Anno quinto et sexto Eduardi Sexti Actes made in the session of this present parlament, holden vpo[n] prorogacion at Westminster, the. xxiii. daie of Ianuarie, in the fiueth yere of the reigne of our moste drad souereigne Lorde, Edward the. VI. by the grace of God, kyng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, defendour of the faith, and of the Churche of Englande and Irelande, in yearth [sic] the supreme hed: and there continued and kept to the. xv. daie of Aprill, in the vi. yere of the reigne of our saied souereigne lorde, as foloweth

¶ The .xvi. Chapiter. ❧ An Acte against buyeng, and sellyng of Offices. (Book 16)

FOR the auoidyng of corruption, whiche may here∣after happen to be in the officers, and ministers, in those courtes, places, or roumes, wherin there is re∣quisite to be had the true administracion of iustice, or seruices of truste, and to thentent that persones worthie, & mete to be aduaunced to the place where iustice is to be ministred, or any seruice of trust exe∣cuted, shoulde hereafter be preferred to thesame, and no other:

Be it therfore enacted, by the Kyng our souereigne Lord, the lordes Spiritual, & Temporal, and the commons in this present Parlament assembled, and by thaucthoritie of the same: That if any person, or per∣sons

at any time hereafter, bargaine, or selle any office, or offices, or de∣putacion of any office, or offices, or any parte, or parcel of any of them, or receiue, haue, or take any money, fee, rewaide, or any other profet directly, or indirectly, or take any promise, agrement, couenaunt, bond, or any assuraunce, to receiue, or haue any money, fee, rewarde, or other profite directly, or indirectly, for any office, or offices, or for the deputa∣cion of any office, or offices, or any parte of any of them, or to thentent that any person shoulde haue, exercise, or enioye any office, or offices, or the deputacion of any office, or offices, or any parte of any of them, whiche office, or offices, or any parte, or parcel of them, shal in any wise touche, or concerne thadministracion, or execution of iustice, or the re∣ceipte, comptrolement, or paiment of any the Kynges highnes trea∣soure, money, rente, reuenue, accompte, alneage, auditourshippe, or sur∣ueieng of any the Kynges Maiesties honoures, Castelles, Manours, Landes, tenementes, woodes, or hereditamentes, or any the Kynges Maiesties customes, or any administracion, or necessarie attendaunce to be had, doen, or executed in any the Kynges maiesties custome house, or houses, or the kepyng of any the Kynges Maiesties Townes, Ca∣stelles, or fortresses, beyng vsed, occupied, or appointed for a place of strengthe, and defence, or whiche shal concerne, or touche any clerke∣shippe to be occupied in any maner of Courte of recorde, wherin iusti∣ce is to be ministred, that then all and euery suche person, and persons, that shall so bargaine, or selle any of thesaid office, or offices, deputa∣cion, or deputacions, or that shall take any money, fee, rewarde, or pro∣fite for any of thesaid office, or offices, deputacion, or deputacions of any of thesaid offices, or any parte of any of them, or that shall take a∣ny promise, couenaunte, bonde, or assuraunce for any money, rewarde, or profite to be geuen for any of thesaid office, or offices, deputacion, or deputacions, of any of thesaid office, or offices, or any parte, of any of them, shall not onely lose, and forfeicte all his, and their right, in∣terest and estate, whiche suche person, or persones shall then haue, of, in, or to, any of thesaid office, or offices, deputacion, or deputacions, or any parte, of any of them, or of, in, or to, the gifte, or nominacion of any of thesaid office, or offices, deputacion, or deputacions, for the whiche office, or offices, or for the deputacion, or deputacions, of whiche office, or offices, or for any parte of any of them, any suche person, or persones, shall so make any bargaine, or sale, or take, or receiue any somme of money, fee, rewarde, or profite, or any promise, couenaunt, or assuraunce to haue, or receiue any fee, rewarde, money, or profite: But also that all, and euery suche person, and persones that shall geue, or paie any somme of money, rewarde, or fee, or shall make any promyse, agremente, bonde, or assuraunce for any of thesaid of∣fices, or for the deputacion, or deputacions, of any of thesaid office, or offices, or any parte of any of them, shall immediatly by and vpon

thesame fee, money, or rewarde, geuen, or paied, or vpon any suche pro∣mise, couenaunt, bonde, or agrement, had, or made, for any fee, sōme of money, or rewarde to be paied, as is aforesaide, be adiudged a disabled persone in the law, to al ententes, and purposes, to haue, occupie, or en∣ioy thesaid office, or offices, deputacion, or deputacions, or any parte of any of them, for the whiche suche persone, or persones, shall so geue, or paie, any some of money, fee, or reward, or make any promise, couenaūt bonde, or other assuraunce, to geue, or paie, any sōme of money, fee, or rewarde.

And be it also enacted, by thaucthoritie aforesaide, that al, and eue¦ry suche bargaines, sales, promises, bondes, agrementes, couenauntes and assurances, as be before specified, shalbe voide, to and against him and them, by whome any suche bargaine, sale, bonde, promise, couena∣unt, or assuraunce, shalbe had, or made.

Prouided alway, that this acte, or any thyng therin conteined, shal not in any wise extende, to any office, or offices, wherof any persone, or persones, is or shalbe seased, of any estate of enheritaunce, nor to any Office of parkershippe, or of the kepyng of any Parke, house, manour, garden, chase, or forrest, or to any of them, any thyng in this acte here∣tofore mencioned, to the contrary thereof in any wise, notwithstan∣ding.

Prouided also, that if any persone, or persones, do hereafter offende in any thing contrary to the tenour, & effect of this acte, yet that not∣withstanding, al iudgementes geuen, and al other acte, and actes, exe∣cuted, or done, by any suche persone, or persones, so offendyng, by auc∣thoritie, or colour of the office, or deputacion, which ought to be forfei∣ted, or not occupied, or not enioyed by the persone, so offending as is a∣foresaid, after thesaid offence so by suche person committed, or done, & before suche person so offending, for thesame offence be remoued from the exercise, administration, and occupation of thesaide office, or de∣putacion, shalbee, and remaine, good, and sufficiente in Lawe, to al en∣tentes, cōstructions, and purposes, in suche lyke maner and fourme, as thesame should, and ought to haue remained, and bene, if this acte, had neuer bene hadde or made.

Prouided also that this acte, or any thyng therin conteined, shal not in any wise extende, to any bargaine, sale, gifte, graunt nominacion, bonde, conenaunt, promise, agrement, or assuraunce whatsoeuer it be, of, or for any the office, or offices, deputacion, or deputacions aforesaid or any parte of any of theim, had made, done, concluded, or agreed, be∣fore the firste daye of Marche nexte commyng, but that thesame bar∣gaine, sale, gift, graunt, nominacion, bonde, couenaunt, promise, agre∣mente, or assuraunce, hadde, made, concluded, or agreed, before the saide firste daye of Marche, shall alwayes remaine, continue, and be in suche force, strengthe, and effecte, as if this Acte had neuer

bene had, or made, any thing before in this acte mencioned to the con∣trary therof in any wise, notwithstanding.

Prouided alwaies, and be it enacted by the aucthoritie aforesaide, that this Acte, or any thyng therein contemed, shal not in any wise ex∣tende, or be preiudiciall or hurtfull, to any of the chiefe Iustices of the Kynges Courtes, commonly called the Kynges Benche, or Common place, or to any of the Iustices of Assise, that now be, or hereafter shal be, but that they, and euery of theim, may dooe in euery behaulfe, tou∣chyng, or concernyng, any office or offices, to be geuen or graunted, by theim, or any of theim, as thei, or any of theim might haue doen, before the makyng of this Acte, any thing aboue mencioned to the contrary in any wise notwithstandyng.