Citizens of London,--Greeting. Know ye, that in aid of repairing
and sustaining the Bridge of London, we grant that from the day of
making these presents, until the complete end of the three years
next following, the underwritten customs shall, for that purpose, be
taken of saleable goods over the Bridge aforesaid, and of those which
cross under the same, that is to say:--of every _poise_, or weight of
cheese,’--namely, 256 pounds,--‘fat of tallow, and butter for sale,
one penny. Of every poise of lead, for sale, one farthing. Of every
hundred of wax for sale, two pence. Of every hundred of almonds and
rice for sale, one penny. Of every hundred of barley corn for sale, one
penny. Of every hundred of pepper and ginger, cotewell and cinnamon,
Brazil-wood, frankincense, quicksilver, vermillion and verdigrease for
sale, two pence. Of every hundred of cinior, alum, sugar, liquorice,
syro-montanian aniseed, pion, and orpiment for sale, one penny. Of
every hundred of sulphur, orchel, ink, resin, copperas, and calamine
stone for sale, one farthing. Of every great frail of figs and raisins
for sale, one halfpenny; and of every smaller frail, one farthing.
Of every pound of dates, musk nuts, mace, the drug cubebs, saffron,
and cotton for sale, one farthing. Of every store butt of ginger for
sale, one penny. Of every hundred weight of copper, brass, and tin,
for sale, one halfpenny. Of every hundred weight of glass for sale,
one farthing. Of every thousand of the best _Gris_, or grey squirrel
skins dressed,’--the famous Vaire fur you remember,--‘for sale, twelve
pence. Of every thousand of red skins dressed, for sale, six pence.
Of every thousand bark-skins for sale, four pence. Of every hundred
of rabbits for sale, one halfpenny. For every _timbria_’--an ancient
Norman law phrase, signifying a certain number of precious skins,--‘of
wolves’ skins for sale, one halfpenny. For every _timbria_ of coats
for sale, one halfpenny. For every twelfth gennet-skin for sale, one
halfpenny. For every hundredth sheep-skin of wool for sale, one penny.
Of every hundredth lamb-skin and goat-skin for sale, one halfpenny.
Of every twelfth _alicum_,’--a kind of vest with sleeves,--‘for sale,
one penny. Of every twelfth _Basane_,’--this old Norman word, you
know, meant either a purse, or shoe, or any thing made of tanned
leather,--‘for sale, one halfpenny. Of every quarter of woad,’--the
famous blue dye,--‘for sale, one halfpenny. Of every _dole_,’--a Saxon
word signifying a part or portion,--‘of honey for sale, six pence. Of
every dole of wine, six pence. Of every dole of corn, crossing over
the Bridge, the same going into countries beyond the sea, one penny.
Of every bowl of salt for sale, one penny. Of every mill-stone for
grinding, for sale, two-pence. Of every twelfth hand-mill for sale,
one penny. Of every smith’s mill for sale,’--perhaps a forge or a
grindstone,--‘one farthing. Of every dole of ashes and of fish for
sale, one halfpenny. Of every hundredth board of oak, coming from
parts beyond the seas for sale, one halfpenny. Of every hundred of
fir boards, coming from parts beyond the seas for sale, two pence. Of
every twenty sheafs of wooden staves and arrow heads, for sale, one
halfpenny. Of a quarter of a hundred of pountandemir for sale, one
penny. For all horses laden with serge, stuff, grey cloth and dyed
cloth for sale, one penny. Of every hundred ells of linen cloth, coming
from parts beyond the seas, for sale, one penny. Of every twelfth
poplorum,’--mantle or carpet,--‘for sale, one halfpenny. Of every silk
or gold cloth, for sale, one halfpenny. Of all satins and cloths worked
with gold, two pence. Of every twelfth piece of fustian for sale, one
penny. Of every piece of sendal,’--thin Cyprus silk,--‘embroidered,
for sale, one farthing; and of every other two sendals for sale, one
farthing. Of every pound of woven cloth coming from parts beyond the
seas, six pence. Of every hundred pounds weight of _Bateria_,’--beaten
work of metal,--‘namely, of basins, platters, drinking pots, and cups,
for sale, one penny. Of all Flanders cloth bound, and embroidered,
for sale, two pence. Of every _Estanford_,’--a species of cloth made
at Stanfort,--‘for sale, from the same parts, one penny. Of every
twelfth pair of nether-stocks, for sale, coming from the same parts,
one halfpenny. Of every hood for sale, one penny. Of every piece
of Borrell,’--coarse cloth,--‘coming from Normandy, or elsewhere,
one halfpenny. Of every twelfth Monk’s cloth, black or white, one
penny. Of every trussell cloth,’--perhaps a horse-cloth--‘for sale,
the same coming from parts beyond the seas, eighteen pence. Of all
English dyed cloth and russet for sale, excepting scarlet, crossing
the Bridge for the selling of the same, two pence. Of all scarlets for
sale, six pence. Of all thin, or summer cloth, for sale, coming from
Stamford or Northampton, or from other places in England, crossing
the same, one penny. Of every twelfth _chalonum_,’--which is to say,
a carpet or hangings,--‘set for sale, one penny. Of every pound of
other merchandise for sale, crossing the same, and not expressed
above, four pence. Of every ship-load of sea-coal for sale, six pence.
Of every ship-load of turf for sale, two pence. Of every scitata of
underwood for sale, two pence. Of every small boat-load of underwood
for sale, one penny. Of every scitata of hay for sale, two pence. Of
every quarter of corn for sale crossing the same, one farthing. For
two quarters of white corn, barley, mixed corn, pease, and beans, for
sale, one farthing. For a quarter of a _seme_,’--a horse load, or eight
bushels--‘of oats for sale, one penny. For two quarters of groats, and
brewers’ grains for sale, one farthing. For every horse for sale, of
the price of forty shillings and more, one penny. For every horse for
sale, of a price less than forty shillings, one halfpenny. For every ox
and cow for sale, one halfpenny. For six swine for sale, one halfpenny.
For ten sheep for sale, one halfpenny. For five bacon hogs for sale,
one halfpenny; and for ten pervis for sale, one halfpenny. Of every
small boat which works in London for hire, and crosses by the same,
one penny. Of every cart freighted with fish for sale, crossing the
same, one penny. For the hull of every great ship freighted with goods
for sale, excepting these present, crossing by the same, two pence.
For the hull of every smaller ship freighted with the same goods,
excepting these present, one penny. For every little boat loaden, one
halfpenny. For every twelfth salted salmon for sale, one penny. For
twenty-five milnell for sale, one halfpenny. For one hundred salted
haddocks for sale, one halfpenny. For one hundred salted mackerel for
sale, one farthing. For every thousand of salted herrings for sale,
one farthing. For every twelfth salted lamprey for sale, one penny. Of
every thousand salted eels for sale, one halfpenny. Of every hundred
pounds of large fish for sale, one penny. Of every hundred pieces of
sturgeon for sale, two pence. For every hundred of stockfish, one
farthing. For every horse-load of onions for sale, one farthing. For
every horse-load of garlick for sale, one farthing. And of every kind
of merchandise not here mentioned, of the price of twenty shillings,
one penny. And, therefore, we command you, that the said customs be
taken, until the aforesaid term of three years be completed; but at
that term, the aforesaid customs shall cease, and be altogether taken
away. In which, &c. for their lasting the term aforesaid, Witness the
King, at Winchester, the seventh day of May. By writ of Privy Seal.’
“Such, Mr. Geoffrey Barbican, is a tolerably exact translation of
this long and very curious Patent of Pontage for London Bridge; but a
perfect rendering of it into English is a matter attended with more
than usual difficulty; since it is composed of so many barbarous
Anglo-Norman nouns, with Latin terminations attached to them; of quaint
legal phrases, of which Fortescue and Rastall must be the interpreters;
and of numerous articles of which both the names and the nature are
to us almost utterly unintelligible. However, Sir, I here give it you
to the best of my poor skill; and in doing so, let me add to it the
apologetical words of your namesake and fellow citizen, the amiable
old Chaucer;--‘Now pray I to them all that hearken this treatise, or
rede, that if there be any thing that liketh them, that thereof they
thank Him, of whom proceedeth all wit and goodness. And if there be any
thing that displease them, I pray them also that they arrette it to the
default of mine unknonnyng, and not to my will, that would fain have
said better if I had knowing.’”
“Doubtless, Mr. Postern,” answered I, “my civilities are at the least
due to you, for the labour you bestow upon me; but yet I must be so
plain as to tell you, that your Pontage Patent reminded me mightily of
a Table of Tolls at a Turnpike-Gate, whereon we read ‘For every horse,
mare, gelding, or mule, laden or unladen, not drawing, two pence,’ So
again, and again, I say, let me have stories, man! I want stories!
‘for,’ as Oliver Goldsmith said of old to the Ghost of _Dame Quickly_,
‘if you have nothing but tedious remarks to communicate, seek some
other hearer, I am determined to hearken only to stories.’”
“Be of a sweet temper, however you may be disappointed, Mr. Geoffrey,”
replied the old Gentleman; “if I possessed the wit either of honest
Oliver, or the Ghost of Mistress Quickly, you should, indeed, be
entertained; but, seeing that we lack humour, we must make it up in
the real, though somewhat dull, formula of past days. This time, I
have, however, a romantic scene for you _in petto_, and even now we
have arrived at a point of the history of London Bridge, which, when
skilfully managed, with a little fiction, has drawn tears from many an
eye, and awakened an interest in many a heart: I mean the capture and
death of the brave and unfortunate Sir William Wallace.
‘Joy, joy in London now!
He goes, the rebel Wallace goes to death;
At length the traitor meets a traitor’s doom.
Joy, joy in London now!’
“It was after the return of the fourth expedition of King Edward I.
into Scotland, about the beginning of August, 1305, that London Bridge
was defaced, by the placing upon it the trophies of his vengeance.
Matthew of Westminster, in his ‘_Flowers of Histories_,’ which I
have already cited to you, tells the sorrowful story of Sir William
Wallace’s execution, in his Second Book, page 451; beginning at
‘_Hic vir Belial_,’--for he treats the Scottish hero with but little
reverence,--and in plain English thus runs the narrative. ‘This man
of Belial, after innumerable crimes, was at last taken by the King’s
officers, and, by his command, was brought up to be judged by himself,
attended by the Nobles of the kingdom of England, on the Vigil of St.
Bartholomew’s day,’--the 23rd of August,--‘where he was condemned to a
most cruel, yet most worthy death. Firstly, he was drawn at the tail of
a horse through the fields of London, to a very lofty gibbet, erected
for him, upon which he was hung with a halter; afterwards, he was taken
down half dead, embowelled, and his intestines burned by fire; lastly,
his head was cut off, and set upon a pole on London Bridge, whilst the
trunk was cut into four quarters. His body, thus divided, was sent into
four parts of Scotland. Behold! such was the unpitied end of this man,
whom want of pity brought to such a death!’
“The head of the gallant but ill-fated Wallace was not, however, the
only ghastly spectacle upon London Bridge; for the Catalogue of the
Harleian Manuscripts, under the Number 2253, has the following notice
at article 25:--‘_A long Ballad against the Scots, many of whom are
here mentioned by name, as also many of the English, besides the King
and Prince. But, particularly of William Walleys, taken at the Battle
of Dunbar, A. D. 1305, and of Simon Frisell,--or Fraser,--taken at
the Battle of Kyrkenclyf, A. D. 1306, both of whom were punished as
traitors to our King Edward I. and their heads set among others of
their countrymen upon London Bridge._’ The passage which immediately
concerns our purpose, you will find at folio 61 a, and, in its own rude
dialect, thus it runs:--
“‘With feters and with gyues ichot he wos to drowe,
Ffrom the tour of Londone that monie myght knowe,
Jn a curtel of burel aselkethe wyse
Thurh Cheepe;
And a gerland on hys heued of the newe guyse:
Monimon of Enge_lond_--for to se Sy_mond_
Thideward con lepe.
Tho he com to galewes, furst he wos an honge,
Al qc. beheued, thah him thohte longe;
Seththe he was yopened, is boweles ybrend,
The heued to londone brugge wos send
To shonde;
So ich ever mote _the_--sum while wende he
Ther lutel to stonde.
He rideth thourth the site as J tell may,
With gomen and with solas that wos here play,
To londone brugge hee nome the way;
Moni was the wyues chil’ that ther on loketh a day,
And seide alas!
That he was i_bore_--and so villiche for_lore_
So feir mon as he wos!
Now stont the heued above the tubrugge,
Fast bi Waleis soth for to sugge.’
“Now, Mr. Geoffrey Barbican, as these barbarous rhymes are but just
intelligible, even to an Antiquary, by a very careful reading and
consideration, you will, I dare say, excuse me, if I give you a
paraphrase of them in modern prose; which would be expressed somewhat
in this manner.--With fetters and with leg-irons I wot that he was
drawn from the Tower of London that many might know it; dressed in
a short coat of coarse cloth, through Cheapside, having on his head
a garland of the last fashion; and many Englishmen, to see Simon
Frisel, began to run thither. Then was he brought to the gibbet, and
first being hung, he was also beheaded, which he thought it long ere
he endured it. After, he was opened, and his bowels burned; but his
head was sent to London Bridge, to affright beholders: so ever might I
thrive, as that once he little thought to stand there. He rides through
the City, as I may well tell you, with game and gladness around him,
which was the rejoicing of his enemies, and he took the way to London
Bridge. Many were the wives’ children that looked upon him, and said,
Alas, that he was born! and so vilely forsaken, so terrible a man as
he was! Now the head stands above the Town bridge, close to that of
Wallace, truly to say.
“Such is this ballad account of the matter; and, in quitting my notice
of the manuscript that contains it, I have but to say that, it is
written on old discoloured parchment, in a square gothic text, the ink
of which is turned brown by time, with many contractions, and much
vile spelling; and that its other contents are all exceedingly curious
and valuable; and, as the ‘_Harleian Catalogue_,’ volume i., at page
585, tells us, they are ‘partly in old French, partly in Latin, and
partly in English, partly in verse, and partly in prose.’ You will
find, however, the whole of this long Poem printed in the late Joseph
Ritson’s interesting volume, entitled, ‘_Ancient Songs from the time
of King Henry the Third to the Revolution_,’ London, 1790, 8vo., pages
5-18. Maitland himself also relates the fate of Sir William Wallace, at
page 109 of his ‘_History_,’ verifying his narrative by references to
several of the Cloisteral Historians; nor does there, I believe, exist
any earlier notice of the Tower on London Bridge having been used for
the terrific purpose of exhibiting the heads of such as were executed
for High Treason, which procured for it the name of Traitors’ Gate. You
will remember I have already proved that edifices were standing upon
London Bridge at a very early period; and, were it required, here is an
additional proof of it, not to be disputed. Stow, when he is speaking
of the Towers upon the Bridge, in his ‘_Survey_,’ volume i., pages 61
and 64, gives us not a word concerning their age, so of that I must
treat hereafter, when we come down to the years in which they were
repaired, or rebuilt; and I will, therefore, here remark only, that the
heads were at this time erected on a Tower at the North end, and that
they were not removed to the Southern extremity, where they so long
remained, until about the year 1579.
“I am for _your_ sake, my good friend, truly sorry that my next notice
of London Bridge must be another Patent Roll, of the 14th year of King
Edward II.,--1320,--Part the First, Membrane the 19th; but, it shews,
at any rate, the state of the edifice in that year: and you will find
it referred to in Stow’s ‘_Survey_,’ volume i., page 60; in Maitland’s
‘_History_,’ volume i., page 47; in the original Latin in Hearne’s
‘_Liber Niger_,’ volume i., page *477; and in English it ran as follows.
“‘Concerning the subsidies of the Messengers for the work of the Bridge
of London, complaining to be admitted.
“‘The King to the Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Rectors, and
all other Ministers of the Holy Mother Church, to whom these presents
shall come,--Greeting. Seeing that, even now, so many evils,--not
only in the loss of goods, but that innumerable bodies of men are
in peril through the ruin of the Bridge at London,--are likely soon
to come to pass, if that they should not be taken away: we, being
willing to provide against this kind of dangers, and to take care of
the public and private interests, do desire you, when the keepers of
the costly work of the Bridge aforesaid, or their messengers, whom
we undertake specially to protect and defend, shall come to collect
every where throughout your Dioceses, Rectories, or any other of your
jurisdictions, aids for the said work from the pious and the devout,
you do, in friendship, admit them, from the contemplation of God,
the regard of charity, and for evidence of devotion in this matter:
admitting them to excite the people by their pious persuasions, and
charitably to invoke the assistance of their alms for the reparation
of the Bridge aforesaid. Not bringing upon them, nor permitting to be
brought upon them, any injuries, molestations, damage, impediment, or
grievance. And if any thing shall have been forfeited by them, amends
shall be made without delay. In testimonial of which, &c. Witness the
King, at Langele, the Thirteenth day of August.’
“A much more curious instrument than this, however, is recorded on
the Patent Rolls of the 17th Year of Edward II.,--1323,--Part the
Second, Membrane 9; inasmuch as it particularises several parts of
the Bridge property in the ancient Stocks Market, of which we should
now be without the knowledge, if it had not been for the careful
enumeration of them which is here contained. You will see, that this
confirmatory instrument has particular reference to one which I have
already rehearsed to you, and that it is of that kind, commonly called
an _Inspeximus_, from the Latin word used in their commencement,
meaning, ‘we have seen,’ because the words of the original Charter are
there repeated. This Patent is entitled ‘For the Keepers of the Bridge
of London;’ the original Latin may be seen on page *482 of Hearne’s
‘_Liber Niger_,’ volume i.; and the English of it runs in the following
terms.
“‘The King to all to whom, &c. Greeting. We have seen a Charter
belonging to the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of
London, written in these words.--‘To all the faithful in Christ to
whom these present letters shall come, Hamo de Chiggewell, Mayor, the
Aldermen, and the whole Commonalty of the City of London, Greeting:’
Know ye that as the Lord Edward, formerly King of England, of famous
memory, father of our Lord the King that now is, in the tenth year
of his reign, granted for himself and his heirs, to Henry le Waleys,
then Mayor, and the Commonalty of the City aforesaid, that those
places contiguous to the wall of the burial-place of the Church of
Wolchurch, on the North part of the Parish of the same Church, should
be built upon and rented for the support of the Bridge of London,
according as they should see to be expedient for their commodity, and
that of this great City; and that the said places, so built upon and
rented, should be held by themselves, and their heirs, for the support
of the Bridge aforesaid, for ever, even as in the aforesaid letters
is fully contained. And the before-mentioned Henry, the Mayor, and
the Commonalty of the City aforesaid, for the common profit of their
City, have built and constructed that house upon the places aforesaid,
and have called it the Stokkes, and they have ordained the same for
the Butchers and Fishmongers selling therein, as in a place situated
nearly in the midst of the City; and the rents from the stalls are
assigned for the increasing and support of the aforesaid Bridge.
For the Stalls of the Butchers, and of the Fishmongers, may not be
permitted, excepting, namely, in the broad way of Bridge Street, of
East Cheap, and in the way of Old Fish Street, and the Butcher Row
on the West, in the Parish of St. Nicholas; even as it was anciently
accustomed to be, according to the ordinance and disposal of the
aforesaid Henry, and the then Common Council of the City aforesaid,
as in this part we have seen fully to be preserved: at which time the
Butchers and Fishmongers sold their flesh and fish in the same, and
in none other of the contiguous places and neighbourhoods, excepting
the streets before mentioned, and the rents of the said stalls were
carried to the keepers of the said Bridge, who, for a time, returned
them in aid of the support of the said Bridge. But we, the aforesaid
Mayor and Aldermen, lately receiving the complaint of John Sterre and
Roger Atte-Wynne, Keepers of the Bridge aforesaid, that the Butchers
and Fishmongers of the City aforesaid, who ought to stand to sell their
flesh and fish in the place aforesaid, have accustomed themselves to
diminish the rents of the aforesaid, contriving another stall for
selling their flesh and fish, at the top of King Street, and in other
contiguous places and neighbourhoods without the house aforesaid,
that such persons for stalls existing within the house aforesaid, pay
nothing, against the ordinance in this article formerly provided; and
by their own authority they have prepared, and have sold their flesh
and fish; by which the rents aforesaid, on which, in great part, the
maintenance of the aforesaid Bridge exists, will be immensely reduced.
Upon which the said keepers supplicate us for their remedy, to be by
us applied. And we having considered this, whether that such kinds
of sales may any longer be tolerated in the Bridge aforesaid, and in
the aforesaid City, as, to all crossing by that Bridge, peril and
damage may manifestly happen: and also this, that our Lord the King,
by his writ, hath given it in command, that those things which in the
premises are least according to custom, and against the aforesaid
ordinance, should be attempted to be corrected and amended, and in
their original state rebuilt,--we should build. And being willing to
provide against such kinds of damages and perils, and to be obedient
in all things to the commands of our Lord aforesaid, we have caused
to be called before us the Butchers and Fishmongers aforesaid, and
also those that have sold their flesh and fish in other contiguous
places and neighbourhoods, without the house aforesaid, against the
aforesaid ordinance; and in the discourse which we have held, there
was nothing which they have said in this matter, nor have known to be
said, by which the said ordinance ought to be invalidated, but they
have petitioned that the ordinance and agreement formerly made in this
article, might be observed. We therefore looked at the ordinance for
this kind of sales, and the ancient customs, and saw the agreement of
the aforesaid Henry le Waleys, then Mayor, concerning this kind of
sales, made and ordained by the consent of the whole Commonalty; and
by our general consent, and that of the whole Commonalty aforesaid,
we have agreed, and granted, that the aforesaid ancient ordinances and
agreements concerning this kind of sales, be, for the future, firmly
and permanently established: so that if any shall have offended, or
have spoken against the aforesaid ancient ordinances and customs, they
shall, firstly, lose the thing exposed for sale; and, secondly, they
shall lose the liberty of the aforesaid City, according to the laws
and customs of the same City, as hath been anciently accustomed to be
done. And because it is useful that we revolve excellent things which
are departed, and ancient things lying obscured to lead into light,
that by the same the memory of perishable matters may be recalled to
sense, and offenders themselves be made to abstain from evil actions
on account of their perpetual memory, for the strengthening of these
presents we have caused to be attached to them the Common Seal of our
City aforesaid, under the custody of the aforesaid keepers, and of the
succeeding keepers, who, for the time, have been, and are for ever to
be preserved. Given in Guildhall, London, before the Mayor, Aldermen,
and Commonalty aforesaid, on Saturday next after the Feast of Saint
Valentine,’--February the 14th,--‘in the seventeenth Year of the reign
of King Edward the son of King Edward.--We have also granted and
confirmed the ordinances, agreements, contracts, and grants aforesaid,
and all other things contained in the aforesaid writing, having
established and acknowledged them for us and our heirs, so much as in
us lies, as the aforesaid writing may fairly witness. In testimony of
which, &c. Witness the King, at the Tower of London, the 16th day of
June. For a fine of ten marks:’--that is to say the sum of £6. 13_s._
4_d._
“Before entering upon the tumultuous reign of Richard II. I must
observe to you, Mr. Barbican, that in the Patent Roll for the 42nd of
Edward III.--1368,--Membrane 21, there is a sort of memorandum of a
transfer of a piece of ground from the Friars Minors for the support of
London Bridge, the title of which is couched in the following terms:
‘The Guardians of the Friars Minors of London remit for ever to the
Mayor, &c. of London, one portion of land on the Southern side of the
Church within Newgate, in London, for the support of the Bridge at
London, they giving for the same, to the Abbot of Westminster, the sum
of four shillings, the which is contained in divers covenants: the King
hath confirmed it.’
“Well!” said I to Mr. Postern, on his conclusion of these Patents,
“this succession of your dull and never-ending Charters would weary
the patience of the most phlegmatic Dutch Lawyer that ever studied at
Leyden. Come there any more of them, my honest friend? or may we yet
look out for land, after so long tossing in the wide sea of the Tower
Records?”