Jocelyn de Cranewell, Order of Defense, 2016

Be it known unto all by this present writings wheresoever it shall come to be read, heard or understood and especially to all manner of officers under Our dominions do We, Nigel III and Adrielle III, monarchs of the lands of the north, to all Justices, Mayors, Shieriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughs, and to their deputies, and to all others to whom this decree comes, greetings.

Every parent, in order that their children should acquire reputation, procures for them some place in some royal court, and of some protection, to provide for them the best that they can. So did a notary of the court of Florence, place with Us his only daughter, who has, under the guise of learning to dance, become adept with the sword, and dagger, and cloak. She has traveled far across the Known World, both learning from those who are masters of the art, while freely giving of her knowledge to those in need. She has flourished upon the field, and has Our trust.

Thus do We, your sovereign King and Queen majesties with Our most honourable counsel, look with favour upon Jocelyn de Cranewell as an exemplar of the arts of the sword, and because she is dear to Us and shown of herself the magnanimity, the cunning, the valour, and the innumerable other virtues, and also the greatness of her ancestors, being descended as she is from a Lion of Ansteorra, who was begat by Hans Durmast, who was begat by the Moondragon who introduced the art of defense to the Society, do We admit with authority and by special commission under Our broad seal the said Jocelyn de Cranewell into the Order of Defense, forever more to be known as a Maestra and a Peer of the realm. And therefore we state by Our royal majesty and most honourable cousel, desire all our true subjects to aid the said Jocelyn de Cranewall against all strangers and such as teach without authority, and such foresworn men against Our royal majesties, which of long time have deceived our true subjects. We desire all our true subjects and officers as they love our sovereign crown to suffer none to keep any school of Defense whatsoever they be except having authority to show in like case as this Maestra Jocelyn de Cranewall hath unless it otherwise be also recognized by the Crown. In so doing you shall show your selves true and full faith officers and subjects unto our power.

In witness thereof on the day of the feast of Clare of Assisi, while sitting Our thrones in the Debatable Lands at the Pennsic War in this, the fifty-first year of the Society, do We sign our hand and seal.

Wording by THLaird Colyne Stewart, based in part on the introduction to Ridolfo Capo Ferro’s treatise "Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing" and Sloan MS 2530 page 31-2 which concerns the creation of a Master of Defense. Section in bold may have been cut for space.