conquefts on that fide the river, before they reduced the Trinobantines; particularly from the great quantities of Roman antiquities found in St. George's Fields; from the name of Cynington, or Kennington, which Dr. Gale fuppofes was an ancient town and caftle belonging to the Kings of England, and therefore probably a Roman station, becaufe the Saxons generally used to fettle in fuch places; and from the authority of Ptolemy, who has placed London on the fouth fide of the Thames. In answer to these arguments it has been very juftly obferved, by Mr. Maitland, that the Romans were too wife to make ufe of fo noifome and unhealthful a place for a station as St. George's Fields then was, from their being overflowed by every fpring-tide; as they must have been, before the river was confined by artificial banks, and before the building of Londonbridge; where, upon an ordinary fpring-tide, the water rifes upwards of 19 inches higher on the eaft fide than on the weft: That, if the antiquities difcovered are any proof, above twenty times the quantity of Roman antiquities have been found on the north fide of the river. With respect to the argument produced from the name of Kennington, the learned Mr. Woodward obferves, that the Kings of England were, from our oldest notices of things, intitled to all fuch lands as were gained from the fea, or from fuch ri vers as ebbed and flowed; and that, with refpect to the authority of Ptolemy, he had not only misplaced feveral other towns in Britain, but in countries much nearer to him.

The time when the city wall was firft erected is very uncertain; fome authors afcribing this work to Conftantine the Great, and others to his mother Helena; but Mr. Maitland brings feveral arguments to prove, that it was erected by Valentinian, about the year 368, and that it intirely surrounded the city, to fecure it from being invaded by water, as well as by land.

This wall was compofed alternately of layers of flat Roman brick and rag-ftones, and had many lofty towers. Thofe on the land fide were 15 in number: The remains of one of these is ftill to be seen in Shoemaker-row, fronting the paffage into Dukesplace; and there is another, a little nearer Aldgate, 21 feet high. From the remains of the Roman work in the city wall, Mr. Maitland fuppofes, that, at the time of its erection, it was 22 feet in height, and that of the towers about 40 feet.

During the Saxon heptarchy, London was the metropolis of the kingdom of the East Saxons, and was then, as we are told by Bede, a princely mart-town, governed by

a Magiftrate, called a Portreve, that is, a Governor or Guardian of a Port. We find this city then firft called London-Byrig, which they foon after changed into LundenCeatter, Lunden-Wye, Lundenne, LundenBerk, or Lunden-Burgh. At length, Auguftine the Monk, having introduced Chriftianity into England, in the year 400, he was made Archbishop of Canterbury; when he ordained Mellitus Bishop of the Eaft Saxons, who had a church erected for him in this city, by Ethelbert, King of Kent. Thus London firft became the feat of a Bifhop; but this Prelate was afterwards expelled, and Paganifin again for fome time publicly established.

The hiftory of the heptarchy is fo very defective, that no mention is made of this city from the year 616 to that of 764. After this laft period we find that London frequently fuffered by fires, and was twice plundered by the Danes; the last time they tranfported an army in 350 fhips up the Thames, and, landing near London, foon reduced and plundered it; when looking upon it as a convenient fortrefs, whence they might at pleafure invade the kingdom of Weffex,they made it a place of arms, and left in it a confiderable garrifon; but the wife and brave Alfred recovered the city, drove out the invaders, and then not only repaired the wall and towers, but embellifhed the city with additional buildings: But we have no account of the nature of the buildings or the edifices erected, only that, in the year 961, there were but few houfes within the city walls, and thofe irregularly difperfed, moit of them being without Ludgate; fo that Canterbury, York, and other places, contained more houses than London. The city having no bridge, the citizens croffed the Thames by means of ferries.

But, between the years 993 and 1016, a wooden bridge was erected. This great work was performed in the reign of Ethelred; and, in the laft-mentioned year, Canute, King of Denmark, failing up the river, in order to plunder the city, and, finding that he could not pass the bridge with his fhips, caufed a canal to be cut through the marshes on the fouth fide of the river, which probably began at the place now called Dockhead, and, extending in a femicircle by Margaret's-hill, entered the Thames about St. Saviour's dock, a little above the bridge. This work being accomplished, Canute brought his fhips to the weft of London-bridge, and attacked the city on all fides; however, the citizens exerting themselves with extraordinary bravery, he was repulfed with confiderable lofs, and obliged to raise the fiege: Yet he afterwards renewed it with

greater

greater vigour than before, but with no better fuccefs. At last a peace was concluded between King Edmund and Canute, by which the kingdom was divided between them; when Mercia, of which London was the capital, falling to Canute's fhare, the city fubmitted to him; and, Edmund dying a few months after, Canute fummoned a Parliament to meet in London, who chofe that Prince fole Monarch of England.

Canute now, refolving to win the hearts of his new fubjects, difbanded his army, and threw himself intirely upon the affections of the English, at which the above Parliament were fo pleafed, that they granted him 83,000 l. a prodigious fum at that time! for, according to the price of land and provifions then, it must have been equal to nine millions at prefent; and, of this immenfe fum, London alone raised 11,000 l. which is a convincing proof of the opulence of the city, fince it must be possessed of above one feventh part of the wealth of the whole kingdom.

But we are not writing a hiftory of Eng. land, but of its capital; we fhall therefore pafs over the following reigns, till we come to the invafion of William the Conqueror, who laid Southwark in afhes; but, the Londoners afterwards fubmitting to him, he, in the year 1067, granted them his first charter, in their own language, which confifts of little more than four lines, beautifully written in the Saxon character on a flip of parchment, fix inches long and one broad, and is ftill preferved in the city archives.

In 1077 happened the greateft cafual fire, that till this time ever befel the city, by which the greatest part of it was laid in afhes; and, about two years after, the Conqueror, beginning to fufpect the fidelity of his fubjects, caufed the prefent fquare Tower of London to be erected, to keep them

in awe.

room.

In this reign were feveral other dreadful fires; and London-bridge was in 1091 carried away by a land flood; but a few years after another wooden bridge was built in its In 1099 a high flood caufed the Thames to overflow its banks, by which a great number of villages were laid under water, and many of their inhabitants drowned: At this time part of the lands belonging to Goodwin, Earl of Kent, were swallowed up by the fea, and are now denominated Goodwin's Sands: And, this being a reign of prodigies, there happened fifteen years after fuch a defect of water in the river Thames, that numbers of people croffed not only above and below London bridge, but even through fome of the arches, without wetting their feet.

We have already mentioned the first charter granted by William the Conqueror to the city; he afterwards granted them another; but London obtained one much more extenfive from Henry I, by which the citizens not only had their ancient customs and immunities confirmed, but the county of Middlefex added to their jurifdiction, on paying the quit-rent of 300l. a year; with a power of appointing not only a Sheriff but a Jufticiary from among themselves. This was granted to prevent that county's being any longer an afylum for bankrupts and fraudulent perfons, who, having deferted London with the goods and effects of their creditors, lived there in open defiance of thofe they had injured.

By this charter the citizens were allowed the privilege of not being compelled to plead without the walls of the city, and excused from paying fcot, lot, and danegelt, duties payable to the King by all his other subjects, The city was not to be amerced for the efcape of a murderer; nor any citizen, when accused of a crime, be obliged to vindicate his innocence by a duel. They were exempted from paying toll in fairs or markets in any part of the kingdom; and, if any was exacted, they might make reprisals, in London, upon the inhabitants of the town where it was exacted, &c.

Before the grant of this charter, London feems to have been intirely fubject to the arbitrary will of the King. But, the liberties of the citizens being now guarded by so ftrong a fence, they endeavoured to fecure their customs by converting them into written laws; and the feveral bodies profesfing the arts and mysteries of trade and manufacture, which had hitherto been kept up by prefcription only, were now ftrengthened by being formed into established companies. The King however referved to himself the power of appointing the Portreve, or chief Officer of the city.

Upon the death of Henry I. the citizens affifted King Stephen in his endeavours to obtain the crown, and in 1135 received him into the city; but, the next year, a dreadful fire laid the greatest part of the city in afhes; for, according to Mr. Stow, it began near London Stone, and confumed all the buildings eaft to Aldgate, and weft to St. Erkenwald's fhrine in St. Paul's cathedral; both of which it deftroyed, together with London-bridge, which was then of wood.

In the year 1139, the citizens purchased of King Stephen, for an hundred marks of filver, the right of chufing their own Sheriffs; but, that Prince being foon after defeated and taken prifoner by the Empress

Matilda,

Matilda, the daughter of Henry I, fhe refolved to be revenged on the citizens for the affiftance they had given to that ufurper; and therefore, entering into a convention with Geffrey, Earl of Effex, fhe granted him all the poffeffions and places which either his grandfather, father, or himfelf had held of the crown, among which were the fheriffwicks of London and Middlefex, and also the office of Jufticiary of the city and county; fo that no perfon could hold pleas in either without his permiffion. This compact was executed with the greateft folemnity; and thus the citizens were divested of some of their most valuable privileges.

The citizens foon after humbly intreated Matilda to re-establish the laws of King Edward the Confeffor, which had been confirmed to them by the Conqueror's charter, and to ease them of their infupportable taxes; but, inftead of granting either of these requefts, the, with a disdainful countenance, told them, that, fince they had affifted her enemy to the utmost of their power, they were to expect no favour from her.

From this haughty anfwer, they concluded that they had no other treatment to expect, from this imperious Princess, than that of flaves. To prevent this, it was refolved to feize her perfon; the however efcaped, but the populace plundered her palace: After which Stephen was reftored, and fhe compelled to fly the kingdom,

King Henry II, fome years after, granted the citizens a charter, by which he confirmed their liberties and immunities.

The 2d of September, 1189, the day preceding the coronation of Richard I, furnamed Coeur de Lion, was remarkable for the dreadful massacre of the Jews in this city. Intimation was given to that people not to appear at the ceremony; but many, endeavouring to fatisfy their curiofity, by carrying prefents to the King, attempted to get into the abbey church of St. Peter Weltminfter; but, being repulfed by his Majef ty's domeftics, a rumour spread among the populace, that the King had given orders for the intire deftruction of that people. Upon which the mob, barbaroufly falling upon these poor defenceless wretches, murdered all who fell in their way; and then, haftening to the city, with a more than diabolical fury maffacred all they could find, and then plundered and burnt their houses. However, the next day the wicked ringleaders of these horrid barbarities were feized, and immediately hanged.

In the year 1197 the citizens purchased of King Richard a charter, for 15,000 marks, by which they were impowered to

remove all wears out of the river Thames, and the King refigned all his right to the annual duties arifing from them. This is the first charter from which the city claims its jurifdiction and confervacy of that river.

In the next reign the citizens obtained feveral charters from King John, by which this and all their other privileges were confirmed: And, in the year 1207, Henry FitzAlwyn took the title of Mayor, inftead of Cuftos and Bailiff, under which names he had held that dignity for 20 years fucceffively.

In the year 1211, the citizens, as an additional fecurity, began to encompass the wall with a deep ditch 200 feet wide; a work in which a vast number of hands was employed. The fame year London-bridge was confumed by a dreadful fire.

In the beginning of the reign of King Henry III. the city obtained from that Prince five charters, on condition of paying him a fifteenth of their perfonal eftates, by which all their former privileges were confirmed, and fome others added. But these were only made to be broken; for this perfidious Monarch frequently extorted money from the citizens, and upon the flightest pretences imprifoned the Mayor and Sheriffs. He feized the charters he had granted, and made the citizens purchase new ones; and in the whole of his behaviour acted like a fharper, void of every principle of honour and justice, or the leaft regard to his word, his promifes, or his oaths.

In this reign the foreft of Middlesex being disforested, the citizens obtained an opportunity of purchafing land, and building houfes upon it, by which the fuburbs of the city were greatly increased, and foon inlarged to a confiderable extent without the walls, though all the ground within them was far from being converted into regular streets.

It will not be unentertaining if we give a defcription of the city as it appeared about this time. The houfes were moftly built of wood, and thatched with straw or reeds, which was the occafion of very frequent fires; and the city was fupplied with water by men who brought it in carriages from the Thames, and from the brooks which ran through many of the principal streets. Thus the river of Wells, fo called from many fprings or wells uniting to fupply its ftream, arofe in the north weft part of the city, and ran into Fleet-ditch, at the bottom of Holborn-hill. This fmall river, or brook, fupplied several water-mills, and at length from thence obtained the name of Turnmill brook.

The Olborn, or Holborn, which arofe where Middle-row now ftands, and flowed

down

down the hill, alfo fell into Fleet-ditch; and a few houses on its banks were called a village, and diftinguished by the name of this rivulet: While the Fleet ran down Fleet-ftreet, and alfo fell into Fleet-ditch. Wall-brook entered the city through the wall, between Bifhopfgate and Moorgate, and after many turnings emptied itself into the Thames at Dowgate.

The brook Langbourn rose near the east end of Fenchurch-ftreet, where mixing with the foil, it rendered it marfhy; but ran from thence with a fwift current to Sherborne-lane, and then, dividing into feveral rills, was loft in the Wall-brook on Dowgate-hill.

The fprings from whence all these streams arofe were pretty numerous, and feveral of them at their fource formed deep ponds; particularly there was a large pond in Smithfield, fupplied by its own fpring; and near Cripplegate a deep and dangerous pool, formed by Crowder's-well.

At length the citizens being deprived of their usual supplies of water from the above brooks, by the incroachments of buildings, and other ways, water was brought from fix fprings in the town of Tyburn, by a leaden pipe of a fix-inch bore, which was made to fupply leaden cifterns caftellated with ftone. The first and largest of these conduits was erected in Weft-cheap, in the year 1285, and afterwards the number of thefe conduits were increafed to about 20. Mr. Stow informs us, that it was cuftomary for the Lord Mayor, accompanied by the Aldermen, and principal citizens on horseback, to visit the heads from whence the conduits were fupplied, on the 18th of September, when they hunted a hare before dinner, and a fox after it, in the fields beyond St. Giles's.

About this time the city was divided into 24 wards, under the government of the Aldermen; and each ward chofe fome of the inhabitants as Common-council-men, who were fworn into their office; these were to be confulted by the Aldermen, and their advice followed, in all public affairs relating to the city.

The above regulation was made in the reign of King Edward I. who alfo granted the citizens a charter, by which he confirmed all their ancient privileges. Some years before their receiving this favour, the Lord Treafurer fummoned the Mayor, Aldermen, and citizens, to attend him in the Tower, to give an account how the peace of the city had been kept; but Gregory Rockefley, the Mayor, refolving not to attend in that quality, laid afide the enfigns of his office at

Barking church, and repaired to the Tower as a private Gentleman; which was fo highly resented by the Treasurer, that he committed him and feveral of the principal citizens to prifon. This proceeding the King fo far approved, that, though he difcharged the Mayor, he feized the city liberties, and, having appointed a Cuftos of the city, there was no Mayor of London for twelve years after.

In 1306, fea-coal beginning to be much ufed in the fuburbs of London, by brewers, dyers, and others requiring great fires; the Nobility and Gentry complained to King Edward II, that the air was infected by the noisome smell, and the thick clouds of fmoke it occafioned, to the endangering of the health of the inhabitants, upon which a proclamation was iffued, forbidding it to be used: But, little regard being paid to it, the King appointed a commiffion of oyer and terminer, to inquire after those who had acted in open defiance of this injunction.

In the beginning of the next reign, the city obtained a very great addition to its privileges; for, in the year 1327, King Edward III. granted the citizens two charters, the first of which contained not only a confirmation of the ancient and valuable liberties and immunities of the citizens, but also the following additional privileges.

1. That the Mayor fhall be constantly one of the Judges of oyer and terminer, for the trial of criminals confined in Newgate.

2. The citizens to have the privilege of trying a thief or robber within the jurisdiction of the city, and the power of reclaiming a citizen apprehended elsewhere for felony, in order to try him within the city; with a right to all the goods and chattles of all felons, convicted within the jurisdiction of the city.

3. The office of Efcheator is conferred upon, and given in perpetuity to the Mayor. 4. The King's Marshal, Steward, and Clerk of the houfhold, are exempted from having any authority in the city.

5. For the greater convenience of citizens reforting to country fairs, they are granted the privilege of holding a court of Pye-powder in fuch places, for the deter mination of all contefts that happen in each of those fairs.

6. That the citizens fhould be only affeffed in common with their fellow fubjects, towards general fubfidies, grants, and contributions.

7. That no market be kept within feven miles of the city of London. 8. And

8. And that the city liberties fhall not be feized for a perfonal offence, or iniquitous judgment of any of its Magiftrates, &c.

By the fecond charter, Southwark is granted for the good and benefit of the ci

tizens.

The fame Prince, in the year 1354, granted the city the privilege of having gold or

filver maces carried before the chief Magiftrate; a privilege then peculiar to London; for all other cities and towns in the kingdom were, by a royal precept, exprefly commanded not to ufe maces of any other metal than copper; and this is the time when, it is fuppofed by fome, that the title of Lord was firft added to that of Mayor.

A

N additional duty of 3 s. per barrel is, by this act, granted on all beer or ale above 6 s. the barrel brewed for fale in England; to commence on the 24th of January, 1761: And a proportional duty is to be paid for every barrel of two-penny ale brewed for fale in Scotland. All the powers, rules, and directions, &c. established by an act of the 12th of Charles II, or by any other act now in force relating to the duties of excife, are extended to the duties granted by this act.

Beer brewed before the faid 24th of January, if any time thereafter mixed with any fresh guile or brewing, is to pay the additional duty. A drawback of 8 s. per barrel is to be allowed by the Commiffioners of Excife on all beer and ale brewed after the faid 24th of January, and exported to foreign parts, the proper Officer delivering a certificate of the quantity exported, and of the duties having been duly paid; and withal deducting 3 d. per tun for charges of the Officers. A bounty of 1 s. per barrel is to be paid by the Commiffioners of Excise on all strong beer and ale exported, for which duties have been paid, brewed, after the faid 24th of January, from malted corn, when barley is at 24 s. per quarter, or under. The duty is likewife to be paid for ftrong beer or ale spent on fhip-board. All powers, rules, methods, and directions, in an act of the 33d of George II, with respect to the drawback and bounty thereby allowed on exportation of British-made fpirits, and the preventing of frauds therein, are to be in force, and, with refpect to the drawback and bounty, &c. payable under this act, except fuch parts as relate to the fize of the cafks and burden of the fhips or vessels.

Fines, penalties, and forfeitures are to be levied and applied according to law. The amount of the new duties is to be diftinguifhed in the Officers accounts, and to be paid into the Exchequer feparately from all other duties, &c. And thefe duties are appropriated for the payment of the annuities

3

chargeable on the monies borrowed on the credit of this act.

The fubfcribers, who have already made depofits of 151. per cent. of the fums subfcribed by them towards the purchase of annuities on the fum of 12,000,000l. to be raised on the credit of this act, are to make their further payments, viz. in respect of their proportional fhare of 11,400,000 l. 151. per cent. by the 28th of February; 10l. per cent. by the 14th of April; 101. per cent. by the 27th of May; 10l. per cent. by the 23d of June; 10l. per cent. by the 31st of July; 10 l. per cent. by the 28th of Auguft; 101. per cent. by the 25th of September; and the remaining 10 I. per cent. by the 20th of October, 1761. And, in respect of their proportional fhare of 600,000l. 251. per cent. by the 21ft of March; 30l. per cent. by the 29th of April; and 30 1. per cent. by the 15th of JuÎy next.

The annuitants are intitled to 3 1. per cent. interest on the said sum of 11,400,000 l. and to the further fum of 11. 2s. 6d. per cent. for 99 years. The annuities are to take place the 5th of January, 1761, and to be paid half-yearly, viz. on the 5th of July and the 5th of January.

The fubfcribers to the 600,000l. are intitled to a proportionable fhare of lottery tickets, at fol. each; the faid fum is to carry 3 1. per cent. intereft, and to take place on the 5th of January, 1762, and to be paid half-yearly, viz. on the 5th of July and the 5th of January.

The contributors paying in the whole of their fubfcriptions towards the faid fum of 11,400,000l. on or before the 18th of September, are to be allowed intereft for the fame, at the rate of 3 1. per cent. per ann.. from the time of fuch payment to the 20th of October. And thofe paying in the whole of their fubfcription towards the fum of 600,000l. to have lottery tickets delivered to them to the amount of their fubfcriptions.

The annuities are transferrable at the

Bank,