the province of Ulster, to the citizens, of which they had been violently deprived by an arbitrary decree of the Star Chamber, during his father's reign. By this tenure, the city of London, and the several companies concerned, enjoy those estates at present.

The year 1663, is distinguished by the institution of the Royal Society; that name being then conferred by the king. on a society of learned and ingenious men in London, who assembled weekly for the improvement of philosophy and the liberal arts.

This was followed by his majesty's Charter of Confirmation, wherein all the ancient privileges, liberties, rights and customs were established in return for the late tokens of loyalty discovered in the said city, towards his person and government, by their effectual aid to restore him to the

crown."

This Charter recapitulating all the privileges granted to the city by former monarchs, is of such importance, that we subjoin a copious extract, as being also the charter by which the metropolis is at present governed; and an authentic do cument necessary to be in the possession of every citizen:

"An Abstract of the Great Charter of Confirmation.

"William the Conqueror grants to the city of London two charters; in the first of which he confirms to them the laws they enjoyed in the reign of king Edward the Confessor; appoints every child to be his father's heir after his death; and promises to suffer no man to do them wrong. The second charter is to the same effect.

"Henry I. grants likewise a charter, wherein he decrees the citizens of London to hold Middlesex to farm for three hundred pounds, upon account, to them and their heirs, and that the said citizens shall place whom they will among themselves as sheriffs, and also as justices, to keep the *pleas of the crown, and none other to be justices over them; and

* Pleas of the crown, are all suits in the king's name, for offences committed against his crown and dignity.

that

that the citizens shall not plead without the walls of the city concerning any *plea; also to be free from + scot and lot, and from dane-gelt, and from ali § murder; excuses them from waging of battle; and that if any citizen be impleaded concerning the pleas of the crown, the man of London shall discharge himself by his oath, which shall be adjudged within the city.

"And farther, that none of the king's houshold, or any other, shall be lodged in the city of London by force, and that the citizens and their goods should be free, and that all their things throughout England, and the sea-ports, be free from all toll, passage and ** lestage, and from all other customs: and that the churches, and †† barons, and citizens should

* Plea is what either the plaintiff or defendant allegeth for himself in

court.

+ Scot and lot, contributions or taxes laid upon subjects.

Dane-gelt, a tax imposed on our Saxon ancestors, by king Ethelred, first one, then of two shillings, on every hide of land, for clearing the seas of Danish pirates that then infested our coasts. This was given to the Danes on terms of peace and departure, and amounted at first to ten thousand, then sixteen thousand, then twenty-four thousand, then thirty-four thousand, and at last to forty-eight thousand pounds. Henry I. and king Stephen released them finally from paying this

tax.

Murder, signifies not only the crime, but (as here) the pecuniary mulct or punishment due for that crime; so that to be quit or free of murder, was, that the place where it was committed, should not be fined or amerced, though the murderer escaped.

Passage, a duty paid for passing through a town, or port, gates, or bridges.

** Lestage, a toll paid for liberty for persons to carry their goods up and down to marts, markets, and fairs.

++ Barons. Mat. Paris, sub anno 1253, says, that the citizens, or men of London, in respect of the dignity of the city and antient liberties of the citizens were wont to be called Barons. And the same author, fub anno 1258, says, nobiles Angliæ convocaverunt totius civitatis cives quos barones vocant. And yet Dr. Brady thinks, that only the better sort of the citizens, as the aldermen, &c. are he intended by the word barones in the London charters, because the words in the second charter of Henry I. are barones et cives. But this seems a mistake, for the fourth

charter

should peaceably hold their sokes, so that the strangers that should be lodged in the *sokes, should pay custom to him only to whom the soke doth belong, or to his officer.

"Also that no citizen should be amerced, above one hundred shillings for any pecuniary punishment; that there should be no † miskenning in the hustings, nor in the folkmote, nor in any other plea within the city; that the husting sit once a week, viz. on Mondays, and that the citizens enjoy their lands, premisses, bonds, and debts, according to the laws of the city; and if any shall take toll or custom of any citizen, the citizen shall within the city take of the borough or town where the toll or custom was so taken, so much as the citizen gave for toll, and as he received damage thereby. And all debtors who owe the citizens any debts, shall pay them in London, or discharge them themselves there, that they owe none; but if they will not pay the same, nor come thither to clear themselves, the citizen to whom such debts are due, may take Namia sua, i. e. goods within the city of that borough-town, or county, where he remains who owes the debts, and also to have their chases and hunt in | Chiltre, Middlesex, and Surrey,

charter of king John, and the second charter of Henry III. says, sciatis nos concessisse et confirmasse baronibus nostris de civitate London, quod eligant sibi major, &c. which compared with the other charters, shews it to be a grant to all the freemen of the city; and consequently that the word baro there, signifies only a freeman of the city.

* Soke, a liberty or privilege of jurisdiction within a certain place of precinct; also the court there held.

↑ Miskenning, a changing or varying from a plea or court, that is, when one leaves his first declaration or plea, and gives another.

Hustings, derived from hus, a house, and thing, causa, that is, a house where causes are to be tried; or, according to Mr. Somner, from the Saxon word hyhst, or highest, and thing, judicium quasi, the highest court of the city of London.

§ Folkmote, according to Stow and others, signifies the general assembly of all the citizens. See Spelman and Somner in Verbo, and Dr. Brady's Glossary, page 48.

Chiltre part of the county of Hertford, about Saint Albans. VOL. I. No. 8.

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in

in as full and ample manner as any of their ancestors ever had.

Henry II. grants to them another charter, by which he confirms to them all their former privileges; and further grants, that no citizen, excepting only his monyers and officers, should be impleaded without the walls of the city, but only in foreign tenures. He also acquits them of murder,' (i.e. of payments made for it) † within the city, and the ‡portsoken thereof, and that no citizen shall wage battle; and that of pleas of the crown, they may discharge themselves according to the old usage of the city. No man to take lodgings there by force, or by delivery of the marshal ; also, that all the citizens shall be quit of toll and lestage throughout England, and the ports of the sea; and that none shall be adjudged for amerciaments of money, but according to the law of the city, which they had temp. Henry I. and that there shall be no miskenning in any plea within the city, and that the hustings shall be kept once a week, and they justly have their lands, tenures, and premisses, and all their debts, whosoever do owe them; and that right be done them according to the custom of the city, of all their lands and tenures which be in the city, and of all their debts which were lent at London, and of promises or contracts there made, pleas to be holden at London. He also grants their huntings wheresoever they had them temp. Henry I. and if any in all England, shall take any custom or toll, of or from the men of London, after he shall fail of right, the sheriffs of London may take goods thereof at London; and further grants them to be free from all bridtoll, || childwite,

*Monyers, are the coiners and officers of the mint.

+ It had been customary where a murder was committed, to fine or amerce the place, though the murderer had escaped.

Portsoken, an extent of jurisdiction or liberty from without the gates of the city, or, as some take it, the liberties within the port or city of London.

Bridroll, that is, bridgetoll, or money paid for passing a bridge. Childwite, money paid, or a punishment for corrupting or getting a bondmaid with child

jeresgive,

*

jeresgive, and +scotale, so as the sheriff of London, or any other bailiff, may take no scotale, &c. all which privileges are granted to them and their heirs, to hold the same by inheritance of the said king and his heirs.

"Richard I. ann. 5. grants them not to plead or be impleaded without the walls of the city, excepting foreign tenures, and his own moneyers and ministers; he gave to them likewise an acquittal of murder within the city, and in Portsoken. That none wage battle: that they discharge themselves of the pleas of the crown, according to the custom of the city. That none take lodgings in the city by force, or delivery of the marshal; that they be free from toll or lestage throughout England, and the sea-ports, &c. and confirms verbatim, all their grants made by king Henry his prede

cessor.

"Richard I. ann. 8. grants them a second charter, by which all the wears in the river Thames are to be removed; and the keepers of the Tower, for the future, not demand or exact any thing of any person, by reason of the said wears, for ever.

"King John grants the city of London five several charters in the first, anno 1. he confirms all the grants made to them by his ancestors, and is almost verbatim as those of Henry II. and Richard I.

"In the second, ann. 1. he confirms to them the sheriffwick of London and Middlesex, with all the customs belonging to it, both by land and water, as well within the city as without, to hold the same at the annual rent of three hundred pounds, payable in equal proportions, at the Easter and Michaelmas Exchequer.

"He further grants them power to choose and remove their sheriffs, and make the said sheriffs presentable and ac

Feresgive, is a toll or fine taken by the king's officers, on a person's entering into an office; or rather a sum of money, or bribe, given to them to connive at extortion, or other offence in him that gives it.

+ Scotale, a practice of the king's officers who kept alehouses, or brewed liquors, and forced men to come to their houses and pay contributions, called Scotales, for fear of their displeasure.