The Constable had many great Privileges time out of mind, due to him from the Ships of the Merchants of London, (as is mentioned in an ancient Record) as of every Ship laden with Wines coming into the Port of London, one Flagon of Wine before the Mast, and another behind it: Of every Boat laden with Oisters, Muscles, or Cockles, coming to the City, una Manda, i.e. One Maund [a certain Measure] of every Boat laden Cirpis [scirpis, i.e. Bulrushes] unum Bracticale [i.e. as much as a Man could take up in his Arms.] There belong also to him every Ship, Barge, or Boat, or any other Vessel whatsoever, that shall be upon the Bank of the Thames, straying between Gravesend and London Bridge, if no Person be found in the said Vessels. Every Swan or Cygnet which cometh or returneth upon the said Banks in swimming, from the said Bridge to Gravesend; every Beast that by Misfortune, falleth into the Water of the Thames, swimming between the foresaid Bounds, without the Protection of any. And the Stalboats, which are wont to belong to the Constable; and as yet, do belong, of which the Men of the City will not pay any thing, as they have accustomed to do.

But now by reason of certain Liberties and Franchises granted of late by King Richard II. unto the Citizens, they refused to allow these Duties unto the Constable. Whereupon the Constable, (whose Name was Sir Thomas Murrieux) petitioned the said King. Who thereupon issued out his Proclamation, that notwithstanding the Privileges granted to his City, yet he required these before mentioned Privileges of the Constable to stand, and be in force. And this was ratified by Parliament, as appears by this Instrument taken from the Original.

"NOS de Avisamento & Assensu Prælatorum & aliorum Magnatum in Parliamento nostro Supplicationi prædict. Constabularij juxta Petitionem suam gratiosè annuimus in hac parte. Et ideo vobis præcipimus, quod infra Civitatem prædict. & Suburbia ejusdem in locis ubi melius expediens fuerit, ex parte nostra publicari, proclamari & pronuntiari faciatis, omnes & singulas Libertates & Franchesias ad Castrum nostrum prædictum pertinentes; & quod volumos quod dict. Castrum nostrum Libertatibus & Franchesijs prædictis gaudeat & utatur in forma Prædict. Libertatibus & Franchesijs dictis Civibus & Communitati per nos concessis non obstantibus. Ipsiusq; Constabularij Jura & Proficua hujusmodi ad dict. Castrum pertinentia, per se vel Ministros suos habere & percipere permittatis. Teste meipso apud Westmoraster. Vicesimo secondo die Novembr. Anno Regni nostri nono.
Per Petitionem concessam per ipsum     
Regem in Parliamento. Et erat Patens.

Convenit cum Recordo."

This was a Second Instrument granted to Sir Thomas Murrieux, ratificatory of his Privileges, as Constable of the Tower. Which was the Effect of a Petition he made to the King and Parliament, upon the impeaching thereof by the City. The former Grant of King Richard II. to the said Constable, was in the Sixth of his Reign, that is, three Years before: And being an antient and valuable Piece of Antiquity, and expressive of the Privileges of old belonging to the chief Officer of the Tower, and directed to the Maior and Commons of the City, I shall here set it down at length, taken from an authentick Copy.

"RICHARDUS Dei Gratia Rex Angliæ & Franciæ, & Dom. Hiberniæ Majori & Viceco- mitibus London, Salutem. Quia, ut intelleximus, Constabularii Turris nostræ London, a tempore quo non extat Memoria usq; ad Tempus jam tarde elapsum; & in speciali, Johannes Darcy, Johannes de Bello Campo, Robertus de Morlee, Ricardus La Vache, & Alanus de Buxhil, quondam Constabularii Turris prædictæ Custumas, Denaria & Proficua infrascripta de jure ad Turrim prædictam pertinentia per se & Ministros suos habuerunt, & pacifice perceperunt, Videlicet, de quoilibet Battello Cirpis carcato ducto ad Civitatem prædict. tantam quantitatem cirporum super Wharnam dictæ Turris ponendam, quanta inter Brachia alicujus poterit contineri; de quotibet Batello Ostreas, Musculas & Cocleas ad Civitatem prædict. ducere consueto, unam Mandam inde super dictam Wharnam ponendam: De qualibet Navi Vinis carcata a Burdegal, seu alibi usq; Civitatem prædict. veniente, unam Lagenam ante Malum & aliam retro Malum: Quamlibet Navem, Bargeam sive Batellum, seu aliud Vas, quod per Tempestatem & Ventum fuerit dissolutum, seu ruptis Cordis & Ligatorijs suis absq; Gubernaculo humano nataverit a Ponte London usq; Gravesend, seu abinde usq; dictum Pontem per Constabularium dictæ Turris seu Ministros suos capiend. & ad opus dicti Constabularij applicand. Quoscunq; Cygnos venientes subtus dictum Pontem versus Mare, seu a Mari versus eundem Pontem, omnimodos, Equos, Boves, Vaccas, Porcos & Oves, qui de Ponte prædicto in Aquam Thamisiæ ceciderint; quos prædictus Constabularius seu ejus Ministri percipere poterunt; Quodlibet hujusmodi Animal natans per Medium dicti Pontis ad Turrim prædictam, quod idem Constabularius, seu Ministri sui prædicti ceperint; de quolibet pede hujusmodi Animalis infra Fossata Turris prædictæ depascentis unum Denarium; Quamlibet Carectam vacuam, seu carcatam quæ in Fossata prædicta ceciderit, tanquam forisfacturam seu Feodum dicti Constabularij. Quodq; prædicti Constabularij, tam superius nominati quam alij, Consuetudinibus subscriptis a tempore prædict. usi fuerint & gavisi, videlicet, Quod nulla Carecta vacua seu carcata a fine Vici vocat. Petite Wales super Montem dictæ Turris, nec prope Fossata prædicta ad altam Stratam vocat. Towerstrete, venire debeat, nisi caperetur & infra Turrim prædictam duceretur. Et quod nulla Carecta ultra Pontem inter Fossata dicti Castri & Fossata Hospitalis Sanctæ Katherinæ, absq; Licentia Constabulariij dictæ Turris pertranseat; & si fecerit, & Barram fregerit, Carecta illa infra Turrim prædictam duci, & pro transgressione ad voluntatem Constabularij ejusdem satisfieri debeat."

" NOS omnia & singula jura & libertates Turris nostra prædictæ ne depereant, seu illicitè subtrahantur, manutenere volentes, vobis mandamus, quod dilectum & fidelem nostrum Thomam Murrieux nunc Constabularium Turris prædictæ Custumas & Denaria ac proficua prædicta per se & ministros suos in forma prædicta percipere & habere, ac Consuetudininibus prædictis uti & gaudere libere & absq; impedimento aliquo permittatis, prout ipse Custumas, Denaria & proficua hujusmodi pecipere & habere, & Consuetudinibus prædictis uti & gaudere debet; ipseq; & omnes alij Constabularij Turris predictæ Custumas, Denaria & proficua ista peccipere & habere, ac Consuetudinibus prædictis uti a gaudere a tempore prædicto rationabiliter consueverunt. Et hoc nullatenus omittatis. Teste meipso, apud Eltham XVI. die Novembris, Anno Regni nostri Sexto."

" Per ipsum Regem.
Convenit cum Recordo."