37Q AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF 



express declaration and evidences of the party himself, whe 

 ther they be the same lands that be holden, or others. And 

 therefore albeit the party grieved thereby may have some 

 reason to complain of an untrue charge, yet may he not well 

 call it an unjust vexation ; but ought rather to look upon 

 that ease, which in this kind of proceeding he hath found, 

 where, besides his labour, he is not to expend above two and 

 twenty shillings in the whole charge, in comparison of that 

 toil, cost, and care, which he in the case was wont to sus 

 tain by the writ of certiorari in the exchequer; wherein, 

 besides all his labour, it did cost him fifty shillings at the 

 least, and sometimes twice so much, before he could find 

 the means to be delivered. 

 Policy for Thus have I run through the whole order of this practice, 



raption? C in the P en time of the term ; and that the more particu 

 larly and at full, to the end that thereby these things en 

 suing might the more fully appear, and plainly bewray 

 themselves : first, that this present manner of exercising of 

 this office hath so many testimonies, interchangeable war 

 rants, and counter-rolments, whereof each, running through 

 the hands and resting in the power of so many several yjer- 

 sons, is sufficient to argue and convince all manner of false 

 hood ; so as with a general conspiracy of all those offices 

 together, it is almost impossible to contrive any deceit 

 therein : a right ancient, and sound policy, whereupon both 

 the order of the accounts in the exchequer, and of the affairs 

 of her majesty s own household, are so grounded and built, 

 that the infection of an evil mind in some one or twain can 

 not do any great harm, unless the rest of the company be 

 also poisoned by their contagion. And, surely, as Cicero 

 said, Nullum est tarn desperatum collegium, in quo non unus 

 e multis sit sana mente pr&ditus. Secondly, that here is 

 great use both of discretion, learning, and integrity ; of dis- 



Inequality of cretion, I say, for examining the degrees of favour, which 



ratesjustifiable. ought to be imparted diversely, and for discerning the valua 

 tions of lands, not in one place or shire, but in each county 

 and corner of the realm ; and that not of one sort or quality, 

 but of every kind, nature, and degree : for a taste whereof, 

 and to the end that all due quality of rates be not suddenly 

 charged with infidelity, and condemned for corruption ; it 

 is note-worthy, that favour is here sometimes right worthily 

 bestowed, not only in a general regard of the person, by 

 which every man ought to have a good pennyworth of his 

 own, but more especially also and with much distinction : 



The person. for, a peer of the realm, a counsellor of state, a judge of the 



