Whereas the king lately took into his protection the burgesses of Shrewsbury so that they might be free to intend their affairs and to exercise their merchandise more safely, forbidding any to do them harm; and they have shewn to the king that whereas John de Weston, Richard Biget, William son of Roger de Wythiford, and John son of Yarvord le Walssh, their fellow burgesses, lately wished to go to the town of La Pole (Welshpool) in Wales to a fair there, to ply their merchandise, Yevan ap Griffith, the earl's yeoman, with other armed Welshmen of the earl, took without cause the said John, Richard, William and John, at Cause in the Welsh marches, without the earl's lordship, as they were going to La Pole, and took them with their horses and other goods and chattels, to the value of £200, and brought them to the earl's castle of Osewaldestre (Oswestry), where they imprisoned them and where they are still detained. And although the burgesses have repeatedly requested the earl to deliver the aforesaid men and to restore their said goods and chattels, the earl has neglected to do anything in the matter; wherefore the burgesses have besought the king to provide a remedy. The king therefore orders the earl to deliver from prison the said John, Richard, William and John without delay and to restore to them their horses, goods and chattels, or, if there be any reasonable cause why he should not do this, to be before the king and his council at the octaves of Holy Trinity to inform the king. _Cal. of Close_, 1330-3, 572. DEGENERATION OF FAIRS. In the seventeenth century and afterwards, certain fairs, notably those in and near London, had come to be little more than places of amusement, more or less disreputable. _Bartholomew Fair_ (in 1641). Bartholomew Fair begins on the twenty-fourth day of _August_, and is then of so vast an extent that it is contained in no less than four several parishes, namely Christ Church, Great and Little Saint Bartholomews, and Saint Sepulchres. Hither resort people of all sorts, High and Low, Rich and Poor, from cities, towns and countries; and of all sects, Papists, Atheists, Anabaptists, and Brownists, and of all conditions, good and bad, virtuous and vicious, Knaves and fools, Rogues and Rascals. And now that we may the better take an exact survey of the whole Fair, first let us enter into Christ Church cloisters, which are now hung so full of pictures that you would take that place, or rather mistake it, for Saint _Peters_ in _Rome_; only this is the difference, those there are set up for worship, these here for sale....