The PREFACE.
And that the Heralds hy a Petition in the Reign of Hen. VIII alledge asfollows, tc The Taici Officers of Armes to be at all Times priviledged for<f paying any manner of Subledies, Prefts, Fifteenths, or any other man-“ ner of Charges whatfoever they bee, But the laid Officers of Arms to<c be at all Times, and forever free in all Places wherefoever it be, be it by<f Lande or by Sea being in the King’s Dominion, ,as all other Officers of“ Armes be under all other Princes in their Dominions, without payingtc PafTages, Tolies, or Cuftoms for the miei ves, their Horles, their Ser-“ vants, or any Manner of Goods to any of them belonging* fo that it<c be for themlelves, or any Thing for their Houfehold, Provifion, or“ Stuffe ; Provided always that none Officer of Armes diali not for him-“ lelf, nor no Friend at no Time, nor never occupie no Courle of Mer-“ chandize, whereby he fliould colour any foch Cuftoms belonging unto<f the King, but in that Calè to paye all fuch Duties as is due to the“ King.” Mf. of Clären. Lee, fee p. ui &c. given to the Heralds Li-brary hy John Hare Efq-, late Richmond.
The Exemption mentioned in this Charter is of a large Extent, comprehend-ing the Times of War and Peace, which is adequate to the Duties of thefeOfficers mentioned in the Introdu&ions of the Patents to Kings of Arms tc ut“ nec tempus bellorum neq; pacis line convenientibus & aptis Miniftriscc debeat præteriri,” a Statute made 5 Hen. 8. c. 6 . fpecifies feveral Ex-emptions belonging to them immemorially in Regard to Offices and Bufinefs , whereinany Armour or Weapon was to he ufed, as a proper Inducement to extend thelike Favour to other Officers under parallel Circumffiances.
The Nobility, who hy the Largenefs of their Fßates, are thereby generally beffienabled to contribute towards fupporting the Publick , are however in fome fo-reign Countries exonerated, becaufe they are obliged by their Baronies to defendthe State with their Lives and Fortunes upon all emergent Oc caftons. Klock,de contrib. c. 14. n. 1 z. Thus by our common Law thofe who owed Dutiesin War incident to their Tenures by Chevalry were excufed from Efcuage, ifthey perfonally performed their Services in the Army , and even thofe alfo, whoheld by Serjantries to be executed in Times of Peace, {as to find a Cook at theCoronation , or to be then the Champion &c. ) were exempted from Scutage, un-lefs they held by military Tenure. The Nature of the Employments of Heraldsfeem to entitle them to the Equity on which thefe Exemptions from Scutage aregrounded, for as they were bound to attend perfonally in the Army during theTimes of War, fo they were under the like Obligations of waiting on the So-vereign in Times of Peace , not only at Coronations, but at all other Feflivalsand fplendid Solemnities, and were in Truth, and ffiill continue Domeffiick Ser-vants in the Royal Houfehold.
The Intention of this Charter and the PraBice thereon, hath been to exemptthefe Officers, not only from Contributions for Lands, whereof they were feizedin their corporate Capacity, and for the Salaries and Fees paid to them by Virtueof their Offices, but for all their other Efates real and perfonal wherever fituated,and was not confined like fome other Exemptions , mentioned in the Tear-Books
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