LON 
the green-wood, and entertained plentifully with wine 
and venifon, under arbours made of boughs and decked 
with flowers ; as related more fully under the article 
Game, vol. viii. p. 203. 
The more we confuier thefe anecdotes, the more we be¬ 
come acquainted with the charaiteriflic manners of our 
anceflors, the inhabitants of London, a knowledge of 
which Time would have deprived us by mowing down mo¬ 
numents and archives, had not the care of divers hiflo- 
riographers faved them from the fury of his all-levelling 
fey tile. See the article Game, vol. viii. 
On account of a commotion that took place in London 
refpefting the number of foreign traders, and chiefly 
Dutchmen, who brought numerous articles ready manu¬ 
factured, to the injury of the citizens, cardinal Wolfey 
fent for the mayor, and advifed him to be on his guard, 
and prevent the like diAurbances for the future. To ef¬ 
fect this, he fummoned the aldermen, about four o’clock 
in the af ternoon preceding M ay-day, to meet him at Guild¬ 
hall immediately. Theaffembly being met, they, with the 
approbation of the cardinal, came to the following refo- 
iution: That every man fhould be commanded to fliut 
up his doors, and keep his 1 'ervants within. In confe- 
qiience of which, an order was made and publifhed by the 
alderman of each refpeClive ward, that no man, after nine 
o’clock, fhould Air out of his houfe, but keep his doors 
fliut, and his fervants within, till nine o’clock in the 
morning. Before this order was properly difperfed, it un¬ 
luckily happened that fir John Mundy, in his way home, 
was rudely treated by two young men playing at bucklers 
in Cheap, one of whom he ordered to be fent to the Compter. 
Many ’prentices who were by, refeued the young man from 
the alderman, cryingout, “ ’Prentices! ’prentices! Clubs! 
clubs!” on which fo great a body aflembled with clubs 
and other weapons, that the alderman was put to flight. 
Thefe were increafed by a number of ferving-men, water¬ 
men, and others; and, by eleven o’clock at night, there 
aflembled in Cheap about feven hundred, and in St. Paul’s 
church-yard three hundred. They proceeded in a body 
to the Conjpter, which they broke open, and releafed the 
rioters who had been committed there by the mayor for 
aflaulting foreigners; after which they went to Newgate, 
and took out Studley and Betts, committed for the like 
offence. A proclamation was iffued by the mayor and 
fl'.eriffs, in the king’s name, but without effect. The mob 
Increafing, they threw' flicks and ftones at many Arangers 
as they palled, particularly one Nicholas Dennis, a ferjeant 
al arms, who, being much wounded, cried out, “Down 
with them.” This heightening their refentment, they 
broke the windows and doors of the houfes in St. Mar- 
tinVle-Grand, and plundered the houfe of one Mewtas, 
a Frenchman, in Leadenhall-Areet, whom they intended, 
had they met with him, to have deAroyed. Early in the 
morning they dH'perfed, from an apprehenfion of being 
overpowered by the forces preparing to march into the city, 
under the command of the earls of Shrewfbury and Surry. 
At length, by the diligence of the mayor, three hun¬ 
dred of them were taken, and committed to the Tower, 
Newgate, and the Compters; and about five o’clock in the 
morning the riot fubfided. Among thofe committed to 
the Tower was Dr. Bell, for preaching a feditious fermon. 
A commiflion of oyer and terminer was immediately made 
out for the trials of the offenders, on the 2d of May, at 
Guildhall. On their arraignment they pleaded Not guilty, 
and their trials were poflponed til! the 4th of May. The 
commiffioners appointed for this purpofe were, the lord- 
mayor, the earl of Surry, and the duke of Norfolk, who 
came into the city efcorted by thirteen hundred men ; and 
the prifoners, to the amount of two hundred and fevenly- 
eight, fome men, fome lads not exceeding fourteen years 
of age, were brought through the city tied with ropes. 
On the firfi day, John Lincolne and feveral others were 
indicted and found guilty; and the next day thirteen were 
condemned to be drawn, hanged, and quartered. For 
this purpofe, and to flrike a greater terror, ten pair of eal- 
'Vol. XIXI. No. U s . 
DON. 73 
lows were fet up at the following places: Aldgate, Blanch- 
apelton, Grafs-Areet, Leadenhall, oppofite eacli Compter, 
Newgate, St. Martin’s, Alderfgate, and Bifhopfgate, They 
w'ere made to run on wheels, for the better convenience 
of removing them to fuch places as might be properly 
adapted for the execution of fo many rioters. Some little 
time after fentence was palled, Lincolne, Sherwin, and 
the two brothers named Betts, were drawn upon hurdles 
to the Aandard in Cheapfide. The ArA was executed ; 
but, as the others were near being turned off, a reprieve 
came from the king, to the univerfal joy of the populace, 
who unanimoufly cried out, “God fave the king.” 
On the 11 th of May, the lord-mayor, aldermen, and re¬ 
corder, .dreffed in mourning gowns, waited on the king, 
who then redded at Greenwich; and, being admitted to 
the door of the privy-chambtr, from whence his majefly 
came, attended by feveral of his nobles, the recorder, in 
the name of the reft, falling on his knees, addreflcd the 
king in the following words: “ MoA natural, benign, 
and our fovereign lord ! We well know that your grace is 
highly difpleafed with us of your city of London, for the 
great riot done and committed there; wherefore, we affure 
your grace, that none of us, nor no honeft perfons, were 
condefcending to that enormity; yet we, our wives and 
children, every hour lament that your favour fliould be 
taken from us; and, forafmuch as light and idle perfons 
were the doers of the fame, we mod humbly befeech your 
grace to have mercy on us for our negligence, and com¬ 
panion on the offenders for their offences and trefpafles.” 
The king, in his anfwer, accufed them of negligence in 
oppofing the rioters, and conniving at their proceedings: 
“ Therefore,” faid he, “we will neither grant you our fa¬ 
vour nor good will, nor to the offenders mercy ; but re¬ 
fort to our lord chancellor, and he (hall declare to you our 
pleafure.” 
The king being expelled at Weflminfler on the 22d of 
May, they, by the direction of the chancellor, refolved to 
wait upon him. Accordingly, on that day, the lord-mayor 
aldermen, and principal commoners, attended in their li¬ 
veries; when his majefly, being feated under a canopy of 
Aate at the upper end of the hall, ordered the prifoners to 
be brought before him. They were accordingly brought 
in their fhirts, bound together with ropes, and halters 
about their necks, to the number of four hundred men 
and eleven women ; which fight had fuch an effeCt on the 
principal part of the nobility, that they warmly folicited 
the king for their pardon. Silence being proclaimed, and 
the city magi ftrates and commonalty ordered into the king’s 
prefence, the cardinal-chancellor reprimanded them for 
their negligence ; and, then addrefling hind’elf to the pri¬ 
foners, faid that for their offences againfl the laws of the 
realm, and againfl his majefty’s crowm and dignity, they 
had incurred the punifhment of death. On the clofe of 
thefe words, the people, with piteous lamentation, cried 
out, “Mercy, gracious lord ! mercy!” This wrought lb 
effectually on the king, that he yielded to the intreaties 
of his courtiers, and pronounced their pardon. Their 
halters were immediately taken off, and the people uni* 
verfally fhouted, “ Long live king Henry VIII.” Before 
they were difmiffed, the cardinal exhorted them to pre- 
ferve loyalty and obedience to the king; which they faith¬ 
fully promiled, and expreffed the aaoit unbounded thanks 
for the clemency they had received. The day on which 
this riot happened, was long known by the name of Evil 
May-day ; and this circumAance greatly diminifhed th© 
May-games, which were before exhibited on fetting up 
the great fiiafte, or May-pole, in Leadenhall-Areet, before 
the church thence termed the church of St. Andrew Under » 
Jha/t. See the article Game, vol. viii. p, 202, 3. 
The city magiArates were foon after reAored to the 
king’s favour, through the mediation of cardinal Wolfey* 
who had an entire afcendancy over the king, and was fup- 
pofed to have been amply rewarded for his fervices on this 
occafion. 
Tiie Coart of Requefls, otherwife called a Court of 
U Confcience; 
