Aurum Regina, Section 2
SECT. II.
Why it was originally and till this day, ſtiled Aurum Reginae.
THE true reaſons (as I apprehend) why it was originally ſtiled Aurum Reginae were two;
Firſt, becauſe Gold being the Queen, beſt, chiefeſt, pureſt, richeſt, faireſt, durableſt, most deſirable of all other Metals, ascPlin. Nat. Hiſt. l. 33. c. 1, 2, 3, 4. Philoſophers, anddAuguſtinus, Caſſiodorus, & others, Enar. & Expoſit. in Pſal. 7…. (alias) 7… v. 15. Divines aſſert, though paid with a greater proportion of Silver to our Queens or Kings, gave the name or denomination of Gold to the intire ſumme, according to the received Maxim, Denominatio ſequitur meliorem partem; to which that of Horace may be applied.
eOperum, pag▪ …7.Et genus et formam (Gold) REGINA PECUNIA donat.
2ly. Becauſe anciently many, if not moſt voluntary Oblations, Fines made to our Kings, and particularly this duty of Queen-gold to our Queens, were paid in Gold, either in maſſe by weight, or in coyn, as the Fine and Pipe Rolls during the reigns of King John, Henry the 2. & 3. and Edward 1. abundantly teſtifie. I ſhall inſtance only in ſome Fines to the King, (there being hundreds of the like nature) ſince other Records in the 6th Section will evidence this duty to our Queens to be paid in gold; whereupon it was called AURUM REGINAE.
In the Fine Roll of 36 H. 3. m. 1.De Fine Auri▪ in the Tower: Adam de Sumery dat. Regi dimid. marc. Auri pro habendo reſpectu de Milicia ſua. Solvit P. Chaceper. Et quietus est.
Willielmus fil. Odonelli dat Regi pondus duorum ſolidorum Auri, pro habendo reſpectu de Milicia ſua.
Walterus de Burys dat Regi ſex Bizanc. (fSee Cotgraves Dictionary, Tit. Beſant. Gul. Somneri, Gloſſarium, & Dr. Wats his Gloſſarium, Tit. Bizantium Beſants, a Gold Coin made at Bizantium of the value of a golden Noble) then frequent, and currant in England and other parts, eſpecially among the Jews and Saracens, and often mentioned in our Records, gRadulphus de Di…to, Ymagines Hiſt. col. 640, 642, 655.Hiſtories) pro eodem reſpectu (Militiae) habendo.
Thomas de Weſeham Cirurgicus Regis, dat. Regi. 12 Talenta (viz. Auri) pro quadam Carta habenda.
Richardus de Munfichet dat. Regi decem Marc. Auri, de quibus ſolvit duas Marc. in Garderoba Regis pro habenda Balliva ſua Forest… quae cap…a fuit in manum Regis. Et de reſiduis octo Marc. Auri, Rex conceſſit ei, quod reddat ei 4. Marc. ad Paſch. An. 36. Et 4. Marc. ad feſtnm S. Michaelis prox. ſequens. There are hundreds of like preſidents in this and otherhSee Fines, 9 Johann. An. 40 H 3. m. 18. & An. 41 H 3. m. 6▪ &c. Fine Rolls.
Neither was this the uſage only of England, but of moſt other Countries, to preſent Kings, and pay them their Tributes, Rents, Cuſtoms, Fines in Gold, the King of all other Metals; therefore moſt apt, congruous for their Royal Majeſty, whoſe heads were uſually adorned withiPſal. 21. 3. Crowns, their hands withkEſth. 4. 11. ch. 5 2. c. 8. 4. SCEpters of pure Gold, and theirlPſal. 45. 9. 13. Queens arrayed in veſtures of Gold; as*Mr. Seldens Titles of Honor, part. 1. ch 8. ſect. 2, 3. emblems of their Royalty. Upon this ground,m1 Kings 9. 11. Hyram King of Tyre, and then1 Kings 10. 9, 10. Queen of Sheba, preſented King Solomon with ſundry Talents of Gold; who had likewiſe o1 Kings 9. 28. ch. 10. 14, 15.coming to him every year the weight of 666. Talents of Gold, beſides that he received of the Merchant men, and all the Kings of Arabia, and Governors of the Country in cuſtomes and rents: whence Solomon pEccleſ. 2. 8.ſtiles Gold, The peculiar Treaſure of Kings: Upon this accountqPſal. 72. 10, 11, 15. King David, andr…ay 60. 6. Iſaiah, prophecying of the Kingdome and Regality of Chriſt, uſed theſe expreſſions; The Kings of Tharſhiſh, and of the Iſles ſhall bring preſents, the Kings of Sheba and Seba ſhall offer gifts, &c. and to him ſhall be given of the Gold of Sheba. All they from Sheba ſhall come and ſhall bring Gold and Incenſe. Literally fulfilled by the ſMat. 2. 1, to 11.Wiſe men who came from the Eaſt by the conduct of a Starre to worſhip our Saviour Christ when born KING of the Jews: who comming into the houſe where he was with his mother, they fell down and worſhipped Him: (not his Mother, as thet…ee the 2d Tome of my Hiſtorical Vindication, p. 13. to 64. Romaniſts erroniouſly do, yea as much or more than him) and when they had opened their Treaſures, they offered unto him (not her) their gifts, GOLD, Frankincenſe, and Myrrhe. On which u St. Cyprian hath this memorable obſervation. Primitiae gentium Sacramentalia munera proferunt de theſauro, profitentes ex ratione munerum de eo quem adorabant, quid credebant. IN AƲRO REGEM, in thure Sacerdotem, in myrrha incorruptibilem quam…is paſſibilem profitentur. Moreover, the ſacred Story records, that xDe Stella & Magis▪ &c. Operum Tom. 3. Edit. Pamelii, p. 285.Sennacherib King of Aſſyria put Hezechiah King of Judah to a Fine or Tribute of 30. Talents of Gold, to ſatisfie which, he cut off the Gold from the doors and pillars of the Temple, and gave it to the King of Aſſyria; After which Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt put the land to a Tribute of 100 Talents of Silver, and one Talent of Gold,y2 Kings 18. 14. 16. (proportionable to Aurum Reginae) which King Jehoiakim gave him, z2 Kings 23. 33, 35.exacting the ſilver and Gold afterwards from the people of the Land, from every one according to his taxation; and that by way of fine or compoſition for their rebellions against the King of Aſſyria and Pharaoh Necho.
In brief▪ As theaPat. 43 H 3. pars 2. m. 15. Pat. 4 E 1. m. 10. Pat. …7 E 1. m. 8. Pat. 12 E 2. pars 1. m 30 dorſ. Pat 12 E 3. pars 2. m. 4. Fines 15 E. 3. m. 14. Cl. 47 E 3. m. 25. Pat. 12 R. 2. pars 3. m. 23▪ Plowdens Com…ment. f. 310, to 340. Brook Prerogative, 134, 137. Kings of England by their Prerogative royal have all Mines of Gold in whoſe ſoil ſoever they are found, annexed and appropriated to their Crownes; whence they were ſtiled ROYAL MINES; So this duty being a Golden Mine united to the Perſons, Crowns of the Queen wives of England, and for the moſt part paid in Gold, was ſtiled AƲRƲM REGINAE.