ing of which names in mind concerns the better
understanding of the government.

"Every ward has her wardmote, court, or inquest, consisting of all that
are of the clothing or liveries of companies residing within the same.

"Such are of the livery or clothing as have attained to the dignity to
wear gowns and parti-colored hoods or tippets, according to the rules
and ancient customs of their respective companies.

"A company is a brotherhood of tradesmen professing the same art,
governed according to their charter by a master and wardens. Of these
there be about sixty, whereof twelve are of greater dignity than the
rest, that is to say, the mercers, grocers, drapers, fishmongers,
goldsmiths, skinners, merchant-tailors, haberdashers, salters,
ironmongers, vintners, clothworkers, which, with most of the rest, have
common halls, divers of them being of ancient and magnificent structure,
wherein they have frequent meetings, at the summons of their master or
wardens, for the managing and regulation of their respective trades and
mysteries. These companies, as I shall show, are the roots of the whole
government of the city. For the liveries that reside in the same ward,
meeting at the wardmote inquest (to which it belongs to take cognizance
of all sorts of nuisances and violations of the customs and orders of
the city, and to present them to the court of aldermen), have also power
to make election of two sorts of magistrates or officers; the first
of elders or aldermen of the ward, the second of deputies of the same,
otherwise called common councilmen.

"The wards in these elections, because they do not elect all at once,
but some one year and some another, observe the distinction of the three
tribes; for example, the scazon, consisting of ten wards, makes election
the first year of ten aldermen, one in each ward, and of 150 deputies,
fifteen in each ward, all which are triennial magistrates or officers,
that is to say, are to bear their dignity for the space of three years.

"The second year the metoche, consisting of eight wards, elects eight
aldermen, one in each ward, and 120 deputies, fifteen in each ward,
being also triennial magistrates.

"The third year telicouta, consisting of a like number of wards, elects
an equal number of like magistrates for a like term. So that the whole
number of the aldermen, according to that of the wards, amounts to
twenty-six; and the whole number of the deputies, to 390.

"The alde