tition, displacement by new crafts, and
violence by the poor and escaped villeins who found their way to
the city. When a non-freeholder stayed in London he had to find
for frankpledge, three sureties for good behavior. Failure to do
so was a felony and the ward would eject him to avoid the charge
of harboring him with its heavy fine. The arrival of ships with
cargoes from continental ports and their departure with English
exports was the regular waterside life below London Bridge. Many
foreign merchants lived in London. Imports included timber, hemp,
fish, and furs. There was a fraternal organization of citizens who
had possessed their own lands with sac and soke and other customs
in the days of King Edward. There were public bathhouses, but
they were disreputable. A lady would take an occasional bath in a
half cask in her home. The church warned of evils of exposing the
flesh, even to bathe.

Middlesex County was London's territory for hunting and farming.
All London craft work was suspended for one month at harvest time.
London received this charter for self-government and freedom from
the financial and judicial organization of the county:

"Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, to the Archbishop of
Canterbury and the bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justiciars,
sheriffs and all his loyal subjects, both French and English,
throughout the whole of England - greeting.

1. Be it known to you that I have granted Middlesex to my
citizens of London to be held on lease by them and their
heirs of me and my heirs for 300 pounds paid by tale
[yearly], upon these terms: that the citizens themselves
[may] appoint a sheriff, such as they desire, from among
themselves, and a justiciar, such as they desire, from among
themselves, to safeguard the pleas of my Crown [criminal
cases] and to conduct such pleas. And there shall be no
other justiciar over the men of London.

2. And the citizens shall not take part in any [civil] case
whatsoever outside the City walls.

1) And they shall be exempt from the payment of scot and
danegeld and the murder fine.

2) And none of them shall take part in trial by combat.

3) And if any of the citizens has become involved in a
plea of the Crown, he shall clear himself, as a citizen of
London, by an oath which has been decreed in the city.

4) And no one shall be billeted [lodged in a person's
house by order of th