case the king against the mayor OF lincoln mandamus to admit a Quaker into the  freedom of a city on his affirmation S c ld ray William the three by the grace  of God of England Scotland France and Ireland king defender of the faith c to  the mayor and sheriff citizen and commonalty of the city of Lincoln in our  county of Lincoln greeting whereas from time whereof the memory of man be not  to the contrary there have be have such a custom within the say city that  every person who shall serve as a apprentice within the city aforesaid in any  art or mystery with any freeman or his assign freeman of the city aforesaid  for the space of seven year may claim the liberty and privilege to be admit  into the place and office of one of the freeman of the city aforesaid c into  the freedom of the city aforesaid and accord to the custom of that city to  enjoy and use all the liberty privilege preeminence and commodity belong and  appertain to a freeman of the city aforesaid and also whereas one Abraham  morris have late serve as a apprentice within the city aforesaid for the space  of seven year in the art or mystery of a mercer with a freeman of the city  aforesaid and his assign freeman of the city aforesaid accord to the custom of  the say city and thereupon have claim the liberty and privilege to be admit by  you into the place and office of one of the freeman of the city aforesaid and  into the freedom of the say city to be admit and have offer himself to perform  the oath in that case require by a solemn affirmation or declaration accord to  the Act make and set forth in the parliament hold in the that and that year of  the reign of William the three now king of England c he the say Abraham be  then and there one of the dissenter common call quaker nevertheless you the  say mayor c well know the premise have not admit the say Abraham morris into  the aforesaid place and office of one of the freeman and into the freedom of  the city aforesaid nor have permit the aforesaid Abraham morris to make a  solemn affirmation or declaration accord to the say Act instead of the oath in  that case use accord to the duty of your office but so to do you do unjust  refuse in contempt of we and to the great damage of he the say Abraham and to  the manifest grievance and hurt of his estate as we have receive information  by his complaint we therefore Willing that due and speedy justice in this  behalf be do to the say Abraham as be right command you and every of you firm  enjoin that immediate after the receipt of this writ you admit the aforesaid  Abraham morris to the place and office of one of the freeman and to the  freedom of the city aforesaid together with modern er p all liberty privilege  preeminence and commodity thereunto belong and permit the say Abraham morris  to make the solemn affirmation or declaration aforesaid instead of the oath in  that case use or signify to we cause to the contrary lest through your default  complaint be again make unto we c witness c the return of the Writ the  execution of this writ appear in a certain schedule to this writ annex george  Bracebridge mayor the answer of the mayor sheriff citizen and commonalty of  the city of Lincoln to the Writ to this schedule annex accord to the command  of the say Writ we humble certify to the lord the king that the city of  Lincoln aforesaid be not in the county of Lincoln but in the county of the  city of Lincoln and that there be have and from time whereof the memory of man  be not to the contrary there have be have such a custom within the city  aforesaid that every person who have serve as a apprentice within the city  aforesaid in any art or mystery with alley freeman or his assign freeman of  the city aforesaid for the space of seven year have afterward offer himself in  the common council of the mayor sheriff citizen and commonalty of the city  aforesaid to perform the oath in that case use in these English word follow  you shall bear faithful allegiance to our sovereign liege lord the king name  the king then upon the throne and to his heir king of England and be meet and  justifiable to the mayor of this city that now be and his successor that  hereafter shall be all that may be for the common profit of this city you  shall do and all liberty and franchise thereof you shall maintain to your  power all ordinance and custom make and to be make you shall keep you shall be  levant and couchant to keep house or chamber within this city and all manner  of charge and office lie to you for commonweal worship or profit of this city  you shall bear and be contributory to your power you shall have no part of  merchandise with any merchant stranger to sell or colour by any mean but you  shall pay toll for it you shall colour none of enfranchise man good whereby  the sheriffalty or the commonalty shall lose their right you shall nothing do  nor labour that shall be to the prejudice derogation or hindrance of the  commonweal or profit of this city but all point and article and what else  belong to be do by a freeman of this city you shall keep and maintain to your  power so help you God and not before have claim the liberty and privilege to  be admit into the place and office of one of the freeman of the city aforesaid  and into the freedom of the say city accord to the custom of that city and to  enjoy and use all the liberty privilege preeminence and commodity belong and  appertain to a freeman of the say city and after the perform of the say oath  and not before ought to be admit by the common council of the mayor sheriff  citizen and commonalty of the city aforesaid one of the freeman of the city  aforesaid and into the freedom of the city aforesaid accord to the custom of  that city and to enjoy and use all the liberty privilege preeminence and  commodity belong and appertain to a freeman of the city aforesaid and we  further certify that the say Abraham morris late to wit on the that day of  February in the eight year of the reign of the lord the now king have serve as  a apprentice within the city aforesaid for the space of seven year in the art  or mystery of a mercer with a freeman of the city aforesaid accord to the  custom of the say city and afterward on the say that day of February in the  same eight year of the reign of the say lord the now king thereupon at the  common council of the mayor sheriff citizen and commonalty of the say city  then hold within the city claim to be admit then and there by the common  council aforesaid to the liberty and privilege into the place and office of  one of the freeman of the say city and to the freedom of the say city and then  and there offer himself instead of the usual form of oath aforesaid to make  his solemn affirmation or declaration of the word of the oath aforesaid accord  to the Act make and set forth in the parliament hold in the seven and eight  year of the reign of the say lord the now king of England c entitle a Act that  the solemn modern er p affirmation and declaration of the people call quaker  shall be accept instead of a oath in the usual form he the say Abraham be then  and yet one of the dissenter common call quaker but the say Abraham then and  there refuse to make the oath in the usual form aforesaid accord to the custom  of the say city and we further certify to the say lord the king that the  office and place of a freeman of the city aforesaid be a office and place of  profit in the government in the aforesaid Act mention and that within the city  aforesaid there be bad and from time whereof the memory of man be not to the  contrary there have be have such a custom that every freeman of the city  aforesaid shall have a voice in the choose two citizen to serve for the say  city in the parliament of this kingdom whensoever the king shall ordain a  parliament to be hold and that every free man of the say city have common of  pasture in the waste lie within the city aforesaid for three horse or for  three cow or three heifer at all time of the yea and we further certify to the  say lord the king that the say Abraham morris never offer himself in the  common council of the mayor sheriff citizen and commonalty of the city  aforesaid to take nor ever have take the say oath in the usual form aforesaid  and for these cause the say mayor sheriff citizen and commonalty of the city  aforesaid have not admit the say Abraham morris into the say place and office  of one of the freeman and to the freedom aforesaid nor have permit the say  Abraham morris to make his solemn affirmation or declaration accord to the Act  aforesaid instead of the oath in that case use to be make but refuse so to do  the say that day of February in the say eight year of the reign of the say  lord the now king george Bracebridge mayor