A. D. 1700. Anno duodecimo & decimo tertio Gulielmi III. C. 4. 65 which fiiall be made, expofed to fale, or exxhanged, contrary to this Aft, fliall be forfeited, or the Value thereof, one Moiety thereof to the King's Majefty, his Heirs and SuccefTors, and the other Moiety thereof to fuch Perfon or Perfons as will fue for the fame, to be recovered by Aftion of Debt, Bill, Suit, or Information, in any Court of Record in any County or Place wherein fuch Offence fliall be committed, and wherein no ElToin, Proteftion, Wager of Law, or any more than one Imparlance fhall be allowed. IV. And be it further enadled by the Authority aforefdd. That there /hall be an able and skilful Man, An Aflayer to be experienced in allaying of Gold and Silver, elefted by the faid Company of Goldfmiths in each of the ^f^'^'=<' '"]Yi^ faid Cities refpedtively, for whom it ihall and may be lawful to detain eight Grains only from ever/ J'^' 1^^"^^^°"" Pound Ttoy of Silver he fhall alTay, four Grains wkoreof ihall be put into the Box of Diet, and the other ^^^ Pound Troy four Grains fhall be allowed him towards his Walle and Spillings in making the faid Allays ; and who of Silver, immediately after his Eledlion, fhall take the Oath following, viz. I A. B. do fwear. That I will be faithful and true to our Sovereign Lord King William, and will fo Affayer's Oath; long as I fhall continue an Aflayer, well and faithfully behave myfelf in the fiiid OfHce, and no un- due Profit to myfelf take, to the hurting or hindrance of any Perfon that is Owner or Bringer in of any Gold or Silver in Plate, to be afTayed, except of Plate wrought only four Grains of every Pound Weight to be taken and put into the Box of Diet, and other four Grains to be taken likcwife of every Pound Weight of Plate wrought (and not otherwife) towards my Wafte and Spillings in making the faid AfTays ; and that I will touch no Gold nor Silver, but what fhall be of the Goodnifs of, and . according to the Standard of this -Kingdom, which for the Time being is or fhall be appointed by Law for wrought Plate ; and all fuch Gold or Silver as fhall be brought to me to be touched, I will truly fet down in Writing, and the fame at all Times, as I fhall be required, will duly and truly de- liver again (except eight Grains as aforefaid) and will true Accounts make thereof, when there- unto required by the Wardens of the Companies wherein I am chofen AfTayer ; and that I will no Aflays make of Things new wrought ;,before they be marked with the Mark of the Maker or Owners thereof; and that I will not put into the aforefaid Box any Silver, but that Silver which I fhall have fcraped and taken from the Plate which I fnall afTay and pafs for Standard.' So help me God. V. Which Oath the Mayor in the refpeftive Cities aforefaid is hereby required and impowed to admi- ^^'""'^ q"" niiler to fuch Allayer. ni ert e -ath. VI. And it is hereby further enafted, That the Box or Boxes wherein the Diet of all fuch Plate as Diet Box to be fhall be tried by the AfTayers aforefaid, is put, fhall be locked up with three different Locks, and the '"'^l^dwi.th three refpeftive Keys thereof fhall be kept by the Wardens and AfTayers of fuch refpeftive Company, by whom °' '* fuch Aflayers fhall be elefted and chofen : Which Box or Boxes fhall be at the Charge of each refpeftive Company, conveyed annually (if required by the Lord Chancellor or Keeper of the Great Seal of England for the Time being) to his Majefly's Royal Mint at the. T o-wtr oiLondo^i ; and the faid Diet therein Box may be an- contained fhall be tried as the Pix of the Coin of this Kingdom is tried ; and if in any of the faid Diets there '^'^^^^^ y[l^ fliall be found any Falfhood or Deceit, then every fuch Company, for every fuch Offence, fhall forfeit °^^ xowe", &". the Sum of fifty Pounds, to be recovered, in Manner as aforefaid,- againfl fuch Company, or any Mem- Penalty on'com- ber thereof in his private Capacity, and to be difpofed of as aforefaid : And if any Plate fhall be touched, pany. allowed, or marked, for Good, by any of the Affayers of the refpeftive Places aforefaid, and if in the Penalty on Af- fame there fliall be found any Deceit, then fuch Affayer, who fo marked the fame, fhall forfeit double ^'^^"' the Value of the Plate fo marked, to be recovered and difpofed as aforefaid. VII. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid. That on or before the nine and twentieth Day of September one thoufand feven hundred and one, every Goldfmith, Silverfmith, or Plateworker, '^o"'™'. ^<^' inhabiting in any of the Cities aforefaid, or in any other Town or Place within this Kingdom, where an "^ Affayer is 7a- AfTayer is not, or fhall not be appointed, and alio every Perfon who at any Time after the faid nine and pointed (hair en- twentieth Day of September fhall be a Goldfmith, Silverfmith, or Plateworker, and fhall inhabit in any terhisName,&c,' of the Cities aforefaid, or in any other Town or Place within this Kingdom, where an Affayer is not, or with the War- fhall not be appointed, before he takes upon him to exercife any of the faid Trades, fhall enter his Name ^^^"f fl^^ifck" and his Mark, and Place of Abode, with the Wardens of fuch Company of that City or Place where an ^vTe^e an AiTayer Allayer is or fhall be appointed; which fhall be done by the faid Wardens, upon Demand, wkhout Fee is appointed, or Reward; and if any fuch Goldfmith, Silverfmith, or Plateworker, fhall not enter his Name, and Penalty on Gold- Mark, and Place of Abode as aforefaid, or fhall flrike any other Mark on Plate, but what is (o entred, ™*, S:c. fuch Goldfmith, Silverfmith, or Plateworker fo offending, fliall forfeit double the Value of the Plate fo marked, to be recovered and difpofed as aforefaid. VIII. And be it further enafted. That if any Perfon'fhall counterfeit any of the Stamps appointed by Penalty on Per- this Aa to be ufed by the faid Wardens or Affayers for marking Wrought Plate, or any of the Stamps [°" g""^'"^"' ufed by the Wardens of the Company of Goldfm.iths of the City of London, fuch Perfonlliall for every l"Repe™e!f,' and fuch Offence forfeit the Sum of five hundred Pounds, to be recovered and difpofed as aforefaid. lool.infliftedby ' IX. And whereas it is not the Intent and Meaning of this KSi. to hinder any Goldfmith, Silverfmith, izGeo.z.c.ze.' • or Plateworker, not inhabiting within any of the Cities aforefaid, from exercifing his or their Trade of ' Goldfmith, Silverfmith, or Plateworker ;' yet for preventing of Abufe and Corruption therein, it is hereby further enaifted. That all and every Goldfmith, Silverfmith, and Plateworker, inhabiting in any Goldfrnith, &c. ■ Town or Place, where an Affayer is not or fhall not be appointed, elected, or chofen, fhall firfl fi'^ f^^" Mfrk^onall his or their Mark upon all his and their Plate which Ihall be made from and after the faid nine and twen- til Plat" &c."nd fieth Day of September (except fuch Things as by reafon of their Smallnefs aj-e not capable of receiving then rend it to be , VpL. IV. K theafiayedj &c.
