genuineness ... Extracts from Prynne's Histrio-

mastix, relating to the old Play-houses of London,

and to Women-Actors... Prynne's " Vindication"

of his own work, from the "Poetical Decameron"

...Presumed date of the" Retractation"-Arrest of

the Players in Salisbury Court, and at the Cock-

pit in 1648-49.

St. Saviour's Church, Southwark

Remarkable instance of sudden death...Pleasing

Epitaph on Mr. Alderman Humble.

Pressing for Soldiers

Citizens pressed for Soldiers in Queen Elizabeth's

reign, both in the Streets and Churches.

Cardinal Wolsey

Account of the pomp displayed by Wolsey in pro-

ceeding to Westminster Hall from York House,

when Lord Chancellor.

Serjeants' Inn, Fleet Street

49-50

51

52-53

53-56

Ancient History of Serjeant's Inn...some account of
the rental in James the First's reign...the Inn re-
built...Amicable Assurance Office.

Serjeant's Inn, Chancery Lane

All the twelve Judges have Chambers here.

Anciently belonged to the Serjeant's-at-Law...when
called Scroope's Inn...Union Court.

London Marts for Female" Bravery," in Queen Eliza-

beth's reign

59

Extracts from Breton's "Floorish upon Fancie," in

allusion to different parts of the City.

St. George's Fields.-A Fatal Storm

61

Proclamation to restrain Painters and Gravers from

multiplying and publishing incorrect" Pour.

traictures of the Queen's Majestie."

Blackfriars'.-Bishop Thirlby.-Shoemakers' or Cord-

Description of the present Hall, and brief account of

the Cordwainers' Company.

Sanguinary Punishment of Stubbes and Page in the old

market-place at Westminster

67-72

Projected marriage between the Duke of Anjou and

Queen Elizabeth...Stubbe's " Gaping Gulphe,"

condemned as a Libel... His sentence, petition, and

speech when upon the Scaffold, at Westminster,

where his right hand was " smitten off," with a

butcher's cleaver and a mallet...Speech and con-

duct of Page at the same place. Cartwright, the

father of the Puritans.

The Royal Exchange, Cornhill

72-96

Origin of the Burse, or Royal Exchange...Built by

Sir Thomas Gresham, Knt....some particulars of

the ground plot...visited by Queen Elizabeth...

Will of Sir Thomas Gresham. Destruction of the

Royal Exchange in the Fire of London, and re-

building of the same from designs by Mr. Edward

Jarman...various reparations here, and descrip-

tion of, in its present state. The Gresham Lec-

tures. Donald Lupton's descriptions of the "Ex-

changes, Old and New."

St. Paul's Church-yard.-Charles the First and his Queen

Death of Major Picher...Devotions of the Queen at

Paris...Behaviour of the King when at Windsor,

one month previously to his decapitation.

Great Fires in Cornhill and Bishops gate-street.-Birth-

place of Gray, the Poet

Conflagration in 1748, of nearly 200 houses, includ-
ing numerous taverns, in and near Cornhill. Gray's
birth-place consumed. Destructive fire in Bishops-
gate Street.

96

97-99

Anecdotes of Queen Elizabeth and King James the First,

from the Nuge Antiquæ

Earthquakes in London

99-100

. 100-101

Violent shocks in February and March, 1761. Pre-

dictions of Bell, a crazy Life-Guard's man.

Original Gate. Inn of the Bishop of Norwich, af-

terwards York House, Villiers Street, the resi-

dence of the Lord Chancellors Egerton and Bacon,

and of the Villiers' Dukes of Buckingham. De-

scription of the Water-Gate.

Lydgate's" London Lyckpenny,”

105-110

Antiquity of this curious Ballad, which has been

accurately transcribed for this work from Stow's

MSS. in the British Museum. It includes the

wanderings, through London, in Henry the Fifth's

reign, of a simple Kentishman, who had lost

his hood in Westminster Hall, and sees it ex-

posed for sale among other "stolen gere" in

Cornhyll, but could obtain no redress for lack of

pence.

Manners of the Londoners

Moorfields.-Elizabeth Canning

110-111

111-116

Seizure of Elizabeth Canning under Bethlem wall

in Moorfields, and story of her imprisonment at

Enfield Wash...Mary Squires, the Gypsey, con-

demned to die, but obtains a free pardon through

the exertions of Sir Crisp Gascoyne, the Lord

Mayor-Canning's trial for perjury, and transpor-

tation to North America.

117-126

Blackfriars.-The Fatal Vespers

Dreadful Accident in 1623, within the dissolved

monastery of Blackfriars, occasioned by the

preaching of Father Drury, a Jesuit...Reprint of

Clark's "Fatal Vespers," a true Narrative of the

accident, and some particulars of the interment

similar purpose...appropriated for the interment
of Suicides...its probable situation on the north
side of Wilderness Row...Singular particulars re-
specting the Pardons granted at the hour of death
by the Romish Church, and buried with the dead.

London Fashions.-Rainbow Ruffs

178-179

Female adornments in James the First's reign...

Woman's rigging compared to a Ship.

Serjeants at Arms, attendant on the Lord Mayor 180-183

The ancient Corporation Serjeants privileged to

carry the mace in presence of the King and Royal

Family...the Lord Mayor of York appointed Chief

Serjeant at Arms to Richard the Second...the

Lord Mayor of London bears the City mace at Co-

ronations.

Serjeant at Arms, attendant on the Speaker of the House of

184-186

Commons

The Speaker's Serjeant anciently an especial servant

of the King...Some particulars of his office and

fees.

Parliamentary Anecdotes of James the First's reign.-Se-

vere Punishment of a Member for free speaking 186-192

Arbitrary notions of King James...tells the Parlia-
ment that he has piped, but they have not
danced...Opinions of the Members of the House of
Commons on Edward Floyde for speaking sedi-
tious words...Floyde's atrocious punishment.

Epitaph on King James the First

192-193

Adulatory sepulchral Verses on this Monarch by the
historian Sanderson.

Murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey.-The Popish

Plot. The Meal Tub Plot.- Burning the Pope 193-211

oceedings relating to the Catholics, and discovery

the Popish Plot by Titus Oates...Godfrey's

body found in a ditch near Chalk Farm...Disbelief

of the reality of the Popish Plot by the Right
Hon. C. J. Fox...Public funeral of Sir Edmund,
who is sworn by Bedloe to have been murdered
at Somerset House...The Queen and Duke of York
implicated...particulars of Sir Edmund's murder
...execution of several Jesuits at Tyburn...The
Meal-Tub, or Dangerfield's Plot...Mock ceremony
of burning the Pope...Portrait of Sir Edmund
Berry Godfrey in St. Martin's Church...an ac-
count of his murder from a scarce pamphlet...
Medals representing that event.

Great Plague in the year 1665

211-224

Narrative of a Wood Street Grocer during that cala-
mity...his prudent conduct to preserve his family
from infection, and supply them with provision
...great increase of the pestilence...shutting up of
infected houses, and collection of the dead bo-
dies in carts...Anecdotes of individual sufferings
...decrease of the weekly burials, and reviving
hopes of the people...Cessation of the Plague.

May-day.-Maying in Henry the Eighth's reign.- Evil

May-day

224-242

Poetical account of the May Festivals from Spenser

and Herrick... Stow's account of the Mayings in

London in ancient times...May Pageantry in Henry

the Eighth's time...Robin Hood, the Lord of the

May Festivities on May-day, at Greenwich and

Shooter's Hill...Evil May-day...Insolence of fo-

reigners and merchant strangers in London, and

consequent dreadful tumult after Dr. Bell's Spital

sermon exposing their encroachments...Rising of

the 'Prentises and lower classes...suppression of

the riots, and punishment of the offenders. "Ten

payre of Gallowes' set up in the City...King Henry

pardons 400 of the prisoners at the intercession of

three Queens.