OCOMMENDAMS. 319 



meeting of the council, and that all the judges, be 

 ing twelve in number, should be sent for to be 

 present ; when the lords were sat, and the judges 

 ready attending, his majesty came himself in person 

 to council, and opened to them the cause of that 

 assembly ; which was : That he had called them 

 together concerning a question that had relation to 

 no private person, but concerned God and the King, 

 the power of his crown, and the state of this Church 

 whereof he was protector ; and that there was no 

 fitter place to handle it than at the head of his 

 council-table : that there had been a question 

 pleaded and argued concerning Commendams ; the 

 proceedings wherein had either been mis-reported or 

 mis-handled ; for his majesty a year since had re 

 ceived advertisements concerning the cause in two 

 instances, by some that intrenched upon his prero 

 gative royal in the general power of granting Com 

 mendams ; and by others, that the doubt rested 

 only upon a special nature of a Commendam, such 

 as in respect of the incongruity and exorbitant form 

 thereof might be questioned, without impeaching or 

 weakening the general power of all. 



Whereupon his majesty, willing to know the 

 true state thereof, commanded the lord bishop 

 of Winchester, and Mr. Secretary Winwood to be 

 present at the next argument, and to report the 

 state of the question and proceeding to his majesty. 

 But Mr. Secretary Winwood being absent by occa 

 sion, the lord of Winchester only was present, and 

 made information to his majesty of the particulars 



