Part I. Land: When they fhall confider, that for Tranfporting of any Army, the King of England hath at Command two hundred excellent Ships of War, and can hire two hundred ftout English Merchant Ships, little inferior to Ships of War; that he can foon Man the fame with the best Sea-Soldiers in the whole World. And that for maintaining such a mighty Fleet, fuffi cient Money for a competent Time, may be rais'd only by a Land-Tax. Patrimony.] All other Lands in England being held now of fome Superior, depend mediately or immediately on the Crown; fo that the King is Lord Paramount, Supreme Landlord of all the Lands of England; and all landed Men are mediately or immediately his Tenants by fome Tenure or other; but the Lands poffefs'd by the Crown, being held of none, can efcheat to none and are now made unalienable: Though they have been (by Time, the. Gift and Bounty of our Kings, and fome Neceffities for the Prefervation of the Weal Publick) much alienated. However there is yet left, many Parks, Cafiles or Palaces, and Forefts ftill belonging to the King, to receive and divert him, when he fhall please in his Royal Progress to vifit thofe Parts. The certain Revenues of the King of England were anciently enough to discharge all the ordinary Expences of the Crown, without any Tax or Impoft upon the Subject. Upon the happy Reftauration of King Charles the Second, the Lords and Commons affembled in Parliament, finding the Crown. Revenues much alienated, and the Crown-Charges exceedingly encreased, by reafon of the late vaft Augmentation of the Revenues and Strength by Sea and Land of our two next Neighbour-Nations abroad, did unanimously conclude, That for the Peace and Security, for the Wealth and Honour of the King and Kingdom, it would be neceffary to fettle upon his Majesty a yearly Revenue of Twelve hundred thousand Pounds; and accordingly, with the King's Confent, at the humble Requeft of the Lords and Commons, there was established by Impofts upon imported and exported Goods, upon Liquors drank in England, and upon Fire-Hearths; fo much as was judged would bring up the former impaired Crown-Revenues to the faid Sum. But the Impoft upon Fire-Hearths the late King William and Queen Mary of ever bleffed Memory were graciously pleafed by Act of Parliament to remit. At the Death of K. Charles II. the Revenue amounted to about 1,800,200 1. per Ann. and in K. James II's Reign in the Time of Peace, it was rais'd to 2,000,000 . yearly. Notwithstanding 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 Livres, which is above Twelve Millions of Pounds Sterling, Sterling, a Fourth Part of the whole Revenue of France; and the publick Revenue of the United Netherlands, coming all out of the Subjects Purses, is above Six 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 Seven hundred thousand Pounds per Annum, upon the best Funds in England. And the Crown of England, before this long but neceffary War, was as little in Debt, as perhaps any State of fo great a Confideration in the World. Relped.] In Confideration of these, and other tranfcendent Excellencies, no King in Chriftendom, nor other Potentate, receives from his Subjects more Reverence, Honour, and Respect than the King of England All his People at their firft Addresses 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 Abfence. Any Thing or A&t done in the King's Prefence, is presumed 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 tranfact. The King's only Teftimony of any thing done in his Prefence, is of as high a Nature and Credit, as any Record; and in all Writs fent forth for the Difpatch of Justice, he ufeth no other Witness but himself, viz. Tefte meipfo. arms.] It is the Common Tradition, that after the Conqueft the Kings of England bare Two Leopards, borne first by the Conqueror, as Duke of Normandy, (and it is remarkable that they belong to His prefent Majefty, as he is Duke of Brunswick) till the Time of Henry the Second, who in Right of his Mother annex'd her Paternal Coat, the Lyon of Aquitain, which being of the fame Field, Metal, and Form with the Leopards, from thence-forward they were jointly marshalled in one Shield, and blazoned Three Lyons, as at prefent. King Edward the Third, in Right of his Mother, claiming the Crown of France, with the Arms of England, quartered the Arms of France, which then were Azure, Semée de Flower-de-Luces, Or; Afterwards changed to Three Flower-de-Luces; whereupon Henry the Fifth of England caused the English Arms to be changed likewife. King James, upon the Union of England and Scotland, caufed the Arms of France and England to be quartered with Scotland and Ireland, and thus Blazoned. In the firft Place, Azure, Three Flower-de-Luces, Or, the Regal Arms of France quarter'd with the Imperial Enfigns of England, which are Gules, Three Lyons Paffant Gardant in Pale, Or. In the D 4 fecond 48 fecond Place, Or, within a Double Treffure, Counterflower'd Lys, Gules, a Lyon Rampant of the Second, for the Royal Arms of Scotland. In the third Place, Azure, an Irish Harp, Or, ftringed Argent, for the Royal Enfigns of Ireland. In the fourth Place, as in the firft. All within the Garter, the chief Ensign of that moft Honourable Order: Above the fame an Helmet, answerable to his Majesty's Sovereign Jurifdiction; upon the fame a rich Mantle of Cloth of Gold doubled, Ermin, adorn'd with an Imperial Crown, and furmounted for a Creft by a Lyon Passant Gardant, Crowne with the like; fupported by a Lyon Rampant Gardant, Or, Crowned as the former, and an Unicorn Argent, Gorged with a Crown, thereto a Chain affix'd, paffing between his Forelegs, and reflexed over his Back, Or, both standing upon a Compartment placed underneath, and in the Table of the Comfartment his Majesty's Royal Motto, Dieu Et Mon Droit. The Arms of France were placed firft, for that France is the greater Kingdom; and because from the first bearing those Flowers have been always Enfigns of a Kingdom; whereas the Arms of England were orginally of Dukedoms, as aforesaid. The Blazon of the Arms of Great-Britain fince the Union is as follows: Quarterly of Four: In the firft Quarter, Gules, Three Lyons Paffant Gardant, Or; Impaling, Or, a Lyon Rampant within a 2. Azure, double Treffure Flory, Counterflory Gules, Great Britain. Three Flower-de-Liz, Or, France. 3. Azure, a Harp, Or, ftringed, Argent, Ireland. The Fourth as the Firft. The Motto upon the Garter, Honi foit qui mal y pense; that is, Shame be to him that evil thinketh of it, was firft given by King Edward the Third, the Founder of that Order; and that none might believe his Defign therein was any other than juft and honourable, he caufed thofe Words to be wrought in every Garter that he beftowed: Whereof more in the Chapter of the Knights of the Garter. The Motto Dieu Et Mon Droit, that is, God and my Right, was first given by Richard the First, to intimate, that the King of England holdeth his Empire not in Vaffalage of any mortal Man, but of God only; and afterwards taken up by Edward the Third, when he firft claimed the Kingdom of France. The Device of a Portcullis of a Castle, yet to be feen in many Places, was the Badge or Cognizance of the Houfe of Lancafter. The White Role was the ancient bearing of the House of York, and the Red Rofe that of Lancaster. The Thiftle belongs to Scotland. CHA P. CHA P. III. Of Succeffion to the Crown of England, and of the King's HE King of England hath Right to the Crown by Inhe- Upon the Death of the King, the next of Kindred, born of Parents in lawful Wedlock, though born out of the Dominions of England, or born of Parents not Subjects of England, (as by Law and many Examples in the English Hiftories it doth • manifeftly appear) is immediately King, before any Proclamation, Coronation, Publication, or Confent of Peers and People. The Crown of England from the Father to the Son, and his Heirs; for want of Sons, to the Eldest Daughter and her Heirs; and for want of Daughter, to the Brother and his Heirs; and for want of Brother, to the Sifter, and her Heirs. The Salique Law, or rather Cuftom of France, hath here no Force. Formerly at the Death of every King, not only the Offices of the Court, but all Commiffions Civil and Military expired; but now they are to continue in force fix Months longer. Binozity. If the King be likely to leave his Crown to an Infant, he doth ufually by Teftament appoint the Perfon or Perfons that fhall have the Tuition of him; fometimes, for want of fuch Appointment, a fit Perfon of the Nobility or Bishops is made choice of by the Three States affembled in the Name of the Infant King, who by Nature and Alliance, hath most Intereft in the Prefervation of the Life and Authority of the Infant, and to whom leaft Benefit can accrue by his Death or Diminution; as the Uncle by the Mother's Side, if the Crown come by the Father, and fo vice verfa, is made Protector: So during the Minority of Edward the Sixth, his Uncle by the Mother's Side, the Duke of Somerfet had the Tuition of him, and was called Protector: And when this Rule hath not been obferved (as in the Minority of Edward the Fifth) it hath proved of ill Confequence. ablence.] If the King was abfent upon any foreign Expedition, or otherwife, the Cuftom was to conftitute a Vicegerent by Commiffion under the Great-Seal, giving him feveral Titles and Powers, according as the neceffity of Affairs have required; fometimes he hath been called Lord Warden or Lord Keeper of the Kingdom, and therewith hath had the general Power of a King, as was practis'd during the Abfence of Edward the First, Second, and Third, and of Henry the Fifth. Incapacity.] 1 rcapacity. If the King of England be Non compos mentis, or by reafon of an incurable Disease, Weakness, or Old Age, becomes uncapable of Governing, then is made a Regent, Protelor, or Guardian to Govern. CHA P. IV. Of the prefent King of Great-Britain, &c. I'S Majefty now reigning, is GEORGE by the Grace of God, of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, King, &c. Defender of the Faith: Eldeft Son to his late moft Serene Highnefs Erneft Auguftus, Duke and Elector of Brunswick and Lunenburg, by his Confort the Princefs Sophia, who was the fifth and youngest Daughter of Frederick Elector Palatine of the Rhine, and King of Bohemia, and of Elizabeth of Great-Britain eldest Daughter to K. James I. Niece to the Royal Martyr, Sifter to the late famous Prince Rupert, Coufin German to King Charles, and King James II. and their Royal Sifter Mary Princess of Orange. By which Marriage aforefaid, and his own Birth, his prefent Majefty has in his Veins fome of all the Blood-Royal of Europe; is the nearest Relation of the Proteftant Religion to her late Majesty Queen Anne, and her lawful and rightful Succeffor to the Imperial Thrones of thefe Kingdoms, both by his own Confent, and the unanimous Approbation and Decla ration of the States of the Realm, in a folemn Act of Parliament for establishing the Succeflion to the Crown of GreatBritain, France, and Ireland, in the Proteftant Line: In which Royal Family may it continue to all fucceeding Genera tions. His Sacred Majefty King George was born in the Palace of Ofnaburg in Germany, the 28th Day of May 1660, and in his tender Years was carefully inftructed in the Principles of the Proteftant Religion, by Tutors celebrated for their known Piety, Learning, Integrity, and Prudence, by the appointment of his illuftrious Parents, who were always highly efteem'd for their extraordinary Knowledge, great Piety, Virtue and fervent Zeal for the Proteftant Religion. As his Majefty grew up in maturity of Years, he was alfo educated in the liberal Arts, and all other Qualifications and Accomplishments fit for a Prince of his high Birth; but the feveral Provinces of Germany being involv'd in War, he early difpofed himself to Military Affairs, for the Defence of his Father's Dominions, the Proteftant Religion, and the Liberties of Europe; and accordingly in the Year 1675, the fifteenth Year of his Age, accompanied his Father |