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“4 
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<a 
STAR CHAMBER PROCEEDINGS 81 
2d 66 3366 
words. In his notion of “conspiracy,” “confederacy,” “corrupt 
_ gayne and lucre,” &c., his animus leads him to overstate his case. 
¢. = 
He substantiates the point of private profit by showing that in 
reply to his remonstrance concerning the forcible taking and de- 
taining his son to ‘be employed in that vyle & base manner of a 
mercynary player in that place, & in noe other sorte or manner,”? 
these men “did then & there vse theis speeches, that were yt not 
for the benefitt they made by the sayd play howse, whoe would, 
should serve the-Chappell w‘* children, for them.’”? 
In spite of the coloring Clifton wishes to give this declaration, 
it is clear that it is simply a plain business statement to the effect 
that so far as using the children for private profit was concerned, 
they had ample authority. Incidentally also the statement indi- 
cates that the Blackfriars Boys were taken up to be prepared for 
the Chapel, and that as a reward these private advantages were 
allowed. So far as private profit was made in accordance with 
the authority granted and privileges allowed, it was legitimate. 
Cause for royal displeasure and the Court’s severity in acting 
upon Clifton’s Complaint lay elsewhere. 
The case was acted upon by the Queen’s Court of Star Cham- 
ber. Unfortunately the records among which this decree was 
filed seem long ago to have perished.* Our sole knowledge of 
the nature of the decision is in Edward Kirkham’s Replication 
in his suit in Chancery against Painton, 1612.4 It seems based 
wholly upon Clifton’s showing of forcible impressment against 
parental wish, and fell solely upon Evans. 
It is likely that Kirkham’s attorney, Stephen Price, had the 
decree before him as he wrote; for after stating the main points 
in it, he refers the court to the document for the particulars in 
- verification. From this we iearn that “the said Evans in or about 
the three and ffortieth yeare cf the raigne of the late Queen Eliz- 
abeth was censured by the right honorable Courte of Starr-Cham- 
ber for his vnorderlie carriage and behauiour in takinge vp of 
*Athenacum (u. s.) 204; G-F., Bird, Assistant Keeper of the Pub- 
131a, — lic Records and Secretary of the 
2 Thid. Public Record Office, Guide to the 
*“None of the Orders or Decrees Public Records (2nd ed. 1896), 198. 
of this Court [Star Chamber] are *G.-F., 248c; infra, 81-82". 
known to exist.”"—S. R. Scargill- 
195 
