BEing required to make these Three Books of Assize publick, I think it will not he amiss in this juncture of time, (that baking is slighted) for every one to consult the Sta­tute assiza Panis, to find out whether the Bakers do it upon good Grounds, or by a Covetous Spirit, to advance their Fortunes the sooner, and to a higher Degree then is convenient for the ease of the Labouring-Men, and the Poor, considering that the en­crease of allowance to the former, decreases the quantity of Bread that the latter should have.

An encrease of allowance is considerate in a City, a Shilling per Barrel amounting to above 100 l. per Annum, to such as bakes 40 Barrels of Corn weekly; and if the Bakers could obtain a further allowance of 2 s. per Barrel, (as they have alledged they had,) it would bring a double profit, and treble to such as Mr. Cox, who by report bakes 60 Barrels per Week.

I have acknowledg'd, and do believe, that according to the Statute, and Proclamations since published in England till the Reign of Queen Elizabeth for the encrease of their allowance from time to time, they may justly expect a further allowance, at this juncture; that an Ounce of Sterling is worth 5 s. 10 d. & the present Barrel less then the Winchester by one Gallon & 38 Cubical Inches, and that allowance, I think, may be of 2 s. per quarter.

But this allowance is to be granted by the Chief Gover­nors & Privy-Councel, and not by the Magistrate singly; for if such Power was divolv'd to him, and Bakers should happen to be Mayors, or some other selfish Persons, they might soon enrich that Corporation and oppress the People.

For the vindicating of their leaving off baking, althô bound by their Charter, they do alledge that they cannot bake but with Loss, and therefore desires that a Tryal be made of a Quarter of mixt Wheat as they are assized by. I must acknowledge, I ever was against such Tryal; because I do not believe, that any one, can do it exactly who is not a perfect Baker; and none in En­gland was admitted to make such Tryal, but the Kings Bakers, who durst not favour the Corporation, for fear, least some of the Trade should discover the fallacy, and make them loose their pla­ces; But here all Bakers are engaged by their own particular Interest, and Sworn for the Good of their Corporation. What could other Persons do, that knows neither the Quality of Corn, nor what each Sort may produce; nor how it must be milled, or fifted, or sorted afterwards for the best Advantage; nor how to prepare the Dough, nor how to bake it. The profit, I think, must consist in those things, and to know the Quantity of Flower, that may be abstracted for White particularly, which brings the most profit, and takes less Weight; and how much for Wheaten; and what of the Remainder may serve for Houshold; and what further Advantage may be made by the Bran, either in selling of it, or [Page] grinding it to mix with other courser Bread. I have an Impli­cit Belief, that the grand Tryal on which the Statute assiza Pa­nis was grounded, was a true and just Assize, and that therefore the Bakers had then a sufficient allowance thereby for baking: And have had further allowance to 6 s. the Quarter since; which was judged to be sufficient when granted. And here we must observe that the measures of Wheat were calculated by such Weight, as might enable the Bakers to bake with profit enough, and the Bran over and above. The Quarter of Wheat Winche­ster measure was then fixed one with the other at 544 pounds, 4 ounces 16 penny weight Troy, or 448 pounds Avoir-du-poids, and all Assize s were calculated accordingly. I heard that the Bakers desired that a Tryal should be made of a Quarter of Wheat of the Tole-Corne, which is mixed of all sorts, and to bake it all in good Houshold Bread. But I believe it was a jest, else it should be named a Fallacy; for by such a Tryal the Bread made would not produce so much as the Corn cost. This may be easily demon­strated by the Assize inserted in the Statute 51 H. 3. Where you will find that Houshold Bread is to weigh in its proportion as much as the Corn in toto, Example: ‘3 Quarters of Corn assized at 4 hundred weight a piece makes 12 hundred in toto, and if the same did cost, viz. the best 30 s. the middle 20 s. and the last 10 s. and assized by the middle price 20 s. and the Baker bound to give the like, weight in Houshold as the Corn weighs, viz. 4 hundred, which at 5 s. comes to the middle price of 20 s. If he be such a fool, as to mix the whole, and make it all Houshold, and sell it as the Assize bindeth, at the rate of the middle Corn, he cannot get a Farthing for baking, &c. And therefore such a Tryal is ridiculous.’

But if the Baker keeps the 3 sorts of Corn unmixt, and draws out of the 1200, viz. 400 for Houshold, he has to 20 s. of Bread, and 300 of Wheaten, brings as much, which makes 40 s. and 200 of White produces the same, as the 400 Houshold, which makes the first cost, and these 4. 3 and 2 Hundred makes but 900, So that the Baker has 300 Weight of Flower and Bran left to himself for his Profit, and 6 s. Allowance.

I know they will Answer, that my Proposition is not certain, and that there cannot be 200 weight of White in the 1200, nor 300 of Wheaten, and therefore will insist for a Tryal, to which I have no further to reply, but that I do really believe, that it will be as difficult for a private Man, who knows not the Art of Baking, to make the best of several sorts of Corn, as to another who never understood Mettals, to mix them so as to bring them to several Standards, for the best Profit, or to judg afterwards of their Qualities, when once allayed according to Art.

And so it is with the Bakers; for when they have sorted their 3 Quarters or 1200 weight of Meal, and placed 200 for White, 300 for Wheaten, and 400 for Houshold; If they mix half a Hundred of the Wheaten to the 200 of White, and the like of the Houshold to the Wheaten, and as much of the remaining part or Fine Bran to the Houshold, who should be judg of this mixture but themselves, who are the God-Fathers of the Bread, and gives it what Name they please; as some Goldsmiths who have called Sterling a second sort of Silver, allayed with one fifth part of Cop­per, althô the Sterling is not to bear above the 20th part of allay. All these Mixtures add allways to the profit of the Bakers.

Therefore I conclude that advantageous Tryal for the publick Good cannot reasonably be expected from them, who are Sworn for the Good of their Corporation, and naturally inclined to procure to themselves and Families, all the Advantage possible; nor that they should teach in a Day, (and for nothing) an Art they have laboured so long to learn, and discover all their Misteries at once, [Page] to their disadvantage. But I hope, that after a serious Consi­deration, they will seek for their right by the usual Methods that have always been observed in England and Ireland, and continue their supplying this Great City with good and wholsom Bread, according to Assize, and as they are bound by their Charter.

When I published these few Exceptions, I thought they had been sufficient for to satisfie all Persons, that there was no need at all of a Tryal; for it appears plainly enough by the Statute, and the Allowance granted to the Bakers, that they are sufficient Gainers. But none having consulted the Statute, and Mr. Cocq having prevailed for a Tryal, and for such a Tryal that by bak­ing of a Quarter of Wheat, the Bread made of it, brought less by 4 s. 6 d, then the Corn cost, (as they reported.) I think my self obliged to enlarge a little more.

At the time that Mr. Cocq's Tryal was made, an Unfree-Baker made another of a Quarter of Wheat at the same Assize, and made of the Bread seaven Shillings six Pence more, then the Corn cost, which will be proved upon Oath if doubted of, and there­fore no need to allow the Free-Bakers, to make any further Tryals.

Mr. Cocq made a great Noyse in the Court of Kings-Bench pretending, that these few Exceptions were all Erronious, and that I had wrong'd the Bakers. Had he mention'd, in what particular I had answered him there; for I expected their Thanks, and not their Reproaches, being that they tend generally to the Advantage of the Corporation.

I made them short, and upon general Heads, not thinking that they would oblige me to descend to Particulars and to un­ravel their Disingenious Contrivances, for attaining their end, by a Tryal, being not willing to expose them. But Master Cocq having made his Challenge so publickly, I shall endeavour to make good my positive Assertion, That the Bakers are sufficient Gain­ers, and that a Tryal by them is neither sure nor necessary.

I shall prove the same, first by the Statute it self, and secondly by their proceeding; Since I made publick the Book of Assize by Troy-weight:

I^mo. The Statute Assiza Panis fixes the Assize, by a Quarter of Wheat of Wine-measure, which is short of the full Weight of a Quarter of Corn; the Statute leaving the overplus to the Baker, as a benefit for baking. This is explained very clearly in the Statute, as followeth. By the Consent of the whole Realm of England, the Measure of our Lord the King was made, (That is to say,) that an English Penny called a Sterling, round and without Clipping, shall weigh 32 Wheat Corns in the Middes of the Ear, and 20 Pence do make an Ounce, and 12 Ounces one Pound, and 8 Pound do make a Gallon of Wine, and 8 Gallons of Wine do make a Lon­don Bushel, which is the eighth part of a Quarter.

It is then plain, That the Measure used for Assize, was the Wine-Measure, but the Measure by which the Corn is sold, is another, which we call Ale or Winchester Measure; the dif­ference is, that the Wine-Gallon contains, only 231 Cubical In­ches, and the Ale-Gallon or Winchester contained then 282, and therefore there was 51 Cubical Inches in that Gallon, or 3246 Cubical Inches more in a Quarter of Wheat by Winchester Measure, then by the London or Wine-Measure, which is 11 Gallons and a half, and 21 Cubical Inches.

Those who will make the Experience, may weigh a full Quar­ter of Wheat in the Market, and try the Difference, adding to it the 2 Gallons and 76 Cubical Inches taken off, from the for­mer Measure, by the late Act of Parliament.

This Weight being the Money-Weights, of which there are hardly so many in the whole City, as would weigh a Quarter of Wheat, it must be reduced into Avoir-du-poids Weight by the Rules of the coequality of both Weights, which you have here In­serted, and by which you'll find that 512 Pounds Troy, is exact­ly 406 Pounds Avoir-du-poids. And therefore the Assize is cal­culated as if a Barrel shoud weigh only 203 Pounds, or 14 Stones and a half, and the Quarter 406 Pounds, or 29 Stones. What it weighs over and above, is a Profit to the Baker.

That Standard was never altered since, and the Assize was always made by it; but the Standard of the Corn sold in the Market, was otherwise, as we see by the Statute made here, 12 Elizabethae, The Bushel for Wheat, Rye, Meslin, Peaze, and Beans, to contain 16 Ale-Gallons, and the Bu­shel for Malt, Oates, and Barley, 20 Ale-Gallons, and the Bushel (or half Barrel) for Bread-Corn to be received strik'd, without heap, and the Bushel of Malt is to be lay'd and [Page] press'd down, just with the Brim of the Bushel after the ac­customed Manner of measuring Malt.

These Measures were only established for the County of the City, and County of Dublin, County of Catherlagh, County of Lowth, the Kings County, County of Meath, County of Kil­dare, County of Wexford, County of West-Meath, and the Queen's County. Therefore the Assize of Dublin could not be a Rule for any other Parts of the Kingdom; But now it may be so hereafter, there being but one Measure throughout the Kingdom.

This proves sufficiently, that the Dublin-Bakers cannot be Loosers by the Assize made here, our Barrel of Corn weighing more then 14 Stones and a half, which is the Weight of the Bar­rel of Assize, establish'd by the Statute. And therefore there is no need of a new Tryal.

I shall now Inforce this by proving that according to the As­size established by the Statute Assiza Panis they gain sufficiently.

That will be found by any of the Assizes, calculated exactly, observing the Weights of a Quarter of Wheat, which generally weighs, viz. Best 36 Stones, Worse 34 Stones, and Worst 32 Stones, whereof the MIDDLE is 34 Stones, or 476 Pounds, or 7616 Ounces Avoir-du-poids, which is 6949 Ounces 12 Penny-weight Troy.

It is indifferent what Assize is chosen for a proof, being all equal, but for the ease of those, who are not expert in this way of Calculation, and for preventing Fractions, I shall take the Assize of Bread when Wheat is sold at 27 s. a Quarter, and 6 s. allow­ance to the Baker, which brings it to 33 s, and divide a Quarter of Wheat in three Parts, that is to say, that the Baker shall furnish 9 s. of White Bread, 9 s. of Wheaten, and 9 s. of Houshold to repay himself his first cost, and keep all the rest for his charges in baking.

By the Weight of Corn they have 6949 Ounces 12 Penny of Wheat, Troy weight; and they are to deliver for the 27 s. they paid for the Corn, 4981 Ounces and a half only. Therefore they have 1968 Ounces and 2 Penny remaining for their charges and profit in baking, which is very near one Third Part, and there­fore no need to allow 'em any further Tryal.

And if they be allowed eight Shillings, in stead of six, there will be less need of it.

I do not mention the great Profit they have by baking Meslin, Rye, and Crutchlo-Bread, at what Weight they please, because I hope they will be brought under Assize.

Nor the benefit they have by baking Twice the Quan­tity of Wheat in Week-Days, then is sold in Market-Days, where the Price is inhansed by them:

This was proved before the Committee of the Honourable House of Commons: For all the Corn lodged at Mr. Cossarts, and in the Malt-House at Dolphins-Barn, was bought for less then 40 s. a Quarter, but the first was baked when the Assize was at 58 s, and if the other was kept longer, they got more, the Assize having risen continually since, and indeed the Quantities of Corn has been multiplied since in that Place and in others; but this may be prevented.

Nor the benefit they have by the overplus in Measure, which they get from the Country-men, because it is properly a gift to them.

Nor their Ingrossing of Corn in the Country, because they advance Money for it, and run the hazard of a change.

Yet all these are advantages to the Rich Free-Baker, which the poor Unfree, or Foreigner has not, and yet gains so sufficiently, that he is content.

Therefore I conclude, that the Free-Bakers must of necessity gain more, and that no Tryal ought to be allow'd them.

2^do. Considering their Contrivances for obtaining a Tryal to be made with the Assistance of the Master and Wardens of the Corporation. I do not think that it ought to be allowed them.

As soon as I had laid down the Rod, they prevailed, that Meslin-Bread should not be assized, which has continued to this Day, and by which means they have been great Gainers, and therefore had no need to complain or to desire a Tryal.

They at the same time contrived to have such an Assize, for Foreigners, (or Unfree-Bakers,) as could not but destroy them, having no Allowance granted them, but on the contrary bound to allow 3 Pound weight of Bread in a 12. Penny Loaf of Houshold Bread, more then the Freemen, so that they could not bake without Loosing all their Labour and Charges in baking.

This made several Unfree-Bakers join together, to seek for relief, and at last the most considerable among them, were admitted by the Corporation to bake at their Assize. Then they joined toge­ther but this severe Assize continuing afterwards from Mich. 1697 to Mich. 1698, all the poor Unfree-Bakers were forced to leave off, and some to go away, and others to apply to other sorts of live­lyhood, or to serve as Journey-men, and this they endeavour'd to continue still, but were prevented, when this was made known to our present Magistrate.

At that juncture of time, they rejected to take the Assize from the Magistrate, pretending they would bake no longer, and accordingly shut up their Shops, left off buying of Corn themselves, but yet imployed their Millers, and others to buy for 'em, and bak­ed privately for whom they pleased, and at what Assize they thought fit. And perhaps would have continued to this Day, had not some few Persons taken upon them to bake, and prove that they had Profit enough by baking at the Assize and Allowance, given by the Magistrates. And this seems to be a sufficient Reason that a Tryal should not be granted to be made by them.

Their harrassing at the same time, those few new Bakers, seizing their Bread, when no Assize was proclaimed by the Ma­gistrate, and Bread only made for the present Supply, of those they would not serve with Bread, and of a sufficient Assize for that time.

The 7 Twelf Penny Loaves they restored, wanting but 6 Oun­ces after being kept 15 Days, proves sufficiently their design of forcing for a subtil Tryal to gain an extraordinary Allowance to the Prejudice of the Poor, and for that Reason none should be granted to them.

The very Contrivance of making Mr. Cocq a grand Jury­man to procure a Tryal by his earnest Solicitations to his Brethren, &c. was sufficient for denying him such Request.

I must in this place mark, that they had no right at that [Page] time to seize any Bread at all, much less in a House; for no Bread ought to be seized, but what is exposed for sale in Shops, or in the Market, or such as has been sold for Bread of Assize, and proves light.

The Magistrate himself, or Grand Juries, cannot in justice seize Bread under the Weight of Assize, if kept by the Baker, by Reason of a mistake of his Servants, in making the same too light, and he has (no doubt) Liberty to acquaint the Magistrate, and the Jury of the Mistake, and to demand Liberty to sell the same at an Under-rate, according to that of Assize; and such a Licence can­not be denied: but if he should sell at a higher Rate, he is indi­table by the Magistrate, and subject to the Pillory.

I could enlarge more for the preventing of the Tryal they so earnestly desire, but I think it is sufficient to say, that when they saw, that the Government, and the City, were pleased to encou­rage the Unfree-Bakers, who were beginning to bake; they of themselves fell to work again, which they would never have done, had they been so great Loosers, as they pretended, and were sure that none could bake at the Assize allowed by the Statute, but on the contrary would have suffered the Unfree-Bakers to go on, and ruin themselves, by baking at that Assize, to support their Asser­tion. Therefore I conclude, that there is no Reason to grant 'em any further Tryal.

THe Statute takes no Notice of Troy-Weight, the Assize of Bread being Established according to the currant Money of England, which had been Made and Stamp'd by some Genilemen called the Sterlings, of the East of England; and for that reason bear their Name to this day.

It is to be suppos'd that they knew the Weights called Troy, having Coined all the Money according to that Standard. But the Coin has been exhausted since, from time to time; the Ounce of Sterling being risen by Henry the 6th to 2 s. 6d. by Edward the 4th to 40 d. by Henry the 8th to 45 d. and by Queen Elizabeth to 5 s. which is now the Standard of England; and therefore for keeping the Assize at the just Standard limited by the Statute, they left off using the word Sterling, and in stead of a Penny, or a Shilling, or a Pound Sterling, they called the Penny, a Penny-Weight, [Page] and 20 Penny-Weight an Ounce, and 12 Ounces a Pound Troy; and accordingly the Assize of Bread has been made ever since. The Word Troy-Weight, (in Latin Libra Trojana) im­ports as much as that of Sterling, being called by the name of the Trojans who made and used it, in all that part of Asia the Less, called Phrigia, the Chief City whereof is Troy. From thence the Europeans took it, and Coined there Money by that Standard. In France they gave it another Name, calling the Pound a Marc. from the Latin Marca, and with us a Mark of Money weighing 12 Ounces.

In Italy they call it Libra Romana, and contains the same Weight of 12 Ounces from the Latin Assis Assipuridium, a Ro­man Coin, a Pound.

But for the better understanding of the Assize by Sterling-Mo­ney, and Troy-Weight, you have here a Table of the Coequality of Old Sterling-Money, and Troy-Weight, and the Sterling-Money now Currant in England.

By this Table it is easie to apprehend, that the Money is three times the value, of what it was at first; but Troy-Weight re­mains fixt, and therefore will be the rule of the following Table of Assize.

The Statute orders the Assize to be made, that when Corn is at 1 s. per Quarter, the Cocket or White Loaf of a Farthing shall Weigh 7 l. 1 s. Sterling, Old Standard Money, which is exactly 84 Ounces 12 Penny Weight, as you may see in the Table.

But at this time it would be in vain to make an Assize by a Farthing Loaf, it being out of use: And to make one by a Half Penny would but increase this work and to no purpose, that of a Penny including both,

I shall therefore begin the following Table of Assize, by the Penny White, which is the rule of Assize; For the other sorts, the Statute ordering that Wheaten Bread shall Weigh a Cocket and a half, that is, half more then the White; and the Houshold two Cockets, that is, twice as much as the White Cocket. The Statute directs that the Assize shall not change, but by 6 d. in the Raising or Lowring of a Quarter of Wheat, therefore the Table will follow accordingly from Six Pence to 200 Six Pences Price.

It also ordained, That when a Quarter of Wheat is sold for 12 d. the Farthing Loaf of White Cocket shall weigh 7 l. 1 s. which is 84 Ounces 12 Penny Weight; So that the Half Penny is to weigh 169 Ounces 4 Penny weight; and consequently the Penny Loaf 338 Ounces 8 Penny weight: But when Corn is sold at 6 d. the Quarter, then the Penny White ought to weigh twice as much, viz. 676 Ounces 16 Deniers.

For the more ease in Calculating all Assizes, and avoid all Fractions, I reduced the 676 Ounces 16 Deniers, which is the weight of a Si [...] Penny White Loaf, into Penny weights, viz. 13536. which being Divided by as many Six Pences as there is in the Price of a Quarter of Corn, and the allowance to the Bakers, brings in the Quotient the true weight of a Penny White Bread, which directs the weight of all the rest. For if the White is to weigh a Pound, the Wheaten is to weigh a Pound and a half, and the Houshold two Pounds.

Example.

Suppose the Middle Price of Corn was in Dublin the 7th of July 1694 at 12 s. 3 d. the Barrel, or 24 s. 6. the Quarter, and 6 s. allowed to the Baker, hich makes 30 s. 6 d. or 61 Six Pences: Divide your 13536 Penny Weight by the 61 Six Pences, and you'l find in the Quotient 221 Penny Weight, and 50 parts of 61 parts of a Penny Weight, which is 11 Ounces 1 Penny Weight, and 55 parts of 61 parts of a Penny Weight; and that is the Weight of a Penny White Loaf, when Corn, and allowance to the Baker, is at 30 s. 6 d. the Quarter.

Observe that, in the following Tables of Assize by Troy-Weight the Letrer L. is for a Pound Sterling, sh. for Shillings, d. for Pence, O. for Ounces, P. for Penny-Weight, Nu. for Numera­tor, D. for Denominator, which signifies only so many parts, of so many other parts of a Penny Weight.

THis Weight is called by the French Poids du Roy, the Kings Weight, and by the Normans Avoir-du-poids, which signifies as much as Habere Pondus, to have full Weight, by others Ligostatica Libra, containing 16 Ounces, and by the Vulgar, Haber-de-poids. They all agree as to the Pounds and Ounces, but differs in the Quintals and Drachms. The French reck­ons their Quintal at 104 Pound, in these Kingdoms the Quintal general is 112 Pound, and that of Butter, &c. 120 Pound. Some Divides the Pound in 16 Drachms, others in Eight, and each Drachm in 3 Scruples, and a Scruple in 24 Grains, which lat­ter [Page] Scrupulus the weight of 24 Grains, the 3d part of a Drachm Semidrachma the weight of 36 Grains the half of a Drachm. And Drachma the weight of 72 Grains, the Eight part of an Ounce. And Uncia Unciola, is Interpreted to be the 16th part of a Pound, or 8 Drachms, or 24 Scruples, or 576 Grains.

Therefore the following Tables are Calculated by this Rule, only ladding 1 Grain to the 72, to bring all Weights to a true Coequa­ity, 73 Ounces Troy being equal with 80 Avoir-du-poids, as you may see by the following Tables of Coequality.

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The use of these Tables of Coequality, is chiefly for the finding out the just equality of Troy, and Avoir-du-poids Weight, to satisfie the Curious that both Assizes are alike.

It has been proved by the Assize by Troy-Weight, that when a Quarter of Wheat is sold for 6 d. the Bakers White Penny Loaf is to Weigh 676 Ounces, 16 Penny Weight, or 13536 Penny Weight, or 323864 Grains Troy. And by these numbers of Penny Weights or Grains, all Assize may be made without Fracti­ons; by Dividing those Numbers, by as many Six-Pences, as are in the Price of a Quarter of Wheat, and allowance to the Baker.

The same method must be observed for the following Assize by Avoir-du-poids: But first of all, the Weight must be found by the Coequality of both, which may be done by the first Table Coequa­lity by Troy Weight.

First you must set down the 676 Ounces 16 Penny Weight, as in the Example following; according to such Numbers as are in the first Column Troy, and may answer the 676 Ounces 16 Penny Weight, setting down first 500 Ounces, then 100. 50. 20. 5. and 1. and then 10 Penny, 5 Penny, and 1 Penny, as you see here. Afterwards look on the next Column Avoir-du-poids, and place over against each of the Troy Numbers, that of Avoir-du-poids next to it, as to 500 Ounces Troy, 547 Ounces 7 Drachms, 41 part of a Drachm, divided in 73 Grains. To a 100 Ounces Troy, 109 Ounces 4 Drachms 52 Grains. To 50 Ounces Troy, 54 Ounces 6 Drachms 26 Grains. To 20 Ounces Troy, 21 Ounces 7 Drachms 25 Grains. To 5 Ounces Troy, 5 Ounces 3 Drachms 61 Grains. To 1 Ounce Troy, 1 Ounce 56 Grains. To 10 Penny Weight Troy, 4 Drachms 28 Grains. To 5 Penny Weight Troy, 2 Drachms 14 Grains. And to 1 Penny Weight Troy, 32 Grains Avoir-du-poids, add all these together, and you'l find that 741 Ounces 5 Drachms and 43 Grains Avoir-du-poids, answers exactly 676 Ounces 16 Penny Weight Troy.

Example.

The said 741 Ounces 5 Drachms, being Multiplied by 8, which is the number of Drachms in an Ounce, brings with the odd 5 Drachms 5933 Drachms, which being also Multiplied by our 73 Grains (or so many parts of a Drachm) (so Divided) brings 433152 Grains Avoir-du-poids, Coequal with 323864 Troy.

For avoiding all Fractions, and many Rules, take the same Method in this Assize, as in that by Troy-Weight, Divide the 433132 by the Number of Six-Pences you find in the Price of a Quarter of Wheat, and allowance to the Baker, and what you find in the Quotient, will be the Weight of a Penny White Loaf.

Example.

When Corn is at 6 d. per Quarter, the Penny Loaf is to Weigh as abovesaid 433152 parts of a Drachm divided in 73 Grains. Supposing then the Corn to be at 12 s. 3. per Barrel, or 24 s. 6 d. the Quarter, and 6 d. allowance to the Baker, which makes 30 s. 6 d. or 61 Six-Pences. Divide the 433152 Grains by the 61 Six-Pences, and you'l find in the Quotient 710O Grains, and 52 parts. Divide this by 73 Grains, and you'l find in the Quotient, 97 Drachms, 19 Grains, and 52 parts of a Grain. Divide this againe by 8 Drachms to make Ounces, and the Quotient will be 12 Ounces, 1 Drachm, 19 Grains, and 52 parts of a Grain, which is the weight of a Penny White Loaf, when Corn and allowance to the Baker is at 30 s. 6 d. per Quarter, and this is coequal with a 11 Ounces 1 Penny Weight, and 55 parts of 61 Troy-Weight, which is the Weight of a White Penny Loaf by that Weight.

Keeping this Method, all other Assizes may be soon Calculated, so that whosoever will be so curious, as to look after my mistakes, (or that of the Printer) may ascertain all Assizes in a very short time.

This is necessary for all Magistrates to know, else they may mistake in Punishing the Bakers, for lack of Weight in their Bread, and the latter take advantage of the want of knowledge of the former, and Bake under Assize.

I have omitted in this Assize by Avoir-du-poids, all the Fractions of a single Grain, which are all insignificant, there being no Weight in use of the 20. 30. or 50th part of a Grain. Besides, all the curious Criticks may easily supply that, when they shall take the pains, to Calculate any of the Assizes.

THis way of Assizing the Bread, would require but little Calculation, could the Weight of Corn, and Price, be Regulated at the same time, according to the value of Cur­rant Money, as the Venetians do: For every First day of the Month, they have an account brought of all the Corn in their Dominions, and according to the Quantity, they value it at a certain Price, and every Monday they affix in the Market place the Weight, that the several sorts of Bread ought to Weigh, and the Price; And if the Bakers do not Conform, and miss in the Weight, the [Page] Discoverer has power to go with the Officer of the Market, to the Bakers House to Seize all his Bread; the half whereof is for the Informer, the other for the Poor.

In this Kingdom we are Bound by the Statute, to a certain Weight of a Quarter of Wheat, and by a certain Weight of the Quantity of Corn, which the Bread must Weigh, when at such a Price, and also by our Currant Money Divided only in Shillings, or 12 Pences, or 24 Half Pence, or 48 Farthings, which is something troublesome because of our Assize, which Rises and Falls by odd Numbers and Fractions, and extendeth further then the Number of 48 Farthings; therefore we are necessitated to Divide our Farthing in Four Pieces, which we may call Deniers; and that may be easily done, and without charge.

The other Assizes beginneth by a Supposition; when Corn is at 6 d. the Quarter, a Penny White Roll ought to Weigh so much: But that Supposition is only for Rule sake, and not to be practised; because the Bakers since that Statute, have Six Shillings allow­ance, and therefore if Corn should ever fall so low as 6 d. a Quar­ter, they ought to be Assized as if sold at 6 s. 6 d. as they are allow­ed in all Assizes: And therefore a certain proportion of Money ought to be applied on every Six Pence that a Quarter of Wheat, and allowance to the Baker, amounts unto, and so exactly that when the Price of Corn Rises or Falls by 6 d. that of the Standard Bread, may also Rise and Fall accordingly by equal portions, as it doth by the Assize by Troy, and Avoir-du-poids, viz. from 6 d. to 5 l.

The Rule of the Statute is, That a Quarter of Wheat shall be Divided in 8 Bushels, or 64 Wine Gallons, and shall Weigh 512. Pound, or 6144 Ounces, or 122880 Penny Weight, or 3932160 Grains Troy.

I shall therefore take the Number of 64 Gallons for Rule, (which is a full Quarter) and Divide my Shilling into as many [Page] parts, which obliges me to Divide the Farthing in 4 Deniers, there being but 48 Farthings in a Shilling; and so having 192 Deniers, the Third Part of which is 64, I fix 3 Quarters of a Farthing on every Gallon of Corn, which Rising, and Lowring in Price by Six Pence, shall also Rise and Fall the Price of my Standard, by 3 Quarters on each Six Pence, which will answer exactly the Assizes by Troy, and Avoir-du-poids.

Example.

Suppose that Corn be sold at 26s. and 6 s. allowance, which makes 32 s. or 64 Six Pences, each Six Pence bearing 3 Quarters, the 64 amounts to 192, which Divided by 4 brings 48 Farthings which is a Shilling.

Look on the Assize by Troy Weight at 32 s. Price of Corn, and allowance, and you will find that the Penny White is to Weigh 10 Ounces 11 Penny Weight and half, so that a 12 Penny Loaf must Weigh 126 Ounces, 18 Pence, or 10 Pound 6 Ounces, 18 Penny Weight. The Wheaten is to weigh half more, and the Houshold twice as much: And these are our Three Standards for White, Wheaten, and Houshold Bread.

All the Assizes answers this exactly; I shall not trouble the Reader with the Proof of each; for it would make this Book too Voluminous, and every one may easily Calcutate them. I shall on­ly Instance few of them without Fractions.

Suppose the Corn and Allowance be Lowred to 8 s. or Sixteen Six Pences, the 16 times 3 Quarters is 48, and 48 Deniers is 12 Farthings, or 3 Pence: Now as 3 Pence is the Fourth Part of 12 Pence, so is 16 the Fourth Part of 64, therefore this Falls in proportion. On the contrary; supposing the Corn Rises to 40 s. with the allowance, which is 80 Six Pences, Calculate 80 times 3 Deniers whic his 240, the Fourth Part makes 60 Farthings or 15 [Page] Pence, so that our Standard Rises one fourth part more then that at 32 s. as also the Price from 32 to 40 s. Rises a fourth part, and so doth all other Assizes, from First to Last, as you see in the Table.

I doubt not but some will say, that althô this way of Assizing be the best, and the most certain, and most useful, that yet it is not practicable, because we have no such small Money as 3 Quarters of a Farthing. But this difficulty will be easily removed; for it is very easie, and without any charge to the King, to make 4 pieces for a Farthing, and to call them Quarters or Deniers.

Such small Money being very near the intrinsick value, and Authorized by the King, would be pleasing to the People, and would pass as Currant as Silver, both at home and abroad.

I remember that when King Charles the Second, was Petitioned to allow to the Blew-Boys-Hospital liberty of Coining Half Pences, as an advantage towards that Foundation; there were those who are still in being, that would have undertaken to Coin Small Money, one third part heavier then that now Currant, and give some be­nefit to the Hospital: If the same was allowed, it would be not only an advantage to that Foundation, but a benefit to the genera­lity of the Poor; for if in lew of a Half Penny there were 8 Deni­ers, or 8 Quarters of a Farthing, he that has but Two Pence a day to distribute to the Poor, in lew of helping 4 with Four Half Pence, might distribute his Two Pence to 32 Poor Persons.

There is a Table of Assize of Bread in Money used in London, but it is only for a Peck Loaf of Houshold Bread, which is to Weigh always 17 Pound 6 Ounces 1 Drachm Avoir-du-poids, and never changes but by the Falling or Rising of the Quarter of Wheat by 2 s. So that in case an Assize be at 28 s. and Corn Rises to 28 s. and 6 d. and 29 s. and 29 s. and 6 d. yet the Price never Rises; by which the Bakers look always 6d. or 1 s. or 18 d. in a Quarter of Wheat; till the Price comes to an even [Page] Sum: This doth not answer the Statute, and therefore ought not to be practised here, nor can we bind the Bakers to such an Assize. And on the contrary, if the Price should fall to 27 s. ands 6 d. or 27 s. or 26 s. and 6 d. and the Bakers should contrive to keep it at those odd Prices, they should be continually Gainers, of as much as the odd Price amounts unto, over and above the even Shillings Prices: Besides that, if an Unfree Baker was bound to such Standard, and to convert all in Houshold, he could not Bake but at a great Loss.

They have also a Table of Assize by Troy-Weight, wherein they have omitted all the Assizes by 6 d. and all the Fractions in all other Assizes by Shillings, so that in case the Baker transgress, his punishment must be Arbitrary, for they cannot plead the Statute against them, none of their Assizes answering the Rules prescribed by that Act.

There is another small Assize incerted in a Book of Sir Samuel Morland's Works, which I believe gave birth to the former; it is Calculated by the Bushel of Wheat, when at 2 s. and Rises by 3 d. in each Assize, therefore 2 s. answers 16 s. a Quarter, 2 s. 3 d. answers 18 s. a Quarter. 2 s. 6 d. answers and 20 s. and so on to 9 s. a Bushel, which is 3 l. 12 s. the Quarter; but all Assizes that falls to One, Two, or Three odd Six Pences he left out, be­cause of the difficulty of the Fractions.

His First Assize of 2 s. per Bushel requiring Three other Assizes before his Second at 2 s. 3 d. for all the Assizes must Rise or Fall by 6 d. so that he should have made all Assizes by 2 s. and the ¾ part of a Farthing, 2 s. Farthing and ½, and 2 s. 3 Farthings ¼, which is the 16th part of a 6. Penny, as 2 s. a Bushel is the 16th part of 16 s. a Quarter: The want of those Fractions makes the Assize useless, and contrary to the Statute, and of the same prejudice as the former.

Edmund Wingate in his Abridgment of the Statutes mended that mistake in some measure in his Assize, which begineth by the price of Corn when at 19 s. 6 d. and observes all along the Assize by odd Six Pences and Shillings, but he leaves out all the Fractions in his Divisions of the Weight, that the Penny White Loaf ought to Weigh, which amounts to 24 times as much in the Twelve Penny Houshold; which is the Bread that requires the most exact Weight. Besides there are several Assizes wherein he mistook. I shall mention one for example, When Corn is at 58 s. 6 d. per Quarter, he Calculates it, That the Penny White is to Weigh 5 Ounces 14 Penny Weight, whereas it ought to Weigh 5 Ounces 15 Penny Weight, and 81 part of 117, which multi­pled makes the Assize of the Twelve Penny Houshold short by 40 Penny Weight and 72 parts of 117 which is above 2 Ounces, all his following Assizes are like this; and therefore does not answer the Statute, and ought not to be followed.

One Powell an English Baker, has also Printed a Book of Assize, in favour of his Brethren of England, which has been the stum­bling Block of several of our Clerks of Assize here. The Rules he has taken I know not; but as to his Assertions concerning the Assize for Foreigners they are altogether contrary to the Statute Assiza Panis; and I really believe intended here on purpose to Ruin them; for none can Bake by that false Assize, but must loose very considerably: And if the Magistrates should Authorize it a­gain, as the Free-Bakers desire so earnestly, then indeed neither the Unfree-Bakers, nor Foreigners, nor Country Bakers, would be able to live by their Calling: Less then nothing being allowed for Baking by that false Assize. But the Act of Parliament will re­lieve them against such Oppression, if ever the Free-Bakers should prevail again to have it imposed on those poor People.

THE Allegations in the said Petition being all imagina­ry Suppositions needs no Answer. All what they seem to request is, that the City would be pleased to revoke their late grant to Unfree-Bakers, and to allow the Corporation such Pri­ledges in every respect, as all other Corporations have.

As for the revoking the Act past for the Encouraging the Un­free Bakers (which they call Foreiners) it cannot consist with the Honour of the City at this juncture of time, that they have been at vast charges to take Houses, and build Ovens, and buy all Utencils, wherein they have spent their Stock; and by their generous care suplied the City with good and wholsom Bread, and prevented the Famishing of many poor People. Had the Cor­poration [Page] prevented that by Petitioning in time, before the former had set up by virtue of that Act, they had no doubt received all the favour they could justly expect. And if they do Bake, as they say, all good and wholsom Bread, and the Unfree all Currupt, Unsound, and unwholsom Bread, as the former alledges in their Petition, the latter need not be destroyed by Act of Assembly, for they'll de­stroy themselves, for no body will leave off buying good Bread from the skilful Free Baker, to go to the unskilful Unfree Baker for Cor­rupt, Unsound and Unwholsom Bread.

They have joyned to their Petition a Paper, the Copy of which followeth.

An exact account of two Barrels of Wheat, Bak't into Houshold Bread, according to the Lord Mayors Assize, by the Grand Jury of the County of the City of Dublin, February the 10th. 1698.

The above Tryal being made by the Order of the said Grand Jury, by me the day above said.

Vin. Bradston.

Several days before this Tryal, the Exceptions made against it were Printed, and delivered to Sir Michael Mitchel Foreman of that Grand Jury, and to Mr. Thwaits (one of them) who have not Signed the Report, by reasons best known to themselves; and every body who will read the Exceptions against that Tryal, will easily judge of the Fallacy of it, and the Disingenuity of the Bakers.

This Book explains all the Rules for Baking according to the Statute of exactly, that I refer the Reader to it. I shall only an­swer the Tryers by their very Assize, taking all for granted as to the price, charge, weight of Corn, Bran, &c. and quantity of Bread made of it according to Assize; which was that day 12 Ounces & the Penny Houshold by Avoir-du-poids, the rule of their Assize in this Tryal. According to which the Twelve Penny Loaf ought to weigh 150 Ounces, & the 46 ½ Twelve Penny Loafs 6975 Ounces, or 435 Pound 15 Ounces, by which I must observe first of all, that their Meal being by their Tryal 3 Quintals a Quarter and 7 Pound makes only 371 Pounds, so that it appears that in Barm, Water, and Salt, the weight of the Bread encreases 64 Pound 15 Ounces, which is a great advantage to the Baker.

Should I enlarge on this matter, it would require as many Sheets as are already Printed; and whats done answers them sufficiently. I shall only say that at the same time this Tryal was made, an Un­free Baker made another after the same manner, and got above 7 s. profit, and would have got much more, had he followed the Rules of Baking according to Assize, that is by first laying apart ⅓ part of best Flower for White, 3 for Wheaten, [...] for Houshold, as appears by the following Try [...].

Example.

They own that their Neat Meal and Barm, &c. produced 46 ½ times 150 Ounces, which is the rule of Assize that day for the Twelve Penny Loaf, and the whole 6975 Ounces. Therefore had they Divided their Meal in Three parts, viz. 2325 Ounces for White, as much for Wheaten, and as much for Houshold, it would have produced as follows.

This is my Private Answer, having received no order about it, their Petition being Rejected.