936 
paved, and every perfin was to maintain 
the pavement before his own ground, or 
forfeit fix-pence for every fquare yard. A 
fimiiar a&t was paficd in rsay, directing 
the following fireets to be paved, viz. the 
ftreet leading from Aldgate to Whitecha- 
pel-church 5 the upper part of Chancery- 
Jane ; the way leading from Holborn-bars 
wefward,towards St. Giles’s in theFields, 
as far as there were any houfes cn both 
fides of the ftreet ; Gray’s-ina lane ; Shoe 
Jane: and Fetter lane’; which are all de- 
icribed as. ** very foul and full of pits 
and floughs; very perilous and nojiome, 
as well for the king’s fubjects on horfe- 
back, as on foot, and with carriages.” 
notber aét was pafled about three years 
after, for paving feveral other flreets in the 
out-parts of London, and in each inftance 
it was Gone, not by a rate or allefiment. 
but by obliging the owners of the Jands 
and tenements adjoining the freets to 
pave the length of ‘their property, and 
put it annually in repair. This attention 
to the ftate of the ways feems to indicate 
an increafe of the trafic and wealth of 
the city, and therefore probably alfo of 
the number of the inhabitants. 
From the map of London about the 
year 1558, re-pubdlifhed by Mr. Nichols, 
in his coljeStion of the Progreffes and pub- 
Jic Proceifions of Queen Elizabeth, it ap- 
pears that at that time there were few 
houles at Charing-Ciofs; and though the 
Strand was built on each fide, open fields 
extended behind it from St. James’s park 
to Holborn,almo& down to Chancery-lane. 
At Moorgate there were but few houfes 
without the city-wall, or in the now po- 
pulous parifh of Shoreditch ; ftdl lefs in 
Spitalfields, Bethnal green, &c. Though 
fo much Jefs extenfive than at prefent, it 
appears to have been far more unhealthy, 
2s it was feldom long free from the plague, 
in a greater or leis degree. In 1563, 
there diced tn the city and liberties, con- 
taining 108 parifhes, of all difeafes 
20,372 perfons, of which number 17,404 
died of the plague; and inthe eleven out- 
parifhes, there died of all dileafes 3,238 
erfons, cf whom 2732 died of the plague; 
tn the whole, therefore, there died cf the 
plasve 20,136, and of other diforders 
3524; the latter number, however, mult 
have been much lef§ than the ufual number 
of deaths in years free ftom the plague; 
from which itt may be prefumed, that the 
whole number cf inbabitants at this pe- 
riod could not be lefs than 110,000. In 
1564 the plague ceated ; and though it has 
always been found that the population of 
Lendon has recevered very fpeedily from 
the cffeéts of this calamity, its reftcration 
moift, in this inkance, have been confider-. 
adly promoted by the fettlement ef many 
Pogreffive Population of London. 
[Jan. 1, 
of the French and Flemihh proteftants who 
took refuge in this country, and by the 
improvements they introduced in maay of 
the arts and manufactures contributed 
‘much to draw additional hands to Londoa 
and other manufacturing towns. In1567; 
there were found, on enquiry, to be 43st 
ftrangers, of all nations in London; and, 
on a fimilar inquifition, taken in 4580, of 
all fercigners refiding in the city and li- 
betties, they were found to be 6492. ft 
appears that at this time the fuburbs of the 
city were increafing confiderably, as. it 
was thought neceflary to ifue a proclama- 
tion, forbidding any “buildings to be 
ereCied on new foundations, within three 
miles of the city gates, and ordering ‘hat 
only the family fhould inhabit each houfe. 
On the plague breaking out again, in 
March 31592, a regular account of the 
number of deaths was begun; and in 1594 
the weekly bills of mortality were firft pub- 
lifhed, probably to convince the people of 
the decreafe cf the plague, as they were 
difcontinued as foon as it entirely ceafed ; 
the number of perions that died of the 
plague In 1592, was 11503 ; and in the 
following year 10662: its re-appearance 
feemed to the parliament to juitify the ap- 
prehenfions that had been entertained of 
the ili confeqyences of the increafe of the 
metrepolis ; they accordingly enaéted, 
that no new buildings fhould be ereéted 
within three miles of London cr Welt. 
minfter, nor any one dweliing-houfe con- 
verted into more, that there fhould be no 
inmates or under-fitters, and that commons 
or wafte lands lying within three miles of 
Londen fhould not be inclefed, 
On the plague increafirg again in 
1603, another proclamation was iffued, for. 
more effectually reftraining the increafe of 
the city; and the publication of the bills 
of mortality was renewed, which has been. 
regularly continued ever fince. Thefe 
bills, though very deficient and incorrect, 
ave almoft the only documents from which 
any eftimate of the population of London 
can be formed; but though they are too in- 
complete to -furnifh the means of de- 
termining with accuracy the whole num 
ber of inhabitants, they fhew with much 
greater certainty the increafe or declina 
of the population, from the period of their 
eftablithment to the prefent time. 
Londoxz, Dec. 9; 1799. ji Ge 
a 
Zo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
\ TRAVELLER has_ béen enter- 
taining your readers with a little 
hiftory of a Pedcftrian Tour, which he took _ 
a while ago, through feveral parts of Eng- 
land and Wales. He feems te have : tae 
ent 
