By the Mayor. An Act of Common Council, prohibiting all Strangers borne, and Foreigners, to use any trades, or keep any manner of shops in any sort within this City, Liberties and Freedom thereof.  
At a common Council holden at the guildhall of this City, on the xv. day of April, In the fourth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord JAMES, by the grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland, defender of the Faith, etc. and in the xxxix. year of his Reign of Scotland. It is ordained, & established as followeth.  
WHere by the ancient Charters, Customs, Franchises, and Liberties of the City of London, confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliament, no person not being free of the said City, may or aught to sell, or put to sale any wares or merchandises within the said City or the Liberties of the same by retail, or keep any open or inward shop, or other inward place or room for show sale, or putting to sale, of any wares or merchandises, or for use of any Art, Trade, Occupation, mystery or handicraft within the same. And whereas also Edward sometime King of England of famous memory, the third of that name, by his Charter made and granted to the said City in the fifteenth year of his Reign, confirmed also by Parliament amongst other things granted, that if any Customs in the said City before that time obtained and used, were in any part hard or defective, or any things in the same newly arising, where remedy before that time was not ordained, should need amendment, the Mayor and Aldermen of the said City and their Successors, with the assent of the Communality of the same City, might put and ordain thereunto fit remedy, as often as it should seem expedient unto them. So that such ordinance should be profitable to the King for the profit of Citizens and other his people repairing to the said City, and agreeable to reason. And whereas by force of the said Customs, Franchises, and Liberties, and of the Charter last afore mentioned, confirmed as is afore specified by Parliament, the Lord Maior, Aldermen and Commons of the said City, did the twelfth day of October in the third year of the reign of Edward sometime King of England the fourth, as a thing thought fit and convenient for that time, (amongst other things) agree and ordain, that the Basketmakers, Gold-wyerdrawers, and other forraines, contrary to the liberty of the said City, holding open shops, in divers places of the City, and using mysteries within the said City, should not from thenceforth hold shops within the liberty of the City aforesaid. But if they would hold any shop, or dwell in the same City, they should dwell at Blanchapleton, and there hold shops, so as they might have sufficient dwelling there. And where also the Lord Maior, Aldermen and Commons of the said City, did afterwards the sixteenth day of May, in the seventeenth year of the Reign of our late Sovereign Lord of famous memory King Henry the eight, as a course thought fit and agreeable for that time, ordain, establish, and enact, that no manner of person or persons being estrange from the Liberties of the said City, from thenceforth should hold or keep any open shop or shops within the said City or liberties of the same, neither with any Lattesses before, nor yet without Lattesse, certain numbers of the poor men occupying the feat of Butchers, Tailors and Cobblers, only except, upon pain of imprisonment, and also to forfeit and to pay xl. s. to the use of the Commonalty of this City, as oftentimes as he or they should do the contrary. And where also the Lord Maior, Aldermen and Commons of the same City, did afterward the xx. day of january, in the said xvij. year of King Henry the eight, (reciting that where at a common Council holden the xuj. day of May, in the seventeenth year of the reign of King Henry the eight. It was ordained and enacted, that no manner of person or persons being estrange from the Liberties of this City, from thenceforth should hold or keep any open shop or shops within this City or Liberties of the same, neither with any Lattesses before, nor yet without any Lattesse upon pain of imprisonment) Further, ordain, and establish, that if any person or persons being foreign, should hold and keep open any shop or shops as is aforesaid, he should forfeit for every time so doing xl. s. to be levied by distress, to the use of the Commonalty of the said City, by the Chamberlain for the time being, or other Officer of this City, and also have imprisonment by the discretion of the Mayor and Aldermen for the time being.  
Now forasmuch as divers and sundry strangers borne, and likewise Foreigners from the liberties of the said City, nothing regarding the said ancient Charters, Franchises, Customs, or liberties of the said City, and acts and ordinances heretofore made according to the same, but wholly intending their private profit, have of late years devised and practised by all sinister and subtle means, how to defraud and defeat the said Charters, Liberties, Customs, good orders, and ordinances, and to that end, do now inwardly in privy and secret places, usually and ordinarily, show, sell, & put to sale, their Wares, & merchandises, and use Arts, Trades, Occupations, Mysteries, and handicrafts within the said City and Liberties of the same, to the great detriment and hurt of the Freemen of the said City, who pay Lot and Scot, bear Offices, and undergo other Charges which Strangers and others not Free are not chargeable withal nor will perform. For reformation of which disorders, and for avoiding of such prejudice and damage, as thereby groweth to the Freemen of the said City, and is more now of late used than was in any time heretofore suffered, and to provide for the common profit and good of the Freemen and Citizens of this City. It is therefore by the Lord Maior and Aldermen and Commons in this common Council assembled, ordained and established: That no person whatsoever not being free of the City of London, shall at any time after the feast of Saint Michael now next ensuing, by any colour, way or mean whatsoever, either directly or indirectly by himself, or by any other, show, sell or put to sale any wares, or merchandises whatsoever by retail within the City of London, or the Liberties or Suburbs of the same, upon pain to forfeit to the Chamberlain of the City, for the time being, to the use of the Mayor and Commonalty & Citizens of the said City the sum of five pounds of lawful money of England, for every time, wherein such person shall show, sell or put to sale any wares or merchandises by retail, within the said City, Liberties or Suburbs thereof, contrary to the true intent and meaning hereof. And it is further ordained and established, That no person whatsoever, not being free of this City, shall at any time after the said Feast of Saint Michael, by any colour, way or mean whatsoever, directly or indirectly, by himself, or by any other, keep any shop, or other place whatsoever, inward or outward, for show sale, or putting to sale of any wares, or merchandises whatsoever, by way of retail, or use any Art, Trade, Occupation, Mystery or Handicraft whatsoever within the said City, or the Liberties or Suburbs of the same, upon pain to forfeit the sum of five pounds of lawful money of England for every time, wherein such person shall keep any shop or other place whatsoever, inward or outward, for show, sale, or putting to sale of any wares or merchandises whatsoever, by way of retail, or use any Art, Trade, Occupation, Mystery or Handicraft whatsoever, within the said City or Liberties or Suburbs of the same contrary to the true intent and meaning hereof. All which pains, penalties, forfeitures and sums of money to be forfeited by virtue of this Act, or ordinance, shall be recovered by action of debt, bill or plaint to be comensed and prosecuted in the name of the Chamberlain of the City of London for the time being, in the King's majesties Court, to be holden in the Chamber of the guildhall of this City, before the Lord Maior and Aldermen of the same City, wherein no essoign or wager of law shall be admitted or allowed for the Defendant. And that the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, shall in all suits to be prosecuted by virtue of this Act or Ordinance against any Offender, recover the ordinary Costs of suit to be expended in and about the prosecution thereof. And further that one equal third part of all forfeitures to be recovered by virtue hereof (the costs of suit for recovery of the same, being deducted and allowed) shall be after the recovery and receipt thereof paid and delivered to the Treasurer of Christ's Hospital, to be employed towards the relief of the poor children to be brought up and maintained in the said Hospital, and one other equal third part to him, or them which shall first give information of the offences, for which such forfeitures shall grow and prosecute suit in the name of the Chamberlain of the said City for the recovery of the same, any thing in this Act to the Contrary notwithstanding. Provided always, that this Act or ordinance, or any thing therein contained, shall not extend to any person or persons, for bringing, or causing to be brought any victuals to be sold within this City and the Liberties thereof, but that they and every of them may sell victuals within the said City, and the Liberties thereof, as they lawfully might have done before the making hereof, any thing herein to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.  
God save the King.   

Imprinted at London by John Windet, Printer to the Honourable City of London, 1606.