Arts, Trades, Occupations, Mysteries and Handicrafts within the said City, and Liberties of the same, to the great Detriment and Hurt of the Citizens, who pay Lot and Scot, bear Offices, and undergo other Charges, which Strangers, and others not Free, are not chargeable withal, nor will perform: For Reformation of which Disorders, and for avoiding of such Prejudice and Damage as thereby groweth to the Freemen of the said City, and is now more of late, than was in any Time heretofore suffered; and to provide for the common Profit and Good of the Freemen and Citizens of this City.

It is therefore, by the Lord Maior and Aldermen, and Commons in this Common Council Council assembled, Ordained and Established, That no Person whatsoever (not being Free of the City of London) shall at any time after the Feast of St. Michael now next ensuing, by any Colour, Way or Means whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, by himself or any other, shew, sell, or put to Sale, any Wares or Merchandizes whatsoever by Retail, within the City of London, or the Liberties or Suburbs of the same, upon pain to forfeit to the Chamberlain of London for the time being, to the Use of the Maior and Commonalty, and Citizens of the said City, the Sum of Five Pounds, of lawful Money of England, for every time wherein such Person shall shew, sell, or put to Sale any Wares or Merchandizes by Retail, within the said City, Liberties or Suburbs thereof, contrary to the true Intent and Meaning hereof.

And it is further Ordained and Established, That no Person whatsoever, (not being Free of the City of London) shall at any time after the Feast of St. Michael now next ensuing, by any Colour, Way or Means whatsoever, directly or indirectly, by himself or any other, keep any Shop or other Place whatsoever, inward or outward, for Shew or putting to Sale of any Wares or Merchandizes whatsoever, by way of Retail, or use any Art, Trade, Occupation, Mystery or Handicraft whatsoever, within the said City, or the Liberties or Suburbs of the same, upon pain to forfeit the Sum of Five Pounds of lawful Money of England, for every time wherein such Person shall keep any Shop, or other Place whatsoever, inward or outward, for Shew, Sale, or putting to Sale, any Wares or Merchandizes whatsoever, by way of Retail; or use any Art, Trade, Occupation, Mystery or Handicraft whatsoever, within the said City, Liberties or Suburbs of the same, contrary to the true Intent and Meaning hereof: All which Pains, Penalties, Forfeitures, and Sums of Money to be forfeited by vertue of this Act and Ordinance, shall be recovered by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, to be commenced and prosecuted in the Name of the Chamberlain of the City of London for the time being, in the King's Majesty's Court, to be holden in the Chamber of the Guild-Hall of the City of London, before the Lord Maior and Aldermen of the same City; wherein no Essoin or Wager of Law shall be admitted or allowed for the Defendant: And that the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, shall in all Suits to be prosecuted by vertue of this Act or Ordinance, against any Offender, recover the ordinary Costs of Suit to be expended in and about the Prosecution thereof. And further, That one full and equal third part of all Forfeitures to be recovered by vertue hereof, (the Costs of Suit for the Recovery of the same, being deducted and allowed) shall be, after the Recovery and Receipt thereof, paid and delivered to the Treasury of Christ's Hospital, to be employed towards the Relief of the poor Children to be brought up and maintained in the said Hospital. And another equal third part to him or them which shall give first Information of the Offences, for which such Forfeitures shall grow, and prosecute Suit in the Name of the Chamberlain of the said City, for Recovery of the same; (any thing in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.)

Provided always, That this Act or Ordinance, or any thing therein contained, shall not extend to any Person or Persons, for bringing or causing to be brought any Victuals to be sold within this City, or the Liberties thereof, but that they, and every of them, may sell Victuals within the said City, and the Liberties thereof, as they might lawfully have done before the making hereof; any thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

Note, this Act hath been allowed in the King's Courts at Westminster, for a good and reasonable By-Law; and is recited at large, in the 8th Part of Coke's Reports, upon a Case solemnly argued thereon in Hillary Term, 7 Jac. I. called, The City of London's Case.

WHereas the Streets and Lanes of this City are the King's High-ways for the Use of Pasengers; and of late it is come to pass, that divers unruly People, as Butchers, Bakers, Poulterers, Chandlers, Fuiterers, Sempsters, Sellers of Grocery Wares, Oyster-Wives, Herb-Wives, Tripe-Wives, and the like, who not contented to enjoy the Benefit and common Right of Citizens, by holding their Market and continual Trades in their several Shops and Houses where they dwell, do, contrary to all Reason, and to the great Scandal of the Government, by themselves, Wives, Children and Servants, enter into, and take up their Standings in the said Streets and Places appointed for the common Markets, unto which the Country People only have in former Times used to resort, and vend and utter their Victuals; in which Market the said Freemen do abide for the most part of the Day, and that not only upon Market-days, but all the Week long, with a multitude of Baskets, Tubbs, Chairs, Boards and Stools; and by their Example it is likewise come to pass, that a very great multitude of Foreigners, idle and evil disposed Persons, inhabiting in or near the City, (who framing to themselves a way whereby to live a more easy Life than by Labour, and daily increasing in number) do practise the like Feats: Whereby it is come to pass, that the common Market-places by those disordered People be so taken up, that Country People, when they come with their Victuals and Provision, have no room left them to set down their Dorsers and Baskets, the Streets so pestered, that Passengers are greatly hindred and disturbed, the Inhabitants driven to forsake their Houses and Shops, to their undoing, the Price of Victuals inhanced, to the Damage of the City in general: For Reformation of which Enormities, Be it Enacted, by the Lord Maior, the Aldermen his Brethren, and Commons of this Commoon Council assembled., and by the Authority of the same, That no Person or Persons inhabiting in the City of London, Liberties or Suburbs thereof, after the Feast of St. Michael the Arch-Angel next coming, after the Publication hereof, shall presume to sit or stand in any common Market, Street or Lane of this City, or the Suburbs thereof, or under any Stall, in the Doors, or in the outside of the Shop-Windows, to sell any manner of Provisions, Victuals or Wares whatsoever, upon pain for every time so doing, to undergo such Penalties as hereafter ensue; viz. For the