Part 10

Now what shall we say of these rich artisans of London? What shall I say of them? Shall I call them proud men of London, malicious men of London, merciless men of London? No, no, I may not say so, they will be offended with me then. Yet must I speak. For is there reigning in London as much pride, as much covetousness, as much cruelty, as much oppression, as much superstition, as was in Nebo? Yes, I think so and much more too. Therefore I say, repent, O London! repent, repent! Thou hearest thy faults told thee; amend them, amend them. And you rulers and officers, be wise and circumspect, look to your charge and see you do your duties and rather be glad to amend your ill living than to be angry when you are warned or told of your fault.... But London cannot abide to be rebuked; such is the nature of men. If they be pricked, they will kick. If they be rubbed on the gall, they will wince. But yet they will not amend their faults, they will not be ill spoken of. But how shall I speak well of them? If you could be content to receive and follow the word of God and favour good preachers, if you could bear to be told of your faults, if you could amend when you hear of them: if you would be glad to reform what is amiss: if I might see any such inclination in you, that leave to be merciless and begin to be charitable, I would then hope well of you, I would speak well of you. But London was never so ill as it is now. In times past men were full of pity and compassion but now there is no pity; for in London their brother shall die in the streets for cold, he shall lie sick at the door between stock and stock, I cannot tell what to call it, and perish there for hunger. In times past when any rich men died in London, they were wont to help the poor scholars of the university with exhibitions. When any man died, they would bequeath great sums of money towards the relief of the poor. When I was a scholar at Cambridge myself, I heard very good report of London and knew many that had relief of the rich men of London; but now I can hear no such good report and yet I inquire of it and hearken for it; but now charity is waxed cold, none help the scholar nor yet the poor. And in those days what did they when they helped the scholars? Many they maintained and gave them living that were very papists and professed the pope's doctrines; and now that the knowledge of God's word is brought to light, and many earnestly study and labour to set it forth, now almost no man helpeth to maintain them. Oh! London! London! repent, repent, for I think God is more displeased with London than ever he was with the city of Nebo. Amend therefore; and ye that be prelates, look well to your office, for right prelating is busy labouring and not lording. Therefore preach and teach, and let your plough be doing; ye lords, I say, that live like loiterers, look well to your office; the plough is your office and charge. If you live idle and loiter, you do not your duty, you follow not your vocation; let your plough therefore be going and not cease, that true ground may bring forth good fruit.

MARY'S SPEECH TO THE CITIZENS (1553).

The project of the marriage between Mary and Philip of Spain caused profound uneasiness throughout England, and the fear of persecution and the anxiety of the nobles for their possessions brought about a formidable conspiracy. The standard of revolt was raised in many parts of the country, but only Sir Thomas Wyatt achieved any success. He was soon at the head of fifteen hundred Kentish men, and his avowed object was to save England from Spain. A force of soldiers sent against him deserted to his side, and he marched upon London. The situation was saved by Mary's coolness and courage; she showed no signs of fear, refused to take refuge in flight, and addressed the citizens of London assembled in the Guildhall. Her resolute bearing and discreet promises aroused enthusiasm among her hearers, who had heard of Jack Cade, and did not wish to see their city in the hands of an armed mob. Men were hastily enrolled, the drawbridge on London Bridge was raised, and Wyatt was unable to enter the City. He crossed the river at Kingston, but his men began to drop away, and he surrendered at Temple Bar. He was executed shortly afterwards.

This incident, like many others, illustrates the immense importance of London in connection with political affairs; over and over again the destinies of the kingdom have been settled by the attitude of the citizens of London.

=Source.=—Speed's _History_, book ix., chap. xxiii.

In my own person I am come unto you, to tell you that which yourselves already do see and know; I mean, the traitorous and seditious number of the Kentish Rebels, that are assembled against us and you. Their pretence, as they say, is to resist a marriage between us and the Prince of Spain. Of all their plots, pretended quarrels and evil-contrived articles, you have been made privy; since which time our Council have resorted to the rebels, demanding the cause of their continued enterprise; by whose answers the marriage is found to be the reason of their quarrel; or rather, a cloak to cover their pretended purposes against our religion; for swerving from their former articles, they now manifestly betray the inward treason of their hearts, most arrogantly demanding the possession of our person, the keeping of our Tower, and not only the placing and displacing of our Counsellors, but also to use them and us at their pleasures: what I am, loving Subjects, you right well know—your Queen, to whom at my Coronation, when I was wedded to the Realm, and to the laws of the same, (the spousal ring whereof I have on my finger, which never hitherto was, nor hereafter shall be left off) ye promised your allegiance and obedience unto me; and that I am the right and true inheritor to the English Crown, I not only take all Christendom to witness, but also your Acts of Parliament confirming the same.

My Father, as you all know, possessed the Regal estate by right of inheritance, which now by the same right, is descended unto me: to him you always shewed yourselves both faithful and loving subjects, as to your liege Lord and King, and therefore I doubt not, but you will shew yourselves so to me his Daughter which if you do, then may you not suffer any rebel to usurp the government of our person, or interpose our estate, especially so presumptuous a traitor as this Wyat hath shewed himself to be; who most certainly, as he hath abused our ignorant subjects to be adherents to his traitorous quarrel, so doth he intend by the colour of the same to subdue the laws to his will, and to give scope to the rascal and forlorn persons, to make general havoc and spoil of your goods.

And this I say further unto you in the word of a Prince, I cannot tell how naturally a mother loveth her children, for I was never the mother of any; but certainly, if a Prince and Governour may as naturally love their subjects, as the mother doth her child, then assure yourselves, that I, being your Sovereign Lady and Queen, do as earnestly and tenderly love and favour you; and I, thus loving you, cannot but think, that you as heartily and faithfully love me again; and so, this love bound together in the knot of concord, we shall be able, I doubt not, to give these rebels a short and speedy overthrow.

Now, as concerning my intended marriage, you shall understand, that I entered not into the Treaty thereof without the advice of our Privy Council, yea, and by the assent of those to whom my Father committed his trust, who have so considered the great commodities that may thereof ensue, as they not only have thought it very honourable, but also expedient both for the wealth of our realm, and also to our loving subjects.

But as touching myself, I assure you, I am not so desirous of wedding, neither am I so precisely wedded to my will, that either for mine own pleasure I will choose where I list, or else so amorous, as needs I must have one; for I thank God, to whom be the praise, I have hitherto lived a Virgin, and doubt not but, with God's grace to be able to live so still.

But if, as my progenitors have done before, it might please God that I might leave some fruit of my body to be your governour, I trust, you would not only rejoice thereat, but also I know, it would be to your great comfort; and certainly, if I either did know or think, that this marriage should either turn to the danger or loss of any of you, my loving subjects, or to the detriment of any part of the Royal estate of the English realm, I would never consent thereunto, neither would I ever marry, whilst I lived; and in the word of a Queen, I promise and assure you, if it shall not probably appear before the nobility and commons in the High Court of Parliament, that this marriage shall be for the singular benefit and commodity of the whole realm, that then I will abstain, not only from this marriage, but also from any other.

Wherefore, good subjects, pluck up your hearts, and, like true men, stand fast with your lawful Prince against these rebels, both ours and yours, and fear them not, for I assure you, I do not, and will leave with you my Lord Howard and my Lord Treasurer, to be assistant with my Lord Mayor, for the safeguard of the City from spoil and sackage, which is the only scope of this rebellious company.

SORANZO'S REPORT ON LONDON (1554).

The following is the impression of a Venetian Ambassador, contained in his report to the Senate:

=Source.=—_Calendar of State Papers, Venetian, 1534-1554_, No. 934.

The principal cities of the kingdom are London and York, but London is the most noble, both on account of its being the royal residence, and because the river Thames runs through it, very much to the convenience and profit of the inhabitants, as it ebbs and flows every six hours like the sea, scarcely ever causing inundation or any extraordinary floods; and up to London Bridge it is navigable for ships of 400 butts burden, of which a great plenty arrive with every sort of merchandise. This bridge connects the city with the borough, and is built of stone with twenty arches, and shops on both sides. On the banks of the river there are many large palaces, making a very fine show, but the city is much disfigured by the ruins of a multitude of churches and monasteries belonging heretofore to friars and nuns. It has a dense population, said to number 180,000 souls; and is beyond measure commercial, the merchants of the entire kingdom flocking thither, as, by a privilege conceded to the citizens of London, from them alone can they purchase merchandise, so they soon became very wealthy; and the same privileges placed in their hands the government of the city of London, which is divided into 24 trades or crafts, each of which elects a certain individual, styled alderman, the election being made solely in the persons of those who are considered the most wealthy, and the office is for life; the which aldermen, after assembling these trades, create annually a person as their head for the current year entitled Mayor.

THE ROYAL EXCHANGE (1566).

Sir Thomas Gresham, a wealthy and munificent London merchant, offered in 1563 to build, at his own expense, a Bourse or Exchange, if the City would provide the ground. The need for some such building was becoming rather serious; the commerce of the country was growing very rapidly, and Lombard Street had long been too small for the business of London. Men were exposed there to all weathers, and had to crowd into small shops. For twenty or thirty years there had been talk of making a new place of resort for the merchants, and the example of Antwerp, London's great rival in trade, inspired Gresham to make his magnificent gift to his fellow-citizens.

Gresham's building was destroyed in the Fire of 1666, and its successor was burned down in 1838.

=Source.=—Stow's _Survey_, p. 193.

Then next is the Royal Exchange, erected in the year 1566, after this order, viz., certain houses upon Cornhill, and the like upon the back thereof, in the ward of Broad street, with three alleys, the first called Swan Alley, opening into Cornhill, the second New Alley, passing throughout of Cornhill into Broad-street ward, over against Saint Bartholomew lane, the third Saint Christophers Alley, opening into Broad street ward, and into Saint Christophers parish, containing in all fourscore households: were first purchased by the Citizens of London, for more than £3532, and were sold for £478, to such persons as should take them down and carry them thence, also the ground or plot was made plain at the charges of the City, and then possession thereof was by certain Aldermen, in name of the whole Citizens, given to Sir Thomas Gresham, Knight, Agent to the Queen's Highness, thereupon to build a Bourse, or place for merchants to assemble in, at his own proper charges: and he on the seventh of June laying the first stone of the foundation, being brick, accompanied with some Aldermen, everyone of them laid a piece of gold, which the workmen took up, and forthwith followed upon the same with such diligence, that by the month of November, in the year 1567, the same was covered with slate, and shortly after fully finished.

In the year 1570, on the 23. of January, the Queen's Majesty, attended with her nobility, came from her house at the Strand called Somerset house, and entered the City by Temple Bar, through Fleet Street, Cheap, and so by the north side of the Bourse through Threadneedle Street, to Sir Thomas Gresham's in Bishopsgate Street, where she dined. After dinner her Majesty returning through Cornhill, entered the Bourse on the south side, and after that she had viewed every part thereof above the ground, especially the pawn, which was richly furnished with all sorts of the finest wares in the City: she caused the same Bourse by an herald and a trumpet, to be proclaimed the Royal Exchange, and so to be called from thenceforth, and not otherwise.

A LORD MAYOR'S SHOW (1575).

It is supposed that the annual pageant connected with the election of the Mayor had its origin in an old custom that the newly-elected officer should be presented to the King or his justiciar; we have, however, little information concerning the earlier processions, and they are hardly noticed by chroniclers until the fifteenth century. It appears that the practice of proceeding to Westminster on horseback was started in 1415, but an infirm Mayor in 1453 introduced the custom of making the progress by barge on the river; this lasted until the middle of the seventeenth century, but there was, in addition, always the ride on horseback from the Guildhall to the point of embarkation. The fashion for pageantry and display, which was so prominent a feature of Henry VIII.'s reign, influenced this annual function, which tended to become more and more elaborate.

=Source.=—William Smith's _Brief Description of London_ (1575).

The day of St. Simon and Jude, he (the Mayor) entered into his estate and office; and the next day following he goeth by water to Westminster in most triumphlike manner. His barge being garnished with the arms of the city; and near the said barge goeth a ship boat of the Queen's Majesty, being trimmed up, and rigged like a ship of war, with divers pieces of ordinance, standards, pennons, and targets of the proper arms of the said Mayor, the arms of the City, of his company; and of the merchants adventurers, or of the staple, or of the company of the new trades; next before him goeth the barge of the livery of his own company, decked with their own proper arms, then the bachelors' barge, and so all the companies in London, in order, every one having their own proper barge garnished with the arms of their company. And so passing along the Thames, landeth at Westminster, where he taketh his oath in the Exchequer, before the judge there (which is one of the chief judges of England), which done, he returneth by water as aforesaid, and landeth at Powles wharf, where he and the rest of the Aldermen take their horses, and in great pomp pass through the great street of the City, called Cheapside. And first of all cometh two great standards, one having the arms of the City, and the other the arms of the Mayor's Company; next them two drums and a flute, then an ensign of the City, and then about xx or xxx poor men marching two and two together in blue gowns, with red sleeves and caps, with every one bearing a pike and a target, whereon is painted the arms of all them that have been Mayor of the same company that this new mayor is of. Then two banners, one of the King's arms, the other of the Mayor's own proper arms. Then a set of hautboys playing, and after them certain wyfflers, in velvet coats, and chains of gold, with white staves in their hands, then the pageant of triumph richly decked, whereupon by certain figures and writings, some matter touching justice, and the office of a magistrate is represented. Then sixteen trumpeters, eight and eight in a company, having banners of the Mayor's company. Then certain wyfflers in velvet coats and chains, with white staves aforesaid. Then the bachelors two and two together, in long gowns with crimson hoods on their shoulders of satin; which bachelors are chosen every year of the same Company that the Mayor is of (but not of the livery) and serve as gentlemen on that and other festival days, to wait on the Mayor, being in number according to the quantity of the company, sometimes sixty or one hundred. After them twelve trumpeters more, with banners of the Mayor's Company, then the drum and flute of the city, and an ensign of the Mayor's company, and after, the waits of the city in blue gowns, red sleeves and caps, every one having his silver collar about his neck. Then they of the livery in their long gowns, every one having his hood on his left shoulder, half black and half red, the number of them is according to the greatness of the company whereof they are. After them follow Sheriffs' officers, and then the Mayor's officers, with other officers of the city, as the common serjeant, and the chamberlain, next before the Mayor goeth the sword-bearer, having on his head the cap of honour, and the sword of the city in his right hand, in a rich scabard, set with pearl, and on his left hand goeth the common crier of the city, with his great mace on his shoulder, all gilt. The Mayor elect in a long gown of scarlet, and on his left shoulder a hood of black velvet, and a rich collar of gold of SS. about his neck, and with him rideth the old Mayor also, in his scarlet gown, hood of velvet, and a chain of gold about his neck. Then all the Aldermen two and two together (amongst whom is the Recorder) all in scarlet gowns; and those that have been Mayors, have chains of gold, the other have black velvet tippets. The two Sheriffs come last of all, in their black and scarlet gowns and chains of gold.

In this order they pass along through the city, to the Guildhall, where they dine that day, to the number of 1000 persons, all at the charge of the Mayor and the two Sheriffs. This feast costeth £400, whereof the Mayor payeth £200 and each of the Sheriffs £100. Immediately after dinner, they go to the church of St. Paul, every one of the aforesaid poor men bearing staff torches and targets, which torches are lighted when it is late, before they come from evening prayer.

LONDON AND THE ARMADA (1587).

The threatened invasion by the "Grand Fleet" of Philip of Spain was the occasion of a splendid manifestation of loyalty throughout the kingdom. The royal fleet contained only thirty-four ships, but every seaport made its contribution, and every man between the ages of eighteen and sixty was enrolled for defence, in the event of the successful landing of the enemy. The instructions conveyed in the Queen's letter to the citizens of London are an indication of the friendly relations between the City and the Sovereign, and serve also to show the wealth and power which London possessed at the time.

=Source.=—Document quoted by Maitland, vol. i., p. 272.

Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well.

Whereas upon information given unto us of great preparations made in foreign parts with an intent to attempt somewhat against this our realm, we gave present order that our said realm should be put in order of defence; which we have caused to be performed in all parts accordingly, saving in the City of London.

We therefore knowing your readiness, by former experience, to perform any service that well-affected subjects ought to yield to their Prince and Sovereign, do let you understand, that within our said City our pleasure is, that there be forthwith put in a readiness to serve for defence of our own person, upon such occasions as may fall out, the number of ten thousand able men, furnished with armour and weapons convenient; of which number, our meaning is, that six thousand be enrolled under Captains and Ensigns, and to be trained at times convenient, according to such further direction as you shall receive from our Privy Council, under six of their hands, which our pleasure is you do follow from time to time in the ordering and training of the said numbers of men.

And these our letters shall be your sufficient warrant for the doing of the same.

Given under our Signet at our Manor of Greenwich, the 8th of March, 1587, in the thirtieth year of our Reign.

THE CITY'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE STAGE (1592).

The drama experienced an extraordinary development during the latter half of the sixteenth century, and its growth was altogether irresistible. In spite of the opposition of moralists and preachers the theatre flourished more and more; and the mayors and aldermen of London were faced with a somewhat serious problem. They looked upon the play with disfavour; the actors were men of no trade or position, they were merely vagabonds. All the idlers in the town would assemble to see a play, and where there was a crowd there was danger to peace and order. Brawls and disorders would frequently arise, and the thieves and rogues of the city would take every advantage of the throng. Urged partly by fear of disorder, partly by the spirit of Puritanism which was rapidly gaining ground, the city officials did their best to drive out plays and players from their boundaries; and the theatres had at first to be set up outside the city jurisdiction. The ordinances of 1574 set forth in lurid terms the evils which theatres were alleged to bring in their train, and strict regulations were made, providing that only properly licensed players should act, in such places as might be approved. The following documents show how the trouble still continued, and was the source of great anxiety.

=Source.=—Malone Society, _Collections_, 1., i., xviii, xxvi: (_a_) The Lord Mayor to Archbishop Whitgift (1592); (_b_) An Order of the Privy Council (1600).