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mit or difallow of their Excufes, but referr’d the conG*deration to the next Chapter, to be held by Prorogation.

Of Excufes which have not been allow'd, the moll re-markable is that of the Duke of Norfolk and the LordScales, Anno 36 Hen. VI. who were adjudg’d to the Pe-nalty of the Statute, in regard the Caufes alledged to ex-cufe their abfence were not approved ; the latter wasfigned by the Sovereign and Knights-Companions, i n aJewel to the value of twenty Marks, to be offered in theCollege ; whereby the rigour of the Statutes appears tohave been more flridlly executed on him, than the Duke,probably becaufe the Lord Scales was abfent the Yearbefore, and no caufe thereof Ihewed to the Chapter .

In relation to the Proceedings on the abfent Knights -Companions negledl of fending their Excufes, wefhallob-ierve, that fome of them have with difficulty been remit-ted, fome left in fufpence, and others fentenc’d, and re-ferr’d either to the Sovereign’s pleafure, or the Punilh-ment affign’d by Law ; of the firft kind we find that theEarl ot fVeftmcrland, Anno 10 Hen. V. though not verywell, yet had much ado to be excus’d, becaufe he fig-nified not the Caufe of his abfence, as the Statutes requi-red. So Anno 12 Car. I. the Earls of Derby and K e %,having made no Excufe, were for that Omiflion blameable,but by the Grace of the Sovereign for that time pardon’d.

As to thofe who, through the indulgence of the Sove-reign, (where probable caufe hath induc’d it,) have nothad Sentence pafs’d on them prefently, but were deferr’din expectation of fome fatisfadlory Caufe to be Ihewed;we find in the Cafe of the Prince, the Duke of Buckingham,and five other Knight s-C imp anions abfent from the Feaft,held Anno 18 Hen.\ II. wherein it is regiftred, that nocaufe cf Excufe was fhewed, but there was an expeclationof one to be alledged.

But as for thofe of the third fctt, on whom Sentencehath pafs’d ; they have been left either to the pleafureof the Sovereign, or to thofe Penalties which the Law ofthis Order inflidl ; of which, as a!fo of thofe on whomJudgment hath pafs’d, are divers Inftances.

Befides thefe Grounds of afligning Penances, there areother Caufes fet dow'n in the before recited ninth Article,of the Statutes of Inftitution for Penances; as when theKyiigHs-Ccmpanions are abfent at other times, befide the

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