muros Civitat' pro nullo placito. Et sint quieti de Eschot & de Danegeld & di Murdre; & nullus eorum faciat Belium. Et siquis Civium de placitis Coronæ implacitatus fuerit, per Sacramentum quod judicatum fuerit in Civitate, se difracionet homo London. Et infra muros Civitatis nullus hospitetur, neque de mea familia, neque de alia hospicium vi alicui liberatur. Et omnes homines London' fiat quieti & liberi; & omnes res eorum, & per totam Angliam, & per portus maris, de Theloneo & Passagio & Lestagio, & omnibus aliis consuetudinibus. Et Ecclesie & Barones & Cives, & teneant & habeant bene & in pace, Socnas suas cum omnibus consuetudinibus. Ita quod hospites, qui in Sociis hospitantur, nulli dent consuetudines suas, nisi illi cujus Socce fuerint, vel ministro suo quem ibi posuerit. Et homo London' non judicetur in mia' pecunie, nisi a Sawere, scil' ad C solidos: dico de placito quod ad pecuniam pertineat. Et amplius non sit meskenninge in Hustenge, neque in Folkesmote, neque in aliis plitis' infra Civitat' & Hustenge. Sedeat semel in ebdomada, videlicet, die Lunæ, & terras & Wardemota & debita Civibus meis habere faciam infra Civitatem & extra.

Et de terris, de quibus ad me clamaverint, rectum eis tenebo, lege Civitatis. Et siquis Theloneum vel Consuetudinem á Civibus Londoniarum ceperit, Cives London' capiant de Burgo, vel de Villa, ubi Theoloneum, vel Consuetudo capta fuerit, quantum homo London' pro Theloneo dederit, & proinde se pro damno receperit. Et omnes debitores qui Civibus debita debent, iis reddant vel inde iidem se difracionent, quod non debent. Quod si reddere noluerunt, neque ad difracionandum venire, tunc Cives quibus debita sua debentur, capiant in civitatem Namia sua, vel de Comitatu in quo manet qui debitum debet. Et Cives habeant fugaciones suas ad fugandum, sicut melius ac plenius habuerunt Antecessores eorum: scil Siltre [Chiltre] & Middlesex & Surreie. Testib' Epo' Winton & Roberto fil' Richer, & Hugone Bigod, & Aluero de Coneis, [al' Ælnero de Toteneis] & Willimo' de Albini Spina, & Huberto Regis Camerario, & Willimo' de Montfichet, & Haugulpho de Tanei, & Jonne' Belet, & Roberto fil' Siwardi, apud Westmonast.

King Stephen, who reigned next, his Charter was in these Words.

STEPHANUS Dei gratia, Rex Anglorum, Justiciariis, Vicecomitibus, & omnibus Ministris & Fidelibus suis, Francis & Anglicis Salutem. Sciatis me concessisse, & præsenti Carta mea confirmasse, omnibus Baronibus & hominibus meis de Anglia, omnes libertates & bonas leges quas Henricus Rex Anglicorum Avunculus meus eis dedit & concessit; & omnes bonas leges & bonas consuetudines eis concedo, quas habuerunt tempore Regis Edwardi. Quare volo & firmiter præcipio, quod habeant & teneant omnes illas bonas leges & libertates, de me & hæredibus meis, ipsi & hæredes sui, libere & quiete & plenarie. Et prohibeo nequis eis super hijs molestiam vel impedimentum aut diminucionem faciat super forisfacturam meam plenam. Teste Willielmo Martel apud London.

Tho' this Charter was granted to the whole Kingdom, yet the City placed it among its Charters as claiming a special Share in the Benefit thereof.

Henry II. that next succeeded to the Crown, by his Charter confirmed the first; only this inserted, that none should be impleaded without the City, exceptis monetariis & ministris meis, & præter placida de Tenuris exterioribus; i.e. Except the King's Moneyers and Ministers, and except Pleas of Foreign Tenures. This King granted two.

King Richard I. also granted two; and King John granted the City Charters of Confirmation, in number five. The next King Henry III. granted nine. A part of the second remains to ustranscribed out of a Copy extant in the old Book of the Customs of London, and was in the last Edition of the Survey, and is as followeth:

HENRICUS Dei gratia Rex Angliæ, Dominus Hiberniæ, Dux Normanniæ & Aquitaniæ, Com' Andegav' Archiepiscopis, Episcopis, &c. Salutem. Sciatis non concessisse, & hac præsenti Carta mea confirmasse, Baronibus nostris de Civitate nostra London' quod sibi eligant Major. de seipsis singulis annis, qui nobis sit fidelis, discretus & idoneus ad regimen Civitatis. Ita quod Electus fuerit nobis, vel Justiciar' nostris si præsentes non fuimus, præsentatus, & nobis juret fidelitatem: Et liceat ipsum in fine anni amovere, & aliquem subtinere si voluerint, vel eundem retinere. Ita tamen quod nobis ostendatur idem, vel Justiciariis nostris, si presentes non fuerimus.

Concessimus & iisdem Baronibus nostris, & hac Carta nostra confirmavimus, quod habeant bene & in pace, libere & quiete & integre, omnes libertates suas, quibus hactenus usi sunt tam in Civitate London' quam extra, & tam in aquis quam in terris, & omnibus aliis locis, salva nobis Camberlengeria nostra. Quare volumus & firmiter recepimus quod prædicti Barones nostræ Civitatis London' eligant sibi singulis annis de seipsis predco' mo' Et quod habeant omnes prædictas libertates bene & in pace, integre & plenarie, cum omnibus ad hujus libertates pertinentibus. Secundam Cartam Domini patris nostris Johannis illustris Regis Anglorum, quam inspeximus rationabiliter testamur. Testes Dominus Episcopus London' Episcop' &c. Apud Westmonast. xviijo die mensis Februarii. Anno Regni nostri xjo.

Moreover, one Charter was granted from King Edward I. One from King Edward II. Five from King Edward III. One at least from King Richard II. in the Seventh of his Reign. Witnesses to which were William Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert of London, William of Winton, Thomas of Eli, Bishops; Edmund of Cambridge, Thomas of Bucks, his Uncle, Hugh of Stafford, William Montague of Salisbury, Henry Percy of Northumberland, Earls; John Nevyl of Raby, Michael de la Pole, Lord Chancellor, Hugh of Segrave, Treasurer, John of Montague, Steward of the Hostel [i.e. Houshold.] It was dated at Westminster, 26th of November, the Seventh of his Reign. This I the rather mention, because it is wholly omitted in a late Book, intituled Privilegia Londini, where, among the Enumeration of the Charters, this is left out. This Charter of King Richard II. is at large translated into old English in the Book of the Customs of London.

Again, King Henry IV. granted one Charter: King Edward IV. four: King Henry VII. one: King Henry VIII. two: King Edward VI. one. King James I. three: King Charles I. two.

In one of the City's Books is a Table in Latin of the Charters of the Liberties of the City; wherein are set down the Heads of every Charter from the Charter of William the Conqueror to that of King Henry VII. inclusive.

First, a Charter of King William, heretofore King of England, (called The Conqueror) in the Saxon Language.

Also another Charter of the same King, in the same Language.

Also a Charter of King Henry I. wherein are contained the following Articles.

First, Of the Sheriffwick of London and Middlesex, demised to Farm to the Citizens of London for 300l.

Also, That the Citizens of London appoint what Sheriff they please of themselves.

Also, That the Citizens appoint a Justice, whomsoever, and such an one as they will, of themselves; to keep the Pleas of the Crown, and to plead them: And that no other shall be Justice over the true Men of London.