CANCELLARIUS. A chancellor. A janitor, or one who stood at the door of the court and was accustomed to carry out the commands of the judges. A scribe. A no tary. DuCange.
2. It was under the reign of the Merovingian kings that the cancellarii first obtained the dignity corresponding with that of the English chancellor, and became keepers of the king's seal. DuCange. In ecclesiastical it was the duty of the cancellariue to take charge of all matters relating to the books of the church,—aoting as librarian; to correct the laws, comparing the various read ings, and also to take charge of the seal of the church, affixing it when necessary in the business of the church.
In this latter sense only of keeper of the seal the word chancellor, derived hence, seems to have been used in the English law. 4 Blaekst. Comm. 96. It is said by Ingulphus that Edward the Elder appointed Torquaiel his chancellor, so that what ever business of the king, spiritual or temporal, re quired a decision should be decided by his advice and decree, and, being so decided, the decree sholdd be held irrevocable. Spence, Eq. Jur. 78, n.
3. The origin of the word has been much dis puted; but it seems probable that the meaning as signed by DuCange is correct, who says that the cancellarii were originally the keepers of the gate of the king's tribunal and who carried out the commands of the judges. In the civil law their duties were very various, giving rise to a great variety of names, as notarise, a natio, abactie, secre tariat, a eecretie, a cancellie, q reepanei 8, generally derived from their duties as keepers and correctors of the statutes and decisions of the tribunals.
The transition from keeper of the seal of the church to keeper of the king's seal would be natural and easy in an age when the clergy were the only personh of education sufficient to read the docu ments to which the seal was to be appended. And this latter sense is the one which has remained and been perpetuated in the English word Chancellor. See DuCange; Spelman, Gloss.; Spence, Eq. Jur. 78; 4 Blackstone, Comm. 46.