that no mayor, sheriff, recorder, common
sergeant, town clerk or coroner of the city of London or any steward of
the borough of Southwark should be appointed without his majesty's
approval under his sign manual; that if his majesty should express
disapproval of the choice of a mayor made by the citizens a new election
should take place within a week, and if his majesty should disapprove of
the second choice he shall, if he so please, himself nominate a mayor for
the year ensuing; that if his majesty should in like manner disapprove of
the persons chosen to be sheriffs, or either of them, he shall, if he
please, proceed to appoint sheriffs by his commission, but subject to this
restriction the election of these officers might take according to the
ancient usuage of the city; that the lord mayor and Court of Aldermen
might with leave of his majesty displace any alderman, recorder, common
sergeant, town clerk, coroner of the city or steward of Southwark; that
where an election of an alderman had been set aside by the Court of
Aldermen another election should be held, and that the Justices of the
Peace should be by his majesty's commission. These terms accepted by the
citizens, his majesty would consent to confirm their charter in a manner
consistent with them. But if they were not speedily complied with his
majesty had given orders to enter up judgment by the Saturday following,
and any consequences that might follow would be at the door of the
citizens themselves.

(M791)

A "long and serious" debate, we are told, followed the reading of this
answer in the Common Council, after which a poll was taken on the
question: whether the court should submit to the king's terms or not, with
the result that 104 votes were recorded in favour of accepting them as
against 85 votes to the contrary. Whereupon it was "unanimously" ordered
that his majesty should be informed of the court's submission, and that
the Midsummer-day elections should be put off until the 18th July.(1539)

(M792)

Whilst these proceedings against the city were going on, a writ had been
obtained by Papillon and Du Bois for the arrest of Pritchard, the mayor,
Dudley North, the sheriff, and several aldermen, for having made a false
return to a _mandamus_ directed to them in November last.(1540) The writ
was directed to Broom, the city's coroner, who executed it by lodging the
parties in his own house (24 April). No sooner was this done than one of
the city serge