The constitution of parliaments in England deduced from the time of King Edward the Second, illustrated by King Charles the Second in his Parliament summon'd the 18 of February 1660/1, and dissolved the 24 of January 1678/9 : with an appendix of its sessions / observed by Sr. John Pettus ... Knight.

Of the Consimilar Writ to the Kings Solicitor General.

THe words Attornatus & Solicitator are us'd in the Civil Laws,* 1.1 as here at the Common Law, for such as do take care to manage or tend other mens Affairs, and there is but one of that Profession (as is before shewn of the Attorney Ge∣neral) but because the Title should be di∣stinguish't from the common sort of such Practisers, as the Kings Attorney hath his Patent and Writ from the King, so hath this, thereupon call'd the Kings Solicitor General, his Patent is, In haec verba.

CArolus Secundus, &c.

Omnibus ad quos, &c. salutem.

Sciatis quod nos de gratia nostra speciali ac ex certa scientia & mero motu nostris ordinavimus fecimus & constituimus dilectum & fidelem nostrum, H. F. Mil. Solicitatorem nostrum Genera∣lem ac ipsum, H. F. Solicitatorem Genera∣lem nostrum per presentes ordinavimus fe∣cimus & constituimus Habendum gaudend occupand & exercend officium illud quamdiu nobis placuerit Percipiend annuatim eidem, H. F. pro occupatione & exercic' officij pre∣dicti tal'& tant' Vad. Feod. Profic' & com∣moditat'

qual'& quanta dicto officio debito sive pertinend prout aliquis alius sive aliqui alij officium predict' proantea habens sive occupans habuit vel percepit habuerunt sive preceperunt in & pro exercitio ejusdem officij eo quod expressa mentio, &c.

In Cujus rei, &c. Teste, &c.

Observations.

THough this Imployment was granted by Patent in Edward the Fourths time, yet for want of time I shall also be∣gin his Writ of Summons, the 21. of Henry the Eight; and then Edward Grif∣fin being Attorney General, Gosnold was Solicitor, and the Writ was, Hen. Rex, &c. Dilecto & fideli suo Johanni Gosnold Soli∣citatori suo Salutem Quia, and so verba∣tim according to the Exemplar; in the 36 Hen. 8. William Whorwood was Attor∣ney General, and Henry Bradshaw Solici∣tor, and had his Writ the first of Edw. the Sixth, Bradshaw was made Attorney Ge∣neral, and Edward Griffin Solicitor, and had his Writ; and the 6. of Edw. 6. Grif∣fith was made Attorney, and Jo. Gosnold Solicitor, and had his Writ, and both con∣tinued so till the first of Mary; and then William Cordel, in the room of Gosnold

was made Solicitor, and had his Writ, also in another Parliament of that year both had their Writs; in the 1. and 2, 3, and 4. of Phil. and Mary, and in the 4. and 5. Phil. and Mary, Griffith being Attorney General, Rich. Weston (afterwards Lord Treasurer) was made Solicitor, Domino∣rum Regis & Reginae, and had his Writ; in the 38. of Eliz. Jo. Popham, afterwards Lord Chief Justice, was Attorney, and Thomas Egerton (afterwards Lord Chan∣cellor) was Solicitor, and had his Writ, and so they continued to the 39. Eliz. and then Edw. Coke (after one of the Justices of the Common-Pleas) was made Attor∣ney, and Tho. Flemins Solicitor, and had his Writ; and in the 43. Sir Edw. Coke was put back to be Solicitor, and had his Writ; and Thomas Egerton was Attorney; and in the first of James, Edw. Coke (then Knighted) was again made Attorney Ge∣neral, and Tho. Flemins (then Knighted also) again made Solicitor, and had his Writ; and in the 21 Jacobi, Thomas Co∣ventry Miles (after Lord Keeper) was made Attorney, and Robert Heath Knt. Solicitor, (after Chief Justice) and had his Writ; and both had Writs again the first Car. primi; and the 15th. Jo. Banks Knt. was made Attorney, and Edward Harbert Solicitor, and had his Writ.

But at the Summoning of this Parlia∣ment, no Writ was sent to Sir Heneage Finch then the Kings Solicitor, being cho∣sen for the House of Commons, and being after made Attorney General, still he con∣tinued in the House of Commons, till he was made Lord Keeper, and then he was remov'd to the Lords House by Writ, as Lord Keeper; and so Sir Francis North (being the Kings Solicitor) did sit in the House of Commons this Parliament, and was not removed thence till he was made Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas; so that during this Parliament, none (whilst actually the Kings Solicitors) were Sum∣mon'd or did sit in the Lords House; yet I thought fit to insert this Degree here, (though he be not mention'd in this Pawn) because there are so many Precedents of his Summons, as are before recited in former Kings Reigns.

Notes

• * 1.1

  SECT. 18