A. D. 1429. Anno o&avo Henrici VI. C. 5. Ex Rot. in Turr. Lond. graundes damages & focilx deceites faitz par icell a le commune poeple foit tout outrement leflez fa qe lez lains fa I toutz maners dez chofes poifatlez achatez ou (venduz foient poi- fez par la balance . iffint qe. la lang; de ba- launce ;nencline a lune partie ne a lautre ovefqe poifes enfealez. fa accordantz a ieftandard de lefcheker et celuy ■ >q.i face le contrarie al da- mage del vendouriorface.au Roi la value d s biens enfi poifez ou mefurez et qe la partie compleignant ait fez damages an quatreble. Et par le dit eftatuit du dit Roi Richard addez foit qe le trefpaffour foit emprifone par deux ans fa face fyn fa raunceon a la volunte le Roi et qe les juftices. da pees aieht poair denquerer dez ditz defautes fibien al fuite de Roi come de partie Noftre Seigfiur le Roi par aurftorite' de cefte parlement ad ordine qe lez ditz efta- tuttz foient fermement tenuz fa gardez fa eftroit- ment executz. Et enoutre pur efchuer plufours graundes mef- chiefs qount avenuz deinz le dit Roialme par lez ditz auncelles et efpecialment pur deftruer la fauxetee de les regratours du file appellez Yernchoppers ordinez eft. par noftre dit Seignur le Roi fa par auflorite fuifdite qen chefcune citee burgh & ville du Roialme foit une com- mune balance ovec communes poifes enfealez fa accordantz a Ieftandard de lefcheqer fur la commune coftage du dite cite burgh ou ville en la garde- del mair ou conftables dicell as queux balaunces & communes poifes toutz les enheritantz de mefme la citee burgh ou ville qi nount tielx poifes fa autres qount fils "voii- ient puiffent franchement poifer fanz rien ent paier preignant nkntmeins dez foreins pur chef- cune trett dedeinz le pois de xl. li. i. qua' fa pur chefcun trett parerrtie xl. fa C. li. i. &b. fa pur chefcune trett parentre C. et A li, i. d. a. le pluis dont lez poifes ferront main tenuz & lofficer loialment poifluit regardez p.ir la difcre- tion des chiefs dicell citee bur.,.h ou ville fo- lonc fa entendance a la dtte occupation foit rl pluis ou meins. Et qe null homme achate file de laine appelle Wollenyern fil ne voet ent faire drap ne ufe pois ne mefure ne autre chofe en lieu de pois ou mefure qe ne foit enfealez fa accordant a le dit eftandard ne mette afcun chofe a icell par voie de pendure ou coverture ou en afcun autre maner qe puifle encrecer la mefure ou le pois ou etnpeiier la balaunce pur avoir fon naturell cours fur les forfaiture & peine defuifditz. Et qe les juftkes de pees mairs baillifs fa fenefchalx des fraunchifes aient poair par auctorite fuifdite dexaminer les tref- paflburs en ceo cas fa pur enquerer en efpe cial de toutz trefpaffours encountre ceft orii- nance fa a fair execution dieux qi fount tro- vez defe£lifs par enqueftes ou par examination affair par lez ditz juges ou officer en ceo cas en maner. come defuis eft dit. Et qe cefte ordinance foit tenuz fa obfervez de le feft de 543 ed, That the Weight called Auncel, for the great 1. c. ». uEJ. Hurt and fubtile Deceits done by the fame Meafure 3- c - S &f >- to the common People, fhall be utterly left, and fet "3 R ' -• ftat ' *• apart, (3) and the Woolls, and all other Manner of j' A 2 e , Merchandifes, and all other Things weighable, bought or fold, mall be weighed by the Balance, fo that the Tongue of the Balance do not incline more to the one Party than the other, with Weights fealed, and according to the Standard of the Exchequer ; (4) and he that doth contrary, to the Damage of the Seller, fhall forfeit to our Lord the King the Value • of the Goods fo weighed or meafured ; (5) and that the Party Complainant fhall have his quatreble Da- mages. (6) And by the faid Statute of the faid no- ble King Richard, it was added, That the Offender fhall be imprifoned by two Years, and make Fine and Ranfom at the Will of our Lord the King; (7) and that the Juftices of Peace fhould hive Power to inquire of the faid Defaults, as well at the Suit of our Lord the King, as the Parties;" ' (8) our Lord the King, by the Authority of this Parliament, hath ordained and eftabliflied, That the Statutes and Or- dinances aforefaid fhall be firmly kept and holden, and ftraitly executed.' ' II. And moreover, for to efchew divers great Mif- chiefs which have happened within the Realm of England by the faid Auncel, and efpecially for to deftroy the Falfhood of the Regrators of Yarn, cal- led Feme Choppers, (2) it is ordained by our faid Lord the King, by Authority aforefaid, That in everyEvery City, City, Borough, and Town of the Realm of Eng- Boroueh, and land, a common balance fhall be, v/ith common Town, ffla " Weights fealed, and according to the Standard of Baiance'and 10 " the Exchequer, upon the common Cofts of the faid Weights. City, Borough, or Town, in the keeping of the Mayor or Conftable 'of the fame; (3) at which Ba- lance and common Weight, all the Inhabitants of the fame' City, Borough, or Town, that have not fuch Weights, and other "that have, if they will, may freely weigh without any Thing paying; (4) taking neverthelefs of Foreigns for every Draught within the Weight of xl. li. a Farthing, and for every Draught betwixt Forty Pound and an Hundred Pound, an Halfpenny and fo? every Draught be- twixt an Hundred Pound and a Thoufand Pound, a Penny at the moft ; (5) whereof the Weights fhall be maintained, and the Officer lawfully weighing rewarded by $he Difcretion of the chief Men of the City, Borough, or Town, according to his Attend- ance to his faid Bufmefs, be it more or lefs. (6) No n,j an ^h And that no Man buy Yarn of Wooll, called Wool- buy Woollen len Yarn, unlefs he will make Cloth thereof, nor Yam, unlefs ufe Weight nor Meafure, nor other Thing in thej^ wi " m£k = Place of Weight or Meafure, that is not fealed ac-^, '^"™'^ cording to the faid Standard, nor fet any Thing to c . 2 g, ' ' the fame by the Way of Tacking or Hiding a , or in a g y way f any other Manner that may increafe the Meafure or hanging or co- Weight, or let the Balance to have his natural venng. Courfe, upon the Forfeiture and Penalty aforefaid. (7 And that the Juftices of Feace, Mayors, Bailiffs, and Stewards of Fran. hifes, have Power by Autho- rity aforefaid to examine the Trefpahers in this Cafe, and to inquire in efpecial of Offenders againft this Ordinance, and to do Execution of them that be found faulty by Inquefts, or by Examination to be made by the faid Judges or Officers in this Cafe, in the Manner as afore is faid. (8) And that this Or- ' dinance
