The Fraternity of Jesus: Confirmation of grant by Henry VII (English)

III. THE FORESEYD CONFIRMACION DRAWEN INTO ENGLISSHE.

Henry, by the grace of God king of Englonde and of ffraunce and lord of Irelande, To almaner people to whome this present lettres shall come, greting. We have seen and beholde the lettres patents of the most excellent prince and oure entierliest beloued vncle Henry the Sixt, by the same grace of God kyng of Englonde and of ffraunce and lord of Irelande, oure predecessour, in thise wordes:

Henry, by the grace of God kyng of England and of ffraunce and lorde of Irelande, To all people to whome thise present lettres shall come, Gretyng. Where in the honoure of the most glorius Name of oure Saviour Jh[es]u Criste many oure liege men and faithful Cristen people, stired by deuocion, haue heretofore right vertuosly begonne a ffraternite or Gilde amongest and of themself and of other persones willyng to be of the same ffraternite and Gilde, in a place called the Crowdes of the Cathedrall Churche of Seint Paule of London; whiche ffraternite so begonne, as we vndrestonde, hath contenued peasibly and quietly, till now of the late oure seid liegemen, dreding that the foreseide ffraternite and Gilde hathe not duely and lawfully be founded and stablisshed after the sure and directe ordre of oure lawes, and yf it so be not, than every thing therupon folowyng and dependyng shulde be voide and of none effecte: Wherfor they haue made vnto vs humble request and supplica[i]oon, that, in the wey of charite and pite, we wold vouchesauf to provide for the due, sure, and lawfull fundac[i]on and stabiliment of the same ffraternite or gilde, and to take vppon vs the name of the ffounder and the charge of the right and due fundac[i]on as the onely ffounder of the same ffraternite or Gilde: Whereupon we, in considerac[i]on of the premisses, and to the humble peticion of oure said loving subgetts enclyned and agreed in this behalf, willing those things whiche be, or may be, to the laude and honoure of the seid most blissed Name of Jh[es]u to be augmented, and willing the same ffraternite or Gilde so deuoutly, as is aforeseid, begonne after the due ordre of oure lawes to be sure and perpetuell; And takyng vpon vs the name of the ffoundour of the same ffraternite or Gilde, and the charge of the fundacc[i]on of the same to the laude, honoure, and glory of Almyghty God the ffader and the Sonne and the Holy Gost, and specially in the honour of the same Name of Jh[es]u oure Saviour, to Whose honour the ffraternyte or Gilde aforesed, as afore is rehercid, is begonne: by tenour of thise oure present lettres we make, fownde, ordeigne, and stablisshe perpetuelly hereaftir to endure, the same ffraternite or Gilde, of one Governour a convenient spirituell man, and of two Wardeyns, seculer persones, and of othir persones men and women whatsoevir they be admytted, or hereafter forevirmore to be admytted, Brethern and Sistren of the same ffraternite or Gilde, in the foreseid place called the Crowdes, vnto the tyme by vs or by the seid Govirnour, Wardeyns, Brethern and Sistren, or their Successors of a bettir, more profitable, and more convenient place with the licence, consent, and assent of all and everiche persones having therin interest, shalbe in that behalf ordeigned and provided. And by thise presents we make, create, and ordeigne William Say, professour of diuinite, now Deane of the Chirche aforeseid, Governoure and for the Govirnoure of the same Brethirhed and Gilde, and Richard fforde, one of the Remembrauncers of oure Eschequer, and Henry Benet, one of the Clerkes of the Office of oure priuy seall, Wardeyns and for Wardeins of the same ffraternite or Gilde, with the seid Brethern and Sustren now admytted into the same fraternite or Gilde, as is aforeseid, Brothern and Sustren, and for Brethern and Sustren of the same fraternite or Gilde, as ys aforeseyd. And ffurthirmore, we woll and graunte by thise presents, that the foreseid ffraternite or Gilde be calle the fraternite or Gilde of the Name of Jhesu in the Cite of London forevirmore, and also that the foresaid Govirnoure, Wardeynsm Breherne, and Sustren of the same fraternite or Gilde haue perpetuell succession; And that also they, and their successours forevirmore, be called the Govirnour, Wardeins, Brethern and Sustren, of the ffraternite or Gilde of the Name of Jh[es]u in the Cite of London; And that also they be one body in themself, and by and undre the name of the Govirnoure, Wardeins, Bretherne and Sustren of the ffraternite or Gilde of the name of JJh[es]uu in the Cite of London, they shalbe persones perpetuell, hable, and have capacite in the lawe to receive and purchace landes, tenementis, rents, services, and emoluments, rights, and possessions, whatsoevir they be, spirituell and temporell, to holde to them and to their successours forevirmore: And moreovir, that they and their successours by the name aforeseid may enplede and be enpleded, and to pursue almaner causes, querells, and accions, reall and personall, and mixt, of whatsoevir kynde or nature they shalbe; And also to answere and be answerd, and to defende them self vndre the name aforeseid, in the same causes, querells, and accions before all Juges seculer and spirituell, whatsoevir they be yn, in whatsoeuir the courtis and places of vs and of oure heires, and in the courts and places of all othir persones whatsoeuir they be within oure Roialme of Englonde, after the lawes and custumes of the same Roialme; And to doo and resceive all othir thinges in like maner and fourme as othir oure liegemen, persones able and capace within the same oure Roialme to enplede and be enpleded, and myght do in the courtis and places aforeseid, after the lawes and custumes aforeseid: And that the same Governour, Wardeins, Brethern and Sustren, and their successours for evirmore, haue a comon Seale to serve to their besynes and actis to be done and sealed: And that they and their Successours to guyde and governe the Bretherede or Gilde aforeseid, of them self and othir the Brothern and Sustren of othir persones in the same ffraternite or Gilde, from yere into yere and whanne and as often as for the profitt and worshipp of the same ffraternite or Gilde, it shalbe expedient, they may and shall chese and make Wardeins; And the same Wardeins from their offices to remeve and expelle, and othir Wardeins of them self into the offices aforeseid to chese and make: Provided alwey, that the foreseid Deane of the Cathedrall Chirche of Seint Poule, and everiche his Successour Deane of the same Chirche, be alwey and contenuelly Governoure of the ffraternite or Gilde, without enny eleccion thereof by the foreseid Wardeins, Brethern, and Sustren, in enny maner wise to be made; And that the foreseid Govirnour and Wardeins, Brothern and Sustren, and their Successours shall make lefull and honest congregac[i]ons and assembles of them self, and laufull statuts and ordenaunces for the good governaunce of the ffraternite or Gilde aboueseid, as often and whanne as yt shalbe behovefull or nedefull, withoute enny punysshement, occasion, lette, perturbance, or greving of vs or of oure heires, or of oure Justices, Escheatours, Shirefs, or of othir the Bailifs or Ministres of vs or of oure heires whatsoevir they be: And ovir that, of our more habundaunt grace, we haue graunted and given licence for vs and our heires, by thise presents, to the foreseid Govirnour, Wardeins, Brothern and Sustren, of the ffraternite and Gilde aboveseid, that they and their successours may purchace and resceive whatsoevir landes, tenements, rents, and possessions, whiche, as well of vs in free burgage, as of othir in socage, or by whatsovir seruice be holden, to the valour of xlli.i by yere, to holde to them and to their Successours foreuirmore, aswell to the sustentacon of certeine Chapleins doing diuine seruices in the honoure of the foreseid Name of jJh[es]uu, where the foreseid ffraternite or Gilde shalbe stablisshid, and to the exhibicon of certein Clerkis and Children there to serve accordyng to the ordenaunces and statuts aforeseid, thereof to be made, as also for the supportacon and fulfilling of whatsomeuir othir charges and werkes of pite to be made or done by the foreseid Govirnour, Wardeins, Brethern and Sustren, of the seid ffraternite or Gilde, or their Successours, that is to wite of whatsomeuir persones whiche to them will give, graunte, or assigne the premisses: And also, by the tenour of thise presentis, we haue given speciall licence to the same persones, that they may give, graunte, and assigne the same landes, rentis, tenements, and possessions to the yerely value aboueseid, to the same Govirnour, Wardeins, Brethern and Sustren, and to their Successours, to haue to them and to their Successours forevir, in the fourme aforseid; the statuts of landes and tenements not to be put to mortmayn, or enny othir statuts or ordenaunces before this tyme made or ordeigned to the contrary, notwithstondyng. And this to be hadde withoute ffyne or ffee to oure vse to be taken or paide, and withoute enny othir oure lettres, Inquisicon, writte de Ad quod dampnum, or enny othir oure commaundement in this behalf in ennywise to be hadde, pursued or taken. In Witnesse whereof we haue done to be made thise oure lettres patents; being Witnesse Oure self at Westmynster, the xxv day of January the xxxvij yere of our reigne. The foreseid lettres and the contents of the same we accepte and approve, and for vs and our heires, inasmuche as in vs ys, we afferme and stable, and to our welbeloued in Crist John Colet, Clerk, now Governour, William Bromewell, and John Monke, now Wardeins of the ffraternite or Gilde aforeseid, and to the Brothern and Sustren of the same Gilde, and to their successours, by the tenour of thise presents we ratifie and conferme, as the foreseid letters resonably witnesseth. In witnesse whereof We haue don to be made thise oure lettres patents. Being witnesse Oure self at Croydon, the xxvj^th day of Aprill, in the xxij^th yere of oure Reigne.