Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/359

 ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. 283 only shows, that hy latten he nicnnt brass, ami that hy brass he meant sometliiiifif which is not now so called.' As to battery, it is not, strictly speaking, a distinct metal at all, but a jiroccs.'i of maimfacturinj]; vessels and utensils out of a metal ; and lience it is sometimes used to designate the vessels themselves, as in the expression, " batterie dc cuisine." The metal to which the term has been usually applied, is copper and its alloys ; and in this sense it is probably used in the writ before us, namely, in the sense of "metal prepared for battery," as in the statute, 4 William and Mary, already noticed. E. Smiuke. Rex omnibus ballivis et fidelibus suis tam infra libertates quam extra ad quos, etc. Salutem. Cum inter caitera per cartas progenitorum nostrorum quondam regum Anglire quas confirmavimus stannatoribus nostris de comitatu Devonia; concessa, concessum sit eisdem quod ipsi totum stannum suum apud Tavystok, Asperton, et Chaggeford, per pondera ad hoc ordinata et sigiiata ponderatum, licite vendere possint cuicunque voluerint in villis prajdictis, faciendo inde nobis et ha^redibus nostris cunagium et alias oonsuctudines debitas et usitatas, sine occasione vel impedimento nostri vel hairedum nostrorum aut ballivorum seu miuistroruni nostrorum quorum- cunque, prout in carta et confirmatione prajdictis plenius continetur ; ac nos nuper ex querela stannatorum pra;dictorura accipientes quod Major et ballivi villa) BristoU' Philippum Umfray de Bristoll, Johannem Bat, Ricardum del Knol, Mattheum le Devenissh, Robertum del Knol, Adam Martyn de Bristoll, Willielmum de Staundon, Johannem atte Weye, et alios, qui stannum prajdictum a prajfatis stannatoribus apud loca prasdicta emcre et ilia in dictd villa Bristoll et alibi operari et vendere consueverunt, quominus stannum prsedictum ibidem operari et vendere potuerunt impedi- verunt, per quod iidcm Johannes de Bristoll et alii ab emptione stanni illius se retraxerunt, eisdem majori et ballivis pluries prfecipimus quod ab hujusmodi impcdimentis pra^fatis hominibus de Bristoll et aliis praidictis prajmissa occasione faciendis desisterent et ipsos stannum pra^dictum operari et vendere permitterent prout hactenus facere consueverunt, vel causas nobis significarent quare mandato nostro alias eis inde directo minime paruerunt ; ac iidcm Major et ballivi nobis significarunt quod ipsi pra;textu quarundam literarum nostrarum zonariis civitatis nostra) London factarum, in quibus inter alia continetur quod nullus de mistera ilia in civitate praidict^ seu aliis civitatibus et burgis infra regnum nostrum garnire faciat zonas de serico, lana, corio, vel filo lineo, de nullo pejori metallo quam de latona, bateria, ferro, et assere, et quod si nulla operatio plumbo, peautre, seu stanno aut alia re falsa garnita fuerit, tunc operatio ilia ])er considerationem majorum locorum ubi operationes hujusmodi facta) fuerint ac custodum operationum earundem comburerentur, pra)fatis hominibus de Bristoll et aliis pr.^dictis inhibuerunt ne hujusmodi stannum in Wk praidicta in zonis operari et vendi facerent quoquo mode. Et quia jam datum est nobis intelligi quod - It is well known that sepulchral brasses metal can be drawn from this. The fact are often described in contemporaneous is, that the practice of different manufac- documents as composed of latten, and that turers of brass has in all times differed, some of them are found on analysis to in some dej^-ee, both as to the composi- contain small portions of extraneous tion of it, and the proportions of the nieUils, as lead or tin. But no inference metals emjiloyed in it. as to the general composition of the