licensed or appoynted by the said Mr. or Keeper of the Roules for the tyme beinge, or in his absence shalbe required by any of the Councell lerned of the Queenes Matie that nowe ys, her heires or successors, only for hyr Majesties servyce to be perused and sene, and not otherwyse to remayne with theym, or any of theym, any longer.*

Item, whereas yt is conteyned in the same oathe that the said officer shall not shewe the Rolles or Recordes to any person but by comaundement or lycence of the said Keeper of the Rolles, privily or openly, a thinge not possible to be observed by reason of the multytude of Rolles and Recordes, and by the infynite nombers of suche as come to searche in them. The true intent and meaninge therof ys, that the said Richard Orrell shall nor may shewe them in any other sorte, except yt be, in the absence of the said Mr. or Keeper of the Rolles for the tyme being, to any the Councell of the Queenes Matie that nowe ys, her heires or successors, requiring to see them, or any of them, for her Majesties better service, or to such clerke or clerkes of the Pettie Bagge, or others, as the Mr. or Keeper of the Roules for the tyme being doth or shall appoynte or allowe to have accesse to the said Rolles or Recordes for necessary and lawfull busines to be done by them, or any of theyme, or in the presence of such clerke or some of them.

Item,-after any of the clerkes of the Pettie Bagge shall have occasion to see and use any office or inquisitions for the passing of any leverie or leveries, then the bundell or fyle, wheruppon the same offices be, shall and may be delyvered to the hand of any of the clerkes alredy named and appoynted by the other clerkes of the Petie Bagge, for the makyng furth of such leveries as ys to be mayd, soe that he delyver [def. in MS.] so receyve the same fyle or bundell within days savely within the same fyle

* [Note in the Margin.]-Q. What order shalbe used for Inquisitions and Rolles for the Pettibagge, theire owne Clerkes fetchinge them out of the Chapple, &c., and keepinge them 2 or 3 dayes, whereby any may be taken from the fyles?

or bundell againe without any alteration, dymynution, or change therof, according to his oath alredy taken for the same.

The fees of the Keeper of the Bookes of the Rolles.

OFFICE FOR BILLS AND ANSWERS.

[By an instrument inserted hereafter, (p. 203) it appears that John Parker, Esq. was appointed to the office of keeping and filing Bills and Answers in Chancery on the 9th April, 1594, the day before Lord Ellesmere was elevated from the post of Attorney General to that of Master of the Rolls. Parker was related to Lord Buckhurst, and the following letter from his Lordship to Lord Ellesmere refers to the appointment by Parker of a Deputy, as he was authorised to do by his Letters Patent. He had been contravened and delayed in some way by the Six Clerks, with whom he was resolved to treat no longer.]

To my veary good frend Sir Thomas Egerton, knight, Mr. of the Rolles, give theas.

SIR. My cosin Parker, sins I saw you, being desirous that nothing shold be doon in the execution of his new office to your mislike, hath praied me to offer to you on his behalf, that if it pleas you to nomenate any such person as you shall like of to be by him deputed in the same office, he will most willingly apoint him upon such reasonable conditions as betwixt them both shalbe agreed upon. He hath first offred the like offer to the 6 clerkes, who neither accepting nor refusing, but, as he saith, dalieng and delaieng him therin, he is fully resolved to deale no more with them, and now doth wholy relie upon your resolution herin. He is not only my kinsman, but also a gentleman of so faire condition and of so much worth as I assure you he is beloved and well weighed of all men, and I, knowing that his 14 yeres servis and the expens of 4000li (which he raised upon his father's guift and portion left unto him, and incresed by his returne from Venis) doth all depend upon the bettering of his state and fortune by this offis, which, if it shold not succede wel unto him might turn to his utter undoing, do very hartilie pray you that sins her Matie hath vouchsafed the guift therof unto him, that with your good favoure he may enjoy it, sins I dare promise you your direction in the execution therof shall wholy rule and guide him. I move this the readier, because

I do partly understand that the 6 clerkes ar so sharply stil bent, as he saith, against him, not letting underhand to further al devices that may give impediment to him. I rest all and ever yours right assured.

3 May, 1594.

T. BUCKEHURST.

PARKER AND THE SIX CLERKS.

[The following is another letter from the same to the same, and upon the same subject. Parker's office was not only new to him, but new in itself, as we find both from the correspondence and from the "Deputation." Lord Buckhurst again urges Parker's fourteen years' service, but he does not state the nature of it possibly it was in some diplomatic capacity at Venice, mentioned in the foregoing letter.]

To my very loving frend Sir Thomas Egerton, knight, Mr. of the Rolles.

SIR. As I have ben very loth to importune your aunswer toching your acceptation or not dealing in the deputation of my cosin Parkar's new office, so nevertheles have I ben often solicited to have knowen your mind therin, for that it behoveth that some on be placed in the same. I am now going to the Court, but so sone as I return, which, if I can, shalbe to morow night or erly on Monday morning, I wilbe bold to intreate your coming to me, that some good course for the pore gentleman may be taken herein, this matter being the foundation of his whole state and fortune, and his 14 yeres servis, with the expens of all his living and portion left him, in the servis of her Matie. I have in some sorte comforted him, that although your answer be long, yet I hope it wil prove more beneficial to him, sins I much rather that a deputie apointed by you might have it before any other. And so the 6 clerkes, that wil nedes fal in to contention to their own harme,

may be the better bridled in this hard course of theirs against him, being now so careful for the subject that they can with a safe consciens take viijd a shete to them selves, and can not alow him xijd for that which to them is most times worth xs.

I rest at yours assured,

T. BUCKEHURST.

This Satterday.

ALTERATION OF A ROLL.

[The following is a precedent for the alteration of a Roll by the Master under the authority of a letter from the Lord Treasurer. At the foot of the letter Lord Ellesmere has placed a memorandum of what he had done on comparison of the Roll with the Privy Seal; viz. erased quadraginta and substituted quadringent, in order to effect the purpose of a person of the name of Johnson who had procured a license of mortmain for the erection of certain free schools, in what part of the kingdom is not mentioned.]

Indorsed by Lord Ellesmere, " 14 May, 1594, for Mr. Johnson for amendinge the Rolle, 40 wrytten for 400 marcarum.”

To the R. worshipfull my vearie lovinge frend Sir Thomas
Egerton, knight, Mr. of the Rolles.

SIR. I am informed by Mr. Johnson, a godlie and honest preacher, that havinge in a godlie zeale procured a license of mortmaine from hir Matie for the erection of certaine free schooles and the maintenaunce of them of fowre hundred markes by the yeare, and having had the same passed accordinglie undre hir Maties signature, the signet, privie seale, and great seale, uppon the enrolment an error hath been committed of great importance, for in stede of quadringent marcarum, the writer hath written quadraginta. I therefore praie yowe to vewe the Roll with hir Maties graunt, and accordinglie to cawse the error to be reformed. And so I com