[III.] Wherefore we, earnestly minding to have the same Acts before mentioned to be duly put in execution, and such persons as shall hereafter offend in anything contrary to the tenor and effect of the said several statutes to be condignly punished, and having especial trust and confidence in your wisdoms and discretions, have authorised, assigned and appointed you to be our commissioners, and by these presents do give our full power and authority to you, or six of you, whereof you, the said Mathew Parker, Edmond Grindall, Thomas Smyth, Walter Haddon, Thomas Sackford, Richard Gooderick and Gilbert Gerrard, to be one, from time to time hereafter, during our pleasure, to enquire as well by the oaths of twelve good and lawful men, as also by witnesses and all other ways and means ye can devise for all offences, misdoers [sic] and misdemeanours done and committed and hereafter to be committed or done contrary to the tenor and effect of the said several acts and statutes and either of them and also of all and singular heretical opinions, seditious books, contempts, conspiracies, false rumours, tales, seditions, misbehaviours, slanderous words or shewings, published, invented or set forth, or hereafter to be published, invented or set forth by any person or persons against us or contrary or against any the laws or statutes of this our realm, or against the quiet governance and rule of our people and subjects in any county, city, borough or other place or places within this our realm of England, and of all and every the coadjutors, counsellors, comforters, procurers and abettors of every such offender.

[IV.] And further, we do give power and authority to you or six of you [quorum as before], from time to time hereafter during our pleasure, as well to hear and determine all the premises, as also to enquire, hear and determine all and singular enormities, disturbances and misbehaviours, done and committed or hereafter to be done or committed in any church or chapel, or against any divine service, or the minister or ministers of the same, contrary to the laws and statutes of this realm and also to enquire of, search out and to order, correct and reform all such persons as hereafter shall or will obstinately absent themselves from church and such divine service as by the laws and statutes of this realm is appointed to be had and used.

[V.] And also we do give and grant full power and authority unto you and six of you [quorum as before] from time to time and at all times during our pleasure, to visit, reform, redress, order, correct and amend in all places within this our realm of England all such errors, heresies, crimes, abuses, offences, contempts and enormities spiritual and ecclesiastical wheresoever [sic] which by any spiritual or ecclesiastical power, authority or jurisdiction can or may lawfully be reformed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrained or amended, to the pleasure of Almighty God, the increase of virtue, and the conservation of the peace and unity of this our realm, and according to the authority and power limited, given and appointed by any laws or statutes of this realm.

[VI.] And also that you or six of you [quorum as before] shall likewise have full power and authority from time to time to enquire of and search out all masterless men, quarrellers, vagrant and suspect persons within our city of London, and ten miles compass about the same city, and of all assaults and affrays done and committed within the same city and compass aforesaid.

[VII] And also we give full power and authority unto you and six of you, as before, summarily to hear and finally determine, according to your discretions and by the laws of this realm, all causes and complaints of all them, which in respect of religion, or for lawful matrimony contracted and allowed by the same, were injuriously deprived, defrauded or spoiled of their lands, goods, possessions, rights, dignities, livings, offices, spiritual or temporal; and them so deprived, as before, to restore into their said livings, and to put them in possession, amoving the usurpers in convenient speed, as it shall seem to your discretions good, by your letters missive or otherwise, all frustratory appellations clearly rejected.

[VIII.] And further, we do give power and authority unto you and six of you [quorum as before], by virtue hereof, not only to hear and determine the same and all other offences and matters before mentioned and rehearsed, but also all other notorious and manifest advoutries, fornications and ecclesiastical crimes and offences within this our realm, according to your wisdoms, consciences and discretions.

[IX.] Willing and commanding you or six of you [quorum as before] from time to time hereafter to use and devise all such politic ways and means for the trial and searching out of all the premises, as by you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall be thought most expedient and necessary; and upon due proof had, and the offence or offences before specified, or any of them, sufficiently proved against any person or persons by confession of the party or by lawful witnesses or by any due mean before you or six of you [quorum as before], that then you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall have full power and authority to award such punishment to every offender by fine, imprisonment or otherwise, by all or any of the ways aforesaid, and to take such order for the redress of the same, as to your wisdoms and discretions [shall be thought meet and convenient]1.

2

[X.] [And further we do give full power and authority unto you] or six of you [quorum as before] to call before you or six of you as aforesaid from time to time all and every offender or offenders, and such as [to] you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall seem to be suspect persons in any of the premises; and also all such witnesses as you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall think [meet] to be called before you or six of you as aforesaid and them and every of them to examine upon their corporal oath, for the better trial and opening of the premises or any part thereof.

[XI.] And if you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall find any person or persons obstinate or disobedient either in their [appearance] before you or six of you as aforesaid at your calling or commandment or else not accomplishing or not obeying your order, decrees and commandments in anything touching the premises or any part thereof; that then you, or six of you, as aforesaid, shall have full power and authority to commit the same person or persons so offending to ward, there to remain until he or they shall be by you or six of you, as aforesaid, enlarged and delivered.

[XII.] And further we do give unto you and six of you [quorum as before] full power and authority to take and

1 The words shall be thought... authority unto you,' and the word 'meet' below, are wanting in the roll (as well as in that of 1562), and are supplied from the Commission of 1572. 'apparell' in original.

2 by' in original.

receive by your discretions of every offender or suspect person to be convented or brought before you a recognisance or recognisances, obligation or obligations to our use, in such sum or sums of money as to you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall seem convenient, as well for their personal appearance before you or six of you, as aforesaid, as also for the performance and accomplishment of your orders and decrees, in case you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall see it so convenient.

[XIII.] And further, our will and pleasure is that you shall appoint our trusty and well-beloved John Skinner to be your register of all your acts, decrees and proceedings by virtue of this commission, and in his default one other sufficient person, and that you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall give such allowance to the same register for his pains and his clerks, to be levied of the fines and other profits that shall rise by force of this commission and your doings in the premises, as to your discretions shall be thought meet.

[XIV.] And further, our will and pleasure is that you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall name and appoint one other sufficient person to gather up and receive all such sums of money as shall be assessed and taxed by you or six of you as aforesaid, for any fine or fines upon any person or persons for their offences and that you or six of you, as aforesaid, by bill or bills signed with your hands, shall and may assign and appoint as well to the said person for his pains in recovering the said sums, as also to your messengers and attendants upon you for their travail, pains and charges to be sustained for or about the premises or any part thereof, such sums of money for their rewards, as by you or six of you, as aforesaid, shall be thought expedient: willing and commanding you or six of you, as aforesaid, after the time this our commission expired, to certify into our court of exchequer as well the name of the said receiver as also a note of such fines as shall be set or taxed before you; to the intent that, upon the determination of account of the said receiver, we be assured of that, that to us shall justly appertain: willing and commanding also our auditors and other officers, upon the sight of the said bills signed with the hand of you or six of you, as aforesaid, to make unto the said receiver due allowances according to the said bills upon his accounts.

[XV.] Wherefore we will and command you, our commissioners, with diligence to execute the premises with effect; any of our laws, statutes, proclamations or other grants, privileges or ordinances, which be or may seem to be contrary to the premises, notwithstanding.

[XVI.] And more, we will and command all and singular justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bailiffs, constables and other our officers, ministers and faithful subjects, to be aiding, helping and assisting, and at your commandment in the due execution hereof, as they tender our pleasure, and will answer to the contrary at their utmost perils.

[XVII.] And we will and grant that these our letters patents shall be a sufficient warrant and discharge for you and every of you against us, our heirs and successors, and all and every other person or persons whatsoever they be, of and for or concerning the premises or any parcel hereof, of or for the execution of this our commission or any part thereof.

Witness the Queen at Westminster, the 19th day of July'.

PER IPSAM REGINAM.

Patent Rolls, 1 Eliz. part 9.

(b) The Commission of 15622.

[I.] Elizabeth, &c. To our trusty and well-beloved the most reverend father in God, Mathew Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate and Metropolitan of all England, the reverend father in God Edmund Bishop of London, Richard Bishop of Ely, Edmund Bishop of Rochester, and to our right trusty and well-beloved Counsellors Francis Knolles our Vice-chamberlain, Ambrose Cave Chancellor of our Duchy, William Petre Chancellor of the Order of the Garter Knights, and to our trusty and well-beloved Anthony Coke and Thomas Smith Knights, Walter Haddon and Thomas Sackford Masters of the requests, William Chester and William Garret Knights, Randolf Cholmeley and John Sowthcote serjeants at the law, Alexander Nowell

1 This Commission is printed, not very correctly, in Cardwell's Documentary Annals, vol. I. p. 223.

2 This Commission is headed' Commissio Matheo Cantuar. Archiepiscopo et aliis ad puniendum hujusmodi personas qui sunt repugnantes divino servicio.' It differs from the Commission of 1559 in the number of the quorum (§ III), and it adds two new sections (§§ XV, XVI).