[1585/12/26]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, understanding how far his highness is grudged by the subscribing of sundry signatures and letters at the importunate suit and desire of sundry persons, his highness not being forewarned nor truly informed of the effect and contents of the said signatures and letters; for remedy whereof, his majesty, with advice of his three estates convened in this present parliament, statutes and ordains that no signatures or letters whatsoever shall be presented to his majesty to be subscribed in time coming but by his ordinary officers to whose offices the same properly belongs, and in case any signatures either ignorantly or upon inopportunity shall happen to be subscribed by his highness otherwise, commands his said ordinary officers to stay them and in no way to subscribe or pass them, as they will answer at their highest charge and peril; which staying of the passing of such signatures shall be imputed to them for no offence, but esteemed by his majesty as acceptable and good service tending to his highness's honour and commonwealth of this realm.