The Judges were commonly Divines, Civilians, Knights, and Gentlemen. This Court began 8. H. 7. For the hearing of Causes in this Court, from the eighth Year of that King, and so downwards: Some of the first were these,

In the 9. H. 7.

The same Year of the King, there was a Change, and others appointed, viz.

The same ninth Year of the King, they were changed again; that is, as it seems, for another Term, viz.

Again, the same ninth Year, another Sett of Judges of the Requests, viz.

Commonly the Courts-Bishops and Chaplains, and other great Courtiers, were these Judges and Masters.]

Here is now the House of Lords; where the Lords Temporal and Spiritual meet and sit in Parliament Time.

Adjoining to the House of Lords are his Highness Prince George's Chambers. Here, December 14, was the first Meeting of the Governours of Queen Anne's Bounty for the Augmentation of poor Livings. Who these Governours are, appears from the said Queen's Letters Patents, dated Novemb. 3, 1704; whereby she incorporated all the Lords of her Privy Council, the Lords Lieutenants, and Custodes Rotulorum, the Bishops, and all the Deans of Cathedrals in the Kingdom of England, the Judges, and Queens Council learned in Law, the Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of both Universities, the Lord Maior and Aldermen of London, and all Maiors of Cities in the Kingdom of England, by the Name and Title of The Governours of the Bounty of Queen Anne, for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy.

Under the Hall are certain subterraneous Apartments, which are called, one Paradise, and another Hell: Consisting of Tenements, Houses, Mansions. Which, with other Tenements and Lands, were held in King Edward the Sixth's Days by one William Fryes. These were given by that King to Sir Andrew Dudley, Brother to the Great Duke of Northumberland, with other Lands and Tenements in Westminster, to him, for the Term of his Life, An. Regn. 3. in Consideration of Services.]

Within the ancient Palace is the King's Treasury. Which, in the Year 1313, the 31. of Edward the First, was robbed. For the which, Walter Abbot of Westminster, with 49 of his Brethren, and 32 others, were thrown into the Tower of London, and indicted of the Robbery of an hundred thousand Pounds, as was shewn before.

Besides this Treasury for Money, there was within the Palace another Treasury of Records, relating to the Kingdom's publick Affairs, preserved in certain Chambers and Rooms. Here are reposited many ancient and precious Records. As within the Place called particularly, The Treasury, where once the Court of Wards was kept, are the Records of Leagues with the Realms of Aragon, Flanders, Germany, and some of France, and other Places. Also, there are many Records relating to the casting off the Bishop of Rome's Authority in this Kingdom of England; and the Subscriptions of almost all the Priests of the Realm to the King's Supremacy: And the Books of the Orders of St. George and St. Michael: The Covenants of Marriage between K. Philip, and Q. Mary; and sundry Books of foreign Accounts, and other Matters of State.

Also, within the Abby of Westminster (that we may lay these Things together) there was an older Treasury than that of the Palace, which was called The old Treasury, a Place always designed for the Custody of the Leagues of the Kingdom. It was vaulted with Stone, and had Chests and Presses that were empty.

There is also another Treasury within the Abby of Westminster, vaulted also with Stone, and so out of Danger of Fire; but it wanted Reparation, both in Glass and Lead. Here were kept all, or the most part of, the Records of the King's Bench and Common Place, Fines, Writs, and Assizes, of all the Kings since the Conquest, until the most part of the Reign of K. Henry the Seventh, fairly arrayed up in Chests for that Purpose.

Also in the Custody of the Lord Treasurer and the Chamberlain of the Exchequer, were abundance of Records in Bags; as Records of Pleas and Preambulations, and Inquisitions of Forests; Records of many Mens Lands in the Realm of England and Wales; as namely, Court Rolls, Auditors Accounts, Accounts of sundry French Counties: Also, Deeds of Purchase, made by sundry of Q. Elizabeth's Progenitors, for sundry their Honours, Manours, and Lands.

Concerning these Records, &c. it was moved to the Lord Treasurer Burghley, by some certain Person well versed in them, that whereas these were put in Bags together confusedly, whereby, when a Search was made among of them, it was an easy Matter for a Stranger, finding a Roll, or Leaf, inconvenient and against him, to convey it away, as it seemed the like had been done; which could not be missed, because there was no certain Note how many Rolls there be: And furthermore, the often tossing, ruffling, searching, and lapping up of the same Rolls, has so soiled and worn many of them, as they could not be well read: For avoiding of which Inconveniencies, it might please his Lordship to appoint one to peruse the same Rolls, and to array them into Shires, and certain Forrests;