fittest for the commonwealth, the conductor shill take three
balls, the one inscribed with these words (outward files),
another with these words (inward files), and the third with these
(middle files), which balls he shall cast into a little urn, and
present it to the lord high sheriff, who, drawing one, shall give
the words of command, as they are thereupon inscribed, and the
ballot shall begin accordingly. For example, if the ball be
inscribed 'Middle files,' the ballot shall begin by the middle;
that is, the two files that are middle to the horse shall draw
out first to the horse urn, and the two files that are middle to
the foot shall draw out first to the foot urn, and be followed by
all the rest of the files as they are next to them in order. The
like shall be done by the inward, or by the outward files in case
they be first called. And the files, as every man has drawn his
ball, if it be silver, shall behind at the urn to countermarch to
their places, but he that has drawn a gold ball at a side urn
shall proceed to the middle urn, where if the balls he draws be
silver he shall also countermarch, but if it be gold he shall
take his place upon a form set across the pavilion, with his face
toward the lord high sheriff, who shall be seated in the middle
of the pavilion, with certain clerks by him, one of which shall
write down the names of every elector, that is, of every one that
drew a gold ball at the middle urn, and in the order his ball was
drawn, till the electors amount to six in number. And the first
six electors, horse and foot promiscuously, are the first order
of electors; the second six (still accounting them as they are
drawn) the second order, the third six the third order, and the
fourth six the fourth order of electors; every elector having
place in his order, according to the order wherein he was drawn.
But so soon as the first order of electors is complete, the lord