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Cooper.

If he make his ware of unseasoned wood.

If he do not make it of due assize, viz. The barrel thirty-six gallons

of beer, and of ale or soap thirty-two.

The kilderkins after the same proportion.
The firkins after the same proportion.

If he do not set his mark upon it.

Tile-maker.

If he do not dig his earth before the first of November, and turn it over before the first of February, and turn it again before the first of March, and then try and tue it from stones.

If he make his tile of less assize than ten inches and an half long, and six inches and a quarter broad; and gutter-tile ten inches long, and ridge-tile fourteen inches long, and half an inch and a quarter thick.

And so I have done with the offences of this kind, which are against publick justice; and now I come to those which are against the publick plenty of the stores of food and provision for the people, and are therefore in these hard and dear times to be most carefully prevented, if it may be, at least by such ways as the law directs.

Touching the plenty of the country, and the disorders by victuallers.

In general, whatsoever tends to inhance the price of victuals for unlawful increasing particular men's profits by it, this is an offence against the plenty of it; and therefore,

If any do buy any sort of victuals as it is coming to a market or fair, either by water or land, it is fore-stalling.

If any buy victuals in a market, and sell it again within four miles, it is regrating.

If any buy any dead victuals, or corn growing upon the ground, with intent to sell it again, it is ingrossing.

Ifany victuallers conspire to sell their victuals at unreasonable prices. If any victuallers sell any unwholesome victuals.

If any buy corn, having sufficient for his house-provision for a year, and do not the same day bring so much other corn to the market to be sold.

If any drover or other buy cattel, and sell them again alive, within five weeks.

If any person take upon him to be a badger of corn, not being lawfully licensed by four justices of peace.

If any buy butter or cheese in gross, and sell it again in gross, or by retail out of an open shop.

If any forbear to rear calves yearly, viz. one calf for every two kine, or every three-score sheep he keeps; or do not keep a milched cow for every three-score sheep.

If any transport sheep, corn, butter, or cheese beyond sea.

If any keep above two-thousand sheep at once.

If any destroy wild-fowls eggs, or take wild-fowl between the last of May and the last of August.

If any hawk in standing corn.

If any, not qualified, keep dogs, ferrets, nets, or engines, to take bares, conies, pheasants, or partridges.

If any trace hares in the snow.

If any take or kill pheasants or partridges with engines, nets, or snares, or by shooting in guns.

If any shoot hail-shot in guns.

If any do unlawfully hunt or kill deer, or conies, in a park or warren. If any sell pheasants, partridges, or hares.

Alehouse-keepers.

If any alehouse-keeper keep an alehouse, not being licensed thereunto. If they sell less than a quart a penny the best, and two quarts a penny of the worse sort.

If they suffer unlawful tippling or drinking, games, tables, cards, or dice in their houses.

If inn-keepers do not sell their hay and oats at reasonable prices.
If tavern-keepers suffer people to sit tippling in their houses.

If any person continue tippling and drinking in taverns, inns, or alehouses.

If any person be drunk.

Bakers.

If any baker sell his bread of less weight than the due assize, viz. proportionable to the price of corn in the market, as it is regulated by a printed assize-book, set out to that purpose.

If they do not set their proper mark upon their bread.

If they give above thirteen to the dozen.

If any but bakers bake horse-bread to sell.

Butchers.

If any butcher kill and sell calves under five weeks old, or any weaning under two years old.

If they sell any measled hogs, or beast that died of the murrain, or other corrupt or unwholesome meat.

Fish.

If any destroy the fry of fish, or fish with nets less than two inches and an half wide in the mash.

If any kill any salmon under sixteen inches long, or pickerils under ten inches long, or trouts under eight inches long, or barbels under twelve inches long.

If dried barrel fish (brought in by strangers) be not of due assize, viz. in barrels of herrings thirty-two gallons, in barrels of eels thirteen gallons, in a butt of salmon four-score and four gallons.

If any bring any cod or ling from beyond sea, in barrels to be sold, or otherwise than loose in bulk.

If any set a tax, or toll, or restraint upon fish brought into this nation to be sold.

If any cut out or destroy heads or dams of ponds, moats, or stews of fish, in any man's several fishings.

Malt-makers.

If any malt-maker do not make his malt of good and sweet barley, not mow-burnt or spired barley.

If they do not rub it, and dress it well, and fan half a peck of dust out of every quarter.

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If it be less time than three weeks in the fat, floor, and drying.

Millers.

If any miller take excessive toll for grinding corn, viz. above a twentieth part, or twenty-fourth part, according to the strength of the water.

Wine.

If any bring in wine in foreign bottoms.

If any bring in wine in vessels, not of due assize, viz. the butt one hundred twenty-six gallons, hogshead sixty-three gallons, pipe one-hundred twenty-six gallons, terce eighty-four gallons, tun two-hundred fiftytwo gallons.

If any sell wine, above the price proclaimed in chancery.

And thus you see how the publick plenty of the country is diminished for a few men's particular gains; and you see also how the abuses may be reformed, to a general advantage of all the people.

Lastly, Common nusances are to be enquired after.

Touching common nusances, or offences, done against the general easements of the people, as, against the health, beauty, and good complexion of the body politick, are these.

If any erect a cottage, and do not lay four acres of ground to it, to be occupied with it.

If any continue such unlawful cottage.

If any keep an inmate, or undersitter, in a cottage.

If any common bridge be out of repair.

If high-ways to market-towns be not enlarged and cleansed of wood, two hundred feet at least.

If any common highway be out of repair, or if any ditches be unscoured, or undressed, which should conveigh and avoid the water from standing in high-ways.

If the parishioners have not met at the day appointed, to mend the high-ways, as the law directs.

If any keep common gaming-houses, bowling-allies, or the like.

If any common vagabonds and beggars, or wandering rogues, or dangerous rogues do pass, or be suffered to pass, from place to place, or be relieved, in places where they come.

If any keep, or use, unlawful weights and measures, not according to the standard of the exchequer; or if weights and measures, of the standard assize, be not kept in every market town.

If any use any weights or measures, unsearched or unsealed.

If any profane the Lord's day, viz. by travelling that day, or by using sports, and unlawful exercises that day.

If any profanely swear or curse.

If any keep a stoned horse in any common ground, not being fourteen hands high.

And thus you see how the wisdom of the common laws of this nation, and of the parliaments, from time to time, hath provided for the security and ease of the people; and hath furnished us with a salve for every sore; and gives us rules and instructions, how to govern ourselves, that we may be helpful and useful to one another; and from whence it is, that we may well conclude, 'If we keep the law, the law will keep us;' and that, if we place the law in the throne, the law will preserve and protect us, in safety and security. Touching the offences, which are committed by disobedient and lawless persons: You that are culled out from all the parts of the country, and chosen to be the chief agents, and first movers (as I may speak) in this work of justice, which is the subject of this day's service, and are the country's trustees for that purpose; I do not question, but your publick spirits are such, and common love to your country such, (taking in even your own interests and particular profits and concernments) that you will be more ordinary careful to cleanse the country of these weeds, and darnel, and cockle, that grow up among the corn; those wicked and unreasonable men, which are as pricks and goads, in the sides of others, and live idly, loosly, and wickedly, among the people, and are, as so many plague-sores, spread over the body of the country; and the way, to cleanse the country of them, is to execute justice upon them; for the execution of justice is the work of God himself, the end of the law, the command of the parliament, the magistrates honour, the offenders terror, and the expectation of all honest men: And therefore (as once it was spoken in another case) let it not seem a small thing to you, who are to begin this work of justice, that you are separated from the congregation, and brought near to the God of heaven, to do the service of the tabernacle, and to stand before the people, and to minister unto them. And, having said thus much, I leave what remains to your diligence. All our service begins in you; it is your ignoramus, or billa vera, which opens and shuts, which shuts and no man opens.

THE

DISSENTING MINISTERS VINDICATION

OF THEMSELVES,

From the horrid and detestable murder of King Charles the First, of glorious memory. With their names subscribed, about the twentieth of January, 1648.

ISAIAH lxii. 1.

For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

PROVERBS XXiv. 21, 22.

My son, fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change.

For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

London, printed in the year MDCXLVIII. Quarto, containing six pages.

T

I cannot be unknown how much we and other ministers of this city and kingdom; that faithfully adhered to the parliament, have injuriously smarted under the scourge of evil tongues and pens, ever since the first eruption of the unhappy differences and unnatural war between the King and parliament, for our obedience to the commands and orders of the honourable houses, in their contests with his majesty, and conflicts with his armies.

We are not ignorant of the over-busy intermeddlings of prelates and and their party heretofore, in over-ruling civil affairs to the great endangering of the kingdoms, and of this in particular, when private interests, ambitious designs, revenge, or other sinister ends, engaged them beyond their sphere. Howbeit, it cannot reasonably (as we conceive) be denied, that ministers, as subjects, being bound to obey the laws, and to preserve the liberties of the kingdom, and having an interest in them, and the happiness of them, as well as others, may, and ought (without incurring the just censure due to busy-bodies and incendiaries) to appear, for preserving the laws and liberties of that commonwealth, whereof they are members, especially in our case, when it was declared by the parliament, that all was at stake, and in danger to be lost. No, nor, as ministers, ought they to hold their peace, in a time wherein the sins of rulers and magistrates, as well as others, have so far provoked God, as to kindle the fire of his wrath against his people. And yet, for this

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