A. D, 1595. ^307 



powered to make new openings and llreets therein, for the conveniency 

 and ornament thereof, in which a confiderable progrefs has aheady been 

 made. 



The vafl increafe of the fuburbs of London toward the clofe of Queen 

 Ehzabeth's reign demonftrates the great increafe of the commerce of 

 England better than a whole volume of fpeculative reafoning. It is not 

 material to make different feclions thereof, and therefor we have brought 

 theni all together, whether a little before or after this year. 



It feems that about this time the grounds called Spitalfields began to 

 be built on for weavers, &c. as was alfo Hog-lane in that part which 

 had lately had fair rows of elm-trees all along, now turned into houfes, 

 on both fides, from Houndfditch to Whitechapel church. 



' In the middle of this century there was not a fingle houfe between 

 ' St. Catherines and Wapping ; but now there is a continued fi:reet 

 ' from the tower all along the river, almofl as far as Radclitf, inhabited 

 ' by failors and viftuallers. 



* Northward the fuburbs have been lefs increafed than on the eaft 

 ' and weft fides ; yet there was an increafe about this time on that fide 



* alfo. Where the buildings on the weft fide of Smithfield ftand, was 

 ' formerly a very large pond of water ; and where the place called the 



* Sheep-pens is, was a field with growing elms, and the place of execu- 

 ' tion for criminals. Afterward, in King Henry VI's reign, they be- 



* gan to build the fpace between the faid pond and the river of Wells 



* (now Turnmill brook), which runs into Fleet-ditch ; and afterward 

 ' that pond was drained and built on, and fo down that ftreet now 

 ' called Cow-lane, and alfo Chick-lane, and Hofier-lane, &c. ; fo that 

 ' the buildings there are fo increafed, that now remaineth not one tree 

 ' there.' 



Some other additions were made about Clerkenwell, about or near 

 this time, where the fields, gardens, and avenues of the great priory of 

 St. John of Jerufalem, and alio the convent on the north fide of Clerk- 

 enwell green, ftood, &c. 



Weftward (without Newgate), the great ftreet named Holborn, and 

 its contiguity, has been gradually built quite up to the village of St. 

 Giles's in the fields. [Stow's Survey — HowcWs Lond'mopolis.'] But as the 

 greateft increafe thereabout was chiefly in the next century, we muft 

 refer thereto. 



Queen Elizabeth had written to King Chriftiern IV of Denmark for 

 his leave that a merchantman of Harwich might freely refort for fifliing 

 to the fmall ifle of Weftmony, adjacent to the great ifland of Iceland, as 

 in former years. The Danifli king aniwered, that her fubjeds had been 

 prohibited from reforting thither, becaufe they took the liberty of fre- 

 quenting it without Hiking leave, contrary to antient treaties : but if 

 they would comply with thofe antient treaties, they fiiould be free to 



