THE MAYOR'S DIGNITY (1464).
One of the privileges of the Mayor which has been very jealously guarded is that upon which is founded his claim to supremacy in the City; only the Sovereign takes precedence, and from very early times the Mayors have insisted upon this pre-eminence. It was not often that their right was challenged in the City itself, but occasionally there was friction concerning the Mayor's position in places which were supposed to be outside his jurisdiction. The instance mentioned below is interesting, as showing the importance which a fifteenth-century Mayor attached to his office.
Thys yere (1464) abute mydsomyr, at the royalle feste of the Sargentys of the Coyfe, the Mayre of London was desyrideto be at that feste. And at denyr time he come to the feste with his offecers, agreyng and acordyng to hys degre. For withyn London he ys next unto the Kyng in all maner thynge. And in tyme of waschynge the Erle of Worseter was take before the mayre and sette down in the myddis of the hy tabelle. And the mayre seynge that hys place was occupyd hylde hym contente, and went home agayne with-out mete or drynke or any thonke, but rewarde hym he dyd as hys dygnyte requyred of the cytte. And toke with hym the substance of hys bretheryn the aldyrmen to his place, and were sette and servyd also sone as any man couthe devyse, bothe of sygnet and of othyr delycatys i-nowe, that alle the howse mervelyd howe welle alle tynge was done in soo schorte a tyme, and prayde alle men to be mery and gladde hit shulde be a-mendyd a-nothyr tyme.
Thenn the offesers of the feste, fulle evylle a-schamyd, informyd the maysters of the feste of thys mysse-happe that ys be-falle. And they consyderynge the grete dygnyte and costys and change that longgyd unto the cytte, and anon sende unto the mayre a present of mete, brede, wyne, and many dyvers sotelteys. But whenn they that come with the presentys saw alle the gyftys, and the sarvyse that was at the borde, he was fulle sore a-schamyd that shulde doo the massage, for the present was not better thenn the servyse of metys was byfore the mayre, and thoroughe-owte the hyghe tabylle. But hys demenynge was soo that he hadde love and thonke for hys massage, and a grette rewarde with-alle. And thys the worschippe of the cytte was kepte, and not loste for hym. I truste that nevyr hyt shalle, by the grace of God.