A LIST OF

LORD MAYORS' PAGEANTS,

OR PUBLICATIONS DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ANNUAL SHOW AT THE

INAUGURATION OF THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON;

WITH OTHER HISTORICAL NOTES RELATIVE TO THAT CEREMONY.

"Search all chronicles, histories, and records, in what language or letter soeverlet the inquisitive man waste the deere treasures of his time and eye-sight-he shall conclude his life only in this certainty, that there is no subject upon earth received into the place of his government with the like state and magnificence as is the Lord Maior of the Citty of London.”—Triumphs of Truth, 1613.

WHEN King John, in the year 1215, first granted a Mayor to the City of London, it was stipulated that he should be presented for approval either to the King or his Justice. From this originated the procession to Westminster, where the King's palace was situated. As the judges sat within the royal house, the citizens had alike to repair thither, whether they presented their chief magistrate to the King in person, or to his representative in the Exchequer. To fulfil this duty, they were accustomed to take their way on horseback, until Sir John Norman, the Mayor in 1452, resolved to go by water For this purpose a stately barge was built at his private expense, and the Companies imitated his example. This alteration proving highly advantageous to the watermen, they made a ballad in praise of the Mayor, beginning," Row thy boat, Norman, row to thy lemman.”* The water triumph has, with few exceptions, been ever since continued.

In 1501, some kitchens and other requisite offices having been then lately added to Guildhall, by a contribution from the Companies,

* Fabian's Chronicle.

Sir John Shaw was the first who held his feast there: it had been before given at the hall of the Drapers. The same Mayor also first caused the Aldermen to accompany him on horseback to the waterside, to take barge for Westminster.*

In 1563 was printed by John Day "The Order observed by the Lord Maior, the Aldermen, and Sheriffs, for their meetings and wearing the apparel, throughout the whole year, according as formerly it hath been used;"† in which we have the following particular account of the ceremonials at that period observed—

"On the morrow after Simon and Jude's-day, for my Lord's going to take his oath at Westminster.-All the Aldermen and the Sherriffs come to my new Lord at eight of the clock in their scarlet gowns furred, and their cloaks borne with them, and their horses, and so ride to Guildhall, and the bachelors and the livery of my Lord's company before him.

"But the old Lord rideth from his own place to the hall alone, having no officers to wait upon him but the Common Hunt, as a Gentleman-Usher, going, and those officers that be at liberty, and the Common Hunt his man (with his own men following him), and so tarrieth at the hall.

"And after they be come altogether, they take their horses and ride to the Vine-tree, and there take barge to Westminster bridge. And after they be landed, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen put on their cloaks, within the palace, and go round about the Hall, making courtesy in the Hall, and so up to the Exchequer to be sworn.

"Then, after the oath taken in the Exchequer, they come down and go first to the King's Bench, then to the Common Pleas, and so put off their cloaks, and go about the Kings' tombs in Westminster Abbey, and then take barge again; and being landed, he rideth to the Guild-hall to dinner, and all the Companies of the city with him; and at their coming into the hall, the new Lord Mayor, with two of the ancient Aldermen, Mr. Recorder, and the Sherriffs, go up to my Lord's table to bid them welcome, and likewise all the other guests there; and from thence to the Lady Mayoress's table, and so come out to the Gentlewomen's table, to the Judges; and so from thence my said new Lord Mayor goeth into the Chamberlain's office, where he dineth; and the old Lord Mayor, at their first coming into

* Fabian's Chronicle.

+ The same orders, as modified by changes of manners, have been reprinted from time to time by direction of the Corporation.

the hall, goeth up to the high table in the hustings, and there keepeth the state for that feast; and after the hall is almost served of the second [course], then the new Lord Mayor goeth, with Master Recorder, and those Aldermen that dine with him, to bid the old Lord, and all the guests in the Hall, welcome. Then, after dinner, goeth to St. Paul's, with all the Companies waiting before my Lord." In 1575, William Smyth, citizen and haberdasher, wrote "A breffe description of the Royall Citie of London, capitall citie of this realme of England." As the former writer has described the cere→ monies, this supplies a lively picture of "the pomp and circumstance" of an Elizabethan mayoralty:

"The day of St. Simon and St. Jude the Mayor enters into his state and office. The next day he goes by water to Westminster in most triumphant-like manner, his barge being garnished with the arms of the city; and near it a ship-boat of the Queen's Majesty, being trimmed up and rigged like a ship of war, with divers pieces of ordnance, standards, pennons, and targets of the proper arms of the said Mayor, of his Company, and of the Merchants Adventurers, or of the Staple, or of the Company of the New Trades. Next before him goeth the barge of the livery of his own Company, decked with their own proper arms; then the Bachelors' barge; and so all the Companies in order, every one having their own proper barge, with the arms of their Company. And so passing along the Thames, he landeth at Westminster, where he taketh his oath in the Exchequer before the Judge there: which done, he returneth by water as aforesaid, and landed at Paul's Wharf, where he and the rest of the Aldermen take their horses, and in great pomp pass through Cheapside.

"And first of all cometh two great standards, one having the arms of the City, and the other the arms of the Lord Mayor's Company; next them two drums and a flute; then an ensign of the City; and then about seventy or eighty poor men, marching two and two, in blue gowns, with red sleeves and caps, every one bearing a pike and a target, whereon is painted the arms of all those that have been Mayors of the same Company that this new Mayor is of. Then two banners, one of the King's arms, and one of the Mayor's own arms. Then a set of hautboys playing, and after them certain wyfflers, in velvet coats and chains of gold, with white staves in

*This word originally meant fifers, from "whiffle" a fife or small flute; but the city whifflers were evidently a selection from the young freemen, appointed to clear the way and marshal the procession.

their hands; then the Pageant of Triumph richly decked, whereupon, by certain figures and writings, some matter touching Justice and the office of a Magistrate is represented. Then sixteen Trumpeters, eight and eight, having banners of the Mayor's Company. Then certain wyfflers in velvet coats and chains, with white staves as before. Then the Bachelors, two and two, in long gowns, with crimson hoods on their shoulders of satin; which bachelors are chosen every year of the same Company that the Mayor is of (but not of the livery), and serve as gentlemen on that and other festival days, to wait on the Mayor, being in number according to the quantity of the Company, sometimes sixty or one hundred. After them twelve Trumpeters more. with banners of the Mayor's Company; then the Drum and Flute of the City, and an ensign of the Mayor's Company; and after, the Waits of the City in blue gowns, red sleeves and caps, every one having a silver collar about his neck. Then they of the Livery in their long gowns, every one having his hood on his left shoulder, half black and half red, the number of them according to the greatness of the Company whereof they are. After them follow Sheriffs' officers, and then the Mayor's officers, with other officers of the City, as the Common Serjeant and the Chamberlain; next before the Mayor goeth the Sword-bearer, having on his head the cap of honour, and the sword of the City in his right hand, in a rich scabbard, set with pearl, and on his left hand goeth the Common Crier of the City, with his great mace on his shoulder all gilt. The Mayor hath on a long gown of scarlet, and on his left shoulder a hood of black velvet, and a rich collar of gold of SS. about his neck, and with him rideth the old Mayor also, in his scarlet gown, hood of velvet, and a chain of gold about his neck. Then all the Aldermen, two and two, (among whom is the Recorder,) all in scarlet gowns; those that have been Mayors have chains of gold, the others have black velvet tippets. The two Sheriffs come last of all, in their black scarlet gowns and chains of gold. In this order they pass along through the City to the Guildhall, where they dine that day, to the number of 1000 persons, all at the charge of the Mayor and the two Sheriffs. This feast costeth £400, whereof the Mayor payeth £200, and each of the Sheriffs £100. Immediately after dinner, they go to St. Paul's church, every one of the aforesaid poor men bearing staff, torches, and targets, which torches are lighted when it is late before they come from evening prayer."

The following are the names of the City Poets, and the years in which they were employed. Fuller particulars of each will be found in the Biographia Dramatica.

1. GEORGE PEELE, the first on the list, had been bred at Oxford, where he was admitted to his degree of Master of Arts in 1579. He lived near the theatres on Bankside, and was the author of several plays, besides the Pageants of 1585 and 1591. He died before 1598, after having led a very dissolute life; some account of which was published with his Jests, in 1627, 4to.

2. ANTHONY MUNDAY's first publication was a "Discoverie" of the treasonable practices of E. Campion the Jesuit,* printed in 1582, in which he is styled "sometime the Pope's scholar, allowed in the seminarie of Rome." The opposite party thought proper to give the world more ample particulars of Munday's history, but less to his credit: they are quoted in the Biographia Dramatica. It is stated that he was an actor both before and after his journey to Rome, although in the mean time he wrote a ballad against the stage. After this period, however, between 1598 and 1602, he produced several plays. His Pageants are those of the years 1605, 1611, 1614, 1615, and 1616. Middleton, who wrote that of 1613, made a violent attack upon Anthony Munday. After observing that all things should be " correspondent to the generous and noble freenesse of cost and liberality" of the Citizens; "the streames of Art to æquall those of Bounty, a Knowledge that may take the true height of such a Solemnity;" his jealousy prompted him to add, “ the miserable want of both which, in the impudent common Writer, hath often forc'd from me much pitty and sorrow; and it would hertily grieve any understanding spirit to behold many times so glorious a fire in bounty and goodnesse offering to match it selfe with freezing art, sitting in darknesse, with the candle out, looking like the picture of Blacke Monday!" This, however, was not regarded by Munday's friends; he was employed in the two following years by members of his own Company, and in 1616 by a Fishmonger. To Munday we are indebted for the continuation of Stow's Survey of London, printed in 1618; and he compiled "A briefe Chronicle from the Creation to this time, 1611," Svo. His death did not happen until August 10, 1633, when he was 80 years of age; and he had a monument in St. Stephen's, Coleman Street.

* Some account of this book is attached to Hearne's Textus Roffensis, page 405.

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