380 AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF 



Exchequer, whence they extract notes not only of inquisi 

 tions, common recoveries, and indentures of bargains and 

 sales, that cannot but be of record, but also of such feoff- 

 ments, exchanges, gifts by will, and indentures of cove 

 nants to raise uses of lands holden in chief, as are first made 

 in the country without matter of record, and come at the 

 length to be found by office or inquisition, that is of record ; 

 all which are digested into apt books, and are then sent to 

 the remembrancer of the lord treasurer in the Exchequer, 

 to the end that he may make and send out processes upon 

 them, as he doth upon the extracts of the final concords of 

 such lands, which the clerk of the fines doth convey unto 

 him. 



Thus it is plain, that this new order by many degrees 

 excelleth the former usage ; as also for the present advance 

 ment of her majesty s commodity, and for the future profit 

 which must ensue by such discovery of tenures as were 

 concealed before, by awaking of such as had taken a long 

 sleep, and by reviving a great many that were more than 

 half dead. 



The fees or allowances, that are termly given to these 

 deputies, receiver, and clerks, for recompense of these their 

 pains, I do purposely pretermit ; because they be not cer 

 tain, but arbitrary, at the good pleasure of those honourable 

 persons that have the dispensation of the same: howbeit 

 hitherto each deputy and the receiver hath received twenty 

 pounds for his travel in each term, only the doctor hath not 

 allowance of any sum in gross, but is altogether paid in 

 petty fees, by the party or suitor ; and the clerks are partly 

 rewarded by that mean also, for their entries, discharges, 

 and some other writings, besides that termly fee which they 

 are allowed. 



Note. But if the deputies take one penny besides their known 



allowance, they buy it at the dearest price that may be ; I 

 mean the shipwreck of conscience, and with the irreco- 

 coverable loss of their honesty and credit ; and, therefore, 

 since it appeareth which way each of these hath his reward, 

 let us also examine that increase of benefit and gain, which 

 is brought to her majesty by the invention of this office. 



At the end of Hilary term, 1589, being the last open 

 term of the lease of these profits granted to the late Earl of 

 Leicester, which also was to expire at the feast of the An 

 nunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary, 1590, then shortly 

 to ensue ; the officers above remembered thought it, for 

 good causes, their duties to exhibit to the said right honour- 



