And that no talshyld be made of any moo shyldes than v.

Euery bedd of fagotte to be in lenght iij foote and the bande contayne iij quarters of a yarde besyde the knotte.

And that no byllett be put to sale but syngle byllet, wythe owt any marke.

Euery Essex byllet conteyn in lenght iij footte, w the carfe; in gretnes in mydes xv ynches."

Assize of Coals, temp. Henry VIII.

"M'd. That the lorde meyor of the cetey of London for the tyme beyng, may and doth assise after what rate and pryce the Colyers bryng Colys to the said cetey than shall sele the same.

It. The said lorde mayor hath officers appoynted to se that eu'y Cole sake comyng to the Cetey be of lenght ij yerde and in brede iij q'rs of yerde; w' sake ought to holde yf it be well and truyly fylled viij bz.

It. If it be at eny tyme founde the said saks to be defectyue and not of suche contents as aboue said, the said officers may, and doth from tyme to tyme take the sake so fawte and kepe the same till a tyme apoynted for the bornyng of the same in the open market place.

It. There is a lawe that in eu'y warde w'in the Cety ther shall be a grate sake w' cont. viij bz, & ye p'ce of Colys to be set by my lorde

mayer and the aldermen both wynter & somer as the case shall requere, and now at this present tyme y p'ce ys at viijd. the quart' sessed and to be mesered."

An order taken at the king's palice of Westm. wt the hiegh constable hedborowes and pety constables and other inhabito's dwellinge w'in the hondred of Roupley, for the well s'uinge of the king's highnes w' ther cariage as well in wynter as som & to be of suche nomber as herafter is specified; and in case they fawte of the same nombre, they ar well contented to byde therfore suche ponyshment as shalbe thought mete for there mysbehauyor don in this behalf.

Richard Swyster, on of the highe constables of Roupley honderte, hath these vilags vnder his

Will'm Cawsten, another of the highe consta

bles of Roupley, hath these vilags vnder his rule :

Hethes ....

j.

Farneborowe............ j.

j.

J.

CURIOUS FACTS RELATIVE TO THE STATE OF THE

METROPOLIS. Temp. 2. Eliz.

In the time of Queen Bess, William Fleetwood, Recorder of London, relates some very curious facts respecting the state of the metropolis, in his weekly reports to Lord Burghley. The following are proofs:

66

"My singuler good Lord, uppon Thursday at even, her Majestie in her Cooche, nere Islyngton, taking of the air, her Highnes was environed with a nosmber of Rooges. One Mr Stone a footeman cam in all hast to my Lord Maior, and after to me, and told us of the same. I dyd the same night send warrants owt into the seyd quarters and in to Westminster and the Duchie : and in the mornyng I went a brood my selff, and I tooke that daye lxxiiij roogs, whereof some were blynd and yet great usurers, and very

and

riche and the same daye towards nighte I sent for Mr Harrys and Mr Smithe and the governors of Bridwell, and tooke all the names of the roogs; sent theym frome the Sessions Hall unto Bridwell where they remayned that night. Upon Twelff daye in the forenoone, the Master of the Rolls, my selff, and others receyved a charge before my Lords of the Counsell as towching roogs and masterles men, and to have a pryvie searche. The same daye at after dyner (for I dyned at the Rolls) I mett the governors of Bridwell, and so that after nowne we examined all the seyd roogs and gave theym substanciall payment. And the strongest we bestowed in the mylne and the lighters. The rest wee desmyssed with a promise of a dooble paye if we mett with theym agayne. Upon Sonnday being crastino of the Twelfth daye, I dyned with Mr Deane of Westminster, where I conferred with hym towching Westminster and the Duchie, and then I tooke order for Southwarke, Lambeth, and Newyngton, from whence I receyved a shool of xl rooggs, men and women, and above. I bestowed them in Bridwell. I dyd the same after nowne peruse Pooles*, where I tooke abowt xxti cloked roogs that there use to kepe standing. I placed theym also in Bridwell. The next mornyng, being Mounday, the M' of the Roolls and the rest tooke order with the Constables for a privie searche

* St. Paul's.

VOL. I.

ageynst Thursdaye at night, and to have the offendors browght to the Sessions Hall upon Fridaye in the morning where wee the Justices shold mete. And agaynst the same tyme my Lo. Maior and I dyd the lyke in London and Sowthworke. The same afternowne the Masters of Bridwell and I mett, and, after every man being examined, eche one receyved his payment according to his deserts; at whiche tyme the strongest were put to worke and the other dismissed into theire Countries. The same daye the M' of the Savoye was with us and sayd he was sworne to lodge claudicantes, egrotantes, et peregrinantes;' and the next mornyng I sent the Constables of the Duchie to the Hospitall and they browght unto me at Bridewell vj. tall fellowes that were draymen unto bruers and were neither claudicantes, egrotantes, nor perigrinantes.' The Constables if they might have had theyre owen wills wold have browght as many moo. The Master dyd wryte a very curtese letter unto us to produce theym: and although he wrott charitably unto us, yet were they all sowndly paydd, and sent home to thare masters. All Tewsday, Weddensdaye, and Thursdaye there cam in nosmbers of roogs; they were rewarded all according to theire deserts. Upon Frydaye mornyng, at the Justice Hall, there were browght in above a C. lewed people taken in the privie searche. The Mrs of