No merchandize which is brought to the city by land or by river may be concealed in any house or courtyard to prevent the king's officers from collecting custom or toll. Nor may any resident pretend as his own the merchandize of outsiders, nor import or export (openly or secretly) outsiders' goods under the pretence of owning them, to avoid custom or toll. Anyone convicted of this offence shall pay double the amount of custom or toll that would have been due and also 40s. fine for violating the [freeman's] oath, of which half is to go to the use of the community and the other half to the bailiffs for their trouble [in investigating], provided that they are vigilant in such matters.

[That this type of problem was common in towns is suggested by similar by-laws at Yarmouth, Ipswich and Maldon. The losses in revenue involved both national customs and local tolls; since the latter was a component of the fee farm upon which the city liberties were conditional, to evade tolls was to act contrary to the welfare of the community.]