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.

CHAP. XVII. Of the Clerks of the Lords House.

HEre I am to speak of such as have pla∣ces allowed them in the House of Lords by vertue of Patents only, and first of the Clerks; This Title of Clerk from Cleros, when the Clergy had (by reason of their great learning) the guidance of Civil Offices, was given as an honour to them; and most of the great Offices, as the Privy Seal, Master of the Rolls, &c. had the Titles of Clerks; but now that Title remains to a lower sort, of which there are 26. in num∣ber who still retain that Title.

The first, (as to the Progresses of Parlia∣ment) is the Clerk of the Pettibag, which is under the Conduct and within the Patent of the Master of the Rolls; (who is the chief of all the Clerks in the Lords House, of which Office I have spoke in that Section of the Rolls, and in other places.)

2. The Clerk of the Crown in the Chancery, (call'd Clericus Coronae in Cancellario, in his Patent) of whom I have also spoke cursorily

in several places) is an Officer to whose care many great things are committed, (which may be read in Compton and others) but as to what concerns this Subject, I must again remind, that all Parliament VVrits which are sent from the Pettibag, are return'd and kept by the Officer, so that the Pettibag gives (as it were) the beginning, this the continuance and ending to a Parliament.

So as this Clerk of the Crown hath three Capacities. Before the Sitting of a Parliament, to receive returns of VVrits which were issued from the Pettibag.

And in Parliament to take care ac∣cording to directions for the issuing of Writs in case of change or mortality; And in the Lords House he first reads the Titles of all Bills to be presented to his Majesty, of which and other parts of his Duty I shall speak more.

3. The third Clerk is term'd in his Pa∣tent, Clericus Parliamentorum, because he is Clerk in all Parliaments during his life; his imployment here being only conversant about the Affairs of Parliament.

Now in respect that all Bills and Matters of State have here their result in the Lords House, he is the proper Keeper of such Re∣cords, (for the Lords House is a Court of Record) and to that end his Books are fairly writ, exactly compos'd, according

to the very words and sence of that House, and constantly perus'd by some Lords ap∣pointed for that purpose, as well for his own justification as others satisfaction.

He hath also an Assisting Clerk allowed him, who is of great use and ease to him, both of them being well grounded in learn∣ing, experience and ability, in the safe ex∣pediting the concerns of that House, which hath both an Ocean of VVisdom, and cu∣rious Rivolets of Honorary punctilios, (not to be omitted by them, somewhat different from all other Courts) he hath also a Reading Clerk allowed him, who likewise attends the Lords Committees; and these are all the Clerks which constantly attend in the Lords House, and are within the Bar.

4. Of the Clerks of the House of Com∣mons I shall speak in the second part.

5. As I have shewn the Imployments of the Clerks of the Crown Office in Chancery, so (to prevent misapplications) it is fit to shew the Imployments also of the Clerk of the Crown Office in the King's Bench, who is no constant attendant in this House or in the House of Commons, but only upon con∣tingencies, and then by Order; but more especially in the Lords House, for produ∣cing, reading, and managing Records con∣cerning VVrits of Error, Habeas Corpus, &c.

(of which I shall speak in order) but his most eminent Imployment is upon the Tryal of Peers, as will be shewn.

Of the 26. Clerks before mention'd, (who still retain that Title) these five which I have named are the chief which are imployed in Parliamentary Matters; but of the other 21. (which may be seen in Lambert, Fitz Herbert, &c.) neither the six Clerks in Chancery, (being Officers of Eminency imployed in that Court bearing that Title, nor are the other Clerks (which are imployed also in that Court) in the least (as I know of) ingag'd in the Fa∣brick of Parliaments. Note that those five Clerks (whom I first mention'd) have pla∣ces allotted them within the Bar of either House, as I said.

And now I must speak of other Atten∣dants of another nature, viz. the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, and the Serjeant at Arms.