"The aforementioned expenses duly paid, did cause all the petty decayed
boroughs of England to become humble suitors to the king, that they
might not be obliged to send burgesses to parliament; whereby it came to
pass, that divers were unburgessed, as it was in particular granted to
_Chipping_, or _Market-Morriton_, upon their petition; and then the
number of the _Commons House_ being scarce half so many as at present,
then debates and bills were sooner expedited." page 156, 21st. edit.
Halsted, in his _History of Kent_, tells us, "The pay of the burgesses
of Canterbury was fixed (anno 1411) at two shillings a-day for each,
while such burgess was absent from his family attending his duty. In
1445 the wages were no more than twelve pence a-day; two years
afterwards they were increased to sixteenpence, and in 1503 had again
been raised to two shillings. In Queen Mary's reign, the corporation
refused to continue this payment any longer, and the wages of the
members were then levied by assessment on the inhabitants at large, and
continued to be so raised till these kinds of payments were altogether
discontinued."
P.T.W.
* * * * *
THE WORD "EI.
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