1. Of the words Civitas, Urbs, and Oppidum.

THe same place (sayes one) is cal∣led Ʋrbs, Civitas, and Oppidum; it is called Civitas in regard that it is governed in justice; and order of Magi∣stracy: Oppidum, for that there are there∣in great plenty of Inhabitants: and Urbs, because it is in due form begirt about with Walls.

*The Walls, sayes another, do not make the City, but the Men; Maenia, & Edificia faciunt Urbem, homines faciunt Civitatem.

*Civitas and Urbs, sayes a third Per∣son, in hoc differunt, quod incolae dicun∣tur Civitas; Urbs vero complectitur aedi∣ficia, but with us, the one is commonly taken for the other.

In the Civil Law we find it thus writ∣ten,* touching Ʋrbs and Roma. Urbis ap∣pellatio muris: Romae autem continenti∣bus aedificiis finitur, quòd latiùs patet.

*Ut Alfenus ait, Ʋrbs est Roma, quae muro cingeretur. Roma est etiam, qua con∣tinenti aed ficia essent. Nam Romam non muro tenus existimari, ex consuetudine co∣tidiana Page  3 posse intelligi, cum diceremus Ro∣mam nos ire, etiam si extra urbem habi∣taremus.

2. What a City, what a Corporation is.

A City, in Latine Civitas,* and in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is a Borough in∣corporate, which hath, or have had a Bishop; and though the Bishopwrick be dissolved yet the City remainerh: And therefore in 35. Eliz. c. 6. West∣minster is called a City, notwithstand∣ing that now it hath no Bishop; and in 27. ejusdem Cap. 5. (of Statutes not in print.) Westminster is alternatively cal∣led a City or Borough. It appeareth by the Statute of 35. H. 8. c. 10, That then there was a Bishop of Westminster.

Grotius thus defineth a City,* Civitas est coetus perfectus liberorum hominum, ju∣risfruendi, & communis utilitatis Causa sociatus; hence Civitas is, quasi Civium unitas.

It is said before, that a City is a Bo∣rough, or Town incorporate, now a Corporation is a permanent thing, that may have succession: And it is an As∣sembly, and joyning together of many Page  4 into one Fellowship, Brotherhood, or mind; whereof one is Head and Chief, the rest are the Body, and this Head and Body knit together, make the Cor∣poration.

3. How a Corporation doth commence.

A Corporation, or Body incorpo∣rated,* may commence and be e∣stablished three manner of wayes, viz. by Prescription, by Letters Patents, or by Act of Parliament: and let the Bo∣dy incorporate commence which way it will, it must be first derived from the Royal Authority and License of the Kings of England: For without it Corporations, be they Spiritual or Temporal, are meer chymaera's, ficti∣tious, and illegal Societies, erected contrary to the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom. In proof of this mat∣ter,* vide 9. H. 6.16. b. Co. Lib. 4. A∣dams and Lamberts Case, fol. 107. b. Co. 3. Inst. 202.49. Ass. pl. 8. le Case de Whittawers. Co. lib. 8. f. 125. the Case of London. With our Law doth concur the Laws Imperial.

*Collegia Romae certa sunt, quorum Page  5 corpus Senatusconsultis, atque constituti∣onibus principalibus confirmatum est: ve∣luti pistorum, & quorundam aliorum, & naviculariorum, qui & in provinciis sunt.

Collegia siqua fuerint illicita manda∣tis, & constitutionibus,* & Senatuscon∣sultis dissolvuntur. In summa nisi ex Se∣natusconsulti auctoritate, vel Caesaris, Collegium, vel quodcunque tale corpus coie∣rit, contra Senatusconsultum, & manda∣ta, & constitutiones Collegium celebrant.

Note, London, our famous City, is a Corporation by prescription. Co. 2. Inst. f. 330.

4. How Corporations are divided in our Law.

EVery Body politick, or Corporati∣on, is either Ecclesiastick or Lay: Ecclesiastical, either regular, as Abbots,* Priors, &c. or secular, as Bishops, Deans, Archdeacons, Parsons, Vicars, &c. Lay, as Mayor and Commonalty, Bayliffs and Burgesses, &c.

Also every Body politick,* or Cor∣porate, is either elective, represen∣tative, collative, or donative.

Page  6And again it is either sole, or agre∣gate of many.

This Body Politick or Corporate, ag∣gregate of many, is by the Civilians cal∣led Collegium Ʋniversitas, Collegium so∣dalitium, and Municipium.

5. Why Cities were at first instituted.

IN the time of William the Conque∣rour it is declared in these words, Item nullum mercatum vel forum sit, nec fieri permitratur nisi in Civitatibus regni nostri, & in Burgis clausis, & muro val∣latis & Castellis, & locis tutissimis, ubi con∣suetudines regni nostri, & jus nostram commune: & dignitates Coronae nostrae, quae constitutae sunt à bonis praedecessoribus de∣perire non possunt, nec defraudari, nec vi∣olari; sed omnia rite, & per judicium, & justitiam fieri debent: & ideo Castella & Burgi & Civitates sunt & fundatae, & aedificatae, Sc. ad Tuitionem gentium, & populorum regni, & ad defensionem regni, & idcirco observari debent cum omni li∣bertate, & integritate, & ratione.

Out of this same Record we may pel∣lucidly and clearly collect, that Cities, Towns or Boroughs were instituted for three purposes. Sc.

Page  7First, Ad consuetudines regni nostri, & jus nostrum commune & dignitates coro∣nae conservand.

Secondly, Ad Tuitionem gentium, & populorum regni; and

Thirdly, Ad Defensionem Regni; This in three particularities.

• 1. For conservation of Lawes, whereby every man enjoyeth his own in peace.
• 2. For Tuition and defence of the Kings Subjects, and for keeping the Kings peace in time of sudden up∣roars.
• 3. For defence of the Realm a∣gainst outward and inward Hostility.

Thus much out of our own Records, I now come to speak somewhat of this matter, that I have seen in foreign Authors.

Tully sayes thus, Hanc ob Causam ma∣ximè, ut sua tenerentur Respublica & Civitates constitutae sunt, nam etsi,* duce natura, congregabantur homines, tamen spe Custodiae rerum suarum urbium praesi∣dia quaerebantur.

Aristotle thus,* Civitas a natura pro∣fecta est, homo animal aptum est ad coetus proinde Civitatis Origo ad vivendum, in∣stitutio Page  8 ad bene vivendum refertur.

*Donatus Acciaiolus speaks in this man∣ner; Civitas constituitur, aut propter pos∣sessiones, aut ut simul vivatur, ut aut con∣trahat Societatem belli causa, ut propter commercia, aut propter saelicitatem, & bonam vivendi rationem.

By these authorities, foreign and do∣mestick, it appears, that Cities, and Towns, were at the first invented, to the end that men might lead a civil Life amongst themselves, and be saved harmless against their Enemies.

6. and lastly, The number of Cities in this our Kingdome.

CAssaurus writeth, that France hath within the Territories thereof 104. Cities, and he giveth this rea∣son of that his saying, because that there are so many Sees of Arch-bishops and Bishops:* So say we, that there be within England, two Archbishopwricks and 23 other Bishopwricks, therefore so many Cities there be, and Westmin∣ster, and my Lord Cokes Alma Mater, being added, there are in all within England 27 Cities,