those days for making of brick and divers other Romans coins and vessels were found as Mr. Stow tells us belonging to their Sacrifices and Burials beside what he mentions Such as the Coins of Trajan and Antoninus Pius Lamps Lachrymatories Patinae and vessels of white earth with long necks and handles which I suppose must be the Gutti used in their Sacrifices †Survey p. 177. There were many Roman Coins also discover'd in the foundations of Aldgate when it was rebuilt in the year 1607. which were formerly kept in the Guild-hall ‖ Ibid. p. 121 But many more of all kinds since the late fire in the foundations of St. Paul's Church now rebuilding and in the making of Fleet-ditch which were carefully collected by Mr. John Coniers Citizen and Apothecary of London and are now many of them in the possession of the ingenious Mr. Woodward the present Professor of Physick in Gresham-College London Many Urns and Coins have been also met with in digging the foundations of the new buildings in Goodmans-fields as there daily are in many other places upon the like occasions especially in the Suburbs of the City w Southwark was 't is true Apr. 23. 1549. 4 Edw. 6. purchased of the King by the Lord Mayor Commonalty and Citizens of London for the sum of Six hundred forty seven pounds two shillings and a penny and annext to their City and erected immediately into a new Ward call'd the Bridg-ward without and was thenceforth to be esteemed within the government and correction of the Lord Mayors and other Officers of London and their Deputies The inhabitants were licensed to enjoy and use all such Laws and Privileges whatsoever within their Borough and Precincts as the Citizens of London did within their City * Stow's Survey p 442 443. Which possibly might move our Author to place its history here But it was not thereby remov'd out of Surrey as appears by the provisions of the King's Grant whereby care is taken that the Lord Mayor should do and execute all such things within the Borough as other Justices might within the County of Surrey and that he as Escheator within the Borough and Precincts should have power to direct Precepts to the Sheriff of Surrey for the time being †See more of this in Surrey x The Hospital of Christ-Church founded Anno 1552. by King Edward the sixth as it stood in our Author's time maintain'd but 600 Orphans whereof part Boys and part Girls and both the children of Freemen of this City Since the Fund being uncertain depending as well upon the casual charity both of living and dying persons as upon its real Estate the number has been augmented and diminisht in proportion to the increase and decrease of that sort of Charity However it seldom now maintains less than 1000 annually nor is there reason to fear they will ever have fewer Here having run through the several Schools at 15 years they are put forth to a seven years Apprenticeship except some Boys of the best parts who are sent to the Universities and there also maintain'd for seven years which is the present state of King Edward's foundation Mathematical School To this there has been added another of late years stiled the New Royal Foundation of King Charles the second consisting of 40 Boys all wearing Badges appropriate to their Institution to be fill'd up successively out of such of the above-mention'd Children as have attain'd to a competency in fair writing and Latin learning Thence-forward they are instructed in the Mathematicks and Art of Navigation till they are 16 years of age at which time they are disposed of in a seven years Apprenticeship to the practice of Navigation Which Institution most highly charitable in it self and tending to the honour and safety of the Kingdom as well as the security and advancement of our Trade was founded the 19th of August Anno 25 Car. 2. Earls of MIDDLESEX Sir Lionel Cranfield Kt. Merchant of London having for his great abilities been first made Master of the Requests then of the great Wardrobe and after of the Wards and at last privy Counsellor upon the 19. of July 19 Jac. 1. was advanced to the degree of a Baron of this Realm by the title of Lord Cranfield of Cranfield in Bedfordshire and to the office and dignity of Lord high Treasure of England and by Letters Patents bearing date Sept. 2. 1622. 20 Jac. 1. to the Earldom of Middlesex Who by his second wife Anne daughter to James Bret of Howbey in the County of Leicester Esquire had issue four sons James Edward Lionel and William whereof James and Lionel succeeded him in the Honour but both dying without issue this Title descended to his eldest daughter Frances married to Richard Earl of Dorset and her issue and is accordingly now enjoyed by the Right Honourable Charles Earl of Dorset and Middlesex Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold and Knight of the Garter More rare Plants growing wild in Middlesex communicated by Mr. James Petiver Filicula saxatilis ramosa maritima nostras Raii Synops Hist Plant. Small-branch'd Stone-fern On many old walls in and about London as the Savoy Westminster Royal Garden c. Fungus spongiosus niger reticulatus doliolis vinosis adnascens Raii synops Mr. Doody's spung-like Mushrome In most vaults sticking to the wine casks Eruca sylvestris Ger. sylv vulgatior Park major lutea caule aspero C. B. tenuifolia perennis fl luteo J. B. Wild Rocket On old walls about this City frequently as on London-wall between Cripplegate and Bishopsgate the Charter-house c. plentifully Viscum Ger. vulgare Park baccis albis C. B. Quercus aliarum arborum J. B. Misseltoe On some trees at Clarendon house St. James's Nasturtium aquaticum amarum Park majus amarum C. B. Nasturtium aq fl majore elatius Raii syn Bitter Cresses On the Thames-bank between Peterborough-house and Chelsey Conserva reticulata Raii Hist Plant. append 1852. synops 15. Mr. Doody's netted Crow-silk In some ditches about Westminster and Hounslow-heath Bardana major Rosea Park 1222. lappa Rosea C. B. prodr 102. Rose Burdock This variety which Caspar Bauhine averrs to be found frequently about Leipsick I have observed near the Thames between Westminster and Chelsey Juncus caule triangulari Merr. Pin. 67. The three-corner'd Bulrush In the Thames between Peterborough-house and the Horse-ferry Westminster Cyperus rotundus litoreus inodorus J. B. rotundus inodorus Anglicus C. B. rotundus litoâ—eos Ger. rotundus litoreus inodorus Anglicus Park Round-rooted Bastard Cyperus Sagitta aquatica omnium minima Raii synops append 242. The least Arrow-head Observed by that most curious Botanist Dr. Plukenet to grow with the two last Salix minima fragilis foliis longissimis untrinqueviridibus non serratis Raii synops append 238. Dr. Sherard's Green Osier Amongst the Willows on the Thames side between Westminster and Chelsey Salix folio Amygdalino utrinque aurito corticem abjiciens Raii synops 216. Almond-leav'd
honour of the deceased party When the Roman Empire began to decline and barbarous nations made frequent incursions into their provinces then the British armies fearing they might be involv'd in the calamity of their Neighbours chose themselves Emperors first Marcus then Gratian both of whom they presently murder'd and lastly â—tura â—runt â—tantine 〈◊〉 chose â—â—eror â—he sake 〈…〉 in the year 107. they * chose one Constantine purely for the sake of his name and against his own will in this city Caer Segont as Ninnius and Gervasius Dorobernensis tell us He setting sail from Britaine arrived at Bologne in France and got all the Roman forces as far as the Alps to joyn him defended Valence a city of Gaule with great resolution against the forces of Honorius the Emperor and set a garrison upon the †Rhine â—henum that was before defenseless He built several fortresses in the passages of the Alpes In Spain by the assistance of Constans his son whom from a Monk he had rais'd to the title of Augustus he was very successful and then sending letters to Honorius to beg pardon for his crime in suffering the soldiers to force upon him the Purple received back an Imperial Robe from that Emperour Buoy'd up with this he pass'd the Alpes with a design to march to Rome but hearing of the death of Alaric the Goth who had been a friend to his cause he retreated to Arles where he fixed the Imperial seat commanded the city to be call'd †after his own name â—tantiâ—â—â— and summon'd thither a solemn meeting of seven Provinces In the mean time Gerontius rais'd a faction against his Master and after he had traiterously slain Constans his son at Vienne in Gaule closely besieged Constantine the Father in Arles but while one Constantius sent by the Emperour Honorius was marching against him with an army Gerontius laid violent hands upon himself In the mean time Constantine being reduc'd to great necessity by the closeness of this siege and by some unhappy sallies of the garrison brought to despair he quitted his honour and that load of fortune and entring into the Church took upon him the Order of a * Priest â—â—y upon which the city was presently surrendred and he led prisoner into Italy where he was beheaded with Julian his son whom he entitled the Noble 〈◊〉 entiâ—â—e 〈◊〉 and Sebastian his brother The History of these affairs which is before deliver'd more at large I have here abridged from Zosimus Zosomen Nicephorus Orosius and Olympiodorus that truth may triumph over the vanity of those who by the help of their own invention have adulterated this story with their ridiculous and simple forgeries Our Historians report that in this city was the inauguration of our martial King Arthur and soon after the place was demolish'd either in the Saxon Wars or when Athelwolf in rebellion against King Edward his brother assisted by that crew of Danish Robbers destroy'd all this country as far as Basing-stoke Nothing now remains but the walls which though they have lost their coping and battlements seem to have been of a great height For by the rubbish and ruins the earth is grown so high that I could scarce thrust my self through a †passage which they call Onion's hole â—â—gipâ—râ— tho' I stoop'd very low The walls however remain in a great measure entire only some few gaps there are in those places where the gates have been and out of these very walls there grow Oaks of such a vast bigness incorporated as it were with the stones and their roots and boughs spreading so far round that they even raise an admiration in all that behold them In compass the walls contain about two Italian miles so that perhaps from the largeness of the place the Saxons call'd it Selcester that is a great city Sel what For Sel seems in their language to have signified great since Asserius Menevensis interprets the Saxon word Selwood by Sylva magna i.e. a great wood On the west-side of the walls where 't is a level there runs a long ridge cast up for defence of the place It includes about 80 acres of land a good and fat soil now divided into separate fields with a little grove towards the west and eastward near the gate a farm-house with a small Church of modern building in which while I search'd for ancient Inscriptions I found nothing but some Coats of Arms in the windows viz. in a field sable seven Fusils argent Bendwise as also in a field sable a Fesse between two cheverns Or and in a shield Or an eagle display'd with two heads gules Arms of the Blewets Bainards and Cusanz I find these last to be the Arms of the Blewets to whom this estate came after the time of William the Conquerour the second are the Arms of the noble family of Bainard of Leckham and the first is the Coat of the family of the Cusanz by whom this estate pass'd hereditarily from the Blewets to the Bainards But in the reign of William the Conquerour this was in the possession of William de Ow the Norman who being accus'd of treason appeal'd to a tryal of his innocence by Duel but being conquered he was by command of King William Rufus punish'd with the loss of his eyes and testicles The inhabitants of this place told me it had been a constant observation of theirs that tho' the soil here be fat and fertile yet in a sort of baulks that cross one another the corn never grows so thick as in the other parts of the field and along these they imagine the streets of the old city to have run Here are commonly dug up British tiles and great plenty of Roman Coins which they call onion-Onion-pennies from one Onion whom they foolishly fancy to have been a Giant and an inhabitant of this city There are often found too some inscriptions which the ignorance of the Country-people has robb'd the world of There is only one brought up to London and placed in the garden of the honourable William Cecil Baron of Burghley and Lord High Treasurer of England which is this MEMORIAE FL. VICTORI NAE T. TAM VICTOR CONIUX POSVIT I shall not be positive as some others are that this was a monument in memory of Victorina who was called Mater Castrorum i.e. Mother of the Camp and who rais'd the Victorini son and grandson Posthumus Lollianus Marius and Tetricus Caesars in Gaule and Britain against Gallienus the Emperor But I have somewhere read that there were two Victors in Britaine and that both flourished at the same time one son of Maximus the Emperor the other * Praetorio Praefectus Praefect of the Guards to the same Emperor and mention'd by St. Ambrose in his Epistles But I dare affirm that neither of these was he who set up this monument in memory of his wife As there is one Roman military way that leads from hence directly southward
build an Hospital in the place of it for the maintenance of wounded and superannuated Soldiers which being begun by him was carried on by his Successor King James the second and is finisht and furnisht with all sorts of Necessaries and Conveniencies by their present Majesties 'T is indeed a Structure well suiting the munificence of its Royal Founders being more nobly accommodated with all sorts of Offices and adorned with more spatious walks and gardens perhaps than any Nobleman's house or College in the Kingdom h Hence our Author brings us to London London the capital city of England where he first give us an account of it's various names and etymologies of them to which I shall only add * Chron. Sax. that it was also call'd by the Saxons Lundone Lundune and Lundenburh and has another etymology given us of it's Latin name by the judicious Mr. Somner †Glossar ad X. Script who derives it from the British Llawn plenus frequens and dyn homo or din the same with dinas urbs civitas either of which joyned wit Llawn will signifie a populous place as London has always been i As to the original of the City tho' we have no certain account City buiâ—â— it not being clear that there was any such place in Caesar's time and yet a great town of trade in Nero's as Tacitus witnesses doubtless it must be founded within that little compass of time between those Emperours and in all probability as the learned ‖ Orig. Bâ—â—t p. 43. Bishop of Worcester thinks about the time of Claudius and inhabited by the Romans and Britains together being a trading tho' not a military Colony as Camulodunum was from the very beginning But it flourish'd not long for in the very next reign of the Emperour Nero upon that grand revolt of the Iceni and Trinobantes under Boodicia his Lieutenant Suetonius Paulinus judging it not tenible and taking away from it to his aid the choicest of the Citizens it was quickly sack'd by the Britains and the remaining inhabitants barbarously massacred without any regard to sex or age So that I cannot so fully agree with our Author when he asserts that this has been a City vix unquam magnis calamitatibus conflictata Suffer'd several Calamities that scarce ever engag'd any great calamity For not only in it's infancy but when grown to a greater bulk in the year 839. in the reign of King Ethelwolf it was surprized by the Danes and the Citizens inhumanly butcher'd Quickly after in the year 851. it was again sack'd by the Danes the army of Beorhtwulf King of Mercia who came to it's defence being totally routed Again in the year 872. in the days of King Ethelred the Danes took it and winter'd in it And so again An. 1013. after a great fight with Swane King of Denmark who besieg'd it the Citizens were at last forc'd to admit him and his army to winter in it and to pay him such tribute as he demanded Lastly in the year 1016. it was twice besieg'd and so much streighten'd by Canutus that they were necessitated in fine to receive him into the city give him winter quarters and to buy their peace with a sum of money * Châ—â—â— Sax. 〈…〉 Anâ—â— Not to mention the grievous insults that were made upon it of later years by Wat Tyler and Jack Straw temp Rich. 2. An. 1381. of Jack Cade otherwise call'd by his followers John Mend-all An. 1450. temp Hen. 6. and the bastard Falconbridge temp Edw. 4. An. 1481. Nor has it suffer'd only by the sword it being much wasted by fire as ‖ Polyâ— Lib. â— Ranulph Higden tells us An. 983. And in the year 1077 in the days of William the Conquerour it was also consumed by so great a fire as had not happen'd to it as the Saxon Chronicle expresses it since it's foundation †Châ—â—â— Sax p â— Quickly after again in the same King's reign An. 1086. the Church of S. Paul was quite burnt down with the greatest and most splendid part of the City ‖ Stow's Survey p. 2â—â— Again in the year 1135. the first of King Stephen by a fire which began in Cannon-street near London-stone the City was consumed from thence to the Eastward as far as Aldgate to S. Paul's Church Westward and to the South as far as Southwark the bridge then of timber being quite burnt down It was afterwards rebuilt of stone and houses set upon it but within four years after it was finish'd An. 1212. upon occasion of a fire in Southwark whilst a multitude of people were passing the bridge either to extinguish or to gaze at it on a sudden the houses on the North end of the bridge by a strong South wind were set on fire So that the people thronging betwixt two fires could now expect no help but from the vessels in the river which came in great numbers to their assistance but the multitude so unadvisedly rush'd into them that they were quickly overset and the people drown'd and betwixt fire and water there perish'd above 3000 persons †G alt 〈…〉 Lâ— Dâ—n◠〈…〉 S. Also Feb. 13. An. 1033. a third part at least of the same bridge was again burnt down Sâ—â—w's 〈◊〉 p. ◠〈◊〉 of Lâ—â—don But the most dreadful fire that ever befell this great City was that which happen'd within our own memory viz. on Sunday Sept. 2. An. 1666. which beginning in Pudding-lane in three days time being driven by a fresh easterly wind consumed no less than 89 Churches the Guild-hall Hospitals Schools and Libraries 15 entire Wards of the 26 leaving 8 of the rest half burnt and miserably shatter'd In this compass were 400 streets and in them 13200 houses which cover'd no less than 436 acres of ground It destroying all on the Thames-side from that of Allhallows Barkin to the Temple Church and all along from the North-east walls of the City to Holburn-bridge and when all artificial helps fail'd it languish'd and went out of it self tho' amongst as combustible buildings as any it had burnt before In memory whereof near the place where the fire began is erected a magnificent Pillar somewhat resembling except the Imagery those of Trajan and Antonine at Rome of 202 foot high which equals exactly the distance of the Pillar from the place where the fire first began k In which Conflagration the magnificent Church of St. Pauls S Paâ—l's did not escape the foundation whereof was laid so very large that as our Author notes tho' the whole revenues of the Bishoprick for 20 years together were given toward it by Richard Beaumes successor to Mauricius the first founder yet they seemed so little to advance the work that his successors and all others despaired of its ever being finish'd at least by private hands Wherefore they were forced to apply themselves to the bounty of all good people throughout the Realms both of England and Ireland as appears by