times they strike against the ice; and these men go on with speed as doth a bird in the air, or darts shot from some warlike engine: sometimes two men set themselves at a distance, and run one against another as it were at tilt, with these stakes, wherewith one or both parties are thrown down, not without some hurt to their bodies; and after their fall, by reason of the violent motion, are carried a good distance from one another, and wheresoever the ice doth touch their head, it rubs off all the skin and lays it bare; and if one fall upon his leg or arm, it is usually broken: but young men greedy of honour, and desirous of victory, do thus exercise themselves in counterfeit battles, that they may bear the brunt more strongly, when they come to it in good ear、

nest.

Sport with Birds and Dogs.

Many citizens take delight in birds, as sparrowhawks, goss-hawks, and such like, and in dogs to hunt in the woody ground. The citizens have authority to hunt in Middlesex, Hertfordshire, all the Chilterns, and in Kent, as far as Gray-water,

In tumbling over these huge volumes, I met with an account of a very remarkable effect of fear, or rather of horror, which I shall insert for its astonishing singularity.

A person lately living in this hamlet (Poplar, a village on the Thames, adjoining Blackwall,) having a great concern for the safety of a ship that was like to break her back at Blackwall, had his blood and spirits set into such an extraordinary ferment, or ebullition rather, by the fear of her miscarriage, that by the violence of it, the tops of the nails of his hands and feet were cast off to a great distance from their natural situation, and so remained to his death.

The Survey of London was compiled with astonishing industry, and commonly with equal accuracy, from the most authentic records and historians. Stow was urged to the task (as he says himself) by a general invitation of Mr. Lam bard to several of the cotemporary antiquaries, to write the histories of their native counties. The work gives a view of the government of the city both ecclesiastical and civil-of the churches, hospitals, and religious houses, down to the fortieth year of queen Elizabeth. The

1

most complete edition of this work, with considerable additions and improvements, is that of Strype, in two very large volumes folio, 1720; which was reprinted in 1755, still improved. The subsequent compilations of the accounts of London-those of Hatton, Seymour, and Maitland, are founded on Stow's Survey.

3. The only other work published in our author's life-time, was that entitled, Flores Historiarum, or Annals of England, from the time of the Ancient Britons to his was merely an abstract of his larger work, stiled,

own;

which

4. "The Chronicle, or History of England;" which work entire was considered by the bookseller to be too extensive a speculation, at that particular time, on account of the recent publication of Holinshed. This production was published from his papers after his death by Edmund Howes, in one folio volume, and which is commonly known by the name of Stow's Chronicle. It was printed in 1615, and 1631, in black letter.

5. But even this publication is said not to contain the whole of that far larger work which Stow left prepared for the press. This

might possibly be the Chronicle of Reyne Wolf mentioned by Nicholson, and which Stow was engaged to publish by archbishop Whitgift. The MS. here alluded to, came into the possession of sir Simon Dewes; and was subsequently obtained by the earl of Oxford.

According to Mr. Howes, Stow always 'protested never to have written any thing, either for malice, fear, or favour, nor to seek his own particular gain, or vain glory; and that his only pains and care was to write the truth." Agreeably to this statement, it is commonly allowed, that Stow surpasses all preceding chroniclers in judgment, as well as in industry: nor has his honesty ever been questioned.

KNOLLES.

RICHARD KNOLLES, was born in Northamp tonshire, and educated at Oxford, where he entered in 1560, took his degrees in arts, and was elected Fellow of Lincoln College. He was subsequently master of a free school at Sandwich in Kent; where he died in 1610.

Knolles is chiefly known to posterity by his "General History of the Turks, from the first beginning of that Nation, to the rising of the Ottoman Family," &c. 1610. This history has been continued by several hands. One continuation was collected from the dispatches of sir Peter Wyche, knight, ambassador at Constantinople, and extended from 1623 to 1677; but the "best is that of Ricaut, consul of Smyrna, from the year 1623 to 1677. Lond. 1680, folio. It begins from a period earlier than that at which Knolles terminates. In