1. That there were no craft gilds before the Conquest. 2. That there were many craft gilds in connexion with the newly introduced weavers' craft in the twelfth century. 3. That they exercised their powers under royal authority in a craft which was the subject of royal regulation. So far for weavers; I wish now to turn to another craft in which we hear of craft gilds very early--the Bakers. There is a curious parallelism between these two callings. In the first place baking was, on the whole, a domestic art before the Conquest, not a separate employment; in the next place, it was a matter of royal regulation; the King's bakers doubtless provided the Court supplies, and the gave their experience for the framing of the assize of bread, under Henry II. and under King John.[2] It may, I think, be said that in both of the trades in which gilds were first formed, there was felt to be a real need for regulation as to the quality of the goods sold to the public; and it also appears that this regulation was given under royal authority. So far the fact seems to me to be pretty clear; and it is at least more than probable that the form of association adopted--analogous as it was to associations already existing on the Continent--had come over in the train of the Conqueror. These few remarks may suffice in justification of the phrase the "introduction of craft gilds." [2] Cambridge University Library, Mm i. 27. II. In the latter part of the twelfth and the beginning of the thirteenth century there was a very rapid development of municipal life in England, and the burgesses in many towns obtained much larger powers of self-government than they had previously possessed. They became responsible for their own payments to the Exchequer, and they obtained larger rights for regulating their own affairs; the town of Coventry had indeed possessed very considerable municipal privileges from the time of Henry I., but it shared in the general progress a century later, and the new requirements were marked by new developments. I have tried to show how the earlier craft gilds were formed under royal authority, but as the powers of local self-government increased and were consolidated, there was no need, and there was, perhaps, less opportunity, for direct royal interference in matters of internal trade. We thus find a new order of craft gilds springing up--they were called into being, like the old ones, for the purpose of regulating trade--but they exercised their powers under municipal, and not under royal authority.