CLE 
fOHi't of Chancery, whereof there are three, 
the Master of the Rolls being the chief : 
their business is to record the return of all 
inquisitions out of every shire, to make out 
patents of customers, gaugers, comptrollers, 
&c. liberates upon extents of statutes sta- 
ple, conge d’elires for bishops, summons of 
the nobility, clergy, and burgesses to par- 
liament, and commissions directed to 
knights, and others, of every shire, for as- 
sessing subsidies and taxes. 
Clerk of the pipe, an officer of the Ex- 
chequer, who, having the accounts of all 
debts due to the King delivered out of the 
remembrancers office, charges them in a 
great roll, folded up like a pipe. He writes 
out warrants to sherift’s, to levy the said 
debts on the goods and chattels of the 
debtors ; and if they have no goods, then 
he draws them down to the treasurer’s re- 
membrancer, to write estreats against their 
lands. 
Clerk of the pleas, an officer of the Ex- 
chequer, in whose office all the officers of 
the court, having special privilege, ought to 
sue, or be ^ued, in any action. In this of- 
fice also actions at law may be prosecuted 
by other persons, but the plaintiff ought to 
be tenant or debtor to the King, or some 
way accountable to him. The under-clerks 
are attorneys in all suits. 
Clerks of the privy-seal, four officers 
that attend the Lord-privy-seal, for writing 
and making out all things that are sent by 
warrant from the signet to the privy-seal, 
and to be passed the great-seal ; and like- 
wise to make out privy-seals, upon special 
occasions of his Majesty’s affairs, as for 
loan of money, or the like. 
Clerk of the rolls, an officer of the 
chancery, whose business is to make 
searches after, and copies of deeds, offices, 
v'tc. 
Clerk of the rules, an officer of the 
court of King’s Bench, who draws up and 
enters all the rules and orders made in 
court, and gives rules of course in divers 
writs. 
Clerk of the signet, an officer continu- 
ally attendant upon his Majesty’s principal 
secretary, who has tlie custody of the privy 
signet, as well for sealing the king’s private 
letters, as those grants which pass the 
king’s hand by bill signed. There are four 
of these officers, who have their diet at the 
secretary’s table. 
Clerks, sir, officers in chancery, next 
in degree below the twelve masters, whose 
business is to inrol commissions, pardons, 
patents, warrants, &c. which pass the great 
CLI 
seal : they were anciently clerici, and for- 
feited their places if they man ied. They 
are also attorneys for parties in suits de- 
pending in the court of chancery. 
Clerk of the supet'sedeas, an officer of 
the Common Plea', who makes out writs of 
supersedeas, forbidding the sheriff to return 
the exigent upon a defendant’s appearing 
thereto on an outlawry. 
Clerk of the treasury, an officer belong- 
ing to the court of Common Pleas, w ho has 
the charge of keeping the records of the 
court, makes out all records of nisi prius, 
and likewise all exemplifications of records 
being in the treasury. He has the fees due 
for all searches ; and has under him an on- ^ 
der-keeper, who always keeps one key of 
the treasury door. 
Clerk of the warrants, an officer of the 
Common Pleas, whose business is to enter 
all warrants of attorney for plaintiffs and 
defendants in suit ; and to inrol deeds of 
bargain and sale, that are acknowledged in 
court, or before a judge. His office is 
likewise to estreat into the Exchequer all 
issues, fines, estreats, and amercements, 
which grow due to the crown in that court. 
CLERODENDRUM, in botany, a ge- 
nus of the Didynamia Angiospermia class 
and order. Natural order of Personatce. 
Vitices, Jussieu. Essential character : ca- 
lyx five-cleft, bell shaped ; corolla with a 
filiform tube and a funnel shaped, five 
parted, equal border; stamina very long 
gaping very much between tire segments! 
Berry one-seeded. There are eight species 
natives of the East Indies, China, and Japan! 
CLETHRA, in botany, a genus of the 
Decandria Monogynia class and order. Nat. 
order of Bicornes. EricEe, Jussieu. Essential 
character: calyx five parted; petals five; 
stigma trifid; capsule three-celled, three^ 
valved. There are four species, natives of 
North America. 
CLIBADIUM, in botany, a genus of 
the Monoecia Pentandria class and order. 
Natural order of Compositae Oppositifoliaj. 
Corymbifcras, Jussieu. Essential charac- 
ter: male common calyx imbricate; co- 
rolla of the disk five-cleft ; female common 
calyx the same ; corolla of the ray female, 
three or four ; seed an urabilicate drupe. 
There is but one species, viz. C. surina- 
inense, native of Surinam. 
CLIFFORTIA, in botany, so named in 
honour of George Clifford, a merchant at 
Amsterdam, and a considei-able botanist, a 
genus of the Dioecia Polyandria class and 
order. Natural order of Tricoccae. Rosa- 
cf-se, Jussieu. Essential character : male 
