2-4 S. V. 120., April 17. '58.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 



327 



grant he declared ought not to pass, " as being in effect 

 merely to transfer the playhouses and bear-gardens from 

 Bunkside to a place much more unfit. On a petition," he 

 added, " for setting up a playhouse in Lincoln's- Inn- 

 Fields in the late King's time, exhibited by the Prince's 

 comedians, eleven justices of the peace certified that place 

 to be very inconvenient." 



Another topographical paper, which catches our atten- 

 tion as we turn the page, has interest of many kinds, and 

 presents a curious contrast to the London of our day. 

 It is described thus : " Certificate of Names, Descriptions, 

 and Residences of all Foreign Strangers residing within 

 the county of Middlesex." In Grub Street occurs Lucius 

 Frerra, an Italian preacher ; in Whitecross Street, Daniel 

 Alman, a painter ; in St. John Street, Matthias Lee, a 

 Dutchman, a poet ; in the Duchy Liberty in the Strand, 

 Monsieur Duche, a picture drawer; in the district of 

 Dniry Lane, Queen Street, and Princes Street, Hubert 

 Laseur, a picture drawer. The whole number is 291. 



Some few other entries, which tell their own tale too 

 clearly to need comment, we will throw together by way 

 of sample, selected almost hap-hazard, for the book con- 

 tains multitudes of such curiosities of history. 



" Draft-letter suggested to be addressed by the Council 

 to the Corporation of Bath, calling upon them to remedy 

 the great disorders committed in the common use of the 

 baths by men and women together, which draws a great 

 concourse of wicked persons, but compels grave and 

 sober people to forbear the place." 



" Petition of Sir Wm. Courteen to the King. The 

 lands in the south part of the world called Terra Australis 

 Incognita, are not yet traded to by the King's subjects. 

 The petitioner desires to discover the same, and plant 

 colonies therein. He prays therefore for a grant of all 

 such lands, with power to discover the same and erect 

 colonies." 



" Petition of apothecaries, grocers, and other retailers 

 of tobacco in and about London to the King. Lewd per- 

 sons, under pretence of selling tobacco, keep unlicensed 

 alehouses, and others barter with mariners for stolen and 

 uncustomed tobacco, to the disadvantage of the peti- 

 tioners ; the late King [James, the author of the Counter- 

 blast] had recommended them to apply to Parliament, 

 as also had the present King, and a bill had been drawn, 

 but by reason first of the late King's death, and since ' of 

 the disagreement, they were advised not to move the 

 same.' Beg the King to refer their grievances to such 

 persons as can best provide a remedy." 



" Grievances of the Company of Painter Stainers of 

 the Cit)' of London, and remedies proposed for the same. 

 The grievances arise out of the practice of the art of 

 painting by persons, as well men as women, not being 

 members of the company; the much bad work con- 

 stantly done in drawing and counteifeiting the effigies of 

 great and noble persons of honour and quality ; the un- 

 licensed breaking into the art of painting by many trades- 

 people, especially plasterers, and the use of stencilling. 

 The remedies suggested are more stringent penalties, the 

 power of defacing the paintings of unlicensed persons, 

 and the absolute prohibition of that false and deceitful 

 work of stencilling." 



Nor are there wanting Curiosities of Literature, many 

 of them, as is too often the case, of a painful kind. 



" Petition of Christopher Farewell to the high and 

 mighty Prince, the Duke of Buckingham : had spent his 

 all in expectation of maintenance by his honest studies ; 

 has written a History of his Travayles, and offers to 

 repeat by memory the 150 Psalms of David, and the 14 

 epistles of St. Paul : prays for the King's protection, and 

 to be taken into the Duke's service." 



Poor Christopher Farewell ! Can any of our readers tell 

 us auy thing more about him and his marvellous memory ? 



Here is a poet whose name is new to us. He could pro- 

 bably have told a tale of unrewarded exertion similar to 

 that of poor Christopher. 



" Godly Verses " by James Orrell. Five short poems, 

 of which the following are the first lines : — " Sweet 

 Saviour of the World, and Judge of all ; " " When I con- 

 sider what I am by nature ; " " The years of man are ten 

 seven times o'ertold ; " "A sinner's habit is a mournful 

 sprite ; " " What is the only end of man's creation ? " 

 With an epilogue from which it appears that the writer, 

 who describes himself as being in poverty, addressed 

 these compositions to a lady whom he styles " Madame" 

 and " Your Grace." 



One more of these minor authors was still more un- 

 fortunate : — ^ 



" Petition of John Rej'nolds, prisoner i^he Fleet, to 

 the Council. Was forced from France by order of the 

 late King, and on his arrival in England was committed 

 to prison for being the author of a book termed ' Votiva 

 Angliae,' in which he deplored the loss of the Palatinate, 

 and desired its restitution, which every true-hearted 

 Englishman ought to wish and pray for ; ' has been im- 

 prisoned full two 3fears, during which time he has in- 

 curred a debt of 300/. for his maintenance ; also owes 

 sixty and odd pounds for which he is suretj', and is 

 threatened to be arrested for the same as soon as he is 

 at liberty; pra3's for protection against arrest for one 

 year." 



The letters respecting the plague are numerous and 

 valuable. One extract will show their nature. It is from 

 a letter written by Thos. Locke to Sir Dudley Carleton, 

 dated from Southampton, August 27, 1626. 



" Few adventure into London. Last week's bill of 

 mortality was above 5,000, and this week's above 4,000 : 

 when the fuel lessens the fire cannot be so great, but the 

 violence of the sickness is not abated. The Lords are 

 about to send to the Mayor that the infected shall be sent 

 out of the city to tents and cabins in the fields. No likeli- 

 hood that the King will come near London this winter. 

 When he goes hence it will be to Salisbury. No man 

 comes into a town without a ticket, yet there are few 

 places free. Only one house infected in that town, but 

 one died that day without the town in the fields. He 

 came from London. He had good store of money about 

 him, which was taken before he was cold I" 



It will require some time to make the value of this and 

 the other similar volumes thoroughly understood, but in 

 the meantime no inquirer on any historical subject should 

 omit to refer to them. In procuring them to be compiled 

 by competent persons, the Master of the Rolls has con- 

 ferred a benefit upon historical literature, greater than 

 any that we are acquainted with, except that we owe to 

 Newton's friend, Charles Montagu, the Earl of Halifax, 

 for the publication of Mymer's Fcedera. We ought not to 

 conclude without one word as to the admirable manner in 

 which Mr. Bruce has condensed the subject of each paper 

 which he has catalogued, and without a second, as to the 

 extent and completeness of his Index. 



There can now be no doubt that Kent is to have an 

 Archaeological Society worthy of the county-. The General 

 Meeting for its inauguration, under the presidentship of 

 the Marquis of Camden, which was held at Maidstone on 

 Wednesday last, was not more distinguished by the 

 number and high position of the members present, than 

 by the unanimity and enthusiasm with which one and all 

 expressed their desire to promote the success of a Society 

 destined to investigate and record the history of the early 

 monuments of antiquarian interest which are thrown 

 broadcast over this important county. The first Annual 

 Meeting is to be held at Canterbury in the course of the 

 present summer. 



The Queen has been pleased to send the presents of the 



