RETIRED - Oath of Office - Nira Nathair, Mistress of Heralds
By the oath I received when I was made a herald, and by the faith I owe to the duke, our sovereign lord whose arms I bear, I shall truly keep such things as are comprised in the articles following:
1st, whensoever the duke shall command me to give any message to any other king, prince, state, or any other person out of this his realm, or to any person of whatever state, condition, or degree he be of within the same, that I shall do it as honorably and truly as my will and reason can serve me, and greatly to the advantage of our sovereign lord and his realm, and truly report bring again to his highness of my message and as near to the charge to me committed in words and in substance, as my said reason may attain to, always keeping myself secret for any manner motion, save to such persons as I be commanded to utter my charge unto.
2ndly, I shall do my true duty to be every day more cunning than others in the office of arms, so as I may be better furnished to teach others under me, and execute with more wisdom and more eloquence such charges as my sovereign lord and his realm or of his realm any nobleman shall lay unto me by the virtue of the office, which his grace will erect me to at this time, discovering in no wise that I have in charge to keep closer than that be predjudicial to the duke our sovereign lord and his realm.
3rdly, I shall do my diligence to have knowledge of all the nobles and gentlemen within my march, which should bear coats in the field in the service of our sovereign lord, his lieutenants, officers, and commisaries, and them with their issue truly register, and such arms as they bear, with the difference due in the arms to be given, and they hold any service by knight's fee, whereby they should give to the duke service for the defense of his land.
4thly, I shall not be unwilling to teach pursuivants or heralds, nor to ease them in such doubts as they shall move to me, and such as cannot be eased by me, I shall show to the constable, and if any pursuivant asks any doubt of me, I shall ask him first, whether he has desired any of the heralds to instruct him in the same, and, if he says, me, I shall limit him one of them, or else ease him if I can. Also, I shall keep, from month to month, in my marches, my chapters to the increase of cunning in the office of arms, and the doubts that there cannot be eased, I shall move to the constable.
5thly, I shall observe and keep to my cunning and power all such oaths as I made when I was created a herald, to the honor and worship of noblesse and integrity of living, namely, in eschewing disreputable places and people, and always more ready to excuse than to blame any noble person, unless than I be charged to say the truth by the duke, his constable, and marshal, or in any place judicial. Also I shall permit truly to register all acts of honor in manner and form as they be done, as forsooth as power and cunning may extend.
These articles and other abovesaid I, Nira Nathair, swear truely to keep with all my might and power, so help me Morgaine and holidom.
