What is "keeper of the king's conscience"

Keeper \Keep"er\, n.

1. One who, or that which, keeps; one who, or that which, holds or has possession of anything.

2. One who retains in custody; one who has the care of a prison and the charge of prisoners.

3. One who has the care, custody, or superintendence of anything; as, the keeper of a park, a pound, of sheep, of a gate, etc.; the keeper of attached property; hence, one who saves from harm; a defender; a preserver.

   The Lord is thy keeper.
   --Ps. cxxi. 6.

4. One who remains or keeps in a place or position.

   Discreet; chaste; keepers at home.
   --Titus ii.

5. 5. A ring, strap, clamp, or any device for holding an object in place; as:

   1. The box on a door jamb into which the bolt of a lock protrudes, when shot.

   2. A ring serving to keep another ring on the finger.

   3. A loop near the buckle of a strap to receive the end of the strap.

6. A fruit that keeps well; as, the Roxbury Russet is a good keeper. Hence: Anything perishable that remains in good condition longer than usual. -- Downing.

7. An iron bar that is placed on the poles of a horseshoe magnet, and held in place there by the magnetic force, to preserve the strength of the magnet when not in use.

   Keeper of the forest (O. Eng. Law), an officer who had the principal government of all things relating to the forest.

   Keeper of the great seal, a high officer of state, who has custody of the great seal. The office is now united with that of lord chancellor. [Eng.]

   Keeper of the King's conscience, the lord chancellor; -- a name given when the chancellor was an ecclesiastic. [Eng.]

   Keeper of the privy seal (styled also lord privy seal), a high officer of state, through whose hands pass all charters, pardons, etc., before they come to the great seal. He is a privy councillor, and was formerly called clerk of the privy seal. [Eng.]

   Keeper of a magnet, a piece of iron which connects the two poles, for the purpose of keeping the magnetic power undiminished; an armature; called also keeper.

Keeper of the King's Conscience was a position in the English judiciary before the advent of parliamentary representative democracy. The person appointed as Keeper of the King's Conscience was usually a bishop. He was responsible for overseeing the international affairs of the monarchy and for delivering justice on behalf of the king. Today this position has become the Lord Chancellor. During the period beginning from William the Conqueror to Henry VIII of England, the person holding the Keeper of the King's Conscience post also held high position in the church.