164 The Giiild of Merchants, at Devizes. 



Then follow the Ordinances of the Fraternity (eighteen in num- 

 ber), of which a brief abstract is here given : — 



I. The Master, "Wardens, and Fraternity to meet annually on the 

 5th November, and attend the Mayor of the Borough to the 

 Church of the Parish in which he dwells,^ in " decent and 

 comelye order, and there abide untill th'endc of deuine Prayer 

 or Sermon ;" afterwards to assemble in the Weaver's Hall and 

 elect a Master for the year following. The Master thus chosen 

 to elect an "honest and fit person of the company" to be his 

 Warden. The Fraternity by their most assents to elect a second 

 Warden. These newly elected officers to take the oaths of su- 

 premacy and allegiance, as well as that prescribed for their 

 respective offices. If either should die during the year, the two 

 survivors, with the residue of the Fraternity, to meet within 

 14 days after his decease, and proceed to elect from among 

 themselves one other honest and fit person to fill the vacant 

 office. 



II. The Master, Wardens, and Fraternity on the aforesaid day of 

 election to choose from among themselves two fit persons to be 

 yeomen of the Fraternity ; these to take the necessary oaths as 

 above. 



III. The Fraternity to meet in the Weaver's Hall on three other 

 days diiring the year besides the day of election, to be called 

 Quarterly Meetings, viz. : — March 24th, Midsummer-day, and 

 August 5th. The Master and Wardens to overlook on these days 

 all persons exercising any of the trades comprised by the Frater- 

 nity, and to correct and reform all deceits or defaults committed 

 by any of them, by punishing the offending parties according 

 to their good discretions. The Master and Wardens, with con- 

 sent of the Fraternity, on these days of Quarter Meeting to con- 

 stitute any new ordinances, or change or repeal, upon urgent 

 occasion, any of those in force. 



' The manner in whicli this ceremony was condncted does not appear. The 

 Company of Tailors at Salisbury in their processions to and from Chxirch, were 

 preceded by Morris Dancers and Drummers, which gaieties the Mayor of Salis- 

 bury in 1611, Bartholomew Tookye, a zealous puritan, endeavoured to abolish. 

 See Archfcological Journal, IX. p. 103. 



