be managed by the natives of England; and consequently the profits of all those trades accrued to the English; 'trade in general, and English shipping, were increased; her own customs vastly augmented; and, what was at first the great end of all, obtained; so that she had constantly lying at home, in the hands of her own subjects, all sorts of naval provisions and stores, which she could make use of without any dependance on her neighbours.

The Haunse merchants had two halls in this place, one of which was that adjoining Cosin's Lane*; but their wealth and power increasing, they hired an adjoining man sion, which had belonged to Richard Lions, a considerable

* In the great hall of this company were the two famous pictures, painted in distemper by Holbein, representing the triumphs of Riches and Poverty. They were lost, being supposed to have been carried into Flanders, on the destruction of the company. Mr. Pennant imagined them to be in the possession of M. Fleischman, at Hesse Darmstadt. The celebrated Christian a Mechel, of Basil, in the last century, published two engravings of these pictures, either from the originals, or the drawings by Zucchero; for Frid. Zucchero, 1574, is at one corner of each print. Drawings of these pictures were found in England by Vertue, ascribed to Holbein; and the verses over them to Sir Thomas More. It appears that Zucchero copied them at the Steelyard, so probably those copies, in process of time, might have fallen into the hands of M. Fleischman.

In the Triumph of Riches, Plutus is represented in a golden car, and Fortune sitting before him, flinging money into the laps of people holding up their garments to receive her favours: Ventidius is wrote under one; Gadareus under another; and Themistocles under a man kneeling beside the car: Croesus, Midas, and Tantalus, follow; Narcissus holde the horse of the first over their heads in the clouds is Nemesis. There are various allegorical figures. By the sides of the horses walk dropsical and other diseased figures, the too frequent attendants of Riches, Poverty appears in another car, mean and shattered, half naked, squallid and meagre. Behind her sits Misfortune; before her Memory, Experience, Industry, and Hope. The car is drawn by a pair of oxen, and a pair of asses; Diligence drives the ass; and Solicitude, with a face of care, goads the ox. By the side of the car walks Labour, represented by lusty workmen with their tools, with cheerful looks; and behind them Misery, and Beggary, in ragged weeds, and with countenances replete with wretchedness and discontent." London, page 299.

VOL. II. No. 48.

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lapidary,

r

lapidary, and sheriff of London, in the forty-ninth year of the reign of Edward III.; and, who was dragged from his house and beheaded in West Cheap, by the Kentish rebels, in the fourth year of the reign of Richard II. The way to this house was called Windgoose Lane; which, on account of the incroachment of the Stillyard, was diminished to Windgoose Alley. These premises also covered the house of the abbot of St. Alban's, and a quay, which had been granted to him; as well as another great house which John Rainwell, mayor, had given to the mayor and commonalty for charitable purposes.

The Steelyard is now a large open place, with two wide passages for carts, to the river side, where is a crane, and stairs for landing iron, of which here are always large quantities kept. In this yard are some good houses for merchants who trade in iron, for which it is at present in great repute, but was formerly of greater, when possessed by the merchants of Almaine. The front in Thames Street is a long blank wall, with an arched gateway, over which is placed the Spread Eagle, to distinguish its former consequence.

Alhallows the Great is almost a parish of warehouses, and the wharf from the Steelyard to Dyer's Hall is occupied by Felix Calvert and Co.'s brewery; (which was originally built by "one Pot," in Stow's time, and afterwards occupied by Henry Campion, Esq. and Abraham his son, who gave their name to the lane ;) and by vast piles of bar iron imported from Russia; but the passages to the river are so narrow and dirty, and the warehouses in many instances so decayed, that all the appearance of opulent residence has

vanished.

Westward of Cosin's Lane is DowGATE, whence the ward takes its name, and of which we have already given a description in the present volume.

CHECQUER YARD, on the east side of Dowgate Hill, was formerly called Checquer Lane, from a brewery, and after

wards an inn bearing that sign; as was Carter Lane, now! Bush Lane, for its stables belonging to carmen.

It is necessary to observe here that the Checquers, usually attached to public houses, was the armorial bearing of the WARRENS, earls of Surrey, who had a grant of the exclusive power to licence houses of entertainment; and that the collection of the dues for such licences might be more easily obtained, the arms of Warren was attached to those houses; and a conjecture is also probable, that on the same account, in token of respect to the Warrens, some of the frequenters of these houses might have invented the Game of Draughts, or Checquers. In the reign of Mary I. that queen renewed the above licence, in favour of the earl of Arundel, who had been her steady supporter; and was also a collateral descendant from the Warrens. The Checquers or and azure, at present form one of the quarterings in the shield of the noble family of Howard, also collaterally deǝ scended from the Warrens.

In this yard is PLUMBER's HALL, a mere private house, for transacting the concerns of the company.

The Company of PLUMBERS are of antient date; but were not incorporated till the reign of James I. on the 12th of April 1611, by the name of The Master, Wardens, and Commonalty of the Mystery of Plumbers of London; and they are governed by a master, two wardens, a court of assistants, and a livery.

TURNWHEEL LANE, winds from Dowgate Hill to Can. non Street. In this lane was the ancient palace called, for distinction's sake,

THE ERBER,

Probably a corruption of Harbour or Inn. Traces of its origin are unattainable; and its history goes no further than the reign of Edward III. when that monarch, granted it to the noble family of Scroope; from them it came into the possession of the Neville's; the earl of Salisbury, father in Jaw to the great carl of Warwick, lodged here, with five þundred men, in the famous congress of the Barons, during 3 R 2

the

the year 1458, after the battle of St. Alban's; of which an ample account is given in various Histories of this Realm*.. Here Henry VI. was virtually deposed; and the Erber, on the death of Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, who was: slain in the battle of Barnet, descended to George, duke of Clarence, who had married Isabel, daughter of the earl. Having often changed masters, it came at last by attainder to the crown. In the third year of the reign of Henry VIII. he bestowed it on John, earl of Oxford; next year it was given to Sir Thomas Boleyn; and in the following year the versatile monarch, restored the whole, by letters patent, to Margaret Plantagenet, countess of Salisbury, daughter and heir of the above Duke of Clarence, who, in consequence of this restitution, took possession of the premises.

The birth and other valuable qualifications of this princess, caused her to be held in such high consideration at court, that Henry and Catharine of Arragon made choice of her as governess to the princess Mary; and the countess acquitted herself with great honour. But, in consequence of the king's new connexion with the unfortunate Anna Boleyn, the countess of Salisbury lost her honours, and the esteem of Henry. She had delivered her opinion very freely upon the subject of divorce to the king, and her son, cardinal Reginald Pole, had reproached Henry with unlawful passions. Such joint affronts irritated the tyrant; he caused a bill of attainder to pass against the countess and her son, the cardinal, who was banished; and Margaret, without being heard in her defence, was condemned and beheaded in the Tower, May 27, 1541. Previous to her death, the executioner directed her to lay her head on the block, which she refused to do; telling him, that "she knew of no guilt, and would not submit to die like a traitor." He pursued her round the scaffold, aiming at her hoary head, and at length struck it off; after mangling the poor victim, of seventy years of age, in the most barbarous manner! With her ended the royal line of Plantagenet.

Lyttelton's Hist. of England, II. 61.

By

57:

X:

By her murder the Erber came to the crown. Henry, in the thirty second year of his reign, gave it to Sir Philip Hoby, who, four years afterwards, sold it to a draper, named Doulphin. From him the Draper's Company purchased it in the first year of Mary I. It seems to have been re-sold to Sir Thomas Pullison, a draper, and lord mayor in 1584, who rebuilt the premises, which were afterwards honoured by being the residence of Sir FRANCIS DRAKE.

ST. MARY BOTHAW.

This church was so called from a boat-haw, or `yard, where formerly vessels were landed from Dowgate to be repaired. Near this church were lands and houses belonging to the priory and convent of Christ Church, Canterbury;' which priory Wibert, in 1167, granted for a yearly rent of ten shillings; and giving on St. John Baptist's Day a towel, worth 8d. to the hostellary, besides two pitchers, worth six pieces of money (nummos sex, equal to the sestertius, in value 2d.) and a salt-sellar, worth four pieces. The church was repaired in 1621, but being levelled at the Great Fire, its site now serves as a burial ground, and the parish was united to that of St. Swithen.

The house of Henry Fitz Alwine, first lord mayor of London, was in this parish; and it has been said he was buried here. Stow, however, positively asserts that he was entombed in the priory church of the Holy Trinity, Aldgate. ་ At the south-west corner of St. Swithen's Lane, is situated the parish church of

ST. SWITHEN,