_(For the Mirror.)_
Stowe, in his "Survey of London," 1633, says, "Then is Smithfield Pond,
which of (old time) in records was called Horsepoole, for that men watered
horses there, and was a great water. In the 6th of Henry V. a new building
was made in the west part of Smithfield, betwixt the said poole and the
river of Wels, or Turne-mill-brooke, in a place then called the Elms, for
that there grew many elme-trees, and this had been the place of execution
for offenders. Since the which time, the building there hath been so
increased, that now remaineth not one tree growing. In the yeere 1357, the
31st of Edward III., great and royall justs were then holden in Smithfield,
there being present the kings of England, France, and Scotland, with many
other nobles, and great estates of divers lands. In the yeere 1362, the
36th of Edward III., on the first five daies of May, in Smithfield, were
justs holden, the king and queene being present, with the most part of the
chivalry of England and of France and of other nations; to which came
Spaniards, Cyprians, and Armenians, knightly requesting ayde of the king
of England against the Pagans, that invaded their confines. The 48th of
Edward III., Dame Alice Perrers, or Pierce, (the king's concubine,) as
lady of the Sunne, rode from the Tower of London through Cheape,
accompanied of many lords and ladies, every lady leading a lord by his
horse bridle, till they came into West Smithfield, and then began a great
just, which endured seven daies after.--In the 14th of Richard II., royal
justs and turnements were proclaimed to be done in Smithfield, to begin on
Sunday next, after the feast of Saint Michael; many strangers came forth
of other countries, namely, Valarian, Earle of St. Paul, that had married
King Richard's sister, the Lady Maud Courtney; and William, the young
Earle of Ostervant, son to Albert of Baviere, Earle of Holland and Henault.
At the day appointed, there issued forth at the Tower, about the third
houre of the day, 60 coursers, apparelled for the justs, upon every one an
esquire of honour riding a soft pace; then came forth 60 ladies of honour,
mounted upon palfraies, riding on the one side, richly apparelled, and
every lady led a knight with a chain of gold; those knights, being on the
king's party, had their armour and apparell garnished with white harts,
and crownes of gold about the harts' neckes; and so they came riding
through the streets of London to Smithfield, with a great number of
trumpets, &c. The kinge and the queene, who were lodged in the bishop's
palace of London, were come from thence, with many great estates, and
placed in chambers, to see the justs. The ladies that led the knights were
taken down from their palfraies, and went up to chambers prepared for them.
Then alighted the esquires of honour from their coursers, and the knights
in good order mounted upon them; and after their helmets were set on their
heads, and being ready in all points, proclamation made by the heralds,
the justs began, and many commendable courses were runne, to the great
pleasure of the beholders. The justs continued many days with great
feastings, as ye may reade in _Froisard_," &c. &c.
Smithfield, says Pennant, "was also the spot on which accusations were
decided by duel, derived from the Kamp-fight ordeal of the Saxons. I will
only (says Mr. P.) mention an instance. It was when the unfortunate
armourer entered into the lists, on account of a false accusation of
treason, brought against him by his apprentice, in the reign of Henry VI.
The friends of the defendant had so plied him with liquor, that he fell an
easy conquest to his accuser. Shakspeare has worked this piece of history
into a scene, in the second part of _Henry VI_., but has made the poor
armourer confess his treasons in his dying moments; for in the time in
which this custom prevailed, it never was even suspected but that guilt
must have been the portion of the vanquished. When people of rank fought
with sword and lance, plebeian combatants were only allowed a pole, armed
with a heavy sand-bag, with which they were to decide their guilt or
innocence. In Smithfield were also held our autos-de-fee; but to the
credit of our English monarchs, none were ever known to attend the
ceremony. Even Philip II. of Spain never honoured any, of the many which
were celebrated by permission of his gentle queen, with his presence,
notwithstanding he could behold the roasting of his own subjects with
infinite self-applause and _sang-froid_. The stone marks the spot, in this
area, on which those cruel exhibitions were executed. Here our martyr
_Latimer_ preached patience to friar _Forest_, agonizing under the torture
of a slow fire, for denying the king's supremacy; and to this place our
martyr _Cranmer_ compelled the amiable _Edward_, by forcing his reluctant
hand to the warrant, to send _Joan Bocher_, a silly woman, to the stake.
Yet _Latimer_ never thought of his own conduct in his last moments; nor
did _Cranmer_ thrust his hand into the fire for a real crime, but for one
which was venial, through the frailty of human nature. Our gracious
Elizabeth could likewise burn people for religion. Two Dutchmen,
Anabaptists, suffered in this place in 1675, and died, as Holinshed sagely
remarks, with "roring and crieing." But let me say, (says Pennant,) that
this was the only instance we have of her exerting the blessed prerogative
of the writ _De Haeretico comburendo_. Her highness preferred the halter;
her sullen sister faggot and fire. Not that we will deny but Elizabeth
made a very free use of the terrible act of her 27th year. One hundred and
sixty-eight suffered in her reign, at London, York, in Lancashire, and
several other parts of the kingdom, convicted of being priests, of
harbouring priests, or of becoming converts. But still there is a balance
of 109 against us in the article persecution, and that by the agonizing
death of fire; for the smallest number estimated to have suffered under
the savage Mary, amounts, in her short reign, to 277. The last person who
suffered at the stake in England was Bartholomew Logatt, who was burnt
here in 1611, as a blasphemous heretic, according to the sentence
pronounced by John King, bishop of London. The bishop consigned him to the
secular of our monarch James, who took care to give the sentence full
effect. This place, as well as Tybourn, was called _The Elms_, and used
for the execution of malefactors even before the year 1219. In the year
1530, there was a most severe and singular punishment inflicted here on
one John Roose, a cook, who had poisoned 17 persons of the Bishop of
Rochester's family, two of whom died, and the rest never recovered their
health. His design was against the pious prelate Fisher, who at that time
resided at Rochesterplace, Lambeth. The villain was acquainted with the
cook, and, coming into the bishop's kitchen, took an opportunity, while
the cook's back was turned to fetch him some drink, to fling a great
quantity of poison into the gruel, which was prepared for dinner for the
bishop's family, and the poor of the parish. The good bishop escaped.
Fortunately, he that day abstained from food. The humility and temperance
of that good man are strongly marked in this relation, for he partook of
the same ordinary food with the most wretched pauper. By a retrospective
law, Roose was sentenced to be boiled to death, which was done accordingly.
In Smithfield, the arch-rebel, Wat Tyler, met with, in 1381, the reward of
his treason and insolence."
Smithfield[1] is at present celebrated, and long since, for being the
great market for cattle of all kinds, and likewise for being the place
where Bartholomew fair is held, alias the _Cockneys' Saturnalia_, which
was granted by Henry II. to the neighbouring priory.