14 Antiquity and Early 



the City, in bearing their charge of tallages and other 

 contributions, as equals and as commoners, according to 

 their power ; the Saddlers of the City, against the fran- 

 chise of the same, by conspiracy and collusion among 

 themselves, have ordained and established, and there- 

 unto among themselves, have made oath that no one of 

 the trades aforesaid shall be so daring as to sell any 

 manner of merchandize that unto their own trade per- 

 tains, either to freemen of the City or to other persons, 

 but only to themselves, in the business of saddlery ; the 

 which thing is notoriously against all the commonalty of 

 the said City, and all the realm. And because that the 

 trades aforesaid would not assent to this thing, against 

 their oath to the City made, the Saddlers, against the 

 peace of our Lord the King, maliciously and by force of 

 arms have assailed the trades aforesaid, as well in their 

 own houses as in the high streets ; some persons whereof 

 have been killed, some maimed, and many wounded 

 and maltreated. They therefore do pray the Mayor 

 and all the Commonalty, that redress for this thing may 

 be made to them, in such due and good manner that 

 they may be enabled to live in peace, and to follow 

 their trades as they have done heretofore. 



'"And further, the trades aforesaid make plaint; — 

 That whereas after the Saddlers have received from 

 them certain goods pertaining unto their trades, and 

 have become possessed of the said goods in their own 

 houses, if the good folks of the said trades come there 

 to ask for their payment, they are bandied about among 

 the said Saddlers with offensive words, and sometimes 

 beaten, and in other ways maltreated ; by reason whereof 

 they have not the daring to demand payment of their 

 debtSj and therefore the said Saddlers now are in their 

 debt ; that is to say, they owe to the Painters ^loo and 

 35^., to the Lorimers in copper £84 iSs., and to the 

 l.orimers in iron ;^ lOO 8i"., and to the Joiners ^10 11^. 4^/.; 



