London and the Kingdom Volume II Part 3

The prospects of the Virginia Company were seriously imperilled by an ill-advised speech made in the House of Commons by the lord mayor inveighing against the importation of tobacco. The Company was already in disgrace with the House, through the indiscretion of Counsel employed to prosecute a pet.i.tion on its behalf, and all the members of the Company who held seats in the House were desired to withdraw until it should be decided what action should be taken in the matter. Eventually peace was restored by the offending Counsel coming to the Bar of the House and making a humble submission.(155)

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In 1618 a scheme was set on foot for taking up vagrant boys and girls that lay begging in the streets of the city, having neither home nor friends, and transporting them to Virginia to be there industriously employed. The scheme came before the Court of Common Council on the 31st July in the form of a pet.i.tion from a number of citizens. A committee was at once appointed to consider the matter, and on the 24th September they brought in their report.(156) The Virginia Company had agreed to take 100 boys and girls between the ages of eight and sixteen, and to educate and bring them up at the company's charge. The company were prepared, moreover, to give each boy and girl fifty acres of land, to each boy as soon as he was twenty-four years of age, and to each girl at the age of twenty-one or her marriage, whichever should first happen. The charge of fitting out and transporting that number was estimated at 500, which sum the court agreed should be levied on the inhabitants of the city rateably according as each was a.s.sessed towards the last poor rate. The young emigrants were soon afterwards s.h.i.+pped to their new home,(157) and so successfully did the undertaking turn out that in little over a year another application was made to the Common Council (18 Dec., 1619) for another batch of 100 children for s.h.i.+pment to the colony in the following spring.(158) It was desired that the new emigrants should be twelve years old and upwards, with an allowance of 3 apiece for their transportation and 40_s._ apiece for their apparel, "as was formerly graunted." The boys would be put out as apprentices until the age of twenty-one, and the girls likewise until the same age or marriage, after which they would be placed as tenants on the public lands, and be furnished with houses, stock of corn and cattle to begin with, and afterwards enjoy the moiety of all increase and profit.

The Common Council being desirous of forwarding "soe worthy and pious a worke" as the plantation, accepted the company's proposal, and directed that a sum of 500 necessary for the purpose should be levied as on the previous occasion.

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Some hitch, however, appears to have occurred in connection with the s.h.i.+pment of this second consignment of children. The City and the Virginia Company had fallen out for some reason or other. In a letter written about this time to the lord mayor(159) the company express regret that differences should have arisen between the city and themselves. They a.s.sure his lords.h.i.+p that there was no real foundation for these differences, seeing that they had now ratified all, and more than all than had been previously offered and accepted. Everything had been done that was necessary for the s.h.i.+pment of the children. The City had collected the requisite funds and the children had been provided, whilst the company on its part had provided a fair s.h.i.+p, and the Privy Council had "at the city's desire" granted its warrant.(160) The company therefore trusted that the lord mayor and aldermen would proceed to the speedy ending of differences.

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The number of emigrants to Virginia was swelled by the transportation of a number of idle fellows who made it their business to follow the king and his court wherever they might happen to be. Early in 1619, when the king was at Newmarket, he took occasion to write to Sir Thomas Smith complaining of the annoyance and desired that they might be sent to Virginia at the next opportunity.(161) Immediately on the receipt of this letter Sir Thomas Smith wrote to Sir Sebastian Hervey, the mayor, forwarding at the same time the king's letter, and asking that the batch of idle court loafers which had already been despatched from Newmarket to London, as well as those to follow, might be lodged for a time in Bridewell, and there set to work until such time as there should be a vessel starting for the colony.(162)

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The Virginia colony-the first of the free colonies of England-soon became firmly established, and the City of London can claim to have had no small share in the work of its establishment. To the enterprising spirit shown by the citizens in their efforts to forward the interests of the colony no better testimony is wanted than a thanksgiving sermon(163) preached (18 April, 1622) in the church of St. Mary-le-Bow by Patrick Copland, chaplain to the Virginia Company, in commemoration of the safe arrival of a fleet of nine s.h.i.+ps at the close of the previous year. The City of London, the preacher said, had on two occasions sent over 100 persons to Virginia, and the present lord mayor and his brethren the aldermen intended to pursue the same course as previous mayors. "Your cittie," he continued, "aboundeth in people (and long may it doe so); the plantation in Virginia is capable enough to receive them. O, take course to ease your cittie, and to provide well for your people, by sending them over thither, that both they of that colony there and they of your owne cittie here may live to bless your prudent and provident government over them.... Right Wors.h.i.+pfull, I beseech you ponder (as I know you doe) the forlorne estate of many of the best members of your citty, and helpe them, O helpe them out of their misery; what you bestow uppon them in their transportation to Virginia they will repay it at present with their prayers, and when they are able with their purses."(164)

A few months after this sermon had been delivered tidings reached England of a calamity more disastrous than any that had yet befallen the colony. A treacherous attack had been made upon the white men by the Indians, which was only just saved by timely notice from becoming a general ma.s.sacre. As it was, nearly 350 of the settlers were killed. The Common Council lost no time in testifying its sympathy with the colony in the great loss it had sustained, and voted (19 July) a third sum of 500 towards the transportation of 100 fresh colonists.(165)

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Ever since his accession to the throne of England the financial condition of James had been going from bad to worse. Besides resorting to antiquated feudal exactions,(166) he took to levying impositions on articles of commerce. But even these failed to make up the deficiency created in his exchequer by his wanton extravagance, and in 1610 he was obliged to apply to parliament. An attempt to make a composition with the king for feudal dues and to restrict his claim to levy impositions failed, and parliament was hastily dissolved.(167)

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In the meanwhile James had applied to the City (April, 1610) for a loan of 100,000. He professed to prefer borrowing the money from the citizens to raising it by privy seals from his subjects generally, and he promised interest at the rate of ten per cent. and security on the customs. The aldermen consented to raise the money "out of aboundance of love ... but not of aboundance of riches or meanes." They and the Recorder divided themselves into nine several companies or divisions, each bound to furnish one-ninth of the whole loan. The king gave his own bond in 150,000 besides bonds of the farmer of the customs as security, and the aldermen set to work to raise the money in as "secret and discreet manner" as they could.(168) The loan did not go far towards discharging the king's liabilities, or those of the late queen, whose debts James had undertaken to repay. Before the end of the year (1610) certain wealthy merchants of the city were summoned to Whitehall to discuss the state of affairs. The king again wanted money, but inasmuch as he confessed himself unable to do more than pay the interest on former loans, leaving the princ.i.p.al to be discharged at some future time, they refused to make any further advances, consenting only not to press for the repayment of outstanding debts.(169) Pursuant to this agreement the citizens, in April, 1611, when the repayment of the loan of 100,000 became due, granted the king another year's respite.(170) A similar concession was made in 1612;(171) and in 1613 the loan was paid off.(172)

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The king had a right to look for consideration from the city, for in 1608 he had not only confirmed the liberties and franchises of the citizens by charter, but he had extended the civic jurisdiction, and had created all aldermen who had "pa.s.sed the chair" Justices of Oyer and Terminer within the city and its liberties. He had, moreover, allowed them to tax non-freemen and strangers and to cause them to contribute in like manner as themselves to all talliages, aids and grants to the king.(173) Two years later-soon after his son Henry had been created Prince of Wales and the city had done him honour by an aquatic display on the river between Richmond and London(174) he confirmed (16 June, 1610) the privileges granted to them in 1383 by Richard II with the sanction of parliament.(175)

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Before the close of 1611 his pecuniary difficulties increased to such an extent that he was driven to scatter broadcast "privy seals" or promissory notes for the purpose of raising money. These were not unfrequently placed in the hands of persons as they came out of church on Sunday evenings, a proceeding that caused no little scandal.(176)

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The marriage of his daughter, the Princess Elizabeth, with Frederick, the Elector Palatine, which was soon to follow, not only involved James in further pecuniary difficulties, but eventually plunged him into a continental war. Although the marriage articles were signed in May, 1612, the Elector did not arrive in England until October, just at the time when Sir John Swinnerton was about to enter on his duties as mayor for the ensuing year. Special precautions were taken to keep order and guard against accident on lord mayor's day(177) as soon as it was known that the Elector would attend, and a pageant, ent.i.tled _Troja nova triumphans_, was written expressly for the occasion by Thomas Dekker.(178) The Elector afterwards attended the banquet, and paid a special compliment to the lady mayoress and her suite.(179) The number of n.o.bles invited was so great that there was scarcely room for the customary representatives from the princ.i.p.al livery companies, and none at all for members of the lesser companies. The latter were asked to take their exclusion in no ill part, as it was a sheer matter of necessity.(180) Before leaving the Elector was presented on behalf of the city with a bason and ewer weighing 234-3/4 ozs., and a "dansk pott chast and cheseld" weighing 513-5/8 ozs., and engraved with the city's arms and the words _civitas London_, the whole costing 262 15_s._ 10_d._(181) There was but one thing to mar the general gaiety, and that was the illness of the Prince of Wales, whose death a week later shed a gloom over the whole of England,(182) and caused the marriage of his sister, by whom he was especially beloved, to be postponed for a time.(183) The ceremony eventually took place on the 14th February, 1613, amid great pomp and splendour, and in the following April the youthful bride and bridegroom left England for Holland.

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It was currently reported that many Papists and Recusants had taken the opportunity afforded by the recent court festivities to secrete themselves in London, and Swinnerton, who had already displayed considerable activity in searching for them as soon as he became lord mayor,(184) was urged to redouble his efforts in that direction by a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury a few days before the marriage of the princess took place.(185)

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The close of the year witnessed a marriage of a very different character, viz., the union of the king's favourite, Carr, Earl of Somerset, with Frances Howard, the divorced wife of the Earl of Ess.e.x. Murderess and adulteress as she was, she was received at court with every honour; but when the king proposed to sup one night in the city, and to bring his whole court with him (including, of course, the newly-married couple), the lord mayor, Sir Thomas Middleton, demurred, excusing himself on the ground that his house was too small.(186) This excuse was of no avail, and the supper took place in Merchant Taylors' Hall, the earl and countess being specially invited as well as the entire court. The supper was followed by a masque devised for the occasion by a namesake of the mayor, Thomas Middleton, the dramatic poet.(187) The entertainment cost the City nearly 700,(188) besides the sum of 50 which the Court of Aldermen directed to be laid out in a present of plate to Somerset.(189) In acknowledgment of the gift the earl presented the mayor and sheriffs with pairs of handsome gloves.(190)

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Financial difficulties, which a fresh issue of "privy seals" to the aldermen for loans of 200 apiece had done little to alleviate,(191) and which had been aggravated by recent court festivities, at length drove James to run the risk of summoning another parliament. He had learnt from the wire-pullers of the day-or "undertakers" as they were then called-that he could depend upon a majority being returned which would be willing to grant supplies in return for certain concessions. In this he was deceived. No sooner did const.i.tuents discover that pressure was being brought to bear in favour of court candidates than they used their best efforts to frustrate such a manifest design to pack parliament. The session was opened on the 5th of April by a speech from the king, in which he set forth his financial difficulties, which the extraordinary charge in connection with his daughter's marriage had helped to increase. He would not bargain for their money, he said, but would leave it entirely to their love what supplies should be granted. In token of his own affection towards his subjects he was ready to make certain concessions, and he entirely disavowed any complicity with the "strange kind of beasts called undertakers." The new parliament, however, stood out like the last and refused to grant supplies until public grievances had been considered. The result was that on the 7th June James dissolved what he had fondly hoped would have proved to be a "parliament of love," but which from its inability to pa.s.s a single measure came to be nick-named, "the addled parliament."(192)

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At his wit's end for money, James had recourse to benevolences. The bishops offered him the value of the best piece of plate in their possession to help him out of his difficulties, and their example induced many of the n.o.bles to open their purses. Application was again made to the City for a loan of 100,000.(193) This they declined, but made the king a free gift of 10,000, one moiety being paid by the City's Chamber and the other being furnished by the livery companies.(194)

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It was now that the City began to resort to the practice of recruiting their Chamber by nominating and electing as sheriffs those who were likely to prefer paying a fine to serving-a practice which more especially prevailed during the troublous times of the Stuarts. Nearly a dozen individuals were elected one after another to the office at Midsummer of this year, and one and all declined. Some, like Sir Arthur Ingram, had sufficient influence at court to obtain their discharge without fine, others paid fines varying in amount, which served to fill the City's exchequer.(195)

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Another reason, however, is given for so many refusals to serve as sheriff just at this time, and that was that men declined to serve sheriff with Peter Proby, who had once been a barber.(196)

The shrewd ex-barber soon overcame any feeling of antipathy that may have been entertained towards him on entering upon munic.i.p.al life. In 1616 he was sent with Mathias Springham to manage the city's Irish estate.(197) In 1622 he was elected mayor and in the following year was knighted.

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Hitherto it had not been the custom when orders were given for a general muster and survey of the armed forces of the realm to include the city's forces. The city had been for the most part exempt from such orders, except when the necessities of the times demanded that it should be otherwise. In 1614 the lords of the council thought fit to include the city in their order for a general muster, and they wrote (16 Sept.) to the mayor requiring him to cause "a generall view" to be taken of the city's forces, and an enrolment made "of such trayned members as in her late majesty's time were put into companies by the name of the trayned bands."

Vacancies among the officers and soldiers were to be filled up, armour and weapons repaired, and the force to be completely equipped and regularly exercised.(198) The letter having been submitted to the Common Council (21 Sept.), it was agreed to raise at once a force of 6,000 men. A tax of a fifteenth was voted to meet the necessary expenses, and a committee was appointed to carry out the resolution of the court.(199) On the following day (22 Sept.) the mayor issued his precept to the alderman of every ward stating the number of men required from his ward, and particulars of the kind and quant.i.ty of armour his ward was to provide. Appended to the precept was a schedule of the prices at which certain manufacturers in the city were prepared to sell the necessary weapons.(200) Jerome Heydon, described as an "iremonger at the lower end of Cheapeside," was ready to sell corslets, comprising "brest, backe, gorgett, taces and headpeece," at 15_s._; pikes with steel heads at 2_s._ 6_d._; swords, being Turkey blades, at 7_s._; "b.a.s.t.a.r.d" muskets at 14_s._; great muskets, with rests, at 16_s._; a headpiece, lined and stringed, at 2_s._ 6_d._, and a bandaleer for 1_s._ 6_d._ Henry White and Don Sany Southwell were prepared to do corslets 6_d._ cheaper, and the same with swords, but their swords are described as only "Irish hilts and belts to them." Their b.a.s.t.a.r.d muskets, "with mouldes," could be had for 13_s._, or 1_s._ cheaper than those of Jerome Heydon. The Armourers' Company were ready to supply corslets at 15_s._, but for the same "with pouldrons" they asked 4_s._ more. The Cutlers' Company would furnish "a very good turky blade and good open hilts" for 6_s._, thus under-selling the private firms.

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On the 5th May, 1615, the Common Council ordered another fifteenth to be levied on the inhabitants of the city "towards the defrayinge of all maner of charges to be disbursed in and about the trayninge and musteringe of men";(201) and in the following year the trained bands were divided into four regiments, under the command of Sir Thomas Lowe, Sir Thomas Middleton, Sir John Watts, and Sir John Swinnerton, and quartered in different parts of the city for the purpose of putting down riots. For these measures the mayor, Sir John Jolles, and the aldermen received the thanks of the lords of the council.(202)

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Yet, notwithstanding the manifest pains taken by civic authorities to carry out the wishes of the lords of the council, the latter within a few weeks again wrote to the mayor,(203) rating him soundly for not having made a return of men and arms with which the city was provided, as previously directed. Their lords.h.i.+ps had been informed that the city was altogether unprovided with arms and could not furnish the full number of trained men with weapons at one and the same time, and that there was scarce sufficient match and powder in the whole city to serve for one day's training. They expressed astonishment that the civic authorities, in whom was vested the government of the king's Chamber, should have proved so negligent in a matter so important, and directed them to set up forthwith a magazine of arms for supplying not only the inhabitants of the city, but also those of adjacent counties, with military weapons, and to supply themselves with a store of gunpowder of not less than 100 lasts, by the aid of the city companies, as had been usual in like cases. A certificate was also to be returned without delay to their lords.h.i.+ps according to previous orders. The matter was referred by the Common Council to the "committees for martial causes" in the city, with instructions to report thereon to the Court of Aldermen.

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After the receipt of this letter considerable activity was shown in the military preparations of the city. A muster and review were ordered to be held on the 6th August in Finsbury Fields, and steps were taken to fill up the muster-roll of every captain to its full strength of 300 men.(204)

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By the spring of the next year (1617) the city authorities had succeeded so far in recovering the confidence and goodwill of the government as to have a royal commission of lieutenancy for the city of London granted to the mayor, Sir John Leman, eight of the aldermen and Antony Benn, the Recorder.(205) The commission was to continue during the king's pleasure, or until notice of its determination should have been given by the Privy Council under their hands and seals.

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Matters remained on this footing for a year, when the lords of the council gave notice (17 May, 1618) of the commission having been withdrawn, and at the same time directed the Court of Aldermen to furnish them with a certificate of the number of men enrolled in the trained bands (such as had long since been ordered but had never yet been sent), and to see that all previous orders relative to the magazine of arms and the storage of powder were duly executed. Special directions were given to replace the "calliver" (now become unserviceable) by the musket, and to provide bullets in addition to powder and match.(206) The letter of the lords was read at a Common Council held on the 31st July, when committees were appointed to see to the muster and training of 6,000 men, and to examine what sums of money remained over from the two last fifteenths levied for similar purposes.(207)

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That James, like his predecessor on the throne, had the increase of the material prosperity of his subjects very much at heart there is little doubt. The measures, however, which he took for increasing that prosperity were not always sound. Among these must be reckoned the withdrawal of all licences for the exportation of undyed and undressed cloth,(208) the suppression of the old company of Merchant Adventurers and the formation of a new company. For these measures the king was not so much to blame as William c.o.c.kaine, the city alderman who gave him advice on the matter.

That the advice was bad became soon manifest. The Dutch, who had been the princ.i.p.al buyers of English undyed cloth, retaliated by setting up looms for themselves, and threatened to destroy the English cloth trade altogether. The new company, with c.o.c.kaine at its head, proved a complete failure, and the old company was restored.(209)

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