162 THE ANTIQUARIAN. 



for his valour by Edward III., yet he followed his 

 trade, married his master's daughter, and founded 

 the hall which bears his name.*' 



But sat Martisy the biography of the habit-makers 

 is not confined to such truculent exploits. It is 

 with no ordinary satisfaction that, in continuing with 

 the worthies of this useful class, I am enabled to 

 mention an antiquary of the first city in Europe; 

 who has not heard of Stow's Survey of London, 

 just noticed? Whoever reads the author's life by 

 Strype may learn that Master Stow was — a tailor. 

 But to quote the biographer's words ; " In a letter 

 of Grindal, bishop of London, to the privy-council, 

 concerning a search that was made by Watts, his 

 chaplain, for papistical books, he calls him Stow 

 the tailor, which perhaps might be more than barely 

 relating to the company of meichant-taylors of which 

 he was free ; it might bespeak him a tailor by trade, 

 especially asStow's residence was m Cornhill, where, 

 in former times, men of that occupation resided." 



Stow was born 17. Henry VI IL, about 1525. It 

 is a draw-back on the delight with which I entered 

 on this notice of him to find that his antiquarian 

 taste proved detrimental to the success of his original 

 calling: in 1604, a brief was granted to Stow by 

 James I., authorizing him, as one who had done 

 good service to letters, to collect charity in certain 

 English counties therein mentioned. After such 

 reverse, we might reasonably excuse a neglect of 

 similar pursuits in the homunculi of the shop-board, 

 what shall we say therefore when John Speed bursts 

 on us as an antiquary, a historian, and a Cheshire 

 tailor. 



To be concluded in our next. 



