as it was when he entred therein, as he ought to doe by the Judgement of honest men according to Lawe, and as he hathe allreadye promised by wrytinge, before that he receyve any benefitt or commoditye by this my will. And, whereas, my Daughters have had more than my sonnes by the meanes of their mother, as well at their mariages as at the Decease of their saied mother, I give vnto my saied sonnes, to each of them fyve poundes.
“Item, I make and ordeyne my son Gedeon Delaune and Nathaniel Mary my sonne in lawe executors of this my will. Provided alwayes, and notwithstanding anything in this my Will before specified, that yf my sayed sonne Gedeon Delaune shall refuse to take upon hym the execution of this my will and make probat thereof, or taking the same uppon hym doe not paye all and every the legacyes by me hereinbefore given to any person or persons according to the limitation intent and true meaning of this my will, that then I give and bequeath all and every my sayed messuages Landes tenements rentes reversions and hereditaments vnto my sonne Peter Delaune and his heires. And if he refuse, then unto my sonne Nathaniel Delaune and his heirs, and so consequently at their refuse unto my sonne Paule Delaune and his heires and assigns for ever in the same nature and with the same conditions as was here abovementioned and given unto my sayed sonne Gedeon Delaune, and then I will and bequeathe vnto my sayed sonne Gedeon Delaune the somme of one hundred and fiftie poundes.
“In witnesse whereof I the sayed William Delaune have hereinto set my hande and sealle vppon the seaven and twentieth daye of November in the yeres of the raigne of oure soveraigne Lord James by the grace of God King of Englande Scotland Fraunce and Ireland Defender of the faithe &c, that is to saye, of England Fraunce and Ireland the eight, and of Scotland the fower and fortith. William de Lawne. Sealed and subscribed by the said William Delaune and by hym confessed and acknowledged to be his last will and testament in the presence of me — Robert Andrewes, Martin Browne, Roger Langton.”
Through the kindness and courtesy of William Munk, Esq., M.D., Herveian Librarian and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London, author of “The Roll of the R. C. P. of London,” 3 vols. 8vo, I am able to present my readers with the minutes of the college regarding Mr. William Delaune, including the French certificate:
“7o Decembris 1582.
“In istis comitiis comparuit Gul. Launaeus, Callus, Professor Theologiae: illique interdictum est ne exerceat medicinam in posterum, nisi Licentiam in Collegio secundum consuetudinem et privilegia impetraverit. Et quoniam confessus est se artem medicam exercuisse, idcirco illi injunctum est ut in proximis comitiis (nempe postridie Divi Thomae) personaliter adsit ut ibi expectet et audiat quod de se ulterius concludendum est.”
“22 Decembris 1582.
“Comparuit Gulielmus Launaeus, Gallus, predicator, qui per literas supplicatorias petiit humiliter ut nostra bona cum venia, liberum illi esset in hac Civitate Medicinam exercere, propterea quod ejectus e Patria Religionis causa, non habebat unde aliter viveret aut se et onerosam suam familiam sustentaret.
“Copia Literarum Supplicatoriarum Gulielmi Launaei.
“Prudentissimi Domini Doctores,
“Gulielmus Launaeus, Verbi Dei Praedicator ac Medicus, hue Religionis erga tanquam ad asylum, Dei Gratiâ et Regiae Majestatis Clementiâ, (quae cujuslibet legitimae vocationis usum propter Christum afflictis liberé concessit) profugus — gravi numerosae familiae pressus onere, ad cujus nutritionem nullum praebuerit immotum lapidem, nec aliunde habet unde id potest quàm ex arte medicinae, cui per octo annos Lutetien et Monspelii sub Duretio et Rondeletio, doctoribus expertissimis et praeceptoribus observandissimis, edoctus. Jam hos 24 annos, quum perfunctiones ecclesiasticas facilius licuisset, suis conteraneis et paucis aliis iisque pauperioribus tam fideliter ac feliciter exercendae animum suum applicavit, ut ne uni quidem adhuc justam querimoniae causam dederit. De munere suo coram quibuslibet, vel literis dicti sui veritatem probantibus, vel libris ab ipso compositis, vel privatâ sive publicâ tentatione responsurus. Jam 52 annorum aetatem agens supplex deprecatur vos, humanissimi et piissimi domini doctores, ut per vestram charitatem etiam aliquid de Jure vestro remittentes, quod beneficium jam expertus est, et vobis gratias agit, illi permittatur, vel quod adhuc vivere super est hic medicinam faciundo transigere, vel donee eum disciplina ecclesiastica ut prasdicationis debitum munus expleat alio recovaverit. Id si per vestram humanitatem et erga extraneos solitum amorem impetraverit, eum suosque omnes devinctos habebitis ut Deum Optimum Maximum assidue precentur ut Doctissimo vestro ccetui semper adsit, et caeptis omnibus benedicat vestris. Illud vobis facillimum, nemini Deo dante noxium, mihique tanti lestimandum vestrae beneficentiae, ac si singulis diebus tredecim animabus panem vestrum divideritis.”
“Copia literarum in Launaei praedicti favorem scriptarum in nomine Consistorii.
