tance by the Britons; for Tacitus, speaking of the insurrection of Boadicea, in the reign of Nero, A. D. 61, describes it as highly celebrated for its concourse of merchants, and famous for its great stores of provisions, &c. though not a colony.* Stakeley, in the first volume of his Itinerarium Curiosum, conjectures that the ground-plot of ancient London was comprehended within an oblong square, of the proportion of two to three, which extended in breadth from Maiden Lane, Lad Lane, and Cateaton Street, to the Thames, and in length from Ludgate to the present Walbrook. During the Roman domination in Britain, the population, trade, and buildings of London, must have been considerably increased: it was advanced from a Præfecture into the rank of a Colony; it became the seat of the Vicarius Britanniarum, and of the Commissioners of the Treasury under the Roman Emperors; and it was surrounded with walls and fortified. Whether the Roman wall on the north side extended so far as the present London Wall, has been sometimes questioned, through an inaccurate measurement of its course given by Stow; † yet Stow himself, in the same chapter, furnishes sufficient evidence of the affirmative. The account of Roman London, and of the abundance of Roman antiquities discovered in and near it, given in the preceding Volume, renders it unnecessary to enlarge here; unless, perhaps, to remark, that Stukeley, inspecting its neighbourhood with the eye of an acute, though sometimes visionary observer, has placed a Roman Camp, attributed by him to Cæsar, on the way to Pancras, between the Brill (a Public-house so called) and the high road towards the Church. Very little is known of the state of London during the Saxon period, excepting that it progressively, but gradually,, increased, both in extent and affluence; and that, to use the language of Venerable C 2 Ann. Lib. XIV. c. 33. His words are, Londinium perrexit, cognomento quidem coloniæ non insigne, sed copia negotiatorum et commeatuum maxime celebre. For further evidence of the priority of London to the Roman Conquest of Britain, see preceding Volume, p. 80--82, and p. 609. Venerable Bede, it became the Emporium of many nations.' St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey were founded early in the seventh century; but not any descriptions of those edifices, as then built, have descended to our times. Westminster, says Stow, was then called 'Thorney,' because "it was a place overgrowne with thornes, and environed with waters." Whether there was a Bridge over the Thames at this period is uncertain, though very probable; but that there was one in 994 is evident, from an incidental notice in William of Malmsbury, who, speaking of the repulse of the Danes under Sweyn and Olaf, before London in that year, says, that part of them were drowned in the river, because in their hasty rage they took no heed of the Bridge.' A few years prior to this event, viz. in 982, great part of the City was burnt: Stow, in mentioning this fact, on the authority of T. Rudborne, states, that "the Citie at this time had most buildings from Ludgate toward Westminster, and little or none where the hart of the Citie is now, except in divers places was housing that stoode without order; so that many citties, as Canterbury, Yorke, and other in England passed London in building." In these particulars, the accuracy of Rudborne may justly be doubted; for the various assaults which the Londoners sustained from the Danes, and the continual danger they were in through new invasions of those marauders, render it incredible that they should have so exposed themselves and their property to destruction. Besides, long previous to this era, the superior importance of London to that of any other City, seems clearly indicated in King Athelstan's law respecting coinage, by which eight minters were allowed to London, whilst seven only were appointed for Canterbury, and six for Winchester. On the submission of the Londoners to the Norman William, that ferocious chieftain hastily constructed a fortress near the banks of the Thames, on the west side of the City; and about ten years afterwards, still more effectually to secure the obedience of Howe's Stow's Ann. p. 63. Howe's Stow, p. 86. See also preceding Volume, p. 106. of his new subjects, he commissioned the celebrated Gundulph, Bishop of Rochester, to erect the building now called the White Tower, within the Tower of London. In his reign also, the rebuilding and great enlargement of St. Paul's Cathedral was commenced; and the strong Castles of Baynard and Montfichet, both of them standing near the Thames, within the City walls, were also erected by two of William's hardy soldiers of the same names.* During this, and several succeeding reigns likewise, the buildings of London were greatly increased by the foundation of numerous Religious Houses, andAbbatial, and Episcopal Residences, &c. The Royal Palace at Westminster, which had been founded by Edward the Confessor, was also considerably enlarged, and the great Hall there was first built by William Rufus. The accession of Henry the First proved eminently beneficial to London, as that Monarch, to strengthen his defective title, sought to conciliate the Citizens, and, with that intent, he granted them a new and extensive Charter, by which many of their ancient and most important privileges were ascertained and established, and various new ones conferred. In consequence of this Charter, various guilds and associations of trade and professions were formed; and municipal usages, hitherto of no higher authority than common practice, assumed the dignified character of legal authority, and were reduced to writing. In this reign, Rahere, who bore the office of King's Minstrel, founded the Priory and Hospital of St. Bartholomew, on the east side of Smithfield, on the moo.ish ground, without the wall, which now formed a common laystall for the City. The Priory of St. John of Jerusalem for Knights Templars, and a Benedictine Nunnery, were also founded at Clerkenwell, by Jordan Briset; and Maud, Henry's Queen, C 3 built, It is a singular circumstance, and much to be regretted, that not any account of London should have been inserted in the Domesday Book. The only satisfactory manner of accounting for this omission is, by sup posing that the Capital was then advanced to such high importance, that a distinct Survey was taken, and that this record was afterwards either lost or destroyed, built, in succession, an Hospital for Lepers, at St. Giles' in the Fields, another Hospital for poor maimed people, at Cripplegate; the Priory of the Holy Trinity, within Aldgate; and the Church and Hospital of St. Catherine, below the Tower. The state of London, in the time of Henry the Second, has already been described, from the interesting tract, written by FitzStephens, about 1174;* and it may be added, from the same author, that, in his estimation, the honour of the City' consisted in its proper men, its costly armour, and its multitude of inhabitants.' His character of the London Matrons is brief, but highly honorable: his words are Urbis Matronæ ipsæ Sabinæ sunt. At this period, the houses of the Citizens were generally built with wood, and thatched with straw or reeds, a mode of construction that resulted from the comparative cheapness and plenty of those materials, but the evils of which were frequently experienced in the extensive ravages of conflagration. The Religious buildings, however, and the houses of the chief Nobility and Prelates, were mostly of stone, as well, perhaps, as some of the dwellings of principal Citizens and Merchants; for it is upon record that one Geoffrey Martel, in the reign of Henry the Second, sold a piece of land, with a stone house, in London. † In this reign, likewise, the new London Bridge was began with stone; and in that of the succeeding Sovereign, Richard, Cœur de Lion, an order was made by the City, that all houses, thereafter to be erected in London, or within the Liberties thereof, should be built with stone, up to a certain height, with party-walls of the same, and covered either with slates or tiles.' This order, from obvious causes, was but little heeded, and the majority of buildings, for some ages afterwards, still continued to be erected with wood. About the year 1190, the precincts of the Tower were considerably extended, by William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, and Chancellor of England, who, having been left at the head of the Regency, by King Richard, during his absence in the Holy Land, thought proper to surround the Tower with a new embattled wall, and * See preceding Volume, p. 121–125. + Madox's Form, p. 178. and a broade and deepe ditch,' by which he greatly encroached upon the adjoining lands, and had part of the City wall broken down, for the enlarging of the Tower; to wit, from the saide gate towards the river of Thames.'* This proceeding highly offended the Londoners, and, together with the many other arbitrary acts of the Regent, led to his deposition and banishment, in the following year.+ In the time of King John, anno 1208, the Citizens, or rather Merchants, of London, purchased for 200 marks an exemption from the Quinzieme, which was a duty payable by every Merchant, whether native or foreigner. In the same reign, between the years 1211 and 1213, the City ditch was first dug round the outside of the wall, and extended to the breadth of 200 feet. This ditch, says Stowe, "being originally made for the defence of the Cittie, was long together carefully clensed and mainteyned, as neede required."§ In the reign of Henry the Third, though, generally speaking, a most oppressive one to the Londoners, various improvements were made in the Capital, and the number of Citizens, having 'mightilie increased,' a new supply of fresh water was obtained from the manor of Tye-bourne, and conveyed by pipes into the City about West-cheap. Different regulations, for the prevention of fires, were also established; andthe former order, for covering all houses with slate or tile, and more especially such as stood in the best streets,' was renewed. At this time, the west part of Cheapside was 'a void place,' called Crown Field, from the sign of the Crown Inn; the principal part of the City lying more eastward. Besides the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey, this reign was prolific in reli Stow's Lond. p. 25. Edit. 1598. C 4 gious + See preceding Volume, p. 126. ‡ And. Hist. of Com. Vol. I. p. 372. Our Author remarks, that Merchant was an appellation then given to all persons who made a business of buy ing and selling, however trifling their dealings might be.' Ibid. 371. In the year 1205, the Quinzieme of London amounted to 8561. 12s. 10d. a greater sum than was raised by this duty in any other place in England. Sur. of Loud. p. 17. See preceding Volume, p. 133-143. |