KING. 
tiature, reason, liberty, and society, but has 
always been esteemed an express part of 
the common law of England, even when 
prerogative was at the highest. But to obvi- 
ate all doubts and difficulties concerning this 
matter, it is expressly declared by statute 
12 and 13 William IIT. c. 2, That the laws 
of England are the birth right of the people 
thereof ; and all the kings and queens who 
shall ascend the throne of this realm, ought 
to administer the government of the same 
according to the said laws ; and all their of- 
ficers and ministers ought to serve them re- 
spectively, according to the same; and 
tlierefore all the laws and statutes of this 
realm for seenvintr the established religion, 
and the rights and liberties of the people 
thereof, and all other laws and statutes of 
the same, now in force, at e ratified and con- 
firmed accordingly. See Liberties. 
As to the terms of the original contract 
between king and people ; these it seems 
are now couched in the coronation oath, 
which, by statute 1 William and Mary, c. 6, 
is to be administered to every King and 
Queen, who shall succeed to the imperial 
crow n of these realms, by one of the Arch- 
bishops or Bishops in the presence of all the 
people ; who, on tiieir parts, do recipro- 
cally take the oath of allegiance to the 
crown. 
As to the King’s prerogatives, revenues, 
civil list, and authority, see the title Pre- 
rogative. 
This coronation oath is conceived in the 
foilowim; terms ; 
Tlie Archbishop or Bishop shall say, will 
you solemnly promise and swear to govern 
the people of this kingdom of England, 
(quere Great Britain. See statute 5 Ann. 
c. 8, sect. 1. and this dictionary, title Scot- 
land ;) and the dominions thereto belonging, 
according to the statutes in parliament 
agreed on ; and the laws and customs of the 
same ? The King or Queen shall say, I so- 
lemnly promise so to do. Archbisiiop or 
Bishop, Will you to your power cause law 
and justice, in mercy, to be executerl in all 
your judgments ? King or Queen, I will. 
Archbishop orBishop,Willyou to the utmost 
ofyour power maintain the laws of God, the 
true profession of the gospel, and the pro- 
testant reformed religion established by the 
law f and will you preserve unto the bishops 
and the clergy of this realm, and to the 
churches committed to their charge, all 
such rights and privileges as by law do or 
shall appertain unto them or any of them ? 
King or Queen, All this I promise to do. 
After this the King or Queen, laying his or 
her hand upon the Holy Gospels shall say, 
The things which I have here before pro- 
mised, I will perform and keep, so help me 
God. And then shall kiss the book. It 
is also required, both by the Bill of 
Rights, 1 William and Mary, statute 2, 
c. 2, and the act of settlement, 12 and 13 
William III. c. 2, that every King and 
Queen, of the age of twelve years, either 
at their coronation, or on the first day of 
the first parliament, upon the throne in the 
House of Peers (which shall first happen) 
shall repeat and subscribe the declaration 
against Popeiy, according to 30 Charles II. 
statute 2, c. 1 . 
The above is the form of the coronation 
oath, as it is now prescribed by our laws ; 
the principal articles of which appear to be 
at least as ancient as the mirror of justices 
(c. 1. sect. 2.) ; and even as the time of 
Bracton. See 1. 3. tr. 1 . c. 9, the act of 
union, statute Ann, c. 8, recites and con- 
firms two preceding statutes ; the one of 
the parliament of Scotland, the other of the 
pai'liament of England ; which enact the 
former, that every King at his accession, 
shall take and subscribe an oath, to pre- 
serve the protestant religion, and presbyte- 
rian church government in Scotland ; the 
latter, that at his coronation he shall take 
and subscribe a similar oath to preserve the 
settlement of the church of England, within 
England, Ireland, Wales, and Berwdek, and 
the territories thereunto belonging. 
King at arms, or of arms, an officer who 
directs the heralds, presides at their chap- 
ters, and has the jurisdiction of armorv. 
There are three kings of arms in England, 
namely. Gaiter, Clarencieux, and Norroy. 
• King, Garter principal, at arms. He, 
among other privileges, marshals the solem- 
nities at tlie funerals of the prime nobility, 
and carries the garter to kings and princes 
beyond sea, being joined in commission 
with some peer of the kingdom. See Gar- 
ter. 
King, Clarencieux, at arms. This King 
(who is next to Garter) is called Claren- 
cieux, from the Duke of Clarence to w hom 
he first belonged ; for Lionel, third son of 
King Edward III. marrying the daughter 
and heir to the Earl of Ulster in Ireland, 
with her had the honour of Clare in the 
county of Thomond, whereupon he was 
afterwards created Duke of Clarence, or 
the territory about Clare ; which dukedom 
escheating to Edward IV. by the dgath of 
his brother George Duke of Clarence, (who 
