A. D. 1609. 257 



a free paflage through their grounds to and from the new cut at all 

 times, with carts, horfes, 8cc. for making and repairing the fame ; for 

 which fatisfadion fliall be made to the owoiers of the lands, and of the 

 mills {landing on the ftreams from which water fhall be taken, to be 

 valued by commifTioners, as herein direded. The lord mayor, &c. ihall 

 make and keep up convenient bridges over the faid new cut, at fit places, 

 for the ufe of the king's fubjeds, as well as of the proprietors of the lands 

 on each fide, &c. [3 Jac. I, c. 28.] 



In the year following another ad of parliament paffed, purporting, 

 ' that fince palling the former ad, upon view of the grounds through 



* which the waters are to pafs by men of ikill, it is thought more con- 

 ' venient, and lefs damage to the ground, that the water be conveyed 

 ' through a trunk or vault of brick or ftone inclofed, and in fome places, 



* where need is, raifed by arches, than in an open trench or fewer. 

 ' Power therefor is hereby vefted in the lord mayor of London, &c. for 

 ' that efFed.' {^i^^Jac. I, c. 12]. Yet notwitliftanding this expenlive pro- 

 pofal, and alfo another ad of parliament [7 Jac. J, c. 9] granting to the 

 king's newly -ereded divinity college at Chelfea power to bring water 

 in pipes from the river Lea, for fupplying London therewith for their 

 benefit (which, with the college itfelf, came to nothing), the new river 

 was this year brought into the head or refervoir at Clerkenwell near 

 Iflington, in the firfl-defigned open trench ; and from thence it has 

 been conveyed into all parts of the city and fuburbs in elm pipes. The 

 projedor and manager of this new river was Mr. Hugh Middleton, citi- 

 zen and goldimith of London, who was thereupon knighted by King 

 James ; and the proprietors were afterwards incorporated. 



Although this article may feem to fome not immediately to relate to 

 the hifiory of commerce, yet it in fome fenfe demonfirates the great 

 increafe of the wealth of London by commerce, to be able to undertake 

 fo vafily expenfive a work ; a work fuitable to the power and grandeur 

 of antient Rome in its zenith of glory. And to complete the whole 

 trench or canal in three years time *, though running the length of 

 about 50 miles in its various windings, from near the town of Ware to 

 Clerkenwell, with above two hundred bridges over it, we could not 

 therefor think this fuccind account of it would be unacceptable to the 

 reader. 



In this and the three following years Captain Jonas Poole failed as far 

 north as 78 degrees 43 iminutes, on the hope of difcovering a north-weft 

 paflage, but at the fame time prudently employed part of his time in 

 killing whales, &c. 



In this fame year ambafllidors are faid to have come from Japan into 

 Holland, and concluded a commercial treaty with the Dutch Eaft-India 



^ rUc continuat on of Slew's Survey of London makes the commencement of the work on the loth 

 February i6;8, and the conclufion of it zyth September 1613. M. 



Vol. II. K k 



