CONTENTS. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, p. xi. 

 PREFACE, pp. xiii to xv. 



INTRODUCTION, pp. xvii to xxiv. 



CHAPTER L— Antiquity and Early History of the Company. 

 Fitzstephen's Description of the Guilds. — The " Saddlery of West- 

 chepe." — The Conventual Church of St. Martin's-le-Grand. — 

 Ancient Convention between the Saddlers and the Convent. — 

 Antiquity of the Company. — Their earliest Charter and Liberties. — 

 The City Letter Books and their Notices of the Company. — Curious 

 Ordinances of the Saddlers and Joiners. — Dispute between the 

 Saddlers and the Loriners. — Craft Jealousy. — A Faction Fight. — 

 Wages of a Saddler fixed by Royal Decree. — The Saddlers and the 

 Girdlers. — Ordinances of a.d. 1363. — The Company's Contribution 

 to the French Wars of Edward HI. — Charter from Edward HI. — 

 Representatives on the Common Council. — A Despotic Mayor, 

 Nicholas Brembre. — The Company petition the Crown and Parlia- 

 ment. — Incorporation Charter from Richard II. — Interesting 

 Dispute between Master and Yeomen Saddlers. — Charters from 

 Henry VL ; from Edward IV. ; from Henry VII. — The Company 

 in 1537. — Charter from Henry VIII. — Statute of Chantries Act, i 

 Edward VI. — Charter from Elizabeth. — The Company's Ordinance 

 of 1 56 1. — The First English Lottery. — Grant of Arms. — The Com- 

 pany's Mottoes, pp. 1-58. 



CHAPTER II. — Historical Notices of the Company, continued. 

 Company's Order Books commence. — A Glance at the State of the 

 Company in the beginning of the XVI Ith Century. — Cheapside in 

 a.d. 1600. — Its Churches. — The Little Conduit.— The Cross. — The 

 Standard. — The "Mermaid" Tavern. — The Compters or Counters. — 

 Ludgate. — The Gunpowder Plot. — King of Denmark visits the 

 City. — Charter from James I. — Frequent Plagues during XVIIth 

 Century. — That of 1 607. — Ratification of Company's Ordinances. — 

 The Cowrie Conspiracy. — "Ayde" Money. -^Colonization of Vir- 

 ginia. — Interference by Crown in domestic Concerns of Company.— 

 Company's Scholars at the Universities. — Colonization of Ulster. — 

 The Palatinate. — Introduction of Coaches. — Opposed by the Com- 

 pany. — Coronation of Charles I. — " Whifflers." — Plague of 1630. — 

 The Incident of Dr. Lambe. — Restoration of St. Paul's Cathedral — 

 St. George's, Southwark. — The Era of the Revolution. — Heavy 



