House of Lords Journal Volume 2: 23 March 1587

DIE Jovis, 23 die Martii,

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales, quorum nomina subsequuntur, præsentes fuerunt:

Continuing Statutes.

(fn. 1) HODIE 2^a et 3^a vice lecta est Billa, An Act for the Continuance and Perfecting of divers Statutes, quæ communi omnium Procerum Assensu conclusa est, avecque les Amendements.

Act of Grace.

Hodie lecta est Billa, An Act for the Queen's Majesty's most Gracious, General, and Free Pardon, quæ communi omnium Procerum Assensu conclusa est, et tradita Servienti Gawdie, et Doctori Carewe, in Domum Communem deferenda.

Continuing Statutes.

Hodie allata est a Domo Communi Billa, An Act for the Continuance and Perfecting of divers Statutes.

Act of Grace.

Item allata est a Domo Communi Billa, An Act for the Queen's Majesty's most Gracious, General, and Free Pardon.

The Chief Justice acquaints the Lords and Commons with the Causes which prevented the Queen's being present, that she would give her Assent to Bills that were passed, and delivers her Commission to be read.

Hodie, quum omnes Proceres, Robis Parliamentaribus induti, in suo quisque loco federent, et Prolocutor de Domo Communi, una cum omnibus qui ad hoc præsens Parliamentum summoniti fuerant, et Militibus, Civibus, et Burgensibus, accersitus, præsto essent, Edmundus Anderson, Miles, Capitalis Justiciarius de Placito Communi (quia Cancellarius nondum convaluit) exponit omnibus Regiam Majestatem magnis et urgentissimis quibusdam Negotiis adeo esse impeditam, ut non queat impræsentiarum commode interesse. "Tamen (inquit) sua Majestas imperavit mihi, ut, suo Nomine, vobis hic præsentibus declarem, quibus Legibus, seu Statutis, a vobis, in hoc præsenti Parliamento, pro vestra parte stabilitis, velit Regium Assensum suum adhibere, sine quo Leges vigorem obtinere non debent, sicuti vos probe nostis." Et, hiis dictis, protendit Clerico Parliamentorum quasdam Literas, sub Magno Sigillo Angliæ Patentes, quas ipse publice legit. Literæ autem scriptæ fuerunt in hæc verba:

Commission for giving the Royal Assent to Bills passed this Session.

"Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, Queen of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc. To Our Right Trusty, and Right Well-beloved the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and to Our Trusty and Well-beloved the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, Greeting.

"We have seen, and perfectly understand, divers and sundry Acts and Ordinances annexed and affiled to these Presents, agreed and accorded by Our Loving Subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this Our present Parliament assembled, and severally indorsed by you, as hath been accustomed; the Titles and Names of which Acts hereafter do particularly ensue; that is to say, An Act for the Confirmation of the Attainder of Thomas late Lord Paget and others; An Act concerning Errors in Records of Attainder of High Treason; An Act to avoid Fraudulent Assurances made in certain Cases by Traitors; An Act to prevent Extortion in Sheriffs, Under Sheriffs, and Bailiffs, of Franchises or Liberties, in Cases of Execution; An Act for the Continuance and Perfecting of divers Statutes; An Act for the more speedy and due Execution of certain Branches of the Statute, made in the 23d Year of the Queen's Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act to retain the Queen's Majesty's Subjects in their due Obedience; An Act for the Confirmation of the Sale of Edward Fissher's Lands, made towards Satisfaction of his Debts, Charges, and Incumbrances; An Act of one Subsidy granted by the Clergy; An Act for the Grant of one entire Subsidy, and Two Fifteenths and Tenths, granted by the Temporalty; An Act for the Queen's Majesty's most Gracious, General, and Free Pardon. And albeit the said several Acts and Ordinances by you Our said Subjects, the Lords and Commons in this Our present Parliament assembled, be fully agreed and consented unto, and seem very necessary and profitable for the Surety and Common Wealth (of this Our Realm), which nevertheless be not of any Force or Effect in the Law, without Our Royal Assent given and put to the same Acts and Ordinances, and every of them: And for as much as, for divers great and urgent Causes and Considerations, We cannot conveniently, at this present, be personally, in Our Royal Person, in the Higher House of Our said Parliament, being the Place accustomed to give Our Royal Assent unto such Acts and Ordinances as have been agreed upon by Our said Subjects, the Lords and Commons. We have therefore caused these Our Letters Patents to be made, and have signed, and caused the same to be sealed accordingly, and by the same do declare and notify, as well to you the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons aforesaid, as to all and singular other Our Loving Subjects, That We, by these Presents, do give and put Our Royal Assent to all and singular the said Acts and Ordinances, and to all Articles, Clauses, and Provisions, in them contained, and be fully agreed and assented to all and every the said Acts; willing that the said Acts, and every Article, Clause, Sentence, and Provision, in them contained, from henceforth shall be of the same Strength, Force, and Effect, as We had been personally present in the said Higher House, and had openly and publickly, in the Presence of you all, assented to the same; commanding also, by these Presents, as well Our Chancellor of England to seal these Our Letters Patents with Our Great Seal, as Our Trusty and Well-beloved Sir Edmunde Anderson, Knight, Our Chief Justice of Our Common Pleas, to declare and notify this Our Royal Assent, in Our Absence, in the said Higher House, in the Presence of you the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of Our Parliament, there to be assembled for that Purpose, and the Clerk of Our Parliament to endorse the said Acts with such Terms and Words, in Our Name, as is requisite, and hath been accustomed for the same, and also to enroll these Our Letters Patents, and all and every the said Acts, in the Parliament Roll; and these Our Letters Patents shall be to every of them sufficient Warrant in that Behalf; and finally declare and will, that, after this Our Royal Assent given and passed by these Presents, and declared and notified as is aforesaid, That then immediately the said Acts, and every of them, shall be taken, accepted, and admitted, good, sufficient, and perfect Laws, to all Intents, Constructions, and Purposes, and to be put in due Execution accordingly; the Continuance or Dissolution of this Our Parliament, or any other Use, Custom, Thing, or Things, to the contrary thereof notwithstanding. In Witness whereof, We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patents. Witness Ourself, at Westm. the 23d Day of March, in the 29th Year of Our Reign.

"Per ipsam Reginam, etc.

"Powle."

Another Commission delivered to be read.

POSTQUAM vero Clericus Parliamentorum has Literas palam perlegisset, Edmundus Andersons, Miles, alias etiam Literas Patentes eidem Clerico Parliamentorum publice legendas tradidit; atque hic notandum est, omnes Dominos Commissionarios in Literis Patentibus nominatos, locis suis relictis, in medio Banco consedisse, dum dictæ Literæ legerentur. Earum autem tenor hic sequitur:

Commission for dissolving the Parliament.

"Elizabetha, Dei Gratia, Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ, Regina, Fidei Defensor, etc. Reverendissimo in Christo Patri ac Consiliario suo Johanni Cantuarien. Archiepiscopo, totius Angliæ Primati et Metropolitano, ac Reverendissimo in Christo Patri Edwino Ebor. Archiepiscopo, Angliæ Primati et Metropolitano, ac etiam Charissimis Consanguineis et Consiliariis suis Georgio Comiti Salop. Comiti Marecallo Angliæ, Henrico Comiti Derbie, Magno Senescallo, nec non Charissimo Consanguineo suo Henrico Comiti Kanc. ac Charissimo Consanguineo et Consiliario suo Roberto Comiti Leicestr. Magistro Equorum suorum, ac etiam Prædilectis et Fidelibus Consiliariis suis Carolo Domino Howarde, Magno Admirallo suo Angliæ, Henrico Domino de Hunsdon, Domino Camerario suo, et Willielmo Domino Cobham, Domino Gardiano Quinque Portuum suorum, Salutem.

"Cum nuper, pro quibusdam arduis et urgentibus Nogotiis, Nos, Statum et Defensionem Regni Nostri Angliæ ac Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ concernentibus, præsens hoc Parliamentum Nostrum, apud Civitatem Nostram Westm. decimo quinto die Octobris ultimo præterito, inchoari et teneri ordinaverimus; in et a quo die idem Parliamentum Nostrum usque ad et in vicesimum septimum diem ejusdem mensis Octobris prorogatum fuerat; eodemque die idem Parliamentum Nostrum usque ad et in vicesimum nonum diem dicti mensis Octobris prorogatum fuerat, ac ibidem tunc tentum et continuatum suit usque ad et in secundum diem Decembris tunc proxime sequentem; eodemque die idem Parliamentum Nostrum usque ad et in decimum quintum diem Februarii tunc proxime sequentem adjornatum fuerat; eodemque die idem Parliamentum Nostrum tunc et ibidem tentum et continuatum fuerat usque ad et in vicesimum tertium diem instantis mensis Martii. Sciatis tamen, certis urgentibus Causis et Considerationibus Nos specialiter moventibus, idem Parliamentum Nostrum, hoc instante vicesimo tertio die Martii, duximus dissolvendum. De Fidelitate igitur, Prudentia, et Circumspectione, vestris plurimum confidentes, de Avisamento et Assensu Concilii Nostri, assignavimus vos, et aliquos tres vel plures vestrum, Commissionarios Nostros, dantes vobis, et aliquibus tribus vel pluribus vestrum, tenore præsentium, plenam Potestatem, Facultatem, et Auctoritatem, hoc instante vicesimo tertio die Martii, ad dictum Parliamentum Nostrum, nomine Nostro, plenarie dissolvendum. Et ideo vobis mandamus, quod vos, aliqui tres vel plures vestrum, idem Parliamentum Nostrum, eodem instante vicesimo tertio die Martii, virtute harum Literarum Nostrarum Patentium, nomine Nostro, plene dissolvatis et determinetis. Et ideo vobis mandamus, quod circa præmissa diligenter intendatis, ac ea in forma prædicta effectualiter expleatis et exequamini. Damus autem universis et singulis Archiepiscopis, Marchionibus, Comitibus, Vicecomitibus, Episcopis, Baronibus, Militibus, Civibus, et Burgensibus, ac omnibus aliis quorum interest ad dictum Parliamentum Nostrum conventuris, tenore præsentium, firmiter in Mandatis, quod vobis, in præmissis faciendis, agendis, et exequendis, pareant, obediant, et intendant in omnibus, prout decet. In cujus rei Testimonium, has Literas Nostras fieri fecimus Patentes. Teste Meipsa, apud Westm. 23 die Martii, Anno Regni Nostri Vicesimo nono.

"Per ipsam Reginam, etc.

"Powle."