a Brotherhood and Guestling be arreared this year, year, these are, therefore, to pray and brotherly require them to be at the time and place appointed, on the hour accustomed (which is eight of the clock in the morning) with the full number of persons duly returned and commissioned, according to their ancient customs and usages, time out of mind used and approved, &c."

At the day of appearance, the Persons returned to sit and act in the said Courts, bring with them Commissions from their respective Towns, sealed with the common seal of their Corporation.

"THE COMMISSION."

"To all christian people to whom these Presents shall come, and especially to the right Worshipful our loving Brethren, Combarons, and Friends, the Mayors, Jurats, and Combarons, of the Cinque Ports and two ancient Towns, to be assembled at a general Brotherhood, to be holden at the Town and Port of New Romney, one of the said Cinque Ports, upon Tuesday the 26th day of July instant: We, the Mayors, Jurats, and Commonalty of the ancient Town of Rye, in the County of Sussex, send greeting. Know ye, that we have received your Letters of Summons for the said Brotherhood, sent from the Mayor and Jurats of the Town and Port of Hasting; and at a common Assembly of us the said Mayor, Jurats, and Commonalty of Rye aforesaid, holden at Rye aforesaid, the 17th day of June last past, have elected, chosen, constituted, assigned, and appointed our well beloved A. B. Esq. Mayor of Rye aforesaid, C. D. Bailiff elect to Great Yarmouth, for the year to come, E. F. and G. H. Jurats, I. J. Common Clerk, K. L. Chamberlain, and M. N. Commoners and Freemen of the said Town, Persons who have each of them taken a corporal Oath for the maintenance of the Charters, Liberties, and Customs of the said Ports, ancient Towns, and their Members, to be and appear for us, and in our names, place, and stead, at the said Brotherhood, at the said Town and Port of New Romney, the day aforesaid, at the hour accustomed, as well to hear the Relation of the

Bailiffs for the Cinque Ports for the Town of Great Yar mouth for the year past, as also to agree and consent to the Admittance of the new Bailiffs for the Cinque Ports, to the same Town of Great Yarmouth this year now coming, and all things incident to the said Relation and Admittance of the said Bailiffs. And we do by these Presents give and grant unto the said Persons, and every of them jointly and severally, our full and whole Power and Authority for us and our successors, to do, consent, and agree unto all and every such Acts, Ordinances, Decrees, and Things, which at the said Brotherhood, by the said Mayors, Jurats, and Commons of the said Cinque Ports and two ancient Towns there assembled, or the greatest part of them, shall be enacted, ordained, established, and decreed for the weal public of the said Cinque Ports, two ancient Towns, and their Members. And we do, for us and our successors, ratify and allow, and hold firm and stable, All and whatsoever the said persons before named, or the greatest or most part of the said Assembly shall, at or in the said Brotherhood, ordain, make, consent unto, or establish as aforesaid.-In witness, &c." (1)

"The persons thus returned, after they are set in their places, the Clerk of the House read first the Speaker's Letters, and the several commissions; he then called over the several persons named in the Commissions, and if any be defaulters, and not answer to their names, they are noted in order to be fined. But, if the Representatives of the greater part of all the Corporations appear, that is, four of the seven, and eight of the fourteen, they may proceed to either of the Courts. After the calling over the House, the Speaker makes a short speech to declare the occasion of their meeting, and then the other business proceeds; which, at the Brotherhood, was, first, the Report of the last Bailiffs to Yarmouth, who going to the bar, and standing uncovered, made relation of their proceedings, and upon well behaving themselves in their

(1) The Commission for the Guestling differs very little from this for the Brotherhood, the clause, touching the relation and admittance of the Yarmouth Bailiff, being wholly omitted.

office, received the thanks of the House; upon complaint and proof, fined. Then the Bailiff elect was called to the bar, and if nothing found to excuse them, were approved and took their places in the House. Other things, both here and at the Guestling, are brought into the House by Petition, or by Motion of some Member thereof; to which matter in question, every Person, Member of the House, hath liberty to speak his mind freely, as in the Parliament, and directs his speech always to the Speaker, who, after the matter is debated, puts it to the Vote, and, according to the Majority of Votes, is the matter concluded; and the Clerk of the House enters the Order and Decree of the House accordingly. Both these Courts are ancient, but especially that of the Brotherhood, under which name the Guestling of old was included; so that, as well when the Members sat with the Ports as not, it was called a Brodhall: but afterwards, much of the ordinary business being about the Bailiffs to Yarmouth, with whom the Members were not concerned, (they always being chosen out of the Ports and ancient Towns,) it was thought fit to spare the Members their usual attendance, till they were called or summoned ; whereupon as Guests invited, as aforesaid, they come to this Court of Guestling. But that the Ports, ancient Towns, and Corporate Members, did before sit together, under the name of a Brodhall, seems clear by the following order.

"These things to all men: that whereas the Tuesday in the first of St. Barnabas, the Apostle, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Richard the Second, King of England, in full Brodhall holden at Romney by the Mayors, Bailiffs, Jurats, and Commons there, by their common assent assembled, was read one Indenture in these words:

"These things to all that may see or hear this Writing indented: That whereas great debates being moved between the Barons of the Cinque Ports, and their Members, by reason of the Tollages, Assessments, and Payments, and divers other Charges and Costs, that have been amongst them; of which debates no certain allowance or amendment have been ordained nor made for the same in arrear, to the great damage

of them all concerned; the Tuesday next after the Feast of St. Dunstan, in the thirty-fifth Year of the reign of King Edward, the Son of King Henry, in full Court at Shepway, before the Lord Henry of Cobham, then Warden of the Cinque Ports, it is now covenanted and assented between them of goodwill, that all the said Dues before this Tuesday aforesaid, as more fully is contained in one Charter of Accompt between our said Lord the King, and the Barons of the Cinque Ports, may be levied by Portions; that is to say, the Port of Hasting, the third part; the Ports of Romney and Dover the third part, the Ports of Sandwich and Hythe the third part; so nevertheless, that all three the Payments, Assessments, and Tollages, and divers other Charges and Costs, which are to be granted or levied between them or by them, in what manner or in what form soever they be, or for what thing, that from this Tuesday forward may be levied, be levied by the Chattels and Moveables of these within the franchise of the Cinque Ports, so that every man bear his charge equally of that which he shall have sess by the said franchise of the Cinque Ports; save nevertheless, the costs to send into the service of our Lord the King, that is due to him in his war, of which service every Port is of right bound to a sum certain. And if any promise be made from this day forward, without assent of all those of the. Cinque Ports, that that promise be at the peril, as also the costs of him or them which shall make that promise. And if any Assessment or Payment, or other charges or costs from this day proved, come by their assent against the form of this Writing aforesaid, that that Tollage, Assessment, or Payment, be not to the prejudice of this Writing aforesaid, but that this Writing from henceforth be holden always in its force. In Witness whereof, we, the aforesaid Barons of the said Cinque Ports, that is to say, of Hasting, Winchelsea, Rye, Pevensea, Romney, Heth, Dover, Sandwich, Fordwich, and Feversham, for us, and for all our Members, have to this Writing indented, hung our common seals.

"Upon which, by good advice and deliberation of the Mayors, Bailiffs, Jurats, and Commonalities, aforesaid, it is readily accorded to endure from this day forward;

that is to say, that when any of the Mayors, Bailiffs, Jurats, and Commonalties, or single Person, of any of the Towns or Members of the Cinque Ports, be impeached or impleaded, impeach or implead any other denisen or foreigner. And in the said impeachment or plea moved of the one part or of the other, the debate or traverse be of any point or clause contained in their common charter, or of any point touching their common usages or franchises, there be forthwith a Brodhall assigned, at the request of the Town or Member, Commonalty or single Person, which may be grieved; at which Brodhall, every Town or Member, which of custom ought to come by summons, or Warning to the said Brodhall, shall assent to, shall incur the penalty of Twenty Pounds, besides the other duties, to be levied in the same manner as debt adjudged, at the suit of any party of the said Towns, or Members, against any other party dwelling in any other town, is to be levied. In witness whereof, we, the aforesaid Barons of Cinque Ports; that is to say Hastings, &c. &c."

"By this Order and the Records of the Courts, appeareth the authority and practice thereof, of raising money to defray the public charges; which, in the Brotherhood, is but one only, called Purses, settled by virtue of a decree made at a general Brodhall, holden at Romney the Tuesday next after the close of Easter, in the 10th year of King Henry VII. as follows:

"Hyt is ordeyned, for divers considerations movyng the Bretheryn at thys present Brodehill assembled, that every Meyre and Baillif of every Towne of the V Ports for the tyme beyng, pay at every general Brodhall, yerely here to be holden the Tewesday next after the close of Ester, for hym and hys Membres, a certayne Somme of Money unther wrytten, for the common Relief and aid of all the Portes and there Membres; that is to say,

"Hastyng and hys Membres

Wynchelse

Rie, for hym and hys Membre

xiii s. viii. d.

vis. viii. d.

X S.

Romeney; for hym and hys Membr xi s. viii. d.