so Gci^ercd History of Bath. 



hymns, epitaphs, and instructions in phlebotomy. There is 

 a curious account of a presentment of jurors in 13 Henry 

 IV. as to the position of the town pillory, which had been 

 removed, and was about to be re-established, and a transcript 

 of the oath taken by citizens on their admission to the 

 freedom of the city. 



I schal buxom and obedyent be to the mayr of bathe 

 and to al hys successowrys and Y schal mentayne 

 me to no lordschyp for hynderans of eny burges of 

 bath. Nether Y schal nozth plete wyth no burges 

 of bathe but on the mayr curte yf hit so be that the 

 mayr wyll do me ryght or may do me ryght. Seynt 

 Katern day Y schal kepe holy day yerely and Seynt 

 Katern Chapel and the brigge help to mentayne and 

 to susteyne by my powre. All other custumys and 

 fredumys that langit to the fore sayde fredom Y 

 schal well and truly kepe and mentayne on my 

 behalf Selme God and halydome. 



The Reformation. 



Few towns were more completely overshadowed by a 

 monastery than was Bath by the Benedictine Priory. In 

 the year 1377, the returns of a poll-tax show that the clergy 

 amounted to about a third of the adult population, whilst 

 the precincts of the priory included about one-fourth of the 

 whole area of the city. 



The Rectory of the official city church, St. Mary de Stalles, 

 and;the advowson of the other churches and of the Hospital 

 of St. John, were vested in the Prior and Monks, and they 

 were also the owners not only of all the land which formed 

 the environment of the city, but also of the large transpon- 



