(b) General Forms

96. Privy Seal Writ (French).-The writ of Privy Seal, if not in fact of French origin, is more usually expressed in that language between the very end of the 13th and the beginning of the 15th century. In these instruments, which were fast usurping the functions of Writs under the Great Seal, we find usually an individual Address followed by an Injunction which, as in the specimen printed below, is merely a version of a common Latin formula. An Exposition, however, may be present, and there may be, as in the present instance, an explanatory Final Clause ('Qar nous avoms,' etc.) which somewhat resembles that found in the post-Conquest ministerial writs. The Dating Clause is uniformly simple. For reasons which are sufficiently obvious original missive writs under the Smaller Seals are rarely preserved, but many can be found enrolled in the Exchequer. Their occurrence in the Files of the Chancery Warrants for Issue, though anomalous, has doubtless contributed to their preservation.

97. Privy Seal Warrant (French).—This Writ of Privy Seal is practically a Warrant, such as was constantly issued from this time onwards in the vernacular (No. 88) as an authority for payments in the royal service. The heading 'De par le Roi,' serving as a departmental memorandum, and the Warrant formula in the Final Clause should be noticed. The former device, however, is especially associated with Letters under the Secret Seal or Signet in an epistolary style, and in this aspect it may be regarded as a 'compendium' for the formal superscription dispensed with in such formulas, as well as an indication of the authority for the Warrant. In later times the Privy Seal Letter retains the formal Superscription (No. 98).

98. Privy Seal (English).—The missive vernacular Writ of Privy Seal, now technically termed a Privy Seal Letter, was chiefly used during the later period as an authority for the issue of money or for some fiscal service, and for this purpose it supersedes almost entirely the ancient writ under the Great Seal. These Privy Seal Letters are entered in the Privy Seal Books of the Pells and Auditors' department of the Exchequer. At the same time executive instruments under the Privy Seal may be found in the Files of Warrants for Issues and many departmental instruments are entered amongst the Lord Chamberlain's Records and elsewhere, whilst some special forms will be described below.

99. Signet Letter (English).—Before the middle of the 15th century Letters Missive under the Smaller Seals (especially the Signet) are found in the vernacular. These in most cases are versions of the conventional French and Latin formulas in which a certain amount of originality may be discerned. Here the missive being addressed to a dignitary of the church is rogatory rather than mandatory in style, and this characteristic is also seen in the Final Clause. This specimen is taken from the Chancery Files of Warrants for Issue, but as it does not convey any direction to issue an appropriate instrument but rather points to some judicial action, it has been used as an example of a missive which is extremely difficult to find amongst the existing Records. In the 16th and 17th centuries Signet Letters relating to Irish affairs will be found entered in a series of Letter Books amongst the State Papers.

100. Sign Manual Warrant.-This type is especially associated with the increasing use of the vernacular from the reign of Henry V. The King's initials are usually affixed to the upper margin. The evolution of this practice may be clearly traced in the specimens selected and annotated by Sir H. Maxwell Lyte in the Catalogue of the Museum of the Public Record Office.

IOI, 102.

(c) Special Forms

Benevolence' (Privy Seal).-The use of the Privy Seal Writ for raising money by way of loan is well known in the case. of the Benevolence' and of the similar instruments issued at a later date and known as 'Privy Seals' or 'Forced Loans.' Such writs were frequently issued, like the Papal Indulgences, as blank forms to be filled in for the locality concerned. In some respects this instrument may be regarded as corresponding to the writs of Assistance so frequently issued in the form of Letters Patent. The departmental directions appended to the draft of No. 102 for the information of the Chancery clerks are of interest in connexion with the formulas given in the following section.

103. Commission of Array.-Amongst the Warrants for Issues we occasionally find, besides royal requisitions to the Chancellor in connexion with his equitable jurisdiction, orders of a purely ministerial character, especially such as were executed under the Secret Seal. In this case the Chancellor is entreated to bring up armed forces to assist the King at the siege of Berwick. Possibly the fact

that the Great Seal was in the custody of a bishop possessing *jura regalia' has not so much to do with the matter as the fact, indicated by the endorsement, that the Chancellor was then (1320) at York, the strategical base of an English army at Berwick. The contemporary Chancery Rolls show that no Letters under the Great Seal were issued in response to this missive. The Seal was affixed on the dorse securing a band with which the Letter was closed, as was usual in the case of instruments under the Secret Seal. It will be seen from the endorsement that this Letter was delivered and filed with other warrants for issue of the Great Seal.

Many Writs and Letters of this nature are preserved, some executed under the 'Privatum Sigillum,' the 'Privé Seal,' or 'Secré Seal' and others under the Queen's Seal, in the absence of the Privy Seal.

104. Reference to the Council.-Although Writs and Letters under the Smaller Seals addressed to the Chancellor were almost always in the nature of 'Warrants for Issue,' and therefore purely departmental, they are occasionally found to be of a ministerial character. In the interesting document printed below, the King refers a Petition to the Chancellor and other Councillors, not for the purpose of authorizing the preparation of an appropriate instrument, but for consideration. and report. The result of this official action is recorded in the memoranda appended to the original Petition, which is annexed to the Writ.

This Writ is under the 'Secret' Seal, which was occasionally appended to a tag, though usually affixed to the dorse of the letter, as previously described.

94. Letters Patent (under the Privy Seal) for the delivery of the Castle of Northampton (19 May, 18 John).

Rex, Henrico de Nevilla, salutem. Mandamus vobis quod castrum Norhamtoné liberetis ubi dilectus et fidelis noster Falkesius de Breaute vobis dicet ex parte nostra. Et sciatis quod jam pridem illud vobis significavissemus nisi illud oblivioni tradissemus. Et in hujus, etc. Privato Sigillo nostro signatas, quia Magnum Sigillum nostrum nobiscum non habuimus, vobis inde mittimus.

Teste me ipso, apud Folkestane, xix die Maii, anno regni nostri decimo octavo.

[Patent Roll, 18 John, Pt. 2, M. 9 (Rot. Litt. Pat. pp. 183a).]

95. Letters Patent (Writ de intendendo) to the tenants of the manor of Faxfleet, requiring them to be intendent to Joan, late wife of Alexander Comyn, to whom the King has committed that manor (21 May, 4 Edward II).

Edwardus, etc. [as in No. 26], omnibus libere tenentibus et aliis de manerio Templariorum de Fraxlet in comitatu Eboracsiré ad quos presentes Litteré pervenerint, Salutem. Sciatis quod commisimus dilecté nobis in Christo Johanné, qué fuit uxor Alexandri Comyn, sorori dilecti et fidelis nostri Willelmi le Latimer, manerium predictum cum pertinenciis, tenendum quamdiu nostré placuerit voluntati. Et ideo vobis mandamus quod eidem Johanné in omnibus qué ad manerium predictum pertinent intendentes sitis et respondentes. In cujus rei testimonium, has Litteras nostras fecimus Patentes. Datum sub Privato Sigillo nostro, apud Berewicum super Twedam, xxi die Maii, anno regni nostri quarto.

[Original Writ in P. R. O. Museum (Case No. 76), cf. Patent Roll, 6 Edw. II, Pt. 2, M. 12 (Cal. p. 569).]

96. Writ of Levari facias (Privy Seal) to the Sheriffs of London, concerning the levying of the debts of the Crown (17 November, 15 Edward II).

Edward, par la grace de Dieu, etc. as viscountes de nostre cite de Londres, salutz. Nous vous mandons et chargeons, fermement enjoignauntz sur greve forfiture, que tutes les dettes que vous avez eu mandement de fere lever a nostre oeps deinz vos baillies par briefs ou par somons de nostre Escheqer, facez lever ove tute la haste et ove tute la diligence que vous unques pourrez, sanz desport ou soefferaunce fere a nuly de quele condicion q'il soit, s'il ne monstre aquitance, ou mandement vous viegne de nous de surfeer; et les deniers, sicom vous les ferrez lever, facez venir de temps en temps a nostre dit Escheqier et paer illoeques, sicome vous volez eschure nostre indignacion et vous meismes sauver de griefs damages; qar nous avoms estreitement chargez noz ministres du dit Escheqier q'ils facent reddement punir touz les viscountes q'ils en ceste chose troveront en lacheste ou en autre defaute. Donne souz nostre Prive Seal a Stratford atte Boghe, le xvii jour de Novembre, l'an de nostre regne quinzisme.

Et memorandum est quod consimilia brevia directa fuerunt singulis vicecomitibus Anglié eodem die.

[L. T. R. Memoranda Roll, Mich. 15 Edw. II, rot. 84d. Madox,

Hist. of Exchequer, I. p. 358 n.]

Willelmo

97. Privy Seal Letter (Warrant) for payment of wages due to Matthew de Gourney under an Indenture of War (11 May, 1 Richard II).

De par le Roy.

Nous vous mandons que a nostre chier et foial Geoffrey d'Argenton chivaler, q'est demorez devers nous, par endenture, pur un an entier ovesque vynt hommes d'armes, le meismes acoutez, et vynt archers, a aler en nostre service devers nostre chier et foial Mayhu de Gourney, nostre seneschal d'Aquitaigne, pur nous servir en celles parties en la compaignie du dit seneschal, preignant le dit Geffrey de nous, pur lui et les ditz gentz d'armes, doubles gages et doubles regards acustumez, et pur les ditz archers doubles gages acustumez; des queux gages il serra paiez avant la mayn, pur lui et les ditz gentz d'armes, pur un quarter du dit an, et des ditz regardz pur lui et les ditz gentz d'armes pur demy an; et de semblables gages pur un autre quarter il serra paies a sa venue a la mier avant son passage, sicome en la dite endenture est plus au plein contenuz; facez paier les ditz gages pur le dit primer quarter, et le regard pur le dit demy an, en la maniere avant dite. Et ces presentes vous en serront Garant. Donne souz nostre Prive Seal, a Westmester, le xj jour de Maij, l'an de nostre regne primer.

A noz bien amez William Walworth et Johan Philepot, Receivours de noz deniers pur la guerre.

[Public Record Office Museum, Case No. 79 (Catalogue, p. 33).]

98. Privy Seal Letter (Warrant) to the Treasurer and Chamberlains of the Exchequer for payment of a certain sum to the person named therein (27 September, 12 Elizabeth).

Elizabeth, by the grace of God Bryming Ireland, defender of the faith, etc. Generoso laynes of our Eschequer, greting.

ham

ccli.

Quene of England, Fraunce and To the Treasourer and ChamberWee will and commaunde you of our tresure at the Receipt of our said Eschequer to deliver, or cause to be delivered, unto our welbeloved William Brymingham, gent., or to his sufficient assignie, in consideration of such service as he hath done unto us in Ireland, the somme of twoo hundred poundes sterling over and above such other sommes of money as he hath had alredy, and besides such other benefitt as wee meane towardes hym for his said service. And theise our Lettres shalbe your sufficient Warraunt in this behalfe. Given under our Privie Seale, at our Castle of Windesore, the xxviith of September, the xiith yere of our reigne. Ry. Oseley.

[Exchequer of Receipt, Auditor's Privy Seal Book, No. 1b, fo. 1.]