r 14;

0 f Acres, made a Knight’s Fee i and Temp. Hen. 3. andEdw. 1. and 1 Edw. 2. the Cenfus militts was meafuredby 20 /. by the Year, or more 5 and by the Royal Pre-rogative, fome who held 15, then 20, at other times30, then 40, and fometimes 50 l. Lands, were requiredto accept this Honour by Writs directed to the Sheriffsof the Counties, and were excufed only by Reafon ofold Age, irrecoverable Weaknefs, Lofs of Limbs, orbeing in Holy Orders 5 and upon all other Caufes (ifexempted) they paid a Fine, eftimated according tothe Nature of the Excule, or length of Time given.

But in the promifcuous Courfe of Knighthood, wherethe Men of Wealth and Eftate (whether otherwifeworthy or not) became dignify’d j yet the Gate ofHonour was not then fhut againft thole,' who wantingRiches, deferved well of their Country; for whenPrinces conferr’d fuch Dignities upon Men of narrowFortunes, they ufually bellowed with them annual Pen-fions, or Lands, agreeable to the Judgment of the Au-thor of the Divtfion du monde , who faith that the Ho-nour of Knighthood is not to be given any Perfon whohath not a confiderable Eftate, unlefs fufficient Means tofupport the Honour of the Order be alfo given with it.

These Penfions are frequently mention’d in our Rolls,fometimes during Pleafure, and fometimes during theLife of the Knight, or till better Provifion ihould bemade for their Supports : Examples whereof are, SirJohn Atte Lee , Sir Nek Loring , Sir John Waljh, Knights.The like Rewards our Kings gave to fuch whofe Meritraifed them to the Degree of a Baneret, exprefs’d in theirPatents, ad mamttenendumJlatum Baneretti, Pro fujlentationefua, ut ipfejlatum Baneretti melius manutenere pojft, Proftatujuo manutenendo 5 or Words to the like Effefl: Exampleswhere of are, Sir Reginald Cohham, Sir Thomas de Rokeky,Sir John Lyjle, and Sir Roger de Swynerton , Banerets.

It may be next confider’d who can make K nights ;wherein it is apparent, that they who never were, andothers who never could be Knights , have conferr’d thisDignity 3 yet ’tis to be underftood, that Neceffity andCuftom hath in this Cafe the Force of a Law : For anci-ently, Btfiops and Priefts made Knights ; fo alfo do thePopes, and fome Commonwealths 5 likewife our Queens.For the Sovereign, or the Heir apparent, tho’ they be noKnights, may neverthelefs do it, by reafon they poftefsthe Kingdom ; and are therefore the Head and Chief ofChevalry, and confequent all the Power thereof is con-tained