And that no man or woman of a borough or city, nor the commons of the people outside a borough or city in England, Ireland or Wales, after Christmas next coming, use cloth of their own buying that shall be bought after the said feast of Christmas, unless it be cloth made in England, Ireland or Wales, upon heavy forfeiture and punishment, as we by our good council will ordain hereon. And be it known that by the commons in this case shall be understood all people except the King and Queen, earls and barons, knights and ladies and their children born in wedlock, archbishops and bishops and other persons and people of Holy Church, and seculars, who can spend yearly from their rents 40l. sterling, and this so long as it please us by our good council further to extend this ordinance and prohibition. And that every man and woman of England, Ireland and Wales, may make cloths as long and as short as they shall please. And that people may have the greater will to work upon the making of cloth in England, Ireland and Wales, we will that all people know that we shall grant suitable franchises to fullers, weavers, dyers and other clothworkers who live mainly by this craft, when such franchises be asked of us. And that it be granted to the wool-merchants that they have a mayor of the staples abovesaid. And that all merchant strangers may have the greater will to come into our power and may the more safely stay and return, we take them, their persons and goods, into our protection. And we forbid, upon heavy forfeiture, that anyone do them wrong or injury in person or goods, while they be coming, staying or returning, so that if anyone do them injury contrary to this protection and prohibition, those of the town to which the evildoers shall belong shall be bound to answer for the damages or for the persons of the evildoers, and that the mayor or bailiffs of the town where the shipping is take surety for which they will answer at their peril from the sailors of the same shipping every time that they shall go out of the havens, that they will not do evil or misbehave towards any man contrary to these articles. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be sealed with our seal. Given at Kenilworth, 1 May. [Footnote 227: The seal used by the customers.] [Footnote 228: Prince Edward was created duke of Aquitaine on September 10, 1325. _Pat. 19 Edward II, p. 1, m. 25._] 23. THE ELECTION OF THE MAYOR AND CONSTABLES OF A STAPLE TOWN [_Chancery Files_, 582], 1358.