l56 NOTES ON A MINUTE BOOK. 



money remayning in the Churchwardens' hands at the last fifast, 

 vizt., XVIII'^- weekly." At the same time T. Walden for a like 

 offence was placed in that building, of the two above, not occupied 

 by Greene. In C. 12, under July 26, 1637, we find an order for 

 taking off this quarantine after the people had been " kept out of 

 the towne ... by the space of XIX. daies." Precautions 

 were taken against infection from other places also. For instance, 

 on May 29, 1640, on account of a report that the plague is at 

 Taunton " a ward is to be charged " at West Gate and at Glippath. 

 Nor was this relaxed until Dec. 8, " God having in mcy stayed 

 His hand w°^ lay heauie in seuerall p*^ of this Cuntrie." In other 

 respects, too, thoughtfulness for the burgesses is shown. One or 

 two entries only, taken almost at random, must suffice as proof of 

 this. On Jan. 20, 1636 (7), the Fordington people are reported 

 as having made •' a comon trade way with their horses, cartes, and 

 cariage over the bowling ally." The offenders are to be presented 

 next law day. Then as to the Town Library, the Catalogue of which 

 is in the Corporation strong room (C. 10), and some of the books 

 are at the Grammar School, at least probably they are from that 

 library. On March 24, 1540 (1) it is ordered that Master Forward, 

 Usher of the Free School, is to be Librarian at 20s. a year, 

 with four sacks of coal " to air the roome and books." He 

 is to suffer no clothes to be hung in the room. Again, 

 on Jan. 29, 1639 (40) there was an order made "to have a buy 

 law made and confirmed at next Lawday for paving the streets at 

 euy man's charge, except X li. out of the Brewhouse to pave publik 

 places." Space will not allow us to say more about the Grammar 

 School than that the Mayor and Company took great interest in its 

 affairs, although officially not in their hands but under "feoffees," 

 In particular they exerted themselves mightily to get rid of Master 

 Reve, an inefficient master. Under care of the borough we may 

 class a discussion with the Earl of Suffolk. From the Weymouth 

 borough archives, and doubtless from many other sources, Ave may 

 learn that in times when Members of Parliament were paid it was 

 a common plan for rich and influential men to get from Corporations 



