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pretty good market place, and many good streets and very fair 
stone houses,” and ‘‘soe to Church.” The then market place 
(larger than the present) with the Guildhall in its centre, the 
stately North Gate, St. Mary’s tower, the handsome conduits of 
St. Mary and of St. Peter and St. Paul, surrounded by houses, 
the whole gay with ornament and color; with the animation 
imparted by groups of Citizens and Visitors, as bravely attired 
they made their way “to the Greate Churche,” whose roofs and 
tower soaring high dominated the whole scene, the centre of the 
City then, certainly formed a “pretty good ” picture. 
Some fourteen years later, Dingley notes,—“this City is 
besides without doubt, the prettiest in the Kingdom in a double 
construction as it is little and handsome.” 
Shades of Pepys, Dingley and of others ; appreciative visitors: 
of the vanished long ago, a citizen of the modern City fain would 
keep your memory green, for responsible for Bath as you found 
and praised it, were many of the Token issuers he is interested in. 
The City was governed by a Mayor presiding over a varying 
number of Aldermen, and a Common Council of twenty members, 
the collective body being known as the Chamber, with power to: 
inake laws binding on all dwellers within the liberties of the 
City. ‘The Chamber was self-elective and election was generally 
for life. The Mayor, two Aldermen annually chosen as Justices, 
the Recorder and the Common-Clerk conducted the Judicial 
business. The Executive was vested in the Bailiffs (the Sheriffs 
of the City) chosen annually by and from the Chamber, the 
Bailiffs controlled the Gaol and the Markets, and theirs was. 
apparently a lucrative position, as they were expected to entertain 
the Chamber twice during their official year. Under their care 
were the Pillory, the Stocks, the Rack, the Cage, and that perhaps 
most useful apparatus for the control of too argumentative ladies, 
the Ducking-stool. 
The Chamberlain, annualiy elected and always a member of 
the Chamber, had care of the City finances. His term of office 
ae eee 
oo 
