bee lawfull for the partie defendant in no wise to wage the lawe wherby the partie plaintife shall or may loase his sute nor yet no protection allowed in that behalfe Prouided alwaies in that behalfe and bee it further enacted that the Garbeller his deputie and deputies for the time being shall take beare and carrie awaye and towardes him or them to reteine all manner of garbell and garbels as dust fusses and other filth that hee or they at any time heereafter shall happen to garbell trie and clense out of all and euery manner drugs and other marchandize to the intent and purpose that no person shall eftsoones put mix or intermeddle the said garbell into or with any manner of spices drugs or other marchandize in auoiding and eschewing the great slaunder and rebukes that by occasion of such intermedling might growe and redound vnto your saide officer his deputie or deputies beeing thereof giltlesse and innocent And that the owner of all such dust fusses and other filthe shall finde and prouide a bagge or bagges to bestowe and put in the same garbelles and other filthe and thereof shall take the iuste and true waight the saide Garbeller his deputie or deputies shall marke vpon the said bagge or bagges and theron the owner shall set on his seale and the sayd bagge or bagges so waied marked and sealed the said Garbeller his deputie or deputies for the time beeing shall immediatlie at the costes of the saide owner carrie and conuey to the Guildhall in London there to remaine in sure keeping vnder the keyes of the saide Garbeller and of the controller of the chamber of London vnto suche time as the owner of euerye such garbell and garbels shall make and deliuer vnto one of the said two officers or to their deputies a bill obligatorie wherein they shall stand bounde vnto the chamberlaine of London for the time being in such somme of monie as by one of the said two officers shall be thoght good and reasonable that the same owner shal conuey or cause to bee conueyed the saide garbell and garbelles vnto the parts of beyond the seas by a certaine daye to bee limitted by the saide two officers or one of them and that the owner thereof shall pay for housroome and keping of euery such bagge one halfe pennie euery weeke as longe and by all the time thar hee shall suffer any such bagge to lie and remaine Prouided also that if the owner or owners of anye such bagge or bagges of garbell suffer the same to be and continue in the saide Guild-hall ouer and aboue the space of nine moneths that then the said bagge or bagges with the garbell to be and remaine there still as goodes forfeited and confiscate to the vse of the comminaltie of the Cittie of London And that the Maior of the same citty for the time being within a moneth then next ensuing shal appoint and prouide for the sure conueieng thereof vnto the partes of beyond the seas ther to be sold to the most aduantage and the money comminge of the sale to be deliuered to the chamberlaine of London for the time being to the vse of the common weale of the said Cittie and all suche garbell dust fusses and other filth which is tried and clensed as is aforesaid and beeing of no value nor substance shall bee conueied into Cheape or into some other conuenient place within this Cittie at the pleasure and commandement of the Mayor for the time being and there to be openly burnt in the sight of the people so that they maye well see and perceiue the good order and iustice truelie executed in that behalfe The Rates and prises what the garbeller shall take for garbelling all manner of Spices and other things that ought to be garbelled rated and prised the xiii of August Anno 1526. by the wardens of the grocers in london and the sociates as heereafter dooth ensue The rate of the Maiestrates The exaction of the garbeller Pepper from by south the C. 6 d. xii d. Pepper and Ginger with the marke of Antwerp or Brudges if it need to bee garbled the C. 4. d 6. d Cloues not cleane that need to be picked by hand the pound is 2. d.  The rate of the Maiestrates The exaction of the garbeller Mases not garbled the C. waight 2. ◠8. d. 4. s. Wormeseed the li. 2. d  Nutmegs the hundred 12. d 2. s. 8. d Gallingall the C x d.  Setwall the C 12 d  Synamon the C. 16 d 2. s. 8 d Long pepper the C 16 d  Spignard the C 2 s.  Graines the C 6 d 8. d Almonds the C 6 d 8. d Ryse the C 4 d 8. d Anniseedes the C 6 d 12. d Comminseed the C 6 d 8. d Gawles the C 6 d 8. d Moreswax the C 4 d  Senie the C 3. s 4 d 4 s. Cassia fistula the C 2 s.  Colianders seed the C 5 d 8 d Gum arabeck the C 4 d 8. d Bayberies the C 2 d 4. d Dates the C 6 d 12 d Turmerick the C 4 d 8 d Orchall the C 6 d  Litmus the C 3 d  Mastick the C 6 d  Frankensence the C. 12 d  Orris the C 6 d 8. d Staues acre the C 6 d 8. d But all manner of wares wet with water rotten or brused wherein there is much labor and long time that then as the marchant and the officer can agree for the dooing thereof and if they cannot agree that then the wardens of the Grocers for the time beeing to bee indifferent iudges betweene them Commune Consilium tent apud Guildhall Ciuitatis London desimo septimo die Iunii Anno. Regni Edwardi Sexti secundo Coram Iohanne Gresham Mil. Maioris Adermen Robarto Brooke Ar. Recordatoris Randolpho Warren Millit Gulihelmo laxton Martino Bowes Iohanne Tolis  Iohanne Wilford  Andrea Iud.  Georgio Barne  Gulielmo Locke  Augustino Hinde  Richardo Turke  Henriccho goodier  Iohanne lyon  Iohanne ambert  Gulihelmo garrerd  Thome White Robarto Chartsey Vicecomites ciuit eiusd c. Ac maiore parte Comunitatis Comūis consilii ciuitatis predict existente ALso at this court a bill was deuised and drawne by the learned councell of this Cittie by the commandement and assente of the Lorde Mayor and Aldermen of the same cittie for and concerning the garbelling and cleansing of all such spices drugs wares and marchandise as heeretofore haue vsed or ought to be garbelled or clensed within the said cittie and the lyberties thereof was redde and by the commons presentlie assembled wel and ripelie conceiued and vnderstand and because the same and the matter therin contained vnto them to be good consonant vnto reason and profitable for the common-weale for all our said souereigne lord the kings subiects It was therefore ordained enacted and established by the said lord maior and Aldermen and commons in the said
of the peple passed before him the which he with obedience and patience endured And diuers Citizens of Rome were disfranchised for breathing and yawning a little to lowd in the presence of the Censors wherat they nothing repined This we set foorth for that it should be remembred that if the common breach of lawes decrees be permitted then ensueth not onelie the contempt of the Maiestrate but also the very ruine of that for whose cause such ordinances were aduanced a thinge befallen to the subiect of this matter now in hand namelie in the fact of Garbelling of spices The necessitie of clensing and purifieng whereof in the time of the raigne of king Henry the sixt was then debated and the office of Garbelling was by the same kinge giuen to the Lord Maior Cominaltie of this famous Citie of London but in such wise notwithstanding that it is verie apparant that aswell the Marchantes owners of such spices as the Grocers retaylors of the same Cittie were called to giue aduice for the conceiuing creating of such ordinances therein as might best tend to the benefit of the Marchant the vtterance and sale of the Grocer and the goodnes of the thing garbelled for the health of the people of this realme vpon the which ordinances the Art of garbelling was pronounced to consist it being an habite of working according to right reason and mechanicall or a handicraft the full knowledge whereof was partlie gotten by vse at that time by Richard Hackdie and William Aunsell Citizens and partly by instructions and reason taught shewed by the marchants and Grocers then being and was left to the execution of the said persons the officers aforsaid the which aduises aswel of the said Marchants Grocers and of the saide officers are thus sette foorth 1 The deuisions of Spices by the sayde parties are particularlie set downe 2 The same to be at no time altered Chap. 2. FOrsomuch as euery thing hath his natural proper and inward corruption of which it is eaten and at the last consumeth and beginneth to spread it self in the best part to mar all as rottenesse in spices is their proper euill And for that also the same spices are also subiecte as all other thinges are to accidents and thereby also may be destroied before their naturall ouerthrow as bruses water dust and age in spices Therfore for the auoiding and curing of such naturall corruption when it hapneth thorowly to meet with all such hurtfull accidents to such spices being aliments and nutrimentes to restore and preserue the health of man or to preuent some infirmitie and diseases ready to ouerthrow their good estate We say they as skilfull physitions preuenting diseases and labouring in forseene mischiefs according to the causes wheron the effects of such corruption doo depend haue ordained these deuisions to be obserued in the setting forth those spices with their qualities by way of garbelling and first of Nutmegges The operation whereof we meane not to set foorth being no part of our charge onely for the deuiding of the good from the badde wee holde it necessarie that they bee deuided into three sorts The first the best we cal case nutmegs the which are smooth waightie faire fullof oile The second sort we call Bale the which are also faire and great but somewhat wrinkled and heere and there oile in them and declining to corruption The third and last sort we terme Rompes so termed being wrinkled brused ill coloured and do want their oile and therby are become drie or rotten The which sorts to be so seuerallie put vp Pepper If the same by some accident shall receiue wet or otherwise be euill conditioned wee thinke it meete to be sorted by it selfe and to be kept from the drie Both which to be garbelled and clensed from the dust and corrupt pepper and to be vttered in one sort in such manner as the same dooth arise from the place it came and notwithdrawing the head sort of pepper from the small Maces and Cynamon We holde it best to garbell and clense them into three sorts to wit Lardge middle petit Ginger Gaules Rise and Erreus That the same shal passe into two sorts viz Lardge and petit Cloues Graines Woormseed Anniseed Comminseed Dates Senie and all other things garbellable We likewise think it best to garble and clense them into one good sort from the dust and garbels according to the nature of the thing it self 1 The proofe that those deuisions were by thē so appointed to be made and kept 2 That the L. Maior and comminalty by two seuerall acts of Common counsell haue allowed the same 3 That the Garbeller therby is excluded to make lawes by himself therein or to alter the same 4 That the common people haue receiued the same as a custome and doo in euery faire and market procure troubles for putting spices to sale garbelled to the contrarie Chap. 3. FOr the approouing of which Deuisions besides the antient remembrance therof lefte with Maister Blaze Saunders late garbellor the same may plainelie appeere in this That in Flaunders Marchantes before then and long since brought from Antwerp Brudges and Roane their Nutmegs and other spices in such condition and sorts as is beforesaid with a seale of the figure of the right hand vppon euery vessell or bagge of case nutmegs and other spices in such condition and sortes as is aforesaid And on their baile Nutmegs a hand with a barre ouerthwart and the other sort without marke And in such sorts the same were bought and sold as by an acte of Common councell holden by your predecessors it may appeare in Anno. 4. of K. Henry the viii To the which deuisions the Marchant Retailor and Garbeller say they shall hold themselues contented without alteration vnlesse there shall bee cause of correction of those sorts vppon search of them by the Garbellor in London as also by another act of Common counsell made in An. 18. of K. Henry the eight it is set foorth the which may appeare at the end of this present discourse The filth and dust of which said spices were helde vnwholsome and not vendible but to be reiected as vnseruiceable your predecessors then were mooued with those reasons to allowe and confirme those deuisions as reasonable and full of equitie betweene the marchant and the retailors and were desirous that the same shuld also remaine and abide for the auoiding of deceipt or losse of the common people who haue in such measure noted and felt the benefite of the said deuisions that now in open faires and places corporate they doo daielie procure the spices sorted to the contrarie to be seysed on as goodes forfeited and not garbelled as they ought to bee to the great trouble of the retaylors and notable detriment Vppon these and such like beginnings and by the acts of Common councell ensuing the facte of garbelling hath had continuance vntill now of late that
councell assembled and by the aucthoritie of the same That the said bill shall be entered and ingrossed of record for a good profitable law act and ordinance at all times heerafter firmelie and inuiolablie to be obserued obeied and kept in euery point according to the tenor true meaning and effect of the same vpon the seuerall paines and penalties therein mentioned and conteyned the tenor of which bill heereafter ensueth WHere by the Acte of Common councell holden in the Chamber of the Guildhall of the cittie of London the xx of Februarie 1526. in the xviii yeere of the raigne of our late Soueraigne Lord of most worthie memorye Kinge Henrye the eight before sir Thomas Seimer knight then Lord Mayor of the said cittie and the Aldermen of the same it was amongest other things enacted established by the said L. mayor aldermen cōmons in the same cōmon councell then assembled and by the authority of the same that all kindes of sortes of spices drugges and marchandize speciallie recited perticularlie expressed within the same acte wheresoeuer they were garbled as well those that are marked with the right hande of Antwerp Brudges and Roane as all other marked or vnmarked all other which of right ought and of long time then past according to good and antient lawes and ordinanances in that behalfe made and prouided had beene accustomed to be garbelled within the said Citty and the liberties thereof by the common garbeller of spices of the same citty therevnto lawfullie appointed by the Lord Mayor of the said Cittie for the time being before that the same spices drugges and marchandise or anye parcell thereof were or should be put to sale vttered or sold and that the garbell fusses and dust taken garbelled and clensed out of the said spices drugs wares and marchandize should be brought and conueied by the same garbeller to the Guildhall aforesaid to be from thence conueied and transported within a certeine tyme limited by the said Act of Common councell made the xx day of Februarie in the said xviii yeere of the said late king into the partes beyond the seas and otherwise be disposed vpon certeine paines and penalties in the same Acte mentioned and expressed as by the same Act it doth and may more fullie appeer vpon record By the which said act of common councell or yet by any other like acte concerning the garbelling and clensing of the said spices drugs marchandize hitherto made and prouided there is not any certein time limited or appointed within which the owners and possessors of such spices drugs and marchandize hetherto made and prouided there is not anye certeine time limitted or appointed within which the owners possessors of such spices drugs and marchandize keeping the same longe in theyr custodie and possession doo many times by couert secret and fraudulent waies and meanes vtter and sell the same before that it bee seene searched garbelled or clensed by the said common garbeller or his deputie or deputies to the no little losse dammage and perrill of all the buiers and occupiers thereof for remedie and reformation whereof Bee it ordered established and enacted by this present common councel by the aucthoritie of the same That the same former Acte of common councel made the saide xviii yeere of the reigne of our late soueraigne lord K. Henry the viii concerning the garbelling of spices drugs and marchandise shall stande continue and remaine in full strength force and effect adding and adioyning therevnto that if anye person or persons at any time heereafter do retaine or keep or cause to be kept in his or their possession or in the possession of any other person or persons any manner of bag chest vessell or remnant of any of the saide spices drugs or marchandise what marke or seale soeuer they are or any of them shall haue or beare vpon thē and do not cause the same to be dulie garbelled or sealed by the said common garbeller or his sufficient deputie or deputies within the space of 4. months after the bringing of the same marchandise into the said citty or the liberties therof Almonds Rise and dates alwaies excepted that then all and euery such person or persons hauing or keeping in form aforesaid any parte or parcell thereof as it shal please the owners of the same to reserue keepe for his or their own proper expenses in his or their own houses being vnder the waight of one quarter of a hundred vngarbeled and vnclensed contrary to the tenor and effect of this present Acte and ordinance shall forfeit and pay or cause to be paid for euery bag chest vessell remnant and parcell of all the said spices drugs and marchandize except before excepted so beeing vngarbled and kept by the space of foure monethes xxvi s. 8. d. in the name of a paine And further be it enacted by the aucthoritie aforesaid that if any chest vessell bagge parcel or remnant of Almonds Rise and Dates bee now or heereafter shall be in forme aforesaide kept or reserued by the owner or owners keeper or keepers of the same not garbled clensed by the saide garbeller his lawfull deputie or deputies within halfe a yeer next after the bringing of the same Almonds Rise and Dates into the said Cittie or liberties thereof That then euery such person persons shall forfeite and paie for euerie such chest vessell and bagge remnant and parcell of Almondes Rise and Dates so kepte vngarbled other then suche as shall be kept for his or their owne necessary vse and expences within their own houshold contrarie to the tenor and effect of this present act and ordinances xxvi s. 8. d. in the name of a paine Prouided alwaies and bee it further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid that this present act nor any thing therein contained do not in anie wise stretch or extend to the hurt damage or greefe of any person or personnes for not garbelling or cleansing of anye of the saide kinde of spices drugs and marchandise which nowe are and do remaine in the custodie and possession of any person or persons of the said Cittie or the liberties of the same within the seuerall times before limitted and appointed for the same so alwaies that all and euery such person and persons now hauing as is aforesaid any of the said sortes of spices drugges and marchandize within the said cittie or the liberties therof doo cause the same and euery part and parcell thereof excepte as is before excepted to be garbelled and clensed by the said Common garbeller or his sufficient deputie or deputies within foure moneths now next ensuing without fraud or further delaie Prouided also and bee it enacted by the aucthoritie aforesaid that if any person or persons at any time or times heereafter doo vtter or sell or cause to be sold or put to sale or conuey out of the said cittie any bag chest vessell parcell or remnant of the said spices drugges or
that forsomuch as the request of the authors doo lie dispersed in this booke and least it should seeme to carry abroad an vnseruiceable mention of matters therein therfore they for a careful refining thereof haue collected as readie for such Commissioners as may be appointed or if any such hap to be for the due examination of the necessity of their saide petitions the contents of the said booke and the breefe of such things as they do sue to haue reformed and to haue passed to an Acte of Common councell in London the rather for that these presence may beare the better credit by a conference with such commission whereby the same Art of Garbelling may be indued with the life of some lawe for the benefit of the Common-wealth The briefe Contents of the Booke INprimis they shew that King Henry the sixt did giue the office of garbelling of spices to the Lord Mayor and Comminaltie of London for euer to the end that the spices broght into this realme should bee made cleane and the corrupt to bee deuided from the good for the healthe and good of the subiectes of this Realme That therevpon the Marchantes owners of such spices the Grocers retaylors of the same did at a meeting for that purpose concord and agree vpon the maner of clensing of such spices and also of the sorts that euery kind of such spice should be deuided and made into That by force of this agreemente certeine Actes were made by the said Lorde Mayor and Comminaltie whereby the Marchants are inioyned not to sell any spice before the same be garbelled and the Retaylors Grocers are inioyned not to alter nor mixe the saide sortes of spices so made and garbelled vppon paine of forfeiture of the said spices The ground of the Abuses FOrsomuch as in the saide actes the saide manner of garbling of the said spice so then agreed vpon nor the saide sortes likewise that the same spices shoulde be deuided and made into were not expressed in the said Acts nor sufficientlie recorded in any court Therefore the Garbeller vnder the Lorde Mayor garbelleth the said spices as it pleaseth him and the retaylors grocers by force of the said actes are inforced to put the same to sale in such manner as the said Garbellers doo handle them and in such sort That hir maiestie is deceiued in the goodnes and price of the said spice to a great value in the yeere The marchant and owners before their faces are defrauded and deluded with their owne goods The Retaylors are discredited and their spice in markets and faires are made forfeit by reason of their corruption and are in the said book at large expressed The price is nothing abated And all the people are deceiued The conclusion of the booke and the matters therein required to be enacted and to be for euer obserued if it shall be so thought requisite by the Committees appointed THat the antient manner of garbelling of spices before agreed vpon may be obserued and all others to be reiected That the said antient deuisions of such spices may bee also kept and the same so deuided to bee seuerallie put vp That none doo worke but men of skill in that office as is in the ninth Chapter of the said booke set foorth and the same persons to bee nominated and elected by the companie of Grocers out of the decaied brethren of that companie as often as such place shall fall void with one of that companie to suruey the orderlie putting vp of the saide deuisions with theyr marks That the rates for the common garbeller bee reexamined and made equall to his paine That the orders deuised and set forth by the workemen in that office and in the booke expressed may be examined and so much thereof allowed them as tendeth for the better preseruation of the said goods and their concord in working in marchants houses The office of Garbelling was by K. Henrye the vi firste giuen to the Lorde maior and comminalty of londō Hackdie Aunsell first garbellers after the said gift Euery thing hath his naturall corruption whereof at the last it is consumed Couetousnesse dooth worke confusion of all right The fact of garbelling a bond of vnitie betweene the marchant and the grocers There is but one way to goodnes The Marchant feeleth the hart by the garbellers presence in his house The garbeller is not to make lawes at his pleasure nor to place nor displace any without consent of the l. maior Nothing is profitable that is not honest Hast makes wast Nutmegs falselie packed vp The marchant doth forfeit his wares by the manner of garbelling nowe vsed The practise of the garbeller is to intrappe the Marchant Profitable aduersaries to the Garbeller The deceiuer is deceiued This losse may be compared to the Ecco which cannot bee found but yet is sensibly heard knowne A bad practise of the workemen against the marchant Note Question Answer The marchant doth not knowe many times what hee dooth sell Note The good of the commonwealth is the lawe of true garbelling Anger better to be tollerated thā vice He requireth to vse men of skil but he will vnskilfully vse them The remedies in the◅ euils A fit remedy heereby if the retaylor or marchant be at any time deceiued The small cloue as good as the great These siues and such like are to be prouided by a man of iudgement skill that hath beene trained vp in garbling Synamon blacke hauing taken salt water loseth his substance otherwise it may bee good Note The true garbling of ginger is to picke it by hand vpon a table Corrupted Ryce More good seedes left in the garbel thē bad seedes in the good By exacting vpon pepper gained his mennes wages and xii pence more then his due By maces his mennes wages gained extraordinarie By Synamō gained hys mens wages and 5. s. ouer By Nutmegs gayned 5. shil more then the ancient allowance besides the ouerplus of his mens wages By ginger gained his mēs wages and 9. pence more then his due Euery member dooth carry helpe to maintain the body according to his proportion Al ought to liue for the seruice of their prince countrey The garbeller or his deputie to be punished for not performing their duty