136 ON THE ASSAY MARKS ON GOLD AND SILVER PLATE. occasion to express my thanks to them, for their kind permission to inspect their records ; and for the very obhging and ready assistance given to me on all occasions by their officers. The members of the fraternity were originally all goldsmiths, as mentioned in their first charter, which states that all they which are of the Hall sit in their shops in the High Street of Cheap, which was probably a street of goldsmiths, similar to those which we find at Paris, Genoa, and other ancient cities. The company is governed by a Prime Warden, three other Wardens, and 98 Assistants, with a livery of 198 members. The wardens are now annually elected on the 29th May ; previous, however, to the Restoration, in compliance with their ordinances, St.Dunstan's Day was their proper day of election. On the day of election, when the new Prime Warden enters upon the duties of his office, the new punches for the marks having been ])repared, are delivered by him to the officers of the Assay Office. Formerly the old punches were all preserved, and had been so for a very long period. Not many years ago, however, their accumulation being very great, and found inconvenient, it was considered that such a mass of old iron was useless — and they were destroyed. It is much to be regretted that impressions of each series were not taken on a copper-plate previous to their destruction ; though it is hardly probable that there were any earlier than the time of the Great Fire in 1666. The ordinances or statutes of the company are contained in a fine ]IS. on vellum, with illuminated initial letters. It is therein stated, that " this Boke was made and ordejTied by Hug] I Br^^ce, Altherman, Henry Coote, Myles Adys, and William Palmer, Wardens, the 20th day of September, in the yeare of our Lorde, 1478, in the 18th yeare of King Edward IV." The " Kalendar (or index) made and ordeyned by Henry Coote, Stephen Keltre, John Ernest, and Allen Newman, the last day of August, a.d. 1483, the 1st of King Edward III." It contains, first, the oaths for the wardens and officers; and secondly, the ordinances for the government of the company, which inter alia " ordaync " that the wardens shall be chosen on St. Dunstan's Day. They chiefly, however, consist of regulations for the masters of the craft, and the taking, keeping, and conduct of apprentices. But " For the working
