*2 LON 
this old foundation been properly encouraged, and kept 
up, it might have obviated the neceffity of creating new 
inftitutions, which, being grounded upon no other bafis 
.than the temporary effect of fafhionable fubfcriptions, may 
become, in time, more expenfive and lefs effective than 
keeping up the old fyftem might have been. 
Now Fortune began to (hake the morrice-bells of Folly 
over the heads of the metropolitans, and introduced that 
pernicious fort of tnadnefs which has been for many cen¬ 
turies the making of a few, and the ruin of thousands ; 
we mean the Lottery, that enticing fairy, who, in her 
magic glafs, fhows comfort to the poor, increafe of wealth 
to the rich, and hope of gain'to all; whilft Chance, though 
blindfolded, laughs at all the votaries.—The drawing of 
the firft lottery mentioned in Englifh hiftory began on 
the nth of January, 1569, at the weft door of St. Paul’s, 
and continued day and night, without intermiffion, till 
the 6th of May. The number of lots, or tickets, was 
forty thoufand; the prizes were of plate, and the profits 
were appropriated to the repair of the havens of the 
kingdom. See the article Lottery. 
An order of common-council was made in this year, 
for the beadles belonging to the hofpitals to take up all 
fturdy beggars and vagrants, and to carry them to Bride¬ 
well ; all lick, lame, blind, and aged, to be carried to 
St. Bartholomew’s, or St. Thomas’s; and all children- 
beggars, under the age of fixteen, to Chrift’s Hofpital; 
appointing to the beadles of each hofpital their proper 
circuit or diftrift, with fevere penalties upon their ne- 
gleft of duty. But this aft had not its effeft. Theftreets, 
next year, fwarmed again with beggars, vagrants, and 
maimed foldiers. It was then refolved to appoint a city- 
marlhal, who, in a more effeftual manner, might deliver 
the citizens from thedifgrace and mifchief of being over¬ 
run with fturdy beggars. See. And the committee, to 
whom this appointment was given in charge, chofe Wil¬ 
liam Sympfon and John Read, two able perfons, (for the 
confideration of fix (hillings and eight pence a-day for 
them and their liorfes, and fix perfons a-piece, of their 
own choofing, to attend on each day, at twelve-pence 
each,) whofe office was to take fome courfe with thofe 
vagrants and wandering people, fo as to clear the ftreets 
of them, and to deliver them to their feveral places and 
punilhments, if they deferved it. And for the more ready 
executing this office, it was ordered, that one month’s 
pay, of twenty-eight days to the morith, (hould be paid 
to them beforehand ; and accordingly the aldermen, by 
way of loan, dilburfed the fame, amounting to thirty-five 
pounds nine (hillings and four-pence. And it was alfo 
thought convenient, that twelve fair partifans, fuitably 
and conveniently armed, (liould, at prefent, be provided 
by the chamberlain for this fervice, at the charge of the 
city 5 and coats, or mandilions, for the attendants upon 
the marflials. The office of city-marjhal originated in this 
regulation. But the execution of this moft ufeful and high 
office was naturally attended, as it exifted then, with fo 
great an expenfe to the citizens, that it became a death¬ 
blow to the famous and pompous “watch,” which for 
manv years had been a great burthen to the higher clafs 
of citizens, whilft the non-contributing populace gazed 
at, and enjoyed, the ufelefs (how. However, from this 
change, arofe infenfibly the regular nightly watch, nearly 
limilar to what exifts at prefent. 
The plague appeared again in theTummer of this year— 
a moft unwelcome vifitor; and, in confequence of it, the 
-city, eager to prevent its returning fury, ordered, among 
other regulations, that the ditch, from Aldgate to the 
poitern of Tower-hill, (hould be cleanfed, and a new fewer 
conftrufted. 
Soon after this, the river Lea was made navigable; the 
citizens were called out to be trained to arms ; and feve- 
ral other regulations took place ■, among which we mull 
notice the firft paving of the ealiern fuburbs of London, 
as far as Whitechapel-bars. 
Upon all occafions the metropolis was regarded by the 
iovereign as a place of the higheft importance ; and, as it 
BON. 
has been hinted before, like the heart or focus of life,, 
for the reft of the kingdom. Afting upon this convic¬ 
tion, the queen, intending to make a progrefs through 
the counties at this time, lent a letter to the lord-mayor, 
enjoining him to have a fpecial regard to the good go¬ 
vernment and peace of the city during her abfence 5 For 
the better Rccomplifhment of which, (he appointed certain 
bf her privy-counfellors to be his advifer* and affiftarits, 
with whom he was ordered to confult once a-vveek, or of- 
tener. 
In the year 1573, the price of wheat was raifed to two 
pounds fix (hillings the quarter j beef was fold for one 
(hilling and ten pence the (tone, and all other flelh and 
white meats at an exceffive price. This increafe in price 
was not occafioned by any deficiency of produce, but by 
the fecret exportation of provifions to the Netherlands, 
then laid waile by civil wars ; wherefore, the lord-mayor 
fent a remonftrance to the lord-treafurer, “ that, unlefs 
the miniftry would fee redrefs thereof in time, the fcar- 
city muft (hortly be felt more powerfully, even by thofe 
in the higheft ftations of life.” At the fame time an aft 
of common-council was palled to prevent the exceffive 
confumption of provifions at the reads of the companies 
and at the magiftrates’ tables. 
The plague again broke out at London in 1574.; on 
which account the queen, to prevent the concourfe o£ 
people from fpreading the contagion, defired the lord- 
mayor not to give any entertainment at Guildhall on the 
anniverfary of his entering on his office. 
The exhibition of ftage-plays and interludes, which 
had been occafionally praftifed by ingenious tradefmen 
and gentlemen’s fervants, was now become a regular pro- 
feffion; and the different places for thefe exhibitions, 
which were large rooms in inns, were become common 
nurferies of vice and lewdnefs. To fupprefs which, the 
common-council palled an aft, wherein it was ordained 
as follows : “ That no play (hould be openly played 
within the liberty of the city, wherein (hould be uttered- 
any words, examples, or doings, of any unchaftity, fedi- 
tion, or fuch-like unfit and uncomely matter, upon paia 
of imprifonment for fourteen days, and five pounds for 
every fuch offence. That no inn-keeper, &c. (hall (how 
or play, or caufe to be fliown or played, within his houfe, 
or yard, any play which (hall not be firft perufed and al¬ 
lowed by order of the lord-mayor, and court of aldermen- 
And that no perfon (hall be allowed to play, but (hall be 
thereunto admitted by the lord-mayor and aldermen- 
And that every perfon to be licenfed (hall pav to the ufe 
of the poor in the hofpitals of the city, or to tne poor vi- 
fited with (icknefs, certain fums to be agreed upon, on 
pain of forfeiting his faid licenfe. And that all fums and 
forfeitures incurred by any offence againft this aft, (hall 
be employed to the relief of the poor of the hofpitals, or 
of the poor infefted or difeafed in the city ; to be Iued 
for and recovered by the chamberlain in the court of'th'S 
outer chamber of Guildhall, London, called the Mayor’s 
Court.” The public performers petitioned the queen and 
council for licenfe to aft as ufual; but, after a full hear¬ 
ing, they couid not obtain pennilfion except under the 
reltriftions of the above aft of common-council, and of 
another aft, made in the mayoralty of Hawes, by which 
they were enjoined not to play on Sundays, nor on holi¬ 
days till after evening-prayers j and not to aft alter dark, 
but to conclude at iuch time, that the audience might 
return to their dwellings before fun-fet. 
Although we muft, under another head, enter more at 
large into the origin and progrefs of theatrical perform¬ 
ances, yet we have thought necelfiiry juft to notice thefe 
early dilpofitions, in which we find the firft llamina of the 
dramatic eftablifliments now exilting, and, in fome mea- 
fure, the reafon why no theatre has been erefted as yet 
within the boundaries of the city.—The laft article of 
thefe ordinances will raife a fmile at the prefent day, viz. 
that the play (liould conclude at fuch time, that the au¬ 
dience might return to their dwellings before fun-fet. 
At this time the lord-mayor,, recorder, and other ma- 
5 giftrates 
