Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/598

124 for the same should not be provided. For reformation and remedy whereof, we your most bounden and loving subjects, most obediently acknowledging that your majesty most victoriously, prudently, politikely, and indifferently hath mainetained, defended, governed, & ruled this Realme in good peace, rest, quietnes and obedience, during all the time of your most gracious reigne, which we most hartily desire might continue for ever, putting al our whole trusft & confidence in your highnes, and nothing doubting, but that your majesty, if ye should faile of heires of your body lawfully begotten (which God defend) for the heartie love and fervent affection that yee beare to this Realme, and for avoiding of all the occasions of division afore rehearsed, so earnestly mindeth the wealth of the same, that ye can best & most prudently provide such a governour for us and this your Realme, as shall and wil succeed and follow in the just and right trade of all your proceedings, and mainetaine, keep and defend the same, and all the lawes and ordinances establifhed in your most gracious time for the wealth of this Realme, which al we desire, whereby we your said most loving & obedient subjects, and our heires and successors shall and may liue as neere as may be, in as good peace, unity, and obedience after your decease, as we have lived in the time of your most gratious reigne:" Doe therefore most humbly beseech your highnesse, that it may be enacted for avoiding of all ambiguities, doubts, divisions, and occasions in that behalfe by your most roiall maiestie, by the assent of us the Lords spirituall and temporal, and the commons in this your present Parliament assembled, and by authoritie of the same, that your highnes shall have ful and plenar power and authoritie, to give, dispofe, appoint, assigne, declare and limit by your Letters Pattents under your great Seale, or else by your last will made in writing, and signed with your most gracious hand, at your onely pleasure from time to time, hereafter the imperial Crowne of this Realme, and all other the premisses thereunto belonging, to be, remaine, succeed, and come after your decease, and for lacke of lawfull heires of your bodie to be procreated and begotten, as is afore limited by this Act, to such person or persons in possession and remainder, as shall please your highnesse, and according to such estate, and after such maner, forme, fashion, order and condition, as shall be expressed, declared, named, and limited in your said Letters Pattents, or by your said last will. And we your most humble & obedient subjects, doe faithfully promise to your maiestie by one common consent, that after your decease, and for lacke of heires or your body lawfully begotten, as is afore rehearsed, we our heires and successors shall accept and take, love, dread, feme, and alonely obey such person and persons males or females, as your maiesty shall give your said imperiall Crowne unto by authoritie of this Act, and to none other, and wholly to stick to them, as true and faithfull subjects ought to doe to their regall rulers, governors, and supreme heads.

XVII. And for sure corroboration thereof, be it further enacted by authority aforesaid, that such person and persons, as to whom it shall please your majesty to dispofe, limit and assigne your said crowne, and other the premisses thereto perteining, by your Letters Pattents, or by your last will, as is aforesaid, shall have and injoy the same after your decease, and for lacke of heires of your body lawfully begotten, according to such a state, and after such maner, forme, fashion, order and condition, as shall be thereof expressed, mentioned and conteined in your said Letters Patents, or in your said last will, in as large and ample manner, as if such person and persons, had beene your lawfull heires to the imperiall Crowne of this Realme, and as if the same Crowne of this Realme had beene given and limited to them plainely and particularly, by special names and sufficient terms and words, by full and immediate authoritie of this your most high Court of Parliament. XVIII. And it is further enacted by authoritie aforesaid, that if any of your heires or children hereafter doe usurpe the one of them upon the other in the Crowne of this Realme, or claime or challenge your saide imperiall Crowne in any other forme or degree of discent or succession, then is afore limited by this Act: or if any person or persons, to whom it shall please your highnesse of your most excellent goodnesse, by authoritie of this Act, to give and dispofe your saide Crowne and dignitie of this Realme, or the heires of any of them, do at any time hereafter demand,challenge, or claime your said Crowne of this Realme, otherwise or in any other course, forme, degree or condition, then the same shal be given, dispesed and limited unto them by your highnesse, by vertue and authoritie of this Act: or if any person or persons, to whom your majesty shall heereafter give or dispose your saide Crowne by authoritie of this Act, or any of their heires doe interrupt or let any of the heires of your majestie, that is or shall be begotten, borne, and procreated under your lawfull, pure, sincere and undoubted mariage, now had and solemnized betweene your highnesse and your sayde most deare and intirely beloved wife Queene Jane, or any other your lawfull heires heereafter to be begotten of your body by any other lawfull mariage, peaceably and quietly to keepe, have, and injoy the said imperiall Crowne, and other the premisses, by course of inheritance according to the limitation thereof, expressed and declared by this Act, that then all and Angular the offendors in any of the premisses, contrary to this Act, and all their abbettors, maintainors, fautors, counsellors and aidors therein, shall be deemed and adiudged high traitors to the Realme. And that every such offence shall bee accepted, reputed, and taken to be high treason, and the offendors therein, their aidors, maintainors, fautors, counsellors, and abbettors, and every of them, for every such offence shall sufer such judgement and peines of death, losses and forfeitures of lands, goods, and priviledges of sanctuary, as in any cases of high treason. And over that as wel your said heires and children, as every other person and persons, to whom your highnesse shal limit your said Crowne, in forme as is aforesaid, and every of their heires for every such offence above specified, by them or any of them to bee committed, shall lose and forfeit as well all such right, title, and interest. that they may claime or challenge in or to the Crowne of this Realme, as heires by descent, or by reason of any gift or Act that shall bee done by your highnesse, for his or their advancement by authority of this Act, or otherwise by any maner of means or pretence whatsoever it be. XIX. And