To the Clerk of the Cheque, 120l.---and to the Gentleman-Harbinger, 70l. per annum. The Royal intention (as appears from another Claufe in the above Declaration) was to equalize the Pay of the Officers of the Band of Penfioners with that of the correfponding Officers in the Corps of the Yeomen of the Guard, without enlarging the current expence allotted to the Band; for the words run, that the Wages of the Officers fhould be made "equal to the Pay of the Officers of the Yeomen of our Guard, "which WE will fhall be done without increafing the annual Charge of Six Thousand Pounds, which is the ancient Wages " and Establishment of the whole BAND *

66

66

MEMOIR. P. 95.

[In the Note. ]

"He adds [Chamberlayne] that none shall be admitted into "the Band except they shall have ferved at their own Charge, for fix months at least, as Gentlemen at Arms, or Penfioners Extra"ordinary.----This circumftance, for want of information, I leave doubtful."

66

See the Orders of K. James II. (given in the Appendix, No. II. Art. 1.) where it is exprefsly faid that none fhall be admitted into the Band as GENTLEMEN in Ordinary, who have not "ferved for the term of fix months at the leaft, at their own "Charge, as GENTLEMEN AT ARMS, commonly called, GEN"TLEMEN PENSIONERS Extraordinary of the BAND." By the words "commonly called" one is induced to fuppofe that the GENTLEMEN Extraordinary were added by K. CHARLES II. though I have feen nothing to warrant it. K. JAMES II. if this addition was his own act, feems to have been very rapid in making the Appointment; for he afcended the Throne, * See the Memoir in a note to p. 64.

Feb. 6, 1684, N. S. and the Orders referred to are dated the 10th of that Month in the fame Year. K. JAMES II. it is well known, was follicitous to have a very fplendid Coronation, and fuch it was :---but the Ceremony was no fooner performed than the Houfhold Establishment fuffered a fevere Reduction, and it is to be fufpected, though the BAND of the Forty GENTLEMEN PENSIONERS in Ordinary stood entire, that the GENTLEMEN Extraordinary might forfake their expectations, and withdraw themselves from a discouraging service, attended with actual and immediate Charges. The chance, humanly speaking, was unequal, the Extra-GENTLEMEN being Eighty in number, dependent for Preferment and Pay upon contingent Vacancies in a Body of Forty*.

The GENTLEMEN Extraordinary do not appear, from Sandford's account of the Coronation of K. James II. to have made a part of the Proceffion, fo that there is reafon to doubt whether they even exifted at the time of the Coronation, and might not all refign previous to that Ceremony, to avoid the neceffary concomitant Expences +.

*Orders of K. James II. Art. 11. See Appendix, No. II.

+ The Forty GENTLEMEN PENSIONERS in Ordinary, who attended the Coronation, are mentioned by name in Sandford. Twenty escorted the KING, and Twenty the QUEEN, flanking the Canopies. The Coronation took place on the 23d of April after the Acceffion.

MEMOIR, p. 96.

"It has been customary for many Years paft to purchase the Office or Place of a private Gentleman of the Band of Penfioners, and to fell the fame (with the Approbation of the CAPTAIN) as occafion offered."

It is here implied, that in cafe of Death, the Difpofition of the vacant Poft is in the Breast of the CAPTAIN, and fuch it is known to be; every Transfer, from one Man to another, being a Matter of Indulgence, which he is at liberty to grant or refuse at pleasure. As to the Patronage of the BAND, if I may so call it, of which, for want of Authority, I have hitherto suggested nothing, I have now a Sanction for adding what follows.

By the above-given Order, of the 18th of March, 1670, the KING refumes to himself the Appointment of the whole BAND, which previously had been lodged with the CAPTAIN: but in the Year 1677, a Declaration now before me (extracted from the old Order-Book) invests the then CAPTAIN (the Earl of Rofcommon) with the like power as his Predeceffors had, in cafes of Vacancies by Death, before the Year 1670; with provifion only that on every Change indifcriminately the Gentlemen, thenceforth intended for Admiffion into the BAND, fhould be first perfonally brought to the KING for his Approbation. This Power was again unreservedly conferred upon the CAPTAIN by the Orders of King James II. (Art. 4.) and, as far as my present Information goes, has never been revoked. It is farther established by the Cafe which came in Question between Lord Lovelace and fome discarded Gentlemen at the Revolution, when the CAPTAIN'S Power was confirmed by the KING and COUNCIL; referving only,

2

only, in future, that every Gentleman, before his Admiffion, fhould be presented to his MAJESTY for his Concurrence *.

MEMOIR, P. 99.

"The prefent UNIFORM is.

entirely at the Pleasure

"of the CAPTAIN, with the KING'S Approbation."

The Orders of King James II. 1684 (Art. 16.) confirm this.

MEMOIR, p. 100.

"The CAPTAIN is fworn into his Poft by the LORD CHAMBERLAIN, in perfon, by virtue of the KING's Warrant." In the above-mentioned old Order-Book there are fome Minutes left by Thomas Stapley, Efq; who was Clerk of the Cheque to the BAND in the Reign of King CHARLES I. and dated 1633; wherein he says, that antecedent to that Reign the CAPTAIN of the BAND had not any Oath of Office administered to him: but that, after he was nominated by the KING, he took poffeffion of the Poft with a little Ceremonial, which at once notified the SOVEREIGN's Pleasure, and carried Dignity with it in the Eyes of the Court and the Publick.

Mr. Stapley fpeaks in the third Perfon, and thefe are his Words, with which I fhall clofe this long Detail. The "CAPTAIN of the BAND of GENTLEMEN PENSIONERS never "used to take any Oath; for he [Stapley] knew Five CAPTAINS "of the said BAND, viz. Henry Lord Hunfdon-George Lord Hun/don "The Earl of Northumberland-Thomas Earl of Suffolk-and "Theophilus Lord Walden; yet he never knew nor heard that any "of the faid CAPTAINS were fworn :-but their Manner was,

"when the QUEEN or KING gave any of them the Place of "CAPTAIN, to fend for the Clerk of the Cheque, and call for a "Roll, and fuch of the BAND as were in Quarter, to acquaint "them with the KING'S Pleasure to make him CAPTAIN:

6.

Whereupon, the next Sunday following, fuch of the Gentlemen, as were in Town, attended the CAPTAIN from his Lodging to the Prefence-Chamber, whereby Notice was taken, "that the KING had beftowed the Place of CAPTAIN upon " him."

66

FINIS.