Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	say_a	time_n	warden_n	5,154	5	13.4278	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B02566	The case of all the goldsmiths in England, out of London. By reason of a clause in an act of Parliament, made in the 8th and 9th year of his Majesty's reign; entituled, An act for encouraging bringing in wrought plate to be coined. The whole clause is as followeth.		1697 (1697)	Wing C877; ESTC R170935	2,256	2

THE CASE OF ALL THE Goldsmiths in England Out of London By Reason of a Clause in an Act of Parliament made in the 8th and 9th Year of His Majesty's Reign Entituled An Act for Encouraging bringing in Wrought Plate to be Coined The whole Clause is as followeth AND whereas it may reasonably be suspected that part of the Silver Coins of this Realm hath been by Persons regarding their own Private Gain more than the Publick Good Molten and Converted into Vessels of Silver or other Manufactured Plate which Crime hath been the more easily Perpetrated by them in regard the Goldsmiths or others Workers of Plate by the former Laws and Statutes of this Realm are not obliged to make their Plate of Finer Silver than the Sterling or Standard Ordained for the Moneys of this Realm Be it therefore Enacted by the Authrity aforesaid That from and after the Five and twentieth Day of March One thousad six hundred ninety seven no Goldsmith Silversmith or other Person whatsoever shall Work or Make or caused to be Wrought or Made any Silver Vessel Plate or Manufacture of Silver less in Fineness than that of Eleven Ounces and Ten Peny Weight of Fine Silver in every Pound Troy nor put to Sale● Exchange or Sell any Silver Vessels Plate or Manufacture of Silver made after the said Five and twentieth Day of March unless it be Silver Wyre or such things a● in respect of their smallness are not capable of receiving a Mark until such time a● such Vessel Plate or Manufactured Silver shall be Marked as followeth that is to say with the Workers Mark to be expressed by the Two First Letters of his Sirname th● Marks of the Mystery or Craft of the Goldsmiths which instead of the Leopard Head and the Lyon shall for this Plate be the Figure of a Lyons Head erased an● the Figure of a Woman commonly cald Britannia and a distinct variable Mark to be used by the Warden of the said Mystery to denote the Year in which such Plat● is made upon Pain that all such Silver Vessels Plate or other Manufactured Silve● which shall be Made Exposed to Sale Sold or Exchanged contrary to this Act o● the Value thereof shall be Forfeited the one half thereof to the King and th● other half thereof to such Person or Persons that will Seize or Sue for the same t● be Recovered by Action Bill Suit or Information in any Court of Record where in no Essoign Protection Wager of Law or more than one Imparlance shall b● admitted And if any Silversmith Goldsmith or other Person shall after the sai● Five and twentieth Day of March make any Silver Vessels Plate or Manufacture Silver contrary to this Act and the same shall be Touched Marked or Allowed fo● Good by the Wardens or Masters of the said Mystery or those Authorized 〈◊〉 Imployed by them for the Essaying and Marking of Plate and if in the same the●● shall be found any Falshood or Deceit then the Wardens and Corporation of th● Mystery for the time being shall Forfeit and Pay the Value of the Plate so decei● fully Marked the one half thereof to the King and the other half to any Perfo●●● or Persons that shall Buy the same and be Grieved thereby to be Recovered as afor● said Any thing in this or any former Act or Acts of Parliament contained any other Order or Provision heretofore made to the contray notwithstanding In the abovesaid Clause there are two things which we apprehend to be detrimental to the Nation in general as well as grievous to us in particular and that it doth not at all prevent the melting down the Silver Coyn of this Kingdom 1. For if any Person should be so Ill-disposed how easiy is it for him to melt down the Coyn and make it into Plate for after 't is melted he may either refine it himself or get a Refiner to do it for him for the Price the new Standard is now advanced to will pay the Charge so that the altering the Standard for Plate doth not at all prevent the melting down the Silver Coyn. 2. In the next place this new Standard is detrimental to the whole Kingdom for it lessens the Bullion a 30th part so that there is one thousand Pound in Thirty less then there was before the Standard was altered It is also at the least 10 per Cent. worse in the Waring than the old Standard by reason of its Softness for in the common Use of it it will wear away insensibly which must needs be a great loss to the Nation yearly 3. It is very detrimental to all the Workers in Silver in England except London for by this Clause all manner of wrought Plate is Forfeitable which hath not the Britannia Mark on it which Mark the Londoners appropriate to themselves therefore we dare not use it on our Plate which we make without incurring the Penalty of Law so that our Condition is very deplorable for if we do conform to the Act in relation to its Fineness yet we are liable to a Seizure for want of the Mark as the Clause in the Act particularly sets forth and if we sit still and work not at all we and our Families must inevitably perish We do not think the Parliament intended our Ruine when this Clause was inserted but rather that it was surruptitiously obtained for the private intrest of a few for we prove above that it doth not prevent the melting down the Coyn neither is it any way advantagious to the Nation in any other respect but on the contrary prejudicial for since the Clause was obtained the Workers in London have advanced the Price of their Work one Third more than it was before knowing we were not able to right our selves All these things being put together we hope the Parliament in their Wisdom will see it necessary to lay this new Standard aside and restore the old of 11 oz. 2 dwt which was both beautiful and serviceable and above 30 per Cent. Cheaper to the Nation and if the Parliament will give leave for a Bill to be brought in according to the Prayer of our petition no doubt but they may find more effectual Ways to prevent the melting down of the Coyn. Why may there not be distinct touches allowed for some eminent Places in this Kingdome For in Henry the 6ths time there was an Act to that purpose