Magnae Britanniae notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse remarks upon the ancient state thereof / by John Chamberlayne.

Chamberlayne, Edward, 1616-1703.

Date:: 1737

Credit: Magnae Britanniae notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse remarks upon the ancient state thereof / by John Chamberlayne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

70/808 (page 52)

$do not amount to fifteen Millions per Ann.] Notwithftanding which, the whole yearly Revenues of the King of England was not then above the tenth Part of the Revenues of his Kingdom ; whereas the King of France hath yearly above one hundred and eighty Millions of Ltvres, which is above twelve Millions of Pounds Sterling,, a fourth Part of the whole Re¬ venue of France, and the publick Revenue of the United Ne¬ therlands, coming all out of the Subjects Purfes, is above fix Millions of Pounds Sterling. The ordinary Charge of the Government, or Civil Lift, as it is now called,, was, upon her late Majefty’s Acceffion to the Crown, fettled by Parliament at 700,000 l. per Annum, upon the beft Funds in England: [The Civil Lift Revenue is novr encreafed to. one Million per Annum• at leaft } And the Crown of England before the long, but neceflary War, was as little in Debt as perhaps any State offo great a Conlideration in the World. JRefpetf.] In Consideration of thefe, and other tr an fee 11- dent Excellencies, no King in Chrifiendom, nor other Poten¬ tate, receives from his Subje&s more Reverence, Honour, and Refpetf, than the King of England. All his People at their firft AddrefTes kneel to him: He is at all Times ferved upon the Knee ; all Perfons (not the Prince, or other Heir apparent excepted) ftand bare in the Prefence of the King, and in the Prefence-Chamber, though in the King’s Abfenee. Any Thing or A& done in the King’s Prefenee, is prefumed to be void of all Deceit and evil Meaning; and therefore a Fine levied in the King’s Court, where the King is prefumed to be prefent, doth bind a Feme Covert, a married Woman and others, whom ordinarily the Law doth difable to tranfaft. The King’s only Teftimonv of any thing done in his Pre¬ fence, is of as high a Nature and Credit as any Record; and int- all Writs fent forth for the Difpatch of Juftice, he ufeth no other Witnefs but himfelf; viz. Tefie meipfo. 3lrm,0.]: It is the common Tradition, that after the Con- queft the Kings of England bare Two Leopards, borne firft by the Conqueror, as Duke of Normandy, (and' it is remarkable that they belong to his prefent Majefty, as he is Duke of JBrunfwick) 'till the Time of Henry \\. who in Right of his Mo¬ ther annexed her Paternal Coat, the Lion of Aquitain, whicli being of the fame Field, Metal, and Form with the Leopards, from thence forward they were jointly marfhalled in one Shield, and blazoned Three Lions, as at prefent. King Edward ILL in Right of his Mother claiming the Crown of France, with the Arms of England quartered the Arms of France, which then were Azure, Semee do Flower-de» Luces, Or j afterwards changed to Three Flower-de-Luces: whereupon Henry V. of England can fed the Englijh Arms tO' , be changed iikcwde,. Ring James* upon the Union of Eng-$