Page:Mediaevalleicest00billrich.djvu/190

 municipal annals and accounts are lacking after 1380 for the best part of a hundred years. It is evident, however, that before the closing years of the 15th century a change took place, and fortune ceased to smile upon the town's progress. In 1492 the householders on whom the King's tenth was levied did not amount to 250, and there can be little doubt that the population was then dwindling. The town fell, indeed, owing to various causes, into a state of poverty and decay, which lasted nearly a hundred years. Many other English boroughs were then in the same plight, but the Leicester people themselves said that all their troubles were due to the introduction of strangers, who were allowed to trade in the borough to the detriment of the old burghers who paid the taxes. Their opinions on the subject may be gathered from a verbose petition which they addressed to the Earl of Southampton, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, in the year 1540. They complained that "where before this time it hath been used and accustomed within the said town that no foreigners dwelling out of the said town should sell by retail any manner of wares or merchandise but only victuallers for victuals within the said town of Leicester except in the time of the fairs there and then to sell by retail all things: by which good custom the said town was by long time well maintained in wealth unto now, of late within the space of 40 years last past or thereabouts, that foreigners dwelling out of the said town have been suffered to sell wares and merchandise within the said town by retail; and by reason that foreigners have such liberty many persons have withdrawn themselves from inhabiting within the said town and daily do more and more since they have been suffered to sell by retail within the said town of Leicester as the inhabitants thereof do, so that the greater part of the High Street of the said town within the said 40 years is gone to ruin and decay, and other places of the said town likewise not only decayed but utterly desolate and now fallen in great poverty to the loss of our sovereign lord the King and the decay of the said town and more is like to do unless your lordship's favour and honourable goodness herein unto them be shewed." 146