84 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694—97.

       Lib. H. D.     out of our Especiall Grace certain knowledge & Meere

             Motion Have thought fit to Constitute and Appoint and by

             these presents doe Constitute & Appoint you the said ffrancis

             Nicholson to be our Captain Generall & Governor in Cheife

             and over our Province & Territory of Maryland in America

             And Wee doe hereby Require & Comand you to doe &

             Execute all things in due manner shall belong vnto your said

             Comand and the Trust We have Reposed in you according

           p. 2  to the severall Powers & Directions Granted or Appointed

             you by the Comission and the Instructions herewith Given

             you or by such further powers Instructions & Authorities as

             shall at any time hereafter be Granted or Appointed you

             vnder our Signet & Signe Manuall or by our Order in our

             privy Councill and according to such Reasonable Laws and

             Statutes as are now in force or hereafter shall be made and

             Agreed Upon by you with the Advice & Consent of the

             Councill & Assembly of our said province Under your Gov

             ernmt in such manner & forme as is hereafter Expressed And

             Wee doe hereby Give & Grant full power vnto you the said

             ffrancis Nicholson after you shall have first taken an Oath for

             the due Execution of the Office & Trust of our Captain

             General & Governor in Cheife in and over our said province

             & Territory of Maryland which our Councill or any ffive of

             them have hereby full power & Authority and are Required to

             Administer vnto you to Give & Administer to each of the

             members of our said Councill the Oaths appointed by Act of

             Parliament to be taken instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and

             Supremacy as also the Test and the Oath for the due Execu

             tion of their places and Trusts And Wee doe hereby Give &

             Grant Unto you full power & Authority to Suspend any of

             the Members of our said Councill from siting Voting and

             assisting therein if you shall find just Cause for so doing

             And if it shall at any time happen that by the Death departure

             out of our said province or suspension of any of our Coun

             cellors there shall be a Vacancy in our said Councill any three

             whereof Wee do hereby Appoint to be a Quorum Our Will

             & pleasure is that you signifye the same Unto Us by the first

             opportunity that Wee may vnder our Signet & Signe Manuall

             Constitute & Appoint others in their stead But that our

             Affaires at that distance may not suffer for want of a due

             Number of Councillors if Ever it shall happen that there be

             less than Seven of them Residing in our said Province Wee

             doe hereby Give & Grant vnto you full power & Authority to

             Choose as many persons out of the principall ffreeholders

             Inhabitants off thereof as will make vp the full Number of our

             said Councill to be Seaven and no more which persons by

             Virtue of such Choice shall be to all intents & purposes