The year 1572 furnishes us with the following prices of various kinds of poultry as settled by the corporation in consequence of the extortion practised by poulterers:

able arbitrators to determine the business; submitting themselves to the order and direction of the right honourable Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord keeper; Robert Earl of Leicester, Sir Robert Catlyne, knt. lord chief justice of England; Sir Walter Mildmay, knt. chancellor of the Exchequer; and Sir James Dyer, knt. lord chief justice of the Common Pleas. And both the said parties appeared at divers and sundry times, with their learned council, before the said lords and arbitrators, and shewed divers and sundry writings and records for the maintenance of their several titles and claims; and also severally produced several witnesses, which had been examined in the court of Chancery, and their examinations published; and also produced several witnesses viva voce, before the said arbitrators, for proof of their several allegations. The consideration of all which matters, after divers and sundry debates, it was agreed should be referred to the two chief justices; and that they should make their report, and give their opinions touching the said matter, and in whom the right rested, And the chief justices having advisedly weighed and considered the several proofs, and afterwards being present in the Star Chamber, together with the said Sir Nicholas Bacon, and Sir Walter Mildmay, the 9th of June, in the twelfth of the queen, anno 1570, did make report and declaration of their opinion touching the faid controversy, viz. That the right of the law, as far as VOL. I. No. 6.

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they

The same year is also remarkable for the progressive improvement of the St. James's end of the town: Cockspur Street filled up the space between Pall Mall and Charing Cross. Pall Mall was also laid out as a walk, or place for the exercise of the Mall, a game long since disused. The north side was planted with a row of trees; and on the other stood the wall of St. James's Park.

A public spirited and benevolent citizen, William Lamb, of the Clothworkers company, in 1577, undertook and executed at his own sole expense a work of considerable magnitude and utility. He collected into one reservoir the water of several springs, at the upper extremity of Red Lion Street, Holborn, denominated from him Lamb's Conduit, adjoining the spot on which the Foundling Hospital now stands. He had it thence conveyed in a leaden pipe two thousand yards long to Snow Hill, where he rebuilt a ruinous conduit, for the accommodation of that neighbourhood. The whole is said to have cost him the sum of fifteen hundred pounds.

The government of Elizabeth was now so completely established in the hearts and minds of her people, and her

they could yet discern, stood for the said mayor and commonalty; and that the said tenements, called Ely Rents, in Holborn, were and are within the liberties, franchises, and jurisdiction of the said city, for and concerning the matter in controversy. It was therefore by the arbitra tors, except the said earl, who was then absent, and the said bishop and his council being likewise absent, ordered and decreed the said 9th of June, That the said mayor and commonalty of the city of London, and their successors, should from thenceforth peaceably and quietly have, use, enjoy and exercise, within the said tenements, all and every such liberties, customs and jurisdictions, as they may use within any other place within the liberty and freedom of London, without any trouble to their servants, tenants, and officers, until such time as the said bishop, or his successors, shew forth better matter for their parts and defence in the premises."-Strype's Stor

A question naturally arises, "Why Ely Rents, &c. should claim extra-civic privileges in preference to other places, which were the sites of episcopal palaces? Bangor Court, in Shoe Lane; London House, Aldersgate Street; Monthaw, or Hereford House, in Old Fish Street, &c. were all residences of bishops, but exercise no such rights.

administration

administration so firm and prudent, that the domestic history of the nation and of its capital, for many years together, exhibits no one very striking feature to catch the eye of posterity. Happy is it for the nation and city, and happy for the period of their existence, when the materials of the annalist become scanty. Times of public peace and prosperity leave few and faint traces behind them: but when the historian has much to record, the people must have had much to do and much to suffer. John Casimire, son to the Elector Palatine, arrived in England January 22, 1579, and landing at the Tower in the night, was received by many of the prime nobility, Sir Thomas Ramsey, the lord mayor, the aldermen, and principal merchants, who conducted him by torch light to the mansion of Sir Thomas Gresham, in Bishopsgate Street; and on the 3d of February he was magnificently entertained by the corpora

tion.

Arts and commerce having introduced luxury among the principal citizens of London, they were become so very extravagant in dress, that, in the year 1579, it was deemed necessary to restrain their prodigality; in consequence of which a proclamation was issued by the queen against excess of apparel, gold chains, and cloaks; the latter of which were made so long, that they reached down to the heels. By the same proclamation, the length of daggers was limited to twelve inches beside the hilts; and three feet only was allowed for the length of swords.

This great princess, in the year 1580, gave orders to take account of foreigners resident in London; and they were now found to amount, within the city and liberties, to six thousand four hundred and ninety-two; of whom two thousand three hundred and two were Dutch; one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight were French; one hundred and sixteen Italians; English born of foreign parents, one thousand five hundred and forty two; of other nations not specified, four hundred and forty-seven; and of non-descripts, two hundred and seventeen. This in a period of thirteen years, since a former survey was made, exhibited

an increase of three thousand seven hundred and sixty-two, that is, the number was considerably more than doubled. It appeared likewise, that the concourse of native English from all the provinces to the metropolis, was every year likewise on the increase. An apprehension therefore of a population threatening to become excessive, and of a capital too vast for the size of the kingdom, produced a representation on the subject from the lord mayor and court of aldermen to government; and this produced a royal proclamation, prohibiting the increase of new buildings in London and the vicinity. Three causes chiefly are assigned for taking this strong measure: the difficulty of governing so great a number of people, collected within so small a circumference; the danger of communicating the plague and other contagious distempers; and the supposed impossibility of supplying such an immense multitude with provisions, fuel and other necessaries at a reasonable rate. Experience has demonstrated that these apprehensions of the city and court were groundless and chimerical. Modern London, of more than six times the size, and containing at least six times the population of London two hundred and twenty-five years ago, is infinitely better governed and supplied, than it was in Queen Elizabeth's days; and its daily increasing numbers and magnitude give no manner of alarm to magistracy or administration. So little are the wisest qualified to reason from the present to the future..

In 1581 by accident the magistracy having lost their standard weights and measures, they were not able to redress and prevent frauds in the sale of goods and mer chandize; this induced Sir James Harvey the mayor, to write a letter to the lord treasurer for his advice and assistance to remedy the abuses that were crept in on that occasion. But his lordship took no notice of this application: wherefore the next lord mayor, Sir Thomas Blanke, pressed the lord treasurer more strongly, and alledged "That for lack of order to assize weights the common wealth had taken detriment, and private men presume, without order, to sell and use unlawful

unlawful weights, both in the city and in the country." The abuse was remedied.

The apprentices, encouraged by the luxurious example of their superiors, were arrived at such an excess in apparel, that it was thought necessary, by an act of common council in 1582, to ordain, "That no apprentice whatsoever should presume, 1. To wear any apparel but what he receives from his master. 2. To wear no hat, or any thing but a woollen cap, without any silk in or about the same. 3. To wear neither ruffles, cuffs, loose collars, nor other thing than a ruff at the collar, and that only of a yard and a half long. 4. To wear no doublets but what are made of canvas, fustian, sackcloth, English leather, or woollen, without any gold, silver, or silk trimming. 5. To wear no other coloured cloth or kersey in hose or stockings than white, blue, or russet. 6. To wear no other breeches but what shall be of the same stuffs as the doublets, and neither stiched, laced, or bordered. 7. To wear no other than a plain upper coat, of cloth or leather, without pinking, stitching, edging, or silk about it. 8. To wear no other surtout than a cloth gown or cloak, lined or faced with cloth, cotton or baize, with a fixed round collar, without stitching, guarding, lace or silk. 9. To wear no pumps, slippers, or shoes, but of English leather, without being pinched, edged, or stitched; nor girdles nor garters other than of crewel, woollen, thread, or leather, without being garnished. 10. To wear no sword, dagger, or other weapon, but a knife; nor a ring, jewel of gold, or silver; nor silk in any part of his apparel, on pain of being punished at the discretion of the master for the first offence; to be publicly whipped at the hall of his company for a second offence; and to serve six months longer than specified in his indenture, for a third offence." And it was further enacted, "That no apprentice should frequent or go to any dancing, fencing, or musical schools; nor keep any chest, press, or other place for keeping of apparel, or goods, but in his master's house, under the penalties aforesaid.