520 MAS 
the fufficiency of any perfon recommended to be one of 
his majetty’s gunners. 
Master of the Horse, reckoned the third great offi¬ 
cer of the court, an office of great honour and antiquity, 
and always (when not putin commiffion) filled by noble¬ 
men of the higheft rank and abilities. He has the ma¬ 
nagement and difpofal of all the king’s ftables and bred 
horfes. He has authority ovfer the equerries and pages, 
coachmen, footmen, grooms, riders of the great horfe, 
farriers, and fmiths. He appoints all the other tradefmen 
who work for the king’s fcables; and by his warrant to 
the avenor, makes them give an oath to be true and faith¬ 
ful. In ftiort, he is iijtrufted with all the lands and reve¬ 
nues appropriated for the king’s breed of horfes, the ex- 
penfes of the liable, and of the coaches, litters. Sec. He 
alone has the privilege of making ufe of any of the king’s 
horfes, pages, footmen, Sec. and at any folemn cavalcade 
he rides next the king, and leads a horfe of ftate. His fa- 
lary is 1266I. 13s. 4d. per annum. There is alio a mailer 
of the horfe in the eftabliftiment of her majelty’s houfehold, 
with a falary of Sool. a-year. 
Master of the Household, an officer under the lord 
fteward ; his bufinefs is to furvey the accounts of the 
houfehold. His falary is 500I. a-year. Anciently the 
lord fteward himfelf was called Grand Matter of the 
Houfehold. There is alfo a Mailer of the Houfehold to 
the king at Windfor, who is under the Groom of the 
Stole, and is fecretary to that officer. 
Master of the Jewel-office, an officer of the 
king’s houfehold, who has the charge of the gold and 
filver plate ufed at the king’s table, or at that of any 
officer attending the court, and of all plate remaining 
in the Tower of London ; as alfo of chains and loofe 
jewels not fixed to any garment. See London, vol. xiii. 
p. 44.2. A very ancient feeptre has been lately difeovered 
in the jewel-office ; and the following account is from 
authority. “ It was difeovered laft year behind a mafiy 
oak prefs, which is apparently feveral hundred years old. 
It was in a cafe, covered with crimfon velvet, extremely 
decayed; many of the jewels had dropped out of their 
fettings, but none were loft out of the cafe. The feeptre 
is of gold, richly ornamented with diamonds and other 
gems ; but in a ftyle of workmanlhip extremely antique: 
the jewels, fome of which are very large, amount confi- 
derably beyond the number of two hundred. On the top, 
is a white onyx dove, with the wings expanded, and its 
feet retting on a crofs. I have examined the records of 
our feveral coronations, and find in none any record of 
this fifth feeptre. In fad!, it feems wholly fupernumerary. 
There are two with a crofs for the king and queen, and 
two with a dove. At certain parts of the ceremony, they 
hold a feeptre in each hand ; but in no part are they re¬ 
quired to change thefe feeptres, and they cannot of courfe 
hold three. My own opinion is, that, when the ancient 
regalia were ordered by the parliament, in the time of 
Charles I. to be broken tip and fold, this feeptre was con¬ 
cealed from their ravages, and that the fecret was loft be¬ 
fore the rettoration. At that time, new regalia were made 
for Charles II. and I conjecture that a new feeptre, with 
the dove, was then provided in lieu of this ancient one, 
which was fuppofed to have (hared the fate of the others. 
Afl'uredly, its exiftence remained unknown during 175 
years; until I had the good fortune to reilore it to its 
place among the royal jewels of Great Britain. The ftyle 
of its workmanfhip appears of high antiquity; and I have 
little hefitation in believing it to be the original feeptre 
of Edward the Confeflor; confequently, more than feven 
hundred and fifty years old, and the molt ancient of our 
whole regalia. As the latt furviving relic of the Heptar¬ 
chy, it is an objeft of national curiofity—many may think, 
of national importance. Edmund L. Swift ; Jewel OJJice, 
Tower ; Sept. 9, 1815.” 
Master ot the Mint, was anciently the title of him 
who is now called Warden of the Mint; but the office of 
matter and warden is now diliinft; the former having no- 
T E R. 
thing to do, the latter very little. See the article Londow, 
vol. xiii. p. 444, Since that article was printed, a fire has 
deftroyed the greater part of the machinery, which it will 
coft 8o,oool. to replace. Oft. 31, 1815. 
Master of the Ordnance. See Ordnance. 
Master of the Posts, was an officer of the king’s 
court, who had the appointing, placing, and difplacing, 
of all fuch through England as provided poft-horfes for 
the lpeedy patting of the king’s mellages, letters, pacquets, 
and other bufinefs. 2 Ed. VI. c. 3. This office is now fu- 
perfeded by the ettablifiiment of a regular Post-office. 
See that article. 
Master of the Revels, an ancient officerin the king’s 
court, under the lord-chamberlain, (but whofe name we 
do not find in the prefent court-calendar,) with an ap¬ 
pointment of iool. a-year, whofe bufinefs was to order all 
things relating to the performance of plays, mafques, balls, 
&c. at court. He had alfo a jurifdiftion ^of granting li- 
cenfes to all who travelled to aft plays, puppet-fhows, or 
the like diverfions ; neither could any new play be afted 
at either of the two houfes till it had patted his perufal and 
licenfe; but thefe powers were afterwards much abridged, 
not to fay annihilated, by a ftatute for regulating play- 
houfes, till the licenfing plays by the lord-chamberlain 
was ettabliffied. This officer had a yeoman with 46I.1 is. 8d. 
a-year. 
Master of the R03ES, or of the Wardrobe, an offi¬ 
cer in the lord-chamberlain’s department, who has the 
direftion of all the royal robes, as thofe of the coronation,. 
St. George’s feaft, and the parliament-robes; as well as of- 
the wearing apparel, collar of SS, George and Garter, &c„ 
He has alfo the charge and cuftody of all former kings* 
and queens’robes, remaining in the Tower; all hang¬ 
ings, bedding, See. for the king’s houfe; and the charge 
and delivery of velvet and fcarlet allowed for liveries. He 
has under him a groom, two clerks, See. 
Master of the Rolls. See the article Chancery, 
vol. iv. p. 91, 2. Since that article was printed, an office 
has been lately erefted, whole rank is between the Lord 
Chancellor and the Matter of the Rolls; namely, the Vice- 
Chancellor; as to which, fee the article London, vol. xiii. 
p. 327. 
Master of a Ship, an officer to whom is committed 
the direction of a merchant-veflel, who commands it in 
chief, and is charged with the merchandifes aboard. In 
the Mediterranean the matter is frequently called patron , 
and in long voyages captain. The proprietor of the 
veflel appoints the matter; and the matter provides the 
equipage, hires the pilots, tailors. Sec. The matter is 
obliged to keep a regilter of the teamen and officers, the 
terms of their contraft, the receipts and payments, and, in 
general, every thing relating to his commiffion. 
Master of a Ship of War, an officer appointed by the 
commifiioners of the navy, to take charge of navigating a 
fliip from port to port under the direftion of the captain. 
The management and difpolition ot the fails, the working 
of a fnip into her ftation in the order of battle, and the 
direftion of her movements in the time of aftion, and in 
other circumltances of danger, are alfo more particularly 
under his inlpeftron. It is likewife his duty to examine 
the provilions, and to admit none into the fhip but fuch 
as are found, fweer, and wholefome. He is moreover 
charged with the ltowage; and for the performance of 
thefe lervices he is allowed feveral affiltants, who are termed 
mates and quarter-majlers. 
Master of the Temple. The founder of the order of 
Knight Templars, and his fucceffors, were called Magni 
Templi Magijlri ; and probably from hence he was the fpi- 
ritual guide and direftor of the Temple. The chief mi- 
nifter of the Temple-church in London, is now called 
Matter of the Temple. 
To MAS'TER, v. a. To be a majter to ; to rule; to go¬ 
vern : 
Ay, good faith. 
And rather father thee, than majler thee. Skakefpeare. 
To 
