tion was not without blemishes, his conduct was generally regulated by justice and humanity. He repealed the sanguinary and tyrannical laws of Henry VIII. and by gentle and prudent methods promoted the great work of the Reformation. Such was his love of equity, that he erected a court of requests in his own house, to hear and redress the grievances of the poor. His attachment to the reformed religion, but much more his envied greatness, drew upon him the resentment of the factious nobility, at the head of whom was his own brother the lord high admiral, and Dudley, Earl of Warwick, afterwards Duke of Northumberland. He caused the former to be beheaded, and was soon after brought to the block himself, by the intrigues of the latter, to whose crooked politics and ambitious views, be was the greatest obstacle *."

In 1550, Richard Hills, merchant taylor, formerly master of that company, gave the sum of five hundred pounds towards purchasing certain tenements, called the Manor of the Rose, on the east side of Suffolk-lane, Dowgate, on which to erect a free school for the education of youth. This institution by subsequent endowments, and consequent improvements, is become one of the most respectable seats of classic literature in the British metropolis. The same gentleman gave to the company of Merchant Taylors a plot of ground adjoining to Croutched Friars, Tower Hill, on which to erect alms-houses for the accommodation of single

women.

Although Edward, with the comprehension of his wonderful mind for his tender years, attempted, and had he lived, would have accomplished vast projects; yet as the councils of a minority are necessarily fluctuating, the plans which had been suggested were of too great magnitude to be effectually carried into execution, though a wonderful progress was made. The council of Edward certainly contained men of high ability, at the same time that they possessed capacity, felt inclination and found leisure to attend to the commercial interests of the nation, which in the fer

Granger's Biographical Hist.

ment

ment of religious contention had been at times much neg-. lected. The greater part of the trade of England, from ancient times, had been in the hands of foreigners, particularly of the Hanseatic or Easterling merchants. They had been erected into a corporation by Henry III. were endowed with peculiar privileges, and exempted from sundry heavy duties levied upon other aliens. So little was the nature and benefit of commerce then understood by the English, that for more than three hundred years, almost the whole foreign trade of the kingdom was engrossed by those strangers, denominated in their patents, "Merchants of the Steel Yard." These gentlemen naturally employed the shipping of their own country, and the navigation of England proportionably languished. The London merchants indeed, by whom alone the real principles of trade were understood, looked on their rivals with an evil eye, and the populace occasionally insulted them. But as they could make large presents to the crown for its protection, they pursued their plans of profit, regardless of a little dirt and a few hard words levelled at them by the mob. The English company of Merchants Adventurers had been established in opposition, but from want of spirit, want of means, or want of industry, they had hitherto made no figure in the competition. The short lived but vigorous administration of the Earl of Warwick in this reign had the honour of delivering the commerce of his country from this inglorious and ruinous rivalship. It had been made to appear to the council, that forty thousand pieces of English cloth had been exported by the Easterlings, and only eleven thousand by the merchants of England; and that from the port of Southampton alone, sixty ships laden with unmanufactured wool had sailed from the Netherlands, the price of which valuable commodity those engrossers had considerably reduced. The Hanseatic privileges were consequently declared to be forfeited, and in place of one, a duty of twenty per cent. was imposed on all their imports and exports, as on those of other aliens. Strong remonstrances were made on this subject by Lubec, Hamburg, and the other Hanse

towns;

towns; but the council had the firmness to persevere, and the good effects to the nation were presently felt. The English merchant, from his situation as a native, possessed advantages above the foreigner, in the purchase of cloth, wool, and other commodities, of which he had neglected to avail himself: but when the alien duty was levied on all foreigners without diftinction, he discerned his advantage, awoke from his lethargy; a spirit of industry and exertion was kindled over the whole kingdom, and the English merchants were very soon enabled te export forty thousand pieces of cloth to Flanders. The same ministry entered. also into a treaty with Guftavus Ericson, king of Sweden, by which it was stipulated, that "in return for bullion, his subjects might deal in English commodities without paying custom;" with this proviso, that he should not permit bullion to be carried elsewhere; that in return for ozimus, steel, copper, &c. he should pay custom for English commodities, upon the footing of a native; and, that in return for other merchandize, he should be allowed free intercharge, paying custom as other aliens *. The consequence of this commercial arrangement was, that the English administration were enabled to reform the coinage, and to call in much of the base money which had been issued during the late extravagant reign; it also induced a great encouragement to traffic. An anecdote is here worthy of record, as it relates to the credit of the chief magistrate of London at this time. It is mentioned in several chronicles that Edward's necessities having compelled him to borrow considerable sums of Anthony Fugger and company, bankers in Antwerp; the lord mayor was joined as a collateral security for the repayment, and the king granted to Sir Andrew Judd, mayor, a recognizance to indemnify himself and the corporation, against any ill consequence.

During the reign of this amiable monarch, the city ob. tained a valuable addition to her property and privileges, by a confirmation of her antient title to the Borough of Southwark. By this charter, after reciting various places in the

* Heylin.

VOL. I. No. 6.

R

Borough

Borough and surrounding parishes, which had been given to the citizens, except the house, gardens and park of the late Duke of Suffolk, (now the Mint) and the King's Bench, the instrument proceeds thus:

"And that the said mayor and commonalty, and citi zens, and their successors, shall and may from henceforth, and for ever, have, hold, enjoy and use, as well within the said manor, as in the town, borough, parishes and precincts aforesaid, as well all and singular liberties and franchises aforesaid, as tolls, stallages *, pickages +, and other our jurisdictions, liberties, franchises and privileges what. soever, which any archbishop of Canterbury, and which the said Charles, late Duke of Suffolk, or any master, brethren, or sisters, of the late hospital of St. Thomas's, in Southwark aforesaid; or any abbot of the said late monastery of St. Saviour's, St. Mary Bermondsey, next Southwark aforesaid, in the county aforesaid; or any prior and convent of the late priory of St. Mary Overy, in the said county of Surry, or any of them; ever had, held, or enjoyed, in the said manors, lands, tenements, and other the premises or places aforesaid, or any of them, or which we have, hold, or enjoy, by any means whatsoever, as fully, freely, and in as ample manner, as we, or our most dear father Henry the VIIIth, late king of England, had, held, or enjoyed, or ought to have, hold, and enjoy the same. And that none of our sheriffs, or any other officer or minister of ours, or of our heirs and successors, shall any way intermeddle in the town, borough-town, parishes, and precincts aforesaid, or in any of them, contrary to this our grant.”

By what authority or right this positive and unlimited charter, which was confirmed by Charles II. and received parliamentary sanction, has repeatedly been violated, cannot yet be ascertained; and though legal discussions have been very diffusely circulated in the courts; till it can be proved beyond all doubt, that the opinion of a judge, is paramount to an antient, authentic charter, the following

* A payment for erecting or having a stall.

A payment for breaking the ground in order to erect such stall.

rights and privileges of the City of London over and in the Borough of Southwark, must exist, in opposition to any sheriff, minister, or jurisdiction whatever:

"1st. To be invested with all manner of royal rights and prerogatives, in and over the town and borough of Southwark, in as full a manner, as if the same were in the king's hands.

"2d. In particular, to have all manner of liberties, customs, treasures, waifs, estrays, escheats, fines and forfeitures, view of frankpledge, &c.

"3d. To have all goods, chattels of traitors, felons, fugitives, &c. together with all manner of suits, personal actions, &c. and the execution of all writs, commands, attachments, warrants, &c. by their sheriffs and other officers.

4th. The serjeants at mace for the city to arrest for debt in the Borough, in the same manner as they do in London.

"5th. The city magistrates to have the assay and assize of wine, bread, beer, victuals, and every thing set to sale, together with the punishment and correction of all persons dealing therein*.

"6th. Also to take and arrest all thieves, felons, and other criminals, found in the borough, and to commit them to Newgate, until delivered by due course of law.

"7th. The mayor, recorder, and aldermen, who are justices in London, are also constituted the justices for the borough, where they are to exercise the same jurisdiction as they do in London.

"8th. And all and singular the inhabitants of the said borough to be under the magistracy and government of the mayor and officers of London, in the same manner as the inhabitants of the said city be.

9th. And, lastly, the sheriff of Surry, and all others the king's officers and ministers, are expressly prohibited from any ways intermeddling in the said borough."

In the mayoralty of Sir William Turner, anno 1668, a publican was indicted for selling beer without his lordship's licence. Saunders' Reports.