Page:An Historical Essay on the Livery Companies of London.djvu/74

 upon them to make any acts or ordinances nor to execute any acts or ordinances by them heretofore made in disinheritance or diminution of the King's prerogative or of other nor against the common profit of the people unless the same acts and ordinances be examined and approved by the Chancellor or Treasurer of England or Chief Justices of either Bench or three of them or before the Justices of Assize in the Circuits or progress in the Shire where such acts or ordinances be made upon pain of forfeiture of Forty pounds for every time they do the contrary. As by the same Statute more plainly doth and may appear.

KNOW YE that John Woodcroft Master of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers of the City of London and John Frith and Nicholas Levett Wardens of the said Company of Cutlers having divers orders ordinances and oaths by them ordained devised and made for the conservation good rule and government of their Mystery and Fellowship and afterwards assented confirmed and agreed unto in and by a general Court or Assembly of the said Master Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of Cutlers of London aforesaid and intending to put the same in execution for the better rule good order and government of such persons as now do or hereafter shall use and exercise the said Mystery or any part thereof and for the better foresight and reformation to be had and used amongst them not willing in anywise to infringe the said Act of Parliament but desirous in all things to have the same duly observed and kept and desiring also to have the aforesaid orders ordinances and oaths to be from time to time executed amongst the Freemen of the said Company now using or exercising or which shall use or exercise the Art or Mystery of a Cutler within the City of London and Westminster or within three miles of the said City according to the tenor of the said Company's Charters made and granted to them by his