1694. The Triumphs of London, performed on Oct. 29, 1694, for the Entertainment of Sir Thomas Lane, Knt. Lord Mayor of the City of London, containing a full description of the Pageants, Speeches, Songs, and the whole Solemnity of the day. Performed on Monday the 29 of October 1694. Set forth at the proper costs and charges of the Honorable Company of Clothworkers. Published by authority. London, printed, and are to be sold by Richard Baldwin, at the Oxford Arms Inn, in Warwick Lane. 1694. 4to. pp. 16. A copy of this Triumph was sold with that of 1689, at Mr. West's sale; and one is in the City of London Library. 1695. The Triumphs of London, performed on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1695, for the Entertainment of the Right Honourable Sir John Houblon, Knt. Lord Mayor of the City of London; containing a true description of the several Pageants, with the Speeches spoken on each Pageant; all prepared at the proper costs and charges of the Worshipful Company of Grocers. To which is added, a New Song on his Majesty's Return. By E[lkanah] S[ettle]. 4to. Of this Pageant a copy was sold at Mr. West's sale (see under 1689), and one at Mr. Bindley's sale, Feb. 27, 1819, to Mr. Rhodes, for 17. 15s. For 1696 no Pageant has been found. On Oct. 26 the Editor of the Protestant Mercury says: "I am informed that his Majesty has excused his being present in the City on the Lord Mayor's day, but 'tis said his Majesties coaches, drums, and trumpets will be sent to attend his Lordship. 'Twas discoursed that there would be no Pageants this year, but the same is a mistake, for the Show will be as splendid as usual." In 1697 there was evidently no Pageant, as appears by the title in the succeeding year. 1698. Glory's Resurrection; being the Triumphs of London revived, for the inauguration of the Right Honourable Sir Francis Child, Knt. Lord Mayor of the City of London: containing a description (and also the Sculptures) of the Pageants, and the whole solemnity of the Day. All set forth at the proper cost and charge of the Honourable Company of Goldsmiths. Published By Authority. London, Printed for R. Barnham in Little Britain. 1698. This, as well as all the remainder, was by Settle. A copy was sold at the Bindley sale, Dec. 17, 1818, for 4l. 14s. 6d. 1699. The Triumphs of London, for the Inauguration of the Right Honourable Sir Richard Levett, Kt. Lord Mayor of the City of London; containing a description of the Pageants, together with the Publick Speeches, and the whole Solemnity of the Day. Performed on Monday the 30th Day of October, Anno 1699. All set forth at the proper cost of the Honourable Company of Haberdashers. Published by Authority. London, Printed for A. Baldwin at the Oxford Arms in WarwickLane, MDCXCIX. fol. pp. 12. A copy was sold at the Bindley Sale, Feb. 14, 1819, for 67. 6s. to Mr. Hibbert; one at Mr. Rhodes's sale April 28, 1825, for 21. 3s. There are two copies in the City of London Library. 1700. The Triumphs of London [&c. as in the last, for Sir Thomas Abney, Knt. at the cost of the Fishmongers]. London, Printed for R. Barnham, in Little Britain. 1700. fol. pp. 12. A copy of this was found at Fishmongers' Hall in 1825.-" On this occasion there was in Cheapside five fine Pageants, and a person rode before the cavalcade in armour, with a dagger in his hand, representing Sir William Walworth, the head of the Rebel Watt. Tyler being carried on a pole before him. This was the more remarkable, by reason that story has not been before represented these 40 years, none of the Fishmongers' Company happening to be Lord Mayor since."-Post Boy, Oct. 31. 1701, The Triumphs of London [as before, for Sir William Gore, Knt. at the cost of the Mercers]. London, printed for John Nutt, near Stationers-Hall. 1701. fol. pp. 16 There is a copy in Mr. Gough's collection at the Bodleian Library, and another in the City of London Library. 1702. The Triumphs of London, at the inauguration of the Right Honourable Sir Samuel Dashwood, Kt. Lord Mayor of the City of London; containing a description of the Pageants, the speeches, and the whole solemnity of the Day. Performed on Thursday the 29th of October. All set forth at the cost and charge of the Honourable Company of Vintners. Together with the Relation of Her Majesty's Reception and Entertainment at Dinner in Guildhall. Published by Authority. pp. 12. London, printed in the year 1702. fol. A copy is in the City of London Library. For a notice of the enter tainment see the former part of the present pamphlet, p. 84. 1708, The Triumphs of London, for the Inauguration of the Right Honourable Sir Charles Duncombe, Knt. Lord Mayor of the City of London; containing the description (and also the sculptures) of the Pageants, and the whole Solemnity of the Day, performed on Friday the 29th of October; anno 1708. All set forth at the proper cost and charge of the Honourable Company of Goldsmiths. Published by Authority. London, printed for and to be sold by A. Baldwin, at the Oxford Arms in Warwick lane. 1708. fol. pp. 12. Copies are in the Bodleian Library, and that of the City of London; it was a mistake of Mr. Gough in his British Topography to suppose the "sculptures of the Pageants" mentioned in the title were prints belonging to the book. This exhibition was frustrated by the death of Prince George of Denmark, and no subsequent Lord Mayor's Show was described in a separate publication. Sir Gilbert Heathcote was in 1711 the last Lord Mayor who rode in the civic procession on horseback.* In 1730, shortly before Lord Mayor's day, the following Advertisement was inserted in the newspapers by the celebrated Orator Henley. "At the Oratory, the corner of Lincoln's Inn Fields near Clare Market, this day, being Wednesday, at six o'clock in the evening, will be a new Riding upon an old cavalcade, entitled THE CITY IN ITS GLORY, OR, MY LORD MAYOR'S SHEW, explaining to all capacities that wonderful Procession, so much envy'd in Foreign Parts, and nois'd at Paris, on my Lord Mayor's day; the fine appearance and splendour of the Companies of Trades; Bear and Chain; the Trumpeters, Drums, and Cries, intermixed; the qualifications of my Lord's Horse; the whole Art and History of the City Ladies and Beaux at gape-stare in the balconies; the airs, dress, and motions; the two Giants walking out to keep holiday; like snails o'er a cabbage, says an old author, they all crept along, admired by their wives, and huzza'd by the throng." A notice of Lord Mayor's day in 1740+ will be found in the Diary of Richard Hoare Esq. then one of the Sheriffs, privately printed n 1815 by his Grandson, that munificent patron of antiquarian literature, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart. "What added magnificence to this day's show was, that his Lordship [Humphrey Parsons]'s coach was drawn by six horses, adorned with grand harnesses, ribbons, &c. a sight never seen before on this occasion." * Hone's Ancient Mysteries. + In 1740, on the 12th of November, the anniversary of Admiral Vernon's birthday, there were bonfires and illuminations, and "at Chancery Lane end was a Pageant, whereon was represented Admiral Vernon, and a Spaniard on his knee offering him a sword; a view of Porto Bello, &c."-It will from this be perceived that the modern successors of Pageants are the transparencies exhibited on nights of Illumination. From a subsequent entry on the 5th of November it appears that Sir Robert Godschall determined to observe the same Equipage on every public occasion, which " caused a more than ordinary concourse of people in the streets." A humourous description of the Lord Mayor's show in 1773 will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine of that date, and is reprinted in Hone's Every day Book, vol. ii. In 1792 was published "Lord Mayor's Day, or City Pageantry; a Poem by Timothy Touchstone, Gent. London, Printed for Ridgeway." In the year 1816, on the first day of his second Mayoralty, the Right Honourable Matthew Wood, in order to gratify the populace, chose to return from Westminster by land; on which the High Steward of the City and Liberties of Westminster (Lord Viscount Sidmouth) thought proper to protest against such deviation from the usual practice, " in order that the same course may not be drawn into precedent, and adopted on any future occcasion." In 1817, the death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales having occurred three days before Lord Mayor's day, the procession was omitted. In 1827 the Right Honourable Matthew Prime Lucas, being Alderman of Tower Ward, took water at the Tower Stairs; but a "far more attractive novelty" was something like a revival of the Pageants, in "two colossal figures representing the well known statues, Gog and Magog, of Guildhall. They were constructed of wicker work; each walked along by meams of a man withinside, who ever and anon turned the faces; and as the figures were fourteen feet high, their features were on a level with the first-floor windows. They were extremely well contrived, and appeared to call forth more admiration and applause than fell to the share of any of the other personages who formed part of the procession! Times, Nov. 10, 1827. I |