unlawful to endow particular Parochial Churches with Glebes or Lands necessary for building of Churches upon and for the accommodation and provision of faithful Ministers of Christ that faithfully dispense his Ordinances to their Flocks so it be with leave from Authority and all interessed in them and that it be done moderately for necessary sustentation of them and their Families The Levites that might have no large Territories answerable to the rest of their Tribes had yet several Cities set out for their habitation and Suburbs for their Cattle But withal they might not grasp all that the People would give but were conâ—â—â—ed and limitted to such a quantity a thousand Cubits outright from the wall round about their several Cities and no more as was before shewed And so far hath it ever been accounted from being lawful for Bishops to lay Field unto Field Mannor to Mannor to impoverish many to inrich one upon the account of the Church and Gods acceptance thereof as sacred and holy that even an Archbishop w Spalat de Repuo Ecclesiast l. 9. c. 7. n. 36. having deserted the Romish Church hath proclaimed it Sacriledge rapinam injustissimam and most unjust rapine This is not saith he to inable men to labour in the Gospel but to supply them with Fewel for Riot and Excess and to pervert what was given for the benefit of the Church and for necessary provisions to the shame scandal and ruine of the Church it is not to take off but to multiply the impediments of the saving of Souls Thus we see the Title of Bishops Lands what it was and upon what grounds and in what manner procured and enjoyed vvhich argues them to be in the construction of Scripture far from being sacred and holy unto God by such corrupt Dedications and particularly of those very Lands purchased by Doctor Burges It remaineth now to make out That the aliening diverting No Sacriledge or sin to buy or sell Bishops Lands or purchasing such Lands for common use notwithstanding their first dedication neither is or can be Sacriledge or otherwise sinful or unlawful This is in great part evident by what hath been before set forth yet for more full satisfaction somewhat more shall be added To begin with the Cities and Suburbs of the Levites will be a good step to the clearing hereof First their Houses might be sold even by themselves without sin For that Law which was made for the redeeming of it at any time which others might not do that sold Houses in a walled City unless they redeemed them within the compass of the first yeer after sale and for the return of it at the next Jubilee x Lev. 25.32 33. in case it were not redeemed before plainly implies a lawfulness for any man to buy an House that pertained to a Levite if it were to be sold and that it vvas no sin to detain it till it vvere either redeemed or returned at the Jubilee as all other Lands sold by others were to be This might be done without the least branding of the seller or buyer Yet those Cities were by Gods own appointment set out for the dwelling of the Levites Indeed God forbad the Levites to sell their Lands to wit the Fields of the Suburbs of their Cities for it was their perpetual possession y Ibid. ver 34. It was the same in effect vvith our Parochial Glebes and so might not be aliened or sold so long as their service and Priesthood continued Howbeit afterwards vvhen their service vvas ended and the Priestood removed they might as lawfully sell their Lands as their Houses Else Joses sirnamed Barnabas a Levite had committed Sacriledge for that he after Christ changed that Priesthood having Land sold it and laid down the money at the Apostles feet which is recorded by the Spirit of God as an eminent act of exemplary piety and charity and of the souâ—â—lness of his faith and conversion Now if it were no sin in him then to sell it could not be a sin in others to buy such Lands and other Lands the Levites might then have none albeit those Lands by God's own Edict were to be continued in the Priests while their Priesthood lasted Can it then be so haynously sinful to sell or purchase Bishops Lands which no Law of God ever settled upon them after their Office and Function is wholly taken away But it is happened to some of those rash Censurers as it did to those Oxen of whom Columella that famous Husbandry-Writer in the dayes of Claudius Caesar noteth z De re Rust lib. 2. that feeding upon some rank grounds ran wild with the fatness of their Food And vvhatever some think now that it is Sacriledge to aliene any thing once pretendedly dedicated unto God yet even the Bishops themselves in Parliament have thought and determined otherwise as well as Kings and the rest of the Parliament in the Acts formerly mentioned vvherein especially in one of them a 15 Ric. 2.5 they make all Lands given vvithout License to be forfeited and to be seised unless they procure a License to amortise them or sell or alien them to some other Use before Michaelmas then next coming This shews plainly that albeit it was not held lawful for Bishops Monks or others to receive or purchase Lands in Mort-Main yet it was lawful if they had so done to sell them for the Parliament directed the sale and therefore lawful for others to purchase them for common uses when once it should be discovered that those Lands were so given and dedicated as therein was forbbidden To which may be added 1. That Bishops Lands especially were at first given to maintain their State and Magnificence as Lords with special reference to State-Imployments For that the Kings were wont to have the greatest part of their Counsel for the safegard of the Realm when they had need of the said Prelates and Clerks so advanced b Stat. de Provis Benefic 25 Edw. 3. 2. That neither in those times nor since did many of them yea scarce any take paines to teach the Law of God to the People which was one end for which Bishops were endowed with such large Revenues as the Statute De Provisoribus Benefic before cited expresly declareth So that this being neglected they lived in so great a sin as in the judgement of those few of them who made more conscience of their Duty in this kind next to the sin of Lucifer there could not be a greater Witness that Learned and Zealous Bishop Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne in the reign of Hen. 3. who having received a Command from Pope Innocent the Fourth Mat. Paris ad Ann. 1353. to admit one Frederick de Lavania that Popes Nephew that is his Bastard to be a Canon and Prebend of Lincolne that Bishop wrote back to the Pope a flat refusal of that his command telling him moreover Post peccatum Luciferi c. That next to
of them And all fairs with their appurtenances And all Markets holden and kept and to be from time to time holden and kept within the said City or Burrough of Wells or within the said Hundred of Wells and Wells-Forum or any other part thereof And all Tolls Customs Piccage Stalage and other benefits profits commodities and advantages happening or coming arising or growing for or by reason of the said Fairs and Markets or any of them And also all Eschetes Waives Estrays Deodands Goods and Chattels of Felons Felons of themselves and of Fugitives out-lawed persons and of persons put in exigent happening or coming within the City or Burrough of Wells or within Wells-Forum aforesaid or the Liberty or Liberties of the said late Bishop of Bath and Wells within the said City or Burrough of Wells or Wells-Forum aforesaid And also the Office of Clerk of the Market and whatsoever to the said Office appertaineth the correction of the Assize of Bread Ale and Beer and other Victuals and the Tryal of all Weights and Measures Together with all Fines and Forfeitures happening by reason of the same within the Liberty and Liberties aforesaid And also all Streets and ways and the ground and soyl of the Market place in the said City or Burrough AND also all other Royalties services franchises Liberties Priviledges immunities profits commodities advantages and emoluments whatsoever of what nature or quality soever within the said City or Burrough of Wells and within the said Hundred of Wells and Wells-Forum or any part of parcel thereof unto the late Bishop of Bath and Wells or any other Bishop there in right of the late Bishoprick of Bath and Wells at any time within ten years before the beginning of the Parliament of England now assembled at Westminster belonging or appertaining All which premises are of the present yeerly value of nineteen pounds ten shillings The improvement of the Bayliwick after three lives in being per annum five pounds thirteen shillings four pence This particular is grounded upon a Survey * * Not so taken by Benjamin Avry Gent. and others the sixth day of April 1647. and is made forth examined and Signed by order of the Contractors of the sixth day of December 1647. * * This Order was never produced but denyed by the Contractors H. Elsyng Register Contracted for 15 Dec. 1647. The Premises above mentioned are contracted for and agreed to be sold unto John Casbeard Gent. Not so on the behalf of the Corporation of Wells in the County of Somerset This particular is rated in fee-simple for the said Corporation of VVells at twenty yeers purchase for the present yeerly value of the aforesaid Royalties of Wells and Wells-Forum being nineteen pounds and ten shillings in possession and of four yeers purchase for the improved value of the said Baylywick after the determination of three lives in being being five pounds thirteen shillings and four pence in reversion According to which rates and values the whole purchase-mony payable into the Treasury upon Sealing the Assurance amounts to the total sum of four hundred and twelve pounds thirteen shillings and four pence Whereof one full moyety to be paid in to the Treasury upon Sealing the Assurance the other moyety is to be paid at the end of six months thence next ensuing For payment of which second moyty security is to be given to the Treasurers by a Lease to be made of the Premises hereby contracted for for fourscore and ninteen yeers Nevertheless if the whole purchase-mony shall be paid in to the Treasury upon Sealing the Assurance interest is to be allowed for the second moyty for six months according to the Ordinance of Parliament in that behalf Henry Elsing Register In Attestation of the Contract and Agreement above mentioned We the Contractors whose names are subscribed have hereunto put our hands this fifteenth day of March Anno Domini 1647. John Blackwel Tho. Ayres Ja. Russel Richard Turner Edw. Cresset Ti. Middleton THese are to desire and Authorize the Trustees named and appointed in and by several Ordinances of both Houses of Parliament for the sale of the Lands and Possessions of the late Arch-bishops and Bishops or any five or more of them to draw up and Seal a conveyance of the Premises hereby contracted for unto the Maior Master and Burgesses of the City or Burrough of Wells in the said County of Somerset and their successors for ever according to the Contract and Agreement above mentioned To have and to hold unto the said Mayor Masters and Burgesses of the said City or Burrough of Wells and their Successors for ever As amply as the said Trustees by the several Ordinances of Parliament for the sale of the Estates of the late Archbishops and Bishops ought to hold and enjoy and are enabled to convey the same And also discharged of all demands payments and incumbrances as amply as is ordained by any the said several Ordinances of Parliament made and provided in that behalf Dated this 15 of March Anno Domini 1647. John Blackwel Tho. Ayres Ja. Russel Richard Turner Edwa. Cresset Ti. Middleton According to which Warrants the Trustees sealed a Conveyance of all the Premises to the Mayor Masters and Burgesses of Wells aforesaid word for word as the same is above expressed in the said forged Particular Which Conveyance bears date Mar. 22. 1647. and being enrolled in Chancery needs not here to be recited By vertue whereof the Corporation have seised and enjoyed all and every the premises and sundry particulars belonging to the Mannor of Wells and of Westbury too because within the Hundred of Wells How Dr. Burges fell into these bryars and espoused the States quarrel with that Corporation About July 1648. Doctor Burges having no hope to get his money lent to the Parliament in kinde resolved to take it out in Bishops Lands This being made known some Parliament-men and others used all importunity to draw him on thereunto Whereupon several Purchases were propounded to him as Witney in Oxfordshire Muncton-Farly in Wilts Thornton-le more in Lincoln-shire Another place in Warwickshire Paddington in Middlesex Banwel in Somersetshire c. In every of which some persons of note got before him At length the same Parties that had propounded those other particulars put him upon buying the Mannor of Wells to vvhich he vvas very hardly drawn partly because many peeces thereof had been before sold by parcels to others which might occasion differences to an after Purchaser and partly by reason of other great disadvantages that accrew to him that should purchase a Bishops Seat but chiefly because he saw it would cost much more than all his moneys lent to the Parliament Howbeit through the incessant perswasions of friends he did yeeld to make that purchase The manner of his Proceeding in it is here first briefly set down upon Oath made by a then Parliament man that vvas very active for the State in discovering the frauds of the
27. The Committee finding so great a difference between the Certificate of the Contractors and the last Particular and Conveyance made to the Town of VVells did Order the said Contractors to certifie more particularly what Royalties Hereditaments Liberties and Appurtenances of the Possessions of the late Bishop of Bath and Wells they intended to sell unto the said Town and for what sum And likewise whether they did intend by any General words after the first Contract signed by Casebeard to sell them any more then was comprehended in the first Contract and Particular And whether they sold any part of the Mannor of Wells unto them and what part thereof Certif of Mar. 7. 1648. The Contractors certified Mar. 7. last That they sold to the said Town these particulars The Royalties of Wells and Wells Hundred and the two Fairs of Binegar and Priddy at 30 s. per annum The Collecting of Post-fines and Amercements issuing out of the Exchequer called the Green-wax valued at 10 l. per annum The Leets or Law-days the three-Weeken Courts and Court of Record valued at 8 l. per annum All these were in possession and amount to 19 l. 10 s. per annum and sold at 20 yeers purchase The four Fairs in Wells after 3 lives in being valued at 5 l. 13 s. 4 d. at four yeers purchase Which sums at the rates abovesaid make the total sum of the Purchase 412 l. 13 s. 4 d. This was the just sum for which they Contracted according to the values in the Survey And more then these things the Contractors never intended to sell them any thing The said Contractors do further Certifie these Particulars wherein they were surprized viz. The two weekly Markets were unduly thrust into the sum of 5 l. 13 s. 4 d. at which the four Fairs in the Town alone are valuable which is not warranted by the Survey And the Markets are valued at a considerable sum by themselves for which nothing is paid in the Purchase They were perswaded by Casebeard that the Baylywick contained no more but what is before expressed under the 25 l. 3 s. 4 d. and thereupon the Contractors put it into the Contract whereas the Survey beside all the particulars before rehearsed afterwards mentions and values the Baylywick distinctly and by it self at 40 l. per annum in reversion after three lives which the Town hath gotten into their last Particular and Conveyance paying nothing for it and left 14 l. 6 s. 8 d. chargeable upon the Mannor for the Bayliffs fee to be paid by the State notwithstanding which must be reprised to the Purchaser of the Mannor They further say that the Guild-Hall and Prison neither were in the first Particular nor at all Contracted for Nor were they at all returned or mentioned in the Survey whereupon that Particular was grounded and so could not be intended to be sold unto them They say they never intended to sell nor did the Town at all desire to buy any part of the Mannor of Wells or of any other Mannor Only they intended to sell the Royalties of the Burrough and Hundred so that the Lord should not have ought to do with the Corporation nor they with him or any of his Tenants by way of Jurisdiction by vertue of their Purchase They Certifie that they never intended by any words General or Special to sell any thing to the said Town more then was truly and really intended to be sold unto them in the first Contract The Town therefore have greatly abused and wronged the State both in Special words as also in General words thrust into the last Particular By Special words they carry these things which were never sold unto them viz. The whole Baylywick valued after 3 lives in being at 40 l. per an Two weekly Markets in the City of Wells which are of good value The Guild-Hall and Prison which have ever belonged to the Lord of the Mannor All VVaives and Strays Deodands and Felons Goods c. upon the Mannor which were ever distinct from those of the Town and Hundred All Courts Baron and Minery Courts valued at 40 s. per an All VVays and Streets which have ever belonged to the Lord of the Mannor By General Words they have taken into their last Particular and Conveyance All Royalties Services Franchises Liberties Priviledges Immunities Profits Commodities Advantages and Emoluments whatsoever of what nature or quality soever WITHIN the said City or Burrough of Wells and WITHIN the said HUNDRED of Wells and VVells-Forum or any part or parcel thereof unto the late Bishop of Bath and VVells or any other Bishop there in right of the late Bishoprick of Bath and Wells at any time within ten yeers before the beginning of the Parliament of England now assembled at Westminster belonging or appertaining Under these General words so unduly thrust into the last Particular by vertue whereof their Counsel told you that they conceive they have bought very much of the Mannor of Wells may be comprehended and hereafter claimed as being within the Hundred of Wells 1. The Royalties of the Lot-Lead valued per ann at 80 l. 2. The Royalties and Services of the Mannor of Wells and rent both of the Mannor and Burrough valued per ann at 150 l. 3. All Wasts Herriots Commons Services of Tenants c. which are many and great To say nothing of the Mannor of Westbury within the same Hundred also These things valued in the Surveys amount per ann to 250 l. VVhich after the rates of the Purchase made by the Town comes to 5000 l. By means whereof the Contractors have had the Mannor of Wells lying upon their hands for divers moneths And the State hath all the while paid Interest for at least 5000 l. for that the said Contractors could not perfect a Particular of that Mannor till this Obstruction he removed which the Town refused to yeeld unto in an amicable way although earnestly desired by the Contractors so to do This abuse the Contractors were unwilling to charge upon the Corporation it self but first imputed only to their Agents But upon the Summons of the Town hither they have openly owned and avowed it by their Counsel and the imbezelling of the first Particular and the drawing up of a new one by the said Maior without Warrant whence all this mischief to the State is risen hath likewise been confessed by Casebeard then appearing and speaking in the name of the whole Corporation Lastly What means have been used to perswade them to rectifie this in a more private way without troubling the House and how much they have slighted it cannot be forgotten Edm. Harvy On the Backside of which Report was witten by Mr Noel the Clerk Register to that Committee of Parliament as followeth by Order of the present Commissioners for removing Obstructions June 27. 1655. THis Report was delivered in by Colonel Harvie to the late Committee of Parliament for Removing Obstructions mentioned in their Order of
voluntarily given without a command could fall from the bold pen of such an high-flown Author He also confidently affirmeth r Pag. 29. that to say That God accepts of money that Land was sold for and not of the Land it self and instanceth in the very case of Ananias is contrary not only to all reason and practise of all the world but to what God himself hath expressed in the Old Testament this in his sense is so false that it cannot but astonish a modest Reader that knoweth the truth to finde him so boldly to affirm what there is no foot-step for in all the Old Testament As shall now appear in the ensuing Discourse wherein that Authors Impertinencies shall take up no more room To return therefore to the proof of the first branch of the point before undertaken That there is no warrant in Scripture for giving Lands to Bishops nor proof of Christs acceptance of them take notice 2. The Priests and Levites especially Aaron himself were prohibited to have any Inheritance in Lands by divine Lot among their Brethren s Num. 18.20 And this was to be a Statute throughout their generations for ever t ver 23. The Reason was given before unto Aaron I am thy part and thine inheritance c. That is his portion in Tythes and Offerings due from Israel unto him should be theirs For of these to wit Tythes he there expresly speaketh u ver 24. I have given them to the Levites to inherit therefore I have said unto them Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance Levi was a Tribe that made up a twelfth part of Israel yet so careful was God to prevent their claim to any Lands by divine Lot that when the rest of the Tribes were numbred in order to their several Lots in Land God gave express order to Moses not to number the Tribe of Levi nor to take the sum of them but to appoint them over the Tabernacle of the Testimony c. Whereby is more then implyed that their Office of Priesthood was then a bar to their inheriting of Lands to such especially as were chief among them and were always to attend the Tabernacle as did the High Priest Indeed the inferiour Priests and Levites being numerous did not could not all attend the Altar at once but had their several courses and orders for waiting there Therefore were they appointed by God to spread all over Israel when their courses at the Altar were over to instruct the people in the Law of God w Deut. 33.10 in their turns Which being so there was a necessity of preparing some places for their own habitation and some ground for their Cattle which they were to make use of as well for their domestick provision as for travelling between those habitations and the Altar when their turns came about Upon this ground God by Moses layd his Command upon the children of Israel that they should give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their Possessions Cities to dwell in and Suburbs for the Cities round about for their Cattle Goods and Beasts Num. 35.1 2 3. But of these none were appointed to the High Priest who was always to reside about the Tabernacle and Altar His portion and such as served at the Altar in Person consisted in Offerings and in a Tenth of the Tythes which the Levites were to pay before they shared the rest among themselves x Neh. 10.38 But Lands he had none And as for Levites dispersed over Israel although they had Cities and some Lands yet God limited both For the Israelites might not give what they would but so many Cities and no more so much Land about them and no more The number of Cities were in all 48. y Num. 35.2 3. c. among which six were to be Cities of Refuge the names of all which and the allotment of them to the several Families of the Levites are set down in the 21 of Joshuah Their Suburbs also were bounded by a set number of Cubites For so God commanded the Israelites saying z Num. 35.4 The Suburbs of the Cities which ye shall give unto the Levites shall reach from the Wall of the City and outward a thousand Cubites round about The Israelites might not give nor would God accept one Cubite more although the Levites were as is before said a twelfth part of Israel But here take notice that those Cities were not inhabited by Levites only Others dwelt therein and had shares also in the residue of the Lands adjacent as well as they Only care was to be taken that in every one of those Cities and Suburbs so many of the Levites as were designed to each City should be first accommodated and well provided for and the remainder if any were should still be inhabited by the Owners of those Cities now allotted to the Levites That this was so is evident by the City of Hebron or Kiriath-Arba the City of Arba a The Father of Anak Josh 15.13 a Great man that first founded it for that City being given to the Kohathites who among the Levites had the first Lot b Josh 21.10 11. was yet inhabited also by Caleb to whom Joshuah had before given it for an inheritance c Josh 14.13 14. Therefore after mention of disposing Hebron to the Kohathites by the free Lot of the Israelites it is said But the Fields of the City and the Villages thereof gave they to Caleb the Son of Jephunneth for his possession d Josh 21.12 Out of which Fields it is manifest by the next verse that the Suburbs were excepted for these were given to the Sons of Aaron the Priest e ver 13. Now then if Bishops take upon them as of late they did to be above ordinary Priests Presbyters or Ministers as Aaron above the ordinary Priests and Levites it is as clear as Analogie can make it that there is no colour or shew for a warrant out of the Old Testament to inable Bishops to hold any Lands or for others to give them but an express Law against it It is true that after the Temple was built there was no doubt conveniency of habitation and perhaps of some Lands for the Cattle of the High Priest who is not to be thought worse provided for than his inferiours And when Bishops can make it out that they are as Aaron above the rest of Christs Ministers the like ought be allowed to them while they continued Nevertheless those Cities of Refuge and the rest set out for the Levites with the Suburbs pertaining to them for the Cattle of those Levites that were imployed in the several parts of Israel to be teaching Priests f 2 Chr. 15.3 of the Law of God to the people which Lands by Gods command were not to be alienated g Lev. 25.34 may by analogie be a good argument to prove that Lands setled upon the faithful and painful Ministers of
one of the Burgesses of the same City or Burrough to be our true and lawful Atturnies for us and in our names to treat contract and agree with the Honorable Committee of Contractors for the sale of all Bishops lands within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of VVales for the purchasing of the Inheritance of the Royalty of the Liberty of the City or Burrough of VVells as also of the hundred of Wells and VVells-Forum and the two Fairs of Priddy and Binegar within the said Hundred Hereby ratifying confirming and allowing all and whatsoever our said Atturnies or any two of them shall do for us in the premises In witness whereof we have set our Seal of Maioralty of the said City the fourth day of December in the 23 yeer of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord Charls by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland Kings Defender of the Faith c. And in the yeer of our Lord 1647. Thomas Salmon Maior Barthol Cox Tho. Jones VVilliam Baron VVill. VVest Richard Casbeard VVill. Smith Robert Hill Robert Thomas John Web. Hugh Merefield William Hiat Robert Hurman Robert Hole William Atwel Joseph Gallington Joseph Plummer Josias Cook This Letter of Attorny which inabled any two of the therein named Attornies to Contract being received one of them adventured single upon the work and Contracted as followeth Die Mercurii 15 Decem. 1647. AGreed with the Contractors for the Purchase of the Royalties of Wells and Wells forum in the County of Somerset Welby Contract mentioned in the Particular thereof delivered in under the hand of the Register and also for the Bayliff-wick of the Town and Forum of Wells aforesaid with all and singular the Fairs Markets Clerkship of the Market and Profits thereof and all other things to the said Bayliff-wick pertaining And also for the Office of Stewardship for the Town of Wells aforesaid and all Profits and Advantages thereunto belonging mentioned also in the said Particular at the rate of Twenty Years Purchase for the present improved yearly values of all the said premises amounting in toto to the sum of nineteen pounds and ten shillings in Possession And for an improvement of value upon the said Bayliff-wick after the determination of three Lives in being at the rate of four yeers Purchase for the said increase of value being five pounds thirteen shillings and four pence in Reversion I say agreed accordingly on the behalf of the Corporation of Wells Per me John Casbeard This Contract so refers to the first Particular that without sight of that no man can say punctually what was purchased but rather what not was purchased till that particular be produced And whereas the Contract mentions the Bayliff-wick to be but 5 l. 13 s. 4 d. improvement after three Lives in being it agreeth not with the Survey which saith it is 40 l. per annum This Contract lay as the Contractors thought sleeping from the 15 of December till the 15 of March following In which time the Agents of Wells slept not for they being told by somebody that if they could but get the first Particular out of the Registers hands and draw up and return another in the room they might get much more into their Purchase and Conveyance then they had indeed Contracted for Which some imployed in this Purchase accordingly did And in room of the first Particular the Particular here following without any new Contract or warrant from the Contractors was thrust in and brought to the Contractors March 15. to signe The Contractors being by Ordinance of Parliament to look no further then to the Registers hand affixed to the Particular for their Warrant to signe the Contract made thereupon they then used not to have the whole read again but onely the sums for the Purchase to be paid how much in Possession and how much in Reversion and how many yeers Purchase for both Which done they signed it and gave their Warrant to the Trustees for passing a Conveyance accordingly The last Particular which the Contractors signed in March 1647. ran thus Parcel of the Possessions of the late Bishoprick of Bath and Wells Com. Somers The last partilar for the Corporation THe Royaltie of the City or Burrough of Wells and of the forraine Fee Bayliff-wick or Hundred of Wells commonly called Wells and Wells Forum with the Rights Members and Appurtenances thereof in the County of Somerset together with the said Hundred And also the Courts and Courts of Record or Court and Courts of Pleas Hundred Courts Views of Frank-Pledge and whatsoever to view of Frank-Pledge appertaineth Court Leets Courts Baron and other Courts to be holden from three weeks to three weeks or otherwise holden or to be holden from time to time within the City or Burrough of Wells and the Liberties thereof or within the Hundred of Wells and Wells Forum aforesaid Together with the Guild Hall and the ground and soil thereof wherein the said Courts are usually holden And the prison or prison House thereunto adjoyning And all Fines Issues and amercements requisites and profits as well at the said Courts and every of them as at the Sessions of the Peace holden from time to time at the City or Burrough of Wells aforesaid And also all Fines for License of Alienation and post-Fines and all other Fines Forfeitures Issues and Amercements at the Assizes or elsewhere before whatsoever Judge or Justices either in the High Court of Chancery the Court of Kings Bench or Common Pleas or of Exchequer due and payable or happening from time to time to be due and payable by any person or persons within the County of Somerset aforesaid And also the Bayliwick and Office of Bayliff of Wells and of the Hundred of Wells and Wells-Forum aforesaid And of the said Liberty of the said Bishop of Bath and Wells within the said County of Somerset And also full Power and Authority to keep the aforesaid Courts and every of them and the accustomed Writs and Process of the aforesaid Courts and Courts of Record to be from time to time issued and awarded To bear Test in the name of the Maior of the said City or Burrough for the time being successively And to be kept by the Maior or Recorder or by the Steward of the said Maior Masters and Burgesses of the said City or Burrough and their successors for the time being and such other Officers of the said Maior Masters and Burgesses and their successors for ever to be from time to time attendant upon the said Courts and to serve and execute the Writs and Processes of the said Courts and other matters and things in the said Courts as were usually attendant in and upon the said Courts in the time of the late Bishops there And also power to distrain for all sums of mony due and payable for or by reason of the said premises And all other remedies and means for the having receiving levying or enjoying the premises or any