full power, aucthorytie, pryviledge and lycense unto our said lovinge subject William Seres the elder, and unto William Seres the younger his sonne, joyntly, and to every of them severally, and to their and every of their assignes, for and duringe the termes of their lyves, and for and duringe the terme of the lief of the longer lyver of them, to ymprint, or cause to be ymprinted, as well all manner of booke and bookes of pryvatte prayers, prymers, psalters and psalmes, both in great volumes and smalle, in Englishe or Latyn, which then were, or att any tyme after that should be sett forth and permitted by us, our heires and successors, or by any other person or persons thereto by us, our heires or successors aucthoryzed, or to be aucthoryzed to be redde, used and taught of by or unto our lovinge subjectes throughout our Realmes and dominions, by whatsoever name or names the same booke or bookes or any of them were or should be called, duringe the said lyves of the said William and William, and duringe the naturall lief of the longer lyver of them, as also all and every other booke and bookes which the said William and William, or eyther of them, have or had ymprinted, or att any tyme after that shoulde ymprint, which had ben, or shoulde have ben sett forth by any lerned man of this our Realme, by whatsoever name or tytle, names or titles, the same or any of them now [are] or sholde have ben called or knowne, whether the same or any of them shoulde be in Englishe or Laten, any other pryveledge or any other order before that graunted or taken to the contrary notwithstandinge; and by the same last mentioned Letters Patentes, amongest other thinges therein expressed, more playnely also may appere. Since which tyme the said William Seres the elder is deceased, and now, of late, some question and doubte is growne, as wee are informed, touchyng the valydytye of the said last mentioned Letters Patentes graunted to the said William Seres the elder and William Seres the younger, as ys aforesaid, by reason that no such surrender of the former Letters Patentes is extant of recorde in our said Court of Chauncerye; whereupon the said

William Seres the sonne hath surrendered to us, in our said Court of Chauncery, the said last mentioned Letters Patentes to be cancelled, to thintent, notwithstandinge, that we other our Letters Patentes to him the said William the sonne would vouchsaffe to graunte in forme, as hereafter enseweth, and which said surrender we, by these presents, for us, our heires and successors, doe accept and allowe of. Knowe ye that we are pleased to geve and graunt, and by these presents, for us, our heires and successors, doe, of our speciall grace, mere motion and certen knowledge, geve and graunt full power and aucthorytie, priviledge and licence unto our said subject William Seres the younger, and his assignes, for and duringe the terme of his naturall lief, to imprint, or cause to be ymprinted, as well all manner of booke and bookes of pryvatt prayers, Prymers, Psalters and Psalmes, both in great volumes and smalle, in Englishe or Lattyn, which nowe be or att any tyme hereafter shalbe sett forth and permitted by us, our heires or successors, or by any other person or persons thereto by us, our heires or successors, aucthoryzed, or to be aucthoryzed to be had, rede, used and taught of by or unto our lovinge subjectes throughout our Realmes and dominions, by whatsoever name or names the same booke or bookes, or any of them, are or shalbe called duringe the naturall lief of the said William Seres the younger. As also all and every other booke and bookes which the said William Seres the younger hath ymprinted, or att any tyme hereafter shall ymprint, which have ben or shalbe sett forth by any learned man of this our Realme, by whatsoever name or tytle, names or titles, the same or any of them shalbe called or knowne, whether the same or any of them shalbe in Englishe or Latyn, any other priviledge or any other order heretofore graunted or taken to the contrary notwithstandinge. Streyghtlie inhibitinge other our subjectes to print, utter, or sell, or cause to be printed, uttered, or solde, any other booke or bookes of pryvatt prayers, Prymers, Psalters and Psalmes, then such as shalbe by the said William Seres the younger or his assignes printed, or

caused to be printed, accordinge to the true meaninge of this our presente pryveledge, uppon paine of forfeiture of all such bookes as they shall ymprint, utter, or sell contrary to the true meaninge hereof, the same booke or bookes so to be forfeted, to be seized upon and taken by the sayd William Seres the younger, or his assignes. Wherefore we will and command you and all other our officers and subjectes, as they tender our favour, and will avoyd our displeasure, that they and every of them, yf nede do requyre, do ayde and assiste the said William Seres the younger, and his assignes, in the due execution of this our graunte and lycens. Soe that expresse mention, &c. In witness, &c.

[Note for the Queen.]

Your Majestie in A° 1 of your moost gracious Raigne dyd graunte to William Seres, cityzen and stationer of London, the prynting of all Prymers, Psalters and Psalmes during his naturall lyfe, and in the xiijth yeare of your Highnes Raigne, upon surrender of the former Letters Patentes, your Maty made a lyke grant to William his sonne, during their two lyves, and the lyfe of the longer lyver of them. William Seres the father dyed about xxiijd of your Maties Raigne, and William the sonne is yet lyving and hath ever since enjoyed the benyfite of your said graunte. Nowe of late there ys some doubt made of the valyditie of the sayd later graunte by reason that no surrender of the said former Letters Patent is extant of record in the Courte of Chauncerie. To cleare which doubt this conteyneth a new graunte, to be made by your Matie to the sayd William Seres the sonne, for terme of his lyfe, of the prynting of the said Prymers, Psalters and Psalmes, to such effect as in the sayd Letters Patent was formerlie graunted.

OFFENCES OF SIR BRYAN O'ROURKE.

[Sir Bryan O'Rourke (or Bren O'Royrke, as Stowe calls him) was tried for High Treason at Westminster on 28th Oct. 1591, and having been found guilty was hanged at Tyburn on 3rd November following. Stowe, giving an account of his execution, states that O'Rourke complained of not having been allowed to answer the writings which "the officers of Ireland, viz. William Fitz William and Dicke Bingham sent against him." The subsequent is copied from six brief-sheets of the original deposition of Sir Richard Bingham, taken in Dublin on the 28th July, 1591, and transmitted to England for the prosecution of O'Rourke. They are separately subscribed by Sir Richard Bingham, and his "notes" to each article are added in the margin, but for greater convenience they are here subjoined. Sir Richard Bingham cut an important figure in the affairs of Ireland at this period, and in Mr. Thoms's "Anecdotes and Traditions," p. 18, is one relating to him, which has reference to the smallness of his stature.]

Indorsed "The Deposition of Sir Richard Bingham towchinge the 32 Articles against O'Rourk, latlie sent over into England."

A trew reporte of some parte of the tratorus actions and misdemenours comytted of late yeares by the Traytor Sir Bryan O'Rourke, late of Leotrim, knighte, viz.—

APUD Dublin, 28 July, 1591, Sir Richard Bingham being deposed before the Lord Deputie and Councell touching his knowledge of every these 32 articles, he hath declared his knowledge to every Article according as is set downe in the marginal noates to every Article.

1. First, the said Sir Bryan, accompanyed with divers Scotts and notehable malefactors, in the tyme of the government of Sir Nicholas Malby, Knight, invaded the countie of Roscomon, and there praed, burned, murdered, robbed and spoyled divers of the Queenes Maties faythfull subjectes, and came soe farr as O'Kelly his howse, where beinge resysted by some of her Maties forces, slewe xij of her highnes soldiors, and retorned backe to his contrey with the losse of some of his people, and the prey of O'Kellye's contrey.

2. Item,—the said Sir Bryan comytted many and sondry horrible

treasons and rebellions after this tyme, which would be tedious to sett downe in particularyties, and never in his lyfe came to Sir Nicholas Malby but uppon protection or worde.

To theis two Articles Sir Richard Bingham can say nothinge, but by reporte, more then he hath deposed to the Articles followinge.

3. Item,―uppon the firste comynge of Sir Richard Byngham to the goverment of Connaght, the said Sir Bryan promised the Lo. Deputie to delyver his sonn Bryan for pledge unto the handes of the said Sir Richard for his loyaltie to her Maty by a certayne day, which he delayed from tyme to tyme, and compelled Sir Richard to enter his contrey with suche forces as he had of her Maty to take in the said pledge whether he would or no; and at leingth, after that the said Sir Richard entred into his contrey, he yelded the said sonn as pledge.

He deposeth of his owne knowledge this Article to be true, adding further upon his oath that when he entred into O'Rorks contrey, O'Rork kept trayterouslye in his contrey two hundreth Scotts, which skirmished with Sir Richard in that cuntry before the pledge was delivered to Sir Richard. All which was done about September 1584. And Capten Frances Barkley and Capten Robert Fowle were present in this service.

4. Item, the said Sir Bryan, before and at that tyme, havinge retayned certayne nombers of Scotts to annoy the Queens Matys good subjectes of the counties of Roscomen and Sligoe, contrary to the lawes and statutes of this realme, and beinge then comaunded by the Lo. Deputie, and at the takinge of the said pledge by the said Sir Richard, to put away the Scotts, he most contemptuously retayned the said Scotts still, and gave them bonnaght in his contrey.

CAMD. SOC. 12.

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