Coventry.

shall find as many chaplains as the means of the gild can well afford ; and shall enlarge or lessen the number of chaplains according to the more or less flourishing state of the gild ; saving to the bretheren and sisteren of the gild who are fallen

into poverty the finding of their means of living , according as need may be , as is hereafter said ; and also saving the reasonable costs and charges of the gild . And such chaplains , if the gild can keep them , shall be wise and fit men , of honest

and chaste life , and shall be chosen by the Master , bretheren , and sisteren of the gild ; and they shall read , pray , and chaunt , for the welfare of the holy church , for our lord the King , the Queen , Archbishops , Bishops , and other prelates and clergy of the realm , for dukes and duchesses , earls and countesses , barons and baronesses , and all other

good men , and for the commonalty of the realm of England , and for all the bretheren and sisteren of the gild , and for all the good-doers to them . And if these chaplains , or any of them , misbehave , they shall be removed , and other fit persons shall be

put in their stead . Also , if any man or woman of the gild , who has been helpful to the gild according to his means , has , by mishap , and not by any fault of his own , fallen into poverty , the gild shall lend him a sum

of money , to trade and make gains with , for one year , or two , as they think well , without taking anything for the loan . And if any man or woman of the gild becomes so feeble , through sickness or old age , that he can neither work nor traJe for himself , he shall be maintained , at the cost of the gild , in such a manner as befits his need . *

ISfo man nor woman who has been openly reputed or charged as guilty of any shameful crime , f shall be taken into the gild . And if any one , after he has been taken into the gild , falls in--to such crime , he shall be put out from the gild .

Every year , on the feast of the Assumption of our Lady , there shall be a gathering of the Wardens , bretheren , and sisteren , to celebrate the feast ; and to look over and examine the affairs of the gild , and all that concerns them .

Once every quarter there shall be a gathering of the Master , bretheren , sisteren , and chaplains , to pray and chaunt for the welfare of the noble King Edward , the Queen Isabella his mother , the Queen Phillippa his wife , our lord the Prince , son of our

noble lord King Edward ; for the welfare of all the bretheren and sisteren of the gild ; for the souls of the dead ; for the souls of the bretheren and sisteren of the gild ; and for the souls of the gooddoers to the gild , and of all Christians .

No one of the gild shall raise a quarrel , or uphold any wrong-doer , in the name of the gild , or to the discredit of the gild , on pain of being put out from the gild for ever . When any brother or sister of the gild dies ,

each of the chaplains shall chaunt for his soul , by his name [ and surname of bajriism ] , for a whole year next following ; and the said name and surname of baptism shall be written on a tablet , and put on the altar , in the place where the chaplains chaunt .

If any brother or sister of the gild dies and is buried outside the city , so soon as the Master knows it , he shall call together all the chaplains of the gild , the " clerks , " and the other good men of the gild , and they shall fulfil watch , dirige , mass ,

and oblations , as if the body were present ; and the " bedeman " shall pray for the soul ofthe dead , and for the souls of all Christians , at the cost of the gild . If any brother or sister of the gild , at the time

of his death , is so poor that he leaves not enough wherewith to pay for his burial , he shall be honorably buried , as becomes a brother or sister of the gild , at the cost ofthe gild . Which articles aforesaid , the Master , bretheren ,

and sisteren have ordained shall endure for ever , according to the purport thereof . And the gild has continued and been managed according to those ordinances .

Moreover , the said Master and brethren shall be sworn that they will , in good faith , uphold and put in force the articles aforesaid . And the Master shall be sworn that he will well and loyally keep and expend the goods and chattels of the

gild ; and that he will render a true account thereof , at the end of every year , before auditors chosen by the brethren . The Master , bretheren , and sisteren of this gild have divers goods ; that is to say , maser tankards ,