The Mercers' Gild also provided for a priest to say a daily Mass at the altar of S. Michael in the Church of S. Chad; and thirteen poor Bedesmen were retained at a penny per week to pray for the King and Queen and Councillors, and for the brethren of the Gild "both quyke and dedd."
The trade regulations of the two compositions are naturally cast in the same mould. In both appears the prohibition of foreign labour (the Mercers say "except in fayre tyme"), and of under-selling by combrethren as well as unfair competition generally. The later regulations go further and provide for the carrying out of the ordinances of the composition by the appointment of a searcher to secure the use of good materials and to prevent "dissayte and gyle," the use of false weights, &c. They also forbid the taking of aliens as apprentices[111].
All indentures are to be for seven years at the least, and none are to be taken as apprentices without being properly bound by indentures approved by the wardens and recorded by the clerk. There is also the article which now becomes common, against divulging the secrets of the craft, and an interesting one against "eny confederacye or embracerye wherebie any p'judices hurt or hynd'ance myght growe."
In the later charter, too, it is evident that there had arisen no small need for reform. In the forefront it is stated that the previous "Fines assessyd uppon ev'y App'ntice at their entries to be maysters Combrethyrn and Settursuppe of the said Craftes or any of them," "and in like wyse gret Fynes uppon eny Forreyn that shoulde entre into the same" are "thought overchargeable" and so are to be "dymynished and refowrmed." If members refuse to pay them, as thus amended, they may be levied by distress. Of how great a falling-off from the original spirit of brotherhood do these two short articles speak.
Both the documents provide for the trial of dissensions among brethren, in preference to going before the ordinary tribunals, though by permission cases might be taken before the bailiffs of the town.
In a similar spirit of pacification the Mercers' composition forbids the wearing of liveries "saving the lyverray of gownes or hodes of the said Gylde to be ordeyned and worne," and that of the municipal corporation[112]. This was in accordance with the Act 13 Henry IV. cap. 3. The abuse of liveries had evoked from Parliament an attempt to put a total stop to the custom[113] (13 Rich. II.). Such endeavours were futile. This was at last recognised, and in 13 Henry IV. the use of liveries of cloth was prohibited, but with the important proviso, "Gilds and fraternities and crafts in the cities and boroughs within the kingdom which are founded and ordained to good intent and purpose alone being excepted." In 1468 Edward IV. confirmed previous legislation on the subject[114].