The fisherman who has been wounded, learns, though late, to beware;
But the unfortunate Actæon always presses on.
The chaste virgin naturally pitied:
But the powerful goddess revenged the wrong.
Let Actæon fall a prey to his dogs,
An example to youth,
A disgrace to those that belong to him!
May Diana live the care of Heaven;
The delight of mortals;
The security of those that belong to her! {34}
In this park is great plenty of deer.
In a garden joining to this palace there is a _jet d’eau_, with a
sun-dial, which while strangers are looking at, a quantity of water,
forced by a wheel which the gardener turns at a distance, through a
number of little pipes, plentifully sprinkles those that are standing
round.
Guildhall, a fine structure built by Thomas Knowles. Here are to be seen
the statues of two giants, said to have assisted the English when the
Romans made war upon them: Corinius of Britain, and Gogmagog of Albion.
Beneath upon a table the titles of Charles V., Emperor, are written in
letters of gold.
The government of London is this: the city is divided into twenty-five
regions or wards; the Council is composed of twenty-four aldermen, one of
whom presides over every ward. And whereas of old the chief magistrate
was a portreeve, _i.e._, governor of the city, Richard I. appointed two
bailiffs; instead of which King John gave a power by grant of choosing
annually a mayor from any of the twelve principal companies, and to name
two sheriffs, one of whom to be called the king’s, the other the city’s.
It is scarce credible how this city increased, both in public and private
buildings, upon establishing this form of government. _Vide_ Camden’s
“Britannia,” Middlesex.
It is worthy of observation, that every year, upon St. Bartholomew’s Day,
when the fair is held, it is usual for the mayor, attended by the twelve
principal aldermen, to walk in a neighbouring field, dressed in his
scarlet gown, and about his neck a golden chain, to which is hung a
golden fleece, {36a} and besides, that particular ornament {36b} which
distinguishes the most noble order of the garter. During the year of his
magistracy, he is obliged to live so magnificently, that foreigner or
native, without any expense, is free, if he can find a chair empty, to
dine at his table, where there is always the greatest plenty. When the
mayor goes out of the precincts of the city, a sceptre, a sword, and a
cap, are borne before him, and he is followed by the principal aldermen
in scarlet gowns, with gold chains; himself and they on horseback. Upon
their arrival at a place appointed for that purpose, where a tent is
pitched, the mob begin to wrestle before them, two at a time; the
conquerors receive rewards from the magistrates. After this is over, a
parcel of live rabbits are turned loose among the crowd, which are
pursued by a number of boys, who endeavour to catch them, with all the
noise they can make. While we were at this show, one of our company,
Tobias Salander, doctor of physic, had his pocket picked of his purse,
with nine crowns du soleil, which, without doubt, was so cleverly taken
from him by an Englishman who always kept very close to him, that the
doctor did not in the least perceive it.
The Castle or Tower of London, called Bringwin, and Tourgwin, in Welsh,
from its whiteness, is encompassed by a very deep and broad ditch, as
well as a double wall very high. In the middle of the whole is that very
ancient and very strong tower, enclosed with four others, which, in the
opinion of some, was built by Julius Cæsar. Upon entering the tower, we
were obliged to quit our swords at the gate and deliver them to the
guard. When we were introduced, we were shown above a hundred pieces of
arras belonging to the Crown, made of gold, silver, and silk; several
saddles covered with velvet of different colours; an immense quantity of
bed-furniture, such as canopies, and the like, some of them most richly
ornamented with pearl; some royal dresses, so extremely magnificent as to
raise any one’s admiration at the sums they must have cost. We were next
led into the Armoury, in which are these particularities:—Spears, out of
which you may shoot; shields, that will give fire four times; a great
many rich halberds, commonly called partisans, with which the guard
defend the royal person in battle; some lances, covered with red and
green velvet, and the body-armour of Henry VIII.; many and very beautiful
arms, as well for men as for horses in horse-fights; the lance of Charles
Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, three spans thick; two pieces of cannon, the
one fires three, the other seven balls at a time; two others made of
wood, which the English has at the siege of Boulogne, in France. And by
this stratagem, without which they could not have succeeded, they struck
a terror into the inhabitants, as at the appearance of artillery, and the
town was surrendered upon articles; nineteen cannon of a thicker make
than ordinary, and in a room apart; thirty-six of a smaller; other cannon
for chain-shot; and balls proper to bring down masts of ships.
Cross-bows, bows and arrows, of which to this day the English make great
use in their exercises; but who can relate all that is to be seen here?
Eight or nine men employed by the year are scarce sufficient to keep all
the arms bright.
The Mint for coining money is in the Tower.
N.B.—It is to be noted, that when any of the nobility are sent hither, on
the charge of high crimes, punishable with death, such as treason, &c.,
they seldom or never recover their liberty. Here was beheaded Anne
Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII., and lies buried in the chapel, but
without any inscription; and Queen Elizabeth was kept prisoner here by
her sister, Queen Mary, at whose death she was enlarged, and by right
called to the throne.
On coming out of the Tower, we were led to a small house close by, where
are kept variety of creatures, viz.—three lionesses; one lion of great
size, called Edward VI. from his having been born in that reign: a tiger;
a lynx; a wolf excessively old—this is a very scarce animal in England,
so that their sheep and cattle stray about in great numbers, free from
any danger, though without anybody to keep them; there is, besides, a
porcupine, and an eagle. All these creatures are kept in a remote place,
fitted up for the purpose with wooden lattices, at the Queen’s expense.
Near to this Tower is a large open space; on the highest part of it is
erected a wooden scaffold, for the execution of noble criminals; upon
which, they say, three princes of England, the last of their families,
have been beheaded for high treason; on the bank of the Thames close by
are a great many cannon, such chiefly as are used at sea.
The next thing worthy of note is the Royal Exchange, so named by Queen
Elizabeth, built by Sir Thomas Gresham, citizen, for public ornament and
the convenience of merchants. It has a great effect, whether you
consider the stateliness of the building, the assemblage of different
nations, or the quantities of merchandise. I shall say nothing of the
hall belonging to the Hans Society; or of the conveyance of water to all
parts of the town by subterraneous pipes, nor the beautiful conduits and
cisterns for the reception of it; nor of the raising of water out of the
Thames by a wheel, invented a few years since by a German.
Bridewell, at present the House of Correction; it was built in six weeks
for the reception of the Emperor Charles V.
A Hall built by a cobbler and bestowed on the city, where are exposed to
sale, three times in a week, corn, wool, cloth, fruits, and the like.
Without the city are some theatres, where English actors represent almost
every day tragedies and comedies to a very numerous audiences; these are
concluded with excellent music, variety of dances, and the excessive
applause of those that are present.
Not far from one of these theatres, which are all built of wood, lies the
royal barge, close to the river. It has two splendid cabins, beautifully
ornamented with glass windows, painting, and gilding; it is kept upon dry
ground, and sheltered from the weather.
There is still another place, built in the form of a theatre, which
serves for the baiting of bulls and bears; they are fastened behind, and
then worried by great English bull-dogs, but not without great risk to
the dogs, from the horns of the one and the teeth of the other; and it
sometimes happens that they are killed upon the spot; fresh ones are
immediately supplied in the places of those that are wounded or tired.
To this entertainment there often follows that of whipping a blinded
bear, which is performed by five or six men, standing circularly with
whips, which they exercise upon him without any mercy, as he cannot
escape from them because of his chain; he defends himself with all his
force and skill, throwing down all who come within his reach and are not
active enough to get out of it, and tearing the whips out of their hands
and breaking them. At these spectacles, and everywhere else, the English
are constantly smoking tobacco; and in this manner—they have pipes on
purpose made of clay, into the farther end of which they put the herb, so
dry that it may be rubbed into powder, and putting fire to it, they draw
the smoke into their mouths, which they puff out again through their
nostrils like funnels, along with it plenty of phlegm and defluxion from
the head. In these theatres, fruits, such as apples, pears, and nuts,
according to the season, are carried about to be sold, as well as ale and
wine.
There are fifteen colleges within and without the city, nobly built, with
beautiful gardens adjoining. Of these the three principal are:—
I. The Temple, inhabited formerly by the Knights Templars; it seems to
have taken its name from the old temple, or church, which has a round
tower added to it, under which lied buried those Kings of Denmark that
reigned in England.