for so honorable a service. And hereof fayle you not, as you will answer the contrary if through youre defalt any parte of this service shal not be fullie pˀformed. [116] On. Guyldhull this Twenteth of Aprill 1603 SEBRIGHT. 9th August, 1603. James soon attempted to borrow (as he termed it) of the Companies. “Where a pˀcept was directed to õr M{rs.} for the lone of money to the Kinge, wee are to answer that wee have none.” Perhaps this reply sufficed on this occasion. 22nd October, 1603. London was this year visited with a great Plague, and in consequence there was no Lord Mayor’s Show. [Sidenote: TO THE WARDES̃ OF } BY THE MAIOR. THE COMPÃIE OF } BARBOR SURGEONS }] THEISE are to will and require you that you take speciall knowledge herby that for avoydinge of infecc̃on by assemblie of people this tyme of gods vizitac̃on It is thought meate therbe noe shewe made the morrowe after Simond and Judes daie next, it is intended that youre Companie be dischardged thereof for their Attendac̃e for that tyme. SEBRIGHT. This xxij{th} of October 1603. 7th February, 1604. The Court having considered the many abuses “comited against the weale of this Company” decided to apply for an Act of Parliament which should confer upon them extended powers, and appointed a Committee for the purpose, with the Recorder and Mr. Wilbraham as counsel. 20th October, 1604. From an entry of this date, it seems that it had been decided to apply for a fresh Charter, instead of an Act of Parliament, and a summary of the clauses (twenty-seven in number) which it was desired to have embodied therein is set out in full. As the Charter was obtained, it is unnecessary to give these suggested clauses here (they may be seen in Mr. D’Arcy Power’s book, p. 361). The 16th one is, however, curious enough, declaring the “openinge searinge and imbalmeinge of the dead corpes to be pˀply belongeinge to the science of Barbery and Surgery, And the same intruded into by Butchers Taylors Smythes Chaundlors and others of macanicall trades unskillfull in Barbery or Surgery, And unseemely and unchristian lyke defaceinge disfiguringe and dismembringe the dead Corpes, And so that by theire unskillfull searinge and imbalmeinge, the corpes corrupteth and groweth pˀntlie contagious and ofensive to the place and pˀsons approachinge.” 30th January, 1605. The Charter of James I is of this date, but not now in our possession; there are, however, two copies of it at the Hall, one of which was made in a vellum book in 1658. It was in Latin of prodigious length; but the following are the clauses as I make them out, and will suffice for this work. 1. It grants to the Company of Barber-Surgeons that it shall be ruled by four Masters or Governors and twenty-six Assistants.