History of the Company. 105 



the old ship, the " London," one of the navy of 

 the Commonwealth, which had been destroyed. 

 The cost was ^^ 10,000, and the proportion paid 

 by the Saddlers' Company was ^124. 



Dryden has the following lines upon the inci- 

 dent : — 



"The goodly London in her gallant trim, 



The phoenix-daughter of the vanished old, 

 Like a rich bride does to the ocean swim, 

 And on her shadow rides in floating gold. 



Her flag aloft, spread ruffling to the wind, 



And sanguine streamers seem the flood to fire ; 



The weaver, charmed with what his loom designed. 

 Goes on to sea and knows not to retire. 



With roomy decks, her guns of mighty strength, 

 Whose low-laid mouths each mounting billow 

 laves. 



Deep in her draught, and warlike in her length, 

 She seems a sea-wasp flying on the waves. 



This martial present piously designed, 

 The loyal city give their best-loved King, 



And, with a bounty ample as the wind, 



Built, fitted, and maintained to aid him bring." 



The Great Plague of London first appeared in 

 AD 166"; 1664. hicreasing in malignity, and 

 The Great Spreading with fearful rapidity, it 

 ^^"^' carried off in its ravages, it is said, 

 nearly 100,000 persons. No meetings of the Com- 

 pany took place between July, 1665, and January, 

 1666, and the annual election of Master and War- 

 dens, which should have taken place, according 

 to custom, in the August of 1665, was postponed 



