THE KING OF ARMS.]

ORDER OF SAINT PATRICK.

87

together with “ power, liberty, faculty, and licence of inspecting, overseeing,correcting, and ratifying the Arms and Ensigns of illustrious persons, and ofimposing and ordaining Differences therein, according to the Law of Arms;of granting Letters Patent of Arms to men of rank and fit persons; and ofdoing, exercising, and performing all things which by right or custom wereknown to be incumbent on the Office of a King of Arms.” Having beenspecially summoned before the King, the newly appointed Ulster “ took theoath of Office in the presence of the other Heralds, and of many EnglishNoblemen and Counsellors.” The King also granted him, “ for his yearlywages and fee of Office, forty marks English, or such sums of Irish money aswould amount thereto, which was to be received out of the Exchequer atDublin, by equal portions, at Easter and Michaelmas; with such livery andclothing, and in such manner and form as other Kings of Arms and PrincipalHeralds of the Realm of England have, or ought to have, to be received out ofthe Great Wardrobe of England.” 2

King Edward thus alludes to the appointment of Ulster in his Journal:“ 2 February 1552. There was a King of Arms made for Ireland, whose namewas Ulster, and his Province was all Ireland, and he was the fourth King ofArms, and the first Herald of Ireland.” 3

The duties of the King of Arms consist in attending all Chapters and otherCeremonials of the Order, in signing Certificates of the Pedigrees of theKnights and Esquires, 4 and in preparing the Banners and Achievements of theKnights. He is to apply for, and retain in his custody, the Collars and Badgesof deceased Knights, and to take a receipt for the delivery of them to newlyelected Knights; and he is authorized to cause the Insignia to be repaired, andto procure the necessary Ribbands for Investiture. 5

Precedency was given to Ulster, next after Lord Lyon King of Arms ofScotland, by the following Article of the Ordinance issued on the 17th of May1833; but this regulation does not precisely fix Ulster’s precedency, inasmuchas the position of the Lord Lyon in England has never been settled by anyOrdinance.

“ And whereas, by the Act of Union, Ireland became part and parcel of

2 Foedera, vol. XV. p. 305.

3 Printed in Bishop Burnet’s “ History of the Reformation,” from the original, in the Cottonian

MS. Nero, C. 10.

* Art. III. and XVI. pp. 9, 15, antea.

5 Vide pp. 34—36, antea.