Town Life in the Fifteenth Century, Volume 2 (of 2)

								




                               TOWN LIFE



                                  IN



                         THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY

                                VOL. II

TOWN LIFE



                                  IN



                         THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY

                                  BY



                           MRS. J. R. GREEN



                           IN TWO VOLUMES



                                VOL. II

                                London

                           MACMILLAN AND CO.

                             AND NEW YORK

                                 1894



        The Right of Translation and Reproduction is Reserved

                    RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED,

                          LONDON AND BUNGAY.

                      CONTENTS

  CHAPTER I.



                                     PAGE


THE TOWN MANNERS                      1

  CHAPTER II.


THE TOWN MARKET                      24

  CHAPTER III.


THE TOWN TRADER                      57

  CHAPTER IV.


THE LABOUR QUESTION                  86

  CHAPTER V.


THE CRAFTS                          110

  CHAPTER VI.


THE CRAFTS AND THE TOWN             134


CHAPTER VII.


THE TAILORS OF EXETER               167

  CHAPTER VIII.


THE GUILD MERCHANT                  190

  CHAPTER IX.


THE TOWN DEMOCRACY                  221

  CHAPTER X.


THE TOWN OLIGARCHY                  240

  CHAPTER XI.


THE TOWN COUNCIL                    269

  CHAPTER XII.


THE COUNCIL OF SOUTHAMPTON          288

  CHAPTER XIII.


THE COUNCIL OF NOTTINGHAM           322

  CHAPTER XIV.


THE COMMON COUNCIL IN NORWICH       360


CHAPTER XV.


THE COMMON COUNCIL OF LYNN          402

  CHAPTER XVI.


THE COMMON COUNCIL OF SANDWICH      427

  CHAPTER XVII.


CONCLUSION                          437

TOWN LIFE
IN
THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY

CHAPTER I
THE TOWN MANNERS

THE controversy concerning the bounds and limits of their freedom,
which the English boroughs were forced to maintain with powerful
organizations already settled in the land—with the monarchy,
the baronage, or the Church—represented in the history of each
municipality that which in the case of States of greater magnitude
we call the foreign policy of the commonwealth. But whatever may be
the compass of a dominion, whether it be a borough or an empire, no
influence is more potent in shaping the character and destiny of the
community than the nature of its external relations. It was in the
single-handed conflict with foreign powers, whether superior lord or
insidious rival, that the drapers and mercers, the smiths and butchers
and weavers of every country town were forced, with a patriotism
quickened by necessity, to meddle in matters of State and to concern