House And thirdly Freedom from Arrests Which humble and modest Way of the Peoples addressing to the King for His Majesties Assent to their ancient Priviledges is becoming the Reverence due to the Majesty of the Prince But it is no Argument as some would have it that either the Laws thereupon made or the Priviledges so allowed are precarious and may be refused them The Speakers Oration being answered in the Kings Name by the Speaker of the House of Lords and his Petitions allowed he with the Commons departs to the Lower House And then is the first time that the Mace is carried before him Being come to the Chair he makes a short Speech to the House to this effect That Whereas they have been pleased to chuse him for their Speaker he hopes they will assist him in that Station and favourably accept hiâ— sincere Proceedings for their Service That done the Custom is to read for that Time only one Bill left unpast the last Sessions to give him Seisin as it were of his Place In the Lords House 't is observable that when the King is absent the Lords at their entrance do reverence to the Chair of State as is or should be done by all that come into the Kings Prefence-Chamber And then the Judges when called in upon any Point of Law may siâ—â— but may not be Covered till the Speaker signify unto the them Leave of the Lords The Kings Council and Masters of Chancery sit also but may not to be Covered at all And when the King is present the Judges stand till the King gives them leave to sit But we have dwelt long enough upon the Preliminaries if I may say so of a Session of Parliament and 't is time to shew their Proceedings the manner of their Debates and Passing of Bills and Acts which is â—hus First Care is taken in each House to Vote Thanks to his Majesty for his Gracious Speech Then they appoint their standing Committees of which more afterwards And to discover what Members are absent without just Cause or leave of the House the House is called from time to time thus Every Member whose Name is called over uncovers his Head and stands up at the mention of his Name If he be absent he is either excused and entred accordingly or if none excuse him he is entred Defieit Such as are present are marked and the Defaulters called over again the same Day or the Day after sometimes summoned and sometimes sent for by the Sergeant If any Intruder be discovered to sit in the â—ouse being no Member thereof he is preâ—ently committed to the Sergeants Custody for â—â—me days and at last humbly begging the â—ardon of the House upon his Knees at the Bar â—e is Released paying his Fees As to the Matter of Debates the House 〈◊〉 free to take what Latitude they please â—ithout confining themselves to the King's â—peech As they are best acquainted with the State of the Nation and the publick Grievances these often do take place If any Laws are fit to be Abrogated and new ones Made this is a proper Subject for them to go upon And whilst they mind the Welfare of the Nation 't is to be supposed they mind that of the King In order to which any Member of the House may offer a Bill for the publick Good 〈◊〉 except it be for Imposing a Tax which is not to be done but by Order of the House first had And he that tenders the Bill must first open the Matter of it to the House and offer the Reasons for admitting thereof upon which the House will either admit or deny it But if any member desire that an Act made and in force may be Repealed or Altered he is first to move the House in it and have their Resolution before any Bill to that purpose may be offered If the House shall think it fit upon the Reasons alledged their usual Way is to appoint one or more of the Members to bring in a Bill for that purpose A private Bill that concerns any particular Person is not to be offered to the House till the Leave of the House be desired and the substance of such Bill made Known either by Motion or Petition Petitions are usually prescribed by Members of the same County the Petitioners are of If they be concerning private Persons they are to be subscribed and the Persons presenting them called in to the Bar to avow the substance of the Petition especially if it be a Complaint against any The preferring of Bills either to be Read or Passed ly's much in the Speaker's Power For though he be earnestly pressed by the House for the Reading of some one Bill yet if he have not had convenient time to Read the same over and to make a Breviate thereof for his own Memory he may claim a Priviledge to defer the Reading thereof to some other time Formerly the Speaker had liberty to call for a trivate Bill to be Read every Morning The Clerk of the House is usually directed by the Speaker and sometimes by the House what Bill to read who with a loud and distinct Voice first reads the Title of the Bill and after a little Pawse the Bill it self Which done Kissing his hand he delivers the same to the Speaker Then the Speaker stands up uncovered whereas otherwise he sits with his Hat on and holding the Bill in his hand says This Bill is thus Intituled and then reads the Title Whereupon he opens to the House the substance of the Bill which he does either by trusting to his Memory or with the help of a Breviate filed to the Bill The effect of the Bill being thus opened he declares to the House that it is the first Reading of the Bill and delivers it again to the Clerk For every Bill is to be Read three times before it can be made an Act. Except a Bill of Indemnity coming from the King which has but one Reading in each House because the Subject ought to take it as the King will give it The same it is with a Bill of Subsidies granted by the Clergy At the first Readâ—â— of the Bill 't is not usual with the House to speak to it or put it to the Question but rather to take time till the second Reading in order to consider of it in the mean while Nor to move for any Addition to it which were to imply that the Body of the Bill is good before it comes to a regular Trial upon the Second Reading But if any Bill originally begun in the Lower House happen upon the first Reading to be debated to and fro and that upon the Debate the House do call for the Question the Question ought to be not Whether the Bill shall be read the second time which is the ordinary Course but Whether it shall be Rejected Whereas to a Bill coming from the Lords so much favour and respect is shewn that if upon the first Reading it be spoken
the rest Seriatim every one answering apart Content or Not Content first for himself and then severally for so many as he hath Letters and Proxies For any Peer of the Realm by License of the King upon just Cause to absent may make a Proxy that is may constitute another Lord to give his Voice in the Upper House when any Difference of Opinion and Division of the House shall happen Otherwise if no such Division fall out it never comes to be questioned or Known to whom such Proxies are directed By an Order of this House in the Reign of Charles I it was Ordered that no Peer should be capable of receiving above two Proxies or more to be numbred in any Cause voted If a Bill passed in one House and being sent to the other this demur upon it then a Conference is demanded in the Painted Chamber Where the deputed Members of each House meet the Lords sitting covered at a Table and the Commons standing bare with great respect There the Business is debated and if they cannot agree it is nulled When Bills are passed by both Houses upon three several Readings in either House before they can have the force of Law they must have the Royal Assent which puts life into them For as there is no Act of Parliament but must have the Consent of the Lords and Commons and the Royal Assent of the King so whatsoever passeth in Parliament by this threefold Consent hath the force of an Act of Parliament The Royal Assent which used formerly to be deferred till the last Day of the Session is given after this manner whenever the King thinks fit His Majesty then comes into the House of Peers with his Crown on his Head and cloathed with his Royal Robes Being seated in his Chair of State and all the Lords in their Robes the House of Commons is sent for up as before by the Black Rod. Thus the King Lords and Commons being met the Clerk of the Crown reads the Title of each Bill and after the Reading of every Title the Clerk of the Parliament pronounces the Royal Assent according to his Instructions from the King If it be a publick Bill to which the King assenteth the Words are le Roy le veut the King wills it Whereas to a publick Bill which the King forbears to allow the Answer is Le Roy S'avisera the King will consider which is look'd upon as a civil Denial To a Subsidy-Bill le Roy remercie ses loyaux Sujets accepte leur Benevolence aussi le veut the King thanks his loyal Subjects accepts their Benevolence and so wills it And to a private Bill allowed by the King Soit fait comme il est desire be it done as it is desired But in case of a General Pardon as it is the King's Gift so the Return is from the Lords and Commons to His Majesty in these Words los Prelats Seigneurs Communes en ce Parlement assemblez au nom de tous vos autres Sujets remercient tres humblement Votre Majeste prient Dieu qu'il vous donne bonne longue Vie en Sante the Prelates Lords and Commons in this Parliament assembled in the Name of all Your other Subjects do most humbly thank your Majesty and pray God to give You a good and long Life in Health 'T is observable in the mean while how we have retained about making of Laws so many French Expressions derived to us doubtless from the Normans The Use of Committees is so necessary for the Dispatch of Parliament Business and their Way of managing Bills so fair and honourable that it will be proper to add something to what has been said before concerning them They consist of such Members as each House chuses from among them to make a strict Examination of the Bills and therein such Amendments and Alterations as their Reason will dictate upon a full Debate among themselves and to Report the same to the House Now there are three sorts of Committees viz. Standing Select and Grand Committees There are in the House of Commons five Standing Committees usually appointed in the beginning of the Parliament and remaining during all the Session Viz. One for Priviledges and Elections another for Religion a third for Grievances another for Courts of Justice and the fifth for Trade Amongst which the Committee for Priviledges and Elections has always had the Precedence being commonly the first Committee appointed either the same Day the Speaker did take his Place or the next day after Their Power was anciently to examine and make Report of all Cases touching Elections and Returns and all Cases for Priviledge as might fall out during the Parliament But that Power has been since abridged especially in Matters of Priviledge which are heard in the House and not in a Committee unless in some special Cases By a Select Committee I mean a Committee particularly chosen to inquire into a Bill In the Choice whereof this Rule is observed in the House that they who have given their Voice against the Body of a Bill cannot be of the Committee And though any Member of the House may be present at any select Committee yet he is not to give any Vote there unless he be named to be of the Committee As to their Number they are seldom less than eight but have been sometimes many more and commonly Men well versed in Parliament Business Upon the first Meeting of a Committee in their Committee Chamber they chuse among them a Chair-man who is much like the Speaker in the House After any Bill is Committed upon the second Reading it may be delivered indifferently to any of the Committee Who are first to read it and then to consider the same by Parts If there be any Preamble 't is usually considered after the other Parts of the Bill The Reason is because upon Consideration of the body of the Bill such Alterations may therein be made as may also occasion the Alteration of the Preamble which is best done last The Committee may not raze interline or blot the Bill it self but must in a Paper by it self set down the Amendments Which ought to â—oe done by setting down in the Paper the Number of the Folio where the Amendment is made naming the Place particularly where the Words of the Amendment are to be Inserted or those of the Bill Omitted The Breviat also annexed to the Bill must be amended accordingly and made to agree with the Bill When all the Amendments are perfected every one being Voted singly all of them are to be read at the Committee and put to the Question Whether the same shall be Reported to the House But when the Vote is to be put any Member of the Committee may move to add to those Amendments or to Amend any other part of the Bill If the Vote of the Committee pass in the Affirmative then commonly the Chair-man is appointed to make the Report Which being done that Committee is
Defenders of the Faith Which last Title was given by Pope Leo X to King Henry VIII for a Book written by him against Luther in Defence of some Points of the Romish Religion and afterwards confirmed by Act of Parliament for Defence of the ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith as it is now professed by the Church of England Whereas the King of France is called Most Christian and the King of Spain Most Catholick The Title of Majesty came not into use in England till the Reign of Henry VIII Instead whereof the Title of Grace now appropriated to the Dukes and the two Archbishops was given to former Kings and that of Highness to the foresaid King Henry till the Word Majesty prevailed When we speak to the King the Word Sir is often used besides Your Majesty according to the French Sire which is likewise applied â—o that King For the King's Arms or Ensigns Armorial He â—ears in the first place for the Regal Arms of â—rance Azure 3 Flower de luces Or quarterâ—d with the Arms of England which are Gules 〈◊〉 Lions passant Gardant in pale Or. In the seâ—ond place for the Royal Arms of Scotland a â—ion rampant Gules within a double Tressure â—unter flowred de luce Or. In the third place or Ireland Azure an Irish Harp Or stringed â—rgent In the fourth place as in the first To which has been added since the present King's â—ccession to the Crown another Lion in the â—iddle thus blazoned Azure a Lion rampant â—r between an Earl of Billets Or. And all this within the Garter the chief Enâ—gn of that Order above which is an Helmet â—swerable to his Majesties Sovereign Jurisâ—iction and upon this a Mantle The Mantle 〈◊〉 Cloth of Gold doubled Ermin adorned with 〈◊〉 Imperial Crown and surmounted for a Crest 〈◊〉 a Lyon Passant Gardant Crowned with the â—â—ke The Supporters a Lyon Rampant Gardant 〈◊〉 Crowned as the former and an Vnicorn Arâ—â—t Gorged with a Crown thereto a Chain afâ—ed passing between his Fore-legs and reâ—xed over his Back Or. Both standing upon Compartment placed underneath and in the â—ce of the Compartment this Royal Motto â—en mon Droit that is God and my Right â—hich Motto was taken up by Edward the â—ird when he first claimed the Kingdom of â—ance Who also gave the Motto upon the â—â—ter Honi soit qui mal y pense that is Shame to him that evil thereof thinketh The Arms of France are placed first as being the greater Kingdom and perhaps thereby to induce the French the more easily to owâ— the English Title The Ensigns of Royalty such as Crowns Scepters Purple-Robe Golden-Globe and Holy Vnction the King of England has them all And so he has all the Marks of Sovereignty As the Power of making Treaties and League with forein States of making Peace or Waâ— of sending and receiving Ambassadours Creating of Magistrates Convening the Parliament of Adjourning Proroguing and Dissolving the same when he thinks fit of conferring Title of Honour of pardoning some Criminals oâ— Coyning c. All which Marks of Sovereignty are by Law lodged in the Crown Accordingly the King of England without the Concurrence of his Parliament levies Meâ— and Arms for Sea and Land-Service and may if need require press Men for that purpose He has alone the Choice and Nomination of aâ—â— Commanders and Officers the principal Direction and Command of his Armies and thâ— Disposal of all Magazines Ammunition Castles Forts Ports Havens Ships of War The Militia is likewise wholly at his Command And though he cannot of himself raise Mony upon his Subjects without his Parliament yet he haâ— the sole Disposal of publick Moneys In the Parliament He has a Negative Voice that is he may without giving any Reason for it refuse to give his Royal Assent to anâ— Bill though passed by both Houses of Parliâ—ment and without his Assent such a Bill 〈◊〉 but like a Body without Soul He may at 〈◊〉 pleasure increase the Number of the House 〈◊〉 Peers by creating more Barons or summoning thither whom he thinks fit by Writ and of the House of Commons by bestowing Priviledges on any other Town to send Burgesses to Parliament He has the Choice and Nomination of all Counsellours and Officers of State of all the Judges Bishops and other high Dignities in the Church In short the King is the Fountain of Honour Justice and Mercy None but the King has the Sovereign Power in the Administration of Justice and no Subject has here as in France Haute Moyenne basse Jurisdiction that is High Mean or Low Jurisdiction So that the King only is Judge in his own Cause though he deliver his Judgement by the Mouth of his Judges By Him is appointed the Metal Weight Purity and Value of Coyn and by his Proclamation he may make any forein Coyn to be lawful Mony of England So tender is the Law for the Preservation of his Sacred Person that without any overt Act the very Imagining or intending the Death of the King is High Treason by Law And though by Law an Idiot or Lunatick Non Compos Mentis cannot commit Felony nor any sort of Treason yet if during his Idiocy or Lunacy he shall Kill or go about to Kill the King he shall be punished as a Traytor In point of Physick by an ancient Record it is declared That no Physick ought to be administred to the King without a Warrant signed by the Privy Council by no other Physician but what is mentioned in the Warrant and the Physicians to prepare it themselves with their own hands If there be occasion for a Surgeon he must be likewise authorized by a Warrant And such is the Honour and Respect the King of England receives from his Subjects that 〈◊〉 Prince in Christendom receives more Homage Not only all Persons stand bare in his presence but even in his absence where he has a Chaiâ— of State All People at their first Address kneel to him and he is at all times served upon the Knee 'T is true the King of England is not free to act contrary to or to dispense with the known established Laws Neither can he of himself repeal a Law or make any new Law without the Concurrence of both Houses of Parliament A happy Impotency both to King and People For whilst the King keeps within the Bounds of the Law he can do no Wrong and the People can receive no Harm Had the late King but acted accordingly he might have been a most glorious Monarch instead of being now a general Object of Pity Far from being necessitated to creep under the shelter of a Proud Monarch he might have been a Curb to his Pride and the Refuge of many Nations that suffered Fire and Sword to advance what he called his Glory Three Crowns at once are too great a Sacrifice not to God but to a Mercenary Crew of Priests and Jesuits Tantum Religio potuit suadere Malorum As to the Rank and Reputation
and Queen as they were lately settled by King and Parliament differ in several Points from the Settlement made in the Reign of Charles II and Confirmed to the late King James 'T is true the Excise which consists in certain Impositions upon Beer Ale and other Liquors is Settled upon Them for their Lives and the Life of the Survivor of Them But out of it a Yearly Rent of 20000 l. comes to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Denmark and her Issue during Their Majesties Lives and the Survivor of Them The Custom upon Commodities Imported and Exported which was settled upon King Charles II and afterwards his Successor for their respective Lives is now Confined within the Term of four Years to commence on the 24th Day of December 1690. And that great Branch of the Revenue the Hearth-Mony which was for ever Settled in the Crown to the great Grievance of the People is now lopt off by Act of Parliament upon the King 's generous Motion for the Relief of His Subjects As to Their Majesties other Revenues I refer you to the Ninth Chapter Which with the Excise and Custom come to above Twelve hundred thousand Pound a Year that is about 16 Millions of French Livers A Revenue which may serve in Time of Peace to Keep up the Honour of the Crown not to inable any Ambitious or Over-covetous Prince to Invade the Property and Liberty of the Engglish Subjects or under a vain Pretence of his own Glory to disturb the Peace and Quiet of his Neighbours A sad Experience whereof we have seen of late Years by the Practice of that Ambitious Monarch the French King whose exorbitant Incomes have helped him to Crush first his Subjects and then most of his Neighbours But when the Nation is concerned in a forein War and the War grounded upon Equity and Honour the Parliaments of England seldom fail of Supplying the King with Subsidies suitable to the present Occasion by a Land-Tax Poll-Mony and such other Ways as they think most convenient In the mean time as the Custom and Excise are the two principal Branches of Their Majesties Revenues let us see how the same are managed how the Products thereof come into the Exchequer and are there disposed of by such thrifty Methods that all Charges born it costs the King little above 2 Shillings in the Pound For the Managing of the Custom-Revenue there are in the first place at present Seven Commissioners who have the Charge and Oversight of all Their Majesties Customs in all Ports of England Which Customs amount to about 600000 l. a Year whereof the Port of London only pays two Thirds that is about 400000 l. Yearly The said Commissioners sit day by day at the Custom-House London They hold their Places by Patent from the King and have each a Salary of 1000 l. per Annum Under these are a great Number of Officers imployed both at London and in the Out-Ports some of them of considerable quality and ability Such as Collectors Customers Comptrollers Surveyors Registers Searchers Waiters c. whose due Perquisites are so considerable that to some they are more than their respective Salaries First there is A Collector Inwards and for the Act of Navigation 966 13 04 A Collector Outwards 276 00 00 A Customer of the Cloth and petty Customs 277 06 08 Two Customers of the great Customs each 50 00 00 A Comptroller General of the the Accompts 500 00 00 A Comptroller of the Cloth and petty Customs 100 00 00 A Surveyor General 500 00 00 A Surveyor of the Out-Ports 250 00 00 A Register of the Seizures 106 00 00 A Head-Searcher 120 00 00 Nineteen King's Waiters each 52 00 00 Forty Land-Waiters each 80 00 00 There is also a Secretary a Ware-house-Keeper a Surveyor of the Ware-house 7 Land-Surveyors 8 Tide-Surveyors 7 Under-Searchers these at 12 l. per Annum and many more Officers that I pass by for brevities sake Besides several Persons Commissioned to seize Uncustomed Goods either Inward or Outward bound 80 Tide-Waiters whose Fee is each 5 l. a Year and 3 shill a Day besides extraordinary Tide-Waiters allowed no Salary but only 3 shill a Day when Imployed To which add Noon-Tenders Watchmen and abundance of other inferiour Officers The Excise Office is Kept in a stately House in Broad Street where this Revenue is also managed by Seven Commissioners who receive here the whole Product of the Excise all over England and pay it into the Exchequer They have each of them 1000 l. Salary per Annum and are obliged by Oath to take no Fee nor Reward but from the King only Under these is A Register and Secretary 500 00 00 An Auditor who for himself and Clerks is allowed 700 00 00 A Comptroller and his Clerks 1240 00 00 There are other considerable Places belonging to this Office both within Doors and without which are injoyed and officiated by very sufficient Persons Particularly the House-Keeper's Place worth 400 l. per Annum And to collect the Excise-Duty all over the Kingdom a great Number of Men appointed for that purpose whose Salary is 20 shill a Week But 't is Observable that from the foresaid Commissioners there lies an Appeal to five others called the Commissioners of Appeal whose yearly Salary from the King is 200 l. each These and all other Their Majesties Revenues are paid at Westminster into the Exchequer that Ocean of Treasure which receives all those Streams and returns them again to refresh the Kingdom by the constant Payments out of it Whereby is caused a great Circulation of Mony throughout the Land And as there are a great many Officers for Collecting the King's Revenues so there are not a few to Receive and Disburse the same according to His Majesties Order The principal Officer is the Lord Treasurer One of the Great Officers of the Crown Whose Place is sometimes as it is at this present managed by Commissioners appointed by His Majesty The next is the Chancellour of the Exchequer an Officer of great Account and Authority whose Power extends not only in the Exchequer Court but also here in the managing and disposing of the King's Revenue He is Under-Treasurer has the Exchequer-Seal in his Custody and a Superintendency over the Lord Treasurer's Roll. The Places of the Comptroller of the Pipe of the Clerk of the Pleas the Clerk of the Nichils and the two Praisers of the Court besides the Seal thereof are all in his Gift Then there are two Chamberlains who 〈◊〉 in their Custody many ancient Records the Standards of Monies Weights and 〈◊〉 and Doomsday Book otherwise called 〈…〉 Book of the Exchequer First Known by the Name of Rotulus Wintoniae and since named Doomsday Book as containing an exact account of all the Lands of England with the true Value of them and their Owners Names So that when this Book was opened upon any Difference the Cheat appeared and Judgement was given accordingly This Tax-book has been written above
Parliament dispenses with that Act. Neither can any be legally chosen that is not of full Age that is 21 Years old at least And reason good for if no Man under that Age can dispose of his Estate much less should he have any share in the supream Power of the Nation to judge vote or dispose of the Estate of the Realm Yet the Practice in the House of Commons has often been otherwise in the House of Lords but seldom Whoever stands to be Elected must be a Native Englishman or at least must be Naturalized by Act of Parliament No Alien Denizated ought to sit here None of the Judges can be chosen that sit in the Bench Common Pleas or Exchequer because they are Assistants in the Lords House But any that have Judicial Places in other Courts Ecclesiastical or Civil being no Lords of Parliament are Eligible No Sheriff nor Clergy-man can be chosen a Member of Parliament Not the first because his personal Attendance is required within his Bayliwick during the time of his Sheriffalty Nor the last because he is of another Body viz. the Convocation and the Clergy of the Convocation-House are no Part or Member of the Parliament A Man attainted of Treason or Felony c. is not Eligible For he ought to be magis idonâ—us discretus sufficiens But a Person Outlawed in a Personal Cause may be a Burgess And tho the Common Law do's disinable the Party yet the Priviledge of the House being urged prevails over the Law Anciently the Elected Members had a competent Allowance from the respective County City or Borough for which they served in Parliament A Knight of the Shire was allowed 4 shill and a Citizen or Burgess 2 shill a Day which in those Days was a considerable Sum. But then the Sessions were but short sometimes but eight Days sometimes less seldom above three or four Weeks and yet during that short space of time several great and weighty Affairs were dispatched Which as some think were prepared to their hand by the King and Council as it is now practised in Sweden by the 40 Counsellors of State and in Scotland by the Lords of the Articles And if they did only debate upon such Things as the King did propose a little Time might serve well enough to do it But it do's not appear to be so by what passed Feb. 9. 1597 39 Eliz. When the Queen gave her Royal Assent to 24 publick and 19 private Bills but refused 48 Bills more which had passed both Houses Certain it is that there was less Canvassing and more Plainness in those Days than there is at present The Place of Meeting for this honourable Assembly is in whatsoever City Town or House the King pleases But of latter times it has been ufually at the Kings ancient Palace at Westminster the Lords in a Room by themselves and the Commons not far from them in another Room which formerly was S. Stephens Chappel When the Day prefixt by the King in his Writs of Summons is come His Majesty usually comes in person to the House of Lords cloathed with his Royal Robes the Crown upon his head and the Sword of State before Him At the upper end of the Room is placed a Chair of State under a Canopy upon which His Majesty sits Then all the Temporal Peers appear in their Scarlet Robes every one according to his Degree and the Spiritual Lords in their Episcopal Habit which they do all the Sessions On the Kings right hand next the Wall are placed on a Form the two Arch-Bishops next below on another Form the Bishops of London Durham and Winchester then upon other Forms on the same side all the rest of the Bishops sit according to the priority of their Consecration The Lord Chancellor or Keeper when there is one stands behind the Cloth of State or fits on the first Wool-sack before the Chair of State with his Great Seal and Mace by him On the Kings left hand are placed the Treasurer President of the Council and Lord Privy Seal of they be Barons above all Dukes but those of the Royal Family if not Barons then they sit uppermost on the Wool-sacks And on the same side sit the Dukes Marquesses or Earls according to their Creation Cross the House below the Wool-sacks the first Form is that which the Viscounts sit upon and upon the next Forms the Barons all in order The King being thus seated in his Throne with this noble Appearance of the Peers of the Realm all standing uncovered his Majesty sends for the Commons from their Room where they are assembled Who being come at least part of them stand at the Bar of the Lords House Whereupon the King makes a short Speech to both Houses concerning such Matters as He thinks fit to lay before them for the Good of the Kingdom Amongst which that of a Supply of Mony is most commonly one in order to answer the extraordinary Charges of the Crown The King having ended his Speech the Chancellor or Lord Keeper did formerly use by the Kings Appointment to inlarge upon it with all the Rhetorick and Logick the Matter could bear to dispose both Houses to a Compliance with the King But His present Majesty has declined that Method and being a Prince of few Words gains more upon rational Men by his concise and plain Way of Delivery as the more agreeable to a true generous Nature than perhaps he might with all the Windings and Turnings of artificial Rhetorick Then the Speaker of the House of Lords commands in the Kings Name the Commons to assemble in their House there to chuse one of their Members for their Speaker and to present him such a Day to His Majesty Upon which the King withdraws and the Commons presently re-assemble themselves in the Lower House in order to chuse one of their Members for Speaker Sometimes as in the last Session the Speaker is chosen by the Kings Command before fore His Majesty delivers his Speech to both Houses of Parliament After the Speaker is chosen and the Choice approved by the King His Majesty leaves both Houses to their private Debates upon the Subject of his Speech and do's no more appear amongst them that Session in his Royal Robes except upon the passing of any Act or at the Close of the Session whether it be by Adjournment Prorogation or Dissolution 'T is true upon any extraordinary Debate in the House of Lords 't is customary with the Kings of England to assist at the same not to argue upon it or to influence the House one way or other but only to hear the Arguments of the House upon the Matter in Debate But then the King appears without his Crown and Robes and every Peer sits except when he speaks to the House as if the King were not there The House of Lords otherwise called the House of Peers or the Vpper House consists of 189 Members Viz. 163 Temporal Lords whereof 14 Dukes 3 Marquesses
afford excellent Fish and wild Fowl in great plenty A noted Place in former time for its wonderfull rich Abbey which continued in its glory till its Dissolution by King Henry VIII This County which formerly was Part of the Kingdom of Mercia and its Inhabitants Part of the Iceni as the Romans called them is now in the Diocese of Lincoln Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire but two Parliament Men and these out of Huntington Kent KENT in Latin Cantium so called as being seated in a Canton or Corner of the Kingdom is a large rich and pleasant Country â—â—ying between the Thames and the Narrow Seas So that it is invironed on all sides with the Sea except Westward where it borders both upon Surrey and Sussex It contains in Length from East to West 60 Miles in Breadth from North to South 30. The Whole divided into five Lathes called Sutton Aylesford Scray St. Augustine and Shepway Lathes and these into 67 Hundreds wherein 408 Parishes and 30 Market Towns Which is an Argument of its Populousness But the Air is neither so serene nor so healthful here as in other Counties especially near the Sea and Marshes which makes this Country so noted for its Kentish Agues Now that you may know in few words the Nature of this Country both as to its Air and Soil I shall bring in the Remark made upon it which is that there are 3 Ridges of Hills in Kent one called Health without Wealth the second Health and Wealth and the third Wealth without Health Others as to the Soil give this different Character of it The Weald for Wood East Kent for Corn Rumney for Meadow Tenham for an Orchard Shepey and Reculver for Wheat Thanet for Barley and Hedcorn for Capons In general this may be said of Kent that it is a Country very good for Corn and fit for Pasturage according to the several Plots and Parts thereof and wondrous full of fruitful and well-ordered Orchards from whence the City of London is supplied with most sorts of Fruit but chiefly with Pippins and Cherries which are counted the best in England On the Cliffs between Deal and Dover there grows a great store of Samphire The same is well watered with Rivers For besides the Thames that washes its North Parts here is the Medway which in a manner parts it in the middle the Stower that runs by Canterbury the Tun through Tunbridge and the Rother upon which Appledore is seated not to mention the lesser Streams Of all the Counties in England this was the first Kingdom of the Heptarchy and had a particular King to it self which no other County ever had Neither was it conquered by the Normans the Kentish Men yielding upon Articles and having their ancient Franchises and Customs confirmed to 'em by William the Conqueror One of which is the Cavelkind whereby they are not so bound by Copy-hold as in other Parts of England Lands of this nature being equally divided here among the male Children and for want of Males among the Females By the same Law they are at age at 15 years old and they may sell or make over the Land without the consent of the Lord. Also the Son tho of a convicted Father for Felony or Murder succeeds him in such Kind of Lands The Kentish Men besides have this to glory in that they were the first Christians of this Island And this is the only County at this time that has two Cities or Episcopal Sees namely Canterbury and Rochester Canterbury the chief Place of this County is 46 miles East of London Viz. from London to Dartford 12 to Rochester 11 more from thence to Sittingborn 10 and to Canterbury 13 more A City of great Antiquity if it was built as some Authors aver 900 years before Christ 'T is seated on the River Stower noted for breeding the best Trouts in the South East Parts of England and is counted in the Lath of S. Augustine The Buildings of it but mean and the Wall which encompasses it in a decayed condition The greatest Ornament of all is the Cathedral wherein ly interred the Bodies of eight Kings For this City had been the Seat of the Kings of Kent till given by Ethelbert the first Christian King of this Country to Augustine the first Archbishop thereof and his Successors Whereupon the King removed his Seat to Reculver a Town by the Sea-side In this Cathedral is also interred the Body of Thomas Becket once Archbishop hereof that famous Saint so reverenced by the Romanists In this City and its Suburbs are reckoned 14 Parish Churches besides a Meeting-place under the Cathedral for the Walloonâ— that dwell in this City who are very numerous and drive a considerable Trade of the Stuffs they make here It has two Markets a Week Wednesdays and Saturdays the latter of which is the most considerable But to the honour this City has had of being the Regal Seat of the first Kings of Kent and of being to this day the See of the Primate of England let us add the Coronation of King John and Queen Izabel his Wife the Marriages of Henry II. and Edward I and the Interments of Edward the black Prince King Henry the Fourth and Queen Joan his Wife all which was performed in this Place The other Market-Towns are Eltham Mund. Wrotham Tue. Lenham Tue. Westram Wedn. S. Mary Cray Wedn. Goldburst Wedn. Gravesend Wedn. Sat. Feversham Wedn. Sat. Dover Wedn. Sat. Sandwich Wedn. Sat. Wye Thu. Rumney Thu. Lyd Thu. Folkstone Thu. Maidstone Thu. Bromley Thu. Rochester Frid. Tunbridge Frid. Tenderden Frid. Woolwich Frid. Smarden Frid. Malinge Sat. Milton Sat. Cranbrook Sat. Hythe Sat. Ashford Sat. Sevenoke Sat. Dartford Sat. Appledore Among which Rockester requires the preeminence as a Bishops See and the second for Antiquity in all the Island It is seated upon the Medway over which it has a stately Stone-bridge one of the fairest in England It consists most of one principal Street which extends it self a long way the Houses being but ordinary as they are inhabited for the most part but by Trades-men and Inn-keepers Yet besides the Honour it has of being a Bishops See it is dignify'd with the Title of an Earldom in the Person of the Right Honourable Laurence Hyde Earl of Rochester Viscount Hyde c. Which Title was formerly enjoy'd by three Wilmots And before them there was a Viscount of this Place Sir Robert Carr being created Viscount of Rochester Anno 1611. and afterwards Earl of Somerset Adjoyning to this City is Chatham also seated on the Banks of Medway A long Thorough-fare Town well inhabited by Seamen and Shipwrights as being the principal Station of the Royal Navy and having a good Dock and Store-houses for the building and equipping of his Majesties Ships Maidstone is seated also on the Medway but near the head of it This is the Town where the County-Goal Sessions and Assizes are kept being conveniently seated for