Easter court, held previous to the guild, the names of all foreign burgesses who live out of the county of Lancaster, in order that circular letters may be sent, either to themselves, or those nearest related to them, that they may attend either by proxy or otherwise, at the ensuing guild to be held in such a month, and on such a day, which generally happens in August, unless something extraordinary happens to obstruct the same. Three stewards are generally chosen for the guild, out of the body of aldermen, who have authority, by virtue of their office, to receive all fines from those who claim privilege in the franchises of the borough, and also the grand seneschal, or town clerk to the guild, who administers the oath to all burgesses, recording their names in a book kept for that purpose. Twelve principal burgesses are elected out of the council, to be aldermen of the guild; their office is to sit on each side of the guild mayor, at all his public exhibitions. The mayor with the residue of his council, shall choose out of the burgesses proper persons to be procurators, for the special purpose of providing all things necessary for the guild, such as venison, beef, veal, mutton, &c. &c. together with ale, wine, sack, and other liquors, to be safely lodged in vaults contiguous to the Guild-hall, previous to the commencement of the guild.

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All burgesses to have a month's notice previous to the solemnization of the guild.

The Guild Mayor, with the rest of his brethren, the resident gentry, and other inhabitant burgesses, attending in due form, and appropriate costume, shall make proclamation upon the market-day (Saturday) at the obelisk, in the market-place, the mayor's sergeant speaking aloud the following proclamation :

The Proclamation for the Guild.-" I, G. R. gentleman, now the worshipful the mayor of Preston, in Amounderness, in the county palatine of Lancaster, give notice, admonition, and due warning to all and every the free-burgesses, as well inhabitants as foreigners, that they, and every of them, do repair by themselves, or their friends as proxies, to the town of Preston, on Monday the 3rd of September next, coming forth, being the Monday next after the feast of the decollation of St. John the Baptist, at which feast heretofore a guild merchant within this borough, hath usually, for divers ages last past, been solemnly kept every twenty years. And now likewise, upon the day aforementioned, in this present year, a new guild merchant, within this borough of Preston aforesaid, is appointed to be holden and kept, according to the tenor of divers charters and grants, heretofore given, granted, and con

firmed, by the king's most excellent majesty, and his royal progenitors, kings and queens of England, to the mayors, bailiff, and burgesses of this borough. For the solemnizing of which guild merchant, here to be holden as aforesaid, the said G. R. now mayor of this borough, doth give further notice and warning, that all freeburgesses inhabiting this borough of Preston aforesaid, be ready, upon the 3rd day of September aforesaid next, being the first day of the ensuing guild merchant, by eight o'clock in the morning, at the Guild-hall, from thence to attend upon the guild mayor, stewards, and aldermen of the said guild merchant, in their distinct companies of trade, with their masters or wardens, well ordered and disposed for that purpose, and all those that cannot well be reduced into such companies or fraternities, there to attend in such order as shall at that time be assigned them; and from the Guild-hall, to attend the worshipful the guild mayor, in solemn procession, to the parish church of Preston, from whence, after divine service, and sermon preached upon that occasion, by the guild mayor's chaplain, they do likewise attend upon the worshipful the guild mayor, in public procession from street to street, and thence return to the Guild-hall, from whence they first set out. And moreover the aforesaid G. R. the mayor of

this borough, giveth notice and warning, that all and every burgess, and burgesses, as well foreigners, as inhabitants within this borough, claiming any franchises either by ancestry or by purchase, within this borough of Preston, after their repairing to the borough at the day and time aforesaid, that there and then they not only claim and entitle themselves to all such liberties, privileges, and freedoms, as to them, or any of them, not only shall be due, or in anyways belong; but also there and then, they also do and perform, whatsoever to them, and every of them, of right doth appertain to do, according to the ancient, laudable, and rightful customs of this borough, as to the rights and privileges anyways appertain to this guild merchants' festival: and also, then and there to be acquainted with what orders, acts, or statutes, as by the mayor, stewards, and aldermen of this present guild shall and may be thought fit, either to be added, altered, abrogated, or confirmed, not being repugnant to the known laws of this realm, for the good and public weal of this borough of Preston, according to the tenor of the letters patent of our Sovereign Lord Charles the 2nd, and other his royal progenitors, kings and queens of this kingdom, and according to the laudable custom and

practice of many precedent guild merchants heretofore held within this borough.

"God save the King."

A fortnight before the guild, the mayor, stewards, and aldermen of the guild, in council assembled, shall elect all other officers as are necessary for the said occasion, and as by former precedents are set forth, to attend upon his worship the guild mayor, and the nobility and gentry who have come from afar to be spectators of this grand jubilee. Their various duties shall be severally pointed out and explained to them. The three stewards of the guild, with three of the senior aldermen, are appointed during the festival, to sit in open court, with the clerk of the peace of the guild, and receive from each burgess of that fraternity 7d. “ pro feodis sino," (on account of which sum I, meaning the burgess, renew my feod or fee). And the like sum for each male child of any of the aforesaid burgesses, and some minor reward to the sergeant of the guild, "ad Testificandam seipsos esses Burgenses," that is to bear witness that they were made burgesses, according to the the Roman pretors, their yeomen of the guards, or sergeants of the guild, used to receive from people to be

ancient rule made use of by