4), his charters were duly examined in the Husting
before all the people, and declared void. Thenceforth, every man was to
enjoy the utmost freedom in following his calling, always provided that
his work was good and lawful.(284)

(M178)

When the mayor removed certain butchers' and fishmongers' stalls from
Cheapside, in order that the main thoroughfare of the city might present a
creditable appearance to the king on his return from abroad, the owners of
the stalls, who complained of being disturbed in their freeholds--"having
given to the sheriff a great sum of money for the same"--found a champion
in Hervy. Their cause was pleaded at the Guildhall, and such "a wordy
strife" arose between Hervy and the mayor, that the session had to be
broken up, and Hervy's conduct was reported to the king's council. The
next day, upon the resumption of the session, a certain roll was produced
and publicly read, in which "the presumptuous acts and injuries, of most
notorious character" which Hervy was alleged to have committed during his
mayoralty were set forth at length.

(M179) (M180)

The charges against him were eight in number, of which some at least
appear to be in the last degree frivolous. He had on a certain occasion
borne false witness; he had failed on another occasion to attend at
Westminster upon a summons; he had failed to observe all the assizes made
by the aldermen and had allowed ale to be sold in his ward for three
halfpence a gallon; he had taken bribes for allowing corn and wine to be
taken out of the city for sale, and he had misappropriated a sum of money
which had been raised for a special purpose. Such was the general run of
the charges brought against him, in addition to which were the charges of
having permitted the guilds to make new statutes to their own advantage
and to the loss of the city and all the realm, as already narrated, and of
having procured "certain persons of the city, of Stebney, of Stratford,
and of Hakeneye" to make an unjust complaint against the mayor, "who had
warranty sufficient for what he had done, namely, the council of his
lordship the king." This last charge had reference to the recent removal
of tradesmen's stalls from Chepe. No defence appears to have been allowed
Hervy. The charges were read, and he was then and there declared to be
"judicially degraded from his aldermanry and for ever excluded from the
council of the city"; a precept being at the same time issued for the
i