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1

PROCLAMATIONS OF NICHOLAS BREMBRE

2

I

3

PROCLAMACIO DE CONGREGACIONIBUS CONUENTICLIS &
4CONSPIRACIONIBUS NON FACIENDIS.

5

DATE: 1383-4

6
7    The Mair, shirreues and aldermen and alle other wyse, wyth
8hem that habbeth the gouernaille of the Citee vnder oure lige
9lord the kyng by vertue of the chartre of oure franchise,
10Comaundeth on the kynges bihalf and on hire owene also that
11no man make none congregaciouns, conuenticules, ne assembles
12of poeple in priue nen apert, Ne no more craftes than other
13men, with-oute leue of the Mair; Ne ouermore in none manere
14ne make alliances, confederacies, conspiracies, ne obligaciouns
15for to bynde men to-gidre, for to susteyne eny quereles in
16lyuyngge and deyengge to-gidre, vpon peyne of enpresonement

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17vche man that is yfounde in swych defaute, and his bodi at the
18kyngges wille, and forfaiture of al that he may forfaite a-yens
19oure lord the kyng as wel in tenementz as in catel; and ouermore
20the Mair, shirreues and aldermen willeth & graunteth
21power to euery fre man of the Citee, as wel as to officers, that
22yef eny man of hem may aspie eny swich congregaciouns or
23couynes, in gaderyng or ygadred, to areste hem & eche persone
24of hem, and brynge hem als blyue to fore the Mair, yef he is at
25leiser, or elles to Neugate in to tyme that the Mayr may attende
26ther-to.

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27

II

28

ALIA PROCLAMACIO DE EXTRANEIS VITALLARIIS UENIENDIS
29& UENDENDIS ABSQUE IMPEDIMENTO PISCES SUOS.

30

DATE: 1383-4.

31
32    For as moche as rumour and spekyngge is amonges some
33men of the Citee that vitaillers foreins, bringyngge fissh to the
34Citee of london to selle, shulde be restrained and ylet of hire
35comyngge to the citee wyth hire forsaid fissh to selle it freliche,
36which thyng nas neuer the Maires wille ne the aldermens ne hire
37entente, as semeth openlich in dede, but that alle swiche vitaillers
38foreins, that bryngeth fissh or other vitailles to the same Citee to
39selle, mowe come and selle hire forseid fissh and vitailles to the
40comunes of the same Citee, to lordes, and to alle other, thedir
41repeiryng freliche withoute destourbaunce or lettyng of eny man
42in priue or apiert, Wherfore the Mair and aldermen comandeth
43on the kyngges half and on hire owene half also that no man of
44what condicioun or degre that he be, priue ne straunge, withynne
45the franchise of the Cite ne with-oute, ne destourbe, lette
46ne greue in dede ne in word ne in non other manere no maner
47straunge vitailler bryngynge fissh or eny other vitaille by land

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48or by water to the Citee to selle, wher-by eny swych vitailler
49straunger be destourbed that he ne mowe nought selle his fissh
50or other vitaille freliche to whom he mowe, vp-on peyne of
51enprisonement at the Maires wille and forfaiture of al that he
52may forfaite a-yens the kyng. And also that no denzeins ne
53non other ne bigge no manere fissh ne other vitailles for to selle
54a-yen for-to ten of the clokke be smyte, vp-on peyne forsaid.
55And yef eny man fynt hym y-greued in eny poynt forsaid, come
56and pleyne hym to the Mair and aldermen and he shal haue
57right and resoun.

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58

III

59

DATE: 1383-44.

60
61    The mair and aldermen comandeth, as wel for oure lord the
62kyng As for hemselue, that no man, of what astat or condicioun
63that he be, be y-founde goyngge or walkyngge with-ynne the
64Citee, ne with-ynne the fraunchise of the same Citee, by nyghte
65after ix of the clokke be y-smyte, vp-on payne of al that hij
66mowe forfaite a-yens oure lord the kyng and a-yens the Citee in
67body or in godes, outtake the Mair & his ministres and hij that
68haueth leue in special by the Mair; and yef eny other be yfounde
69that he be arest als so swithe and y-lad to prisone bi whom þat
70he be yfounde.

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71

VII

72

PROCLAMACIO UERSUS ABROCATORES.

73

DATE: 1418-19?

74
75    For as moche as here be-fore the Cite of London hatht had,
76ant yet is lykly to haue, but it be the sonner remedied, gret
77Mischiefs, sclaundres, and harmes thorugh the gret disceyt and
78falsnesse of Brokours, which, for drede of god ne shame of þe
79world, cesen nat, but thaym fro day to day peyne and afforcen
80vnder colour of Brocage to manteigne þe orrible vices of vsure
81and fals cheuisauns, be which vices is nat oonly this Cite
82sclaundred, but many worþi men vtterluy distroyed, and þe good
83fourme and Cours of Merchaundise poynt to be perisshed for
84euer, as god for-bede; Therfor þe Mair and Aldermen, with
85thassent of þe comunes of this Cite, to þe worschip of god
86principalliche, for amendement and releuacion of the people.
87and in eschuyng alle þe mischiefs, sclaundres, harmes, and falsnesses
88abouesayd, haue ordeined and stablisshed, and by this
89crye þerof don make notice to alle maner men, þat no maner

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90persone, fre ne forein, be so hardy betuene þis and mighelmasse
91þat next cometh to make, medle, or consent in any wyse, priue
92or appert, with any maner of brocage with-inne þis Cite, vp
93peyne of inprisonement of ther bodyes tuelfmoneth and a day,
94and makyng fyn to þe Chaumber after discrecion of the Mair
95and Aldermen, what þat euer he be þat may be founde or
96atteint in any wyse in þe contraire. And morouer þe forsaid
97Mair, Aldremen & Communs han ordeigned and stablisshed, and
98by this proclamacion laten al men to wete, that what maner
99man can aspie any maner persoune meke, medle, or consent in
100any wyse with any maner of brocage with-inne þis Cite, ayeins
101þe ordeignaunce abouesayd, lat hym make relacion þer-of to þe
102Mair, or þe Chaumberleyn of þis Citee, and he shal haue þe
103fourthe part of þe fyn þat þe trespasour on this behalue shal
104make.

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105

IX

106

PROCLAMACIOUN OF ROMENEY & ÞORDINAUNCE THEROF.

107

DATE: RILEY GIVES DATE 1419.

108
109    For as moch as many gret now-a-dayes, And long tyme
110hertofore, bothe englisshmen & Aliens, in comone harme of
111alle the Peple and gret sclaundre of þis Citee, naught charginge
112her owne vntrouþe & disceyt, daylych vsyn within þis Citee
113þair wyne of spayne, Rochell & oþer remenauntz of brokyn,
114sodyn, reboyllid, and vnthrifty wynes of oþer Contrees, whan þei
115are feblyd in colour & noght in value, to put yn diuers buttys
116and oþir vessels þat are here rasyd and gummyd with picche,
117code, & oþir horrible & vnholsome þinges, for to reduce and
118bryng ayen, in disceyte of þe peple, a plesaunt colour to þe sight,
119and a lykly manere drynkyng of Romeney to þe smell and tast.
120And noght only for exclusion & puttyng a-wey of þis opyn
121& sclaunderouse deseyt, here with-yn þis Citee late practisid
122and bygonne, but also for þe redy remevyng of grete multitude
123of such wynes, deceyuablych contrefetyd and medlid on
124þe other syde of þe see, and broght hydir to selle, The
125peticion of þe Comons hath oftyn here-to-for requirid a
126couenable remedie; wherfor þe Mair & Aldirmen, þat now
127are, be good deliberacion & assent of þe Comons, knowyng
128wele þat al þe grete multitude of wynes þat are clepid
129'Romeneyes' wiþ-in this Citee are but contrefetid of spaynissh
130wyne and Rochell & oþer remenauntz of wyne forseyd, albeit
131þat in colour & tast, be the deseyuable menys forseysforseyd, it semith
132oþer, willyng also the stable amendement of þe deceyt & fals
133contrefetyng and vntrewe medlyng forsayd, and þat eche wyne
134be sold hole in his degre & kynd as he growith, han ordeynid
135& establisshyd þat no man, with-yn þis Citee or þe liberte þerof,
136fro this day forward, selle a galon of þe best such wyne contrefetid,

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137that þei calle 'Romeney', no derrer þan vjd., on peyne of
138forfaiture of al þe vessell and wyn, wherof he sellith oght in þe
139contrarie. And also þat fro this day forward no man, with-yn
140þis Citee ne þe liberte þer-of, fre ne forein, coloure ne medle no
141manere wyn, þat is to sey no white wiþ rede, old with newe,
142hole with brokyn or corrupt, Rochel with Renyssh, ne none
143oþere wyne of diuers kyndes ne growynges to-gidir, but selle
144hem hole & trewe, evyn as þei growyn, vp peyne of Juysse of þe
145pillorye as oft as he may be conuict in þe contraire. And also
146þat no Couper ne none othir man, with-yn þe fraunchise of þis
147Citee, be so hardy, fro þis day forward, in his owne persone or
148by his seruaunt, to gumme, rase, bynde, setynhede, or in eny
149oþer wyse contrefete, or medle with þe vndewe makyng or
150contrefetyng of, ony manere wyn, vp peyne of the same
151Juysse of pyllory to have as oft as he is lawfully conuict or
152atteynt þer-of. And more-ouere, for þaccomplissement of
153sikerer holdyng and continuaunce of þis ordeynaunce, the Mair
154and Aldermen haue ordeynid þat euery man, of what degre,
155astate, or condicion þat he be, þat can aspye or enfourme þe
156Chamberleyn of þis Citee of eny persone þat in ony wise sellith
157ony romeneyes or eny oþer wynes, or hem medlith or colourith
158in eny wyse, a-yens þe manere and fourme aboue expressid, shal
159have þe thrid parte of þe forfaiture þerof demyd for his labour.