LIFE IN OLD LONDON.*

THE beat review of this large and handsome volume will be given in a selection of extracts, which will show what various intelligence is to be found within its boards. We shall not detain the reader long with preliminary explanations.

The " Archives" from which its contents are selected are the "Letter-Books" of the City—folio volumes on parchment, "containing entries of the current matters of the day, in which the City has been in any way interested or concerned, downwards from the early part of the reign of King Edward I." The first nine of these volumes have furnished materials for the selection now edited by Mr. Riley. Even the extracts we shall give will enable the reader to endorse the editor's opinion of "an exactness which alike testifies to their truthfulness, and speaks well for the business habits of our City Chamberlains and Common Clerks in the times of the Plantagenets." It will be found that details of every side of London life in the fourteenth century are preserved as if for the special gratification of the men of the nineteenth ; Inquests which throw light on our ancestors' habits, royal writs on matters connected with trade and police, deeds of sale, notes on trials, messages from the King on the forces to be raised by the City for his foreign wars, and courteous letters of thanks when the wars were over ; with very numerous entries concerning the City companies or guilds, and trades and arts, and others too numerous to specify. In fact, the matter is so multiform that it would have been impossible to find any satisfactory arrangement as to subject, and the strictly chronological order adopted is unquestionably the best. As to language, the earlier of these documents are either in Latin or in Norman French, proclamations and letters to be read by the people being. generally in the latter, and inquests and official acts of all kinds in the former ; but in the later articles old English takes the place of Norman French, the earliest English document bearing date 7 Richard II., • Memorials of London and London Life in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Cenisiria. Being a Series of Extracts, Local. Social, and Poiiiical, from the Early Archioa of Me City of London, A.D. 1276-1419. Selected, translated, and edited by Henry Thomas Riley, ILA. Published by order of the Corporation of London, Under the superintendence of the Library Committee. London: Longman. 1865.

A.D. 1383. The Latin and Norman documents Mr. Riley has translated into the language of our day so well, that the Savour of the style of the original is not dissipated ; and the many proper names, which are happily not modernized, encourage the illusion that we are reading original writings, and not translations. One aid we miss, which the very full details of London topography would make it not difficult to supply, a map of the Loudon of Edward I., or any king up to Henry V.

here is a somewhat abridged extract, showing the inquesta held by our ancestors over persons found dead. It is from the Coroner's Roll for 1273 :—

"On Monday. . . . the saki. Chamberlain and Sheriffs were given to understand that one Henry de Fleggo was lying dead, by another death than his rightful death, in the dock of the Ward of the Castle Baynard, in the Parish of St. Andrew. Upon hearing which, the said Chamberlain and Sheriffs went there, and calling together the good men of that

Ward made diligent inquisition how this happened.

"Who say that as the aforesaid Henry on the preceding Sunday, at about the hour of prime [6 a.m.], was going to water a horse in the dock aforesaid, the same horse, being filled with exceeding viciousness and strength, by reason of being punished with a spur, which the said Henry had on his foot, carried him out into deep water; so that, by reason of the cold and the force of the tide, he was carried off from the back of the horse, and by misadventure drowned. Being asked if they hold any one suspected of that death, they say they do not ; but that it was solely owing to the mischance aforesaid. And the body was viewed ; upon which no wound, hurt, or bruise appeared And the four nearest neighbours were attached. . . . And the said horse was appraised [for the deodand] at one mark."

If deaths were carefully inquired into, life was no less protected by police regulations very numerous and stringent, but somewhat restricting the freedom of movement of those thus protected. The following is from some provisions subscribed by the Mayor and Aldermen in 1282 :—

" As to the safe-keeping of the City.—All the gates of the City are to be open by day, and at each gate there are to be two serjeants to open the same, skilful men, and fluent of speech, who are to keep a good watch upon persons coining in and going out, that so no evil may befall the City.

"At every parish church curfew is to be rung at the same hour as at St. Martin's le Grand ; so that they begin together, and end together ; and then all the gates aro to be shut, as well as all taverns for wine or for ale; and no one is then to go about the streets or ways. Six persons are to watch in each ward by night, of the most competent men of the ward thereto ; and the two serjoants who guard the gates by day are to lie at night either within the gates, or near thereto."

At Christmas, 1417 :— " It was ordered that all the gates of the City shall be closed every night at 9 of the clock, and ho opened at 5 of the cloak in the morning."

And one of the earliest English proclamations (1383) :— "The Mair and Aldermen comandeth, as wol for our° Lord the Kyng as for hem seine, that martian, of what astat or condicionn that ho be, be y founds goynggo or walkyngge with pine the Citeo, no with ynne the fraunclaiso of the same citee, by nyghte after ix of the clakko be yinnyte [smitten, struck], up on peyne of al that hir movie forfaito a yens ours Lord the Kyng, and a yens the Citoe, in body or in godes ; outtako the Mair and his ministres, and hir that haueth louts in special by the Mair. And yet any other ba y found°, that he be street ale so awithe [immediately], and y lad to prison° bi whom that he be y founds."

The Corporation was equally kindly considerate to the citizens in protecting them from extortion. The prices of victuals arbitrarily proclaimed by that body in 1363 in Norman French might tempt the most radical of us to become latulatoris temporis ode:— "Common proclamation made in the time of Stephen Cavondisshe, Mayor, in the 37th year :— " ' That the boat goose shall be sold for Gd ; the best sucking-pig for tid; the best capon, Gti; a bon, 4d.; the best rabbit, 4d.; a teal, 21d.; a river mallard, 5d.; four larks, Id.; a snyte [snipe]. lid. ; a toodeok, 3d.; a perdrielte, 5d. ; a fesouni, 2d.; a apostle [shoulder] of rout mutton, 20.; a brusket of rout mutton, 2.d.; a capon, baked in a pasty, 7d.; a roast goose, 7d. ; the best carcass of mutton, 2a. ; the beet toigne of beef, 5d.; the bestpesfelle [leg] of pork, 3d. ; the boat bigot of pork, 3d.'"

The following gives us some idea of the cost of living in 1381, but it is a pity that the number of servants is not stated :—

" Account of Agnes, relict of Adam Francoys, for the time she had the guardianship of Paul, eon of Thomas Salisbury, Knight:— ' For the clothing of the said Paul and his servants, bedding, and appurtenances of the chamber; and for schooling, books, silver girdles, riding, and other necessaries for four years,—.C50 3...90. For the table of the said Paul and his servants, for tho same time, at 5s. per week,—.£52."

Prosecutions against tradesmen for adulteration and light weights are very frequent, and the punishment severe, but perhaps not too much so. We might perhaps do worse than imitate our ancestors, and introduce the pillory again for so mean an offence :—

"Alan de Lyndeseve, baker, and Thomas de Patemere, baker, were taken and brought bolero the Mayor and Aldermen at the Guildhall, on the Monday next after the feast of St. John Port Latin (May 6), in the

9th year, with bread of theirs made of false, putrid, and rotten materials ; through which persons who bought such bread were deceived, and might be killed. Therefore they were handed over for punishment by the pillory. "On the Thursday next after the feast of the Holy Trinity, in the 9th year, the halfpenny loaf of light bread of Agnes Feting, of Stratford, was found wanting 78. [4 1-5th ounces] in weight Therefore it was adjudged that her bread should be forfeited, and given to the prisoners in Nowgate ; because her husband did not come to avow the bread."

That sanitary science is not so modern as some would have us believe is proved by numerous ordinances. It is remarkable that the attention of the Mayor and Corporation is drawn by the King himself, Edward III., to the pollution especially of the River, in the two following proclamations :

And whereas now, when passing along the water of

Thames, we have beheld dung, and laystalls, and other filth, accumulated in divers places in the said city, upon the bank of the river aforesaid, and have also perceived the fumes and other abominable stenches arising therefrom ; from the corruption of which, if talerated, great peril, as well to the persons dwelling within the said city, as to the nobles and others passing along the said river, will, it is feared, ensue, unless, indeed, some fitting remedy ho speedily provided for the same. We, wishing to take due precaution against such perils, and to preserve the honour and decency of the same city in so far as we may, do command yon, that you cause as well the banks of the said river, as the stroote and lanes of the same city, and the suburbs thereof, to be cleansed of dung, laystalls and other filth without delay ; and tho same when cleansed so to be kept ; and public proclamation to be made, and it en our behalf strictly to be forbidden, that any one shall, on pain of heavy forfeiture unto us, place or cause to be placed dung or other filth to be accumulated in the same. And if any persons after proclamation so made, you shall find doing to the contrary hereof, thou you are to cause them so to be chastised and punished, that such penalty and chastisement may cause fear and dread unto others of perpetrating the like. And this, as you would preserve yourself safe, and would avoid our hoary iudignation, you are in no wise to omit."

The following record of the state of the River in 1372 is interesting, as showing a far greater obstruction of the stream than that of our own day, for which the Embankment is to provide a cure:—

"Edward, by the grace of God, &c., to our well beloved the Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen of our City of Lender), greeting. Forasmuch as we aro for certain informed that rushes [for strewing the floors before the days of carpets), dung, refuse, and other filth and harmful things, Irons our City of London, and the suburbs thereof, have been for a long time past, and are daily, thrown into the water of Thames, so that the water aforesaid, cud the hythes thereof, are so greatly obstructed and the course of this said water so greatly narrowed, that great ships and vessels are not able, as of old they were wont, any longer, to come up to the samo city, but are impeded therein ; to the most grievous damage as well of ourselves, as of the city aforesaid, and of all the nobles and others of our people to the same city resorting," &c.

The Imrd Mayor had impostors of various kinds to deal with ; but the knavery, though in essence wonderfully akin to that of our day, differed greatly in form. The soothsayer seems from the following extract to have plied a prosperous trade in telling the whereabouts of stolen goods ; and it is noteworthy that the two cases brought home to one knave arose in the highest houses in the land, those of the Duke of York and of Lady Le De Spencer:— " On Tuesday. . . . John Berkyng. . . . was attached to make answer, as well to the Mayor. . . . as to William Shedowater, serjeant of the Duke of York, in a plea of falsehood and deceit ; as to which the same William made plaint. that whereas. . . . two silver dishes belonging to the said Duke had been stolen from his dwellinghouse. . . . the Council of the same Duke. . . . asked the said John if he could tell by his magic art. . . . what had become of such dishes, end who had stolen them. Which John thereupon. . . . falsely and maliciously assorted that the said William had stolen them ; owing to the which falsehood and malice he was arrested and imprisoned, and in his body much injured [evidently through questioning by torture]. and on the point of being forced to swear that he would never come within ten leagues of the hostels of our Lord the King, the Duke of York aforesaid, or the Duke of Gloucester; to the slander of his name, and to the grievous damago of his body, &e. [Then follows another case against the mune prisoner ; after which he was committed to prison till the 4th of March.] Upon which day, by assent of the Mayor and Aldermen, deliberation having been held thereon, because that such soothsaying, art. megic, and falsities ere manifestly against the doctrine of Holy Writ, and a scandal and disgrace to the whole commonalty of the city aforesaid, and through such doings murders might easily ensue, and good nud lawful men be undeservedly aggrieved and defamed in their name and reputation, &c., it was awarded that the said John should on the same day be put upon the pillory on Cornhulle, there to stand for one hour of the day. And precept was given to the Sheriffs of London to have the cause for the same puniskment proclaimed. And afterwards they wore to take him back to prison, there to remain until the said Mayor and Aldermen should give other orders as to his release."

The worst impostors of our day are the religious sneaks ; and under Edward III. they were able to excite more interest than now by assuming to be hermits or Crusaders :—

" Oa the 20th day of July, in the 13th year, ko.., William Blakeney, shetilmaker [shuttlemaker], who pretended to be a hermit, was brought unto the Guildhall, before Robert Chichele, Mayor, the Aldermen, and Sheriffs, for that, whereas he was able to work for his food, and rai ment, he, the same William, went about barefooted and with long hair, under the guise of sanctity, and pretended to be a hermit, saying that he was such, and that he had made pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Rome, Venice, and the city of Seville, in Spain ; and under colour of such falsehood, he bad and received many good things from divers persons, to the defrauding, and in manifest deceit of all the people.

"And he was asked how he would acquit himself thereof, whereupon ho acknowledged that for the last six years ho had lived by such lies, falsities, and deceits, so invented by him, to the defrauding of the people, under the colour of such feigned sanctity; and that he never was in tho parts aforesaid; which was also found out by the Court. And therefore, &c., it was adjudged that the said William should be put upon the pillory for throe market days, there to remain for one hour each day, the reason for the same being there proclaimed, and ho was to have in the meantime a whetstone hung from his neck. And precept was given to the Sheriffs to do execution thereof."

The next impostor is as strikingly modern as the last was mediaeval. Re is a sham collector for charities. The insignia alone are different —the elder cheat bears a box bound with iron, the modern one sports a sham receipt-book :—

"On the 12th day of August William Darman, laborer,

was attached and brought before the Mayor and Aldermen, because that they were given to understand by the Warden of the House, or Hospital, of the blessed Mary of Bedlem without Bisshopesgato, in the suburb of the same city, that the said William Darman, at

divers times pretended to be a domestic and aerjoant of the House or Hospital aforesaid, for collecting alms and other works of charity for the said Hospital. And so, under false colours he walked about the City wills a box bound with iron, during the whole of the time aforesaid, and collecting many alms therein : whereas, during the whole of that time, he was neither serjeant nor domestic of such House, nor had any authority, power, or command, to collect such alms, which alms, or any part thereof, were not delivered by him to the use or profit of the House or Hospital aforesaid, but he converted the same to his own use; to the no small loss and grievance of the said House, and to the defrauding, and in manifest deceit of the people of our Lord the King It was adjudged by the Mayor and Aldermen that the same William Darman should be pat upon the pillory, there to remain for one hour of the day, the said box being in the mean time placed and tied to his neck."

Among our articles of apparel it might be thought that none was so essentially modern as galoches, the very material of which (iudiarubber) is of modern introduction ; yet we find the name used of shoes with wooden soles in 1400, and the manufacture claimed by the trade of Pouch mitkers "Unto the honourable Lords, the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, pray the folks of the trade of Pouchemakers in the said City, that it may please your very gracious Lordships to grant unto them and order, that the making of galoches of wood in the said city, of which no one has the governance, and which was formerly [by] the Poodlemakers invented and established, shall ho under their governance and rule, and entered of record, for the common and necessary profit of all the said city ; inasmuch as there is great default in this respect, as well as to false and not durable leather, as to false workmanship, and other secret defaults."

Of course, the punishment of death was inflicted for minor offences,

as in the case of a certain Desiderata de Toryntone, who was convicted of stealing some plate from one John Beret, lodging "in the hostel of the Bishop of Sarum in Fletestrete, in the suburb of London ;" in which case " the jurors say, that the said Desiderata is guilty of the felony aforesaid. Therefore she is to be hanged.

Chattels she has none."

We find many interesting historical records. The following is the commencement of the lease of a house to Geoffrey Chaucer, 1374 :—

" To all persons to whom this present writing indented shall come, Adam do Bury, Mayor, the Aldermen, and the Commonalty of the City of London, greeting. Know yo that we . . . . have granted and released by these presents unto Geoffrey Chaucer the whole of the dwelling-house above the gate of Algate, with the rooms built over, and a certain collar beneath, the same gate, on the south side of that gate. and the appurtenances thereof; to have and to hold the whole of the house aforesaid," &c.

There is a very vigorous description of the advance of Wed Tyler, with "countless companies of the commoners and persons of the lowest grade from Kent and Essex," "one body coming to the town of Southwark, and the other to the place called • Mileende,' without Algate." For two days they burnt and ravaged and beheaded in the City ; but on the evening of the second day the Mayor, Sir William 1Valworthe, "in Sinethefelde . . . • most manfully, by himself, rushed upon the captain of the said multitude, 'Walter Tylere ' by name, and, as he was altercating with the King and the nobles, first wounded him in the neck with his sword, and then hurled him from his horse, mortally pierced in tho breast ; and further, . . . . so defended himself . . . . that he departed from thence unhurt."

Beer (kr) is mentioned as early as 1418; which, as the editor says, "disposes of the assertion that it was unknown here till the reign of henry VIII. it appears to have been inferior to ale, if

we may judge from the disparity of price."