274 



Chippenham. Notes of its History. 



any Much leather which is not sufficiently and thoroughly tanned, &c. And 

 all other matters which belong to your office, accord 0 to an A. of P l . in y' : 5 th 

 y r . of K, James, ye shall faithfully and truly observe and keep so near as God 

 shall give you grace." 



One of their duties was called " The Trial of Shoes :" not an 

 enviable employment if it had meant the continual putting on of 

 new shoes : but, of course, it signified testing the quality of the 

 leather used. They also made their Report, of which the following 

 is a specimen : — 



" 26 October 1605. Nine pair of shoes, of divers sizes, were seized in the 

 open Fair by the searchers aforesaid Wm. & John Cole. Wh h . say upon their 

 oaths that the foresaid 9 p r of shoes are made part of calf's leather, & therefore 

 not sufficient wares accords to y e Statute ; for wh. cause they are all forfeited & 

 the same 9 pairs are valued at 6s." 



" Outrageous Hose." 



The next matter to be brought before your notice is one of a 

 rather curious sort. One of the old documents shows that there 

 was a time in the history of England when Public Proclamations 

 were made by the Crown, to regulate and keep within sober limits 

 the fancies of private persons as to the size and dimensions of the 

 articles of dress which they might choose to wear. This kind of 

 interference sounds strange to ears of the nineteenth century : for 

 we are so used to the " liberty of the subject," that the " subject " 

 considers himself at liberty to put on and to wear whatever he 

 pleases, or whatever she pleases : and that if he or she chooses to 

 carry about his or her person any quantity, or any number of yards 

 of any material whatsoever, complain who may, the Crown at all 

 events has nothing to do with the matter. 



For instance, in these days, if any gentleman's wardrobe happens 

 to be in want of a new article, (I need not mention, or express 

 what the article may be) he goes to a proper artist : thinking him- 

 self (as he is), quite free to give any order he pleases : and the 

 artist, as in duty bound, executes the order. 



If the customer happens to be, as sometimes is the case, a "stout 

 party ;" why, the privilege of a Free Briton, the common rights of 

 an Englishman, surely leave him — according to the ideas of the 



