quity and splendor of the Worshipful Company of Drapers. It is enough to say that the honour of your corporation extends as far as trade can reach, or canvass wings can carry it; and from this little island visits only those nations of the world that there is sea to travel to. As for your first original, Drapery is unquestionably so ancient as to have the honour of being the immediate successor of the Fig-leaves. And though we are not certain that our great First Father began it within his fair Eden, yet we are assured that Eve's spinstry and Adam's spade set to work together. And as to any poetrical harangue to the Drapers' encomium, let it suffice that whilst there are Verdant Plains and Bleating Flocks, those innocent panagerists will do you more justice, and speak much better than any weak flourishes from the pen of," &c.

The CONSTITUTION of this company is contained in the charters which have been noticed. The first, 38 Edward III., allows them as "Free Drapers of the City of London," to elect yearly four persons of their own mystery, who shall be sworn twice a year before the mayor, to oversee that no default or deceit is practised in the manufactures of the said mystery, and to rule and govern the said Mystery of Drapery in the said city, for the common profit of the people, and the due punishment of those in whom defaults shall be found, according to the advice and discretion of the said four persons, by the assistance of the mayor and sheriffs, if need be, which mayor and sheriffs the charter ordains shall be overseers [intendants] of the said four persons, when it shall be required of them. And it empowers the said four persons who shall be so elected and sworn, to administer oaths to all who shall be admitted into the said Mystery of Drapery in the said city, that the exercise, and whatsoever appertains to the said mystery, may be carried on well and lawfully, and without fraud, covin, or crafty practices.

The charter, 17 Henry VI., empowers the drapers within the said city "one gild or fraternity in honor of the blessed virgin Mary from among the men of the said mystery, to found, erect, and establish, and to hold and enjoy the same to them and their perpetual successors for all times to come;" and that they may increase and augment the same at pleasure. It appoints a master, in addition to the former number of wardens, allowing "the men of the same fraternity to elect yearly from among themselves one master and four wardens, who at the time of their election shall be drapers and freemen of the city aforesaid, to support as well the burthen of the business of the said fraternity, as to overlook and

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govern the same and all the men and affairs thereof for ever." And it constitutes the said master and wardens, and brothers and sisters of the said fraternity, in deed and name one body, and one perpetual community, with perpetual succession, and a common seal; grants them legal capability to purchase in fee and perpetuity lands, tenements, rents, and other possessions whatsoever, and from whomsoever persons; and that they and their successors, by the name of "Master and Wardens of the Gild or Fraternity of the blessed Mary of Drapers of London; may plead and be impleaded before whomsoever judges in court, and in whatsoever actions."

The charter 6 Edward IV. recites and confirms, by Inspeximus, the charter 17 Henry VI., empowering the company further to claim, hold, and dispose of lands, tenements, rents, and other possessions whatsoever, to the value of 201. per annum, to hold of the king in chief, or of other persons, or in any otherwise whatsoever; for which the company engage, in return, to establish and maintain two chaplains, to pray for the good estate of the said King Edward, and of Elizabeth, his queen, for the wholesome government of the said Fraternity of Drapers, and the brothers and sisters thereof, whilst living, and for their souls when dead; as also for the souls of the king's late father, Richard duke of York; Edmund earl of Rutland, brother to the said king Edward; the earl of Salisbury, the king's kinsman; and Sir John Neville, knt., son to the said earl.

The charters of Philip and Mary, and queen Elizabeth, are Inspeximuses, which merely recite and confirm the charters 17 Henry VI. and 6 Edward IV., but make no additions.

The charter 4 James I. ordains, that all and singular the freemen of the Mystery of Drapers of London shall be one body corporate and politic in deed, fact, and name, by the name of "The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Gild or Fraternity of the blessed Virgin Mary of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London." That they shall have perpetual succession, liberty to hold lands, &c., to sue and be sued, and to have a common seal, as also a common hall and council house. It allows the said master and wardens, brothers and sisters, and their successors, to elect yearly five of the said fraternity, in manner in the said charter mentioned, one whereof so chosen shall be, and shall be named the master of the said fraternity, and the other four be and be named wardens. It appoints and names a court of thirty-one assistants, to be from time to time aiding and assisting to the master and

wardens for the time being, in all causes, matters, business, and things touching the said master and wardens and fraternity; and appoints Robert Thomas, a freeman of the said fraternity to be the first master under the said charter, and four other persons named to be wardens, who are to continue in their offices till the first Monday in the month of August, then next following, and thenceforward until there shall be a new election, according to the ordinances and provisions of the said charter. The master, wardens, and assistants, to the number of twelve or more (all of whom then and for ever afterwards are to be only such as have previously served master or warden) are empowered yearly, on the first Monday in August, to elect one freeman of the company to be master for one whole year then next following, and four other freemen to be the wardens for the same term. The said master and wardens so elected, or two of them, are empowered to call courts of the said master, wardens, and assistants, to the number of twelve or more (of which twelve the said master and wardens are always to be reckoned five) to consult and advise about the affairs of the fraternity and mystery, and the good rule, state, and government of the same, and to make reasonable by-laws and ordinances in writing, according to their discretion, for the correction of the master and wardens, and brothers and sisters of the said fraternity, and of all other persons being free of the Mystery of Drapers of London; and may direct in what manner they shall behave and manage for the greater good of the whole, and have power to enjoin and enforce pains and penalties for breech thereof. The master and wardens are to be sworn previously to admission, to well and faithfully execute their offices agreeably to the form of oath made in the 1st year of Elizabeth. The past master and wardens are immediately, on quitting office, to be on the court, and they and the other assistants to continue for life, without reasonable cause to the contrary. The master and wardens are to have power to administer oaths to all the fraternities' officers, apprentices, and members, to faithfully discharge their duties, as thentofore accustomed,-to have power to purchase, to them and their successors for ever, manors, lands, tenements, rents, tithes, and hereditaments to the yearly value of 2001., and to grant, sell, or alien the same,-to have right of search in all shops, cellars, booths, or other places where cloths are sold, or the art of drapery exercised, and to have liberty to measure by a sealed standard, according to the statute, all yards, ells, godes, and other measures whatever, for measuring cloth; to seize and carry away those that

are defective; and also to levy besides, by distress, certain fines, named, and to distribute the same to the poor of the fraternity. The charter confirms all former grants and privileges. To hold, etc. rendering to the crown, as had been accustomed.

THE GOVERNMENT of the company, pursuant to the above charter of James I., is vested in a master, four wardens, and a court of assistants, subject to the same charter, and to their ordinances.* The master, wardens, and assistants are called the "court;" the other members, the "commonalty." The two, constitute the "body corporate," or company. They are variously styled in their charters and records: before Henry VI., "Les Drapiers de London; Hommes de Mestier de Draparie; Les Hommes enfranchiez en la Mestier de Draperie de London; and Majistror' et gardianor' Pamnarior:" afterwards, "The Freemen of the Mystery of Drapers, and the Master, Wardens, Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the blessed Virgin Mary of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London." Their modern style is, "The Worshipful Company of Drapers of the City of London." The drapers have four sets of ordinances, respectively, dated 6 Henry IV., 19 Henry VII., 35 Henry VIII., and 5 James I. The first set are the groundwork of all the rest. They consist of fifty-one points or articles, stated, in a memorandum attached, (of the date 1503,) to have been published "in the reign of Henry IV., in the mayoralty of John Hend, A.D. 1405, and 120 years past since we first enjoyed Blakewell Hall," and are preceded by the following curious prologue:

Assistants are not mentioned by name, till the 6 Edward VI., but existed long before, under the denomination of the "Counsell of the Craft." The company also appointed, at the same time, yearly auditors. Both will be found mentioned in the following (amongst numerous other) entries.

1481. "For a galon of Osey, yt tyme being here Maist Drope, Mr. Stalbroke, Syr Willam Stockker, maist"; Sr John Stokker, my maisters the wardens, and ye Councell of the craft."

1486. "For a potell of Claret wyne, and for a potell white wine, fetched at John Gylles, for my maisters, th' aldermen, and for the Councell of the craft."

1497. A fine of 40s. returned to Sir William Capell, "by assent of the Councell."

1514-15. Twenty-five persons, whose names are enumerated, are said to have been "affermed by Maist John Mylborn, alderman, maior, and maister, and the iiij. wardens," to be "of the Counsell of this hous," and who paid, collectively, for their fees on the occasion, 251.

1516. "The psons of the Counsell” are enumerated, and with four "bachilloures" are said to form the court this year.

Entries of the accounts being audited by "three Auditors," occur in 1491 and afterwards.

1521-79. The Council for the year are named by the master and wardens. They consist of 26, and the "iiij. masters, Bachillers," making 30, or with the master and 4 wardens, 35.

"In the worship of God and of his Blessed Moder, and of all the holy Company of Hevyn. For to abate rancor, and more hyghtly to encrease Charitie, and to maynteyne love-All the worshipful Felishipp of the Drapers of ye Cite of London, gadered and assembled in JOHN HENDE'S HALL, in Seynt Swythyne's lane, of London, the xj. day of Juyn, the zer of Grace, м.CCCC. and v., and in the reyne of Kyng Henry the Fourthe, aftyr yo conquest the Syxt, in the tyme of John Gedney, John Fenyll, Walter Frebarne, and William Forster, maysters and wardens of the same Felishipp, to oversye the poyntes and articles ordeyned of old tyme of ther Fraternite, which began in the zer of Grace, M.CCCXxxij [an° vjto E. T'cij.]; and with good deliberacon avy sed on hem,-So yat those thei thought resonabil and profitable thei confermed: The whiche poy'tes, with othir, ben wretyn in this booke, Praying all the' yat aftyr yem schall come in the forseid Felishepp, the same poyntes and articles to examine; and yf th'yther thinke by her wyttes y any poynt may be amended the same to do there by her good diligens, by anedytinge [incorporating] of the olde wyth puttyng to of newe, such as they schall thinke to encrese worshypp to God and profyht to all the forseyd Felysshyppe."

The "Points" or articles relate, as in the case of the Grocers' and other Companies already spoken of,-to their GOVERNMENT, or to their DRESS and OBSERVANCES, -and include under both divisions similar regulations and customs, but somewhat varied, from difference of trade and other circumstances. We shall notice the principal of them (introducing appropriate examples of their operation) under the heads, "Choosing of officers; Apprenticeships; Admissions of members; Business negotiations; Keeping the secrets of the craft; Relief of decayed brethren; Penalties for defaults; Matters of domestic management; Dress, or livery; Election ceremonies; Funerals and obits, and State and Civic triumphs." The minor points are in part enumerated in the note (*).

They are headed: "That no brother take no seruaunt, hous, ne shoppe fro' his brother;" any brother finding himself grieved, to complain first to the wardens; "where the mayster and the app'tice mowe not accorde;" to bring every app'ntice before the master to be enrolled; "to p'sent before ye wards every apprtice aft his t'me to be enrolled; that the wards evy zere yeve up the accounts; for the salarye of the bedil; that no wardens do wryte in ye book

but ordinances; that evy warda do rede this book afore all ye company; that no wardas bere out nor deliur no bookes of ordina'coes; no persons to be admitted into the hall at ye Feast;" if any bargain or buy of another, to pay at quarterday; no brother to be broker between friend and friend, etc.

The book in which these, and the ordinances, 19 Henry VII., are written, is a thin folio of vellum, containing sixty leaves, or one hundred and twenty pages, in which are various other inter