[1703/5/164]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The petition of Alexander Nisbet anent his book of herauldry read again, and his case recommended to the lords commissioners of her majesties' thesaury as follows.
Her majesties' high commissioner and the estates of parliament, haveing heard the petition of Alexander Nisbet shewing unto them that herauldrie has been highly esteemed for many ages by all the kings and princes in Europe, and the knowledge thereof sought after by the most honourable persons in Christendome, is so well known that the petitioner supposed there's none will call in question its worth or usefulness, which will evidently appear by the petitioner's treatise of herauldry, speculative and practical, now almost ready for the press, wherein the petitioner has fully described the nature of arms and given a particular account of their beginning and rise, [and] also a large description of all the proper and natural figures in herauldrie, shewing by whom they are carried amongst us and for what reasons, so far as can be learned from the memorials of their worthy progenitors, with such geneologicall deductions of many noble and ancient families as will instruct the rise of their paternal bearings and conduce to the knowledge of their geneological pennons, gathered with great care from authentick documents in fine, as the petitioner hath, with much pains and labour, collected from forreign authors, our own histories, manuscripts, old rights, evidents, charters, monuments, tombs and seals, whatsoever may contribute to the reviveing and perfecting the science of herauldrie, so he hath continued his diligence in searching after such things as may render his book more usefull and pleasant, to which he hath also added a description of justings and turneaments and their use of old with us, so that after the space of many years the petitioner has brought his work near a close which (it's humbly presumed) will tend to the honour of the nation, the advantadge and satisfaction of many families, (whose names and honours will be thereby transmitted to posterity and made known to the engenious both at home and abroad) and may be of general use to noblemen and others when they travell and behold the multitude of ensigns armorial which are met with abroad in every house whither religious or common. Lastly, what assistance a work of this nature may afford curious antiquaries for the better understanding seals, medalls, historie and ancient records, is so well known to his grace and the high and honourable estates of parliament, that the petitioner needed discourse it no further. The petitioner not being able to defray the great charge his book will amount to in furnishing fine large paper, printing, (especially italick types whereof there are very few in this kingdom) and the expences of cutting in copper plate the armorial ensigns of this ancient kingdom, the several divises of our kings and many coats of arms that are to be found upon monuments, churches, tombs and seals of honourable families now extinct, whose names and honours are worthy to be perpetuat, therefore, he humbly craved his grace and honourable estates of parliament to take the premisses to their generous consideration and grant an allowance (out of what fund his grace and honourable estates should think fitt) as might enable him to perfite his foresaid designe, and to nominat a receiver of the said money who shall see it applyed to the said ends, and to be countable to his grace and honourable estates therefore, and lastly to commissionat such persons, as his grace and honourable estates should think fitt, to revise the petitioner's papers and oversee the press that nothing pass derogatorie to the honour of this ancient kingdom, or any particular family, as the said petition bears. Which her majesties' high commissioner and the said estates of parliament, haveing this day considered, they have recommended and hereby recommend the case of the petitioner to the lords commissioners of the thesaury to grant him allowance of two hundreth [and] fourty eight pounds, six shilling[s] [and] eight pence sterling out of what fund they shall think fitt, and to appoint persons to revise the petitioner's papers to the end mentioned in the petition.