IT would be endless to set down all the Laws, Customs and Privileges of the City. These that have already been mentioned are not a few, and of the chiefest and most public Note. For the rest, and for larger Discourse of these already specified, recourse is to be had to the Law-Books of London; as, Reports of special Cases touching the Customs and Liberties of the City, by Sir Henry Calthorp, Recorder of London: Lex Londinensis; or, The City's Law; the Book of the Charters of London; Privilegia Londini, and the like, that so Citizens may be better acquainted with their own Laws and Customs. It were therefore to be wished, they were compacted and digested by some judicious Hand, and published. And so it ought to be, as I find by an ancient Order to this Purpose: which was, that the Customs and Usages of the City should be writ into some Book, and read twice or thrice a Year openly: and an Inspection of them to be denied to none.

For this End, I had thought sometime to have given some short Account of the Acts of Common Council in force, at least the Titles of them; and have been moved thereunto by some judicious Citizens. But consulting others, who knew the infinite Labour of it, and how it would swell the Volume, I have desisted that Enterprize; and have contented myself to lay before the Reader, some Acts of the chiefest Import, that have been of later Times printed and published, and such as have come to my Hand; as likewise upon what Statutes and Charters some of them were established.

WHEREAS by the ancient laudable Laws, Liberties and Franchises of this Noble City of London, no Person or Persons should be willingly suffered to exercise, use or occupy any manual Occupation or Handicraft, within the said City or Liberties thereof, unless he or they were Frée of the same City, or Apprentice or Apprentices with some that be Frée of the same City; the which said ancient Laws, Franchises, and Liberties notwithstanding, divers Artificers and Handicraft Men, being Fréemen of this City, not regarding or estéeming the same Laws, Liberties, Customs and Franchises, nor the Oath that they have taken to the said City, at such time as they were made Frée, for the Maintenance and Advancement of the same City, have now of late not only willingly suffered, hired, and set at work, within the said City and Liberties thereof, divers Foreigners from the Liberties of the same City, in divers and sundry Handicrafts and Manual Occupations, but also have refused to take and set at work in the said Manual Occupations or Handicrafts, the honest poor Citizens and Frèemen of the same City, to the great Hindrance, Loss and Prejudice of the said poor Citizens, and to the utter undoing of a great number of the said poor Handicraft Men, being Citizens and Fréemen of the said City, and also of their poor Wives and Children for ever, unless some spéedy Remedy be herein provided.

For Reformation whereof, Be in Enacted, Ordained and Established by the Lord Maior, Aldermen and Commons in this present Common Council assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That no Person or Persons, now being Frée of this City of London, or that hereafter shall be Frée of the same, shall after the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, now next coming, by any Colour, Way, or Means, set at work in ant Manual Occupation or Handicraft, within the said City, the Liberties or the Suburbs thereof, any manner of Foreigners from the Liberties of the said City, upon pain of Forfeiture of Five Pounds of currant Money of England, for evey time that any such Person or Persons shall offend or commit, or do any thing contrary to the Purport, true Meaning, and Effect of this present Act.

All and singular which Penalties and Forfeitures, above and by this present Act limited and appointed, shall be divided into thrée equal parts, whereof the one to be to the Use of the Maior and Commonalty and Citizens of the said City for the time being, and one other part thereof to be the Use of the first Presenters of the same Offences; and the third part thereof to be to the Use of the Company or Fellowship that every such Offender shall be Frée of. And that and every Penalty and Penalties, and Forfeitures, shall be recovered, as well upon the proper Confession of the same Offence, made by the same Offender or Offenders themselves, before the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen for the time being; as also upon good and sufficient Proof thereof, to be made by Witnesses before the said Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen for the time being; or by Bill or Plaint of Debt, to be commenced by any such Informer or Presenter in any of the King's and Quéen's Majesties Courts of Record within the said City, in the Name of the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, wherein no Essoign or Wager of Law shall be admitted or allowed for the Party Defendant.

And be it also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall be lawful for the said Lord Maior and Aldermen of the said City for the time being, upon every Confession or Proof of any such Offence aforesaid, before them made, or sufficiently tried, to commit every such Offender or Offenders to Ward, there to remain without Bail or Mainprize, until he or they have fully satisfied and paid the said Forfeiture or Forfeitures and Penalties to the Use aforesaid.

Provided always, That this present Act of Common Council, or any thing therein contained, shall not in any wise extend, or be prejudicial or hurtful to the Masters or Governours of Christ's Hospital and Bridewel, or any other of the Hospitals belong-