178 On the ORIGIN and STRUCTURE of 



of promoting a degree of public order, or affording flicker 

 againft private wrongs. We find accordingly, in the Saxon 

 times, voluntary affociations entered into by men of different 

 ranks, with a view to afford fecurity to each other, and govern- 

 ment approving of the regulations to which they had fubjecled 

 themfelves *. National induftry, however, was not then fo far ad- 

 vanced as to permit us to fuppofe, that mere artifans were of fuffi- 

 cient confequence to eftabliih fuch focieties. The only embryo 

 that can be difcovered of a fraternity for a commercial purpofe, is 

 the gilda, which belonged to certain towns, and appears to have 

 been an inftitution fomewhat refembling the German muntzer f , 

 and poffibly, like thofe fraternities, to have had fome charge of the 

 coinage, and of receiving the king's revenue in good money . 



IN all probability, however, this inftitution fuggefted to the reft 

 of the inhabitants the idea of forming fimilar affociations. We 

 know, that, in Germany, the umple burgeffes affociated in this 

 way, and, becoming wealthy and confiderable, obtained afhare of 

 the privileges of the muntzer ; and the bordarii and cottagers, 

 who originally inhabited only the fuburbs of towns, (extra mu- 



* 



* IN Canterbury, " Burgenfes habeb. de rege 33 acras prati in gildam fuam."' 



f- THE mint of a diftrit was, no doubt, originally under the care of the magiftrate. 

 The following grant of the year 955 (hows that this was the cafe, and that towns in 

 Germany were very fimilar to what they were in England at the time of the furvey : 

 " Concedentes, &c. omnem burgum, et univerfa quse ibidem ad dominationem et pote- 

 " ftatem comitis pridem pertinuifle vifa funt, forum fcilizet, teloneum, monetam, et 

 " omnem diftriftum, cum terra et manfionibus ipfius burgi." BOUQJTET, /;'/. 9. p. 618. 



J THE burgh of Huntedun, which was ranked as the fourth part of a hundred, 

 " pro 50 hidis defendeb. fe ad geld. reg. Sed modo non geldab. in illo hand, poftquam 

 " Rex Ws. gildum monete pofuit in burgo." The monetarii appear to have paid 

 double the heriot, or relief, and fometimes quadruple the cuftom of the fimple burgefles. 

 It was probably the lucrative nature of the bufinefs that made it an object for the city 

 noblefle in Germany to take charge of it. The monetarii in England had " faccam et 

 " focham fuam." L L. ATHELSTANI, c. 14. provide, That every burgh was to have 

 at leaft one ; and when exemptions from the county jurifdidtions were beftowed on incor- 

 porations, there is very commonly a refervation as to the 'monftarii : " Exceptis mo- 

 " netariis et miniflris noftris." Charter of JOHN to London. In Scotland, at this day, 

 the guild brethren, as they are called), are diflinguiflied as fuperior to the handy- 

 traftfmen, or trades. 



