more. To be filled by the feast of St. Bartholomew. The shew of Prises ar to be seen in Cheapside, at the sign of the Queenes armes, the house of Mr. Dericke, Goldsmith, Servant to the Queen. Some other Orders about it in 1567-8. Printed by Hen. Bynneman."

This is the earliest lottery of which we have any account. According to Stow, it was begun to be drawn at the west door of St. Paul's cathedral, on the 11th of January, 1569, (11th of Elizabeth,) and continued incessantly drawing, day and night, till the 6th of May following.* It was at first intended to have been drawn "at the house of Mr. Dericke," who was the queen's jeweller. "Whether," says Maitland, "this lottery was on account of the public, or the selfish views of private persons, my author does not mention; but 'tis evident, by the time it took up in drawing, it must have been of great concern. This I have remarked as being the first of the kind I read in England.' Maitland does not seem to have been acquainted with Dr. Rawlinson's communication of the printed "Proposal" for it to the society of Antiquaries, which, as it states that the " commodities," or profits, arising therefrom were to be appropriated to the "reparations of the havens and strength of the realme," obviates all doubt as to its being " on account of the public."

In 1586, 28th of the reign of Elizabeth, "A Lotterie, for marvellous rich and beautifull armor, was begunne to be drawn at London, in S. Paules churchyard, at the great west gate, (an house of timber and boord being there erected for that purpose,) on St. Peter's day in the morning, which lotterie continued in drawing day and night for the space of two or three daies." Of this lottery it is said, in lord Burghley's Diary, at the end of Murden's State papers, " June, 1586, the lottery of armour under the charge of John Calthorp determined."|| This is the second English lottery of

which mention has been made.

In 1619, 16th of James I., it appears, from the following entry in the register

Maitland's London.
Gentleman's Magazine, 1778.
Stow, in his Annals.
Ibid.

Gentleman's Magazine, 1798.

of charitable gifts to the corporation of Reading, that a lottery was held in that town. "Whereas at a Lottery held within the Borough of Reading, in the Year o our Ld. God 1619, Gabriel Barber Gent. Agent in the sd. Lottery for the Councell & Company of Virginia of his own good Will & Charity towarde poor Tradesmen ffreemen & Inhabitants of the sd. Borough of Reading, & for the better enabling such poor Tradesmen to support & bear their Charges in their several Places & Callings in the sd. Corporation from time to time for ever freely gave & delivered to the Mayor & Burgesses of this Corporation the Sum of forty Pounds of lawful Money of England Upon Special Trust & Confidence, that the sd. Mayor & Burgesses & their Successors shall from time to time for ever dispose & lend these 401. to & amongst Six poor Tradesmen after the rate of 061. 13s. 4d. to each Man för the Term of five Years gratis And after those five Years ended to dispose & lend the sd. 401. by Such Soms to Six other poor Tradesmen for other five Years & sa from five years to five years Successively upon good Security for ever Neverthelesse provided & upon Condition that none of those to whom the sd. Summs of mony shall be leut during that Term of five years shall keep either Inn or Tavern or dwell forth of the sd. Borough, but there during that time and terme, shall as other Inhabitants of the sd. Borough reside & dwell.

"Memorand. that the sd. Sum of 401. came not into the hands & charge of the

Mayor & Burgesses until April 1626."

This extract was communicated to the "Gentleman's Magazine" in 1778, by a correspondent, who, referring to this gift of "Gabriel Barber, gent., agent in the said lottery," says, "If it be asked what is become of it now? gone, it is supposed, where the chickens went before during the pious protectorship of Cromwell.”

In 1630, 6th Charles I., there was a project "for the conveying of certain springs of water into London and Westminster, from within a mile and a half of Hodsdon, in Hertfordshire, by the undertakers, Sir Edward Stradling and John Lyde." The author of this project was one Michael Parker. “For defraying the expences whereof, king Charles grants them a special license to erect and publish a lottery or lotteries ; according " says

the record, "to the course of other lotteries heretofore used or practised." This is the first mention of lotteries either in the Fœdera or Statute-book. “And, for the sole privilege of bringing the said waters in aqueducts to London, they were to pay four thousand pounds per annum into the king's exchequer: and, the better to enable them to make the said large annual payment, the king grants them leave to bring their aqueducts

through any of his parks, chases, lands, &c., and to dig up the same gratis.”*

It 1653, during the commonwealth, there was a lottery at Grocers' Hall, which appears to have escaped the observation of the inquirers concerning this species of adventure. It is noticed in an old weekly newspaper, called "Perfect Account of the Daily Intelligence 16-23 November 1653," by the following

Under Charles II., the crown, with a view to reward its adherents who resided within the bills of mortality, and had served it with fidelity during the interregnum, granted "Plate Lotteries;" by which is to be understood a gift of plate from the crown, to be disposed of in that manner as prizes, with permission to sell tickets. According to the Gazette, in April 1669, Charles II., the duke of York, (afterwards James II.,) and many of the nobility were present "at the grand plate lottery, which, by his majesty's command, was then opened at the sign of the Mermaid over against the mews." This was the origin of endless schemes, under the titles of "Royal Oak," "Twelve-penny Lotteries," &c., which will be adverted to presently. They may be further understood by an intimation, published soon after the drawing sanctioned by the royal visitors, in these words, "This is to give notice, that any persons who are desirous to farm any of the counties within the kingdom of England or dominion of Wales, in order to the setting up of a plate lottery, or any other lottery whatsoever, may repair to the lottery office, at Mr. Philips's house, in Mermaid-court over against the mews; where they may contract with the trustees commissioned by his majesty's letters patent for the management of the said patent, on the behalf of the truly loyal,

W. Tibbs.

indigent officers."+ In those times, the crown exceeded its prerogative by issuing these patents, and the law was not put in motion to question them.

Book Lotteries.

During the reign of Charles II. lotteries were drawn at the theatres. At Verestreet theatre, which stood in Bear-yard, to which there is an entrance through a passage at the south-west corner of Lincolns'-inn-fields, another from Vere-street, and a third from Clare-market, Killigrew's company performed during the seasons of 1661 and 1662, and part of 1663, when they removed to the new built theatre in Drury-lane; and the Verestreet theatre was probably unoccupied until Mr. Ogilby, the author of the now useless, though then useful "Itinerarium Angliæ, or Book of Roads," adopted it, as standing in a popular neighbourhood, for the temporary purpose of drawing a lottery of books, which took place in