The mayor and aldermen order, on behalf of the king and his city, that no-one whatsoever, regardless of status or position, during this holy season of Christmas be so bold as to walk about at night engaging in any fashion in mummery, plays, interludes, or any other form of dressing up in false beards, painted masks, or with faces made up or altered in any way; upon penalty of imprisonment and payment of a fine determined at the discretion of the mayor and aldermen. Except that it is lawful for every person to make merry in a respectable manner inside his own home. Furthermore, they order, on behalf of the king and his city, that each respectable person who resides in any street or lane of this city should hang from his house each night during this solemn festival a lantern containing a candle, burning for as long as it lasts, upon penalty for each default of 4d. paid to the Chamber.

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Forasmuch as it is not becoming or agreeable to propriety that those who are in the service of reverend men, and from them or through them have the advantage of befitting food and raiment, as also, of reward or remuneration in a competent degree, should, after a perverse custom, be begging aught of people, like paupers; and seeing that in times past, every year at the Feast of Our Lord's Nativity [25 December], according to a certain custom, which has grown to be an abuse, the vadlets of the Mayor, the Sheriffs, and the Chamber of the said city, – persons who have food, raiment, and appropriate advantages, resulting from their office, – under colour of asking for an oblation, have begged many sums of money of brewers, bakers, cooks, and other victuallers; and in some instances have more than once threatened wrongfully to do them an injury if they should refuse to give them something; and have frequently made promises to others, that in return for a present they would pass over their unlawful doings in mute silence; to the great dishonour of their masters, and to the common loss of all the City: – therefore, on Wednesday, the last day of April, in the 7th year etc., by William Sevenok, the Mayor, and the Aldermen of London, it was ordered and established, that no vadlet or other serjeant of the Mayor, Sheriffs, or City, should in future beg or require of any person, of any rank, degree, or condition, whatsoever, any moneys, under colour of an oblation, or in any other way, on pain of losing his office.