LONDON. 
Os) 
ntdved the prefent obftacle to Clopton’s election 5 and pu- 
iiifned the prifoncrs in an exemplary manner for their rio¬ 
tous proceedings. 
This affair, however, did hot end here; for the mer- 
cffiant-taylors 1 party made no fcruple of declaring that they 
would oppofe the next eleftion ; whereupon the king was 
• pplied to, who iflued a letter to the following effeft: 
“ That whereas the mayors of London ufed to he chofen 
by the aldermen, and certain more difcreet perfons of the 
faid cit_v, efpecially fummoned and warned for that pur- 
pofe; 3 r et forne that had not, nor ought to have, any in- 
tereft in fuch eleftions, came, and with their noife and 
clamour difturbed them, with an intention to choofe fuch 
who might afterwards favour their evil-doing and errors : 
Isis majetty therefore, willing to provide for the quiet and 
peace of his fubjefts, and to apply a fuitable remedy on 
this behalf, did command and firmly enjoin the mayor 
and fheriffs, to make proclamation through all the city 
and liberty, before the time of the election of a mayor, 
Itriftly forbidding, that none be prefent at fuch eleftion, 
or any way, or under any colour, thru ft himfelf into it, 
but fuch as by right, and according to the cuftom of the 
city, ought to be there; and that Inch election be made 
by the aldermen and other of the more difcreet and able 
citizens, efpecially warned and fummoned, according to 
the cuftom aforel'aid ; letting them know for certain, that 
if any, fome other way elefted, were prefented to him, or 
his treafurer, and barons of the exchequer, they would by 
no means admit him; and that they fhould arreft and 
commit to prifon all thofe who fhould aft contrary to 
the faid proclamation and prohibition.” We have inferted 
the whole of this letter, not only on account of its being 
intimately connected with the hiftory of the time when 
it was written, but alfo to fhow how ftrongly the court 
interfered in order to f'eciire the freedom and purity of 
eleftion to the citizens of the metropolis in the choice of 
their firth magiftrate. 
We begin now to find a confiderable increafe in the 
prices of provifions. In 144.4, the Chronicon Preciofum 
ftates them as follows: 
/. s. d. 
Wheat, per quarter - - - - - 044 
A fat ox - - - - - - - 1 1 x 8 
A hog - - - - -030 
A goofe - - - - - - - 003 
Pigeons, per dozen - - - - - 004 
Another aft of parliament for permitting the exporta¬ 
tion of grain was paffed in this year, which fixes the ex¬ 
portation-prices of wheat at 6s. Sd. rye 4s. and barley 
3s. per quarter. 
In the following year we have another table of prices 
in the fame book, by which it appears, that wheat remained 
at tl'.e above price, and other articles as under: 
l. s. d. 
Ale, per gallon - - » - -00 z$ 
Hay, per load - - - - - -03 6* 
A young fwan - •• - - - 003 
A goofe - - - - - - - 003 
Stock-fifl), one hundred for - - -0176 
Red herrings, three thoufand for - - - 1 u o 
Bullocks and heifers (probably calves) each 050 
Fine linen, for furplices and the altar, per ell 008 
About this period the public fchools for the educatipn 
of youth had ib far gone to decay, that the groifelt igno¬ 
rance prevailed among the people in general. To remedy 
this defeCt, four clergymen petitioned parliament for leave 
to fet up fchools in their refpeftive parifhes, with liberty 
to their feveral fuccefi'ors to continue the faid fchools. 
As this petition may be fuppofed to have been drawn up 
by men of learning, with their greateft care and ability, 
we have trauferibed it correftly from the records in the 
Tower, where it is ftill preferved, as a curious fpecimen 
of the language and manner of ipelling at that period. 
“ To the ful worthie and diferete Communes in this 
prefent Parlement affemblyd ; to confidre the grete nom- 
. XIII. No. 88 9 . 
bre of gramer fcholes that fometyme were in divers parties 
of this realme, befide thofe that were in London, and how 
few ben in thefe dayes, and the grete hurt is caufed of 
this, not oonly in the fpiritual parlie of the chirche, 
where oftentyme it apperith to openly in fom perfones 
with grete fhame, but alfo in the temporal partie; to 
whom alfo it is full expedyent to have competent con* 
gruite for manie caufes, as to your wifdomes apperith. 
“ And forafmuche as to the cite of London is the com¬ 
mon concourfe of this land, fom for lake of fchole-maillres 
in ther own contree, for to be enfourmed of gramer ther, 
and fom for the grete almefs of lordes, merchants, and 
others, that which is in London more plenteuofly, fooner 
than manie other places of this readme, to fuch pouere 
creatures as never ftiould have be brought to fo greet 
vertu and counyng as thei have, ne had hit been by the 
rneane of the almefs abovefaid : Wherfor it were expe¬ 
dyent, that in London were a fufficient nomber of fcholes, 
and good enfourmers in gramer ; and nor, for the Angu¬ 
lar avail of two or three perfones, grevoufly to hurt the 
moltitnde of yong people of al this land. For, vvher 
there is grete nombre of lerners and few techers, and al 
the lerners be compelled to go to the few techers, and to 
noon others, the maiftres waxen rich of monie, and the 
lerners pouerer in counyng, as experyence openlie fliewith 
ayer.ft all vertu and ordre of well publik. 
“ And thefe prentifes moven and fturen, of grete devo- 
cion and pitee, Maiftre William Lycchefeld, perlon of 
the parich-chircheof Al Hailowen the More, in London; 
Maiftre Gilbert, perfon of St. Andrewe, Holbourne, in 
the fuburbs of the faid citee ; Maiftre John Cote, perfon 
ot Seint Petre, in Cornhui, of London ; and John Neel, 
maiftre df the hous or hofpital of Seint Thomas of Acres, 
and perfon of Colchirche, in London ; to compleyne unto 
you, and for remedie befechyn you, to pray the king our 
foveraign lord, that he, bi the advys and affent of the 
lords fpirituel and temporel in (his prefent parlement af- 
fembled, and bi authorise of the fame parlement, will 
provide, ordeyne, and graunt, to the faid Maiftre William 
and his I'uccefTors, that they in the feid parich of Al Hal- 
lowen ; to the faid Maiftre Gilbert, and his fucceffors, 
that they in the feid parich of Seint Andrew ; to the faid 
Maiftre John and his fucceffors, that they in the faid pa¬ 
rich of Seint Petre ; and to the feid John Maiftre (of the 
feid hofpital,) and his fucceffors, that they within the 
aforefeid parich of our Ladie of Colchirche, in the which 
faid houfe of Seint Thomas is fette; may ordeyne, create, 
eftablifti, and fet, a perfon fuffcientlie lerned in the gra¬ 
mer, to hold and exercife a fchoie in the fame fcience of 
gramer, and it there to teclie to al that will learn. And 
that everiche of the laid maiftres fuch fchole-maiftre fo bi 
him fett, and everche of their fuccefi'ors fuch fchole- 
maiftre bi him or bi any of his predeceffors fo eftablilhed 
and fett, fpeciallie^ as is above rehercid, may in his own, 
parich or place remove, and. another in his place fubfti. 
tute and fett, as any of the faid perfones or their fuccef¬ 
fors femith, [and] the caufe reafonable fo requireth. And 
fo to do ich of the laid perfones and their fuccefi'ors, as 
often as it happenyth any of the faid fcholes to be voyd 
of a fchole-maiftre in any manner wyle, to the honour of 
God, and encreafyng of vertu.”—This petition met no 
objeftion, and the king placed the execution of his will 
concerning it under the direction of the archbilliop of 
Canterbury. 
In the year 1430, began the rebellion of Jack Cade, 
which was fupprefied chiefly through the bravery of the 
citizens of London, as related under the article Eng¬ 
land, vol. vi. p. 615. 
The cuftom of the lord-mayor eleft being rowed in a 
barge to Weltminlter, in order to qualify himfelf for his 
office, took its rife in the year 1454, when John Norman, 
the new mayor, built an elegant barge at his own expenfe; 
and his example was followed by the feveral city-com¬ 
panies, who attended him in their refpeftive barges, mag¬ 
nificently painted, and decorated with flags and itreamers. 
T This 
