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<DATE>12-15-11</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P>A True Relation OR ACCOMPT OF <HI>The whole</HI> PROCEDURE BETWEEN <HI>The Corporation at</HI> CANTERBURY, AND Mr. <HI>John Somner, Concerning the</HI> NEW-MARKET-HOUSE <HI>there.</HI></P>
<Q LANG="lat"><P>Nihil charius ae&s;timamus, qu&agrave;m beneficium,<LB> Quod diu petimus: nihil vilius, cum accepimus.</P>
<BIBL>Seneca.</BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed. 1666.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The PREFACE.</HEAD>
<P>_THAT the public and common good and be|nefit of any place or Society is of every individual Member in particular; but more e&s;pecially, of the Repre&s;entatives of that So|ciety in general, rather to be &s;tu|died, than their own private or particular ends or intere&s;ts; none (doubtle&s;s) will offer to deny. And yet by &s;ad experience what more frequently found true, than the quite contrary? A&s;well whole So|cieties,
<PB REF="3">as particular members too too often ca&s;ting off all care of the Publick, and abandoning them&s;elves to &s;elfi&s;hne&s;s, and the &s;tudy only of their own private commodity.</P>
<P>How happy then (becau&s;e &s;o rare) is the condition of that Socie|ty, where &s;uch a <HI>Genius,</HI> &s;uch a general concent in promoting the common good of the place univer&s;ally obtains, and is diffu&s;ed throughout the whole body! Where this fails, as mo&s;t where it doth) the next happine&s;s to it of this kind, is to find &s;uch a publick &s;piritedne&s;s in &s;ingle and particular per&s;ons, (whe|ther members of, or friends to &s;uch a Society) as makes them to be|come examples to others of piety and
<PB REF="3">bounty, by acts of publick and com|mon benefit to the place: And con&s;equently, to what a kind and welcome entertainment, to what a return of gratitude, is that Society obliged, who are made the objects of &s;uch publick piety and beneficence!</P>
<P>If &s;o; how much then is that So|ciety to blame, which is not only &s;lack and backward to &s;uch acts of publick good them&s;elves; but al&s;o to incourage and return thanks to tho&s;e particular per&s;ons, to whom God hath given, together with ability, &s;uch a publick &s;pirit and mind, as (in any eminent degree, at lea&s;t) to become their benefactors! Whether there be &s;uch a Society, or not, at this day, let who &s;o will he judge
<PB REF="4">that &s;hall con&s;ult the following Mir|rour, repre&s;enting not the ill requi|tal and unworthy u&s;age of Arch-Bi&s;hop <HI>Abbot,</HI> the Founder of their noble Conduit, by a prevailing fa|ction, (headed by a <HI>Peterling</HI>) among their praedece&s;&s;ors; but (that which cannot but revive the me|mory of it) the unworthy Enter|tainment of a new piece of benefi|cence by a like faction in the pre|&s;ent Corporation: notwith&s;tanding that foundation of gratitude, and better u&s;age from them, but newly laid by the Benefactor, as being chiefly active and in&s;trumental in procuring new Gates for the City; impiou&s;ly robbed of their old by the Rebels, from the late Archbi&s;hop <HI>Juxon.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>A true Relation or Accompt of the whole Proceedure between the Corporation at <HI>Canterbury</HI> and Mr. <HI>John Somner.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THAT u&s;eful and antient Structure of Stone, of a circular form, graced with an a&s;cent of &s;everal &s;teps, for peoples accommo|dation to &s;it upon, and expo&s;e their wares, and (for their better &s;helter from foul weather) covered over head with a plat|form of Lead; the <HI>Market-Cro&s;s</HI> at <HI>Canterbury,</HI> built by the bounty and piety of a <HI>quondam</HI> wealthy Alderman, of grate|ful memory, being in the late times of mi&s;-rule and con|fu&s;ion, beaten down and &s;wept away by the avarice and im|piety of a beggerly factious Alderman, of hateful memory, to the di&s;honour of the City, and detriment of Town and Country: and the Citizens (&s;en&s;ible of the want of &s;uch a piece, both of ornament and u&s;e) being, as I was, full of their wi&s;hes and longings for the day, when the generous and publick &s;pirit of &s;ome good Benefactor, would pro|voke and engage their gratitude by adorning and accom|modating
<PB N="2" REF="5">their City with a new piece, another pile of that nature: and after a long and tedious time of expectation, none offering at the undertaking, I, though one of the meane&s;t among the many naives of the place, yet impa|tient of the Cities want of an accommodation, &s;o u&s;eful as well as ornamental; and finding others more able than willing, gave leave and way to my will to out-vy my abi|lity, rather than the place of my Nativity &s;hould any longer &s;uffer under the reproch of &s;uch a great defect: not doubting of the encouragement of the virtuous underta|king by the courteous acceptance of it from my fellow-Citizens: and the rather becau&s;e of the publick good which from the beginning I propounded to my &s;elf, and made known to &s;ome of them in this affair. But it falling out otherwi&s;e; in&s;omuch as my real intentions for re&s;ign|ing all up to publick and pious u&s;es, are now quite altered, I thought it not ami&s;s (for their &s;atisfaction who may in|quire into the cau&s;e) to give them an accompt of the whole tran&s;action, leaving it to them freely to judge at who&s;e Dore the blame lies.</P>
<P>Having therefore, by the Cities free permi&s;&s;ion, and with the expence of Four hunded pounds and upwards, e|rected and completed a Market-hou&s;e, (a piece of &s;uch Elegancy as much commends the Architect) con&s;i&s;ting of a double Story, divided into two fair rooms a piece, with a Pavement of Stone underneath, very u&s;eful for walking, out of Market time; and all this (in my intentions) de|dicated to publick and pious u&s;es, without any jot of pro|fit or advantage re&s;erved either to me or mine: and think|ing it now a convenient time to broach my de&s;igne, and make it openly known to the Corporation, I drew a pro|&s;pect of it in writing, and by the mediation of a very worthy<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mr.</HI> L. B.</NOTE> friend, (one of them&s;elves) communicated it unto them under the term and title of Propo&s;itions of this tenor.</P>
<Q REND="margQuotes"><PB N="3" REF="5">
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="proposals">
<HEAD>Certain Propo&s;als, concerning the Market-Hou&s;e at the <HI>Bul&s;take</HI> in <HI>Canterbury,</HI> by me <HI>John Somner,</HI> the Sole Founder and Builder thereof, made to the right wor&s;hipful the Maior and the Court of Burgmote, <HI>October 24. 1665.</HI> upon their Sealing of my Lea&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>ALL things, according to mutual agreement between us, being accompli&s;hed, to the good content and &s;atisfaction (I hope) of both parties; that is to &s;ay, on my part, the Market-hou&s;e being erected, and nothing wanting to the completing of it, ac|cording to my covenant, but what is now in hand, and with all convenient &s;peed &s;hall (God willing) be punctually perfected: and on your part, the Lea&s;e of the Super&s;tructure, according to your Covenant being made and delivered me, whereby I am become the true and &s;ole Owner thereof, and the thing in my free power to di&s;po&s;e of, during my Lea&s;e: To let you, and po&s;terity after you, know and &s;ee, how in this work I have &s;tudied the publick good, ho|nour and benefit of the City and Country, and the the encouragement of other per&s;ons of ability, by my example, to do the like in &s;ome kind or other, much and far more than my own private profit, or advantage, which the Searcher of hearts knows to be &s;poken without the lea&s;t o&s;tentation or de&s;ire of vain-glory or popular applau&s;e: <MILESTONE N="1"> I do &s;o far re|nounce my own intere&s;t in that part of the Super|&s;tructure which looketh We&s;tward, as freely to per|mit
<PB N="4" REF="6">and admit you to a participation with me in the u&s;e and accommodation of the Chamber there, at all times when you &s;hall have occa&s;ion of meeting there together, or any Six or more of you, upon any publick accompt concerning the City; and that during my life time, and the life time of my Bro|ther Mr. <HI>William Somner,</HI> if he &s;urvive me.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, I do as freely grant and permit the u&s;e and accommodation of the &s;aid Chamber, to all and every of the &s;ix Companies of the City, <HI>viz.</HI> the <HI>Drapers, Taylors, Mercers, Grocers, Carpenters, Smiths,</HI> and <HI>Shoo makers,</HI> for their and every of their meeting there together, upon any occa&s;ion concerning their Companies Affairs, during the term aforefaid. And after mine and my &s;aid Brothers Decea&s;e, I ab&s;o|lutely give, re&s;ign up, and relinqui&s;h the &s;aid room to you and them in perpetuity, for the u&s;es and pur|po&s;es above&s;aid.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, In Charity to the Poor, I pre&s;ently give up unto you and your Succe&s;&s;ors, the Garret or Up|per Story over the Chamber at the Ea&s;t end of the &s;aid Market-hou&s;e, for a Store-hou&s;e and place of Stowage, for a Stock of Corn for the Poor of the Six out-pati&s;hes of the City, <HI>We&s;tgate, St. Dun&s;tan, Northgate, St. Pauls, St. Mildredt, St. Georges,</HI> and of one of the In-Pari&s;hes (becau&s;e I was born there) St. <HI>Alphage.</HI> And to hand&s;ell the place, and become (as I hope) as a leading, &s;o a lucky ex|ample of Charity in this kind to others, I do en|gage at my own charge, to lay in there, for that u&s;e, Twenty Seams or Quarters of Wheat a&s;&s;oon as the room can be made ready, and fitting to receive it: intending it &s;hall lye and be kept there (as in a Store-hou&s;e) again&s;t a Time, or Year, of Dearth or Scarcety, and then be delivered out at &s;uch rates and
<PB N="5" REF="6">prizes as the Stock may thereby be renewed with &s;uch ad|vantage as the Mayor and Aldermen for the time being &s;hall think fit. And if, by Gods goodne&s;s and mercy, no &s;uch dearth &s;hall happen in the mean time, it &s;hall be in the power of the then Mayor and Court of Al|dermen, at 3, 4, or 5. years end, and &s;o from time to time for ever, to &s;ell and put off the &s;aid 20. Seams of Wheat; provided that within 12. moneths time next following, they &s;hall be bound to renew and recruit the Stock with as much new Wheat, and, if it may be, with advantage. And I hope, the room being of a capacity to receive twice as much Corn, this example of mine will (which God grant) invite and encourage tho&s;e of more ability to add unto the Stock. And &s;hould it plea&s;e God to &s;tir up &s;uch a number of charitable Bene|factours as that the Room will not be able to bear &s;o great a Stock of Corn, (for I would have care taken it be not over-burthened:) I &s;hall freely part with the other Store-hou&s;e al&s;o, that I mean oppo&s;ite unto it, at the We&s;t end of the &s;aid Market-hou&s;e, for the &s;ame u&s;e; &s;o as the Corn be &s;ent in within 12. moneths next en&s;uing the Date hereof.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, as there is room under the fir&s;t &s;tair-ca&s;e, the Rent whereof will &s;erve to pay for the cleaning of the Market, and turning of the Corn, &s;o I as freely give it up and put it over to you the &s;aid Mayor and Aldermen and your Succe&s;&s;ors, for that intent and purpo&s;e, with full power to hire or rent it out for the be&s;t advantage.</P>
<P>This and all the re&s;t, I freely conferre and be&s;tow as afore&s;aid, yet with and under the&s;e limitations and conditions here en&s;uing, and not otherwi&s;e, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t, that you the Mayor and Aldermen be obliged to perform and do what on your part is required to be performed and done, as touching the ordering and ma|naging of the Stock of Corn for the Poor.</P>
<PB N="6" REF="7">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, that both you, and the &s;ix Companies &s;hall ingage for the keeping the whole Market-hou&s;e afore|&s;aid, from time to time in good adn needfull repair, at your and their co&s;ts and charges.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, That the Door-keeper of the Chamber, Store-hou&s;e, or Store-hou&s;es afore&s;aid &s;hall be left to the nomination and appointment of my &s;elf, during my life, and after my decea&s;e to the nomination and appoint|ment of my &s;aid Brather, if he &s;urvive me, during his life.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, That the Market there &s;hall from hence|forth for ever be made a Free-Market for Town and Countrey.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5"> Fifthly, That no Huck&s;ter be permitted to buy any thing there, to utter and &s;ell again there; which is a com|mon thing, but indeed a very great abu&s;e; as I have ob&s;erved &s;ince the Market-hou&s;e was in building.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6"> Sixthly, That the Countrey people coming with Provi&s;ion to the Market there to &s;ell, may have what room the place will afford (for which end it was chief|built) and not be turned out or excluded (as they now are, many of them) by tho&s;e that &s;ell Herbs, Roots, and &s;uch kind of Huck-&s;try-ware, to the di&s;honour of the Town, and Market.</P>
<P>All which Conditions and Limitations I conceive to be &s;o rea&s;onable, and (if well lookt after and ob&s;erved) &s;o honourable and advantageous to the City, (as tend|ing only to the publick good, and no more to my own private benefit than in common with others) as that I cannot doubt of your readine&s;s, in all particulars here propounded, to clo&s;e with</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>(Right Wor&s;hipfull)</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your humble Servant <HI>JOHN SOMNER.</HI></SIGNED>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<PB N="7" REF="7">
<P>Upon further con&s;ideration, That I may clear my &s;elf to all the world of &s;elf-ends, or de&s;igning any private advan|tage to me or mine by this Work, wherewith many male|volent and unthankfull per&s;ons have been apt and for|ward to bla&s;t, and (if they could) to di&s;courage, my pub|lick undertaking; I do now further declare my &s;elf, that I am al&s;o willing to forgo the whole benefit (before re&s;er|ved to my &s;elf) of that other part of the fir&s;t Story, the Ea|&s;tern Chamber of the Market-hou&s;e afore&s;aid: offering and leavihg it to the choice of the pre&s;ent Mayor and Al|dermen and their Succe&s;&s;ors, whether I &s;hall employ and hire it out to the be&s;t and mo&s;t advantage my &s;elf, or leave it to them &s;o to do: but &s;o as in either ca&s;e the whole yeerly Rent and Revenue thereof, which I cannot reckon at le&s;s than 5. <HI>l. per annum,</HI> &s;hall go to the relief of the ten <HI>Inbrothers</HI> and <HI>In&s;i&s;ters</HI> of <HI>Ea&s;t-bridge</HI> Ho&s;pital for ever, as an augmentation to their poor and beggarly maintenance. And &s;o Gods ble&s;&s;ing be upon the Work, and tho&s;e that &s;hall take example by it; while&s;t, with &s;incerity of heart, I &s;hall take up that of the Prophet <HI>David: Not unto us, O Lord,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></Q>
<P>Upon the communication of this Paper, the whole Hou&s;e of <HI>Burgmote</HI> (who till then had me in &s;ome &s;u&s;pition for aiming at matter of private advantage to my &s;elf, &s;o far at lea&s;t as untill I were reimbur&s;ed) was &s;o exceedingly, not only &s;atisfied, but taken with my Propo&s;als, as after an unanimous approbation and ap|plau&s;e, they voted and gave out in writing under their Town-Clerks hand, an Order for a Committee to give me a meeting in the new Market-hou&s;e, for con&s;ider|ing, con&s;ulting, and concluding a way for &s;etling the whole affair according to my own de&s;ire, as by this fol|lowing Copy will appear.</P>
<Q REND="margQuotes"><PB N="8" REF="8">
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="official order">
<OPENER><DATELINE><NOTE PLACE="marg">Civitas Cantuar.</NOTE>Cur' Burgomati tenta <DATE>ibidem die Martis, &s;cilicet, &s;eptimo die Novembris, anno Regni Domini no&s;tri <HI>Caroli</HI> Secundi nunc Regis <HI>Angliae,</HI> &amp;c. Decimo &s;ep|timo.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>Whereas <HI>John Somner</HI> Gent. out of a further de&s;ire and intention of the publick good, honour, and be|nefit of this City and Country, hath been plea&s;ed to pre&s;ent unto this Court certain good propo&s;als concer|ning the Market-hou&s;e at the <HI>Bul&s;tack;</HI> thereby declaring his mind and good intent touching the &s;ame: It is or|dered by this Court, that the &s;aid propo&s;als and every of them &s;hall and are hereby accepted and approved of. And to the end that the &s;aid Market-place, and other the Super&s;tructures and things in the &s;aid Propo&s;als men|tioned, may be the better &s;ettled and e&s;tabli&s;hed by this Court, according to the de&s;ire, mind, and intent of the
<PB N="9" REF="8">&s;aid <HI>John Somner;</HI> and for the better &s;atisfaction of the &s;aid <HI>John Somner,</HI> It is though fit, and ordered by this Court, That the Maior of the &s;aid City, or any five or &s;ix of the Alder|men, whereof the Maior to be one, or any Ten of the Common-Councel, whereof the Recorder to be one, &s;hall meet together on <HI>Fryday</HI> next at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon, at the &s;aid Market-place called the <HI>Bul|&s;tack</HI>-Market, and &s;hall confer with the &s;aid <HI>John Somner</HI> about the &s;ame: and what &s;hall by them be thought re|qui&s;ite and nece&s;&s;ary for the ordering, &s;erling, and e&s;tabli&s;hing of the &s;aid Market-place, and other things in the &s;aid Propo&s;als mentioned, &s;hall certifie at the next Burghmote.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Lovelace.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></Q>
<P>One thing which I principally de&s;igned and expected to be gratified in by the Town (although of no par|ticular advantage to my &s;elf) was, a <HI>Free-Market.</HI>
<PB N="10" REF="9">By long ob&s;ervation and experience I had found the want of it, and the di&s;honour and damage both<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> re|dounding to the City by the contrary. For, through the over-rigorous exacting of Tole by the Clerk of the Market, (who gave the City but a &s;hort accompt of it, and is be&s;ides, a per&s;on who &s;tands branded by them&s;elves upon Record, for &s;everal mi&s;carriages in his place) the Sellers were and are wont to hide up a good part of their wares, and not bring them forth into the Market, but by parcels, whereby the Buyer can not have his choice, but mu&s;t take what he finds at the Sellers price, or be gon. Hereof a multitude both in Town and Country daily complaining, I could not but &s;tudy the remedying of it.</P>
<P>This (the Free-Market) went down with the Cor|poration very well at fir&s;t, and becau&s;e their Cl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rk (if the Market were infranchi&s;ed and &s;et free) might &s;uffer &s;omewhat in the matter of his livelyhood, they were very forward to declare them&s;elves contented (for the Publicks &s;ake) to be put upon the &s;eeking out &s;ome expedient (at their own charge). for making him a compen&s;ation, and (by &s;ome overtures from me) &s;oon found that a &s;mall matter would do it. But not long after, by his endevours with the Chamberlaine, (than whom none more forward for a Free-Market, when the hou&s;e was &s;etting up) and &s;ome other of the Leading par|ty in the Hou&s;e, (a &s;ort of private vulgar &s;pirited men, whereof no Society was ever yet free) this Trifle, this incon&s;iderable retrenching of their pre|&s;ent Market-Clerks income, mu&s;t carry the name of a ju&s;t occa&s;ion for altering their minds, and put|ting a &s;top (as it did) to the bu&s;ine&s;s; &s;o that at the time and place appointed, I giving them a meeting to treat of a way of Settlement, &s;uch doubts were ca&s;t, and objections made, (in that particular e&s;pecially)
<PB N="11" REF="9">that I plainly perceiving they were quite and clean gon<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> off from their former votes, and intended nothing le&s;s than a &s;ettlement of the bu&s;ine&s;s according to my Propo&s;als and their own Votes, could not but &s;hew my &s;elf &s;en&s;ible of the di&s;appointment; and thereupon in &s;ome di&s;content, de&s;ired a di&s;&s;olving of their Meet|ing, and went my way.</P>
<P>They perceiving it, and thinking it &s;omewhat too early to break off with me &s;o &s;oon, (as the malevo|lent party more than &s;eemed willing enough to do) con&s;ulted and found an expedient for removing this impediment, and ma&s;tering this difficulty; but not un|til by my profers and conde&s;centions I had yeilded to them &s;o far in the qualifying and regulating that matter of a Free-Market, as fully to &s;atisfie all op|po&s;ers, by my con&s;enting to the tolling of all things in a manner, excepting only that which is not the third part of what things are tollable, Piggs and Poul|try.</P>
<P>And now the matter (of Settlement) was afre&s;h propounded in Burgmote, where (after thanks retur|ned me for my conde&s;cen&s;ions) it was then agreed to proceed, and writings voted to be drawn up between us, to &s;ettle it accordingly. And drawn they were, whereat upon peru&s;al I taking &s;ome exceptions, as finding them not according to my propo&s;itions, in &s;e|veral particulars, I made the Burgmote acquainted with them; who by Mr. Recorder &s;atisfying me, as to the main of my exceptions, &s;o as we were arrived at a right under&s;tanding of each others meaning, I was now ready for a clo&s;e with them upon their own terms; and by the mediation of the &s;ame hand that before, &s;ignifying &s;o much unto them at the next Burgmote after, they once more re&s;umed the bu&s;ine&s;s, and en|tred into a fre&s;h debate about it.</P>
<PB N="12" REF="10">
<P> By this time (by the means of a pragmatical men|ber of the Hou&s;e, who looking AWRY both on the Founder and his Work, and from the fir&s;t taken all occa&s;ions to evidence his di&s;-affection and di&s;&s;ant) the oppo&s;ite party was grown &s;o &s;trong, that the re|&s;ult of this debate was not only a di&s;&s;ent and prote&s;t again&s;t their proceeding with me, but a ca&s;ting off the bu&s;ine&s;s with a plain and uncivil jeer. For in regard the repairs were to be ca&s;t on the Corporation (a burthen neverthele&s;s &s;o incon&s;iderable as cannot a|mount to 20 <HI>s. per annum,</HI> for an age; or rather no burthen at all, in regard the benefit of a room un|der the Stair ca&s;e, which was offered them, would more then recompen&s;e it:) they would none of it, <HI>they would not</HI> (for&s;ooth) <HI>take a hou&s;e to keep it in repair, for me and my brother to walk in.</HI></P>
<P>Truth is (by the Propo&s;itions) a re&s;ervation there is of mine and my brothers intere&s;t in one of the rooms during our lives, in common with the Corpo|ration, and yet (as they were a&s;&s;ured) but at &s;pare times only when the Corporation had no occa&s;ion to u&s;e it them&s;elves. And be&s;ides, we are (they know) per&s;ons well in years, and (unle&s;s they fear our Gho&s;ts may haunt the place after we are dead) can|not probably trouble them long with our walking there; our walk being now down the hill, and by cour&s;e of nature neer an end. See by the way (courteous Rea|der) how &s;tudious the&s;e men are to find and ca&s;t ob|&s;tructions in the way of their own advantage, and to ward and &s;tave off an intended boon! And on the contrary, how willing I have been to remove their ob&s;tructions, and how loth to be put upon turning that to my private emolument, which I intended for a publick good!</P>
<PB N="13" REF="10">
<P> To &s;umme up their objections: 1. They mu&s;t abridge their Clerk of the Market of &s;ome incon&s;iderable part of his profit, which he may very well &s;pare: how un-advi&s;ed el&s;e was that Town&s;man, who&s;e offer, though refu&s;ed, was, if he might have the place, to do all the duties of it; to admit of a Free-Market, and yet to pay the City 5 <HI>l. per annum?</HI> 2. They mu&s;t be at perhaps 20 <HI>s.</HI> charge <HI>per annum</HI> in repaires; and have more than recompen&s;e for it by that room un|der, the Staires. 3. They mu&s;t permit the Founder and his Brother (ancient men both) to inter-common with them in the u&s;e of one of the rooms, at &s;pare times.</P>
<P>How trivial, how ridiculous, how in&s;ignificant, and empty are the&s;e exceptions, &s;hall I call them, or the&s;e cavils! What little or no detriment or di&s;com|modity doth or can attend them, compared with the great commodity and advantage which by the Propo|&s;als, if embraced, would redound (in point sof ac|commodation) to the Magi&s;trates and the Companies, for Meetings and Treatments; and (in point of Cha|rity) to the Poor, by a con&s;tant &s;tock and provi&s;ion of Corn there to be &s;tored up for them, towards which and for &s;econding me in my intended hand&s;ell, divers Gentlemen and others (who now will do nothing) had declared their forwardne&s;s in &s;uch a bountiful way of contribution, as probably both the Store-hou&s;es, (the two upper rooms) capable of Four&s;core quar|ters of Corn, would &s;hortly have been full? What a &s;hame mu&s;t it needs be the while&s;t to the City, and how can they an&s;wer it to po&s;terity e&s;pecially, to &s;uffer &s;o publick, &s;o pregnant and permanent a boon and benefit to their Corporation and the Poor, not ea&s;ily to be matched in a ca&s;e of this nature, all the Kingdom over, for ever to mi&s;carry and be lo&s;t, ra|ther
<PB N="14" REF="11">than accept it upon conditions &s;o ea&s;te of por|formance; &s;o very ea&s;ie, I &s;ay, as being now refu|&s;ed, they can never, while&s;t the memory of this in|gratitude doth la&s;t, rea&s;onably expect to be tried with the &s;ame, or the like again?</P>
<P>Yet refu&s;ed them they have. And &s;ince they have had no more rea&s;on, I am re&s;olved (without hearkning to any further treaty with them, after &s;o much baffling) to &s;hew that I have not &s;o little, as to obtrude, &s;quander, and ca&s;t away all my co&s;t, my kindne&s;s, and my charity (wherein I had it in my mind to have proceeded, by doing &s;omewhat towards the Cities ac|commodation and &s;upply with, what is much wanting to it, more Water,) upon &s;uch unworthy, ungrateful objects: or to woo them to accept of that, which, if they had any court&s;hip, they had rea&s;on to imploy it in per&s;wading me to part with. But &s;ince what, like a good Citizen, I once intended for the Cities pub|lick commodity, is rejected, I &s;hall, like a good husband, take it home and convert it to my own pri|vate advantage, all but the Corn, which I &s;hall be|&s;tow where it may be better accepted.</P>
<P>And in &s;o doing, whether I be to blame or not, I am willing to refer to the judgement of any but &s;uch thankle&s;s per&s;ons as tho&s;e (the malevolent vulgar party among them, I mean; for them only I brand, which, yet, it &s;eems, are the more prevalent party) I have had to deal withal: a &s;ort of men that have no &s;en&s;e of the Cities either ornament or honor; no regard to the Poors, either relief or prayers; &s;tudy|ing only matter of pre&s;ent profit to them&s;elves, and thinking that cannot be a good work or thank-worthy, which requires any whit at all of contribution from them&s;elves, to complete or maintain it: but are ready, with <HI>Judas,</HI> to reckon all as wa&s;t, that goes be&s;ide
<PB N="15" REF="11">the bag: nothing to be acceptable, but what is pro|fitable: All but tra&s;h that brings no ca&s;h to the <HI>Cham|ber.</HI> But having appealed unto others for their judge|ment, I may perhaps be blamed for anticipating it with mine. If &s;o, I crave pardon, and, with full &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, ca&s;t my &s;elf upon the verdict of any but tho&s;e who have dealt &s;o unthankfully and unworthily with</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>The humble Appellant <HI>John Somner.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
