THIRTEENTH CENTURY. 43 



the culture of fruits and vegetables than a discussion which took 

 place between the gardeners in and near London and the Lord 

 Mayor with regard to the locality in which they were allowed to 

 sell the produce of their gardens. 



It appears that for many years previous to 1345 the gardeners 

 of the earls, barons, bishops, and citizens of London were 

 accustomed to sell their "pulse, cherries, vegetables, and other 

 wares to their trade pertaining," on a piece of ground " opposite 

 to the church of S. Austin near the gate of S. Paul's churchyard." 

 By 1345, however, this fruit and vegetable market had grown to 

 such an extent, and had become so crowded as to hinder 

 " persons passing both on foot and on horseback," and the 

 " scurrility, clamour, and nuisance of the gardeners and their 

 servants " had become so obnoxious " to the people dwelling in 

 the houses of reputable persons there," and " such a nuisance to 

 the priests who are singing matins and mass in the church of 

 S. Austin, and to others, both clerks and laymen, in prayers and 

 orisons there serving God," that the mayor and aldermen were 

 petitioned to interfere, and to remove the market to some more 

 suitable place. The result of this petition was a meeting of the 

 mayor and aldermen, and an order "given to the said gardeners 

 and their servants, that they should no longer expose their wares 

 aforesaid, for sale in that place, on peril which awaits the same." 

 But the gardeners were not to be so easily defeated. They, in 

 their turn, petitioned the mayor to reverse his sentence, and their 

 petition runs thus: — "Unto the Mayor of London, shew and pray 

 the gardeners of the earls, barons, and bishops, and of the 

 citizens of the same city, may it please you, sire, seeing that you 

 are the chief guardian of the said city, and of the ancient usages 

 therein established, to suffer and to maintain that the said 

 gardeners may stand in peace in the same place where they have 

 been wont in times of old, in front of the church of S. Austin, at 

 the side of the gate of S. Paul's churchyard, in London, there to 

 sell the garden produce of their said masters, and make their 

 profits as heretofore they have been wont to do, seeing that they 

 have heretofore been in the said place unmolested, and that as 

 they assert they cannot serve the commonalty, nor yet their 

 masters, as they were wont to do. As to which they pray for 



