108 HUGH MYDDELTON, M.P. PART II. 



Queen Anne, whose rage for finery of that sort was 

 excessive. A warrant, in the State Paper-office, orders 

 250/. to be paid to Hugh Myddelton, goldsmith, for a 

 jewel given by James I. to the queen ; l and it is pro- 

 bable that this connection with the Court introduced him 

 thus early to the notice of the king, and facilitated his 

 approach to him when he afterwards had occasion to 

 solicit His Majesty's assistance in bringing the New 

 River works to completion. 



The subject of water supply to the northern parts of 

 the city was still under the consideration of parlia- 

 mentary committees, of which Myddelton was invariably 

 a member ; and at length a bill passed into law, and the 

 necessary powers were conferred. But no steps were 

 taken to carry them into effect. The chief difficulty 

 was not in passing the Act, but in finding the man to 

 execute the work. A proposal made by one Captain 

 Colthurst to bring a running stream from the counties of 

 Hertford and Middlesex, was negatived by the Common 

 Council in 1608. Fever and plague from time to time 

 decimated the population, and the citizens of London 

 seemed as far as ever from being supplied with pure 

 water. 



It was at this juncture that Hugh Myddelton stepped 

 forth and declared that if no one else would undertake 

 it, he would, and bring the water from Hertfordshire into 

 London. " The matter," quaintly observes Stowe, " had 

 been well-mentioned though little minded, long debated 

 but never concluded, till courage and resolution lovingly 

 shook hands together, as it appears, in the soule of this 



1 " By order, 2 6 th of February, 1604. ! ferred from the circumstance stated 



To Hugh Middleton, Goldsmith, the j by Dr. Steven in his 'Memoir of 



sum of 250Z. for a pendant of one dia- George Heriot,' the King's goldsmith 



mond bestowed upon the Queen by (founder of Heriot's Hospital, Edin- 



His Majesty. By writ dated 9th day burgh), that during the ten years 



of January, 1604, 2507." Extract which immediately preceded the ac- 



i'rom the * Pell llecords.' [The sum | cession of King James to the throne of 



named would be equivalent to about Great Britain, Heriot's bills for the 



1 OOO/. of our present money. The Queen's jewels alone could not amount 



Queen's passion for jewels may be in- ; to less than 50,OOOZ. sterling.] 



