Internal Affairs of the Company. 153 



election in the said Hall In the presence of all 

 such of the said Livery and others then and there 

 assembled." These ordinances also increase the 

 penalty for refusing to serve the office of Warden 

 to ten Pounds, and there are instances where the 

 penalty has been increased to twenty. 



The Company's books do not inform us the 

 colour of the Livery, but on one 



Livery. . , , 



occasion, when seventeen members 

 v^^ere chosen on to the Livery, i6th April, 1664, 

 instructions were given to the Clerk "to repaire 

 to all ye seuerall persons aforesaid and deliver 

 unto them their patterns of their cloath for their 

 gowns and hoods." The ceremony of clothing or 

 conferring the Livery consisted in the putting on 

 of the hoods of the newly-elected members, which 

 was performed in open hall by the Master — a 

 custom which is still performed in a modified 

 form. 



The ordinances of Elizabeth empowered the 

 Wardens and Assistants as often as they chose to 

 elect so many of the younger men of the mystery 

 into the Livery and clothing ''as shall seem unto 

 them meet and convenient for the worship of the 

 City and the honesty of the fellowship," and a fine 

 of 35. 4^. was imposed upon each person taking up 

 the Livery. Any member " of his obstinacy and 

 forwardness " refusing to take upon him the 

 clothing was ordered to pay a penalty of 40 

 shillings. Instances are on record as late as 1783 

 of members prosecuted by the Company for 

 refusing to take up the Livery. The ordinances 



