Angliæ notitia, or The present state of England together with divers reflections upon the antient state thereof.

A Catalogue of the Peers of England according to their Precedence.

Dukes of the Royal Blood.

JAMES Duke of York and Albany, Earl of Ulster, Lord High Admiral of Eng∣land, the Kings only Brother.

Rupert Duke of Cumberland and Earl of Holderness.

Edgar Duke of Cambridge.

The Lord Chancellour or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, the Lord Treasurer, and the

Lord Privy Seal, take place be∣fore all Dukes not of the Blood Royal.

Dukes.

• Thomas Howard Duke of Nor∣folk.
• William Seymour Duke of So∣merset.
• George Villars Duke of Buck∣ingham.
• Charles Stuart Duke of Rich∣mond.
• George Monk Duke of Albe∣marle.
• James Scot Duke of Mon∣mouth.
• William Cavendish Duke of Newcastle.

Marquisses.

• John Pawlet Marquiss of Win∣chester.
• ...

• Edward Somerset Marquiss of Worcester.
• Henry Pierrepont Marquiss of Dorchester.

Earls.

• These three take place in re∣spect of their Offices.
• Bertue Earl of Lind∣say, Lord High Chamber∣lain of England.
• James Butler Earl of Brecknock, Lord Steward of the Kings Houshold.
• Edward Montague Earl of Man∣chester, Lord Chamberlain of the Kings Houshold.

Earls.

• Awbrey de Vere Earl of Oxford.
• Algernon Percy Earl of Nor∣thumberland.
• Francis Talbot Earl of Shrews∣bury.
• ...

• Anthony Grey Earl of Kent.
• Charles Stanley Earl of Derby.
• John Mannours Earl of Rut∣land.
• Theophilus Hastings Earl of Huntingdon.
• William Russel Earl of Bedford.
• Philip Herbert Earl of Pem∣broke▪
• Theophilus Clinton Earl of Lin∣coln.
• Charles Howard Earl of Not∣tingham.
• James Howard Earl of Suffolk.
• Richard Sacvile Earl of Dorset.
• William Cecil Earl of Salisbury.
• John Cecil Earl of Exeter.
• John Edgerton Earl of Bridge∣water.
• Robert Sydney Earl of Leicester.
• James Compton Earl of North∣ampton.
• Charles Rich Earl of Warwick.
• ...

• William Cavendish Earl of De∣vonshire.
• Basil Fielding Earl of Denbigh.
• George Digby Earl of Bristol.
• Lionel Cranfield Earl of Mid∣dlesex.
• Henry Rich Earl of Holland.
• John Hollis Earl of Clare.
• Oliver St. John Earl of Bulling∣broke.
• Mildmay Fane Earl of Westmor∣land.
• Montague Earl of Man∣chester.
• Thomas Howard Earl of Berk∣shire.
• Thomas Wentworth Earl of Cleveland.
• Edward Sheffield Earl of Mul∣grave.
• Thomas Savage Earl Rivers.
• Bertue Earl of Lindsay.
• Nicolas Knowles Earl of Banbury
• ...

• Henry Cary Earl of Dover.
• Henry Mordant Earl of Peter∣borough.
• Henry Grey Earl of Stamford.
• Henage Finch Earl of Winchel∣sey.
• Charles Dormer Earl of Caer∣narvon.
• Montjoy Blunt Earl of Newport.
• Philip Stanhop Earl of Chester∣field.
• John Tufton Earl of Thanet.
• William Wentworth Earl of Strafford.
• Robert Spenser Earl of Sunder∣land.
• James Savil Earl of Sussex.
• George Goring Earl of Norwich.
• Nicholas Leak Earl of Scars∣dale.
• John Willmot Earl of Rochester.
• Henry Jermin Earl of St. Albans.
• Edward Montague Earl of Sand∣wich.
• ...

• James Butler Earl of Breck∣nock.
• Edward Hyde Earl of Clarendon.
• Arthur Capel Earl of Essex.
• Thomas Brudnel Earl of Cardi∣gan.
• Anthony Annesly Earl of An∣glesey.
• John Greenvile Earl of Bath.
• Charles Howard Earl of Carlile.
• John Craven Earl of Craven.
• Thomas Bruce Earl of Alisbury.
• Richard Boyle Earl of Burling∣ton.

Vicounts.

• Leicester Devereux Vicount He∣reford.
• Francis Brown Vicount Monta∣gue.
• James Fiennes Vicount Say and Seale.
• ...

• Edward Conway Vicount Con∣way.
• Baptist Noel Vicount Camden.
• William Howard Vicount Staf∣ford.
• Thomas Bellasis Vicount Fal∣conbridge.
• John Mordant Vicount Mor∣dant.
• George Savil Vicount Halifax▪

Barons.

• John Nevil Lord Abergavenny.
• James Touchet Lord Andley.
• Charles West Lord de la Warre.
• George Berkly Lord Berkly.
• Thomas Parker Lord Morly and Monteagle.
• Francis Lennard Lord Dacres.
• Conyers Darcy Lord Darcy and Menil.
• William Stourton Lord Stourton.
• ...

• William Lord Sandys de la Vine.
• Edward Vaux Lord Vaux.
• Thomas Windsor Lord Windsor.
• Thomas Wentworth Lord Went∣worth.
• Wingfield Cromwel Lord Crom∣well.
• George Evre Lord Evre.
• Philip Wharton Lord Wharton.
• Francis Willoughby Lord Wil∣loughby of Parham.
• William Paget Lord Paget.
• Dudly North Lord North.
• William Bruges Lord Chandos.
• William Petre Lord Petre.
• Dutton Gerard Lord Gerard.
• Charles Stanhop Lord Stanhop.
• Henry Arundel Lord Arundel of Warder.
• Christopher Rooper Lord Ten∣ham▪
• Fulk Grevil Lord Brooke.
• ...

• Edward Montague Lord Monta∣gue of Boughton.
• Charles Lord Howard of Charl∣ton.
• William Grey Lord Grey of Wark.
• John Robarts Lord Robarts.
• John Lovelace Lord Lovelace.
• John Pawlet Lord Pawlet.
• William Mainard Lord Mainard.
• Thomas Coventry Lord Coventry▪
• Edward Lord Howard of Escrick.
• Warwick Mohun Lord Mohun.
• William Butler Lord Butler.
• Percy Herbert Lord Powis.
• Edward Herbert Lord Herbert of Cherbury.
• Francis Seymour Lord Seymour.
• Francis Newport Lord Newport.
• Thomas Leigh Lord Leigh of Stonelty.
• Christopher Hatton Lord Hatton.
• Henry Hastings L. Loughborough.
• ...

• Richard Byron Lord Byron.
• Richard Vaughan Lord Vaughan
• Charles Smith Lord Carington.
• William Widrington Lord Wi∣drington.
• Humble Ward Lord Ward.
• Thomas Lord Culpeper.
• Isaack Astley Lord Astley.
• Richard Boyle Lord Clifford.
• John Lucas Lord Lucas.
• John Bellasis Lord Bellasis.
• Lewis Watson Lord Rocking∣ham.
• Charles Gerard Lord Gerard of Brandon.
• Robert Sutton Lord Sutton of Lexinton.
• Charles Kirkhoven Lord Wotton.
• Marmaduke Langdale, Lord Langdale.
• William Crofts Lord Crofts.
• John Berkley Lord Berkley.
• Denzil Hollis Lord Hollis.
• ...

• Frederick Cornwallis Lord Corn∣wallis.
• George Booth Lord de la Mere.
• Horatio Townsend Lord Towns∣end.
• Anthony Ashley Cooper Lord Ashley.
• John Crew Lord Crew, &c.
• Henry Bennet Lord Arlington.
• John Freschevile Lord Fressche∣vile.
• Richard Arundel Lord Arunde•• of Trerice.

Of Temporal Lords or Peer of England, there are at presen•• about 170, whereof there ar•• 10 Dukes, 3 Marquisses, 6•• Earls, 8 Vicounts, and 78 Ba∣rons; whereas within 60 year•• last past there was not on•• Duke, but one Marquiss, abou•• 20 Earls, 3 or 4 Vicounts, an•• 40 Lords.

The Laws and Customs of England alwayes willing that Decorum and Conveniency should be every where observed, and considering the Charges and Expences appertaining to the several Degrees of Honour, as they belong to Men of Principal Service to the King and Realm, both in time of War and Peace, expected that each of them should have a convenient Estate and Value of Lands of Inheri∣tance, for the support of their Honours and the Kings Service. Therefore antiently when the intrinsique value of a Pound Sterling was worth 30 l. of our Money now, every Knight was to have about 800 Acres, reckoned at 20 l. yearly in Land, that is, about 600 l. of

our Money at this day: A Ba∣ron to have 13 Knights Fees and one third part, which a∣mounted to 400 l. which mul∣tiplied by 30, was as much as 8000 l. a year at this day. An Earl 20 Knights Fees, and a Duke 40. And in case of de∣cay of Nobility, or that they had so far wasted their Reve∣nues, that their Honours could not decently be maintained (as the Roman Senators were in such case removed from the Senate) so sometimes some English Barons have not been admitted to sit in the Higher House of Parliament, though they kept the Name and Title of Dignity still.

For the better support o•• these Degrees of Honour, the King doth usually upon the

Creation of a Duke, Marquiss, Earl, or Vicount, grant an Annuity or yearly Rent to them and their heirs, which is so annext to the Dignity that by no Grant, Assurance, or a∣ny manner of Alienation can be given from the same, but is still ••ncident to, and a support of the same Creation; contrary to that Principle in Law, That e∣very Land of Feesimple may be charged with a Rent in Fee∣simple by one way or other.

To a Duke the King grants 40 l. heretofore a considera∣ble Pension, to a Marquiss 40 Marks, to an Earl 20 l. and to a Vicount 20 Marks. To Barons no such Pensions is or∣dinarily granted, onely the late King creating Mountjoy Blount (the late Earl of New∣port)

Lord Mountjoy of Thurl∣ston, granted him a Fee of 20 Marks per annum to him and his heirs for ever.

As the King of England hath ever had the repute of the richest in Domaines of any King in Europe, so the Nobility of England have been accounted the richest in Lands of any Neighbouring Nation; some having above 20000 l. yearly, others 15000, and so many of them above ten, that if one with another they have 10000 l. yearly, it will amount to in all amongst the 160 Lords Six∣teen hundred thousand pounds a year, about the ninth part of the yearly Revenue of all Eng∣land, which upon Computa∣tion is found to be about Four∣teen Millions yearly.

The English Nobility for Valour, Wisdome, Integrity, ••nd Honour, hath in all for∣mer Ages been equal to any in Christendom.

Every Lords House was a kind of a well disciplined Court, insomuch that the Gentry, Males, and Females, were wont to be sent thither for vertuous breeding and re∣turned excellently accom∣plisht.

At home their Table Atten∣dance, Officers, Exercises, Re∣creations, Garb, was an Ho∣nour to the Nation.

Abroad they were attended with as brave, numerous, and uniform Train of Servants and Followers as any ••u••ope; not thinking it consistent with their Honours to be seen walk the

Streets almost in Cuerpo with one Lackey, or not that, much less to be found drinking in a Tavern, &c.

If the English Nobility by •• long continued Peace, exces∣sive Luxury in Diet, want o•• Action, &c. were before th•• late Wars born more feeble in body than their Ancestors, an•• by too fine and too full Die•• afterwards were rendred weak∣er in mind, and then during th•• late troubles by much licenti∣ousness and want of fit Educa∣tion, were so debauched, tha•• it was lately difficult to fin•• (as some are bold to affirme) the Courage, Wisdom, Inte∣grity, Honour, Sobriety, and Courtesie of the Antient No∣bility; yet is it not to be doubt∣ed, but that under a Warlike

Enterprising Prince all those Vertues of their Fore-Fathers may spring afresh: especially if we consider the vicissitude of all sublunary things, and re∣member that there was once a time when the Juvenes No∣biles, in Old English the Edel Knaben, were so leud, that those words came at length to signifie, as now, Idle Knaves.

Notes

• Number.
• Revenue.