Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	great_a	king_n	year_n	21,498	5	5.0090	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72812	An abstract of the grieuances of the poore clerkes of his Maiesties custome-house London by reason of letters pattents lately obtained for the erecting of a new office called the office of clerke of the bils in all his Maiesties custome-houses of England, contained likewise in briefe in a petition by them exhibited vnto this honorable assembly: as also relating the grieuances and inconueniences that do arise thereby to many merchants and tradesmen of the Citie of London: as by certificates vnder the hands of neare three hundred of them (annexed to the said petition) may appeare: viz.		1621 (1621)	STC 16776.4; ESTC S125108	2,850	1

An Abstract of the grieuances of the poore Clerkes of his Maiesties Custome-house London by reason of Letters Pattents lately obtained for the erecting of a new Office called the Office of Clerke of the Bils in all his Maiesties Custome-houses of England contained likewise in briefe in a petition by them exhibited vnto this honorable Assembly as also relating the grieuances and inconueniences that do arise thereby to many Merchants and Tradesmen of the Citie of London as by certificates vnder the hands of neare three hundred of them annexed to the said Petition may appeare viz. THat they haue bin from their youths trained vp to become Clerkes in his Maiesties said Custome-house there to write and keepe the bookes and Records of his Maiesties Customes and Reuenues and to make vp and perfect the accounts thereof to the Audit of his Maiesties Exchequer by reason whereof they are altogether vnexperienced in any other profession or course of life That their paines attendants and employments therein are great dayly and almost continuall and yet for the same they haue for the most part no more but some 20. lib. some 10. lib. wages a yeare allowed them and some haue no wages at all but such vales for making or Searches and other extraordinary employment with their pen as they by their industrie could get which vailes do chiefly arise by writing out of the Custome bookes which they did keepe in their seuerall charges Bils of entries and notes of goods and merchandizes from time to time imported into or exported out of this Realme the which they did giue and deliuer to Merchants and Shop-keepers of all trades whereby they might take notice where to find and prouide themselues of such wares and commodities as they did trade in For which the Merchants Shop-keepers did giue the said Clerks by way of gratuitie and beneuolence and no otherwise some 10. s. a yeare some 13. s. 4 d. a yeare some somewhat more or lesse which was worth amongst all the said poore Clerkes 400. lib. per annum or thereabouts and this was the chiefest meanes of maintenance of the said poore Clerkes their wiues children and families That about the moneth of September 1619. Alexander Foster one of the Pages of his Maiesties Bed-chamber and Richard Greame one of the Marquis of Buckingham his seruants both of them hauing otherwise great meanes to liue vpon did by euil instigation vntrue pretences and false suggestions beg and obtaine from the Kings Maiestie by Letters pattents vnder the great Seale of England a grant for the erecting of the said new Office for certaine yeares in his Maiesties said Custome-house for the deliuering foorth of the said Bils and that none should doe the same but onely they their Officers and Substitutes Hence therefore ariseth the grieuances of the said poore Clerkes which grieuances together with the dammage to the Merchants and Shop-keepers do consist in these particulars following 1. That the said poore Clerkes meanes to liue vpon being many and such as do take great paines in their places to doe his Maiestie seruice is vnduly begged from them and conferred vpon two persons that did neuer do his Maiestie any seruice in the Custome-house 2. That when the said poore Clerkes did by petition become humble suppliants vnto the Kings Maiestie for reliefe herein and that stay might be made of the putting in execution of the said Office vntill the Lords Commissioners of the Treasurie should certifie his Maiestie their opinions therein which his Maiestie was pleased graciously to grant Then Sir Raphe Freeman one of the Masters of Requests who sithence hath either bought or doth farme the same Office did cause your suppliants petition and reference thereupon to be obscured and some of the said poore Clerkes were by Sir Robert Nanton cast into prison in the Gate-house at Westminister and there kept vntill they had found sureties to be come bound for them that they should neuer violate or impeach the said Pattent by giuing of notes or otherwise although the same were to their vtter vndoing or to the like effect 3. That by the proceedings aforesaid the Office was established to the said Pattentees and they do farme out the same for two hundred pounds a yeare or else haue sold the same to such as do farme it out and the said poore Clerkes quite debarred from giuing forth of bils and so their chiefest meanes to liue vpon taken from them and yet neuerthelesse they do performe the same seruice and attendance as they did before 4. That some of the said Clerkes which before the grant of the said Pattent did liue well are not now able to maintaine their families but are like to be chargeable to the Parish where they inhabite as by certificate of the Parishioners of Saint Mary Hils Parish may appeare It doth also tend to the generall vndoing of all the rest of the Clerkes for that they being herein trained vp from their youths as aforesaid shall be inforced for want of maintenance to giue ouer their places although they know not how to employ themselues in any other honest profession or course of life 5. That the giuing forth of the said Bils of entries and notes haue bin time out of mind vsed by the said Clerks and their predecessors and euer freely permitted to them by the Officers of the said house as a benefit peculiar to them and not a thing wherein the Kings Maiestie is any maner of way interessed nor a fit subiect to erect an Office vpon as may appeare to be true by a certificate vnto his Maiestie vnder the hands of the most part of the Officers of the Custome-house 6. That the said Pattentees are Gentlemen and in office about his Maiestie and the Lord Marquis and neuer any members of the Custome-house and therefore vnfit to be Officers there 7. That what moneys the said Merchants and Shop-keepers did yearely giue and bestow vpon the said poore Clerkes for the said bils and notes they did receiue the same thankfully as a beneuolence But on the contrary the now Pattentees and their Officers doe impose a yearely rate or proportion vpon the said Merchants and Shop-keepers for the said bils and if they will not giue them their demaunds they will deliuer them no bils and so do exact and require the same as a dutie and fee and besides for want of skill they do so vnseasonably deliuer the said bils to them that they do stand them but in little stead to the great dammage and grieuance of the Merchant and Shop-keeper as by their certificates aforesaid may also appeare 8. That the premisses considered it is not his Maiesties gracious will and pleasure to vndo many his good subiects and seruants for the benefit of few or that wrong may be done to any to the pleasuring of particulars as in this example there is a president of both kinds 9. That the said Pattent is a great hinderance in the well performing of his Maiesties seruice in the Custome-house both in the keeping of his bookes and otherwise for when the said Clerkes your suppliants are entring downe the bils of entries of merchandizes into the said bookes and perfecting the same for his Maiesties good euen then the said Pattentees substitutes doe demaund and will haue the said bookes and bils to take out and recollect their bils for their gaine and profit 10. That the said Pattent and Office thereupon erected is in the nature of a Monopoly and Monopolies for the most part are obnoxious and ominous to the Commons and Commonwealth Lastly in the behalfe of the said Pattent and Pattentees there can no iust nor good defence be made or matter of worth be alledged Wherefore and in tender consideration of the aforesaid premisses we the aforesaid poore Clerkes your humble suppliants do humbly beseech you to be a meanes that our petition and certificates being by the Subcommittee for grieuances committed into the Bag in the house may be called to be read and that a day may be appointed for the hearing of the cause and the bringing in of the said Letters Pattents as in many like cases of grieuances precedent and we shall daily pray for you in particular and for the whole bodie of this Assembly