Every Friday afternoon in Lent, a company of young men ride out on horses fit for war and racing, and trained to the course. Then the citizens' sons flock through the gates in troops armed with lances and shields, and practice feats of arms; but the lances of the more youthful are not headed with iron. When the king lieth near, many courtiers and young striplings from the families of the great, who have not yet attained the warlike girdle, resort to these exercises. The hope of victory inflames every one; even the neighing and fierce horses shake their joints, chew their bridles, and cannot endure to stand still. At length they begin their race; afterwards the young men divide their troops, and contend for mastery. 'In the Easter holydays they counterfeit a fight on the water. a pole is set up in the midst of the river, with a target strongly fastened to it, and a young man standing in the fore part of a boat, which is prepared to be carried on by the flowing of the tide, endeavours to strike the target in his passage: in this, if he succeeds so as to break his lance, and yet preserve his footing, his aim is accomplished; but if he fail, he tumbleth into the water, and his boat passeth away with the stream; on each side of the target, however, ride two vessels, with many young men ready to snatch him from the water, as soon as he again appeareth above the surface. 'On the bridge and convenient places about the river, stand numerous spectators to behold the diversions. well prepared for laughter. 'On all the summer holydays, the youths are exercised in leaping, shooting with the bow, wrestling, casting stones, and darting the javelin, which is fitted with loops for the purpose; they also use bucklers, like fighting men: the maidens dance with timbrels, and trip it as long as they can well see. In winter, on almost every holyday before dinner, the boars fight for their heads, or else some lusty bull or huge bear is baited with dogs. 'When the great moorish lake on the north side of the city wall is frozen over, great companies of young men go to sport upon the ice. Some taking a run, and setting their feet at a distance from each other, and their body sideways, slide a long way; others make seats as great as mill-stones of the ice, and one sitting down, is drawn along by his fellows who hold each other's hands; and in going so fast, they sometimes all fall down together. Those who are more expert, fasten bones to their shoes, (as the tibia of some animals,) and impelling themselves forward by striking the ice with staves shod with iron, do glide along as swiftly as a bird through the air, or as a dart from a warlike engine. Sometimes two persons, starting from a distance, run against each other with these staves, as if they were at tilt, whereby one or both of them * Some copies of Fitz-Stephen's read Sunday.—Braylay's Lond. i. 127. are thrown down, not without bodily hurt; and, after their fall, are, by the violent motion, carried onward, and grazed by the ice; and if one fall upon his leg or arm, it is usually broken: yet our youth, who are greedy of honour, and emulous of victory, doe thus exercise themselves in counterfeit battles, that they may sustain the brunt more strongly when they come to it in good earnest. 'Many citizens take delight in birds, as sparrow-hawks, goshawks, &c. and in dogs to sport in the woody coverts: for they are privileged to hunt in Middlesex, in Hertfordshire, in all the Chilterns, and in Kent as low as Cray-water.' We are also told by Fitz-Stephen, but evidently through mistake or exaggeration, that, in the wars of King Stephen, 'there went out to a muster,' from this city, of 'men fit for war, 20,000 armed horsemen, and 60,000 foot.' The more probable fact is, that the muster was a general one, and that London was only the place of rendez Many artizans of divers arts and mysteries of London having erected themselves into Fraternities or Companies, without the necessary powers of incorporation, were, therefore, opprobriously denominated Adulterine Guilds, and amerced to the king for their illegal and presumptuous proceedings, as follows: viz. The Gild whereof Gosceline was Alderman or President, thirty marks; Gilda Aurifabrorum, or Goldsmiths, Radulphus Flael, Alderman, forty-five marks; Gilda de Holiwell, Henry, son of Godr. Alderman, twenty shillings; Gilda Bocheiorum, William la Feite, Alderman, one mark; Gilda de Ponte, Thomas Cocus, Alderman, one mark; Gilda Piperariorum, Edward Alder man, sixteen marks; Gilda de Ponte, Alwin Fink, Alderman, fifteen marks; Gilda Panariorum, John Maurus, Alderman, one mark; Robert Rochfolet his Gild, one mark; Richard Thedr. Feltrarius, Alderman, two marks; Gilda de Sancto Lazaro, Radulph de Barre, Alderman, twenty-five marks; Gilda de Ponte, Robert de Bosio, Alderman, ten marks; Gilda Peregrinorum, Warner le Turner, Alderman, forty shillings; Odo Vigil, Alderman, his Gild, one mark; Hugo Leo, Alderman, his Gild, one mark; and Gilda de Ponte, Peter, son of Alan, Alderman, fifteen marks.'t On the coronation of Richard the First, surnamed Cœur de Lion, in 1189, a sad massacre of the Jews who were settled in London was made by the brutal and ignorant populace. On the preceding day, September the 2nd, Richard had given orders that neither Jews nor women should be present at the solemnity, for feare,' says Stow, 'of enchantments, which were wont to be practised; yet, either through the strong impulse of curiosity, • Brayley's London, i. 125. + Madox. Hist. Excheq. 1180. Stow's Ann. p. 226. or from a desire to conciliate the favour of the new sovereign by rich gifts, a number of Jews assembled at Westminster, and endeavoured to gain admittance into the Abbey Church; and being repulsed by the royal domestics, a rumour spread through the surrounding multitude, that the king had commanded them to be put to death; and, under this impression, the unruely people falling uppon the Jewes with staves, battes, and stones, beate them to their houses, and after assayling them therein, sette them on fire and burnt them in their houses, or slewe them at their coming out.' On the following day, however, the ringleaders in this dreadful tumult were apprehended, and immediately executed by Richard's order. At the coronation feast, as appears from Hoveden and Diceto, who were eye-witnesses of the ceremony, 'the citizens of London officiated as the king's butlers, and those of Winchester served up the meat.' The principal magistrate of London, who was then styled the Bailiff, acted as chief butler.* Richard, soon ai er his coronation, resolving to execute the treaty his late fathe had concluded with the king of France, in respect to an expedition to Palestine, or the Holy Land, directed his precepts to Henry de Cornhill, Sheriff of London, to provide a certain number of helmets, steel caps, shields, knives, spears, iron, cordevan, pavilions, and other military accoutrements; together with silken habits, mitres, caps, dalmatiques, coats, and wine for the king's use. And, towards defraying the vast expence of this great armament, Richard contrived all ways and means to raise money, by alienating the crown lands, and selling additional liberties to cities and towns; insomuch, that some of the nobility took the freedom to tell him, that he acted therein very much to his own dishonour, and to the great prejudice of his successors. To which he replied, that in a time of necessity, it was no bad policy for a man to make use of his own; adding, that if he could light on a proper purchaser, he would even sell the city of London.* The great and destructive fires which frequently happened in this city, to the great damage of the citizens, being chiefly occasioned by the houses built of wood, and thatched with straw or reeds; the court of the mayor and aldermen ordained, that all houses thereafter to be erected in London and the liberties thereof, should be built of stone, with party walls of the same, and covered with either slates or tiles, to prevent such dreadful calamities for the future. For which purpose was made the following order. "Henry Fitz-Alwine being then Mayor," (admitted to the chief magistracy by the name of Bailiff, I Rich. I. according to Arnold,)" it was provided and ordained by the discreeter men of Ran Hig. Polych Rog. Hov. p. 657. Bromp. p. 1159-60. Matt Paris, p 154. the city, to appease contentions that might arise among neighbours in the city, upon inclosures between land and land, that twelve men, aldermen of the city, should be chosen in full husting, and there sworn that they would perform it, and come at the mayor's summons, unless hindered by some reasonable cause; and to be present with the mayor for executing the aforesaid business: and this was decided and confirmed in full hustenge.' By these Jurats were regulated the dimensions of party-walls, which were to be of stone, and at least sixteen feet in height, and three in thickness. These commissioners were also to give directions about girders, windows, gutters, and wells. When Richard left England on his expedition to the Holy Land, he entrusted the government of the kingdom to a Regency, of which Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, his favorite, was at the head. This prelate so disgusted all classes by his arrogance and tyrannic government, that in 1191, a conspiracy was formed against his power, and he was summoned to appear before a great council of the nobility, bishops, and citizens of London,† that had been convened to assemble in St. Paul's Church-yard. The bishop, instead of complying, took refuge in the Tower, where he was besieged by Prince John, with the earls, barous, and citizens; but after one night, he consented to relinquish all his castles, on being permitted to retire to the continent. The ready concurrence of the Londoners in this affair was so agreeable to the council, that the city was rewarded with a recognition and confirmation of all its ancient privileges. One reason of disgust which the Londoners took at Lord Chancellor Longchamp, was, the encroachments he had made on their limits, in his works at the Tower. For, in encompassing the premises of that fortress with a wall and a ditch, he broke in, and deprived both the church of the Holy Trinity, the hospital of St. Catherine, and the city of London of their properties in an arbitrary manner. Having enclosed the square tower and the castle with an outward wall of stone embattled, he caused a deep ditch to be dug round, from the south-east point by the north side, to the south-west corner of the said wall, in order to environ it with the river Thames. In which work, the mill belonging to the hospital of St. Catherine, and standing on the place now called Irongate, was removed, and part of a garden, which they had let to the king at six marks per annum, was laid waste. And a piece of ground next Smithfield, belonging to the priory of the Holy Trinity, without Aldgate, worth half a mark per annum, was taken from it. And the city was deprived of all the ground from the White Tower to the postern gate. § Stryp. Ed Stow's Sur. 1191. Bromp. p. 1225–3. On the return of Richard to England in 1194, after his unjust imprisonment by that avaricious emperor Henry the Sixth, he was received into London with the greatest pomp and magnificence, and the inexpressible joy of the citizens. The richness of the cavalcade was so excessive, that it occasioned a German nobleman, who attended the king, inadvertently to say, that, had the emperor known the immense wealth of England, he would have insisted on a much greater ransom. Richard, to wipe off the stain of his imprisonment, resolved to be crowned a second time. At this coronation, the citizens of Winchester disputed with those of London the right to the office of chief butler; though the same had been executed by the Londoners at the late coronation. But a free gift of 200 marks to the king obtained his confirmation of this privilege to the latter. Soon after, the king, in consideration of the good deportment of his loyal and faithful citizens of London, during his long absence, granted them a new charter, with additional privileges, and a full confirmation of all its liberties, rights, and immunities. In the year 1196, a great sedition arose in London, through the practices of one William Fitz-Osbert, alias Long-beard, who poore in degree, evill favoured in shape, but yet very eloquent, mooved the common people to seeke libertie and freedome, and not to be subject to the rich and mightie; by which meanes he drew to him many great companies, and with all his power defended the poore men's cause against the rich: fifty-two thousand Londoners he allured to him to be at his devotion and commandement.' His opposition to some tax or tallage, which had been ordered to be levied on the people, but which he argued had been so unjustly proportioned, that the poor had to sustain nearly the entire burthen, had been the means of raising a commotion in St. Paul's Church-yard, wherein many citizens lost their lives This exciting alarm in the king's council, he was summoned before the Chief Justiciary, Archbishop Hubert, and he obeyed the summons, but was accompanied by such a multitude of his followers, that it was thought advisable to dismiss him with only a gentle admonition. Means, however, were employed to secure. his person; yet, he effected his retreat to Bow Church, the steeple of which he had 'fortified with munition and victualles.' He was now promised his life if he would quietly surrender; but he refused to come foorth; whereby the Archbishop called together a great number of armed men, lest any stir should be made. The Saterday, therefore, being the Passion Sunday even, the steeple and church of Bowe were assaulted, and William and his accomplices taken, but not without bloodshed; for he was forced by fire and smoake to forsake the church, and he was brought to the Archbishop in the Towre, where he was by the Judges condemned; and by the heeles drawn from thence to a place called the Elmes [without Smithfield] and there hanged with nine of |