ed sum to the Crown or other lord of the
borough, the right to elect their own officials rather than them
being appointed by the king or a lord, and the right to provide
for the government of the borough. It might give tenurial
privileges: the power to make a will of lands, or freedom from the
right of a lord to control his tenants' marriages. It might give
procedural privileges: trial by combat is excluded, and trial by
compurgation is secured and regulated. These medieval borough
charters are very varied, and represent all stages of development
and all grades of franchise. Boroughs bought increasing rights and
freedoms from their lord, who was usually the King.

In the larger towns, where cathedrals and public building were
built, there arose a system for teaching these technical skills
and elaborate handicraft, wood, metal, stained glass, and stone
work. A boy from the town would be bound over in apprenticeship to
a particular craftsman, who supplied him with board and clothing.
The craftsman might also employ men for just a day. These
journeymen were not part of the craftsman's household as was the
apprentice. After a few years of an apprenticeship, one became a
journeyman and perfected his knowledge of his craft and its
standards by seeing different methods and results in various
towns. He was admitted as a master of his trade to a guild upon
presenting an article of his work worthy of that guild's standard
of workmanship: his "masterpiece". Women, usually wives of
brethren only, could be admitted. The tailors' guild and the
skinners' guild are extant now.

When guilds performed morality plays based on Bible stories at
town festivals, there was usually a tie between the Bible story
and the guild's craft. For instance, the story of the loaves and
fishes would be performed by the Bakers' or Fishmongers' Guild.
The theme of the morality play was the fight of the Seven Cardinal
Virtues against the Seven Deadly Sins for the human soul, a life-
long battle. The number seven was thought to have sacred power;
there were seven sacraments, seven churches in the Biblical
Apocalypse, seven liberal arts and seven devilish arts. The seven
sacraments were: baptism, confirmation, Lord's Supper, penance,
orders, matrimony, and extreme unction.

A borough was run by a mayor elected usually for life. By being
members of a guild, merchant-traders and craftsmen acquired the
legal status of burgesses and had the freedom of the boro