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ORDER OF TAKING THE ASSAY.

[The subjoined description of the ancient manner of taking the Assay in the Star Chamber was also no doubt furnished to the Attorney General by Sir Richard Martin, and by the Attorney General handed over to the Lord Treasurer. It contains the oath to the Jury referred to in Sir Richard Martin's letter of 21st June, 1593. In his admirable "Outline of the History of the Court of Star Chamber," (Archæologia, xxv. 342,) Mr. Bruce only adverts to the judicial character of that Court, and does not at all touch upon any duties discharged in it connected with the royal Mint. It seems by what follows that a furnace was either kept or placed in the Star Chamber for the purpose of taking the Assay. What is meant by the words "old and ancient order of taking the assay" in the indorsement, and "of old time" in the title of the subsequent MS. it is not easy to determine; but the document itself shews that it applies to a period anterior to the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth.]

Indorsed, "The ould and auncient order of taking the asaie of the monies at the Starchamber before the Lordes."

The order of ratinge of thassaies of the Mynte in the Realme of Englande by the Queenes Majesties moste honnorable Counsell in the Star chamber of oulde tyme.

FIRST, the Lorde Chancellor, or Lord Keeper of the greate seale for the tyme beinge, and the Lorde Threasorer of England, and others of the Counsell, have used to cause to be somoned the Threasurer and all other officers of the Mynte, and also iiijor Wardens of the Goldsmithes of London, and xij other of the most wysist and discrete men of that companie to appere before them, the saide Counsell, in the Starchamber at a certayne day by them appointed; and the saide Threasurer and other officers of the saide Mynte to bringe with them, at that tyme and place, all their pixes and their severall indentures of coynage by and for the holle tyme the saide Assaye shalbe taken in, which pixes oughte to bee for every month theie have used coynage and no assaie taken, one bage of leather and the monethis wrytten thereuppon, and in the same certayn peeces of every jorney that was coyned the same moneth, which bage is woant to bee called Snithia.

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Item, the daie of appearaunce their ought to be attendant uppon the said Counsell the Lord Threasurer his Clarke, the Chamberlaynes deputies of the receipt of the Queenes Exchequer, bringinge with them the counterpainnes of the indentures of the coynage, the standardes and the troy weightes, the Queenes Remembrancer of the saide Courte of the saide Exchequer, or his deputies, also to take their verdict and to make reporte thereof accordinglie.

Item, the Counsell beinge assembled in the medell chamber, next the Mynte furnace in the saide Starchamber, the saide Threasurer and other officers ought to bringe in the saide pixe or pixes locked with their severall keies, and the same shall open with their severall keies before the said Counsell, and then every bage, called Snithia, for every month to be opened, and of so many peeces founde in the saide Snithia as woulde make a pounde weight of silver or golde troy, to be weied by troy weightes, and after to bee nombred to try yf yt holde out in nomber accordinge to the standarde and indenture; and after that all whole monie in every the saide bages, called Snithia, to be bounde in one heape, and thereof takinge so many pounde weight as shall please the Counsell to have putt into the fyer to trie the assaie: that done, the saide Wardenes and Goldsmithes to bee sworne to trie the saide monie and to take the assaie accordinglie, the tenor of whose oathes hereafter ensewethe,

That is to saie,

Yee shall well and trewlie, after your knowledge and discresions, make thassaies of theis monies of gold and silver, and trewlie reporte yf the saide monies be in weighte and fynes accordinge to theis the Kinges Standardes of his Treasury, and also yf the same monies be sufficient in allaies, and accordinge to the covenauntes comprised in the indenture thereof made between the Kinges grace and the Masters of his Mynt, so help me God.

And that donne, the said severall pounde weightes of monies, put in severall fyer pottes, to be delivered to the forman of the Jurye to be molten and tryed by the assaie, whereby yt may be knowne whether the saide pounde weightes contayne so many oz. and penie weightes in puer and good sylver as by the standarde and indenture is appointed or not, and as then yt shalbe founde by the saide Jury to be signifyed to the Counsell, whose verdicte, with the nomber of all the oz. coyned by any suche indenture within the tyme of the said assaie, to bee delivered from the said Counsell to the said Remembrancer, to recorde all their doinges accordinglie appertayneth.

Item, the like Assaye to be made of the golde, mutat. mutand.

MASTER-WORKER OF THE MINT.

[We gather from the subjoined copy of a letter from the Attorney General to Lord Burghley, that the latter had referred Sir Richard Martin to the former on the subject of securities. A question had arisen as to the fitness of additional securities on the projected new coinage of crown gold, in consequence of the advancement of Sir Richard Martin from the office of Warden to that of Master-worker, or Work-master, of the Mint. From preceding letters (vide p. 179, 180) it is evident that the change in his position took place between 24th May and 21st June, 1593. He had been Lord Mayor of London, and was Goldsmith to the Queen. Sir John Davys was one of the deserving professional men patronised by Lord Ellesmere, and he had a friend of the name of Richard Martin, to whom he dedicated his celebrated Poem called "Orchestra" in 1596, (vide Bridgewater Catalogue, p. 92) in a highly laudatory sonnet, though we afterwards find that he had a violent quarrel with him (there can be little doubt it was the same person) and that he beat him in the Middle Temple Hall. This circumstance produced the expulsion of Sir John Davys from that Society. It seems not unlikely from various particulars not worth detailing that this Richard Martin was the son of Sir Richard Martin, Master-worker of the Mint in 1593. According to the indorsement by Lord Ellesmere, on the following communication, it was addressed to the Lord Keeper, but this is an evident error, as appears by Lord Burghley's answer and by the contents, where the presence of Sir John Puckering, then Lord Keeper, at Court is mentioned. The original was, no doubt, like the copy, in the hand-writing of Lord Ellesmere, and

was sent to Lord Burghley for his consideration and instructions. The inclosure is also the autograph of Lord Ellesmere.]

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Indorsed by Lord Ellesmere, 26 Junij, 1593. My letter to my L. Keper for Coynage."

My moost humble dewtie done to your Lp. According to your Lp's letter to Mr. Fanshawe, he and I dyd require Sir Ri. Martyn to put in bondes to her Maty, aswell for performance of the former indentures for coynage, as for that which is now to passe for Crowne goulde: whereupon he toulde me, that after the wryting therof, he had made knowne to your Lp. that he was alredy bounden in several bondes in thexchequer amounting to 2000li, besides which her Maty had another suffycient securyty of hym in much more then any of his predecessors had gyven in lyke case; and that therupon your Lp. directed hym to showe the same unto me, to the ende that I might further informe your Lp. therof. I wylled hym to sett it downe in wryting for my better understanding of yt, which he hath done, and I have sent the same herinclosed to your Lp., together with a copye of one of his bondes remayning in thexchequer, all the rest being of the same forme and amounting in the whoale to 2000li. Upon perusing wherof yt seemeth to me (and so I understande lykewyse by Mr. Fanshawe) that those former bondes charge hym, as Warden of the Mynt, to answere to her Maty the proffettes of a myntage due by vertue of his office of Warden. But the bondes now requyred are in another degree, viz. to charge hym, as Mayster Worker of the moneyes, to answere to her Maty and the subjectes for the bullyon to be delivered unto hym to be coyned. The consideration wherof, and of the other securytye which he now offereth, and his allegations and reasons for the same, I leave to your ho. judgement, which he moost humbly prayeth therin, and submytteth hym selfe to whatsoever course your Lp. shall therupon resolve to be taken. And hearing my Lo. Keper to be now at the Courte, I have presumed to send herewith to your Lp. the indenture signed by her Maty, to the ende the same maye be passed the great seale, and then kept with your

Lp. or my Lo. Keper, untyll such bondes and securyty be taken of Sir Ri. Martyn as your Lp. shall directe. In the meane tyme, order maye be gyven (yf your Lp. shall so thynke meete) for the making redye of the indented piece, and for graving the irons, which wyll occupye a good tyme, and this is meete to be expedited (as he thynketh) for her Matics better servyce. And thus praying God for your Lp's healthe, I rest in all humble duetye at your Lo. good pleasure and commande. At Lincoln's Inne this 26th of June, 1593.

Your Lp's moost humble to be commanded.

[The following was inclosed.]

The first bondes are put in onely as Warden of the Mynt, to aunswere to her Maty the profites of the myntage, of which xj are deade and decayed, and being bound in a bonde of Mli to find newe in their places, hath put in none, nor ever made any accompt of the profites of the same office.

But as Mr. Woorker of the bullion he never put in any suerties, although by his indenture it be specified that he did put in suerties.

The suerties that are to be put in as Mr. Woorker serve to an other end then those which he puts in as Warden, namely, to make good to the Quene and the merchauntes for the bullion that shalbe delivered in accordinge to the meaning of his indenture, as may appere by the last covenant in thindenture.

The newe offers by him made for securitie seme onely to be for the profites of the Mynt, aunswerable by him as Warden, and nothing at all for satisfying the Q. and the subject for the bullion delyvered in.

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