in which S. Augustine the Monk the first Apostle of that People had a Conference or Consultation with the British Bishops More memorable in the following Times for giving the Title of an Earl to the Illustrious Family surnamed De Clare the addition of an Honour and a goodly Patrimony to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster and at this time the Title of Marquess to the Duke of Somerset This Town is seated on the Lea much decay'd by the turning the High-way through Ware and having now but 3 Parish Churches Here however is kept the County Goal and 't is a well frequented Market on Saturdays The other Market-Towns are S. Albans Sat. Rickmansworth Sat. Barnet Mund. Berkhamsted Mund. Buntingford Mund. Watford Tue. Ware Tue. Hitching Tue. Hempsted Thu. Hatfield Thu. Hodsdon Thu. Baldock Thu. Bp. Stretford Thu. Stevenedge Frid. Tringe Frid. â—toudon Frid. Amongst which S. Alhans seated on the River Coln was so called from a famous Monastery here founded by Offa the great King of the Mercians in honour of St. Albans the Protomartyr of Britain a Citizen of Verulamium near adjoyning to it Out of the Ruins whereof decay'd by Age and destroy'd by War arose the present S. Albans the fairest and best traded Town in this County A Town which formerly injoy'd great Priviledges For Divine Worship it has now 3 Parish Churches and in one of 'em ly interred the Bodies of many Nobles slain in two Battels fought here between the Houses of York and Lancaster This Town has been dignifyed with the several Titles of Viscount Earl and Duke With the first Anno 1620 in the Person of Francis Bacon Viscount S. Albans Lord Verulam and Lord High Chancellour of England With the Title of Earl Anno 1628. in the person of Richard de Burgh and continued in his Son Ulick with whom it dyed till revived again Anno 1660. by King Charles II. in the person of Henry Jermin the last Earl of St. Albans Who dying without Issue King Charles advanced his Grace Charles Beauclare Earl of Burford to the Title of Duke by making him Duke of S. Albans Ware Hatfield and Hodsdon are all three seated on the Lea. The first a good Thorough-fare Town much improved since the High-Way was turned from Hartford hither Noted besides for the Channel cut from thence to London where it serves so many hundred Families with the Conveniency of that excellent Water called New River Water To which may be added another Observation the pleasantness and easiness of the Road from Ware up to London which being of a Sandy Soil proves seldom dirty but within a mile of London and is so filled with Towns and Gentlemens Houses from mile to mile that one would think the Suburbs of London on the North side fetch their beginning at Ware So strange is the Influence of this rich and populous City Hatfield is a Place of great Delight and Recreation but of chief note for that stately House called Hatfield House formerly one of the Kings of Englands Pallaces till it came in the possession of the Earls of Salisbury A House which for Situation Prospect Contrivance and Building for Air water and all other Accommodations is inferiour to none in England Not far from Hodsdon but nearer to Waltham Abby in Essex is Theoballs one of the Kings Royal Seats pleasantly situate among delightful Walks Gardens Groves and Springs First built by Sir William Cecil and afterwards beautifyed by his Son Robert both Lord Treasurers of England Barnet or high Barnet is pleasantly seated on a Hill and in the Road within ten miles of London Of some account for its Medicinal Waters but much more memorable for a bloody Battel fought here between the two Houses of York and Lancaster wherein the former prevailed Warford and Rickmansworth are both seated near the Coln And not far from the first Langley Abbey the Birth-place of that proud and high-spirited Pope Adrian IV. first known by Nicholas and surnamed Break-Spear Bishops-Stratford is a great Market Town seated near the River Stowr on the side of a Hill and much resorted unto On the East-side whereof are to be seen the Ruins of a Castle called the Castle of Waymour standing very steep in an Isle upon an artificial Mount with a dark and deep Dungeon in it which denotes some great Priviledges to have belonged unto it in former Times It was ruinated by King John Among the Market-Towns here I might have put in Royston part of which stands in this County but I refer you for it to Cambridgeshire In short this County which formerly was divided betwixt the Kings of Mercia and the East-Saxons and whose Inhabitants were part of the Catieuchlani as the Romans called them stands now divided betwixt the Dioceses of London and Lincoln Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire but four Members to serve in Parliament 2 by Hartford and 2 by St. Albans CHAP. X. Of Herefordshire Huntingtonshire and Kent Herefordshire HEREFORDSHIRE or the County of Hereford is an Inland County Which has for its Eounds Eastward Glocestershire and Worcestershire Westward Radnockshire and Brecknockshire in Wales Northward Shropshire and Southward Monmouthshire It s Length from North to South is about 35 miles its Breadth from East to West 30. The Whole divided into 11 Hundreds wherein 176 Parishes and but 8 Market-Towns This County was formerly part of Wales before it was by Conquest annexed to this Crown And then it was strengthened with no less than 28 Castles whereof there 's scarce any thing now remaining but their Ruins Here the Air is temperate and healthful and the Soil exceeding rich T is well cloathed with Wood and refreshed with Rivers the principal of which are the Wye Lug Arrow and Frome Two Things this County excels in its plenty of Fruit and the finest Wool in any part of England And amongst all sorts of Fruits the Red-streak Apple which makes the best sort of Cider is that which thrives here to admiration Hereford the chief Place hereof bears West-North-West from London and is distant from it 101 miles thus From London to Glocester 81 miles as you may see in Glocestershire then from Glocester to Ross 10 miles and to Hereford 10 more 'T is seated on the Banks of the River Wye and another that runs into it amongst richâ— Meadows and plentiful Corn-fields Raised out of the Ruins of Ariconium a Place of good account in the time of the Romans It had once a strong and stately Castle built by the Normans which Time has now ruinated And now it is walled about having six Gates for entrance and 15 Watch-Towers for defence 'T was a Bishops See in the time of the Britains and restored to that Dignity by the Saxons Anno 680. Noted besides for giving first the Title of Earl then that of Duke and lastly that of Viscount now in the Person of the Right Honourable Edward D'Evreux Viscount Hereford c. Descended to him from his Ancestor Sir Walter
Breadth from East to West 32. The Whoâ— divided into six Hundreds wherein 61 Parisheâ— and 26 Market-Towns The Number of Parishâ— but small in so large a quantity of Ground but that there are many Chappels of Ease equal to Parishes elsewhere for Multitudes of People Here the Air is sharp thin and piercing seldom troubled with Fogs And the Inhabitants accordingly are healthfull comely strong and long-lived not subject to many Diseases The Soil differs much according to its different nature and situation some Parts being Mountainous and of the Champain Country some very fruitfull some Mossy and the rest Moorish The Champain Country is very good for Wheat and Barley but that which lies at the bottom of the Hills is best for Oats From the Mosses which are not unlike the Irish Bogs some of them many Miles in Compass the common People get Turves for their Firing And sometimes they dig up Trees out of them which serve both for Building and Fewel Cambden seems to be of Opinion that they are subterraneous Trees growing under Ground as some other Plants do The Mountainous Part which lies Eastward is full of stony craggy and barren Hills bare of Wood and the Habitation of Foxes Conies Otters c. Amongst these Hills some are of a prodigious height especially Pendle-Hill on the top whereof grow's a peculiar Plant called Cloudsberry as coming from the Clouds But one thing besides is remarkable in this Hill that whenever the Top of it is covered with a Mist 't is an infallible Sign of Rain The Country in general is well watered with Rivers the chief whereof are the Mersey the Rible and the Lon all three running from East to West into the Irish Sea The Mersey Waters the South Parts and serves for a Boundary betwixt this County and Cheshire the Rible waters the middle and the Lon the North Parts Besides these Rivers and many others of less note here are several great Meers or Lakes as Merton and Winder or Wimander Meer This last divides part of Lancashire from Westmorland reaching about 10 miles in length and 3 or 4 in breadth It has as most Lakes in the North a clear pebbly Bottom whence the Saying that this Lake is all paved with Stone And it breeds great store of Fish particularly Trouts Pikes Pearches Eels and Skellies But there 's one sort of Fish peculiar to it and not to be found elsewhere except in Vlles Water another Lake bordering both upon Cumberland and Westmorland Charre is the Name of it and 't is a dainty Fish whereof many Pies are yearly sent abroad for Presents In short tho' this Country in general cannot be called a fruitfull Country yet what is good of it yields abundance of good Grass and Corn the fairest Oxen in England and in general all sorts of Provisions Fish and Fowl particularly here 's great plenty of and in the River Lon near Cockerfand Abbey is great store of Salmon To make Linnen here grows a great deal of Flax for Fewel the Country yields not only fat Earth but good Coals and for Building Quarries of good Stone Lancaster the Shâ—re Town bears from London North-West and by North and is distant therefrom by common computation 187 miles thus From London to Stafford 104 for the particulars whereof I refer you to Staffordshire Then from Stafford to Stone 10 to Newcastle 6 more thence to Warington 20 to Wigan 14 more to Preston 14 more then to Garstang 10 and to Lancaster 15 more A Town pleasantly seated in a good Soil on the South-side of the â—iver Lon near its fall into the Sea From which River it came to be called Loncaster since turn'd into Lancaster as from Lancaster the whole County took the Name of Lancashire The Town not very well peopled nor much frequented There are in it several fair and long Streets from the Length whereof this Town I suppose might be called Longovicus by the Emperor Antonine And yet there is but one Parish-Church which indeed is large and fair It stands on the side of a Hill on the top of which is the Castle now made use of for the County Goal both for Debtors and Malefactors and for keeping the Assizes for the County Besides the Church and Castle two of the chief Ornaments of this Town here 's a fair Stone-Bridge over the Lon supported by five Arches To which add the Market-house or Town-hall where the Mayor and his Brethren keep their Courts It s Market which is kept on Saturdays is commonly well furnished with all sorts of Provisions but Fish and among the rest Salmon especially Lastly this Town is of sufficient Fame in the Annals of England for those noble Persons which have successively born the Titles of Earls and Dukes of it the greatest Princes in their time for Revenues of any Subjects in Christendom Of which House there have been four Kings of England all under the Name of Henry viz. Henry the fourth the fifth the sixth and the seventh The last by marrying with Elizabeth Daughter and Heir to Edward IV. of the House of York did happily unite the two Houses of York and Lancaster Whose Competition for the Crown of England under the Names of Red and White Roses had caused more Blood-shed than the Conquest of France by the English The Market-Towns of this County besides Lancaster are Manchester Sat. Leverpool Sat. Clitheroe Sat. Dalton Sat. Blackborn Mund. Poulton Mund. Cartmill Mund. Hornby Mund. Hawkshead Mund. Wigan Mund. Frid. Rochdale Tue. Chorley Tue. Ormskirk Tue. Kirkham Tue. Prescot Tue. Coln Wedn. Haslington Wedn. Warington Wedn. Preston Wedn. Frid. Sat. Bury Thu. Garstang Thu. Vlverston Thu. Besides Leigh and â—reat Eccleston whose Market-days I am ignorant of Manchester is seated upon a stony Hill in the South-East Parts of the County between the Rivers Irk and Irwell both which empty themselves not far off into the Mersey This Town called by Antonine the Emperour Mantunium was a Station of the Romans And it is to this day a Town much beyond Lancaster in beauty and populousness It s chief Ornaments are the Colledge and the Market-Place but above all the Collegiate Church beautified with a small Quire of excellent Workmanship Honoured besides with the Title of an Earldom in the person of the Right Honourable Charles Montague the present Earl of Manchester derived to him from his great Grandfather Henry Montague Viscount Mandeville created Earl of Manchester by King Charles I. Anno 1625. being then Lord Treasurer and President of the Council and afterwards Lord Privy Seal And lastly 't is a noted Place for its Linnen and Woollen Cloths as also for its Cottons which are held in great esteem Leverpool is the next Place of chief note in this County T is an excellent Sea-port commodiously seated at the fall of the River Mersey into the Sea where it affords a safe Harbour for Ships and a convenient Passage into Ireland To the immortal Praise of the Family of the Mores of Banck-hall
its Course and so severed it self that Men went about 3 Miles together on foot in the bottom of the Channel the Waters swelling up backwards to a great height Bedford the County-Town lies North-west and by North 40 Miles from London thus From London to Barnet 10 10 more to St. Albans 8 from thence to Luton 5 more to Baruâ— Clay thence to Bedford 7. A Town pleasantly seated on the Banks oâ— the River Ouse that parts it into two and over which there is a fair Stone Bridge Called Bedford from the Beds and Lodgings on the Ford built on both sides of the River for the use of Travellers A Town which in procesâ— of time is grown to that bigness as to contain in it 5 Parish Churches whereof 3 on the North and 2 on the South-side of the River Famous in former times for the great Battel fought in the adjoyning Fields Anno 572 in which Cuthwolf the Saxon vanquished thâ— Britains and became Master of the Country But more famous for giving the Title of Duke to John of Lancaster Regent of France for Kinâ— Henry VI and to Jasper of Hatfield Uncle 〈◊〉 Henry VII After whom it was dignified bâ— King Edward VI Anno 1548 with the Title oâ— an Earldom in the Person of the then Lonâ— Admiral John Russel and from him descendeâ— in a right line to the truly Noble and right Honourable William Russel the present Earl of Bedford and Knight of the Order of the Garter Lastly this Town has two Markets a Week on Tuesdays and Saturdays well furnished with all sorts of Provisions The other Market-Towns are Tuddington Sat. Potton Sat. Luton Mund. Leighton Tue. Biglesworth Tue. Dunstable Wedn. Ampthill Thur. Woburn Frid. Shefford Frid. Among which Dunstable the chief of all is seated on a Hill in a chalky dry Ground Built by King Henry I. out of the Ruins of the ancient Magiovinium for the better suppressing of one Dun a notorious Robber that used to pester these Parts from whom it came to be called Dunstable It has 4 Streets in it and in each of 'em a Pond fed only with Rain and yet these Ponds are never dry No Springs here to be found without digging a very great depth But as it is seated in the high Road from London to West-Chester formerly known by the Name of Watling-street 't is a well frequented Town and accommodated with several good Inns for Travellers In this Town King Edward I. caused a Cross or Column to be erected adorned with Statues and the Arms of England c. in Memorial of Eleanor his Queen this being the Place where her Corps rested in her Journey from Lincolnshire where she died to Westminster Abbey where she was interred About this Town are caught abundance of Larks which are esteemed the best in England and where they are the best dressed Leighton is seated in the Borders of Buckinghamshire upon a River that runs Northward into the Ouse This is a good large Town having a Bridge over the River which leads to Buckinghamshire And its Market is very considerable especially for all sorts of faâ—â— Cattle Luton a pretty good Town borders upon both the Counties of Hartford and Bucking ham and Potton upon Cambridgeshire Woburn on a rising Ground is much frequented by Passengers in their Journeys from London to Northampton Formerly of some account for its fine Monastery as it is at present foâ— its Free School founded by Francis Earl of Bedford Near this Town is Aspley where the naturâ— of the Soil is such that it petrifies Wood. Anâ— about this Town is digged up excellent Fulleâ—â— Earth in great plenty Biglesworth is pleasantly seated on the Iveâ— over which it has a Stone-bridge This Town formerly but inconsiderable is grown into request since it became a Thorough-fare for Coaches especially between London and York Shefford is situate on the other side of the â—vel West and by South from Biglesworth between two Rivulets which joyn below thâ— Town and fall together in one stream into thâ— Ivel Ampthill 5 Miles South of Bedford is aâ— Honour belonging to the Crown Graced with a fine Seat and Park in its Neighbourhood be longing to the Earl of Alesbury To conclude this County formerly was Part of the ancient Kingdom of Mercia and its Inhabitants part of the Catieuchlani as the Romans called them is now in the Diocese of London Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire but two Members to sit in Parliament the Right of Election being in the Town of Bedford Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire or Bucks another Inland County is bounded on the East by Bedford and Hartford Shires and part of Middlesex on the West by Oxfordshire Northward by Northamptonshire and Southward by Barkshire It contains in Length from North to South about 40 Miles in Breadth from East to West 18. The Whole divided into eight Hundreds wherein 185 Parishes and 15 Market Towns A Country blest with a very temperate and healthful Air and with a rich and fertile Soil yielding Grass and Corn in great abundance especially the Vale lying Northwards South-Eastward it rises into Hills called the Chiltern which afford a great deal of Wood. An infinite Number of Sheep is bred especially in the Vales of this Country whose Fleece is much esteemed for its fineness As for Rivers here is Northward the Ouse and a small Stream that runs into it about the middle of the County the Tame and in the South-East Parts the Coln which severs part of this County from that of Middlesex Buckingham the chief Place of it lies Northwest and by West 44 Miles from London Viz. 6 to Acton 9 more to Vxbridge 9 more to Amersham to Wendover 6 more thence 4 to Ailesbury and 10 more to Buckingham A goodly Town seated in a fruitful Soil on the Banks of the River Ouse rising not far from it and over which it has 3 fair Stone Bridges 'T is pretty well frequented and inhabited and its Market which is kept on Saturdays well served with Provisions In times past it was fortified by King Edward the elder The Town-Hall stands in the North Part of the Town and the Chappel founded by Tho. Becket is now converted into a Free School Otherwise not much observable but for those many noble Personages which have had the Title of Earls and Dukes thereof The last Duke was George Villiers who died in the late Reign He was Son to George Viscount Villiers Baron of Whaddon first created Earl of Buckingham by King James the First and afterwards Duke thereof Anno 1623. He was Lord Admiral of England and High Chamberlain and was slain by Felton The other Market Towns are Newport Sat. Ailesbury Sat. Risborough Sat. Marlow Sat. Oulney Mund. Agmundesham Tues Colebrook Wed. Chesham Wed. Winslow Thur. Wendover Thur. Beaconfield Thur. Stony-Stratford Frid. Ivingo Frid. High Wickham Frid. Amongst which Newport Stoney-Stratford and Oulney are all three seated on the Ouse Ailesbury on the Tame Marlow near
Ships Horsham a large Borough-Town is situate near S. Leonards Forest It s Market is good for all sorts of Provisions but Fowl especially most of which is bought up by the London Hagglers East-Greenstead near Surrey and not far from Ashdown Forest is a goodly Town graced with a fair Church and the Place where the Assizes are sometimes kept Called East-Greenstead in opposition to another lying West-South-West from it and therefore called West-Greenstead Petworth but a small Town is finely seated near two Parks and not far from the River Arun. Of chief note for its noble House formerly belonging to the Earls of Northumberland and now by Marriage to the Duke of Somerset Arundel stands in a Dale or Valley on the Western Banks of the River Arun from whence it is called Arundel by contraction from Arundale Over the River it has a Wooden Bridge and from the Sea 't is but a small distance This is an ancient Town noted for its Castle once of great fame and strength but far more famous for the Lords and Earls thereof than either for its strength or beauty A Place in this far different from the rest of England the Title of Earl of Arundel being annexed to the Castle and its Lordship and going along with the possession of it Witness the Judgment given in that great Controversy between Sr. John Fiâ—z-Allen being in possession of the Castle against John Mowbray Duke of Norfolk being the right Heir in the nearest degree Thus it passed through several hands viz. the Montgomery's the Albeneys and the Fitz-Allens till Anno 1604 both Castle and Title came to the possession of Thomas-Howard Earl of Arundel and Surrey and Earl Marshal of England From whom is descended in a right Line the present Duke of Norfolk Earl of Arundel c. Rye a Member of the Cinque-Ports stands on the edge of the County towards Kent and at the very fall of the Rother into the Sea where it has a commodious Haven 'T is not a Town of any beauty But as it stands convenient for a ready Passage over Sea to Normandy and particularly to Diepe it is upon that account much frequented in Time of Peace Its Inhabitants are for the most part Fishermen who fish here excellent Herrings Winchelsey stands near the Place where stood another of that Name which in the Year 1250 was swallowed up by the raging Sea being a large strong and beautiful Place in which were numbered 18 Parish Churches Whereas the present Winchelsey consists but of one Parish and that going still to decay insomuch that its Markets are in a manner disused 'T is seated upon an Inlet of the Sea in the Neighbourhood of Rye But its Haven long since so choakt up that the Town suffers much by it Rye having got the advantage of it However it is still a Member of the Cinque-Ports and what it lost in Wealth it has got in Honour being advanced to the Reputation of an Earldom first in the person of Finch Viscount Maidstone created Earl of Winchelsey by King Charles I Anno 1628. The Title from him devolved to his Son Thomas after him to Heneage the late Earl and lately to his Son and Heir the Right Honourable Thomas Finch the present Earl of Winchelsey Battel is seated in a dirty part of the Country some miles West from Winchelsey A noted Place for the Battel fought here Oct. 14. 1066. betwixt King Harold II. and William the Conquerour where Harold lost his Life and William obtained the Crown of England After which the Conquerour built an Abbey here called Battel-Abbey Hastings one of the Cinque-Ports is a Town of good note and antiquity It has two Streets extending from North to South and in each Street a Parish-Church It s Haven is fed by a small River and had once for its Defence a strong Castle seated on a Hill which as ruinous as it is serves in the Night as a Direction to Sailers by the Lights that are there placed But besides the said Market-Towns which are the most considerable Pevensey and Bramber ought to find a place here as giving the Denomination to two of the six Rapes The first commonly pronounced for shortness sake Pensey is the very Harbour where William the Conquerour landed from Normandy with 896 Ships such as they were in those Times Buckhurst a Town in the North-East Parts of this County is of some Note for giving the Title of Earon to the Earl of Dorset To conclude this County now being in the Diocese of Chichester made up with Surrey the Kingdom of the South-Saxons and its Inhabitants were part of the Regni as the Romans called them Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire 24 Members of Parliament Viz. two out of each of these following Towns Chichester Horsham Midhurst Lewes New Shoreham Bramber Skeyning East-Greenstead Arundel besides these three Cinque-Port Towns Hastings Winchelsey and Seaford As for honourary Titles it has been for several Ages dignify'd with that of an Earldom 1. in the House of Albeneys 2. in two Plantagenets 3. in six Ratcliffs 4. in two Savils and now in the Right Honourable Thomas Leonard who upon his Marriage with Anne Fils-Roy eldest Daughter to the Dutchess of Cleveland was by King Charles II. created Earl of Sussex Anno 1674. CHAP. XVI Of Warwickshire Westmorland and Wiltshire Warwickshire WARWICKSHIRE an Inland County is bounded on the East by the Counties of Leicester and Northampton on the West by Worcestershire on the North by Staffordshire on the South by the Counties of Oxford Glocester and Worcester It s Length from North to South is something less than 40 miles its Breadth from East to West about 30. The Whole divided into sive Hundreds wherein 158 Parishes and 15 Market-Towns Here both the Air is wholsom and the Soil rich especially the South Parts of it called Feldon Which affords rich Meadows feeds store of Sheep and Cattle and is exceeding grateful to the Husbandman in its Crops of Corn. The North Parts formerly called Arden and since Woodland from its great plenty of Woods though at this time much wasted by reason of its Iron Mines are not altogether sofruitful as the Southern Parts It is generally well watered with fresh Streams the principal of which is the Avon which with many windings and turnings runneth through the Country and falls at last into the Severn Warwick the Shire-Town from whence the County took its Name bears from London North-West and is distant therefrom 70 miles thus From London to Buckingham 44 miles as you may see in Buckinghamshire from thence to Banbury 10 to Kyneâ—on 8 more and to Warwick 8 more 'T is seated on the Banks of the River Avon over which it has a well compact Stone-Bridge A Town adorned with very fair Houses spacious and well ordered Streets with a fine Market-house of free-Stone sustained by several Pillars It contains two fair Parish-Churches of which S. Maries is the chief Here is also
of the Kings of England when all Christendom in the Council of Constance was divided into Nations the English was one of the Principal and not Subaltern having its Voice of equal ballance with the Nations of France or Italy In those General Councils the Emperor of Germany was counted Major Filius Ecclesiae the King of France Minor Filius and the King of England Filius tertius adoptivus Whereas with submission methinks it had been more proper especially in such Assemblies to look upon the King of England as Primogenitus Ecclesiae the Eldest Son of the Church out of respect to the British King Lucius who as I said before was the first King in the World that imbraced Christianity In those Councils the King of France had place next the Emperour on his right hand the King of England next on his left hand and the King of Scotland next before Castille However the King of England acknowledges no Precedence to any Monarch but only to the Emperour and that upon the Score of Antiquity For the Crown of England is free and independent and therefore has been declared in Parliaments long since to be an Imperial Crown CHAP. VIII Of the Solemn Proclamation and Coronation of the King of England THE Kings of England are both Proclaimed and Crowned with so much Solemnity that it won't be improper to describe the Manner of it it being a Solemnity not at all disagreeable to the Design of this Work I begin with the Proclamation which is the first Step to the Crown And being we are upon the New State of England I shall describe the Manner how the present King William and Queen Mary were Proclaimed at Whitehall-Gate within Temple-Bar in Cheap-sideâ— and the Royal Exchange Which happened oâ— the 13th of Febr. Anno 1688 9. The Lords and Commons being then Assembled at Westminster came to the Banquetting-House where they presented the Princâ— and Princess of Orange the Instrument in Writing agreed upon for Declaring Their Highnesse KING and QUEEN of England France and Ireland with all the Dominions and Teâ—tories thereunto belonging and received Their Consent thereto About 11 of the Clock the said Lords and Commons came down to Whitehall Gate preceded by the Speakers of their respective Housâ—â— viz. the Marquess of Hallifax Speaker 〈…〉 Lords and Henry Powle Esq Speaker of 〈…〉 mons each of them attended by a 〈…〉 Arms in order to see Their Majesties 〈…〉 Being come down to the Gate there they found the Heralds of Arms the Sergeants at Arms the Trumpets and other Officers all in readiness being assembled by Order from the Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal of England And Sr. Thomas S. George Knight Garter Principal King of Arms having received a Proclamation in Writing with an Order from the Lords House to the King's Heralds and Pursuivants of Arms for Publishing or Proclaiming the same forthwith the Persons concerned disposed themselves in Order before the Court-Gate for making the said Proclamation The Trumpets having sounded a Call three several times the last of which was answered by a great Shout of the vast Multitudes of People there assembled the Noise ceasing the said Garter King of Arms read the' Proclaimation by short Sentences or Periods Which was thereupon proclaimed aloud by Robert Devenish Esq York Herald being the Senior Herald in these Words VVHEREAS it has pleased Almighty God in his great Mercy to this Kingdom to vouchsafe as a Miraculous Deliverance from Popery and Arbitrary Power and that our Preservation is due next unto God to the Resolution and Conduct of His Highness the Prince of Orange whom God has chosen to be the Glorious Instrument of such an Inestimable Happiness to us and our Posterity And being highly sensible and fully persuaded of the Great and Eminent Vertues of her Highness the Princess of Orange whose Zeal for the Protestant Religion will no doubt bring a Blessing along with Her upon the Nation And whereas the Lords and Commons now Assembled at Westminster have made a Declaration and presented the same to the said Prince and Princess of Orange and therein desired Them to Accept the Crown who have Accepted the same accordingly We therefore the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Together with the Lord Mayor and Citizens of London and others of the Commons of this Realm Do with a full Consent Publish and Proclaim according to the said Declaration William and Mary Prince and Princess of Orange to be KING and QVEEN of England France and Ireland with all the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging Who are accordingly so to be owned deemed accepted and taken by all the People of the aforesaid Realms and Dominions who are henceforward bound to acknowledge and pay unto Theâ— all Faith and true Allegiance Beseeching God by whom Kings Reign to bless KING WILLIAM and QVEEN MARY with long and happy Years to Reign over us God save King William and Queen Mary Jo. Brown Cleric Parliamentorum Which being ended and the Trumpeâ— sounding a Flourish was answered by several repeated Shouts of the People And Direction being given to proclaim the same with in Temple-Bar in Cheap-side and at the Royal-Exchange the Proceeding marched in this manner I. The several Beadles of the Liberties of Westminister II. The Constables of the said Liberties all on foot with the high-Constable on horseback III. The Head-Bayliff of Westminster and his Men all on horseback with white Staves to clear the Way IV. A Class of Trumpets nine in all on horse-back the six first riding two and two and the three last together Followed by the Sergeant-Trumpeter carrying his Mace on the Shoulder V. A Pursuivant of Arms single a Pursui â—ant and a Sergeant at Arms and next an â—ther Pursuivant and 〈◊〉 Sergeant at Arms. The Pursuivants in â—heir rich Coats of the â—oyal Arms and each â—f the Sergeants carryâ—â—g his Mace on his Shoulder all of them on horse-back VI. Four Heralds of Arms one after another each with a Sergeant at Arms on his left hand carrying his Mace on the Shoulder and the Heralds being all in their rich Coats of the Royal Arms. VII Garter King of Arms in his rich Coat of Arms carrying the Proclamation Accompany'd with Sr. Tho. Duppa Kt. Gentleman Vsher of the Black Rod in his Crimson Mantle of the Order of the Garter and his Black Rod of Office likewise on Horseback VIII The Speaker of the House of Lords in his Coach Attended by Sr. Roger Harsnet eldest Sergeant at Arms with his Mace IX The Speaker of the House of Commons in his Coach Attended by John Topham Esq Sergeant at Arms to the said House with his Mace X. The Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal and Primier Duke of England in his Coachâ— with his Marshal's Staff in his hand XI The Peers in order in their Coaches XII The Members of the House of Commons in their Coaches In this Order they proceeded towards Temple-Bar And being come as far as the May-pole in the Strand two
of the Officers of Arms with a Sergeant at Arms and two Trumpets went before to Temple-Bar where the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Sheriffs were by this time arrived and had ordered the Gates to be shut The Herald at Arms knocked thereat and the Sheriffs being come to the Gate on Horse-back he acquainted them That he came by Order of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal assembled at Westminster to demand Entrance into that famous City for the Proclaiming of WILLIAM and MART King and Queen of England France and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging and therefore required their speedy Answer Whereupon the said Sheriffs ordered the Gates to be opened Thus the Head-Bayliff Constables and Beadles of Westminster being left without the Bar the rest of the Proceeding entered Where they found the Lord Mayor Aldermen Recorder and Sheriffs all in their Formalities and on Horse-back Except the Lorâ— Mayor who was in his Coach attended by the Sword-bearer and other of his Officers The Proceeding being there joyfully received they made a Stand between the two Temple-Gates and Proclaimed Their Majesties a second time From whence they marched towards Cheapside a Class of the City-Trumpets and the Lord Mayor's Livery-men leading the Way the said Aldermen and Lord Mayor falling into the Proceeding And near Wood-street end the Place where Cheap-side Cross formerly stood they made another stand and Proclaimed Their Majesties a third time At last arriving at the Royal Exchange about two of the Clock they Proclaimed Them a fourth time Each Proclamation was ecchoed with universal Acclamations of Joy by the Multitudes of people which crowded the Streets Windows and Balconies the Streets all the way from Temple-Bar to the Royal Exchange being lined with four Regiments of the City Militia And the Night was concluded with Bonfires Ringing of Bells and all other Expressions of Duty and Affection towards Their Majesties King WILLIAM and Queen MARY with hearty Wishes for Their long and happy Reign Their Coronation was performed at Westminster in Manner following Apr. 11th 1689. Their Majesties being come about Noon from Whitehall to the Palace at Westminster where the Nobility and others who were to go into the Proceeding were assembled came down in State from the House of Lords to Westminster-Hall then fitted up for this great Solemnity Where being seated on the Throne the Sword of State the Curtana or pointless Sword being an Emblem of Mercy and the two pointed Swords together with the gold Spurs were presented to Their Majesties and laid on a Table before Them Then the Dean and Prebends of Westminster having before brought the Crowns and other Regalia in solemn Procession from the Collegiate Church there came up the Hall and presented them severally to Their Majesties Which being likewise laid on the Table were together with the four Swords and Spurs delivered to the Lords appointed to carry them in the Procession which was thus First marched The Drums and Trumpets The Six Clerks in Chancery two abreast as the rest of the Proceeding went Chaplains having Dignities The Aldermen of London Masters in Chancery Sollicitor and Attorney General Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber Judges Then the Children of Westminster and of the King's Chappel The Choir of Westminster Gentlemen of the Chappel Prebend of Westminster Master of the Jewel-House Privy Counsellors not Peers Two Pursuivants The Baronesses Barons Bishops A Pursuivant A Vicountess The Vicounts Two Heralds The Dutchesses The Dukes Two Kings of Arms. The Lord Privy Seal Lord President of the Council Arch-bishop of York The Prince of Denmark Two Persons in Robes of State representing the Dukes of Aquitain and Normandy Next the Lords who bore Their Majesties Regalia with the Sergeants at Arms going on each side of them Viz. The Earl of Manchester carrying S. Edward's Staff and the Lord Grey of Ruthen now Vicount of Longueville the Spurs The Earl of Clare carrying the Queen's Scepter with the Cross and the Earl of Northampton the King's The Earls of Shrewsbury Derby and Pembroke the three Swords Then Garter King Arms between the Vsher of the Black Rod and the Lord Mayor of London The Lord Great Chamberlain single The Earl of Oxford with the Sword of State between the Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal and the Duke of Ormond Lord High Constable for that Day Next the Earl of Bedford with the Queen's Scepter of the Dove and the Earl of Rutland with the Kings The Duke of Bolton with the Queens Orb and the Duke of Grafton with the Kings The Duke of Somerset with the Queen's Crown and the Earl of Devonshire Lord Steward of the King's Houshold and Lord High Steward of England for that Day with the King's Crown The Bishop of London with the Bible between the Bishop of S. Asaph with the Paten and the Bishop of Rochester with the Chalice The KING and QUEEN followed next under a rich Canopy born by Sixteen Barons of the Cinque-Ports the King assisted by the â—ishop of Winchester and the Queen by the Bishop of Bristol Both Their Majesties array'd in Royal Robes of Crimson Velvet furred with Ermine the King with a Velvet Cap and the Queen with a gold Circlet on her head His Majesties Train born by the Master of the Robes assisted by the Lords Eland Willoughby Lansdowne and Dunblain and Her Majesties by the Dutchess of Somerset assisted by the Ladies Eliz. Pawlet Diana Vere Eliz. Cavendish and Henrietta Hyde The Gentlemen Pensioners marched on each side of the Canopy Next to the King followed a Gentleman and two Grooms of the Bed-Chamber And after the Queen a Lady of the Bed-Chamber and two of Her Majesties Women Who were followed by the Captain of His Majesties Gard between the Captain of the Yeomen of the Gard and the Captain of the Band of Pensioners And these by the Officers and Band of the Yeomen of the Gard who closed the Proceeding Thus Their Majesties with all the Nobility in Crimson-Velvet Robes and their Coronets in their hands and the rest of the Proceeding being richly habited or wearing their proper and peculiar Robes proceeded on foot upon blue Cloth spread from the Steps of the Throne in Westminster-Hall to the Steps of the Theater in the Quire of the Collegiate Church of S. Peter Westminster The whole Passage was Railed in and Garded with Their Majesties Horse and Foot-Gards all the Way and Houses on each side being Crowded with vast Number of Spectators expressing their great Joy and Satisfaction by loud repeated Acclamations Being entred the Church and the Nobility and others all duly placed Their Majesties ascended the Theater Who being seated in their Chairs of State the Bishop of London who performed this great Solemnity began with the Recognition which ended with a mighty Shout Then Their Majesties Offered and the Lords who bore the Regalia presented them at the Altar where they were deposited After that the Litany was sung by two Bishops And after the Epistle Gospel and Nicene Creed the Bishop
Fee-simple make Leases and Grants and sue in her own Name without the King which is not in the power of any other Feme-covert or married Woman to do A Queen Dowager or Widow-Queen is still Respected as a Queen in her Widowhood and keeps a Court accordingly And though she should marry a private Gentleman as did Queen Catharine King Henry the Fifths Widow she does not lose her Dignity By the Sons and Daughters of England I mean the King's Children So called because all the Subjects of England have a special Interest i◠Them though their Education and the Disposing of Them is only in the King The Eldest Son commonly called the Prince of Wales is born Duke of Cornwal and afterwards created Prince of Wales Upon his Birth he is by Law of full Age to sue for the Livery of the said Dukedom as if he were full a Years of Age. But so much of the Lands 〈◊〉 Demesns of it have been Alienated that h◠Revenues are chiefly out of the Tin-Mines i◠Cornwall Which with all other Profits of the Dutchy amount yearly to the Sum of 140◠Pounds and the Prince's whole Revenues to about 20000 l. When King Edward I had compleated the Conquest of Wales He divided it into Seven Shires to which Henry VIII added five more out of the March Lands Over each of the Seven Shires King Edward placed a particular English Lieutenant and over the whole he designed a Vicegerent The Welch being disgusted at this He sent for his Queen then great with Child to Caernarvan where she was delivered of a Son Upon the News whereof the King assembled the Chief Men of that Nation and offered to name them a Governour born in Wales who could not speak one word of English and against whose Life they could take no just exception Such a one when they had all sworn to obey he named his young Son Edward Whereupon He created him Prince of Wales and since that time the Kings of England eldest Sons have been called Princes of Wales Whereas while Normandy was in the Power of the English which lasted till the Reign of King John they were stiled Dukes of Normandy The Investiture is performed by the Imposition of a Cap of Estate and a Coronet on the Princes Head as a Token of his Principality by delivering into his hand a Verge of Gold the Emblem of Government by putting a Gold Ring on his Finger in token that he must be a Husband to his Country and a Father to her Children and by giving him a Patent to hold the said Principality to Him and his Heirs Kings of England By which Words the Separation of it from the Crown is prohibited and the King keeps to himself an excellent Occasion of obliging unto Him his Son when he pleases In Imitation of which Custom John I King of Castille and Leon made his Son Henry Prince of the Asturias a Country so Craggy and Mountainous that it may not improperly be called the Wales of Spain And all the Spanish Princes ever since have been honoured with that Title The Mantle worn in Parliament by the Prince of Wales has for Distinctions sake one gard more than a Duke's his Coronet of Crosses and Flower de luces and his Cap of State indented His Arms differ from the Kings only by addition of a Label of three points And his peculiar Device is a Coronet beautified with three Ostrich Feathers inscribed with ICH DIEN that is I serve Alluding perhaps to that in the Gospel The Heir while he is a Child differs not from a Servant Which Device was born at the Battel of Cressy by John King of Bohemia serving there under the French King and there slain by Edward the Black Prince Since worn by the Princes of Wales and by the Vulgar called the Princes Arms. In short the King of England's Eldest Son has ever since been stiled Prince of Wales Duke of Aquitain and Cornwal and Earl of Chester and Flint these Earldoms being conferred upon him by Letters Patent As Eldest Son to the King of Scotland he is Duke of Rothsay and Seneschal of Scotland from his Birth Though he is a Subject yet the Law looks upon his Person as so Sacred that it is high Treason to imagine his Death or violate his Wife The Younger Sons of England depend altogether upon the King's Favour both for Titles of Honour and Revenues sutable to their Birch For they are not born Dukes or Earls but are so created according to the Kings Pleasure Neither have they as in France certain Appanages but only what Revenue the King pleases to bestow upon them They are indeed by Birth-right as well as the Prince of Wales Counsellors of State whereby they may fit themselves to manage the weighty Affairs of the Kingdom The Daughters are called Princesses And to violate them unmarried is High Treason The Title of Royal Highness is common to all the King's Children All Subjects ought to be uncovered in their Presence to kneel when they are admitted to kiss their hands and to be served on the Knee at Table unless the King be present Lastly all Persons of the Royal Bloud being a Lawful Issue have the Precedency of all others in England As for the King 's Natural or Illegitimate Sons and Daughters they are commonly created Dukes and Dutchesses and bear what Surname the King pleases to give them King Henry I. and Charles II. of blessed Memory are noted to have had the most of any CHAP. XII Of the Nine Great Officers of the Crown NEXT to the Royal Family the Great Officers of the Crown come of course to be Inquired into which are Nine in Number Viz. The Lord High Steward The Lord High Chancellor The Lord High Treasurer The Lord President of the Kings Council The Lord Privy Seal The Lord Great Chamberlain The Lord High Constable The Lord Earl Marshal The Lord High Admiral The Lord High Steward of England is the highest Officer under the King His Office not unlike that of the Mayre of the Pallace under the ancient Kings of France is to rule and govern the Kingdom under the King in Time of Peace and War during his Reign Which Power being thought too large and exorbitant for a Subject to have this Great Officer has been discontinned ever since Henry of Bullingbrock Son to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster afterwards King of England under the Name of Henry IV. Only at a Coronation also for the Trial of a Peer or Peeress for Treason or Felony or some other great Crime the King makes a High Steward for that Time Who during his Stewardship is called His Grace and bears a white Staff in his hand which he openly breaks when the Business is over and so ends his Office By virtue of his Office at a Coronation he sits Judicially at the King's Pallace at Westminster Where he receives the Bills and Petitions of all such Noblemen and others who by reason of their Tenure or otherwise
claim to do Services at the King's Coronation and to receive the accustomed Fees and Allowances In the Procession on the Coronation-Day 't is he that carries the King's Crown The Right Honourable the Earl of Devonshire was honoured with this great Office in the last Coronation Upon the Trial of a Peer he sits under a Cloth of State and his Commission is to proceed secundum Legem Consuetudinem Angliae He is not Sworn nor the Lords who are the Tryers of the Peer arraigned and tho he call all the Judges of the Land to assist him yet he is the sole Judge Next to the Lord High Steward is the Lord High Chancellour who in Civil Affairs now there is no High Steward is the highest Person in the Kingdom next to the Royal Family as the Arch-bishop of Canterbury is in Ecclesiastical His Oath is to do Right to all manner of People rich and poor after the Laws and Customs of the Realm truly to counsel the King and keep secret the King's Counsel to stand for the Rights of the Crown c. The Great Seal of England is in his Custody He is the Judge of the Court of Chancery otherwise called the Court of Equity where he is to judge not according to the Rigour and Letter of the Law but with Equity and Conscience He also bestow's all Ecclesiastical Benefices in the King's Gift under 20 l. a Year in the King's Books Since the Reign of Henry VII this great Office has been commonly executed by Lawyers whereas formerly Bishops and other Clergy-men learned in the Civil Laws were usually intrusted with it The Lord High Chancellour holds his Place but durante Regis Beneplacito during the King's Pleasure And his Place is counted to be worth 8000 l. a Year Anciently he had sometimes a Vice-Chancellour commonly called Keeper of the Great Seal But of later Times they differ only in Name For the late Kings have always beflowed the Great Seal either with the Title of Lord Keeper or of Lord Chancellour but still with the same Power and Right of Precedence Only the Lord Chancellour receives a Patent from the King for his Office which the Lord Keeper do's not and by the Title of Chancellour he is lookt upon as in greater favour with the King But his present Majesty since his Accession to the Crown thought fit to have this Office managed by Commissioners and accordingly it has been hitherto managed by three Lords Commissioners The third Great Officer of the Crown is the Lord High Treasurer who has the Charge and Government of all the King's Revenue kept in the Exchequer He has the Gift of all Customers Comptrolers and Searchers in all the Ports of England and the Nomination of all Escheators in every County He has also the Check of all the Officers imploy'd in collecting all the Revenues of the Crown He has power either by himself or with others joyned in Commission with him to let Leases of all the Crown-Lands And it is he that gives Warrants to certain Persons of Quality to have their Wine Custom-free Anciently he received this Office and Dignity by the delivery of the golden Keys of the Treasury which is now done by delivery of a white Staff to him by the King His Oath do's not differ much from that of the Lord Chancellour and he holds his Place as he do's during his Majesties Pleasure His Place is also reckoned to be worth 8000 l. per ann But this great Office is now executed by four Persons called the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury Next is the Lord President of the King 's Privy Council an Officer as ancient as King John's Time made by the King's Letters Patent under the Great Seal durante Beneplacito His Office is to manage the Debates in Council to propose Matters from the King and report the Transactions to his Majesty In the late Reigns this Office was often supplied by the Chancellour Next to the Lord President is the Lord Privy Seal whose Office is of great Trust and Skill He is so called from the Privy Seal which is in his custody All Charters and Grants of the King and all Pardon 's signed by the King pass through his hands before they come to the Great Seal of England And hâ—â— ought not to put this Seal to any Grant withâ— out good Warrant under the King 's Privy Signet nor with Warrant if it be againsâ— Law or Custom until the King be first acquainted He manages also divers other Matters of less concernment which do not pass the Great Seal He is by his Place of the King 's Privy Council and takes his Oath accordingly besides a particular Oath as Lord Privy Seal Wheâ— there is a Court of Requests he is the chieâ— Judge of it His Place is also during the King's Pleasure 〈◊〉 and his Salary is 1500 l. per annum The sixth Great Officer of the Crown iâ— the Lord Great Chamberlain of England an Officer of State and of great Antiquity whose chief Business is on the Coronation-Day For it is his Office that Day to bring the King his Shirt Coyf and Wearing Cloaths before his Majesty rises and to carry at the Coronation the Coyf Gloves and Linnen to be used by the King upon that Occasion In the Church where the King is Crowned he undresses and attires his Majesty with Robes Royal and giveâ— Him the Gold which is offered by Him at the Altar Before and after Dinner he serves the King with Water to wash his hands For this Service he has 40 Ells of Criâ—â—son Velver for-his own Robes the King 's Beâ— and all the Furniture of his Bed-Chamber all the King's Night-Apparel and the Basoâ— and Towels used at Dinner for his Fees He has also Livery and Lodging in the King's Court certain â—ees from all Peers of the Realm at their Creation and from each Arch-Bishop or Bishop when they do their Hoâ—â—age or Fealty to the King To him belongs the Care of providing all Things in the House of Lords in Parliament-Time and therefore has an Apartment allowed him near the House of Lords This Office is Hereditary and belongs to the Earls of Lindsey The Lord High Constable is another great Officer but of too great Authority and Power to be continued and therefore is only created for the Solemnity of the King's Coronation The Duke of Ormond was High Constable in the last The next is the Earl Marshal of England an Officer of great Antiquity and anciently of great Power His proper Office is to summon the Nobility to the King's Coronation with such Directions for State and publick Appearance as becomes that Solemnity He also takes Cognizance of Matters of War and Arms out of the reach of the Common Law and in these Matters he is commonly guided by the Civil Law Neither can any obtain a Coat of Arms but he must first apply himself to the Earl Marshal to whom the Heralds Colledge is subordinate The last is the Lord
eldest Son is Frederick the Heir apparent born in the Year 1671 and the two others are Christiern and Carolus The Duke of Glocester is the only Son and Heir of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Denmark He was born July 24th 1689 and on the 27th he was Christened at Hampton-Court by the Lord Bishop of London and named William the King and the Earl of Dorset Lord Chamberlain of His Majesties Houshold being Godfathers and the Lady Marchioness of Hallifax Godmother CHAP. XIX Of the Nobility of England THE English Nobility is divided into five Degrees Viz. Duke Marquess Earl Viscount and Baron And they are called the Peerage of England because they are all Peers the Barons as well as the rest They have also all of them the Title of Lord. All these Honours are given by the King who is the sole Fountain of Honour and whatever Title a Subject of England receives from any forein Prince is not only Insignificant here but Unwarrantable by Law All Noblemen at their Creation have two Ensigns which signify two Duties Their Heads are adorned in token that they are to assist their King and Country with good Counsel in time of Peace and they are girt with a Sword as being to support the King and defend the Kingdom with their Lives and Fortunes in time of War A Duke is created by Patent Cincture oâ— Sword Mantle of State Imposition of A Cap and Coronet of gold on his head and a Vergâ— of gold put into his hand A Marquess and aâ— Earl by Cincture of Sword a Mantle of State with a Cap and Coronet put upon him by the King himself and a Patent delivered into his hand Viscounts and Barons are made by Patent and these sometimes by Writ whereby they are called to sit in the House of Lords All the Peers have Coronets but with these Distinctions A Baron has six Pearls upon the Circle a Viscount the Circle of Pearls without number an Earl has the Pearls raised upon Points and Leaves low between a Marquess a Pearl and a Strawberry-leaf round of equal height and a Duke Leaves without Pearls Only the Dukes of the Royal Blood bear like the Prince of Wales a Coronet of Crosses and Flower de Luce. Which is the same with the King 's excepting the Arches Globe and Cross on the top of the King's Crown But the greatest Distinction amongst the Nobles is their Parliament Robes in their several Gards on their Mantles and short Cloaks about their Shoulders For a Baron has but two Gards a Viscount two and a half an Earl three a Marquess three and a half and a Duke four Besides that the Mantle of a Duke Marquess and Earl is faced with Ermine that of a Viscount and Baron with plain white Furr Dukes were at first so called a ducendo being anciently Generals and Leaders of Armies in time of War Marquesses from their Government of Marches and Frontire-Countries Earls in Latine Comites because they had the Government of Counties Viscounts in Latine Vice-Comites as being Assistants or Deputies in the Government of Counties Barons according to Bracton quasi Robur Belli the safety of the King and People in Time of War depending upon their Courage and Skill in Martial Affairs Anciently a Duke was made so for Term of Life then held by Lands and Fees till Dukes came to be Titular and Hereditary In those Times likewise there was no Earl but had a County or Shire for his Earldom who for the support of his State had the third Peny out of the Sheriffs Court issuing out of all Pleas of that County whereof he was Earl Also those Barons only were accounted Peers of the Realm that held of the King per integram Baroniam which consisted of 13 Knights Fees and one third part that is of 400 Marks each Knights Fee being 20 l. And whoever had so much was wont to be summoned to Parliament But then 100 Marks was as much as 2000 pounds at this day as may be guessed by comparing the Prices of Things 'T is true King Henry III after he had with much ado suppressed his Barons called by Writ unto Parliament only such great Men as had continued loyal or were like so to be Which Example being followed by his Successors they only were accounted Peers of the Realm that were so called by the King 's special Writ Till Barons came to be made by Patent as well as by Writ and at last most by Patent which makes it hereditary But there are Barons in England that have noâ— share in the Peerage as such viz. the Barons of the Exchequer and the Barons of the Cinque-Ports Such as these the Earls Palatines and the Eath of England Marches had anciently under them and such there are yet in Cheshire The chieâ— Burgesses of London were also called of oâ— Barons All Dukes Marquesses and Earls at this day have their respective Titles from some Shire or part of a Shire Town or City Castle Park or Village Except two Earls whereof one is Officiary and the other Nominal the first being the Earl Marshal of England and the last the Earl Rivers who takes his Denomination from an Illustrious Family Barons are so denominated from their chief Seat or a Castle belonging to the Family Which is not to be divided amongst Daughters if there be no Sons but must descend to the eldest Daughter None of these Honours can be lost but these two Ways Either by want of Issue male except where the Patent extends to Issue female as sometimes it does Or else by some heinous Crime and then it cannot be restored to the Bloud but by Act of Parliament A Duke has the Title of Grace given him and the other Peers that of Lordship on Honour Accordingly we commonly give to these the Epithet of Right Honourable All Dukes and Marquesses Sons are called Lords by the Courtesy of England and the Daughters Ladies I say by the Courtesy of England for the Law makes no such Distinction but looks upon all as Commoners that have no Right to sit in the House of Peers Of an Earl none but the eldest Son is called Lord though all the Daughters be Ladies And as for the Issue of Vicounts and Barons none of their Sons is Lord nor of the Daughters Lady A Dukes eldest Son is called Lord Marquess and the younger Sons by their Christen-names with the Title of Lord prefixt as Lord William Lord Thomas c. A Marquesses eldest Son is called Lord of a Place and the younger Sons as those of a Duke that is by their Christen-names with the Title of Lord prefixt as Lord William Lord Thomas An Earl's eldest Son is born as a Viscount and called Lord of a Place In point of Precedency this is the Rule Af-the Princes of the Bloud the first amongst the Nobility are the Dukes and these are thus followed Viz. Dukes Marquesses Dukes eldest Sons Earls Marquesses eldest Sons Dukes younger Sons Vicounts Earls
eldest Sons Marquesses younger Sons Barons Vicounts eldest Sons Earls younger Sons Barons eldest Sons Vicounts younger Sons Barons younger Sons But 't is to be observed that all Dukes that are not Princes of the Bloud are preceded by these four Great Officers of the Crown though they be but Barons viz. the Lord Chancellour the Lord Treasurer the Lord President of the Privy Council and the Lord Privy Seal I leave out the Lord High Steward of England because none of this Office is continued beyond the present Occasion As for the Lord Great Chamberlain of England the Lord High Constable the Lord Marshal the Lord High Admiral the Lord Steward of the King's Houshold and the Lord Chamberlain of the King's Houshold they sit above all of their Degree only The Nobility of England have at all times injoyed many considerable Priviledges Though neither Civil nor Common Law allow any Testimony to be valid but what is given upon Oath yet the Testimony of a Peer of England given in upon his Honour without any oath is esteemed valid And whereas the law allows any one of the Commonalty arraigned for Treason or Felony to challenge 35 of his Jury without shewing Cause and others by shewing Cause a Peer of the Realm cannot challenge any of his Jury or put any of them to their Oath the Law presuming that they being Peers of the Realm and judging upon their Honour cannot be guilty of Falshood Favour or Malice In Criminal Causes a Peer cannot be tried but by a Jury of the Peers of the Realm who are not as other Juries to be put to their Oath but their Verdict given in upon their Honour sufficeth All Peers of the Realm being lookt upon as the King 's constant Counsellors their Persons are at all Times priviledged from Arrests except in Criminal Cases Therefore a Peer cannot be Outlawed in any Civil Action and no Attachment lies against him The only Way for satisfaction from a Peer is by Execution taken forth upon his Lands and Goods and not by Attachment or Imprisonment of his Person So tender is the Law of the Honour Credit Reputation and Persons of Noblemen that there is a Statute on purpose called Scandalum Magnatum to punish all such as by false Reports â—ring any scandal upon them They are exempted from all Attendance at Leets or Sheriffs Turns where others are obliged to take the Oath of Allegiance And whereas for the suppressing of Riots the Sheriff may raise the Posse Comitatus yet he cannot command any Peer of the Realm to attend that Service In Civil Causes they are not to be Impanelled upon any Jury or Inquest de facto though in a Matter between two Peers and if a Peer be returned upon any such Jury there lies a special Writ for his Discharge They are upon no Case to be bound to their good Behaviour or put to swear they will not break the Peace but only to promise it upon their Honour which was ever counted so sacred as upon no terms to be violated Every Peer of the Realm summoned to Parliament may constitute in his lawful absence a Proxy to Vote for him which none of the Commons may do And any Peer in a Place of Trust is free to make a Deputy to act in his absence whilst he attends the Person of the King Where a Peer of the Realm is Defendant no Day of Grace is to be granted to the Plaintiff the Law presuming that a Peer of the Realm must always be ready to attend the Person of the King and the Service of the Commonwealth Therefore he ought not to be delayed any longer than the ordinary Use of the Court but tâ— have expedition of Justice In any Civil Trial where a Peer of the Realâ— is Plaintiff or Defendant there must be at leasâ— one Knight returned of the Jury Otherwisâ— the Array may be quashed by Challenge In all Cases wherein the Priviledge of the Clergy is allowed to other Men and in divers Cases where that Priviledge is taken away from them a Peer of the Realm upon his Request shall be for the first time adjudged as a Clerk Convict though he cannot read And that without burning in the Hand loss of Inheritance or Corruption of Bloud In case of Amerciaments of the Peers of the Realm upon Non-Suits or other Judgments a Duke is to be amerced but Ten Pounds and all others under Five This to be done by their Peers according to Magna Charta though it has been often done of late by the King's Justices A Peer of the Realm being sent for by the King to Court Parliament Council or Chancery has the Priviledge passing by the King's Park or Forest both coming and returning to Kill one or two Deer An Earl has 8 Tun of Wine Custom-free and the rest proportionably All Peers of the Realm have a Priviledge of Qualifying a certain Number of Chaplains to hold Plurality of Benefices with Cure of Souls But it must be with a Dispensation first obtained from the Archbishop and the same ratified under the Great Seal of England Thus a Duke may qualify six Chaplains a Marquess and Earl five a Viscount four and a Baron â—hree A Peer of the Realm has also the Priviledge â—f Retaining six Aliens whereas another may â—ot Retain above four These are the chief Priviledges belonging to â—e Nobility of England which are great and â—onsiderable And yet none of them ever had the Priviledge of the Grandees of Spain to be covered in the King's Presence except Henry Ratcliff Earl of Surrey 'T is true the Princes of the Bloud have often had the honour of being covered but then it was by the King 's gracious Command not by virtue of any constant Priviledge Neither are our Noblemen exempted as in France from Tailles and Contributions but always bear a share proportionable And in case of a Poll-Act they are usually thus Rated according to their several Degrees of Honour Viz. Â l. s. d. A Duke 50 00 00 A Marquess 40 00 00 An Earl 30 00 00 A Viscount 25 00 00 A Baron 20 00 00 Those of their Sons which have attained to 16 Years of Age are thus taxed As. Â l. s. d. The Eldest Son of A Duke 30 00 00 The Eldest Son of A Marquess 25 00 00 The Eldest Son of An Earl 20 00 00 The Eldest Son of A Viscount 17 00 00 The Eldest Son of A Baron 15 00 00 A Younger Son of A Duke 25 00 00 A Younger Son of A Marquess 20 00 00 A Younger Son of An Earl 15 00 00 A Younger Son of A Viscount 13 06 00 A Younger Son of A Baron 12 00 00 The Nobles to bear up their Rank have generally great and plentiful Estates some of them beyond those of several Princes beyond Sea And till the Civil Wars in the Reign of Charles I. they lived with suitable splendour and Magnisicence Keeping a plentiful Table and a numerous Attendance with several Officers delighting in
of the Back-Stairs Mr. James Worthington Mr. John Jones Mr. Peter van Lewen Mr. Daniel Pulse Mr. Hamlet Kirk Mr. Richard Bradley Grooms of the Great Chamber Mr. Randolph Sparrow Mr. William Snow Mr. John Viccars Mr. Rowland Pierce Mr. John Willson Mr. Matthew Clarke Physician Sir Charles Scarborow Kt. Apothecary Christian Harel Clerk of the Closet William Stanley D. D. Treasurer and Receiver General Richard Earl of Bellomont His Clerk Mr. Edward Godfrey Auditor General Edward Clarke Esq His Clerk Messengers Timothy Goodwin Richard Hancoc Porter of the Back Stairs David Harris Master of the Barges Mr. Christopher Hill Four and Twenty Watermen Officers and Servants of the Stables Master of the Horse Sir Edward Villiers Kt. Ecquerries Charles Goltstein Esq Henry Killigrew Esq Charles May Esq Pages of Honour John Broeckhuysen Esq George Fielding Esq Purveyor Anthony Rowe Esq Yeoman Rider John Lauze Esq Yeomen of the Carriages Mr. Joseph Hough Coachmen Wessel Bosshof Christopher Ronch Herman Vanswell Lender Snellard John Catchlove Grooms Thomas Clarke Thomas Millet Footmen Samuel Clarke John Trantur Benjamin Booth Robert Howe Isaac Grafar Jacob Finke William Causey Herman Bongurs Jacob van Woestine Benjam in Ramsey Chair-men Thomas Chamberlain Benjamin Cotton Oswald Fawne Robert Giddins Bottleman Henry Gardies Groom Farrier Andrew Snape Groom Saddler John Bignell Her Majesties Women Servants Groom of the Stole and Lady of the Robes Elizabeth Countefs of Derby Ladies of the Bed-Chamber Gertrude Marchioness of Hallifax Mary Marchioness of Winchester Mary Countess of Dorset Bridget Countess of Plimouth Frances Countess of Scarborough Maids of Honour Mrs. Eleonora Francklin Mrs. Stewart Walburt Howard Mrs. Mary Villiers Mrs. Mary Compton Mrs. Jane Martha Temple Mrs. Anne Greenvill Women of the Bed-Chamber Mrs. Anna van Goltstein Mrs. Cary Jesson Mrs. Dorothy Cason Mrs. Agnes Uygh Mrs. Rachel Wyndham Mrs. Martha Lockharâ— Laundress Mrs. Elizabeth Worthington Seamstress and Stearcher Mrs. Dorothy Ireland Necessary Women Elizabeth Wiele Anne Dawhurst A List of the present Nobility and Bishops Where you find the Star prefixt the Title was conferred by His present Majesty Princes of the Blood PRince GEORGE of Denmark Duke of Cumberland * William Duke of Glocester his Son Dukes 13. Henry Howard Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal oâ— England Charles Seymour Duke of Somerset Henry Cavendish Duke of Newcastle Charles Leons Duke of Richmond Charles Fitz-Roy Duke of Southampton Henry Fitz-Roy Duke of Grafton James Butler Duke of Ormond Henry Somerset Duke of Beaufert George Fitz-Roy Duke of Northumberland Charles Beauclair Duke of S. Albans James Fitz James Duke of Berwick Charles Pawlet Duke of Bolton Charles Schombergh Duke of Schombrgh Marquesses 3. George Savile Marquess of Hallifax William Herbert Marquess of Powis * Thomas Osborne Marquess of Carmarthen Lord President of the Council Earls 71. Aubre de Vere Earl of Oxford Charles Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury Anthony Grey Earl of Kent William Stanley Earl of Derby John Manners Earl of Rutland Theophilus Hastings Earl of Huntingdon William Russel Earl of Bedford Thomas Herbert Earl of Pembroke Edward Clinton Earl of Lincoln George Howard Earl of Suffolk Charles Sackvile Earl of Dorset Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold James Cecill Earl of Salisbury John Cecill Earl of Exeter John Egerton Earl of Bridgwater Philip Sidney Earl of Leicester George Compton Earl of Northampton Edward Rich Earl of Warwick William Cavendish Earl of Devonshire Lord Steward of the Houshold Basil Fielding Earl of Denbigh John Digby Earl of Bristol John Holles Earl of Clare Pawlet St. John Earl of Bolingbroke Charles Fane Earl of Westmorland Charles Mountague Earl of Manchester Thomas Howard Earl of Berkshire John Sheffield Earl of Mulgrave Thomas Savage Earl Rivers Robert Bertie Earl of Lindsey Lord Great Chamberlain of England Henry Mordant Earl of Peterborough Thomas Grey Earl of Stamford Charles Finch Earl of Winchelsea Evelyn Pierpoint Earl of Kingston Charles Dormer Earl of Carnarvan Philip Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield Thomas Tufton Earl of Thanet William Wentworth Earl of Strafford Robert Spencer Earl of Sunderland Robert Leke Earl of Starsdale Edward Mountague Earl of Sandwich Henry Hyde Earl of Clarendon Algernon Capel Earl of Essex Robert Brudenel Earl of Cardigan James Annesley Earl of Anglesey John Granvile Earl of Bath Edward Howard Earl of Carlisle William Craven Earl of Craven Thomas Bruce Earl of Ailesbury Richard Boyle Earl of Burlington Anthony Ashley Cooper Earl of Shaftsbury Edward Henry Lee Earl of Lichfield Thomas Lennard Earl of Sussex Lewis de Duras Earl of Feversham Charles Gerard Earl of Macclesfield Charles-Bodvile Roberts Earl of Radner William Paston Earl of Yarmouth George Berkeley Earl of Berkeley Daniel Finch Earl of Nottingham Laurence Hyde Earl of Rochester James Bertie Earl of Abingdon Baptist Noel Earl of Gainsborough Coniers D' Accie Earl of Holderness Other Windsor Earl of Plimouth Francis Ratcliff Earl of Derwentwater Henry Howard Earl of Stafford William Bentinck Earl of Portland Thomas Bellassise Earl of Falconberg * Charles Mordant Earl of Monmouth * Ralph Mountague Earl of Mountague * John Churchill Earl of Marlborow * Arthur Herbert Earl of Torrington * Richard Lumley Earl of Scarborough * Henry Booth Earl of Warrington Viscounts 9. Edward Devereux Viscount Hereford Francis Brown Viscount Mountague William Fiennes Viscount Say and Selc Francis Newport Viscount Newport Charles Townesend Viscount Townesend Thomas Thynne Viscount Weymouth Christopher Hatton Viscount Hatton Henry Sidney Viscount Sidney Henry Yelverton Vscount Longueville Barons 66. George Nevill Lord Abergaveny James Touchet Lord Audley Robert Bertie Lord Willoughby of Eresby John West Lord de la Ware Charles Berkely Lord Berkeley of Berkeley Thomas Parker Lord Morley Robert Shirley Lord Ferrers Charles Mildmay Lord Fitzwalter William Stourton Lord Stourton Ralph Eure Lord Eure. Philip Wharton Lord Wharton Thomas Willoughby Lord Willoughby of Parham William Paget Lord Paget Francis Howard Lord Howard of Effingham Charles North Lord North. James Bruges Lord Chandos Robert Carey Lord Hunsden Robert Sidney Lord Sidney of Penshurst Thomas Petre Lord Petre. Charles Gerard Lord Gerard. Henry Arundel Lord Arundel of Wardour Christopher Roper Lord Tenham Foulk Grevil Lord Brook Ford Gray Lord Gray John Lovelace Lord Lovelace John Pawlet Lord Pawlet William Maynard Lord Maynard Thomas Coventry Lord Coventry William Howard Lord Howard of Escrick Charles Mohun Lord Mohun Henry Herbert Lord Herbert of Cherbury Thomas Leigh Lord Leigh Thomas Jermin Lord Jermin William Byron Lord Byron John Vaughan Lord Vaughan Francis Carrington Lord Carrington William Widdrington Lord Widdrington Edward Ward Lord Ward John Culpeper Lord Culpeper Charles Boyle Lord Clifford of Lanesborough Robert Lucas Lord Lucas Henry Bellassise Lord Bellassise Edward Watson Lord Rockingham Robert Sutton Lord Lexington Marmaduke Langdale Lord Langdale John Berkeley Lord Berkeley of Stratton Charles Granvile Lord Granvile Francis Holles Lord Holles Charles Cornwallis Lord Cornwallis Thomas Crew Lord Crew John Arundel Lord Arundell of Trerice Hugh Clifford Lord Clifford of Chudleigh Peregrine Osborn Lord Osborn George
Clayton Kt. Borough of Rygate Sir John Parsons Kt. John Parsons Esq Borough of â—uilford Morgan Randyll Esq Foot Onslow Esq Borough of Gatton Sir John Thompson Bar. Thomas Turgis Esq Borough of Haslemere Geo. Rodeney Bridges Esq Denzill Onslow Esq Susser 20. Sir John Pelham Bar. Sir Will. Thomas Bar. City of Chichester Sir Thomas Miller Kt. Thomas May Esq Borough of Horsham John Machell Esq Thomas White Jun. Gent. Borough of Midhurst Sir William Morley Knight of the Bath John Lewkner Esq Borough of Lewes Thomas Pelham Esq Richard Bridger Esq Borough of Shoreham Sir Edward Hungerford Knight of the Bath John Pery Esq Borough of Bramber Nicholas Barbon Esq Dr. John Radcliffe Borough of Steyning Sir John Fagge Bar. Robert Fagge Esq Borough of East-Greensted The Honourable Thomas Sackvile Esq Sir Thomas Dyke Bar. Borough of Arundel William Morley Esq James Butler Esq Warwickshire 6. William Bromely Esq Andrew Archer Esq City of Coventry Richard Hopkins Esq John Stratford Esq Borough of Warwick The Right Honourable William Lord Digby William Colemore Esq Westmorland 4. The Right Honourable Sir John Lowther of Lowther Bar. Sir Christopher Musgrave of Musgrave Kt. and Bar. Borough of Appleby The Honourable William Cheyne Esq Charles Boyle Esq Wilthshire 34. The Right Honourable Edw. Viscount Cornbury Sir Walter S. John Bar. City of New Sarum Thomas Hoby Esq Thomas Pitt Esq Borough of Wilton Sir Richard Grubham How Kt. and Bar. Thomas Windham Esq Borough of Downton Sir Charles Raleigh Kt. Maurice Bockland Esq Borough of Hindon Robert Hide Esq Thomas Chaffyn Esq Borough of Westbury The Honourable Peregrine Bertie Esq Richard Lewys Esq Borough of Hytesbury William Ash Esq Will. Trenchard Esq Borough of Calne Henry Baynton Esq Henry Chivers Esq Borough of the Devizes Sir Tho. Fowles Kt. Walter Grubb Esq Borough of Chipenham Richard Kent Esq Alexander Popham Esq Borough of Malmesbury The Honourable Goodwin Wharton Esq Sir James Long Bar. Borough of Criclade Edmund Webb Esq Charles Fox Esq Borough of Great Bedwin The Right Honourable Anth. Viscount Falkland Sir Jonath Raymond Kt. Borough of Ludgersale Thomas Neale Esq John Deane Esq Borough of Old Sarum Sir Thomas Mompesson Kt. William Harvey Esq Borough of Wootton-Basset Henry St. John Esq John Wildman Jun. Esq Borough of Marlborough Sir John Ernle Kt. Sir George Willoughby Kt. Worcestershire 9. Sir John Packington Kt. Thomas Foley Esq City of Worcester Sir John Somers Kt. William Bromely Esq Borough of Droitwich The Right Honourableâ— Richard Earl of Bellemont â—hilip Foley Esq Borough of Evesham Sir James Rushout Bar. Edward Rudge Esq Borough of Bewdley Henry Herbert Esq Yorkshire 30. The Right Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax Sir Joyn Kay Bar. City of York Robert Waller Esq Henry Thompson Esq Town of Kingston upon Hull John Ramsden Esq Charles Osborne Esq Borough of Knaresborough William Stockdale Esq Thomas Fawkes Esq Borough of Scareborough Will. Thompson Esq Francis Thompson Esq Borough of Rippon Sir Edm. Jenings Kt. Sir Jonath Jenings Kt. Borough of Richmond Sir Mark Milbanck Bar. Theodore Bathurst Esq Borough of Heydon Henry Guy Esq Matth. Appleyard Esq Borough of Boroughbrig Sir Henry Goodrick Kt. and Bar. Sir Bryan Stapleton Borough of Malton Sir William Strickland Bar. William Palmes Esq Borough of Thriske Thomas Frankland Esq Richard Staines Esq Borough of Aldborough Sir Mich. Wentworth Kt. Christopher Tancred Esq Borough of Beverly Sir Michael Wharton Kt. William Gee Esq Borough of North-Allerton Sir William Robinson Bar. Thomas Lascells Esq Borough of Pontefract The Honourable Henry Dawney Esq Sir John Bland Bar. BARONS of the Cinque-Ports 16. Port of Hastings The Honourable John Beaumont Esq Peter Gott Esq Town of Winchelsea Sir Robert Austin Bar. Samuel Western Esq Town of Rye Sir John Austen Bar. Sir John Darrel Kt. Port of New Rumney Sir Charles Sidley Kt. John Brewer Esq Port of Hythe Sir Philip Butler Bar. Will. Brockman Esq Port of Dover Thomas Papillon Esq James Chadwick Esq Port of Sandwich John Thurbarne Serjeant at Law Edward Brent Esq Port of Seaford William Campion Esq Henry Pelham Esq WALES 24. Anglesey 2. The Right Honourable Rich. Viscount Bulkely Town of Beaumaris Thomas Bulkely Esq Brecon 2. Sir Rowland Gwyn Kt. Town of Brecon Jeossery Jeffreys Esq Cardigan 2. Sir Carbety Price Bar. Town of Cardigan Hector Philips Esq Carmarthen 2. Sir Rice Rudd Bar. Town of Carmarthen Richard Vaughan Esq Carnarvan 2. Sir Wil. Williams of Vaynal Bar. Town of Carnarvan Sir Robert Owen Kt. Denby 2. Sir Richard Middleton Bar. Town of Denby Edward Brereton Esq Flint 2. Sir Roger Puleston Kt. Town of Flint Thomas Whitley Esq Glamorgan 2. Bussey Mansel Esq Town of Cardiffe Thomas Mansell Esq Merioneth 1. Sir John Wynne Kt. and Bar. Montgomery 2. Edward Vaughan Esq Town of Montgomery Charles Herbert Esq Pembroke 3. Sir Hugh Owen Kt. Town of Haverford-west Sir William Wogan Kt. Town of Pembroke Arthur Owen Esq Radnor 2. Richard Williams Esq Town of New Radnor Robert Harley Esq In all 513. A List of the Lords and others of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council with the Clerks of the Council HIS Royal Highness Prince George Thomas Marquess of Camarthen Lord President Henry Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal Charles Duke of Bolton Robert Earl of Lindsey Lord Great Chamberlain of England William Earl of Devonshire Lord Steward Charles Earl of Dorset Lord Chamberlain Aubrey Earl of Oxford William Earl of Bedford Thomas Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery John Earl of Bath Charles Earl of Macclesfield Daniel Earl of Nottingham Secretary of State William Earl of Portland Thomas Earl of Faulconberg Charles Earl of Monmouth John Earl of Marlborough Richard Earl of Scarborough Henry Earl of Warrington Ralph Earl of Montague Henry Viscount Sidney Henry Lord Bishop of London Francis Lord Newport Marquess of Winchester Lord Chief Justice Holt. Sir Robert Howard Sir Henry Capel Sir Henry Goodrick Sir John Lowther Vice-Chamberlain Richard Hampden Esq Hugh Boscawen Esq Thomas Wharton Esq Comptroller of the King's Houshold Edward Russel Esq William Harbord Esq Henry Powle Esq Master of the Rolls Lords Commissioners of the Privy Seal William Cheyne Esq Sir John Knatchbull Bar. Sir William Palteney Kt. The Clerks of the Council Sir John Nicholas Kt. Mr. Blathwait Mr. Mountague Mr. Coleing A List of the Lords Commissioners and other Officers of the Court of Chancery The Lords Commissioners Sir John Trevor Knight Sir William Rawlinson Knight Sir Geo. Hutchins Knight Masters of Chancery Henry Powle Esq Master of the Rolls whose Sâ—cretary is Mr. John Rawlinson Sir William Child Sir John Hoskins Sir John Franklyn Sir Adam Oatley Sir Robert Legar Sir John Edgeburg Sir James Astrey Sir Miles Cook Roger Meredith Esq John Methwyn Esq Samuel Keck Esq The Six Clerks in Chancery Sir Rob. Marsham Kt. Sir W. Perkins Kr. â—hem Bridges Esq Littleton Powel Esq Rich. Garth Esq Basil Herne Esq The Cursitors Mr. Abraham Nelson Principal Mr. Mich. Terry Assistants Mr. Geo. Davies Assistants For Suffolk and
Weymouth and Melcomb Regis stand opposite to one another on each side the River Wey where it falls into the Sea But of the two Melcomb much surpasses Weymouth foâ— Conveniency of Situation and Buildings And yet abroad all goes now under the Name of Weymouth since they were both by Act of Parliament made but one Corporation and the Occasion of it thus These two Towns having for some time injoy'd alike the Priviledges and Immunities of the Haven lying in the bosom of them at last there arose a great Controversy between them And by their continual Suits they still wearied the Lords of the Council and the Judges till by an Act of Parliament in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth they were Incorporated into one Body to be governed by one Mayor with Aldermen and other Sub-Officers Upon which immediately they joyned themselves together by a fair Bridge of Timber now in being but stilâ— they send each of 'em two Burgesses to Parliament Lastly Weymouth is of some note besides for giving the Title of Viscount to the Right Honourable Tho. Thynne the present Viscount Weymouth Lime otherwise called Lime Regis is seated in the Borders next to Devonshire and is so named from a River of that Name which runâ— through the midst of the Town and falls into the Sea The Town is large and its Cobb 〈◊〉 safe Harbour Which being industriously made in the Sea for Ships to ride in is as carefully looked afer and kept in good repair This Place is noted most of all for the late Duke of Monmouth's Landing here with his small Force from Holland in the late Reign which brought him shortly after to his tragical End Near unto it is Charmouth a Village where the Danes did twice land their Forces when they came to subdue England Bridport East from Lime was a Town of good account in Edward the Confessor's Time 'T is seated low and dirty not above 2 miles from the Sea between two Rivers that meeting with a little Rill about a mile lower mix their Streams together and make a fit Place for a good Harbour as it was in former times But now 't is choakt up with Sands The Town however is still a good Market-Town and chiefly noted for Hemp. Insomuch that once 't was the only Place appointed for the twisting of Cordage and Ropes for the Navy of England as well in respect of the adjoyning Soil yielding great store of excellent Hemp as for the skill of the People in twisting it Pool a Haven-Town in the furthest East Parts of this County is so seated upon an Inâ—et of the Sea called Luckford Lake that 't is inclosed on all sides with it except Northward where it admits entrance only by one Gate This Town from a mean Hamlet consisting of a few Fishermens-Houses in the Reign of Edward III grew to be a Market Town of good Trade and by reason of its large and safe Harbour increased so that Henry VI. granted it the Priviledge of a Haven and licensed the Mayor to wall it in Then began the Inhabitants to abound in Wealth who to free themselves from Subjection to the County purchased the Priviledge of 〈◊〉 County But now it has lost much of its former glory In this Haven the Sea contrary to all other Parts in England ebbs and flows 〈◊〉 times in 24 hours Viz. first at a South-East and North-West Moon and the seconâ— time at a South-by-East and a North-by-Weâ—â— Moon Warham is seated on the West of and opposite to Pool at the Influx of the Frome anâ— Biddle into Luckford Lake Where it had 〈◊〉 good Harbour for Ships with all the Advantages of a strong Wall defended by a Castle and of rich Inhabitants Till being crushed by the frequent Shocks of ill Fortune nothing oâ— its ancient Glory remained but the Shadow its Castle being wholly ruinated its Haveâ— choaked up and most of its Churches pulleâ— down and demolished Shaftsbury an Inland Town lies in the Northern Verge of this County and near thâ— Borders of Wiltshire It stands lofty upon a high Hill in the form of a full-bent Bow where it injoys not only a serene and healthfuâ— Air but also a large and delightful Prospectâ— Here Canute the first Danish King that swayed the English Scepter ended his Days Iâ— its flourishing Time it had ten Parish Churches now reduced to three to which belong abouâ— 500 Houses built of free Stone with which the Hill abounds It s Market which is kept on Saturdays is very considerable for moâ—â— sorts of Provisions and far exceeding all the adjacent Market Towns Lastly in the Reigâ— of Charles the Second it was honoured in giving the Title of Earl to that sagacious Statesman Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury since devolved by his death to his eldest Son and Heir the Right Honourable Anthony Ashâ—ey Cooper the present Earl of Shaftsbury Sturminster Blandford and Wimborn-minster are all three seated on the River Stowr Over which Sturminster has a fair Stone-bridge leading to Newton a noted Place for the remains of an ancient Castle near adjoyning which was the Seat of the West-Saxon Kings Blandford is a fair large and well compacted Town well inhabited and neighboured with Gentry Wimborn-Minster is seated in a â—ertile Soil and is pretty well frequented and â—nhabited But t is a Town of more antiquity â—han beauty Cranborn and Sherburn are also Towns of great â—ntiquity The first seated near the Spring of a River that runs into the Stowr and having a Chase which extends it self almost to Salisbury Sherborn on the Ill is fairly seated and well watered 'T is divided into two Parts that which lies near the Castle which is old and in part ruinated being called the Castle-Town Middleton Cerne-Abbas and Frampton do not â—y far asunder All three but mean and the first two being old Abby-Towns considerable only by their Antiquity But of the two Câ—rne-Abbas has the advantage being seated in a dry bottom watered with a fine Rivulet and in a Champain Country affording great delight both for the Hawk and Hound Frampâ—on is likewise pleasantly seated upon a good River which affords plenty of Fish and amongst them excellent Trouts In this County is a noted Castle called Lulworth Castle being counted the best Seat in the whole County either for Situation or Beauty The same has a very fair Prospect into the Sea and a large Park about it well furnished with Deer and has been sometimes honoured with the presence of our Kings in their Western Progresses Of Portland and Purbeck I should now have done with Dorsetshire but that it were improper to leave it so without taking notice of its two Peninsules which generally go by the name of Islands And those two are Portland and Purbeck Portland is that Tract of Ground which runs South from Weymouth some miles into the Sea A Place of great strength both by Nature and Art being surrounded with inaccessible Rocks except at the very Place of Landing where stands a strong Castle
the very first Inabitants of all it may be made a Question and such as can scarce be solved Therefore that wise Roman Historian Tacitus puts it off with an Ignoramus Qui Mortales says he Initio coluerint parum compertum est As to the Original of the Britains themselves Caesar proves them to be derived from the Gauls by their Agreeableness in their Making Speech Manners Laws and Customs A rude and illiterate Nation whose Learning such as it was was all lockt up in the breasts of the Druids their Priests who communicated what they knew to none but those of their own Order and by that means kept the People much like the Papists of our Days in continual Ignorance of their sacred Mysteries The Romans began the Conquest of this People under the Emperor Claudius about the middle of the first Century and compleated it in the time of Domitian as far at least as the Frythes of Edenburgh and Dunbarton in Scotland unwilling to venture further where there was nothing to be got but blows cold and hunger For as to Julius Caesar he rather discovered than conquered England and his three next Successors Augustus Tiberius and Caligula made no Attempt upon it So that we cannot properly reckon the Conquest of England but from the Empire oâ— Claudius Uncle to Caligula Thus the Britains continued subject to the Romans about 400 Years after Christ till the Reign of Honorius When Italy being invaded by the Goths the Romans abandoned Britain to defend their own Country After the Romans were departed under whose Protection and easy Government the Britains lived comfortably they soon became a Prey to the Picts and Saxons but chiefly tâ— the Saxons who never left off teazing of thâ— Britains till these quitted the Stage and retired beyond the Severn into Wales Thus England came to be wholly possessed by a new Nation that is an aggregate Body of many People amongst the Germans who came hither to try their fortune After the Saxons came the Danes the next considerable and the most cruel Actors on the Stage of England Who in the time of Egbert the Saxon Monarch that is in the Ninth Century first invaded this Country and so exercised the patience of his Posterity till at last they overpowred them and got the Kingdom to themselves But then the Saxons and Danes lived together mixed in Marriages and Alliance and so made one Nation consisting of Saxons and Danes At last in the eleventh Century the Normans a Northern People of France came in with their Duke William Who in one Battel got his pretended Right to the Crown of England and from a single Victory the Title of Conquerour Now the Normans mixing as they did with the Body of this Nation we may say that the English Bloud at this day is a Mixture chiefly of Saxon Dane and Norman not without a Tincture of British and Romish Blood And as the Country is temperate and moist so the English have naturally the advantage of 〈◊〉 clear Complexion not Sindged as in hot Climates nor Weather-beaten as in cold Regions The generality of a comely Stature graceful Countenance well-featured grayyed and brown-haired But for Talness and Strength the Western People exceed all the â—est The Women generally more handsom than in other Places and without Sophistications sufficiently indowed with natural beauties In an absolute Woman say the Italians are required the Parts of a Dutch-Woman from the Waste downwards of a French-Woman from the Waste up to the Shoulders and over them an English Pace Therefore an English-Woman makes one of the six Things wherein England excels comprehended in this Latine Verse Anglia Mons Pons Fons Ecclesia Foemina Lana That is to say For Mountains Bridges Rivers Churches fair Women and Wool England is past Compare In short there is no Country in Europe where Youth is generally so charming Men so proper and well proportioned and Women so beautiful The Truth is this Happiness is not only to be attributed to the Clemency of the Air. Their easy Life undeâ—â—â—e best of Governments which saves them from the Drudgery and Hardship of other Nations has a great hand in it And the Experience of a Neighbouring People shew's us sufficiently there 's nothing more destructive of good Complexion than that Monster of Slavery A fit Subject therefore for that Sex which is so tender of Beauty to chew upon The English Temper is naturally sutable to their Climate They are neither so fiery aâ— the French nor so cold as the Northern People better tempered for Counsel than thâ— first for Execution than the last A happy temper besides for all sorts of Learning The generality of them reserved and wary not apt to communicate but with their best and serious Acquaintances And as their Friendship is not easily gained so when once got 't is not easily lost The Mischief is that by their different Interests both in Civil Matters and Points of Religion they are apt to be divided into Factions which takes off very much from their Happiness After so great a Deliverance as they were lately blessed with who would have thought that there should be now a Party tho inconsiderable which repineth at it And that a Protestant Party who like the Israelites have a lingering Mind after the Onions of Egypt Brought as they are out of Captivity by the wounderful hand of Providence into a happy state of Liberty they grumble and weary of their happiness seem willing to exchange their Moses for a Pharaoh Were none but they concerned in the Change 't is pity but they should have it and be crushed into Common Sense They put me in mind of those silly Women in Moscovy which according to Olearius fancy their Husbands love them best that whip 'em most For Courage I cannot but say this for the English That Death the King of Terrours is â—o where so affronted as it is amongst them Whether I look upon those that die privately in their Beds or publickly upon a Scaffold or Gibet I see so much Unconcernedness that 't is a wonder how a Nation that lives in so much case should value their Lives so little In point of Fighting 't is true they are not altogether so hasty as the French to fight out a single Quarâ—el But 't is not so much for want of Courage as out of respect to the Laws which are severe upon those that break the Peace For upon a publick Account when Men fight with Authority no Nation shew's more forwardness As they are a free People their Spirits are accordingly averse from Slavery and as greedy of Glory Their Fore fathers Exploits which by oral Tradition and reading of Histories they are generally pretty well acquainted with adds much to their Courage But especially the Notion of their Conquest of France is so universally spread all over the Nation and their Antipathy against the French so great and universal that one may reasonably expect a good Success from their first Attempt
upon France when Opportunity shall serve For desperate Attempts no Nation like the English either by Sea or Land If they be bent upon Fighting they go to it undaunted without telling the Number or valuing the Strength of their Enemies With this bold and undaunted Courage not common with other Nations they have sometimes outdone the very Romans themselves and for this I appeal particularly to the History of France where with a hand-full of Men they have routed and defeated the bravest Armies 'T is true they were at last expelled from thence buâ— their Expulsion was not so much the Fruit oâ— the French Valour as the Effect of our Divisions So redoubted they were afterwards iâ— France that in the Wars between Charles VIII and the Duke of Bretagne the Duke to strikâ— a Terrour amongst the French apparelled 150â— of his own Subjects in the Arms and Cross 〈◊〉 England But it proved as the Ass when 〈◊〉 had on the Lions Skin For a further Proof of the English Valour I might recount their Victories of old over the Irish Scots Cypriots and Turks And Spain it self has sufficiently experienced both by Sea and Land the English Valour to its cost but by Sea especially Witness the Battel Anno 1588. where Q. Elizabeth with a few Ships vanquished the Spanish Fleet which for the greatness of it was called Invincible Sir Francis Drake the Year before that had with four Ships only took from the Spaniard one Million and 189200 Ducats in one Voyage And afterwards with 25 Ships he awed the Ocean sacked S. Jago S. Dominico and Carthagena carrying away with him besides Treasure 240 Pieces of Ordnance Sr. Richard Greenvile Captain of one of the Queens Ships called the Revenge with 180 Souldiers whereof 90 were disabled with Sickness maintained a Sea-fight for 24 hours against an incredible Number of the Spanish Galleons sunk four of the greatest and killed several thousands of their Men. Till at last her Powder being spent to the last Barrel she yielded upon honourable Terms yet was never brought into Spain To this I shall add the famous Adventure of John Oxenham an Englishman one of the Followers of Sr. Francis Drake in the West Indies Where being landed in a small Barque with 70 of his Companions a little above Nombre de Dios in the Isthmus of Panama he drew his Barque on Land covered it with Boughs and marched over the Land with his Company guided by Negroes till he came to a River There he cut down Wood to make him a Pinnace wherewith he entred the South Sea and went to the Isle of Pearls About which Island in few days he surprized two Spanish Ships with an incredible Treasure of Gold and Silver and so returned in safety to the Land An Adventure not to be forgotten and recorded by Spanish Writers with much admiration so bold was the Attempt so strange the Success and so prodigious the Booty These Things I thought fit to record now this is a Time for Action We have a great Enemy to incounter with the Irish but only great by their Numbers 'T is but fighting with Cyphers But with the French there is both Laurels and Booty to be got And if the English Souldiery will but seriously reflect how much this Nation has been in the late Reigns abused and undermined by Them whose Masters they were formerly I doubt not but with Gods Blessing and their natural Courage under the Conduct of a magnanimous King and of a great General they will right themselves and be a glorious Instrument for the setling the Peace of Europe upon a sure and lasting Foundation The Character of Pride which Scaliger gives the English Nation * Scaliger de Re Poetica Lib. 3. Cap. 16. when he calls them Inflatos Contemptores is a Character common to most Nations but to none so well adapted as to his own For the French like the Romans of old look upon most other Nations as barbarous and count themselves the most accomplished I confess they have great many good Qualifications but this presumptuous Conceit spoils all And all Things being considered if the English have a little Pride it is perhaps the best grounded of any Nation Cruelty and Barbarity which the same Author charges 'em with when he calls them Inhospitales Immanes is a meer Phantasm of his own 'T is true the English are not so fawning as the French upon Strangers because they can make better shift without them but I hope they don't want common Civility They have indeed some thing of a natural Antipathy against the French as there is to this day betwixt the French and the Spaniards Yet when the French Protestants fled to them for Refuge in the late Persecution the strength of their Charity overcame their Nature They laid aside their inbred Prejudices and forthwith made it their business to relieve them as Brethren who suffered for their Religion How moderate they have been towards the plotting Papists I leave the World to judge Had the Huguenots of France plotted against the Government there as the Papists have done here ever since the Reformation what do you think could have expiated their Crime Nothing but a quick and general Massacre such as they suffered under Charles IX without the least Provocation The late Experience tells us what Spirit of Cruelty has possessed the French when upon the Kings Protestant Subjects utmost Submission to him in Civil Matters and his most solemn and sacred Ingagements to preserve their Liberties this very Prince whom they had lifted upon the Throne with the expence of their Bloud contrary to Equity and the Laws of the Land to his Oaths and Promises and to the Rules of Gratitude and Humanity let them loose to the Cruelty of his Apostolick Dragoons by whom they were crushed persecuted and used beyond the Barbarity of the very Heathens themselves But in England as obnoxious as the Catholicks are to the Government â—â—d liable to the lash of the Law still they are tole â—â—ted and connived at almost beyond measure Were Scaliger alive what could he say to all this How could he answer the late cruel Burnings and Devastations the French made in Germany contrary to the Rules of War and the very Practice of the most barbarous Nations And what could he say to their genteel Way of Poysoning wherein they have been of late so dexterous and the English so dull But to clear further the English from that foul Imputation of Cruelty and Barbarity if we look upon their Plantations abroad who more courteous and gentle than this Nation If we inspect their Proceedings against Malefactors no Nation in the World shews so much humanity or proceeds with more equity The barbarous Use of Racks apt to extort Confession right or wrong is absolutely laid aside amongst us Nothing but the Prisoners unforced Confession or the Deposition of Witnesses upon Oath made out with good Circumstances will take a Mans Life away The Breaking on the Wheel
the Reputation of their Monastery and makes it highly probable that S. Paul rather than S. Peter as others would have it was the first Founder of a Church in this Island But by reason of Persecutions or for want of a supply of Preachers Christianity did not flourish here till the Reign of Lucius the British King and the first Christian King in Europe Of whose imbracing Christianity the learned Bishop gives this Account from the Testimony of ancient Writers that the was first inclined thereto by the Persuasion of Eluanus and Eduinus two British Christians who were probably imploy'd to convince him But being workt upon on the other side by his Druids he would not come to any Resolution till he had sent to Rome for his further Satisfaction and to know how far the British Christians and those of Rome agreed Elentherus was then Bishop of Rome and the twelfth from the Apostles To whom he sent the foresaid Eluanus and Meduinus about the Year 180 presuming as he might reasonably then that the Christian Doctrine was there truly taught at so little distance from the Apostles and in a Place whither a Resort was made from all Parts because of its being the Imperial City For there was then no Imagination of S. Peter's having appointed the Head of the Church there nor a long time after in the British Churches as appears by the Contest of the British Bishops with Augustine the Monk King Lucius being satisfied upon the Return of his Embassadors from Rome imbraced the Christian Faith and received the Baptism So that by the piety of his Example and the diligence of the first Preachers Christianity soon spread over his Dominions and sometime after over all the Island And then the Britains had Bishops of their own without any Juridical Dependency from the See of Rome the British Church continuing a distinct and independent Church from all others But when the Heathen Saxons came to be possessed of this Part of the Island and the Natives forced to take shelter amongst the Mountains of Wales the Christian Faith fled with them and this Country was again darkened with Heathenism Till about the Year 596. Austin the Monk was sent by Pope Gregory the Great to preach the Gospel here By whose Diligence and Zeal the Work prospered so well that all the Saxons were by degrees converted to the Christian Faith and Austin made the first Arcsh-bishop of Canterbury but with a subjection to the Church of Rome Thus as the Errours crept on in the Roman the British Church grew infected with them and continued subject to the Power and Errours of Rome till King Henry VIII laid the Ground for a Reformation by his resuming the Power of the Christian British Kings his ancient Predecessors and removing by virtue of it the forfeited Primacy of Rome to the See of Canterbury But 't is Observable withall that this Ejection of the Pope's Authority was not done as in other Nations tumultuously and by the Power of the People but by the Counsel and Advice of godly and learned Divines assembled in Convocation by the King's Authority and ratified by the Three States in Parliament Thus the ancient Dignity and Supremacy of the Kings of England being restored and the Subjects delivered from the Spiritual Tyranny of the Pope of Rome the King and Clergy took this Occasion to inquire into and reform the great Abuses and Errours crept into the Church Whose Method in this Work begun in Henry's Reign and brought to perfection in his next Successor's Time Dr. Heylin sets forth in these Words The Architects says he in this great Work without respect unto the Dictates of Luther or Calvin looking only on God's Word and the Primitive Patterns abolished such Things as were repugnant unto either but still retained such Ceremonies in God's publick Worship as were agreeable to both and had been countenanced by the Practice of the Primitive Times A Point wherein they did observe a greater Measure of Christian Prudence and Moderation than their Neighbour Churches Which in a meer detestation of the See of Rome allowed of nothing which had formerly been in use amongst them because defiled with Popish Errors and Abuses utterly averting thereby those of the Papal Party from joyning with them in the Work or coming over to them when the Work was done Whereas had they continued an allowable Correspondency in these Extrinsecals of Religion with the Church of Rome their Party in the World had been far greater and not so much stomached as it is And this Opinion of his he backs with the Sentiment of the Marquess de Rhosne in this point after Duke of Sully and Lord High Treasurer of France one of the chief Men of the Reformed Party there Who being sent Embassador to King James from Henry IV. King of France admired the Decency of Gods publick Service in the Church of England Three Things principally are to be considered in point of Religion viz. The Doctrine the Manner of publick Worship and the Church Government As for the Doctrine of the Church of England 't is the same in all Points with other Reformed Churches as it appears by her Confession of Faith contained in the 39 Articles The Manner of publick Worship differs in nothing from them but in the Excellency of it So many admirable Prayers the English Liturgy contains sutable to all Occasions digested in a plain Evangelical Style without Rhetorical Raptures which are fitter for a designing Orator than an humble Addresser to the Mercy-Seat of God In short there is nothing wanting in the Church of England in order to Salvation She uses the Word of God the Ten Commandments the Faith of the Apostles the Creeds of the Primitive Church the Articles of the four first General Councils an excellent Liturgy the Administration of the Sacraments and all the Precepts and Counsels of the Gospel She attributes all Glory to God worships his most holy Name and owns all his Attributes She adores the Trinity in Unity the Unity in Trinity She teaches Faith and Repentance the Necessity of good Works the strictness of a holy Life and an humble Obedience to the Supreme Power Charity which is the grand Mark of the true Church is so essential to this that she do's not ingross Heaven to her self so as to damn all others into Hell For the publick Service and Worship of God she has Places Times Persons and Revenues set apart for that purpose and an uninterrupted Succession of Bishops to ordain Priests and Deacons and do all other Duties iucumbent to that Dignity Happy were it for England if all its Subjects would live in the Communion of this Church and not separate from it which is 〈◊〉 Thing more to be wished than hoped for But such is the designing and ambitious Spirit of Popery to weaken the Church of England ever since the Reformation lookt upon as the chiefest Bulwark against Popery that it has caused all our Distractions in order to fish
Ireland as a Name more sacred and replete with Majesty But the English never made a full and entire Conquest of that Kingdom till the latter end of Queen Elizabeths Reign upon the great Defection of the Irish Which ended in a total Overthrow of the Rebels then under the Conduct of Hugh O Neal Earl of Tiroen and the consequence of it according to the Rule That every Rebellion when 't is suppressed does make the Prince stronger and the Subjects weaker Which I hope will be the effect of the present Rebellion in that Kingdom But besides Great Britain and Ireland the King of England is possessed of Jersey Garnsey Alderney and Sark four Islands of good note especially the two first on the Coast of Normandy in France The same are holden in right of that Dukedom which was Conquered by Henry I of England and continued English till the Days of King John when Philip II of France surnamed Augustus seized on all the Estates the English had in France as Forfeitures Anno 1202. And since the French seized upon Normandy they have often attempted Jersey and Garnsey but always with repulse and loss So affectionate are the People to the English Government and jealous of the Priviledges they injoy under it which they could not hope for from the French In America the King of England is possessed of New-England Virginia Mary-Land New York Pensylvania Carolina and Hudsons-Bay Besides many noted Islands as New-found Land Jamaica Bermudos Barbados and amongst the Leeward Islands Nevis Antego Montserat Anguilla c. In Asia he has the Isle of Bombay near Goa which was Part of the present Queen Dowagers Portion besides Conveniencies for Traffick in India China and the Levant The same he has upon the Coast of Africk The King of England has a Claim besides to the Sovereignty of all the Seas round about Great Britain and Ireland and all the Isles adjacent even to the Shores of all the Neighbouring Nations Therefore all Foreiners Ships have anciently demanded Leave to Fish and to pass in these Seas and to this day lower their Top-Sails to all the Kings Ships of War Our Law faith the Sea is of the Liegeance of the King as well as the Land And accordingly Children born upon our four Seas as sometimes it does happen are accounted natural born Subjects of the King of England without being naturalized The King of England has moreover a Title to the Kingdom of France First Challenged by King Edward III as Son and Heir of Isabel the Daughter of King Philip the Fair and Sister of Lewis IX Philip V and Charles the Fair who reigned successively and died without Issue Male. To prosecute which Title he entred into France with an Army took upon him the Title of King of France and caused the Flower de luces to be quartered with the Lions of England which has been continued ever since amongst all his Successors The French opposing his Title by virtue of a pretended Salique Law disabling Women from the Succession to the Crown he overthrew in two great Battels with a small Force under the Conduct of the incomparable Edward the Black Prince his Son Duke of Aquitain Those were the Battels of Cressy and Poitiers the first being fought Anno 1343 in the Reign of Philip VI surnamed de Valois and that of Poitiers in the Reign of his Son King John who was taken Prisoner with Philip his Son and brought over into England But such is the Vicissitude of Humane Affairs that the English soon after lost all they had got in these Wars Calais excepted For Charles V of France the Son of John proved too hard for Richard II of England one of our unfortunate Kings the next Successor of King Edward III and his Grandson by Edward the Black Prince But Henry V his next Successor but one did so far pursue the Title of France that he won it after he had won the great Battle of Agincourt which happened Anno 1415. The Opportunity was great whether we consider the Weakness and distracted Condition of Charles VI then King of France or the very Distraction of the Kingdom at that time occasioned by the Faction of Burgundy against that of Orleans So that being sought to for Peace he granted it with these Conditions that upon his Marriage with the Lady Catharine Daughter to King Charles he should be made Regent of France during Charles his Life and after the Death of Charles the Crown of France and aâ—â— its Rights should remain to King Henry and his Heirs for ever which was agreed to â—n â—oth sides And though Henry did not live â—o possess the Kingdom yet his Son Henry VI â—ad the fortune to be Crowned King of France in Paris which he held during the life of his Uncle John of Bedford anâ— Humfrey of Gloâ—ester After whose Deaths he not only lost France to the French but England and his Life to the Yorkish Faction Thus Charles VII Son of Charles VI after 〈◊〉 long and bloody War recovered from the English then divided at Home all their Possessions in France except Calais Which last remained under the English till Queen Maries Reign and was taken from her by Henry II of France And ever since Things have remained much in the same Posture the Kings of England with the Title to France and the French Kings with the Possession Nay we have had two Kings of late so passionately inamoured with the present French King that far from attempting to take the least Flower of his Crown from him have promoted his Greatness and encouraged his Rapines and unjust Usurpations The Scope whereof at last appeared to be no less than the Inslaving this Nation with the Assistance of France and far from raising the Glory of the English to make them an Object of Scorn and Contempt to the World But now we are blest with a wise just and magnanimous King three Vertues that have been long absent from the Throne of England we may hope shortly to see France if not Conquered again at least so humbled and weakened that it shall not be in her power to insult and incroach upon her Neighbours as she has in our Time to the Ruin and Desolation of the best Part of Europe 'T was a notable if not Prophetick Answer which an Englishman made to a French Officer who after the English had lost France asked him in a scoffing manner When they would return thither Wheâ— your Sins says he â—â—re greater than ours As baâ— as this Nation 〈◊〉 been 't is apparent the French have far outdone us in their Pride and Lewdness Cruelties and Usurpations So that I hope from the Disposition of the present Affairs of Europe the Time is come for France to give an Account thereof to God and Man I come now to the King of England's Titles which run thus at present joyntly with Queen Mary William and Mary by the Grace of God King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland
Rate 3 Rate  s. d s. d. s. d. Capt. 15 00 12 00 10 00 Lieut. 03 00 03 00 02 06  4 Rate 5 Rate 6 Rate Capt. 07 06 06 00 05 00 Lieut. 02 06     The Lieutenants of the fifth and sixth Rate Ships are paid by the Month and so are all others belonging to the Ships Now you must know that in the several Rates there is a Proportion greater or lesser of some sort of Officers As in a first Rate Ship 6 Master's Mates and Pilots in a second 4 and in a third 3 in a fourth and fifth 2 in a sixth 1. Quarter-Masters 4 in all Rates except the fifth and sixth which have but 2 each Quarter-Master's Mates 4 in the first and second Rates 2 in the third and fourth 1 in the fifth and sixth Boatswains Mates 2 in the first and but 1 in â—he rest Yeomen of Sheets 4 in the first and second Rates 2 in the third and fourth that is in each of them Gunners Mates 2 in the first and second and but 1 in each of the rest Quarter-Gunners 4 in the first second and third 1 in each of the rest Carpenters-Mates 2 in the first and second 1 in each of the rest Ordinary or Crew 9 in the first 6 in the second 4 in the third 3 in the fourth 1 in each of the fifth and sixth Midshipmen 8 in the first 6 in the second 4 in the third 3 in the fourth 2 in the fifth and 1 in the sixth For the Building Repairing and Cleaning of their Majesties Ships there are six great Yards where they are usually laid up Viz. Chatham Deptsord Woolwich Harwich Sheerness and Portsmouth Fitted with several Docks Wharfs Lanches and Graving places always furnished with great Quantities of Timber and other Materials having convenient Store-houses with vast Quantities of Cables Rigging Sails Blocks and other sorts of Stores with great Rope-Yards to make Cables and all sorts of Cordage for the Navy In those Yards are imployed divers Officers the principal whereof are as follow with their Yearly Salaries Viz.  l. A Clerk of the Checque 245 A Store-Keeper 260 A Master Attendant 124 His Assistant 80 A Master Shipwright 133 His Assistants each 70 Clerk of the Survey 160 Note that the Charges of the Clerks and Inâ—â—ruments are included in their Salaries All these are under the Direction and Management of the Navy Office kept in the Crouched Friars London Where the whole Business concerning the King's Ships is managed by four principal Officers and four Commissioners of the Navy besides other Commissioners for Victualling the Navy The four principal Officers are the Treasurer Câ—mptroller Surveyor and Clerk of the Acts. The Treasurer's Office is to pay the Charges of the Navy out of the Exchequer having first a Warrant for the Mony from the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury and for the Payment thereof another Warrant from the principal Officers of the Navy His Allowance is 3000 l. a Year The Comptroller's Office is to attend and comptroll all Payments of Wages He is likewise to know all the Mâ—rket Rates of all Stores for Shipping to audit and examine all Treasurers Victuallers and Store-Keepers Accounts His Salary is 500 l. per Annum and his Assistants 400. The Surveyor's Business is to know the state of all Stores and see their Wants supplied to survey the Hulls Masts and Yards and have their Defects repaired at reasonable rates What Stores the Boatswains and Carpenters receive in order to a Voyage he is to charge them with by Indenture and at their return to state and audit their Accounts His Salary is 400 l. a Year The Clerk of the Acts is to record all Orders Contracts Bills Warrants c. relating to the Navy and his Salary is 500 l. pen Annum Amongst the four Commissioners one's Province is to Comptroll the Victualler's Accounts another's the Accounts of the Store-keepers of the Yards and the two others have the managing of Their Majesties Navy the one at Chatham and the other at Portsmouth The Salary of each is 500 l. Both the principal Officers and Commissioners hold their Places by Patent under the Great Seal of England and have Clerks allowed to each of them with respective Salaries for the Dispatch of Business The Commissioners for Victualling the Navy are commonly four and their Salary is each 400 l. a Year Lastly the Navy-Office is subordinate to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty as they execute the Office of the Lord High Admiral of England of whose Power and great Priviledges I have already spoken amongst the Great Officers of the Crown For transacting of Maritime Affairs they keep a Court called the Court of Admiralty of which in my Third Part. By virtue of their Place they appoint in divers Parts of the Kingdom several Vice-Admirals with their Judges and Marshals by Patent under the Great Seal of the High Court of Admiralty Now there are 17 of these Vice-Admiralties in England besides 2 in Wales Those in England are Chester Parts Cornwal North Parts Cornwal South Parts Devonshire Dorset Durham Northum berland Westworland and Cumberland Essex Glocester Kent Lancaster Lincoln Norfolk Somerset Southampton or Hampshire Suffolk Sussex York In Wales there 's but two Vice-Admiralties one in the North and the other in the South Parts of Wales To reflect upon what is past relating to our Naval Force this I confess was much weakened by the late King Charles his strange Neglect of Shipping and Seamen to the great discredit and damage of this Nation Then and not till then the French grew upon us and grew like a Weed so fast that they have been ever since a great Discouragement and Obstruction to our English Trade To see those Sea-Mushrooms the French dare be so bold as to crow over the English who would not have Imployed them for Swabbers some Years since 't were enough to inrage a sensible Nation But if one may guess at future Events from the present Disposition of Things I am apt to think this prodigious Gallicinium or Crowing of the French King is a Presage of his Fall And without Inquiring into the secret Causes of the late unusual and wonderful Tameness of our Fleet which gave him the satisfaction to rove a while undisturbed in our Seas now such Measures are taken as will in all probability make him lower his Top-sail As for Tourville his Admiral 's Exploit at Tingâ—nouth 't is such as deserves Derision more than a Triumph Tingmouth a small open and obscure Place the Resort of a few Fishermen who had there some Thatched Houses was wonderfully Stormed and irresistibly Burnt by this Victorious Fleet. Which flushed with this great Expedition and its happy Come-off in the Sea-fight sailed few Days after with flying Colours for Brest Brest which expected great Spoils from the British Shore and some Return for Millions expended to make this proud Appearance at Sea wondered to see nothing but their Fleet come
not to be made up by new Creations but be suffered to diminish as appears by their Patent And yet the very Founder King James I transgressed the first his Rule by creating 203. Charles his next Successor made 455. But King Charles II outdid them both by creating near upon 900 during his Reign At this time there are reckoned above 700 living Sir Nicholas Bacon of Suffolk was the first Baronet created whose Successor is therefore stiled Primus Baronettorum Angliae No Honour is ever to be created between Barons and Baronets As for the other two Degrees of Knighthood they are but Personal and not Hereditary so that the Honour dies with the Person Knighted and descends not to his Son Knights of the Bath are so called from their Bathing the Night before the Creation within the Lists of the Bath The first of this sort were made by Henry IV but now they are usually made at the Coronation of a King or Queen or Creation of a Prince of Wales They wear a Scarlet Ribbon Belt-wise and take place of Knights Batchelours but come after Baronets There are but a few Knights of this Order Knights Batchelours are the lowest sort of Knights and the most common Anciently this Degree was in greater esteem than it is at the present when it was only conferred upon Sword-men for their military Service who from the Gilt Spurs usually put upon them were called in Latine Equites Aurati Whereas now a days this Honour is also bestowed upon Gown-men viz. Lawyers and Physicians And all the Ceremony used in their Creation is their Kneeling down before the King and His Majesties lightly touching them on the shoulder with a naked Sword Anciently there was another Sort of Knights now disused I mean the Knights Bannerets who were Knighted in the Field This Order was accounted very honourable had the precedency of the Knights of the Bath and bore their Arms with Supporters which was not allowed to any under this Degree Next to Knights are the Esquires so called from the French Escuyer this from the Latine Scutiger which Name was given of old to him that attended a Knight in time of War and carried his Shield Whereas Esquire with us is a meer Title of Dignity next to and below a Knight and signifies a Gentleman or one that beareth Arms as a Testimony of his Nobility and Gentry They who by right claim this Title now are all the younger Sons of Noblemen and by the Common Law of England their very eldest Sons are Esquires and no more Next are the Esquires of the King's Body the eldest Sons of Noblemens younger Sons Knights eldest Sons and their elder Sons for ever Next Esquires created by the King by putting about their Necks a Collar of S's and bestowing on them a pair of Silver Spurs Those that are reputed or lookt upon as equal to Esquires tho none of them be really so are several Magistrates and Officers in the King's Court as Judges Sergeants at Law Sheriffs Mayors Justices of the Peace Counsellors at Law and the principal Commanders of an Army So Heads of Houses in the Universities Doctors of Law Physick and Musick usually take place next to Knights and before ordinary Gentlemen Lastly Gentlemen are properly such as are descended of a good Family bearing a Coat of Arms without any particular Title And these we call Gentlemen born But Use has so far stretched the signification of this Word both high and low that every Nobleman nay the King himself may be called a Gentleman And on the other side any one that without a Coat of Arms has either a liberal or genteel Education that looks Gentleman-like whether he be so or not and has wherewithall to live freely and handsomely is by the Courtesy of England usually called a Gentleman Others by their Offices are lookt upon as such particularly most of the King 's Menial Servants and the principal Officers in Noble-mens Families c. The Military Profession which has been always counted Noble seems to give the very meanest Professors of it a Title to this Quality But it is more particularly adapted to two distinct Bodies of the King's Guards the one called Gentlemen Pensioners who gard his Person within Doors and the other the Gentlemâ—n of the Guard by whom is meant his Body of Horse Guards who gard the Kings Person on horseback without Doors As in Germany all Noblemens so in England all Gentlemens Arms descend to all the Sons alike Only the eldest Son bears Arms without difference which the younger may not Besides above 700 Knights Baronets and the few Knights of the Bath there are reckoned to this day above 1400 ordinary Knights and 6000 Esquires and Gentlemen whose younger Brothers in all may make up at least 12000 all over England And the Land in the Possession of them all has been computed to amount at least to four Millions yearly The Law of England which is so Favourable to the Nobility has not a proportionable Regard for the Gentry For whether they be Knights Esquires or Gentlemen they are all reckoned by law even Noblemens Sons amongst the Commons of England So that the eldest Son of a Duke though by the Courtesy of England stiled an Earl shall be Arraigned if charged with a Crime by the Title of Esquire only and tried by a Jury of Common Free-holders In Parliament he can sit only in the House of Commons if elected unless he be called by the King 's Writ to the House of Lords Knights are distinguished in England by the Title of Sir prefixt to their Christen names And Gentlemen have no other Title but that of Master when spoken of and that of Sir when spoken to But if one writes to an Esquire the Direction ought to be thus as To Thomas Whitfield Esquire The Epithet of Honourable is usually given to any Knight Esquire or Gentleman distinguished by some eminent and personal Worth CHAP. XXI Of the Commonalty of England BY the Commonalty I mean Yeomen Merchants Artificers Tradesmen Mariners and all others getting their Livelyhood after a Mechanick Way Yeomen are such amongst the Commonalty who having Land of their own to a good value Keep it in their own hands husband it themselves and live with their Families upon it They are therefore by the Law called Freeholders because they hold Lands or Tenements Inheritable by a perpetual Right to them and their Heirs for ever Their Number is great in England and many of them have Estates fit for Gentlemen Forty or Fifty pounds a Year is veâ—â—â—ordinary 100 or 200 l. a Year in some Counties is not rare in Kent there are those who have 1000 l. and some more per Annum Which is not easy to be found amongst Men of this Rank any where else in Europe And whereas Husbandry is commonly lookt upon as the most innocent Life and the freest from the Corruption and Cheats that attend other Professions therefore the Law of England has a better
in Trial of Heresy which toucheth a Mans Life If a Clergy-man Kills his Bishops or Ordinary the Law looks upon it as a Parricide and 't is Petty-Treason by Law Every Bishop may by Statute Law qualify six Chaplains which is as many as a Duke But if the Bishops Priviledges be so great the Archbishops are much greater especially his Grace of Canterbury's Who is the first Peer of the Realm and next to the Royal Family precedes not only all Dukes but all the great Officers of the Crown Though he holds his Place from the King yet in the King's Writs to him he is stiled Dei Gratia Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi and whereas other Bishops write Divina Permissione he writes himself Divina Providentia When he is Invested in the Archbishoprick he is said to be Inthroned It belongs properly to him to Crown the King and he had formerly the Power of appointing the Lent Preachers which is now in the Lord High Chamberlain The Bishop of London is accounted his Pravincial Dean the Bishop of Winchester his Chancellour and the Bishop of Rochester his Chaplain He has the Probate of all Wills in his Province and the Power of granting Letters of Administration where the Party at the time of his Death had 5 l. worth or above out of the Diocese wherein he died or 10 l. within the Diocese of London For all such as die Intestate within his Province he has Power to make Wills and to administer their Goods to the Kindred or to pious uses according to his Discretion In all Cases heretofore sued for in the Court of Rome he has Power to grant Licences and Dispensations either by himself or his Deputy called the Master of Faculties Provided the same be not repugnant to the Law of God or the King's Prerogative As to allow a Clerk to hold a Benefice in Commendam or Trust to allow a Son contrary to the Canons to succeed his Father immediately in a Benefice a Beneficed Clerk upon some Occasions to be Non-resident for some time a Clerk rightly qualified to hold two Benefices with Cure of Souls and a Lay-man to hold a Prebend c. whilst by Study he is preparing himself for the service of the Church He may also bestow one Dignity or Prebend in any Cathedral Church within his Province upon every Creation of a new Bishop And the new-created Bishop is also to provide a sufficient Benefice for one of the Archbishops Chaplains or to maintain him till it be effected He has the Prerogative with two other Bishops to Consecrate a new made Bishop to appoint Coadjutors to infirm Bishops to confirm the Election of Bishops within his Province to call Provincial Synods according to the King 's Writ directed to him to be Moderator in the Synods or Convocations and there to give his Suffrage last of all 'T is both his Power and Duty to Visit the whole Province and during the Vacancy of any Bishoprick within the same to appoint a Guardian of the Spiritualities So that to him belong all the Episcopal Rights and Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions of the Diocese as Visitations Institutions c. To decide all Differences in Ecclesiastical Matters he holds several Courts of Judicature for which I refer you to my Third Part. Lastly he may retain and qualify 8 Chaplains which is two more than any Duke is allowed The Archbishop of York has also the Precedence of all Dukes that are not of the Royal Bloud and of all great Officers of State except only the Lord Chancellour He is also stiled Primate of England and Metropolitan of his Province and has many of those Prerogatives and Priviledges which the Archbishop of Canterbury has within his own Province Each of the Archbishops is honoured as Dukes are with the Title of His Grace And whereas the Inferiour Bishops are stiled Right Reverend the Archbishops are in a Superlative manner stiled Most Reverend As to the Revenues of the English Bishops the best Bishopricks are those of Canterbury Durham and Winchester which yield a plentiful Income Amongst the rest some have but a Competency and others are not much better some worse than many Parsonages And yet I must say this to the eternal Praise of the Episcopal Order that they have done great Things for the Publick out of their Revenues For most of the great publick Works now â—â—maining in England acknowledge their Being eather to the sole Cost and Charge or to the liberal Contributions of Bishops I mean not only Pallaces and Castles but Churches Colledges Schools Hospitals Alms-houses a great Number whereof have been founded and built by Bishops Nay that famous and chargeable Structure of London-Bridge stands to this day obliged to the liberal Contributions of an Archbishop In former Reigns when the Clergy were judged to be the fittest Persons to execute most of the chief Offices and Places of the Realm such Benefits and Advantages accrued thereby to this Kingdom that there are few Things of any great Consequence to the Welfare thereof but the Bishops and Prelates were the chief Actors therein The excellent Laws says an Author made by several of the Saxon Kings from whom we have our Common Laws and our Priviledges mentioned in Magna Charta were all made by the Persuasions and Advice of Bishops named in our Histories And 't was a Bishop of London at whose Request William the Conqueror granted to this City so large Priviledges that in a grateful Remembrance thereof the Lord Mayor and Aldermen did before the late dreadful Fire upon some solemn Days of their Resort to S. Paul's Church use to go in Procession about the Grave-stone where that Bishop lay interred The Union of the two Houses of York and Lancaster whereby a long and cruel Civil War was ended was by the Advice and Counsel of Bishop Morton then a Privy Counsellour And the happy Union of England and Scotland was brought to pass by the long Foresight of the Reverend Bishop Fox a Privy Counsellour in advising Henry VII to match his eldest Daughter to Scotland and his Younger to France But above all the Converting England to Christianity the Reforming of it when corrupted and the Defence of the Reformation against all Romish Writers is principally if not solely owing to Bishops and Prelates CHAP. XXIII Of the Dignify'd Clergy AS amongst the Laity the Gentry Keeps a middle Rank betwixt the Nobility and the Commonalty so amongst the Clergy of England there is a middle Station between the Episcopal Order and the inferiour Clergy Which Station is properly that of the Dignify'd Clergy as Deans Arch-Deacons and Prebendaries the Subject of this Chapter For a Supply of able and fit Persons to make Bishops or to assist Bishops a certain Number of eminent Divines both for their Piety and Learning were thought fit by our Fore-fathers to be placed in a Collegiate manner at every Cathedral or Episcopal See out of which Seminaries fit Persons from time to time might be chosen to govern the
matter of admiration 'T is pretty to see the Temper of these Men and those they have infected all made up of Contradictions They hate their Friends and love their Enemies They deride Popery and yet do their utmost to bring it in None more averse than they from Slavery but leave no Stone unturned to work it into these Kingdoms Whose Condition is like that of a Sick Person that longs for Health and yet is greedy to catch at any Thing that pleases his Fancy let it prove never so fatal The Truth is 't is nothing else in the bottom but a malignant Humour that causes Inflammation and strikes up to the Brain lately a catching but now thanks be to God a vanishing Disease I conclude with the Parish-Church Officers which are indeed Lay-men but as they have a peculiar Relation to the Church they may be counted to be half-Clergy-men The Church-Wardens amongst these are the principal Whose Office is to see that the Church be in good Repair and want nothing for Divine Service c. That the Church-yard be well inclosed and an exact Terrier of the Glebe-Land be Kept They are also to sue for any Thing Kept from the Church that is of right belonging to it to inquire after admonish and present to the Bishop scandalous Livers and to collect the Charity of the Parishioners The Bishops Orders they are both to declare and to execute They serve commonly two Years in that Station and Easter-Week is the time for their Election Usually they are elected by the Parson and the Parishioners where it is so agreed If not the Parson chuses one and the Parishioners the other In some great Parishes there are joyned Sidesmen to the Church-Wardens to assist them in the Inquiries into the Lives of inordinate Livers and in presenting Offenders at Visitations Next is the Clerk whose Office is to serve at Church the Priest and Church-Wardens He ought to be at least 20 Years old and a Man of good Life and Conversation that can read write and sing Psalms the tuning whereof is part of his Office He is commonly chosen by the Parson only In many Parishes there is also one Sexton or more So we call those that attend the Parishioners at Church and let them into their Pews Which in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches is commonly performed by the Vergers so called from a Silver Verge which they carry in their hands To take care of the Parish-Concerns both Civil and Ecclesiastical a great Power is by Law committed to the Vestry-men So called from the Vestry a Room adjoyning to the Church for the Use of the Parson and Parish-Officers They are a select Number of the chief Parishioners in every Parish within the City of London and Suburbs and elsewhere who yearly chuse Officers for the Parish as Church-Wardens Constables Scavengers Collectors for the Poor c. The Beadle's is a standing Office CHAP. XXV Of Women ALL Women in England are either Noble or Ignoble The first are so by Descent Creation or Marriage By Descent as when a Lady holds an Estate by a noble Title For Titles of Honour sometimes for want of Males do descend to Females But only to one of them because they are Things in their own nature intire and not to be divided amongst many as the Lands and Tenements are which descend in equal Proportion to all the Daughters By Creation some Women have been made at the King's pleasure Baronesses Countesses and Dutchesses But the greatest Part of the English Noblewomen are so only by Marriage all Women being counted Noble that are married to any Peer of the Realm And so as the Law says Uxor fulget Radiis Mariti Yet if afterwards they marry to Men not Noble they lose by Law their former Dignity and follow their latter Husbands Condition though by the Courtesy of England they are still lookt upon and respected as Noble and called by the Name of the former Husband But Women Noble by Descent or Birth-right or by Creation retain by Law their Nobility tho they Marry afterwards to Husbands under their Degree 'T is observable that any Noble-woman by Birth being married to a Baron takes place but as Baroness though she be a Duke's Daughter But if she marry to one under the Degree of a Nobleman as to a Knight or Gentleman the Courtesy of England gives her place according to her Birth and not her Husbands Condition A Noble-woman marrying to an Ignoble Man adds no Honour to him Her Honour is all hers and he has no share in it though by Marriage he becomes Master of all her Goods and Chattels But her Dignities with the Lands descend to her next Heir Noble-women in the Eye of the Law are Peers of the Realm and accordingly they injoy most of the Priviledges of Peers But it is thought they cannot maintain an Action upon the Statute De Scandalo Magnatum As happy as the Condition of married Women is generally all over England yet the Laws of this Kingdom are in the main very severe upon them For when a Woman marries she gives her self over and what she brings with her to the power of her Husband Whatever she is possessed of the Husband becomes the Proprietor of it and her very necessary Apparel is not hers in Propriety If she has any Tenure it is all in Capite that is she holds it of and by her Husband who is the Head of his Wife And all the Chattels personal she had at the Marriage are so much her Husbands that he dying before her they shall not return to his Wife but go with his other Goods and Chattels to the Husband's Executor or Administrator Except the Paraphernalia that is those Goods which a Wife besides her Dower or Joynture is after her Husbands Death allowed to have as Furniture for her Chamber wearing Apparel and Jewels if she be of quality which are not to be put into her Husband's Inventory especially in the Province of York The Wife can make no Contract without her Husband's Consent and without it she cannot set sell give away or alienate any Thing So great is her Subjection to her Husband's Will that in the Sense of the Law she has no Will of her own Therefore when a Man and his Wife commit a Felony together the Wife can neither be Principal nor Accessory the Law supposing she was forced thereunto in regard of the Subjection and Obedience she ows to her Husband In short by the Law of England a Wife is so much in the Power of her Husband that she is no better than a Child or the best of Servants For she can call nothing her own more than a Child whom his Father suffers to call many Things his own yet can dispose of nothing And when she offends 't is in her Husband's Power to correct her as a Servant Therefore if she wrong another by her Tongue on by Trespass her Husband must answer for her Fault and make Satisfaction But a
the Fee He is free to consent to Marriage and may by Will dispose of Goods and Chattels At the Age of 15 he ought to be Sworn to his Allegiance to the King at 21 he is said to be of full Age. Then he is free to make any Contracts and to pass by Will both Goods and Lands which in other Countries may not be done till the Age of 25 called Annus Consistentiae A Daughter at the Age of 7 Years may consent to Marriage but at 12 she is free to retract or confirm it If she confirms it then the Marriage is good and she may make a Will of Goods and Chattels At 21 she may Contract or Alienate her Lands by Will or otherwise Servants in England are either tied to a certain Number of Years or only by the Year these being free to quit their Service at such a Warning as is agreed upon between the Master or the Mistris and the Servant By those that are tied to a certain Number of Years I mean Apprentices the usual Time for their Apprentiship being 7 Years This is the most Servile Condition in England considering the Lash they ly under together with their long and strict Confinement under Articles And whereas other Servants receive Wages for their Service these commonly do pay a Sum of Mony to their Masters for their Prenticeship The Condition of other Servants is much easier all over England For besides that few undergo the Hardship that Prentices do they may be free at the Years end giving 3 Months Warning and if a Servant do not like one Master he may go to another where perhaps he may find more favour or advantage But before a Person ventures upon such a Servant 't is civil first to get his former Masters Leave and prudential to have from him a testimony of his faithfulness and diligence Now there are so many Degrees of Serâ—ants in England that if some live meanly there are others who live genteely and some of these so splendidly as to keep Servants of their own In great Families where a Person of quality makes a proper Figure and has a sutable Attendance there is a necessary Subordination of Servants so that the Inferiour Servants may be at the beck of their Superiour Officers to answer the several parts of their respective Duties Thus a great Man lives like a Prince and Keeps a Court of his own In general it may be said no Country is more favourable than England to Servants who generally live here with more ease and less Subjection and have larger Salaries than any where else The truth is if we consider the nature of a Servant how by going to Service he devests himself of what is dearest to Mankind his Liberty and Subjects his Will to another who sometimes proves magget-headed cruel or tyrannical I think it but reasonable to have a tender Regard for good Servants For this amongst other Things was that great Man of Spain Cardinal Ximenes so noted in his time who proved so bountiful and so generous a Master to his Servants that History to this day does admire him for it As for stubborn and unruly Servants the Law of England gives Masters and Mistresses Power to correct them and Resistance in a Servant is punished with severe Penalty But for a Servant to Kill his Master or Mistris is so high a Crime that it is counted Petty Treason or a Crime next to High Treason Since Christianity prevailed here England admits of no forein Slaves In forein Plantations indeed the English as other Nations buy and sell Negro's as Slaves But a forein Slave brought over into England is upon Landing ipso facto free from Slavery though not from ordinary Service 'T is true there has been a sort of Tenure here called a Tenure in Villenage and the Tenant Villain who was in effect a Bond-man to the Lord of the Land For the Lord might take Redemption of him to marry his Daughter and to make him free He might put him out of his Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels at his Will and might beat and chastise but not maim him Now such Villains are out of date though the Law concerning them stands unrepealed to this day Servorum Nativorum says Spelman apud nos sublata est Conditio quas ideo possidebant Terras vel Praedia hodie libere tenent sub antiquae Servitutis Consuetudinibus And Sir Edward Coke out of Fortescue has this Note Impius Crudelis judicandus qui Libertati non favet for which he gives this as the Reason of it Anglia Jura in omni Casu dant favorem Libertati the Laws of England in all Cases stand for Liberty The End of the Second Part. THE THIRD PART OF THE New State OF ENGLAND Under Their MAJESTIES K. William and Q. Mary CONTAINING A Description of the several Courts of Judicature Viz. The highest Court of Parliament Privy Council and all other Courts with a Catalogue of the present Officers in Church and State London Printed in the Year 1691. THE NEW STATE OF ENGLAND PART III. Of the Courts of Judicature CHAP. I. Of the Parliament of England THE High Court of Parliament being the Great Council of England the Supreme Court of Judicature and One of the most August Assemblies the World is the Court that I am to speak in the first place It came to be called Parliament from the French Parlement and this from their Verb Parler to speak or talk together The same is taken in a two-fold Sense First as it includes the Legislative Power of England as when we say an Act of Parliament In which Acceptation it includes the King Lords and Commons each of which have a Negative Voice in making Laws so that without their joynt Consent no Law can by either abrogated or made Secondly in a Vulgar Sense as when we say the King and Parliament or the King has called a Parliament by which is meant the Two Houses viz. the House of Lords and the House of Commons This Court is a Body Corporate consisting according to the first Acceptation of the Word of the Three Estates of the Realm And though the Name Parliament by which it is now called be not probably older than the Conquest by William Duke of Normandy yet 't is made plain by ancient Records and Precedents that the former Kings of England even in the Saxons-time had from time to time great National Councils much of the same nature as our Parliaments In the Saxons Time says Lambard the great Council of the Nation consisted of the King Lords and Commons It is most apparent says Prinn by all the old Precedents before the Conquest that all our ancienâ— Councils were nothing else but Parliaments called by different Names in several Ages till at lasâ— that of Parliament was fixed upon them and that our Kings Nobles Senators Aldermen Wisemen Knights and Commons were usuall present and voted there as Members and Judge The same is averred
Carteret Lord Carteret John Bennet Lord Ossulston George Legg Lord Dartmouth Giles Allington Lord Allington John Stawell Lord Stawell Francis North Lord Guilford â—idney Godolphin Lord Godolphin â—lenry Jermin Lord Dover â—ohn Jeffreys Lord Jeffreys â—enry Waldegrave Lord Waldegrave â—dward Griffin Lord Griffin Hugh Cholmondley Lord Cholmondley John Ashburnham Lord Ashburnham Archbishops 2 and Bishops 24. Dr. William Sandcroft Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Thomas Lampleugh Lord Archbishop of York Dr. Henry Compton L. Bishop of London Dr. Nathaniel Crew L. Bishop of Durham Dr. Peter Mew L. Bishop of Winchester Dr. Herbert Crofts L. Bishop of Hereford Dr. Thomas Wood L. Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry Dr. William Lloyd L. Bishop of Norwich Dr. Thomas Barlow L. Bishop of Lincoln Dr. William Beau L. Bishop of Landaff Dr. William Lloyd L. Bishop of S. Asaph Dr. Robert Frampton L. Bishop of Glocester Dr. Francis Turner L. Bishop of Ely Dr. Thomas Smith L. Bishop of Carlisle Dr. Thomas Sprat L. Bishop of Rochester Dr. Thomas Ken L. Bishop of Bath and Wells Dr. Thomas White L. Bishop of Peterborough * Dr. Jonathan Trelawney L. Bishop of Exeter Dr. Thomas Watson L. Bishop of S. Davids * Dr. Gilbert Burnet L. Bishop of Salisbury * Dr. Humphry Humphrys L. Bishop of Bangor * Dr. Nicholas Stratford L. Bishop of Chester * Dr. Edward Stillingfleet L. Bishop of Worcester * Dr. Simon Patrick L. Bishop of Chichester * Dr. Gilbert Ironside L. Bishop of Bristol * Dr. John Hough L. Bishop of Oxford 1. Note That the Lord President of the Council takes place of all Dukes not of the Royal Bloud 2. That the Lord Great Chamberlain of England the Lord Steward of the Kings Houshold and the Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold take place above all of their Degree 3. That the Archbishop of Canterbury takes place next to the Princes of the Blood and above all the Nobility and Great Officers The Archbishop of York above all the Nobility and Great Officers except the Lord Keeper and the rest of the Bishops next after the Viscounts and above the Temporal Barons Whereof the Bishops of London Durham and Winchester do always precede the other Bishops the rest taking place according to the Seniority of their Consecrations A True List of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Parliament at Westminster in October 1690. Bedfordshire 4. THE Honourable Edward Russel Esq Thomas Browne Esq Town of Bedford Thom. Hillersdon Esq Thom. Christie Esq Berks 9. Sir Hen. Winchcombe Bar. Sir Humfrey Forster Bar. Borough of New-Windsor Sir Charles Porter Knt. William Adderly Esq Borough of Reading Sir William Rich Bar. Sir Henry Fane Kt of the Bath Borough of Wallingford William Jennens Esq John Wallis Esq Borough of Abington Simon Harcourt Esq Bucks 14. The Right Honourable Tho. Wharton Esq The Right Honourable Rich. Hambden Esq Town of Buckingham Sir Richard Temple Knight and Baronet Alexander Denton Esq Borough of Chipping-Wicomb William Jephson Esq Thom Lewes Jun. Esq Porough of Ayliâ—bury Sir Thomas Lee Bar. Thomas Lee Esq Borough of Agmondesham Will. Mountague Esq Edmond Waller of Beconsfield Esq Borough of Wendover Richard Beake Esq John Backwell Esq Borough of Great Marlow James Chase Esq Sir Will. Whitelocke Knt. Cambridge 6. Sir Levinus Bennet Bar. Sir Robert Cotton Knt. University of Cambridge Sir Robert Sawyer Kt. The Honourable Edward Finch Esq Town of Cambridge Sir John Cotton Bar. Granado Pigott Esq Chester 4. Sir John Mainwaring Bar. Sir Robert Cotton Kt. and Bar. City of Chester Sir Thomas Grosvenor Bar. Richard Leving Esq Cornwal 44. The Honourable Francis Robert Esq The Right Honourable Hugh Boscowen Esq Borough of Dunhivid alias Launceston The Right Honourable Will. Harbord Esq The Honourable Bernard Granville Esq Borough of Leskard Sir Bourchier Wray Kt. of the Bath and Bar. Emanuel Pyper Esq Brough of Lestwithiel Sir Bevill Grenville Kt. Walter Kendall Esq Borough of Truro Sir Henry Ashurst Bar. Henry Vincent Esq Borough of Bodmin Sir John Cutler Kt. and Bar. Nicholas Glynn Esq Borough of Helston Sir John St. Aubin Bar. Charles Godolphin Esq Borough of Saltash Sir John Carew Bar. Richard Carew Esq Borough of Camelford Ambrose Manaton Esq Henry Manaton Esq Borough of Port-Higham alias Westlow Edward Sevmour Esq Jonathan Trelawny Es Borough of Grampound John Tanner Esq Walter Vincent Esq Borough of Eastlow Charles Trelawny Esq Henry Trelawny Esq Borough of Peryn Sidney Godolphin Esq Alexander Pendarvi Esq Borough of Tregony Sir John Tremaine Kt. Serjeant at Law Hugh Fortescue Esq Borough of Bossiny Samuel Travers Esq Sir Peter Colleton Bar. Borough of St. Ives James Praed Esq William Harris Esq Borough of Foway Jonathan Rashleigh Esq Shadrach Vincent Esq Borough of St. Germans Daniel Elliot Esq Henry Fleming Esq Borough of St. Michael Francis Scobell Esq Humph. Courtney Esq Borough of Newport The Right Honourable Charles Lord Cheyne John Speccot Esq Borough of St. Maws Sir Joseph Tredenham Kt. John Tredenham Esq Borough of Kellington Francis Fulford Esq Cumberland 6. Sir George Fletcher Bar. Sir John Lowther of Whitehaven Bar. City of Carlisle Jeremiah Bubb Esq Christopher Musgrave Esq Borough of Cocker-mouth Sir Orlando Gee Kt. Sir Wilfred Lawson Bar. Derby 4. Sir Gilbert Clarke Kt. Henry Gilbert Esq Town of Derby The Honourable Anchitel Gray Esq Robert Wilmot Esq Devonshire 26. Francis Courtney Esq Samuel Rolle Esq City of Exeter Sir Edward Seymour Bar. Christopher Bale Esq Borough of Tornes Sir John Powell Bar. Henry Seymour Esq Borough of Plimouth The Honourable John Greenville Esq Borough of Oakhampton William Cary Esq Henry Nortleigh Esq Borough of Branstable The Right Honourable Sir George Hutchins Kt. Arth. Champneys Esq Borough of Plimpton Sir George Treby Kt. John Pollexsen Esq Borough of Honiton Sir William Drake Kt. and Bar. Sir Walter Yonge Bar. Borough of Tavistock The Honourable Robert Russel Esq Sir Francis Drake Bar Borough of Ashburton Sir Richard Reynel Kt. and Bar. William Stawell Esq Borough of Clifton Dartmouth and Hardness Sir Joseph Herne Kt. William Hayne Esq Borough of Beralston Sir Francis Drake Bar. John Swinfen Esq Borough of Tiverton Samuel Foote Esq Thomas Bere Esq Dorsetshire 20. Thomas Strangeways Esq Thomas Freke Esq Town of Pole Sir Nathaniel Napier Kt. and Bar. Sir John Trenchard Kt. Borough of Dorchester Sir Robert Nappier Kt. and Bar. James Gould Esq Borough of Lime Regis Henry Henley Esq John Burridge Esq Borough of Weymouth Sir John Morton Bar. Michal Harvey Esq Borough of Melcomb Regis Henry Henning Esq Nicholas Gould Esq Borough of Bridport John Michel Esq Sir Stephen Evance Kt. Borough of Snafton alias Shaftsbury Sir Matthew Andrews Kt. Edward Nicholas Esq Borough of Wareham Thomas Erle Esq William Okeden Esq Borough of Corf-Castle Richard Fownes Esq William Culliford Esq Durham 4. Sir Robert Eden Bar. William Lambton Esq City of Durham William Tempest Esq George Morland Esq Essex 8. Henry Mildmay Esq Sir Fran. Masham Bar. Borough of Colchester Samuel Reynolds Esq Edward Cary Esq Borough