Part 15

"December 9th, 1554. At afternon was a bere baytin on the Banksyde, and ther the grett blynd bere broke losse, and on runnyng away he chakt (caught) a servyng manne by the calff of the legge and bit a grett pease away, and after by the hokyl (ancle) bone, that within 3 days after he ded (died)."

"1557. May 30th was a goly (jolly) May-game in Fanchyrch Street, with drumes and gunes and pykes, and nine wordes (worthies) dyd ryd; and they had speches evere man, and the morris dansse, and the saudon (soldan or sultan) and a elevant (elephant) with a castyll and the sauden and young morens (Moors) with targettes and darttes, and the lord and lade of the Maye."

The sextons' merry-making was of a more sober kind as befitted their craft, thus: "1554. June 25th, anodur masse kept at the Gray freers for the saxtons of London and after pressessyon, with the whetes plahyng and clarkes syngyng thrug Chepesyd unto Soper Lane and again thrug Powlles-chyrchyard, by master denes (house) and thrug Warwick Lane unto Gray freers, and so to dener unto the Kukes' (Cooks') hall."

5. Punishment.—"November 4th, 1554. Master Harpfield preched at Powlles Crosse, when ther wher fyve did penans with shetts (sheets) abowt them and tapurs and rods in ther handes, and the prycher dyd stryke them with a rod, and ther did they stand tyll the sermon was well done. On of these was a priest some tyme chanon at Eyssyng Spyttyll; three of them were relegyous men (monks or friars), and the fifth a temporall man that had two wyeffes."

"1559. The 20th August was Sonday: ther was a sarmon at Powlles Crosse; ys name was ——, and ther was a menester dyd penans for the marchyng of a setenn cupolle that was mared (married) afor tym."

"1551, May 2nd. The same day was hangd at Tyburne IX fellows. The same year on the 12th September there was hanged IX women and II men."

"1562, June 27th. Whent to Tyburne; V men and VI women for to hange for theft."

These were "the good old times" that poets rave about.

"1554. The XVII day of Septembre a proclamasyon that alle vacabonds and loitherus boyth Englysmen and alle maner of strangers that have no master should avoid the cete (City) and subarbes apon gret pain." An edict which appears to have been speedily put in force, as we read a day or two after:—

"Two men wher wyped about London after a carts hors for loythring, and as wagabones." Also, "A lad was wypd at the post in Chepe for ronnyng abowt masterless as a vagobond."

"August 19th, 1552. Ther was a mon in the (pillory) in Chepe for spykyng agaynst the Mayre and his br(ethren)."

"1559. Desembre 18th, did a woman ryd upone (a horse) with a paper on her bed for boderie with a basen ryngyng."

1558-9, February 18th and 20th. "A man stood in the pelere with a coler of smelts aboutt his neke for buying them as taken for the Qhwen" (by pre-emption) "and sold them at his vantage amonge the fyswyffes."

"November 29th, 1560. Ther was a man ryd for bryngyng messele (measly) porke to selle." A very wholesome punishment, which might be revived with advantage amongst some of our sausage dealers. It would appear that the French notion of John Bull selling his wife in Smithfield is not altogether without foundation, as we read: "The XXIII day of Novembre, 1553, dyd ryd in a cort cheken parsun of sant Necolas Cold Abby round abowt London, for he sold ys wyff to a bowcher."

"1561. June 25th. Two pelores in Chepsyd, wher wer sett seven men for kungaryng (conjuring)." It is fortunate for Messrs. Maskelyne and Cook that they live in the nineteenth and not in the sixteenth century.

"1555. XXIX April, a man bawd was putte in the pelore for bryngyng men's prentes (tradesmen's apprentices) harlots, the wyche they gayff hym and them serten of their masters' goodes and wasted." And richly did the rascal deserve the punishment; it is to be hoped he was well pelted with rotten eggs.

Ring-dropping appears not to be a modern dodge of roguery, but of the venerable age of three centuries at least, for we find that in 1553, April 17th, "a man was put in the pelere for fasshele (falsely) deseyvyng of the Qhwens subgettes, sellyng of ryngs for golde and was nodur seylver nor golde but cowper, the wyche he has deseyved money; thys was done in Chepe." Also on July 3rd in the same year, "A man was wypyd abowtt the post of reformacyon (a very good name) be the standard in Chepsyd for sellyng of false ryngs."

The year 1557 was a glorious one for householders, for on September 5th in that year "was a proclamasyon mad that the bochers of London shold selle beyffe and moton and velle, the best for a penny fordyng the pound, and nekes and legges at iii fordynges the pound, and the lambe the quorter viiid., and yff they wyll not thay loysse ther fredom for ever and ever."

The fire brigade of 1557 was on a very moderate scale as compared with that of the present year of grace, and the members had charitable and religious duties imposed on them which the brigade of modern times would scarcely consider as coming within the sphere of their duty. We read: "Jan. 7th, 1556-7, in Chosdwener Street Word a bellman was appointed to go round the ward and ring his bell at the strett ends in case of fire, and to helpe the powre (poor) and pray for the ded."

Index.

Abbey of St. Mary of Graces, 208; abbots of, 216

Aldgate, 22; churches, 181; attacked, 192; barons in, 190

Aldersgate Street, 118; Aldersgate, 24; churches, etc., 123

Amusements, 285

Anne of Bohemia, 55

Annesley, Samuel, 112

Artillery company, 93

Audley, Sir Thomas, 193

Bailly, Harry, 169

Bakers punished, 48

Bancroft, Francis, 108

Basset, Fulco, 262

Baynard's Castle, 232

Bishop, a brave old London, 262

Bishopgate, 26; in charge of Hanseatic merchants, 27

Bishopsgate Street, 76

Boadicea, 3

Braybrooke, Robert de, Bishop of London, 249

Brember, Sir Nicholas, 236

Bridgegate, 31

British village, the, 2

Burning heretics, 276

Butchers' price of meat fixed, 290

Canterbury pilgrims, 170

Canute attacks London, 13

Charter, the Conqueror's, 220

Chaucer and the Tabard, 165

Churches, 35, 38, 43, 80, 81, 86, 87, 126, 127, 146, 181, 188, 195

Conduits, 37

Convent of St. Clare, 197

Cooks, 136

Cooper, Sir Astley, 145

Coronation, Queen Eleanor, 44

Cottage hospitals, 195

Cripplegate, 28

Cromwell family, 84-5

Crosses and images burnt, 277

Crosby, Sir John, 99

Crown Field, 36

Curfew, 36, 125

D'Albret, Sir Perducas, 241

Diarist, an old London, 269

Ditch, London, 20

Dowgate, 26

Drowning, execution by, 229

Dunmow flitch, 224

Edward III. in peril, 208-9, 236

Eleanor Cross, the, 38, 71

Excise Office, 159

Executions, 37; _re_ Wyatt's rebellion, 274

Falcasius and the justice, 250

Fauconbridge, 23

Fires, incendiary, 138; bellman at, 290

Fitzwalter, Baron, of Baynard's Castle, 219; service and privileges, 225-6

Foreign merchants, 27, 61-64

Funerals, 278

Gates, 5, 22

Glass, 149

Gloucester, Duke of, 241-4

Gresham, Sir Thomas, 104; Sir John, funeral, 280

Grossers' Company, 238

Helwood, Peter, 128

Henry III., 46

Henry VI., 56

Henry VIII., 57-60

Hoadley, Benjamin, 148

Holbein, Hans, 189

Holdsworth, Richard, 147

Hostelries, 136-8

Howard, Lord Edward, 65

Houses, historic, 99, 102-4, 106, 131-6, 143-6; religious, and chapels, 87, 110-11, 113-15, 130, 153

Howell, James, 150

Hurricane, A.D. 1091, 35

Iconoclasm, 276

Inns, 96

Inscription, curious, 10

James I. enters London, 139

Jews, usury, massacre, etc., 49, 50; synagogue, 115

Joscelyne, Ralph, _re_ walls, 17

Katherine of Valois, 55

Knighten Guild, 185

Knollys, Hansard, 114

Knowles, Sir Robert, 241

Leathersellers' Company, 93; charters, 94; halls, 95

Lollards, 259

London, pillaged, 4; fortified, A.D. 1643, 19; Roman remains, 77

Longbeard, W. Fitzosbert, 42

Lord Mayor's Day, 66

Louis XIV., anecdote, 91

Lud, King, 25

Ludgate, 25

Lydgate, 39

Machyn, Henry, 269; diary, extracts from, 274

Marching watch, 56-60

Margaret of Anjou, pageant, 55

Matilda the Fair, 222-3

Matilda, Queen, 179

May Day, the Evil, 62

Mayors and aldermen, 122

Merchants' lecture, 156

Miracle plays, 257

Moorgate, 30

Nevil, Sir Thomas, 192

Newgate, 28; John Offrem's escape, 29

Norman, Prior, 183, 186

Norman, Sir John, 67

Old Bishopsgate, 116

Old Broad Street, 142; public buildings in, 161

Old Jewry, 48

Pageants, 55, 68, 281

Pamphlets, 73

Papey, the, 87

Paulet, Sir William, 144

Pawnbrokers, 195

Pestilence, 191

Pickaxe Street, 118

Pillory, 276-7

Pinder, Sir Paul, 101

Pinmakers, 152

Plantagenet, Edmund, 200

Post Office, 99

Praed, 97

'Prentices, 39

Printers and publishers, 140

Priory and Hospital of Bethlehem, 88

Priory and Hospital of the Holy Trinity, 178

Punishment, 287

Radcot Bridge, affair of, 246

Richard II., 237

Riots, goldsmiths' and tailors', 51

Roman Catholicism—Queen Mary—275

Roman remains, 77

Royal Society, the, 105

Seals, St. Helen's, 83; St. Mary of Graces, 217

Scott, John, D.D., 148

Sildham, 54

St. Augustine's, 153

St. Bartholomew, fracas at, 265

St. Clare, 199

St. Mary Spital, 86

St. Paul's, 256

Tabard, the, 166

Temple Bar, 32

Thames, Valley of the, 1

Tombs, St. Botolph, 81; St. Helen, 84

Tournament in Cheapside, 52

Traitors' quarters exposed, 122

Tresilian, Sir Robert, 245

Trinity Hall, 129

Tyler, Wat, slain, 240-1

Villeins, 212

Walls of London, 3-18

Walworth, Lord Mayor, 241

Wardhoke, 164

Wesley, John, 130

Wesleys, the, 112

Wife, sale of a, 289

William builds the Tower, 14

Workhouse founded, 107

Wyclif, 254

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Transcriber's Notes

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_

Minor punctuation and printer errors repaired.

Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other inconsistencies.