according to the number of the inhabitants
of the town, and they shall watch the town continually all night from the
sun-setting unto the sun-rising."(310) Three years previous to the passing
of this statute the mayor, alderman and chamberlain had made very similar
provisions for the keeping of the City of London, the city's gates, and
the river Thames.(311)

(M196)

For the city, the year was a memorable one, owing to the suspension of its
franchise. The circumstances which caused the loss of its liberties for a
period of thirteen years (1285-1298) were these. The king's justiciars
were sitting at the Tower, where the mayor, sheriffs, and aldermen of the
city had been summoned to attend. Owing to some informality in the
summons, Gregory de Rokesley, the Mayor, declined to attend in his
official capacity, but formally "deposed himself" at the Church of All
Hallows Barking--the limit of the city jurisdiction-- by handing the city's
seal to Stephen Aswy or Eswy, a brother alderman. On entering the chamber
where sat the justiciars, the mayor excused his unofficial appearance on
the ground of insufficient notice. This was not what the justiciars had
been accustomed to. On the contrary, the citizens had usually shown
studied respect towards the justiciars whenever they came to the Tower for
the purpose of holding pleas of the crown.

(M197)

The rules of procedure on such occasions are fully set out in the city's
"Liber Albus,"(312) and they contain, curiously enough, a provision
expressly made for cases where the full notice of forty days had not been
given. In such an event the prescribed rule was to send some of their more
discreet citizens to the king and his council to ask for the appointment
of another day. Whether Rokesley had taken this step before resorting to
the measures he did we are not told. It was also the custom on such
occasions for the citizens to gather at Barking Church, clothed in their
best apparel, and thence proceed in a body to the Tower. A deputation was
appointed--selected members of the common council--who should also proceed
to the Tower for the purpose of giving an official welcome to the
justiciars on behalf of the citizens. It was not thought to be in any way
derogatory to secure the goodwill of the king's justiciars by making ample
presents. It had been done time out of mind. The sheriffs and aldermen
were to attend with their respective sergeants and beadles, the benches at
the Tower wer