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
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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.

    74/808 (page 56)
    now in France to figiiify the Wife and Daughter of the Duke of Orleans, where the one is the fid! Lady, and the other the firft Gentlewoman, becaufe fhe was the chiefeft Woman, or Wife, in the Kingdom. Juft as we now fay, theFown, ox the City, for London, &c. She hath as high Prerogatives, Digni¬ ty, and State, during the Life of the King, as any Queen in Europe, from the Saxon Time, the Queen-Con]ort of England', tho’ fhe be an Alien born, and tho’ duringthe Life of the King (he be Feme Covert, as our Lawfpeaks, yet with¬ out any Ad of Parliament for Naturalization, or Letters- Patents for Denization, (lie may purchafe Lands in Fee-Sim- tle, make Leafed and Grants in her own Name, without the Kim7 j hath Power to Give, to Sue, to Contract, as a Feme- Sole, may receive by Gift from her Husband, which no other Fetfi e-G overt-may-do.. ... . She may Prefent by herfelf to a Spiritual Benefice; and in a Quare lmpedit brought by her, Plenarty, by the Presentation of another, is no mofe a Bar againft her, than it is againft the King, - ' ■ . ■ ■ • She (hall not be Amerced if fhe be Nonfuitedinnny A&ion,©^. Of latter Times fhe hath had a-s large Dower as any Queen in Chriftendom 5 [The prefent Queen hath one Hundred Thou- fand Pounds per Annum fettled upon her, if fhe furyive the King] hath her Royal Court apart, as Officers, eye. The Queen may not be Impleaded till firft Petitioned ; it fhe be Plaintiff, the Summons in the Prccgfs need not to have the Solemnity of fifteen Days, eye. She is reputed the Second perfon in the Kingdom. The Law fetteth fo high a Value upon her, as to make it. liizh Freafon to confpire her Death, or to violate her Chaftity, Her Officers, as Attorney and Sollicitor, have Refped above others, and Place within the Bar with the King’s Council. The like Honour, Reverence and Refpedl that is due to the King, is exhibited to the Queen, both by Subjeds and Fo¬ reigners, and alfo to the Queen Dowager, or Wjdow-Queen; nor does file, like other Subjeffs, lofe her Dignity, tho’ fhe fhould marry a private Gentleman: Thus Queen Katharine, Widow to King Henry the Fifth, being married to Owen ap Fheodoret, Efqi did maintain her Aft ion as Queen of England ; much lefs doth a Queen by Inheritance, or a Queen Sovereign of England follow her Husband’s Condition, or is fubjed, a? pther Queens, but is Sovereign to her own Husband, as Queen Mary was to King Philip, unlefs it be otherwife mutually a- greedonin Parliament, as in the Cafe of the late King Wil- \iapn nud Queen Mary of Glorious Memory.