according to some, is a Saxon word, compounded of coming, "king," and stople which signifies the "stay or support of the king." But as we borrowed the name as well as the office of Constable from the French, Sir William Blackstone is rather inclined to deduce it, with Sir Henry Spelman and Dr Cowel, from that language; wherein it is plainly derived from the Latin comes stabuli, an officer well known in the empire; so called, because, like the great constable of France, as well as the lord high constable of England, he was to regulate all matters of chivalry, tilts, tournaments, and feats of arms, which were performed on horseback.—The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh great officer of the crown; and he, with the earl marshal of England, were formerly judges of the court Constable of chivalry, called in King Henry IV.'s time Curia Militaris, and now the court of honour. It is the fountain of the martial law, and anciently was held in the king's hall. The power of the lord high constable was formerly so great, and of which so improper a use was made, that so early as the 13th of King Richard II. a statute passed for regulating and abridging the same, together with the power of the earl marshal of England; and by this statute, no plea could be tried by them or their courts, that could be tried by the common law of the realm. The office of constable existed before the Conquest. After the Conquest, the office went with inheritance, and by the tenure of the manors of Harlefield, Newman, and Whitenhurst, in Gloucestershire, by grand serjeanty in the family of the Bohuns earls of Hereford and Essex, and afterwards in the line of Stafford as heirs-general to them; but in 1521, this great office became forfeited to the king in the person of Edward Stafford duke of Buckingham, who was that year attainted for high treason; and in consideration of its extensive power, dignity, and large authority, both in time of war and peace, it has never been granted to any person, otherwise than hac vice, and that to attend at a coronation, or trial by combat. In France, the same office was also suppressed about a century after by an edict of Louis XIII.; though it has been exercised, in the command of the Marshals, by the first officer in the army.

Lord high constable of Scotland was an office of great antiquity and dignity. The first upon record is Hugo de Morvelle in the reign of David I. He had two grand prerogatives, viz. First, The keeping of the king's sword, which the king, at his promotion, when he swears fealty, delivers to him naked. Hence the badge of the constable is a naked sword.—Second, The absolute and unlimited command of the king's armies while in the field, in the absence of the king; but this command does not extend to castles and garrisons. He was likewise judge of all crimes committed within two leagues of the king's house, which precinct was called the Chalmer of Peace; though his jurisdiction came at last to be exercised only as to crimes during the time of parliament, which some extended likewise to all general conventions. This office was conferred heritably upon the noble family of Errol, by King Robert Bruce; and with them it still remains, being expressly reserved by the treaty of union.

Inferior Constables. From the great office of high constable is derived that inferior order, since called the constables of hundreds and franchises; these were first ordained in the 13th year of Edward I. by the statute of Winchester; which, for the conservation of the peace, and view of armour, appointed that two constables should be chosen in every hundred and franchise. These are what we now call constabularii capitales, or high constables; because continuance of time, and increase of people, &c. have occasioned others of like nature, but inferior authority, in every town, called petty constables, or sub-constabularii, first instituted about the reign of Edward III.

The former, or modern high constables, are appointed at the court-leets of the franchise or hundred over which they preside; or, in default of that, by the justices at their quarter-sessions; and are removeable by Constables have two offices united in them, the one ancient, and the other modern. Their ancient office is that of head-borough, tithing-man, or borsholder; which is as ancient as the time of King Alfred: their more modern office is that of constable merely; which was appointed so lately as the reign of Edward III., in order to assist the high constable. And in general the ancient head-boroughs, tithing-men, and borsholders, were made use of to serve as petty constables, though not so generally, but that in many places they still continue distinct officers from the constables. They are all chosen by the jury at the court-leet; or, if no court-leet be held, are appointed by two justices of the peace.

The general duty of all constables, both high and petty, as well as of the other officers, is to keep the king's peace in their several districts; and to that purpose they are armed with very large powers of arresting and imprisoning, of breaking open houses, and the like: of the extent of which powers, considering what manner of men are for the most part upon these offices, it is perhaps very well that they are generally kept in ignorance. One of their principal duties arising from the statute of Winchester, which appoints them, is to keep watch and ward in their respective jurisdictions. Ward, guard, or custodia, is chiefly intended of the day-time, in order to apprehend rioters, and robbers on the highways; the manner of doing which is left to the discretion of the justices of the peace and the constable: the hundred being, however, liable, for all the robberies committed therein by day-light, for having kept negligent guard. Watch is properly applicable to the night only (being called among the Saxons wacht or wactu); and it begins when ward ends, and ends when that begins: for, by the statute of Winchester, in walled towns the gates shall be closed from sun-setting to sun-rising; and watch shall be kept in every borough and town, especially in the summer season, to apprehend all rogues, vagabonds, and night-walkers, and make them give an account of themselves. The constable may appoint watchmen at his discretion, regulated by the custom of the place; and these, being his deputies, have, for the time being, the authority of their principal.

There are also constables denominated from particular places, as constable of the Tower, of Dover castle, of Windsor castle, of the castle of Caernarvon and many other of the castles of Wales; whose office is the same with that of the castellani, or governors of castles.

**Constables of London.** The city of London is divided into 26 wards, and the wards into precincts, in each of which is a constable. They are nominated by the inhabitants of each precinct on St Thomas's day, and confirmed, or otherwise, at the court of wardmote. After confirmation, they are sworn into their offices at a court of aldermen, on the next Monday after Twelfth day. Such as are chosen into the office, are obliged to place the king's arms, and the arms of the city, over their doors; and if they reside in alleys, at the ends of such alleys toward the streets, to signify that a constable lives there, and that they may be the more easily found when wanted.

**Constables to Justices of the Peace,** in Scotland, Constables are the proper officers for executing their orders. They have powers to suppress tumults, and to apprehend delinquents and those who can give no good account of themselves, and carry them to the next justice.

**Constance,** a strong town of Germany, in the circle of Swabia, now included in the grand duchy of Baden. It has a handsome bridge, and several fine structures, as well sacred as profane. It carries on a great trade, and is well fortified: but its population in 1810 amounted only to 4420. It is famous for a council held here in 1514, when there were three popes; but they were all deposed, and Martin V. was elected in their room. This council caused Jerome of Prague and John Huss to be burnt, though the emperor Sigismund had given them a safe conduct; in pursuance of this maxim, "that no faith is to be kept with heretics." They likewise condemned the doctrine of Wickliffe, and ordered his bones to be burned 40 years after he was dead. However, the inhabitants now are Protestants. It is seated on a lake of the same name. E. Long. 9. N. Lat. 47. 38.

**Constance,** one of the most considerable and beautiful lakes of Switzerland, which separates it from Suabia, except that part where the city of Constance is seated on its side. It is divided into three parts; the upper or largest part is called Boden see, the middle Bodmer see, and the lower part Zeller see. The first is 37 miles long, and its greatest breadth 15 miles. It is deeper in summer than in winter.

**Constancy,** in a general sense, denotes immutability, or invariableness. In ethics, or when applied to the human mind, the term implies resolution or steadiness, particularly under sufferings and the trials of adversity.

It was the saying of a heathen philosopher That there cannot be imagined upon earth a spectacle more worthy the regard of the Creator intent on his works, than a brave man superior to his sufferings. Nothing indeed can be more noble or honourable than to have courage enough to execute the commands of reason and conscience; to maintain the dignity of our nature, and the station assigned us; and to be proof against poverty, pain, and death itself, so far as not to do any thing that is scandalous or sinful to avoid them. To be thus, is to be great above title or fortune. This argues the soul of a heavenly extraction, and is worthy the offspring of the Deity.

Of this virtue the following example, related in English history, is here selected, as superior perhaps, all circumstances considered, to any other upon record.

Sir William Askew of Kelsoe, in Lincolnshire, had several daughters. His second, named Anne, had received a genteel education; which, with an agreeable figure and good understanding, rendered her a very proper person to be at the head of a family. Her father, regardless of his daughter's inclination and happiness, obliged her to marry a gentleman who had nothing to recommend him but his fortune, and who was a most bigotted Papist. No sooner was he convinced of his wife's regard for the doctrines of the reformation from popery, than, by the instigation of his priests, Constancy, priests, he violently drove her from his house, though she had borne him two children, and her conduct was unexceptionable. Abandoned by her husband, she came up to London, in order to procure a divorce, and to make herself known to that part of the court who either professed or were favourers of Protestantism; but as Henry VIII., with consent of parliament, had just enacted the law of the six articles, commonly called the bloody statute, she was cruelly betrayed by her own husband; and, upon his information, taken into custody, and examined concerning her faith. The act above mentioned denounced death against all those who should deny the doctrine of transubstantiation; or that the bread and wine made use of in the sacrament was not converted after consecration into the real body and blood of Christ; or, maintain the necessity of receiving the sacrament in both kinds; or affirm, that it was lawful for priests to marry; that the vows of celibacy might be broken; that private masses were of no avail; and that auricular confession to a priest was not necessary to salvation. Upon these articles she was examined by the inquisitor, a priest, the lord mayor of London, and the bishop's chancellor; and to all their queries gave proper and pertinent answers; but not being such as they approved, she was sent back to prison, where she remained eleven days to ruminate alone on her alarming situation, and was denied the small consolation of a friendly visit. The king's council being at Greenwich, she was once more examined by Chancellor Wriothesley, Gardiner bishop of Winchester, Dr Cox, and Dr Robinson; but not being able to convince her of supposed errors, she was sent to the Tower. Mr Strype, from an authentic paper, gives us the following short account of her examination, which may not, perhaps, be unentertaining or useless to the reader: "Sir Martin Bowes (lord mayor) sitting with the council, as most meet for his wisdom, and seeing her stand upon life and death, I pray you, quoth he, my lords, give me leave to talk to this woman? Leave was granted. Lord Mayor. Thou foolish woman, sayest thou that the priest cannot make the holy body of Christ? A. Askew. I say so, my lord: for I have read that God made man; but that man made God I never read; nor I suppose ever shall read it. Lord Mayor. No! Thou foolish woman, after the words of consecration, is it not the Lord's body? A. Askew. No: it is but consecrated bread, or sacramental bread. Lord Mayor. What if a mouse eat it after consecration; what shall become of this mouse? what sayest thou, thou foolish woman? A. Askew. What shall become of her, say you, my lord? Lord Mayor. I say, that the mouse is damned. A. Askew. Alack, poor mouse!" Perceiving that some could not keep in their laughing, the council proceeded to the butchery and slaughter that they intended before they came there. It was strongly suspected that Mrs Askew was favoured by some ladies of high rank; and that she carried on a religious correspondence with the queen; so that the chancellor Wriothesley, hoping that he might discover something that would afford matter of impeachment against that princess, the earl of Hertford, or his countess, who all favoured reformation, ordered her to be put to the rack: but her fortitude in suffering, and her resolution not to betray her friends, was proof against that diabolical invention. Not a groan, not a word, could be extorted from her. The chancellor, provoked with what he called her obstinacy, augmented her tortures with his own hands, and with unheard-of violence: but her courage and constancy were invincible; and these barbarians gained nothing by their cruelties but everlasting disgrace and infamy. As soon as she was taken from the rack, she fainted away; but being recovered, she was condemned to the flames. Her bones were dislocated in such a manner, that they were forced to carry her in a chair to the place of execution. While she was at the stake, letters were brought her from the lord chancellor, offering her the king's pardon if she would recant. But she refused to look at them; telling the messenger, that "she came not thither to deny her Lord and Master." The same letters were also tendered to three other persons condemned to the same fate; and who, animated by her example, refused to accept them. Whereupon the lord-mayor commanded the fire to be kindled; and with savage ignorance cried out, Fiat justitia, "Let justice take its course." The faggots being lighted, she commanded her soul, with the utmost composure, into the hands of her Maker; and, like the great founder of the religion she professed, expired, praying for her murderers, July 16, 1546, about the 29th of her age.