In case the Vendor of any such Lands, &c. shall not be able to make a good Title to the satisfaction of Commissioners, said Commissioners may order the purchase money to be paid into the Bank in the name of the said Accountant General, to be disposed of as said Court shall direct. (25.)

Where any question shall arise touching the Title to any Money, to be paid into the Bank as aforesaid, the person who shall have been in possession of the Lands, &c. at the time of such purchase as aforesaid, shall be deemed entitled thereto, until the contrary be shewn to the satisfaction of the Court. (26.)

Where, by reason of any disability of the person entitled to any Lands, &c. to be purchased under this Act, the purchase money shall be paid into Court, to be applied in the purchase of other Lands, &c., to be settled to the like uses; said Court may order the expences of all purchases to be paid by Commissioners, out of Monies received by virtue of the Act. (26.) Indentures of Bargain and Sale executed in the presence of, and attested by two witnesses, and inrolled in the Court of Chancery within six months, shall have the force of fines and recoveries. (27.)

Commissioners may cause the name of each street, &c. to be placed at the end or corner thereof, and all houses to be numbered, and any person destroying or defacing such number or name, shall forfeit not exceeding 40s. (27.)

Commissioners may cause such new Sewers, &c. to be made in, along, or across any of the Streets, &c., and widen, alter, or cleanse same, as they think necessary, and purchase ground for enlarging such Sewers, &c. (2S.)

All private Drains which empty themselves into any of the said Roads, &c, or into a public Sewer, shall be cleansed, and such new Drains, &c., as Commissioners shall deem necessary, shall be made at the costs of the owner or occupier of the Premises. (28.)

Commissioners may provide Lamps, and cause same to be properly lighted, and any person wilfully damaging same, shall, on conviction before one Justice of the Peace, forfeit not exceeding £5. and make full satisfaction for the damage done, or in default thereof, shall be committed to the House of Correction to hard labour for any time not exceeding three months; and in case of accidental damage, one Justice may order that satisfaction be made, and in default, the sum awarded shall be levied by Distress. (29.)

Commissioners may agree with any person for paving, repairing, or improving any of the Roads, &c. and for providing and lighting Lamps. (31.)

All Contracts entered into by Commissioners shall be binding upon all parties, and Actions may be maintained thereon. (31.)

Commissioners may appoint Watchmen and Beadles, and provide proper places for their reception, and make Orders and Regulations for their Direction and Government. (32.)

Any Watchman and Beadle neglecting his duty, shall forfeit not exceeding 40s.; and if Commissioners think proper, be immediately discharged. (33.)

If any Publican, or other person selling Liquors, entertain any Watchman during the time appointed for him to be on duty, he shall forfeit for the first offence not exceeding 20s.; for the second, not exceeding 40s.; and for the third and every other, not exceeding £5. (33.)

Commissioners may cause said Streets, &c. to be watered as often as they shall think fit, and Wells to be sunk, and Pumps erected for that purpose. (33.)

Any person obstructing any of the Commissioners, or persons employed by them, in the performance of their duty, shall forfeit not exceeding 40s. (33.)

The Expences of putting the Act into execution shall be defrayed by the Tenants or Occupiers of the Lands, Houses, &c. within the Borough; and Commissioners shall once in every year, or oftener, if they think necessary, make Rates or Assessments, to be signed by five or more of them, upon such Tenants or Occupiers, in the same proportion as they shall be rated for the time being, towards the relief of the Poor, so as the money to be so raised do not exceed in any one year 3s. in the pound on such Rates; and if any Tenant or Occupier shall refuse to pay his proportion for the space of ten days after demand, same may be levied and recovered by Distress, by Warrant of one Justice of the Peace. (35.)

Commissioners may, if they deem it necessary, make a higher rate, so that same shall not exceed two-thirds of the actual annual value or rack rent of the several Lands, &c. on which the same is to be levied, and the Rate or Assessment so made, shall not exceed in one year 3s. in the pound upon such higher rate. (35.)

No person assessed to the Poor Rate at less than 40s. shall be liable to pay any Rate under this Act, except that Commissioners, if they think proper, may assess such last mentioned person to any Rate, to a sum not exceeding two-thirds of the actual annual value or rack rent of the premises in his occupation. (35.)

Where any person shall quit any Land, &c. which shall be rated, he shall be liable to pay such rates in proportion to the time he occupied same; and where any person shall occupy any such Land, &c. from which any other person who shall have been rated for same shall be removed, or which at the time of making such Rate was unoccupied, same shall be liable to such Rate in proportion to the time of his occupation. (37.)

Every Landlord or Tenant who shall let his House in separate Apartments, or ready Furnished, for less than a year, shall be rated as occupier thereof. (37.)

All Occupiers of any Lands, &c. and persons keeping any Wheel Carriage, Team, &c. shall be discharged from the Statute Duty, or labour upon Highways in the Borough. (37.)

Commissioners may borrow at Interest any sum not exceeding 2100, upon the Credit of the Rates, and assign said Rates as a Security, such Assignment to be in the words prescribed. (37.)

Copies of every such Mortgage shall be entered in a Book kept for the purpose, to be inspected without fee, by the Mortgagee and persons rated, and such Mortgagee may transfer his Interest, by Indorsement on Security, in the words prescribed. (38.)

Which Transfer shall be produced to the Clerk within two months after date, who shall enter same, for which he shall be paid 5s.

All Mortgagees shall be Creditors in equal degree and without preference in respect of priority of date

All Monies received shall be applied in defraying the Expences of procuring the Act, and in the next place in discharging Monies borrowed and Interest thereof, and defraying the necessary expences of carrying the Act into execution.

The Interest of the Money so borrowed shall be paid with one-twentieth part of the Principal, by half-yearly payments. (39.)

Any person having an Order of Commissioners, may inspect the Poor Rates without fee; and any person having the custody thereof, and not permitting such inspection, shall forfeit for the first offence, 40s. ; for the second, £5.; and for the third and every other, £10. (40.)

Persons thinking themselves aggrieved by any Rate or thing done in pursuance of this Act, shall apply for relief to Commissioners, at a Meeting within one month, and may appeal from their decision to the next General Quarter Sessions. On such appeal, the Justices may amend, without quashing or altering same, with respect to other persons, but if necessary to set it aside, they may order a new Rate. (41.)

m

All Penalties, the manner of levying whereof is not otherwise directed, shall be recovered by Distress and Sale of the Offender's Goods, by Warrant of one Justice of the Peace, and be applied towards the purposes of the Act. (42.)

In all actions, &c. relating to the execution of this Act, no Inhabitant shall be deemed incompetent to give Evidence, by reason of being such Inhabitant, or of being rated.

Any person summoned as a Witness to give evidence before Commissioners, or Justice of the Peace, or an appeal to the Quarter Sessions, neglecting to appear, or refusing to be examined on Oath, shall forfeit not exceeding 10.

Distress shall not be deemed unlawful for defect of form, nor shall any party be deemed a trespasser ab initio on account of subsequent irregularity; but persons aggrieved may recover satisfaction for special damage in Action upon the Case. (43.) No Order, Verdict, Assessment, Judgment, or other proceeding, touching any of the matters aforesaid, shall be quashed for want of form only, or be removed into any of the Courts at Westminster. (44.)

No Action shall be commenced for any thing done in pursuance of this Act, after three months after the fact committed. Commissioners may pay such Rewards to persons discovering, apprehending, or convicting Offenders against this Act, as they shall see proper. (45.)

Nothing in this Act contained, shall affect the rights and privileges of the Lords of the Borough, or the rights of the Constables, for the time being.

That the Act shall be deemed a Public Act.

VII.

A Translation of the Popish Legend of St. Pancras, in the Harleian Library, in the British Museum. No. 624, 18.

The Passion of St. Pancras the Martyr, begins the 4th Ides of May. In these wicked times, under the most wicked Emperors Dioclesian and Maximian, when there was a persecution against the Christians, in order to silence them, it hap pened thus:-Pancratius was the son of Cleonius, a nobleman of Phrygia, and of Cyria his wife. At the time of his death, he recommended his son to the care of his uncle Dionisius, adjuring him by the Almighty God, and by his own great virtue, that he should see his son had possession of all his patrimony and effects whatsoever, either there or at Rome, that no detestable avarice should induce him to invade his Nephew's property, but that he should behave to him most piously in all things, as a worthy uncle. It so happened, that Pancras began to love and esteem him, as a most dear brother. After three years they went to Rome, and when they had stayed there sometime, they went with their family, to live upon their own manors and possessions on Mount Celius, in the island Camiliana; and because of the great persecutions against the Christians, a certain Roman Father named Cornelius, had withdrawn himself to the village of Dionisius and Pancras. When Dionisius heard of the great virtues and general good, which Cornelius the Roman Father had done, and that he had brought the people from the worship of Idols, into the right way, and to life eternal, both Dionisius and his nephew Pancras, were very desirous of his acquaintance. They came therefore to the seat of St. Cornelius, to whom came forth Eusebius the door-keeper, a holy man; they requested that they might be thought worthy of his master's acquaintance; Eusebius then went in to St. Cornelius the Bishop, saying to him, Lord Father, there are certain Noble Gentlemen at your door, whom I know not, and who request the favour to enter into your blessedness. At this the blessed Father Cornelius began to be filled with great joy, and kneeling down to prayers, he said, ‘→ Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, I give thee thanks who hast thought me the least of thy servants, worthy to reveal thy hope within me.' And he forthwith commanded them to be brought in to him. When they were introduced, both Dionisius and Pancras, threw themselves at the feet of Cornelius, and began to request they might be thought worthy to enter into such a house: he returned their salutation, and lifting them up, began to embrace them, declaring to them, and instructing them in, all divine and heavenly things: and making them Christians, he baptized them after twenty days, so that they began to be in the fear of the Lord, insomuch that they wittingly gave umbrage to the persecutors. After a few days Dionisius went to his own house with heavenly rewards, dear and worthy to God. And when the Pagans began to rage against the Christians, they cried out against them vehemently, saying, Most worthy and pious Emperors, take away from this city, the bewitched and ungovernable Christians, by whom the whole World and a.! our Empire is deluded.'

Dioclesian then, in great wrath issued a law, that if any of this Sect should be found, he should be punished without a hearing, under which law Pancras was apprehended. And when the Persecutors who had him in custody were told he was a Nobleman born, they acquainted the Emperor Dioclesian therewith, who commanded him to be immediately brought to his Palace. When Dioclesian had seen him, he was amazed, saying, 'What, will such an infant persist to die for Christ!' And Dioclesian thus spoke to him, 'Let me persuade thee, O youth! to avoid a shameful death, because thy age is not more than fifteen, and because thou art of noble blood, from thy father, Cleonius, who was most beloved by and dear to me; and it is my pleasure to force thee to recede from this madness of the Christians, and to restore thee to the religion of thy ancestors, whereby I will make thee still greater and richer, and take thee to my Court, and treat thee as a son: but if thou resist these my pious intentions, I will command thee to be slain and thy body to be burnt, nor perhaps shall the Christians come and make a martyr of thee amongst themselves. To whom the blessed Pancras thus said, Lord Emperor, I would not err in vain: what, though I seem a boy of fifteen years, dost thou believe me to have the less knowledge or sense? The Lord Jesus Christ be praised for giving us such understanding, that all the terrors of Princes, and judgments of men, are no more to us than that picture which we see there. Thy Gods and Goddesses whom thou exhortest me to worship are deceiving Demons, who were unknown to their parents, and whose kindred have filthily polluted them. I wonder, O Emperor, that it doth not seem a deformity to thee to worship such Demons, for if thou shouldst this day discover that thy own servants were like them, thou wouldst order them to be slain unheard, according to thy custom.' The Emperor Dioclesian then commanded him to be carried forth to the Aurelian way, and there beheaded, for that he had been so shamefully overcome by such a boy. His body was stolen away in the dead of night by Octavilla, and wrapped in fine linen cloths, embalmed with costly spices, and buried in a new Sepulchre, the fourth Ides of May.

The End of the Passion of St. Pancras, the Martyr.
Finis.

of Ralph, Bishop of Chichester, to the Priory 260
of Seffred

45, 46

ditto
(appen.) III. xxxii

200, 202

260-263

199

2, 59

10-14

45

59

185, 187, 189, 203, 201
195
193, 206, 208, 310,
211, 213, 222, 226, 227

208

210

214

216