APPENDIX.

A.

LITERE DE INCORPORATIONE HERALDORUM.

Rex, omnibus ad quos, &c. salutem.

SCIATIS quod nos, de gratia nostra speciali, ac ex certa scientia & mero motu nostris, necnon certis considerationibus nos specialiter moventibus, concessimus pro nobis & hæredibus nostris, quantum in nobis cst, dilectis nobis, Johanni Writhe, alias dicto Garter regi armorum Anglicorum, Thoma Holma, alias dicto Clarensu regi armorum partium Australium, Johanni More, alias dicto Norrey regi armorum partium Borialium, Richardo Champney, alias dicto Gloucestre regi armorum partium Walliæ, & omnibus aliis heraldis, prosecutoribus, sive parsevandis armorum, quod ipsi & successores sui, scilicet, le Garter rex armorum Anglicorum, rex armorum partium Australium, rex armorum Borialium, rex armorum partium Walliæ, ac omnes alii heraldi, prosecutores, sive pursevandi armorum, qui pro tempore fuerint, imperpetuùm sint unum corpus corporatim in re, & nomine, habeantque successionem. perpetuam, necnon quoddam sigillum commune pro negotiis & aliis agendis eorumdem habere & excercere valeant imperpetuum, ac quod ipsi & successores sui per nomina le Garter regis armorum Anglicorum, regis armorum partium Australium, regis armorum partium Borialium, regis armorum Walliæ, & aliorum heraldorum, prosecutorum, sive pursevandorum armorum, imperpetuùm nuncupentur.

Et quod ipsi & corum successores per eadem nomina sint persona habiles & capaces in lege, ac nomen illud habeant & gerant imperpetuum.

Et quod iidem Garter rex armorum Anglicorum, rex armorum partium australium, rex armorum Borialium, rex armorum partium Walliæ, ac alii heraldi, prosecutores, sive pursevandi armorum, & successores sui, per hujusmodi nomen, terras, tenementa, hærcditamenta, & possessiones, ac bona & catalla quæcumque perquirere & habere possint.

Ac pro terris, tenementis, redditibus, & possessionibus, juribus, rebus, bonis, & catallis quibuscumque; in quibuscumque actionibus, causis, demandis, querelis, & placitis, tàm realibus & personalibus quam mixtis, cujuscumque generis fuerint vel naturæ, in quibuscumque curiis, corum quibuscumque justiciariis aut judicibus, spiritualibus vel secularibus, placitare & implacitari, ac respondere & responderi valeant imperpetuùm,

prout & in eodem modo quo cæteri liegiæ nostræ persona habiles & capaces in lege placitare & implacitari, respondere & responderi poterunt & consueverunt.

Quodque prædicti Garter rex armorum Anglicorum, rex armorum partium Australium, rex armorum partium Borialium, rex armorum Walliæ, & alii heraldi, prosecutores, sive pursevandi armorum, & eorum successores, & eorum libitum invicem commorentur, ac ad dies, loca, & tempora congrua & oportuna, quotiens & quando eis placuerit, ad tractandum, communicandum, & concordandum inter se ipsos, & unâ cum aliis, pro consilio & avisamento, pro bono statu, eruditione, & regimine, facultatis sux prædictæ convenire possint.

Et, ut ipsi quendam locum sive mansionem congruum in ea parte habeant, de gratiâ nostrâ speciali & ex mero motu,

Dedimus & concessimus eisdem Garter regis armorum Anglicorum, regi armorum partium Australium, regi armorum partium Borialium, regi armorum Walliæ, & heraldis, prosecutoribus, sive persevandis armorum, & successoribus suis, ad usum duodecim principalium & proborum eorundem pro tempore existentium imperpetuùm, absque compoto seu aliquo alio indè nobis vel hæredibus nostris reddendo vel faciendo.

Et ulterius, de uberiori gratia nostra concessimus & licentiam dedimus, pro nobis & hæredibus nostris prædictis, quantum in nobis est, præfatis, Garter regi armorum Anglicorum, regi armorum Australium, regi armorum partium Borialium, regi armorum Walliæ, & aliis heraldis, prosecutoribus, sive pursevandis armorum, & successoribus suis, quòd ipsi terras, tenementa, redditus, & possessiones, quæ de nobis non tenentur in capite, ad valorem viginti librarum per annum, ultra reprisas, & ultra messuagium prædictum, cum pertinentiis, a quibuscumque personis secularibus vel regularibus adquirere possint.

Habenda & tenenda eis & successoribus suis imperpetuùm, ad intentionem inveniendi unum ́capellanum idoneum ad celebrandum singulis diebus, in messuagio prædicto, vel extra, ad libitum regum armorum prædictorum, pro salubri statu nostro & Annæ consortis nostræ, & Edwardi principis Walliæ, primogeniti nostri, dum vixerimus: & pro animabus nostris cum ab hac luce migraverimus, ac pro bono statu omnium benefactorum regum armorum supra nominatorum dùm vixerint, & pro animabus suis cum ab hac luce migraverint, ac pro animabus omnium fidelium defunctorum, juxta discretiones & ordinationes prædictorum Garter regis armorum Anglicorum, regis armorum partium Australium, regis armorum partium Borialium, regis armorum Walliæ, & aliorum heraldorum, prosecutorum, sive pursevandorum armorum, & successorum suorum.

Et hæc omnia absque impetitione, impedimento, perturbatione, aut gravamine nostri vel hæredum nostrorum, justitiariorum, vicecomitum, escaetorum, coronatorum, ballivorum, seu ministrorum nostrorum quorumque.

Et absque aliquibus aliis literis regiis patentibus, seu aliquibus inquisitionibus super aliquo brevi de ad quod dampnum, aut aliquo alio mandato regio in ea parte quovismodo prosequendo, habendo, faciendo, capiendo, seu retornando.

Et

Et absque fine seu feodo inde nobis vel hæredibus nostris, fiendo seu solvendo ; statuto de terris & tenementis ad manum mortuam non pronendis edito, aut eo quòd expressa mentio de vero valore annuo messuagii prædicti, aut cæterorum præmissorum, sive eorum alicujus, vel de aliis donis sive concessionibus per nos aut aliquem progenitorum, sive prædecessorum nostrorum, regum Angliæ, præfatis, Johanni Writhe, Thomæ Holme, Johanni More, & Richardo Champneys, aut eorum alicui, ante hæc tempora factis in presentibus minimè facta existit, aut aliquo statuto, actu, ordinatione, sive restrictione in contrarium factis, editis, sive ordinatis, aut aliquâ aliâ re, causâ, vel materiâ quacumque, non obstante.

In cujus, &c.

Teste rege, apud Westmonasterium, secundo die Martii.

Per breve de privato sigillo.

Rymer's Fadera, vol. 12, p. 215.

B.

PRO REGIBUS ARMORUM, HERALDIS, ET PURSIVANDIS, DE
EXEMPTIONE.

Edwarde the Syxt, &c. to all of them to whom these presentes shall come, greeting.

WHERE our faythfull subjects the Lords and Commons of our realm of England, being together assembled in our Parliament, latelie holden at Westminster, this present thirde of our reygne, did graunte unto us a certen relif, to endure by for the space of three yeres then next to com; that every lay person, beying as well our naturall subjecte, as also every estraunger, having goodes and catalles to the valew of £x and above, should paye unto us every yere, duryng the said three yeres, our naturall subjecte for every pounde of the value of his goodes and catalles xii d. and every estraunger iis, as in the statute or acte of the same Parliament, among sundry other things therein declared, evydentli and plainly doth appere; and albeit the said estatute or acte doth oblige our well beloved Christofer Barker, alias Garter, knyght, kyng of armes; Thomas Hawley, alias Clarencieux king of arms; Gilbert Dethicke, alias Norrey kyng of armes; Leonard ........, alias Carlyle heroaulde of armes; Charles Wriothesley, alias Wyndesour heroalde of armes; Bartilmew Butler, alias Yorke, heroald of armes; William Harvy, alias Somersett heroaulde of armes; William Fowler, alias Chester heroaulde of armes; Lawrence Dowllon, alias Richernonde heroaulde of armes; Robert Fairy, alias Portcouluos purcyvaunte; Martyne Maroff, alas Rude-dragon purcyvaunte; Edmond Atkynson, alias Blew-mantill purcyvaunte; Simon

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Nymbolthe,

Nymbolthe, alias Ruge-crosse purcyvaunte; Nicholas Traillewe, alias Calies purcy. vaunte; Henry Fellowe, alias Guysnes purcyvaunte; Henry Rey, alias Barwike purcyvaunte to the payment of such sommes of money of every pound of the valew of their goodes and catalls, as ar clamed in the said estatute, and assessed and taxed uppon them and every of them, no lesse effectual, without any exception then the same bindeth the rest of our subjects.

Yet nevertheless, forasmoche as sundry records and testimonies of grete and honorable antiquitie, and of no less credit, have now latelie reduced to our perfitt knowlege the kinges of armes, heroualdes, and purcivauntes of armes, elected as persons vertuose, and for their good qualities, knowledge, and experience, mete to serve in the affaires of the comen weale, have byn alwaies heretofore by Emperours, Kings, and Prynces of Christian realmes, upon most worthie and juste considerations, not onlie mayntegned and supported honestlic, as well with yerelie stipends and pencions as dalic profetts, advantages, and commodities, sufficyent to the necessite of the decente and convenyent lyvyng of they and theirs in honest state, without any empechement, which dailie profetts, advantages, and commodities ar now latlie moche decayed, to the hynderaunce specialie in this our realm, as is before alledged, but also have byn by the same sundrie Emperours, Kings, and Prynces enriched and adorned, tyme out of man's memorie, with diverse and sundrie kinds of privileges, liberties, and franchises, which are amonge other.

That they, and every of them, be free, exemtpe, quyet and discharged . from all subsidies, disimes, fyftenes, reliefs, contributions, taxes, gifts, graunts, benivolences, and generallie from all other maner of charges, as well in tyme of warre as peax, in all suche realmes and dominions as wherin they mad their demoure,

But also in all markets, and other places, from tolls, fynes, customes, impositiones, and demandes,

And as well from watch and warde, in all cyties, townes, castells, borowes, and villages,

And from the election and appoinctment to any office of maior, sheriff, bailif, constable, scavenger, churche-warden, or any other publique office or rowme in cities, townes, castell, borowes, and villages, of what degre, nature, or condition soever the same be.

And forasmoche, also, as we understand all kings of armes, heroauldes, and purcivaunts of armes, have alweis heretofore, from the begynning of the office of armes, enjoyed, and presentlie do enjoy all and singular the priviledges, liberties, and franchises aforesaid, with many other, in all Christian regions, without any disturbaunce, lett, or empechement to the contrarie.

We therfore considering the same, and ernestly minding th'advancement of the said office of armes, as the quiet and honest supportation of our servaunts and ministers thereof,

Do