KEEPER OF THE GREAT SEAL, is a lord by his
office, and styled lord keeper of the great seal of Great
Britain; he is always one of the privy-council. All grants,
charters, and commissions of the king under the great
seal, pass through the hands of the lord-keeper; for
without that seal many of those grants, &c. would be
of no force; the king being, in the interpretation of
the law, a corporation, and therefore passes nothing
but by the great seal, which is also said to be the pub-
lic faith of the kingdom, being in the highest esteem
and reputation.
Whenever there is a lord-keeper, he is invested with
the same place, authority, pre-eminence, jurisdiction,
or execution of laws, as the lord-chancellor of Great
Britain is vested with.
The lord-keeper is constituted by the delivery of
the great seal, &c.