EXTRACTS from the History of LONDON, continued from Page 82 of our laft. A S the history of the city of London must neceffarily include that of the manners of the inhabitants, we have given fome inftances of their fondness for pompous and fplendid proceffions; and it may hereafter be necessary to add others, to inable the reader to form an idea of the difference between the palt times and the prefent. I fhall here mention amusements of a different kind, graced with the prefence of a fovereign Prince, and which cannot fail of entertaining the reader. It was ufual, on the 1ft of May, for all the citizens, who were able, to divert themfelves in the woods and meadows with Maygames, diverfions not confined to the lower clafs, but equally the entertainment of per fons of the highest rank; a remarkable inftance of which is inferted in Hall's Chronicle, under the year 1515, when that author obferves, that King Henry VIII. and Queen Catharine, accompanied by many Lords and Ladies, rode a maying from Greenwich to the high ground of Shooter's-hill, where, as they paffed along, they faw a company of 200 tall yeomen, all cloathed in green, with green hoods and bows and arrows. One, who was their Chieftain, was called Robin Hood, and defired the King and all his company to stay and fee his men fhoot; to which the King agreeing, he whifted, and all the two hundred difcharged their arrows at once, which they repeated on his whifting again. Their arrows had fomething placed in the heads of them that made them whistle as they flew, and all together made a loud and very uncommon noife, at which the King and Queen were greatly delighted. The Gentleman who affumed the character of Robin Hood then defired the King and Queen, with their retinue, to en ter the Green wood, where, in arbours made with boughs intermixed with flowers, they were plentifully ferved with venifon and wine, by Robin Hood and his men. About two years after an event happened, which occafioned the epithet of Evil to be added to this day of rejoicing. The citizens being extremely exafperated at the encouragement given to foreigners, a Prieft, named Bell, was perfuaded to preach againft them at the Spital; and in a very inflaming femon he incited the people to oppofe all ftrangers; this occafioned frequent quarrels in the streets, for which fome Englishmen were committed to prifon. Suddenly a rumour arofe, that on Mayday all the foreigners would be affaffinated, and feveral ftrangers fied; this coming to the knowledge of the King's Council, Cardinal Wolfey fent for the Lord Mayor and feveral of the City Council, told them what he had heard, and exhorted them to preferve the peace. Upon this affair a Court of Common-council was affembled at Guildhall, on the evening before May-day, in which it was refolved to order every man to fhut up his doors, and keep his fervants at home; and this advice, being immediately communicated to the Cardinal, met with his approbation. Upon this every Alderman fent to inform his ward, that no man fhould ftir out of his houfe after nine o'clock, but keep his doors fhut and his fervants within till nine in the morning. This order had not been long given, when one of the Aldermen, returning from his ward, obferved two young men at play in Cheapfide, and many others looking at them. He would have sent them to the Compter, but they were foon rescued, and the cry raifed of 'Prentices, 'Prentices! Clubs, Clubs! Inftantly the people arofe; by eleven o'clock they amounted to fix or feven hundred; and, the crowd ftill increafing, they rescued from Newgate and the Compter the prifoners committed for abufing the foreigners; while the Mayor and Sheriffs, who were prefent, made proclamation in the King's name; but, instead of obeying it, they broke open the houfes of many Frenchmen and other foreigners, and continued plundering them till three in the morning, when beginning to disperse, the Mayor and his attendants took 300 of them, and committed them to the feveral prifons. While this riot lafted, the Lieutenant of the Tower difcharged feveral pieces of ordnance against the city, but without doing much mifchief; and about five in the morning feveral of the Nobility marched thither with all the forces they could affemble. On the 4th of May the Lord Mayor, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Surry, and others, fat upon the trial of the offenders, at Guildhall, the Duke of Norfolk entering the city with 1300 men. That day feveral were indicted, and on the next 13 were fentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered; for the execution of whom ten gallowfes were fet up in feveral parts of the city, upon wheels, to be removed from street to ftreet, and from door to door. On the 7th of May feveral others were found guilty, and received the fame sentence as the former, and foon after were drawn upon hurdles to the ftandard in Cheapfide; but, when one was executed, and the reft about about to be turned off, a refpite came, and they were remanded back to prifon. upon the After this, the foldiers who had kept watch in the city were withdrawn, which making the citizens flatter themselves that the King's difpleasure against them was not fo great as they had imagined, the Lord Mayor, Recorder, and feveral Aldermen went in mourning-gowns to wait King at Greenwich, when, having attended for fome time at the privy-chamber door, his Majefty with feveral of the Nobility came forth; upon which, all of them faliing upon their knees, the Recorder, in the name of the reft, in the most humble and fubmiffive terms, begged that he would have mercy on them for their negligence, and compaffion on the offenders, whom he reprefented as a small number of light perfons. His Majefty let them know that he was really difpleafed, and that they ought to wail and be forry for it; for, as they had not attempt ed to fight with those whom they pretended were fo fmall a number of light perfons, they must have winked at the matter; he therefore ordered them to repair to the Lord Chancellor, who would give them an anfwer. Upon which they retired, deeply mortified. Being informed that the King was to be at Wellminster-hall on the 22d of May, they refolved to repair thither, which they did with the confent of Cardinal Wolfey, Lord High Chancellor. The King fat at the upper end of Westminster hall, under a cloth of ftate, with the Cardinal and feveral of the Nobility; and the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Recorder, and several of the Common-council attended; the prifoners, who then amounted to about 400, were brought in their fhirts, bound together with cords, and with halters about their necks, and among these were 11 women. The Cardinal, having fharply rebuked the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty for their negligence, told the prifoners, that, for their offences against the laws of the realm, and against his Majefty's crown and dignity, they had deferved death; upon which they all fet up a piteous cry, of ' Mercy, gracious Lord, mercy!' which fo moved the King, that, at the earneft intreaty of the Lords, he pronounced them pardoned; upon which, giving a great fhout, they threw up their halters towards the top of the hall, crying, <God fave the King! After this affair the May-games were not fo commonly used as before. By the following account the reader will fee, that our hofpitable ancestors were not let's fond of the pleasures of the table than of outward pomp. Mr. Stow obferves, that, in the year 1531, 11 Gentlemen of the law being promoted to the dignity of the Coif, they gave a fplendid and elegant entertainment in the Bishop of Ely's palace in Holborn, for five days fucceffively, at which were present the King, Queen, foreign Minifters, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, the Judges, the Mafter of the Rolls, the Mafters in Chancery, the Serjeants at law, the principal merchants of London, with many Knights and Esquires, and a certain number of citizens belonging to the chief companies of the city. This being one of the greatest entertainments recorded in hiftory, an account of it cannot be unacceptable to the reader; but, as there were three poulterers concerned in providing the poultry, and only one of their accounts which we are able to communicate, it will be very deficient; however, as this great entertainment was given but about 230 years ago, the fubjoined account will fhew the vast disparity between the prices of provifions then and now, and confequently the great difproportion between the scarcity of money at that time, and its plenty at prefent. 24 large oxen, at r 1.. 6 s. 8 d. each. The carcafe of a large ox from the market, 1 1. 4 S. 100 fheep, at 2 s. 10 d. each. 14 dozen of fwans, no price fet down. Capons of Greece, 10 dozen, each at 1 s. 8 d. Kentish capons, nine dozen and a half, at I s. each. 19 dozen of common capons, at 6 d. each. Seven dozen and nine heathcocks, at 8 d. each. 14 dozen and eight common cocks, at 3 d. each. The best pullets (no number mentioned) at 2 d. each. Common ditto, 2 d. each. 37 dozen of pigeons, at 10 d. a dozen. 340 dozen of larks, at 5 d. a dozen. King Henry loved fhew, and the citizens took great pains to please him, of which the following is a remarkable inftance, which, though very long, we fhall infert, in order to give our readers an idea of the taste of the citizens of that age, in regard to elegance and grandeur; and we chule to felect this inftance, as the city appears to have been decorated with greater pomp than at any time before or fince. The King having divorced Queen Catharine, and married Anne Boleyn, or Boloine, who was defended from Godfrey Boloine, Mayor Mayor of this city, and intending her coronation, fent to order the Lord Mayor, not only to make all the preparations neceffary for conducting his royal confort from Greenwich, by water, to the Tower of London, but to adorn the city after the most magnificent manner, for her paffage through it to Westminster. On the 29th of May, the time prefixed for this pompous proceffion by water, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons affembled at St. Mary-hill; the Mayor and Aldermen in fcariet, with gold chains, and those who were Knights with the collars of SS. At one they went on board the city barge at Billingfgate, which was moft magnificently decorated, and attended by 50 noble barges belonging to the feveral companies of the city, with each its own corporation on board; and, for the better regulation of this proceffion, it was ordered, that each barge fhould keep twice their lengths afun der. Thus regulated, the city barge was preceded by another mounted with ordnance, and the figures of dragons and other monfters, inceflantly emitting fire and fmoke, with much noife. Then the city barge, attended on the right by the Haberdashers ftate barge, called the Bachelors, which was covered with gold brocade, and adorned with fails of filk, with two rich ftandards of the King's and Queen's arms at her head and ftern, befides a variety of flags and ftreamers, containing the arms of that company, and thofe of the Merchant Adventu rers; befides which, the fhrouds and ratlines were hung with a number of fmall bells: On the left was a barge that contained a very beautiful mount, on which stood a white falcon crowned, perching upon a golden stump incircled with roles, being the Queen's emblem; and round the mount fat feveral beautiful virgins, finging, and playing upon inftruments. The other barges followed in regular order, till they came below Greenwich. On their return the proceffion began with that barge which was before the lait, in which were the Mayor's and Sheriff's Officers, and this was followed by thofe of the inferior companies, afcending to the Lord Mayor's, which immediately preceded that of the Queen, who was attended by the Bachelors, or ftate barge, with the magnificence of which her Majelty was much delighted; and, being arrived at the Tower, fhe returned the Lord Mayor and Aldermen thanks, for the pomp with which fhe had been conducted thither. Two days after, the Lord Mayor, in a gown of crimson velvet, and a rich collar of SS, attended by the Sheriffs and two domef tics in red and white damask, went to receive the Queen at the Tower of London, whence the Sheriffs returned, to fee that every thing was in order. The streets were just before new gravelled from the Tower to Templebar, and railed in on each fide: Within the rails, near Grace-church, stood a body of Anfeatic merchants, and next to them the feveral corporations of the city in their formalities, reaching to the Aldermens station at the upper end of Cheapfide. On the oppofite fide were placed the city Conftables, dreffed in filk and velvet, with staffs in their hands, to prevent the breaking in of the mob, or any other disturbance. On this occafion Gracechurch-street and Cornhill were hung with crimson and scarlet cloth, and the fides of the houfes of a place then called Goldfmith's-row, in Cheapfide, were adorned with gold brocades, velvet, and rich tapestry. The proceffion began from the Tower with twelve of the French Ambassador's domeftics in blue velvet, the trappings of their horfes being blue farfnet, interspersed with white crofles; after whom marched those of the equeftrian order, two and two, followed by the Judges in their robes, two and two ; then came the Knights of the Bath in violet gowns, purfled with menevre. Next came the Abbots, Barons, Bishops, Earls, and Marquiffes, in their robes, two and two: Then the Lord Chancellor, followed by the Venetian Ambassador and the Archbishop of York: Next 'the French Ambassador and the Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by two Gentlemen reprefenting the Dukes of Normandy and Aquitain; after whom rode the Lord Mayor of London, with his mace, and Garter in his coat of arms; then the Duke of Suffolk, Lord High Steward, followed by the Deputy Marshal of England, and all the other Officers of state in their robes, carrying the fymbols of their feveral offices: Then others of the Nobility in crimfon velvet, and all the Queen's Officers in fcarlet, followed by her Chancellor, uncovered, who immediately preceded his mif trefs. The Queen was dreffed in filver brocade, with a mantle of the fame, furred with ermin; her hair was dishevelled, and the wore a chaplet upon her head, fet with jewels, of ineftimable value. She fat in a litter covered with filver tiffue, and carried by two beautiful pads cloathed in white damask, and led by her footmen. Over the litter was carried a canopy of cloth of gold, with a filver bell at each corner, fupported by 16 Knights alternately, by four at a time. After her Majefty came her Chamberlain, followed by her Mafter of Horse, leading a beautiful pad, with a fide-faddle and trap pings pings of filver tiffue. Next came feven Ladies in crimson velvet, faced with gold brocade, mounted on beautiful horfes with gold trappings: Then followed two chariots covered with cloth of gold, in the first of which were the Duchefs of Norfolk and the Marchionefs of Dorfet, and in the fecond four Ladies in crimfon velvet; then followed feven Ladies dreffed in the fame manner, on horfeback, with magnificent trappings, followed by another chariot all in white, with fix Ladies in crimson velvet; this was followed by another all in red, with eight Ladies in the fame drefs with the former: Next came 30 Gentlewomen, attendants to the Ladies of honour; they were on horfeback, dreffed in filks and velvet; and the cavalcade was closed by the horse-guards. This pompous proceffion being arrived in Fenchurch-ftreet, the Queen stopped at a beautiful pageant, crouded with children in mercantile habits; who congratulated her Majefly upon the joyful occafion of her happy arrival in the city. Thence the proceeded to Grace-church corner, where was erected a very magnificent pageant, at the expence of the Company of Anfeatic merchants, in which was reprefented Mount Parnaffus, with the fountain of Helicon, of white marble, out of which arofe four springs about four feet high, centering at the top in a fmall globe, from which iffued plenty of Rhenifh wine till night. On the mount fat Apollo, at his feet was Calliope, and beneath were the rest of the Mufes, furrounding the Mount, and playing upon a variety of mufical inftruments; at whofe feet were infcribed feveral epigrams fuitable to the occafion, in letters of gold. Her Majesty then proceeded to Leadenhall, where stood a pageant, representing a hill encompaffed with red and white rofes; and above it was a golden ftump, upon which a white falcon, defcending from above, perched, and was quickly followed by an angel, who put a crown of gold upon his head. A little lower on the hilloc fat St. Anne, furrounded by her progeny, one of whom made an oration, in which was a wish that her Majesty might prove extremely prolific. The proceffion then advanced to the conduit in Cornhill; where the Graces fat inthroned, with a fountain before them inceffantly difcharging wine; and underneath a poet, who defcribed the qualities peculiar to each of thefe amiable deities, and prefented the Queen with their feveral gifts. The cavalcade thence proceeded to a great conduit that stood oppolite to Mercers-hall 3 in Cheapfide, and, upon that occafion, was painted with a variety of emblems, and, during the folemnity and remaining part of the day, ran with different forts of wine, for the entertainment of the populace. At the end of Wood treet, the standard there was finely embellished with royal portraitures, and a number of flags, on which were painted coats of arms and trophies, and above was a concert of vocal and inftrumental mufic. At the upper end of Cheapfide was the Aldermens itation; where the Recorder ad. dreffed the Queen in a very elegant oration, and, in the name of the citizens, presented her with a thou and marks in a purfe of gold tiffue, which her Majefty very gracefully received. At a fmall diftance, by Cheapfide conduit, was a pageant, in which were feated Minerva, Juno, and Venus; before when ftood the god Mercury, who, in their names, prefented the Queen with a golden apple. At St. Paul's gate was a fine pageant, in which fat three Ladies richly dreffed, with each a chaplet on her head, and a tablet in her hand, containing Latin infcriptions. At the east end of St. Paul's cathedral the Queen was entertained by fome of the fcholars belonging to St. Paul's school, with verfes in praife of the King and her Majefty, with which the feemed highly delighted. Thence proceeding to Ludgate, which was finely decorated, her Majesty was entertained with feveral fongs adapted to the occafion, fung in concert by men and boys upon the leads over the gate. At the end of Shoe-lane, in Fleet-freet, a handfome tower with four turrets was erected upon the conduit, in each of which ftood one of the Cardinal Virtues, with their several symbols; who, addreffing themselves to the Queen, promised they would never leave her, but be always her conftant attendants. Within the tower was an excellent. concert of mufic, and the conduit all the while ran with various forts of wine. At Temple-bar fhe was again entertained' with fongs, fung in concert by a choir of men and boys; and, having from thence proceeded to Weftminster, the returned the Lord Mayor thanks for his good offices, and thofe of the citizens that day. The day after, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs performed their several offices at the coronation; and, in return for the great expence the city had been at upon the above occafion, the Lord Mayor, Alder-" men, and 40 of the principal citizens, had the honour of being afterwards invited to the chriftening of the Princess Elisabeth. The |