constant Attendance upon the King As for Home Concerns whether publick oâ— private both the Secretaries do equally receive and dispatch whatever is brought to them But for forein Affairs each has his distinct Province receiving all Letters and Addresse from and making all Dispatches to the severaâ— Princes and States in his Province They keep each of them his Office called the Secretaries Office at Whitehall Where they have also Lodgings for their own Accommodation and those that attend upon it whâ— a liberal Diet at the Kings Charge or Board wages in lieu of it Their settled Allowancâ— is little less than 2000 l. a Year to each 〈◊〉 them besides Perquisites The Secretaries and Clerks they imploy uâ—der them are wholly at their own choice anâ— have no Dependance upon any other Lastly they have the Custody of the Signet one of the Kings Seals To which belongs the Signet-Office where four Clerks wait Monthly by turns preparing such Things as are to pass the Signet in order to the Privy Seal or Great Seal He that is in waiting is always to attend the Court wheresoever it removes and to prepare such Bills or Letters for the King to sign not being Matter of Law as by Warrant from the King or Secretaries of State or Lords of the Council he is directed to prepare And to this Office all Grants prepared by themselves or the Kings Learned Council at Law for the Kings hand are returned when signed and there transcribed again The Transcription is carried to one of the Principal Secretaties of State to be sealed with the Signet This done it is directed to the Lord Privy Seal and is his Warrant for issuing out a Privy Seal upon it But then it must be first transcribed by the Clerks of the Seal who are also four in Number and when it has the Privy Seal affixt 't is sufficient for the Payment of any Monies out of the Exchequer and for several other Uses If the Grant requires the passing the Great Seal as several Grants do the Privy Seal is a Warrant to the Lord Chancellour or the Lords Commissioners to pass it as the Signet was to the Lord Privy Seal But here also a new Transcription must be made of the Grant The Reason why a Grant must go through so many Hands and Seals before it can be perfected is that it may be duly considered and all Objections cleared before it take its effect The Paper-Office at Whitehall is also depending on the Secretaries of State Where all the Papers and Dispatches that pass through their Offices as Matters of State and Council Letters Intelligences and Negotiations of forein Ministers here or of the Kings Ministers abroad are from time to time transmitted and there remain disposed by way of Library The Keeper whereof has a yearly Salary of 160 l. payable out of the Exchequer To conclude the Lords of the Privy Council have always been of such high value and esteem that if a Man did but strike another in a Privy Counsellors House or elsewhere in his presence he was fined for the same To conspire the Death of any of them was Felony in any of the Kings Servants and to kill one of them was High Treason A Privy Counsellour though but a Gentleman has precedence of all Knights Baronets and younger Sons of all Barons and Viscounts And a Secretary of State has this special Honour that if he be a Baron he takes place as such of all other Barons So honourable an Imployment it is that in the late Reign the Earl of Sunderland was both principal Secretary of State and Lord President of the Privy Council CHAP. III. Of the High Court of Chancery otherwise called the Court of Equity I come now to the Courts of Judicature held at Westminster viz. the Courts of Chancery Kings Bench Common Plâ—as Exchequer and Dutchy of Lancaster whereof the three first are held at Westminster Hall the Common-Pleas near the Gate the Chancery and Kings Bench at the further end of the Hall All the fore-mentioned Courts are opened four times a Year called the four Terms Viz. Easter Trinity Michaelmas and Hilary Term. easter-Easter-Term begins always the 17th Day after Easter and lasteth 27 Days Trinity or Midsummer Term begins the fifth Day after Trinity Sunday and lasteth 20 Days michaelmas-Michaelmas-Term begins the 23th of October and lasteth 37 Days And hilary-Hilary-Term so called from S. Hilary a Bishop beginneth the 23 of January and lasteth 21 Days Next to the Parliament of England and the Kings Privy Council by whose Influences the Nation is chiefly governed under the King the High Court of Chancery is the chief and the most ancient Court of Judicature Otherwise called the Court of Equity in opposition to other inferiour Courts the Judges whereof are tied to the Letter of the Law Whereas this is a Court of Mercy in which the Rigour of the Law is tempered with Equity And therefore the Kings of England would have this Court Superiour to the other Tribunals as well as for being the Original of all other Courts and the Fountain of all our Proceedings in Law For as Sir Edward Coke says this Court is Officina Justitiae out of which all Original Writs and all Commissions which pass under the Great Seal go forth which Great Seal is Clavis Regni the Key of the Kingdom and for those ends this Court is always open In the Chancery are two Courts one Ordinary and the other Extraordinary In the first the Proceedings are in Latine Secundum Legem Consuetudinem Angliae according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm In the second by English Bill Secundum aequum bonum according to Equity The Manner of Proceeding is much like that in the Courts of the Civil Law the Actions by Bill or Plaint the Witnesses examined in private and the Decrees in English or Latin not in French No Jury of twelve Men but all Sentences given by the Judge of the Court. The Judge is the Lord Chancellour or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal the highest Dignity that a Lay-man is capable of in England and held of the King durante Beneplacito But now this Office is executed by three Lords Commissioners Next to whom there are twelve Assistants called Masters of the Chancery who are Civilians Their Salary is each 100 Pound paid out of the Exchequer quarterly besides Robe-mony Three of these at a time sit in the Chancery Court in Term-time and two out of Term when the Chancellour sits to hear Causes at his own House Who often refers to them the further hearing of Causes c. These Masters have a publick Office where one or more of them do constantly attend to take Affidavits c. The chief of them is the Master of the Rolls whose Place is both very honourable and beneficial The same is in the King's Gift either Life or during his Majesties Pleasure And he is called Master of the Rolls as having the Custody of all Charters Patents
as you may see in Essex and 12 from thence to Ipswich This is one of the best and most thriving Towns in England seated in the South-East Parts of the County on the Banks of the Orwell about 20 miles from its fall into the Sea A Place of great Antiquity formerly walled about by a Rampire of Earth which in the Year 991 was thrown down by the Danes who grievously harassed these Parts and some years after came with such a fury that they left scarce any thing of Ipswich but the Ruins of its Buildings But that Storm being over it began in the Normans Time to recover it self So that at this present whether we consider its Extent Populousness or Trade it yields to very few Cities in England It reaches a mile in length and above a mile in breath with no less than 12 Parish Churches which shews its Populousness Within that Compass are several fair Buildings both publick and private and among those the Place of Judicature a free School with the Conveniency of a good Library and for the Relief of the Poor an Hospital And as for Cleanliness 't is counted next to Bristol one of the cleanliest Towns in England It s chief Trade consists in the Manufacture of Cloth both Linnen and Woollen besides Fishing and Ship-building For Provisions c. it has 3 Markets a Week Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays And to conclude it is of some note for being the Birth-place of Cardinal Wolsey who began here to build a stately Colledge bearing his Name to this day The same gives the Title of Viscount to his Grace the Duke of Grafton The other Market-Towns are Orford Mun. Hadleigh Mun. Lavenham Tue. Mendlesham Tue. Halesworth Tue. Bury Wedn. Iestoft Wedn. Woodbridge Wedn. Haveril Wedn. Bilston Wedn. Needham Wedn. Stow. Market Thu. Tansdale Thu. Saxmundsham Thu. Swold Thu. Buddesdale Thu. Bungay Thu. Newmarket Thu. Iksworth Frid. Mildenhall Frid. Clare Frid. Neyland Frid. Debenham Frid. Dunwich Sat. Eye Sat. Sudbury Sat. Framlingham Sat. Beckles Sat. Alborough Sat. Among which Bury or S. Edmunds Bury is the most remarkable being so called from King Edmund the Martyr here interred Who for not renouncing the Christian Faith was shot to death at Hoxon by the Danes and his Body stuck by degrees with Arrows In this Town was erected the first Christian Church by Sigebert King of the East-Angles in which King Edmund was buried And in Memory of him here was erected a most stately Abbey of which and the Town it self take this Description from an ancient Author The Sun says he has not seen a Town more finely or delicately seated upon the East Ascent of a Hill with a River running on the East side Nor a more stately Abbey incomparable either for Magnificence or Revenues in whose prospect appeareth rather a City than a Monastery So many Gates it has for entrance and many of them Brass so many Towers and above all a most glorious Chuch Upon which attend three others standing all in the same Church-yard all of them very fine and of curious Artifice The Town at present do's consist of two Parish-Churches the Houses pretty well built the Market-hill Fair-stead and Corn-Cross spacious and handsom And for what remains of the Abbey it self in whose Yard stands an old Shire-House 't is far more majestick than any other Ruins of its kind The Market is of special note for the extraordinary Quantities of Corn brought to it for which 't is usually the Standard of the Country Lastly not far from this Town was that great Battel fought against King Henry the Second where this King had the good fortune to overthrow Robert Earl of Leicester with his Rabble of Flemings who joyned with the rebellious Son of King Henry the Earl himself and his Wife being taken Prisoners Stow-Market and Needham are both seated upon the Orwell The first as it were in the Center of the County having a fair Prospect down the River Eastward 'T is a large and beautifull Town graced with a spacious Church and its Steeple adorned with a huge and lofty Pinnacle not easy to be parallelled The grand Trade of this Town is in Tammeys and other Norwich Stuffs this being the only Town in Suffolk considerable for such Things Needham an ominous Name drives still a Trade but less than formerly in the Suffolk blue and broad Cloths for Russia Turky and orher Countries Which creates spinning Work for the poorer sort of Women whilst others get a Livelyhood by making of Bone-lace Debenham and Woodbridge are on the River Deben The last a large Town seated on the East-side of a sandy Hill watered with several Streams and having a pleasant Prospect down the River Deben which about 12 miles lower discharges it self into the Sea Here is a fair Church with several Monuments in it In the midst of its Market-Place is also a fair Pile of brick in a Chamber whereof are held the Quarter-Sessions for the Liberty of S. Ethelred and Audry The Market well traded unto especially for Hemp. In this Town are four or five good Docks for building of Ships most of 'em well imploy'd and noted among Seamen for good Workmanship The Inhabitants for their part drive a considerable Trade by Sea for which they are furnished with several Ships of burden And the principal Commodities they deal in are Butter Cheese Pouldavis Sackcloth Planks c. besides their refining of Salt Orford a few miles East and by South from Woodbridge is seated between the River Ore on the East and a smaller Stream on the West within two miles from the Sea Here is a Church well mounted but unsightly within and hard by it the Ruins of a high close-built Castle Which together with the Church-Steeple are good Directions to Seamen as the Light-house at the Ness is by night In the Reign of Henry the Second say's Sir Richard Baker there was taken near Orford a Fish in the Shape of a Man which was kept in the Castle above 6 months This Fish eat all manner of Meat but delighted chiefly in Fish An Author that comments upon it says very seriously that he spoke not one Word and Reason good for it was a Fish and that the People brought him sometimes to Church but he never shewed any Sign of Adoration which is no wonder of a Fish At length for want of looking to this Man-Fish stole into the Sea and was never more seen because I guess the Water was his Element But here is something more admirable On the narrow stony Beach that shoots Southerly betwixt the Town and the Sea 't is said that in the Year 1555 when there was a great Dearth there sprang up among the Meer-shingle such Quantities of Pease that the People gathered of 'em above 100 Quarters which both abated the price of Corn and preserved many from famishing And at the South Point of it there still comes up yearly certain course gray Pease and good Coleworts out of the Stone-heaps Alborough
Hair or Garments As White Black Brown Red Green and these Norman Names Blanch or white Blount for Blond Flaxen Hair Rous for Roux red and these derived from the two last viz. Blundell Russel Others have received their Names from their Age as Young Old Child Stripling In Imitation of the Romans Juvenalis Junius Virginius Senecio Priscus Others again from that which they commonly carried as Palmer and Wagstaff Some from the Qualities of the Mind as Good Goodman Goodenough Wise Sharp Speed And such the Greeks and Romans of old had witness Agathias Andragathius Eubulus Eumenius Sophocles Thraseas Prudentius Lepidus Valens Constans Some took their Names from Beasts as Lamb Lion Bear Buck Fox Hind Hound Hare Hog Pig Roe Badger c. And the like you will find among the noblest Romans as Leo Catulus Lupus Leporius Aper Apronius Caninius Castor Cyrus a Dog was common amongst the Persians Others derive their Surnames from Birds as Eagle Kite Swan Wildgoose Gosling Partridge Parrat Woodcock Alcock Wilcock Handcock Peacock Dove Lark Finch Chaffinch Nightingale Wren Hulet or Howlet Corbet or Raven Arundel or Swallow As good as these Roman Names Corvinus Aquilius Milvius Gallus Picus Falco Livia or Stock-Dove From Fishes as Salmon Trout Plaice Sole Gurnard Herring Pike Pickerell Bream Burt Whiting Crab Mullet Base c. Nothing inferiour to these Roman Names Muraena Phocas Aurata c. which happily they took or were given them because they loved these Fishes best From Flowers and Fruits as Lilly Rose Peach Filbert Pescod As fair Names as Lenâ—â—lus Piso Fabius which sounded great amongst the Romans Many have got their Surnames by adding s to Christen Names as Philips Williams Rogers Peters Davis Harris Roberts Simonds Guyse Stephens Richards Hughs Jones c. Others by adding of s to these Nicknames or Nurse-Names as Robins Nicks Nichols Thoms Dicks Hicks Wills Sims Sams Collins Jenks Hodges Hobs Saunders Gibs Wats c. Many likewise have been made by adjoyning Kins to those Nurse-Names making them as it were Diminutives As Dickins from Dicks Perkins from Peir for Peter Tomkins from Tom Wilkins from Will Lambkins from Lambert Hobkins and Hopkins from Hob Atkins from Arthur Jenkins from John Watkins from Wat Tipkins from Tibald Daukins from Davy And so did the Romans vary their Names as Constans Constantius Constantinus Justus Justulus Justinus Justinianus Aurelius Aureolus Aurelianus Augustus Augustinus Augustinianus Augustulus c. Or else by adding in s to curtailed Names as Hutchins Huggins Hitchins and Higgins from Hugh Gibbins from Gibby Jennings from John and Rawlins from Raoul that is Ralph To which add Diminutive Surnames ending in et or ot as Willet from Will Bartlet from Bartholomew Millet from Miles Huet from Hugh Eliot from Elias But you will find many more of these Diminutive Surnames by the addition of Son to the Father 's Christian or Nickname As Williamson Richardson Dickson Harrison Gibson Simson Stevenson Robinson Nicholson Tomson Wilson Watson Wilkinson Johnson Jackson Sanderson and Pattison from Patrick To which answers the ancient Way of Norman Families when a Son took for his Surname his Fathers Christen-Name with the worâ— Fitz prefixt which signified Son As Robâ—â— Fitz-William that is Robert the Son of William Henry Fitz Gerard that is Henry the Son of Gerard. What remains is to answer the Question how people came by their Names Cambden thinks as it is probable enough that some took up their Names themselves and others had their Names given them by the People in whom lies the Sovereignty of Words and Names Amongst the first he reckons those that assumed local Names of such Places as they were Owners of And amongst the Authors of the last especially the Diminutives he brings in the Nurses as the principal Neither is it improbable say's he but that many Names that seem unfitting for Men as those of brutish Beasts c. came from the very Signs of the Houses where they inhabited And he alledges for Instance some that living at the Sign of the Dolphin Bull and White-Horse were commonly called Thomas at the Dolphin Will at the Bull George at the White-Horse Which Names as many others of the like sort with omitting At became afterwards hereditary to their Children Another Thing observable in Names is their frequent Change a Thing practised of old by the Romans themselves For some have changed their Names to avoid the Opinion of Baseness others in remembrance of their more honourable Progenitors Some upon the Account of Adoption others in remembrance of some particular Favours Some again by taking the Names of those whose Lands they had and others by taking the Name of their own Office As when Edward Fitz-Theobald was made Butler of Ireland the Earls of Ormond and others descended from them took the Name of Butler The Pride of Scholars has also wrought Alterations in some Names And the fear of Punishment has been all along the Occasion of several Mens changing their Names to avoid being discovered But Time especially has changed Names the most by contracting curtailing and mollifying of them in such a manner that they are quite another Thing from what they were at first Lastly Foreiners may observe that Women in England at their Marriage change their Surnames and pass into their Husbands Names Which is but reasonable because married people Non sunt duo sed Caro una they are but one Flesh And yet in France and elsewhere married Women retain so far their own Names with their Husbands as to write themselves by their Fathers Surnames I come now to the English Way of Computing Who do not begin the Year till the 25th of March being the Day of Christ's Incarnation wherein they agree with Spain This is the Rule both in Church and State according to which they date all their publick Writings Though according to the Cycles of the Sun and Moon they allow the Year to begin only the first of January which therefore is by them called as by most other Christians in Europe the New-Years Day And to distinguish that mongrel Time from the first of January to the 25th of March following 't is usual with many in the Dates of their Letters during that Interval to set down both the Years thus as from the 1st of January 1688. to the 25th of March 1689 90 As for the Natural Day consisting of 24 hours the English begin as most Parts of Europe do at Midnight counting 12 hours to Noon the next Day and 12 hours more to next Midnight according to the Custom of the Egyptians and ancient Romans Whereas in some other Countries as Italy Poland and Bohemia they reckon 24 hours together from Sun-set to Sun-set which must needs be very troublesom to tell after the Clock In Moscovy and some Places in Germany as Nuremberg and Wirtemberg they begin the Day and end it with the Sun so that the first Hour of the Day is with them at Sun rise and the first hour of
was wont to be pictured naked with a pair of Sheers in his hand a piece of Cloth under his Arm and Verses annext intimating that he knew not what fashion of Cloaths to have In Q. Elizabeths Time sometimes they took up the German and sometimes the Spanish Mode But the French Fashion has prevailed for the most part since Only there was a Time in King Charles the second his Reign that is about 23 Years since when Men took up a grave sort of Habit something like that of the Oriental Nations But it was soon laid aside and the French Mode taken up again which has continued ever since Cloth amongst Men is the general and almost the only Wear And that with so much plainness and comeliness with so much modesty and so little prodigality that the English formerly so apish in imitating forein Nations in their Garb might go now for a Model The Women indeed who value themselves most upon a fine outward Appearance cannot keep within those Bounds Whether it be to make a Figure in the World or out of Emulation amongst themselves or out of Design upon Men they go still in rich Silks with all the Set-offs that Art can possibly invent from time to time They know that Love do's love Toys and that Men love to be caught in a fine Net And herein the Citizens Wives and Maid-Servants do run into such Excess as makes a Confusion So hard it is sometimes to know a Tradesmans Wife from a Lady or the Maid from the Mistris As for the English Exercises and Recreations some they have common with other Nations as Hunting Hawking Fowling Fishing Tennis Bowling Shooting at Bow and Arrows Leaping Wrestling Dancing Musick Stage-Plays Operas Mascarades Balls Ballets c. Amongst which their Way of Bowling in fine Greens contrived and kept for that purpose is beyond any Thing that forein Countries do afford Wrestling is an Exercise wherein they have a peculiar Skill but chiefly the North and Western People Their Musick like their Temper inclines to gravity And if France outdo's the English in Comedies England may be said to outdo all Europe in Tragedies But besides those Exercises and Recreations usual with other Nations they have some more peculiar to themselves such as Paddock-Courses Horse-races Cock-fighting Bear-baiting Bull-baiting Prizes Cudgels Foot-ball Throwing at Cocks and their Way of Ringing of Bells Amongst which the Races shew the Swiftness of English Horses brought up for that purpose which to Foreiners unacquainted with it go's almost for a Romance Cock-fighting shews the Courage of their Cocks Bear-baiting and Bull-baiting that of their Dogs and Prizes the dexterity of some Men in handling of Weapons tho' with some effusion of Bloud Foot ball is a rude Diversion for the common sort of People in frosty Weather Throwing at Cocks is not only rude but cruel And as to the Musical Way of Ringing the Bells in England the frequency of it makes it rather a Recreation to the Ringers than others The Publick Days for Feasting amongst the English are first the Holy Daies at Christmas Easter and Whitsuntide but chiefly Christmas Holy-Days When 't is usual for Landlords to treat their Tenants for Relations and Friends to invite each other and pass the Time in Merriments And though those Holy-Days are not kept of late Years with that Profuseness as formerly they were yet I could wish they were kept with more devotion and less intemporateness From All-Saints Day to Candlemas 't is usual for each Inn of Court to have Revels on Holy-Days that is Musick and Dancing and for this they chuse some young Student to be Master of the Revels Before Christmas the Students who are for the most part Gentlemen of quality that come hither only to learn so much Law as may serve their turn to preserve their Estates meet together in order to keep a solemn Christmas At this Meeting which they call a Parliament Officers are chosen from among them to bear Rule in the House during the whole Christmas as a Comptroller Treasurer c. Sometimes when their publick Treasury can reach it they make a Prince among themselves who keeps a Court accordingly By whom many of the chief Nobility and great Officers of State are feasted and intertained with Interludes c. But whether a Prince or no the whole Christmas-time except Sundays is devoted here to Feasting Musick Dancing and Diâ—ing This last being allowed to all Comers is so excessive that the Box-mony do's usually amount to about 50 l. each 24 hours Which Mony go's a great way towards the defraying the Charges of the whole Christmas the rest being made up by a Contribution from each Student But besides Christmas Holy-Days which may be called the Carnaval of England there are other Days of publick Rejoycing As the King and Queens Birth and Coronation-Days the present Kings Birth-Day being the 4th of November the Queens the 30th of April and their Coronation Day April the 11th The 5th of November being Gun-powder Treason Day when the Popish Conspirators had prepared all Things to blow up King James I. and his Parliament then sitting is a Day of Thanksgiving solemnly kept to the eternal Confusion of Popery This is the Day when the Pope by way of Retaliation used solemnly to be burnt in Effigie at Temple-Bar in King Charles the Seconds Time with so much State and Pomp that the Undertakers spared for nothing to have it done sutable to the Subject But this being discontinued since the late King came to the Crown and being lookt upon besides by sober people as a Piece of Exorbitancy I have done with it and hope it won't be renewed My Lord Mayors Day being the 29th of October is also a solemn Day of publick Rejoycing and Feasting for the City of London Societies have likewise their Feasting Days when they meet in a Body either upon the Election of a new Officer or on some other account But of all the Societies there is none to be compared in this point to the Inns of Court for state and magnificence As to private Families 't is usual with many to celebrate their Birth and Marriage-Days with their most intimate Friends To improve Society the life of Recreation the English have besides their usual and friendly Meetings called Clubs the Conveniency of Coffee-Houses more common here than any where else In these all Comers intermix together with mutual freedom and at the small Charge of a peny or two pence of such Liquours as are sold there Men have the Opportunity of meeting together and getting Acquaintance with choice of Conversation and the advantage of reading all forein and domestick News S. Bartholomew's vulgarly called Bartelmy Fair is a particular Time for Diversion to the City of London It begins on S. Bartholomew's Day the 24th of August and continues 14 Days in West-Smithfield at the end whereof it removes for so many Days more to Southwark on the other side of the River Then is the dead
dissolved and can act no more without a new Power The usual Time for the House to receive the Reports is after the House is full And 't is commonly the first Thing they go then upon unless there be Bills Ingrossed which are to take place and publick Bills before private The Reporter must first acquaint the House That he is to make a Report from such a Committee to whom such a Bill was Committed Then standing in his place he reads each of the Amendments with the Coherence in the Bill opens withal the Alterations and shews the Reasons of the Committee for such Amendments until he has gone through all When that is done if his Seat be not next the Floor he must come from his Place to the Bar and so come up to the Table where he delivers both the Bill and Amendments to the Clerk to be read Whilst he stands by the Clerk the Clerk reads twice the Amendments only that are to be Inserted and then he delivers the Bill with the Amendments to the Speaker Whereupon any Member may speak against all or any of the Amendments and desire the Coherence to be read But he is to make all his Objections at once to all the Amendments without speaking again Note that in the House of Lords the Judges and other Assistants there of the long Robe are sometimes Joyned to the Lords Committees though they have no Voice in the House But whereas in the House they sit covered by the Leave of the Peers at a Committee they are always uncovered A Grand Committee called a Committee of the whole House is the House it self resolved into a freedom of Debate from the Rules of the House to the Nature of a Committee and therefore 't is commonly called a Committee of the whole House These Grand Committees are used when any great Business is in hand that requires much Debate as Bills to impose a Tax or raise Mony from the People Which Bills particularly do always begin in the House of Commons as their Representatives In these Committees every Member is free to speak to one Question as often as he shall see Cause which is not permitted in the House and to answer other Mens Reasons and Arguments So that it is a more open Way and such as leads most to the Truth the Proceeding more honourable and advantagious both to King and Parliament When the House inclines to resolve it self into a Committee it is done by a Question Which being carried in the Affirmative the Speaker leaves the Chair and thereupon the Committee makes choice of a Chair-man If a Dispute arises about the Choice the Speaker is called back to his Chair and after the Choice is cleared he leaves it The Chair-man sits in the Clerks Place at the Table and writes the Votes of the Committee the gathering whereof is according to the Rules of the House When the Committee has gone through the Matter in hand the Chair-man having read all the Votes puts the Question That the same be Reported to the House If that be Resolved he is to leave the Chair and the Speaker being called again to the Chair the Chair-man is to Report what has been resolved at the Committee standing in his usual Place From whence if it be not in the Seat next the Floor he is to go down to the Bar and so to bring up his Report to the Table In case the Committee cannot perfect the Business at that sitting Leave is to be asked That the Committee may Sit at another time on that Business But if the Matter has been throughly Debated and is judged fit to be Resolved in the House the Speaker is called to the Chair for that purpose In other Things the Proceedings are the same as in the House And so much for the Committees I proceed now to the Manner of Adjourning Proroguing or Dissolving the Parliament which is done at the Kings Pleasure and that in the House of Lords with the same Appearance and Solemnity as I have already described An Adjournment and Prorogation are to some convenient time appointed by the King himself but with this Difference that an Adjournment do's not conclude the Session which a Prorogation do's So that by an Adjournment all Things debated in both Houses remain in statu quo and at the next Meeting may be brought to an Issue Whereas a Prorogation makes a Session and then such Bills as passed either House or both Houses and had not the Royal Assent must at the next Assembly begin anew before they can be brought to perfection Upon an Adjournment or Prorogation the King do's usually make a Speech to both Houses of Parliament And he ought to be there in Person or by Representation as on the Day of their first sitting Now the Kings Person may be represented by Commission under the Great Seal to certain Lords in Parliament authorizing them to begin adjourn prorogue c. But 't is Observable that each House has also a Power to Adjourn themselves which when they do 't is at the most but for a few Days A Dissolution is that whereby the House of Commons becomes Vacant in order to a new Election Now a Parliament may be Dissolved by the King at any time whether they be actually sitting or not But if a Parliament do sit and be Dissolved without any Act of Parliament passed or Judgment given 't is no Session of Parliament but a Convention The King being the Head of the Parliament if his Death happens when there is a Parliament 't is ipso facto Dissolved 'T was a Custom of old after every Session of Parliament for the Sheriff to Proclaim by the Kings Command the several Acts passed in that Session that none might pretend Ignorance And yet without that Proclamation the Law supposes every one has noticeby his Representative of what is transacted in Parliament But that Custom has been laid aside since Printing came to be of common Use The Parliament ought to sit by Law at least once in three Years Thus I have laid open the Supream Court of England which without the Kings Concurrence can legally do nothing that 's binding to the Nation but with it can do any thing For whatever is done by this Consent is called firm stable and sanctum and is taken for Law Thus the King and Parliament may abrogate old Laws and make new settle the Succession to the Crown Define of doubtful Rights whereof no Law is made Appoint Taxes and Subsidies Establish Forms of Religion Naturalize Aliens Legitimate Bastards Adjudge an Infant or Minor to be of full Age Attaint a Man of Treason after his Death Condemn or Absolve them who are put upon their Trial Give the most free Pardons Restore in Bloud and Name c. And the Consent of the Parliament is taken to be the Consent of every Englishman being there present in Person or by Procuration King John having resigned up the Crown of England to the Pope and