Henry the Sevenths time when the Clergy did decline in their Temporal Imployments he was and is still call'd Master of the Rolls 4. In the absence of the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper he Sits as Judge in the Chancery and therefore by Sir Edward Coke is call'd his Assistant and at other times he Sits as Judge of Causes in the Chappel of that House which in Henry the Thirds time was imployed as a place of Charity to such Jews as should turn to the Christian Religion but those Jews being Banish't Edward the Third did dispose of it for the keeping of Records and joined it to the Office of Custos Rotulorum and of the Pettibag which Office of Pettibag seems to be a lesser Bag or place of Records 5. So that he hath three Titles viz. Clericus Pettibagae or Clerk of the Pettibag he being the chief of three Clerks more of that Office Secondly Magister Rotulorum or Master of the Rolls or Clerk or Preserver of such Records as do at any time pass the Great Seal and are sent to his Custody either in the Office of the Rolls called the Rolls Office or to the Pettibag Office where his under Clerks do attend on purpose to produce them as occasions require Thirdly His third Title is Master of the Chancery which Title is given to twelve Persons of which twelve he is te chief 5. Formerly and even to this day the greatest part of these Twelve were Constituted of Doctors of the Civil Law however Eleven of those are so constantly dispos'd of as that some of them do Sit in the Lords House in time of Parliament and at other times with the Lord Chancellor in the Court of Chancery upon hearing of Cases others with the Master of the Rolls when he Sits in the Chancery or at the Rolls where he hath a Jurisdiction to hear or
return of Writs concerning the House of Commons the method consists of much trouble and perplexity not only from the time of the executing the Writs but in undue returns as will be shewn in their proper place This Chapter concluding all the Patents and Writs of Summons and Returns which concern the Lords House by vertue of which the Persons so Summon'd by Writ do sit there now I must speak of such as sit there without Patent or Writ of Summons and first of the Masters of Chancery CHAP. XVI Of the Masters of Chancery THE Secretaries of State did bring up the Rear of the State Officers and now the Masters of Chancery do bring up the Rear of the Assistants and though I have spoke something of the Master of the Rolls partly as chief of the twelve Masters of Chancery yet there he was considered as Master of the Rolls or Records rather than one of the twelve Masters of Chancery whereof as I said he is the chief and these twelve are called Masters in Ordinary 2. For there are also other Masters in Chancery called Extraordinary which are of an uncertain number according to the businesses of the respective Counties wherein they are imployed 3. As for the twelve they usually are chosen out of Barresters of the Common Law or Doctors of the Civil Law and eleven of them do sit in the Chancery or in the Rolls as Assistants saith Sir Edward Coke to the Lord Chancellor and to the Master of the Rolls every day throughout each Term of the year and to them are committed Interlocutory Reports and stating of Accounts and sometimes by way of reference to them they are impowr'd with a final Determination of Causes there depending 4. These twelve have time out of mind sat in the Lords House yet have neither Writs nor Patents for many Ages past impowering them so to do but I conceive as the Master of the Rolls is as is said by that Institutor an Assistant to the Lord Chancellor the remaining eleven may fairly be said to be Assistants both to the Lord Chancellor and Master of the Rolls in all or most Matters depending in both or either Courts and so Virtute Officij they are inclusively capacitated by the Writs to the Lord Chancellor or Master of the Rolls to be Assistants to them in the Lords House as they are in Chancery without any particular VVrit or Patent to them 5. Anciently this Title was higher than what Sir Edw. Coke affords them for I find in an old Manuscript in the hands of Sir J. C. one of the Masters but I have not the opportunity of searching the Records therein mentioned Intitutled De Cancellario Angliae ejus Cojudicibus de authoritate eorum and then follows viz. In dicta Curia Cancellarij sunt ordinati duodecem Cojudices viz. Magistri sive Clerici de prima forma ad Robas which in the 13. Chap. I call the first Orb pro Arduis negotis Regis Regni Reipublicae expediendis which agree verbatim and 't is observable with the very words of all Writs of Summons to Parliaments eidem Cancellario omnino assistentes secum continuo consedentes which in a manner Intitles them to sit in the Lords House with him and many other matters are mentioned therein which I shall refer to my Annotations because I cannot now warrantably insert them but I find in other Books that anciently they had the care of inspecting all Writs of Summons to Parliaments committed to them which is now as I have shewn performed by the Clerks of the Pettibag 6. As to the Title of Maister from Magister and from Magus a Wiseman it is as ancient as most of our borrow'd words from the Latin and was still apply'd to Persons of Knowledge and other Abilities above the Degrees of Yeomandry Amongst the old Romans as may be read in Livy Pomponius Aurelius and others they had twelve great Officers to whom that Title was given viz. Magister Populi or Dictator Magister Equitum Magistri Census Magister in Auctionibus Magistri Epistolarum Magistri Memoriae Magistri Militum Magister Navis Magistri Officiorum Magistri Scriniorum Magister Curiae Magistri Aeris and many more of a lesser Rank for I speak not of Magistri Familiae or Privatae or as the word is vulgarly applied to its relative word Servant but as a Title applied to Persons of Eminency for their Integrity and Learning and of these there are also twelve sorts with us which are found in the Law Books whereof the first we meet with in the Statutes is the Master of the Mint in 2 H. 6. c. 14. 2. the Master of the Rolls in the first of H. 7. Cap. 20. for till then he was call'd Clerk of the Rolls or Custos Archivorum and chief Clerk of the Chancery of which there are twelve as I said since which six chief Clerks and a greater number of a lesser Form are there Constituted whereby they are distinguisht from the ancient Clerks now the 12. Masters of Chancery which may be accounted the Third sort in point of time mentioned in the Statutes the Fourth The Master of the Horse in the first of Edw. the Sixth the Fifth The Master of the Postern in 2 Edw. 6. the Sixth The Master of the Kings Houshold in the 32 H. 8. chang'd to the Lord Stuard of the Kings Houshold Charles Duke of Brandon being the first of that Title mentioned in any Statute the 7th The Master of the Court of Wards in the 33 of Hen. the 8. now of no use the Eighth The Master of the Musters after in the 33 Eliz. called Muster Master General the 9.10.11.12 viz. The Master of the Armory the Master of the Kings Jewels the Master of the Ordinance and Master of the Kings Wardrop are mentioned in the Statute of 39 Eliz. not but these Officers were before but the Statutes as I said do not take notice of them till the times that they are quoted in the said Statutes 7. Now as the old Romans had others which had the Titles of Magistri viz. Magistri Vniversitatis vel Societatis so we in imitation at Cambridge have the Title of Magister fixt at the head of every College in that University which is an argument of their Antiquity of which I shall speak more whereas Oxford hath but three which bear that Title 8. It is also applied to the Heads of Halls of Companies in London and other Cities and it hath been formerly applied to all the Members of the House of Commons who were not actually Knights or Esquires or of higher Degrees but in the House of Lords I do not find it used to any to whom Writs of Summons were sent to sit there except to some Priors and Deacons who were sometimes called Magistri in their Writs and others of Religious Orders call'd also in their Writs Magistri as also to Officers in Chancery viz. 49 Edw. 3. Magistro Thomae Yong Officiario
Curiae Cancellariae but whether it was the same Office which is now executed by the Masters of the Chancery Non Constat however they were then under the notion of Clerks in an Ecclesiastical sence but as Writs were sent to Clerks or Ecclesiasticks with the Title of Magister so in Henry the Fourths time and not before there were Writs sent to Laicks with that Title and those were Persons of high Quality viz. in the 2.3 and 6. Hen. the 4th Magistro Thomae de la Ware sometimes call'd Ware and Warre to attend those Parliaments and the same Thomas was also Summon'd to the Parliaments of the 1.2.3.4.5.7.8 and and 9. of Hen. the 5th Magistro Tho. de la Ware and so to the 1.2 and 3. of Hen. the Sixth but in the second Parliament of that year Mr. De la Ware was not Summon'd but one VVrit was Magistro Johanni Stafford Thes Angliae and another VVrit Magistro Willielmo Alremith Custod privati Sigilli But in the 4th and 6. of Hen. the Sixth both those were left out and the same Magistro Tho. de la Ware Summond again and for brevity passing to the 36. of Hen. the Eighth and then it was expressly Roberto Bows Mil. Magistro sive Custod Rotulorum Cancellariae being then also chief of the twelve Masters of Chancery However Sir Edw. Coke saith they are Assistants to the Lord Chancellor or as the Manuscript saith Cojudices and thereupon ex Officio do sit in the Lords House and the antiquity of the Places allotted them there as will be shewn and their Imployments in every Parliament makes their attendance a kind of Praescription And now I proceed to such as sit in the Lords House by Patent only without Tenure VVrit or Praescription CHAP. XVII Of the Clerks of the Lords House HEre I am to speak of such as have places allowed them in the House of Lords by vertue of Patents only and first of the Clerks This Title of Clerk from Cleros when the Clergy had by reason of their great learning the guidance of Civil Offices was given as an honour to them and most of the great Offices as the Privy Seal Master of the Rolls c. had the Titles of Clerks but now that Title remains to a lower sort of which there are 26. in number who still retain that Title The first as to the Progresses of Parliament is the Clerk of the Pettibag which is under the Conduct and within the Patent of the Master of the Rolls who is the chief of all the Clerks in the Lords House of which Office I have spoke in that Section of the Rolls and in other places 2. The Clerk of the Crown in the Chancery call'd Clericus Coronae in Cancellario in his Patent of whom I have also spoke cursorily in several places is an Officer to whose care many great things are committed which may be read in Compton and others but as to what concerns this Subject I must again remind that all Parliament VVrits which are sent from the Pettibag are return'd and kept by the Officer so that the Pettibag gives as it were the beginning this the continuance and ending to a Parliament So as this Clerk of the Crown hath three Capacities Before the Sitting of a Parliament to receive returns of VVrits which were issued from the Pettibag And in Parliament to take care according to directions for the issuing of Writs in case of change or mortality And in the Lords House he first reads the Titles of all Bills to be presented to his Majesty of which and other parts of his Duty I shall speak more 3. The third Clerk is term'd in his Patent Clericus Parliamentorum because he is Clerk in all Parliaments during his life his imployment here being only conversant about the Affairs of Parliament Now in respect that all Bills and Matters of State have here their result in the Lords House he is the proper Keeper of such Records for the Lords House is a Court of Record and to that end his Books are fairly writ exactly compos'd according to the very words and sence of that House and constantly perus'd by some Lords appointed for that purpose as well for his own justification as others satisfaction He hath also an Assisting Clerk allowed him who is of great use and ease to him both of them being well grounded in learning experience and ability in the safe expediting the concerns of that House which hath both an Ocean of VVisdom and curious Rivolets of Honorary punctilios not to be omitted by them somewhat different from all other Courts he hath also a Reading Clerk allowed him who likewise attends the Lords Committees and these are all the Clerks which constantly attend in the Lords House and are within the Bar. 4. Of the Clerks of the House of Commons I shall speak in the second part 5. As I have shewn the Imployments of the Clerks of the Crown Office in Chancery so to prevent misapplications it is fit to shew the Imployments also of the Clerk of the Crown Office in the King's Bench who is no constant attendant in this House or in the House of Commons but only upon contingencies and then by Order but more especially in the Lords House for producing reading and managing Records concerning VVrits of Error Habeas Corpus c. of which I shall speak in order but his most eminent Imployment is upon the Tryal of Peers as will be shewn Of the 26. Clerks before mention'd who still retain that Title these five which I have named are the chief which are imployed in Parliamentary Matters but of the other 21. which may be seen in Lambert Fitz Herbert c. neither the six Clerks in Chancery being Officers of Eminency imployed in that Court bearing that Title nor are the other Clerks which are imployed also in that Court in the least as I know of ingag'd in the Fabrick of Parliaments Note that those five Clerks whom I first mention'd have places allotted them within the Bar of either House as I said And now I must speak of other Attendants of another nature viz. the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and the Serjeant at Arms. CHAP. XVIII Of the Gentleman Vsher of the Black Rod. THere are but three ways by which the House of Lords do send any Message to the Commons of two of them I have spoken viz. by some of the Judges or by some of the Masters of Chancery and the King also uses two ways viz. by his Secretaries or some of the Privy-Council when they are Members of the House of Commons both upon ordinary and extraordinary occasions or for attending his Person upon Addresses c. But when he hath occasion to Command the House of Commons to attend him in the House of Lords he only sends this Officer the manner of which Ceremony I shall shew in order He is call'd the Black Rod from the Black Staff or Rod about three foot long tipt with
either Houses and when they are fixt in both Houses I shall give an account of the most material passages as to the renewing of Writs for supply of Members and other distinct Operations considered as an House of Lords or an House of Commons and in their joynt Operations as Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament and then of their compleat Operations as an intire Parliament consifting of the King and the three Estates viz. the Lords Spiritual the Lords Temporal and the Commons and this is more particularly evident when by passing of Acts the King confirms what those three Estates do joyntly Operate And so I conclude with the Kings power of Summoning Adjourning Proroguing and and Dissolving of this and all other Parliaments and what is to be done with Records Laws c. after Dissolution of any Parliament And because I could not well reduce the copious matters of so large a Subject into my Discourses or observations I shall hereafter add some Annotations as Explanitories and Enlargements to many things which are necessary or convenient to be enlarged or explained AN APPENDIX Being A Diary of the several Sessions of the publick Adjournments Prorogations and Proclamations relating to the Parliament which was Summon'd the 18th of Feb. 1660 1 and Disloved the 24th of Jan. 1668 9. THE Kings Warrant and Writs of Summons for that Parliament were dated the 18th of Feb. 13 Car. 2d 1660. Proclamation contain'd in those Writs 1660. to meet att Westminster the 8th of May following Session the 8th of May 13 Car. 2d 1661 at Westminster continued to the 30th of July following Acts Publick 19. Private 21. 1661. Adjourn'd the 30th of July 13 Car. 2d 1661 to the 20th of November following Session the 20th of Novemb. 13 Car. 2d 1661 continued to the 19th of May 14 Car. 2d 1662. Acts Publick 33 Private 39. Prorogu'd the 19th of May 14 Car. 2d 1662 to the 18th of Feb. 15 Car. 2d 1662 3. The King present Session the 18th of February 15 Car. 2d 1662 3. continued to the 27th July 15 Car. 2d 1663. Acts Publick 17 Private 19 Prorogu'd the 27th of July 15 Car. 2d 1663 to the 16th of March 16 Car 2d 1663 4. The King Present Session the 16th March 16 Car. 2d 1663 4. continued to the 17th of May 16 Car. 2d 1664. Acts Publick 8 Private 10 Prorogu'd the 17th of May 16 Car. 2d 1664 to the 20th of August following The King Present Prorogu'd the 20th of Aug. 16 Car. 2d 1664 to the 24th of Novemb. following By Commission Session the 24th of Novemb. 16 Car. 2d 1664 continued to the 2d of March 17 Car. 2d 1664 5. Acts Publick 12 Private 17 Prorogu'd the 2d of March 17 Car. 2d 1664 5. to the 21st of June 17 Car. 2d 1665. The King Present Proclamation dated the 24th of May 17 Car. 2d for the further Proroguing the Parliament from the 21st of June to a day that shall be fixt at the actual Prorogation thereof Accordingly Prorogu'd the 21st of June 17 Car. 2d 1665 to the 1st of August following By Commission Proclamation dated the 9th of July 17 Car. 2d 1665 for further Proroguing the Parliament from the 1st of Aug. to the 3d. of Octob. following Accordingly Prorogu'd the 1st of Aug. 17 Car. 2d 1665 to the 3d. of October following By Commission Proclamation dated the 10th of August 17 Car. 2d 1665 appointing the meeting of the Parliament at Oxford in respect the Plague was then at London Accordingly Prorogu'd the 3d. of Octob. 17 Car. 2d 1665. at Oxford to the 9th of the same month and place By Commission Session at Oxford the 9th of Octob. 17 Car 2d 1665 continued to the 21st of the same month Acts Publick 9 Private 1 Prorogu'd the 31st of Octob. 17 Car. 2d 1665 to meet at Westminster the 20th of Feb. 18 Car. 2d 1665 6. The King Present Prorogu'd the 20th of Feb. 18 Car. 2d 1661 at Westminster to the 23d of April 1666. Proclamation dated the 23d of April 18 Car. 2d 1666 for Proroguing the Parliament to the 18th Sep. following accordingly Prorogu'd the 23d of April 18 Car 2d 1666 to the 18 of Sep. following By Commission Session the 18th of Septemb. 18 Car. 2d 1666 continued to the 8th of Feb. following Acts Publick 5 Private 5 Prorogu'd the 8th of Feb. 19 Car 2d 1666 7. to the 10th of October 1667. The King Present Proclamation dated the 26th of June 19 Car. 2d 1667 to reassemble the Parliament back from the 10th of October to the 25th of July 19 Car. 2d 1667. Adjourn'd the 25th of July 19 Car. 2d 1667 to the 10th of October following Session the 10th of Oct. 19 Car. 2d continued to the 9th of May 20 Car. 2d 1668. Acts Publick 15 Private 24 Adjourn'd the 9th May 20 Car. 2d 1668 to the 11th of August following Proclamation dated the 3d. of July 20 Car. 2d 1668 for the Parliament to meet the 11th of Aug. and that they shall and may Adjourn to the 10th of Nov. following accordingly Adjourn'd the 11th of August 20 Car. 2d 1668. to the 10th of Nov. following Proclamation dated the 19th of Sept. 20 Car. 2d 1668. to meet the 10th of Nov. as many of both Houses as may Adjourn themselves to the 1st of March 21 Car. 2d 1668 9. Adjourn'd the 10th of Nov. 20 Car. 2d 1668. to the 1st of March 21 Car. 2d 1668 6. Proclamation dated the 18th Dec. 20 Car. 2d 1668. reciting that whereas the two Houses of Parliament had Adjourn'd by the Kings directions from the 10th of Nov. to the 1st of March the King Declares that he will Prorogue them on the said 1st of March to the 9th of October 21 Car. 2d 1669 accordingly Prorogu'd the 1st of March 21 Car. 2d 1668 9. to the 19th of October 21 Car. 2d 1669. Session the 19th of Oct. 21 Car. 2d 1669. continued to the 11th of December following In this Session no bill past the Royal assent Prorogu'd the 11th December 21 Car. 2d 1669 to the 14th February 22 Car. 2d 1669 10. By Commission Proclamation dated the 23d of Decem. 21 Car. 2d 1669 requiring the Members of both Houses to attend at the time prefixt at the last prorogation viz. the 14th Feb. 22 Car. 2d 1669 70. accordingly Session the 14th Feb. 22 Car. 2d 1669 70. continued to the 11th of April 22 Car. 2d 1670. Acts Publick 8 Private 16 Adjourn'd the 11th of April 22 Car. 2d to the 24th of October following Proclamation dated the 21st of April 22 Car. 2d 1670 requiring the Members of both Houses to attend the prefixt time viz. the 24th of October 22 Car. 2d 1670. Session the 24th Oct. 22 Car. 2d 1670 continued to the 22d April 23 Car. 2d 1671. Acts Publick 26 Private 30 Prorogu'd the 22d April 23 Car. 2d 1671 to the 16th of April 24 Car. 2d 1671. The King Present Proclamation dated the 27th Sept. 23 Car. 2d 1671 declaring the Kings resolution to Prorogue the Parliament