A. D. 1618. 289 



tended confpiracy vviih Lord Grey, &c. for dethroning King James, in 

 favour of Lady Arabella Stuart, and kept twelve years in the tower of 

 London, (where he wrote the firfl; part of his Hiflory of the world,) to 

 pleafe the court of Spain he was now, in the 77th year of his age, exe- 

 cuted on that old fentence, to the no fmall difreputation of King James, 

 and the infinite regret of all good men. 



The king granted an exclufive patent for twenty-one years to John 

 Gilbert, for the fole making and vending of an inflrument which he 

 called a water-plough ; for taking up fand, gravel, &c. out of rivers and 

 havens *: and of an engine aUo invented by him, for railing water in 

 greater quantity than heretofor known, and to be moved and driven 

 either by fomeflream of water, or, for want of that, by flrength of 

 horfes, for draining coal-pits and other mines. [Fcea'erij, V. xvii, p. 

 102.] 



A proclamation was iiTued, prohibiting buildings on new foundations 

 in London, or within two miles of any of the gates of that city ; alfo, 

 for retraining the immoderate confluence of people thither ; wherein 

 the fame reafons are aJligned as in the reftraint publilhed in 1602 by 

 Queen Elizabeth •, but which, in modern times, would not be efteemed 

 of i'ufficient weight to require any fuch reftraints in either cafe. 



The king hereby alfo prelcribes the manner of rebuilding houfes in 

 London, in refped to the height of the ftories and thicknefs of the 

 walls ; the later to be either of brick or flone ; with the form of the 

 windows and fhops, &c. He alio diredts all fheds and other nuifances 

 to be removed. [^Fcedera, V. xvii, p. 107.] 



King James IiTued a fpecial commillion to his chancellor, and fundry 

 other lords and gentlemen,' for the removal of nuifances in the grounds 

 ' called Lincoln's-inn-field5, fituated in a place much planted round 



* about with the dwellings of noblemen and gentlemen of quality ; 

 ' which grounds, if they were reduced into fair and goodly walks, 



* would be a matter of great ornament to the city, alfo of pleafure and 

 ' frefhnefs for the health and recreation of the inhabitants thereabout, 



* and for the light and delight of ambafladors and Grangers com- 

 ' ing to our court and city. The commiflioners are therefor direded 

 ' to lay out thofe fields into regular walks, &c. in fuch form as Inigo 

 ' Jones, our furveyor-general of our works (and one of the commif- 

 "■ fioners) Ihall draw by way of map. The expenfe thereof to be de- 

 ' frayed by contributions from the mofl fubftantial inhabitants of the 

 ' adjacent pariflies of St. Martin's, and St. Giles's in the fields, St. Mary 

 ' Savoy, St. Clement's, St. Andrew's, St. Dunflan's, and St. Bride's : 

 ' and a lill: of luch as will not contribute ihall be laid before us. A 

 ' treafurer to be eledfed out of the contributors. The mafler of the 



* Probably the fame now ufed by the bailafl-inen. 



¥oL. n. O o 



