Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/631

Rh Queenes Majestie forty shillings, and upon the same appearance had, one of the most substantiale inhabitants or officers being warned and appearing before the said Commissioners, shall bee sworne upon a booke openly before the Commissioners in forme following.

"I Shall truely inquire with my fellowes that shall be charged with me, of the Hundred, Wapentake, Ward, Towne or other place, of the best and most value of the substance of every person dwelling and abiding within the limits of the places that I and my fellowes shall be charged with, and of other which shall have his or their most resort unto any of the said places, and chargeable with any summe of money by this Act of this Subsidy, and of all other Articles that I shall be charged with touching the said Act, and according to the intent of the same, and therupon as neere as it may be, or shall come to my knowledge, truely to present and certifie before you, the names, surnames, and the best and uttermost substance and values of every of them, as well of lands, tenements & other hereditaments, possessions & profits, as of goods, chattels, debts, and other things chargeable by the said Act, without any concealement, love, favor, affection, dread, feare, or malice, as neere as God wil give me grace,"

"So helpe me God,

"And the holy contents of this booke.

XV. And every other person that shall appeare there by the same precepts, from time to time, shall make like oath, and upon the oath so taken, as is aforesaid, by the inhabitants and officers of every hundred, ward, wapentake, towne or other place, the said Commissioners shall openly there read, or cause to be read unto them the said rates, and openly declare the effect of their charge unto them, in what manner and forme they ought and should make their certificat, according to the rates and summes thereof abovesaid. And of all manner of persons, as well of aliens and strangers, denizens,, or not denizens, inhabiting within this Realme, as of such persons as be borne under the Queenes obeisance, chargeable to this Act. And of the possessions, goods and chattels, of fraternities, guildes, corporations, brotherhoods, mysteries and Commonalties, and other as is abovesaid, and of persons being in the parts beyond the seas, having goods or chattels, lands or tenements within this Realme, as is aforesaid, and of all goods being in the custody of any person or persons, to the use of any other as is aforesaid, by the which information and shewing, the said persons should have such plaine knowledge of the true intent of this present Act, and of the manner of their certiricat, that the same persons should have no reasonable cause to excuse them by ignorance, and after such oath, and the Statute of the said Subsidy, and the manner of the said certiricat, to be made in writing, containing the names and surnames of every person, and whether he be borne without the Queenes obeisance or within, and the best value of every person in every degree, as well of yeerly value of lands and tenements, and of such like possessions and profits, as the value of goods and chattels, debts, and every thing to their certiricat requisite and necessary to them declared, the said Commissioners there being, shall by their discretions appoint and limit unto the said persons, an other day and place to appeare before the said Commissioners, and charging the said persons that they in the meane time shall make diligent inquiry, by all wayes and meanes of the premisses, and then and there every of them upon paine of forfeiture of forty shillings to the Queenes Majestie, to appeare at the said new prefixed day and place, there to certifie unto the said Commissioners, in writing to their said charge, and according to the true intent of the said grant of Subsidy, and as to them in manner aforesaid hath beene declared and shewed by the Commissioners, at which day and place to them prefixed, if any of the said persons make default, or appeare and refuse to make the said certficat, that then every of them so offending, to forfeit to the Queenes Majestie, forty shillings, except onely a reasonable excuse of his default, by reason of sickenesse, or otherwise by the oathes of two credible persons there witnessed bee had. And of such as appeare ready to make certiricat as is aforesaid,.the said Commissioners there being, shall take and receive the same ceitificat and every part thereof, and the names, values and substance of every person so certified, and if the same Commissioners see cause reasonable, they shall examine the said Presentors thereof. And thereupon the said Commissioners at the said dayes and place by their agreement amongst themselves, shall from time to time openly there prefix a day, at a certaine place or places within the limits of their commission, by their discretion for their further proceeding to the said assessing of the same Subsidy, and thereupon at the said day of the said certiricat, as is aforesaid, taken, the same Commissioners shall make their precept or precepts to the Constables, subconstables, Bailiff'es, or other officers of such Hundreds, Wapentakes, Townes, or other places aforesaid, as the same Commissioners shall bee of, comprising and containing in the same precept, the names and surnames of all persons presented before them in the said certificat, of whom if the said Commissioners or as many of them as shall be thereunto appointed by the Queenes Commission, shall then have vehement suspect to be of more greater value or substance in lands, goods, chattels, or summes of money owing to them, or other substance beforesaid, then upon such person or persons shall be certified, the same Commissioners s(hall make their precept or precepts directed to the Constable, Bailiffes or other officers, commanding the same Constable, Bailiffes or other officers to whom such precept shall be directed to warne such persons whose name shall be comprised in the said precept at their Mansion, or to their persons that the same persons named in such precepts, and every of them, shall personally appeare before the said Commissioners, at the said new prefixed day and place, there to be examined by all wayes and meanes (other then by corporall oath) by the said Commissioners, of their greatest substance and best value, and of all and every summes of money owing to them, and other whatsoever matter concerning the premisses, or any of them, according to this Act, at which day and place