28 
excepted. Mr. Drake’s account of the origin of tke title of Lord 
Mayor rests entirely upon tradition, and must be received witb 
some qualification. No record or document is known to be now 
extant from wliich it can be sbown that tbe title of Lord was con¬ 
ferred upon tbe Mayor of York by King Eicbard II., or that tbe 
title was first assumed upon tbat monarch’s presentation of a sword 
to tbe citizens. But there is no doubt tbat our chief municipal 
officer for tbe time being has been styled Lord Mayor of York for 
many centuries past. His right to enjoy tbat dignified title has never 
been disputed, and on numberless occasions has been recognised 
by tbe highest authorities in the realm, and especially by tbe 
Sovereign, the fountain of all honour. Tbe most satisfactory 
evidence we possess of tbe time of tbe presentation of tbe sword is 
afforded by a document which was entered upon tbe records of tbe 
Corporation in the reign of King Henry tbe Sixth, within half a 
century after tbe date of the charter of 1396. It is there stated 
that tbe late King Eicbard tbe Second, being desirous of conferring 
honour upon tbe city of York, in the year of our Lord 1388, and in 
tbe tweKtb year of bis reign, and in tbe time of Wilbam de Selby, 
then Mayor, among other gracious gifts, did confer upon tbe 
Mayors for the time being tbe privilege of having borne before 
them tbe sword which was then by tbe King himself first given to 
tbe citizens. Hence we are enabled to ascertain that tbe presenta¬ 
tion took place during tbe latter half of tbe year 1388, and this 
date is confirmed by tbe circumstance tbat at tbe annual election of 
civic officers on the 3rd of February, 1389, the Oorjporation 
appointed for tbe first time a person to perform tbe special duty of 
carrying tbe sword before the Mayor ; ‘‘ Servientem ad portandum 
gladium coram Majore.” It is much to be lamented tbat tbe 
identical sword which was presented to tbe city by King Eicbard 
II., and was in existence in tbe latter part of tbe last centuiy, ('*') is 
not now in tbe possession of its rightful owners. At what time, or 
by what means, this ancient symbol of dignity passed from tbe 
bands of tbe Corporation is not known. Of the two swords now 
remaining in tbe city treasury, one is tbat wliicb belonged to the 
Emperor Sigismund; tbe other is that wliicb was tbe gift of Sir 
Martin Bowes. I propose first to offer you some account of tbe 
sword which is of the earliest date. 
(*) See tbe 8vo. edition of Drake—Vol. i., page 7, note. 
