3. Meriton:

A Guide for Constables, Etc.

Page 41.

Those officers under the commissioners of excise called gaugers are to have the constable along with them when they enter by night into the houses of any brewer, innkeeper, victualer, etc., to gauge their coppers, vats, or vessels, or to take an account of their beer. . . .

Page 63.

The constables by warrant to that purpose, under the hand and seal of the Lord Lieutenant, or any three or more of the Deputy Lieutenants, are to levy such sums, forfeitures, penalties and payments, as shall be charged upon any person or persons within their several constabularies, for the furnishing of arms, horse, or foot, or payment of soldiers, according to the Acts for the Militia. . . .

Page 97.

If any person or persons shall profanely curse or swear, for every time so offending they [shall] forfeit twelve pence. . . .

Page 137.

These officers [churchwardens] are to see that the church and churchyard be well repaired and kept clean; and they are to provide Books of Common Prayer, books of homilies, a parchment book for registering christenings, weddings, and burials in, fonts, pulpits, tables, chests for alms, communion cups, ornaments, and other furniture; and a chest with three locks and keys for putting the same in; and they are also to provide bread and wine for the Sacrament according to the number of the communicants. And for these purposes they may rate the parish for money to do it. . . . [The churchwardens] together with the constables, overseers of the poor, and surveyors of the highways of every parish [in London] respectively, or the greater number of them, giving notice unto, or calling together such other inhabitants of their respective parishes as have formerly borne the like offices, they . . . are to make choice of and shall nominate and appoint two or more able persons, that are tradesmen of their parish, to be scavengers for the streets, lanes, and other open passages . . . within the said parish. . . .

Page 175.

As touching settling of poor people: note that the justices are to meddle with [to eject] none but those who are impotent, and such as are like to be chargeable to the place where they are. . . . And as to this, know that it is enacted by the 14. Car. 2. Ch. 12. that if any stranger come into a parish to settle there in any tenement, under £10 a year, and he refuse to give such security for the discharge of the palish as two justices shall think fit, then any two justices . . . may upon complaint to them made by the churchwardens or overseers, within 40 days after the stranger come into the parish, make their warrant to send him to the place where he was last legally settled as a native, householder, sojourner, apprentice or servant 40 days or more. . . .