Oath of Office - Levald Aurelius, Herald
Firstly, I swear to my Lord the Duke that made me of His order of heralds and His College of Arms, in His Excellent Presence, to be true in all manners and points; that if I hear any manner of language or any other thing that should touch treason to His high and excellent Person, or to His noble and discreet Council, I shall discover it, so help me Auros.
Secondly, I shall do my diligence to have knowledge of all the nobles and gentlemen within His march which should bear coats in the field in the service of Our sovereign Lord, His lieutenants, officers, and commissaries, and them together with their issue truly register, and such arms as they rightfully bear, with the difference due in the arms to be given, and if they hold any service by knight's fee, whereby they should give to the Duke service for the defense of His Land.
Thirdly, I shall be serviceable and secret in all points, excepting treason, and hold myself in obedience to all knights and gentleness, to lords and ladies and to gentlemen and gentlewomen, and as a confessor of arms, and shall cause and counsel them to all the truth, worship, and virtue in that in me is, so help me Auros.
Fourthly, I shall be true of all my reports, and diligent to seek worship; I will desire to be in the places of great assembly of princes and princesses, lords, ladies, and estates of great worship, which through me may have cunning to report to His Grace, my Duke, such worship as is occupied there, so help me Auros.
Fifthly, I promise, in case that fortune befall me to meet any gentleman of name and of arms that has lost his goods in Our Lord's service, or in any other place of worship, if he requires of me my goods to his sustenance, that I shall give or lend to him my power, so help me Auros.
Sixthly, if in case I shall be in any place such that I hear any language between gentleman and gentleman that should touch any strife or debate between the two of them or that is not virtuous, and afterwards following that I be sent for to come before Our Duke to bear witness of the aforesaid language, I shall keep my mouth closed and report it not forth, and bear no witness to it without leave of both parties, and with their leave only shall I say the truth, and then allow neither for love nor for dread, but I shall say only the truth, so help me Auros and holidom.
Seventhly, also I promise and swear to be true and secret to gentlewomen, widows and maidens, and in the case that any man would disworship them or do them wrong or force them or disinherit them of their livelihood, if they require of me my supportation I shall lend them my good counsel and shall truly and diligently certify them and make a true report of their right to Our Sovereign Lord or to any princes or judges.
Eighthly, whensoever His Grace 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 Duke and His Realm, and truly report again to His Grace 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 of motion, save to such persons as unto whom I shall be commanded to utter my charge.
Ninthly, 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 to which His Grace will erect me at this time, discovering in no wise that I have in charge to keep closer than shall be prejudicial to the Duke Our Sovereign Lord and His Realm.
Tenthly, I promise that I shall forsake all vices, and take to myself all virtues, and to be no common goer to taverns, the which might cause unvirtuousness and unclean language, and that I be neither a dice player nor a hazarder and that I flee places of debate and ill-repute, and the company of men and women dishonest or corrupt. These articles and other abovesaid I swear truly to keep with all my might and power, so help me Auros and holidom.
Levald Aurelius
