WHereas the Kings most Excellent Majestie , hath by his ●…ers directed vnto Vs the Lord Deputie , signified his Princely pleasure , that calling to Our assistance , such of the Nobility & Councells We should thinke fit , a speedy redresse & reformation should be made of divers abuses & disorders concerning Armes & Armory in this his Majesties Realme of Ireland , occasioned partly through the boldnes of some Mechanicall persons , who presume to medle in Irmory without direction from the King of Armes of the same , being the proper Officer appointed to attend that service , And partly t●…rough the Nobility & Gentrie themselves , who have of late ( of which his Majest. taketh notice ) wholly in a maner laid aside all Fu●…all rites & ceremonies , by means wherof ( as his Majest. in his Princely & deep judgment most wisely fore-seeth ) the Houses of the Nobility & Gentrie cannot but in a short time grow into many perplexities & confused disorders in their Armes & Petegrees , for want of the vse of Armes at Obsequies & Funerals , and for want of the entrie of the day of the Decease , Matches , & Issues of the deceased parties . And whereas his most Excellent Maiestie hath likewise bin pleased to command that for direction in the premises , vse shoul●… be made of an Order or Decree set forth in Print by the ●…ight Hon. the Lords Commiss . of the Earle Marshals Office of England for the reforming of the like abuses there , Dated the 10. day of Nov. in the 16. ye●… of the Raigne of King IAMES of blessed memory , authorizing vs thereby to lay downe some such course and order for the redresse of the former e●…ormities , & for the support of the Officers of Armes here as shall be thought fit and reasonable to stand with the state & condition of this Kingdome , with provision , that the said King of Armes have satisfaction for such Funeralls of the Lords , Knights , and other of eminent place & quality , as of late have not made vse of his Office , as by his Maiesties said Letters dated at Westminster the 7. day of Aprill , in the third yeare of his raigne , & enrol'd in the Roles of ●…s Maiesties high Court of Chancery here , more at large appeareth We therefore in obedience to his Maiesties said commandement , having taken a due & considerat view of the fore-named Printed Order , & maturely pondered the other circumstances enioyned by his Maiestie , doe order , decree & ordaine , th●… aswell for the good of the said Nobilitie & Gentrie of this Kingdome , as for the honour of the Kingdome it selfe , lest the most ancient & laudable vse of Armes should wholly be laid aside , & so no outward token or Embleme be left to make a difference between Familie , & Familie , or to distinguish betw●…n the most honorable Nobleman & the poorest Artificer : That all Noblemen & Noble-women , Baronets , Knights , Esquires , & Gentlemen 1 1 Being in number twentie foure . contained in a schedule hereunto annexed : And all other that from henceforth shal be either silently buried in the night-time by torch-light , or otherwise by day or night time without either Scuchions or other atchievements , or without attendance of an Officer of Armes , shall neverthelesse immediatly after the death and burial of every such Defunct , returne a true Certificate of the Matches , Issues , and times of decease , with their Armes which of right in their life they bore ; for the which they shall pay vnto the said King of Armes ( though by a Clause of his Letters-Patents he clayme the same Fees that are payde in 2 2 Being double the Fees here reserued in euery state and degree . England ) such Fees as we have & doe hereby set down and appoint , Viz. Euery GENTLEMAN twenty shillings English . Euery ESQVIER three pounds sixe shillings & ●…ight pence English . Euery KNIGHT five pounds Engl. Euery BARONET & BANNERET six pounds thirteene shillings & foure pence English . Euery BARON or BARONESSE twelve pounds ten shillings English . Euery BISHOP twelve pounds ten shillings English . Euery VICOVNT or VICOVNTESSE fifteene pounds English Euery EARLE or COVNTESSE seauenteene pounds tenne shillings English . Euery MARQVES or MARCHIONESSE twenty pounds English . Euery DVKE or DVTCHES twenty two pounds ten shill. Engl. And euery ARCHBISHOP twenty two pounds ten shillings English . All which said seuerall summes of money are to be payd to the said King of Armes , or his Assignes , being orderly demaunded , after the buriall of euery such Defunct by the Heires , Executors , or Administrators of all & euery Persons of the degrees aforesaid . The which Certificates & Fees , if they shall refuse to returne & pay ( the Fees being reduced so low vnder that which is payd in England , & so by vs according to his Majesties Caveat , thought fit & reasonable to stand with the state of the Kingdom ) . W●… vpon complaint made by the King of Armes , or his Assignes to Vs , take such further order therein , as shal be meet & expedient for the accomplishment of his Majesties commandement . And 〈…〉 doe straightly charge the said King of Armes , who now is , or hereafter shall be , to make true & faire entries of the Certificates above-named so returned into his Office ( they paying such Fees as are before set down by these presents . 3 3 Persons of everall degrees whose Certificates must bee entred without Fees . And likewise to enter the like Certificates of all Gentlemen , whose estates in Land and goods exceede not five hundred Markes English . And of all Ladies & Gentlewomen vnder the degree of a Lady Baronesse as exactly as the rest , paying no Fees at all . ( Provided that it be first duely proved before two of his Majesties Iustices of the Peace or more , that the party is no more worth . ) Which Certificates so entred , may in future time determine & end many questions that hereafter may arise , as by many examples of late time have bin seen in England . 4 4 Provision for some Knights , and Esquiers . Provided alwayes that if the Heires , Executors , or Administrators of any Knight or Esquire shall pretend povertie or disabilitie , and shall make the same appeare by Petition vnto the Lord Deputy , or other Governour or Governours f●… the time being , order shall be taken vpon due proofe made , that the Heires , Executors or Administrators shal be eased of paying the said Fees ( if so i●… shal be thought fit ) and the Certificate notwithstanding entred as above . Neverthelesse if any of the degrees aforesaid their Wives and Children shall ●…quire to have their Funerals honourably solemnized with the attendance of one or both the Officers of Armes , according to their degrees , & with such other ceremonies as have in former times bin vsed , 5 5 The Officers of Armes in England by the decree aboue specified , are left at libertie in this case to make their composition as in former time . That then they shall pay the above-named Fees respectively with the addition of 6 6 It was two shillings the mile out , and two shillings the mile homeward , to the K. of Armes , and twelve pence the mile out & twelve pence homeward to the other Officer before , according to the custome of England . Twelue pe●…ce English the mile outward , and Twelue pence English the mile homeward , 7 7 It was before xx . Nobles for blackes , & Liveries for 4. Servants to the king of Armes & a quarter as much beside to the other Officer according to the custome of England , beside Fees in money for everie degree , above double the fees within named . and forty shillings English for Blacks , with entertainment of the Of●…cer of Officers of Armes and their servants in the Funerall house , and meate for their Horses , as hath bin accustomed , & with the accustomed & ancient ●…quisite of Hearses with all their furniture when any shal be vsed , and the above named Fees to stand for satisfaction to both for all demands . And for remedie of the former abuses which are daylie committed by Painters , Masons , Glasiers , Goldsmiths , Cutters , Carvers , and the like , Wee doe straightly charge ●…d commaund them throught this Realme , that they presume not to meddle with any matters of Armorie or Armes , except those Armes that are so commonly known as there is no likelyhood of error . And that no Painters , or other person set forth any Funerals , or make any Scuchions , or other Funerall ●…orke , without speciall leave and approbation of the King of Armes , or his sufficient Deputy or Deputyes , as they will answere the contrary at their pe●… Provided that such as the said King of Armes shall appoint to make Scuchions and other Funerall worke , shall not exceede the ordinary Price no●…sed in and about London , as the same shall be certified vnder the hands of two or more of the Kings of Armes there within a yeare after the Date of the presents . Which Certificate is to be entred vpon Record in his Majesties high Court of Chauncery ●…ere . Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin the 4. o●…●…ugust , in the third yeare of his Majesties Raigne . Anno Dom. 1627.