"
It required loyalty and secrecy from the members of the common council
assembled within its walls, and no one was allowed to disclose to the
public its decisions and decrees. This guild hall was a living thing.
Like the Brook it sang:--
"Men may come and men may go,
But I flow on for ever."
Mayor succeeded mayor, and burgess followed burgess, but the old guild
hall lived on, the central mainspring of the borough's life. Therein
were stored the archives of the town, the charters won, bargained for,
and granted by kings and queens, which gave them privileges of trade,
authority to hold fairs and markets, liberty to convey and sell their
goods in other towns. Therein were preserved the civic plate, the
maces that gave dignity to their proceedings, the cups bestowed by
royal or noble personages or by the affluent members of the guild in
token of their affection for their town and fellowship. Therein they
assembled to don their robes to march in procession to the town church
to hear Mass, or in later times a sermon, and then refreshed
themselves with a feast at the charge of the hall. The portraits of
the worthies of the town, of royal and distinguished patrons, adorned
the walls, and the old guild hall preached daily lessons to the
townsfolk to uphold the dignity and promote the welfare of the
borough, and good feeling and the sense of brotherhood among
themselves.
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