A. D. 1547. loi 



ting the poor on work, or other good deeds, in every fuch city and 

 town. But few or none of thefe good deeds were ever put in pradice. 



1 548 Avery neceflary ftature was alfo made [2,3 Ldw. VI, c. 15.] for 



retraining the fellers of all kinds of provifions from combining together, 

 not to fell but at a fixed price ; and alfo for retraining workmen and 

 labourers from combinmg not to do their works but at a certain fixed 

 price, or to do but a certain work in a day, or not to work but at cer- 

 tain hours. A claufe, wifely intended, was added to this ad, licenfing 

 all workmen concerned in building houfes, &c. to follow their occupa- 

 tions in all cities and towns-corporate, although they did not live there- 

 in, nor were free of fuch corporations. But this wife claufe was re- 

 pealed by a fiatute [3, 4 Ediv. VI, c. 20.], apparently by the interpofi- 

 tion of the city of London. It lets forth, that the city of London be- 

 ing the king's chamber, and moft antient city of this realm, the artifi- 

 cers and crafcfmen of the arts, crafts, and myfteries, are at great cofls 

 and charges in taxes, tallages, fubfidies, fcot, lot, and other charges, as 

 well to the king's majefty as to the laid city, and at many and fundry 

 triumphs, and other times, for the king's honour ; and that it foreign- 

 ers (non-freemen) fliould come and work among them, within the li- 

 berties of the city, contrary to their antient privileges, the fame fhould 

 be a great decay of cunning, and an impoverifliment and driving away 

 of the freemen, being artificers of the crafts, arts, and myfteries afore- 

 faid, within the city of London, to the great hurt and deftrudion of the 

 faid city. Though the reafons for this repeal are expreflld as above only 

 inrefped to London, yet the repeal being general, took in all other cor- 

 poration cities and towns; and 1-b it remains to our own times, contrary 

 to the opinion of moft wife and judicious men. 



There was a kind of Lent enjoined, partly ecclefiaflical and partly 

 political, by a flatute [2, 3 Edw. VI, c. 19.], whereby, although in 

 the preamble it is cxprefsly admxitted, ' That all days and all meats be 

 ' of their nature of one equal purity and holinefs, none of which can 

 ' defile c'nrifiiian men ; yet forafniuch as divers of the king's fubjeds, 

 ' turnmg their knowlege therein to fatisfy their fenfuality, have of late 

 ' more than in times pad. broken and contemned fuch abftinence as 



* have been ufed in this realm upon the Fridays and Saturdays, ember- 

 ' nig days, and oth.er days commonly called vigils, and in the time 

 ' commonly called Lent ; and confidering that due and godly ubftin- 

 ' ence is a mean t6 virtue, and to iubuue men's bodies to their foul 

 ' and fpirit ; and confidering alfo th.at fifiiers may thereby the rather 

 ' be fet on v.ork, vvhereby much flefh fiiall be faved and increafed ; 



* and alfo for divers other confiderations, it was enaded, that all form- 

 ' er laws concerning falling be repealed ; — that none eat iiefli on Fri- 

 ' days, Saturdays, and embering days, nor in Lent, nor on any fuch 

 ' other day as is and has been accounted a fifla day (this claufe feems 



