extreme height of the Monument is upwards of twenty feet. For this fpecimen of national fculpture, which has been dedicated by a grateful country to the memory of a departed Hero, the Artist, John Flaxman, Efq., R.A, is faid to have received 3,500 guineas. To the Editor of the European Magazine. SIR, London, 19th July, 1806. AFTER having laid down my pen from the 25th of Auguft, 1724, which was, I think, the date of my Laft letter, you will, perhaps, wonder to fee that I have taken it up again, and, with many others, fay, that it is not mended by the rest it has had. But as I am not very anxious about what either you or the world fay of me, I have no doubt that when the wonder I have hinted at has lasted nine days, which is, I believe, the usual time, it will fubfide into the ordinary courie of things; but perhaps a ftill greater wonder will arife, from the circumftance of its having been maliciously reported that I died in Dublin five years before the middle of the last century, that I fhould be found alive and well in London at the beginning of the prefent. It would be to little purpofe, were I to fet about anfwering this and many other idle reports that have been circulated concerning me. No man can give a ftronger proof of his being alive, than an affertion under his own band and feal; and thefe this letter will furnih you with therefore, leaving the idlers to amuse themselves refpecting me in what manner they pleafe, I must in. form you, that finding, like many others, I had written about money till I had none left to buy any more paper, and that, forfaken by my former cuf tomers, although my health was tolerable, my Spirit was totally gone, I thought that it was high time to fhut up my thop. This I did in our way, by not fuffering the boy to open it one morning the latter end of October, in the year 1745As St. Patrick's bell was at that time tulling, the people, feeing my bop but, thought that it was for me, and without taking much pains to examine into the matter, they came round my fhop, and were loud in their bowlings and lamentations. "Ah! poor M. B.," laid they, "Why would you die, and leave all your coppers behind you "Heaven knows I had very few copters to leave; but this was nei : ther there nor here, as the faying isa "I with Wood was in his fituation," faid one." Ah! but he will foon be in Wood," cried another." We shall have a deluge of bad halfpence now,) faid a third. "Raps will flow from all parts of the country." "Black dogs will bark at us at every corner of the ftreet;" with a number of fuch obiervations, were uttered by others. However, I kept myself fnug; and finding, from the temper of the times, that I could not do any more good in Ireland, I packed up my alls in a small compass, and getting a paffage on board a cheese ship, for which I did not pay a fingle mite, I failed for Park Gate, where I landed foon after. The country was at this time, 1745, in a very turbulent state; but you will believe that I found bad halfpence were in much greater plenty than either guineas or fhillings. I had, however, the good fortune to receive fome of the two latter fpecies of coin from an old customer; and having made fome obfervations on the former, with which I shall not now trouble you, I travelled on to Chefter. In this city I went into bufinefs in my old way, and continued there fome years. As I was now in a place of confiderable traf fic, it was natural enough for me to obferve even the most common species of coin, with which its fubordinate parts were carried on. I found in this coun try fuch a plenty of harps †, that I thought my friend Will Wood had had a mint in the neighbourhood, and that they exhibited an emblem of the privilege of the Duttons; but upon inquiry I found that they were all imported. I made many other researches into the ftate of the copper coinage, fome of which have been already anticipated in the Magazine, but others I shall find occafion to remark upon in my next, and perhaps fubfequent letters; for you will fee, Mr. Editor, that the purport of this is merely to announce my self to the public, to do away a malicious and il-founded report, and to be the precurfor to the future observations of SIR, Your very obedient humble fervant, M. B. DRAPIER. *A fpecies of halfpence, fo cailed from being caft in fand, and confequently fo rough that they collected dirt, &c. † Irish halfpence, with the harp on the reverfe; they were chiefly of George the Firft. VESTIGES, VESTIGES, collected and recollected. By JOSEPH MOSER, Efq. No. XLVII. A PHILOSOPHICAL AND MORAL VIEW OF ANCIENT AND MODERN LONDON. WITH NOTES, &c. Chapter XII. AT the clofe of the laft Chapter we itated, that we should, in the courfe of this, advert to fome other circumstances that had, in conjunction with thofe already mentioned, contributed to raise London to that comparative state of opulence which, even in the progreis, and at the termination of the fifteenth century, notwithstanding the commotions and revolutions which had occurred, notwithstanding the frequent impofitions of thofe taxes called aids, and the fevere afflictions of pestilence and fiminet, the exhibited; though, with * September 15, 1297, King Edward the Iit levied a property tax of an Eighth, (which bore this appellation,) upon the eltates and effects of all the laymen throughout the kingdom, for the support of his war with France. It would be cu rious, and confequently defirable, to learn the mode in which this tax, which muft have impeded the then rifing commerce of the country was affeffed, and how it was collected. Thefe, from the manner in which filcal operations were then conduct ed, were probably works of fome diffi culty. Edward the IIId, in the year 1339, lefs moderate than his ancestor, is laid to have exacted from the people of England, without diftinction, a fifth of their property; but the accuracy of this ftatement has been doubted, as it has been thought impoffible that fuch a contribution, together with the other taxes, could have been levied. †The frequent recurrence of years of fcarcity, induced the Parliament, during a famine A.D. 1315, to try the experiment of reducing the enormous price of the neceffaries of life, by fixing a standard beyond which they were not to be told; but this, it was foon difcovered, produced an effect diametrically oppofite to what had been expected. The markets, particularly thofe in London, which had before been but (cantily supplied, were now nearly abandoned; fo that they were obliged to repeal this ftatute the next fethion, and leave provifions to find their own level. Here we muit obferve, that VOL. L. JULY 1806. refpect to the latter misfortune, which has been ftated to be the greatest and moft fevere that could visit any country, as it was, particularly in the metropolis, the fource of many others, it feems, if we take wheat as the criterion of plenty or fcarcity, to have, in many inftances, accrued from bad management, rather than real fterility, as it is to be obferved there was no commodity the price of which fluctuated fo much, varying according to the operation of the times upon the different markets, from three fhillings and fourpence the quarter, at which rate this neceffary article was fold, in the year 1288*, till it arofe to more than twenty thillings. authers have, perhaps too incautiously, termed this reftriction" an ill-judged act:" but that could only be learned from the event. It feems to have beer, as has been stated, an experiment, which the necellities of the times, and more the complaints of the citizens, impreffed upon the minds of legiflators but intle uled to confider the operations of traffic, fuggelted. The complainants had probably, even in that early age of commerce, heard of monopolies, though they might have efcaped the attention of their legislators; for although the word fpeculation had not yet entered into the vocabulary of the language, its effects, when by them pointed out to the King's Counsellors and Parliament, were fufficiently visible to induce them to endeavour to counteract them. It in this they were unfuccefsful, they had certainly the merit of having acted from the best of motives, a defire to alleviate the diftrefs of the people. It may here be proper to note, that Edward the It had, in the beginning of his reign, 1274, in the time of Henry de Waleys, Mayor, iffued an ordinance, in which he feems to fix the price of almost every fpecies of food. This, which is quoted by Seymour from Stow, is, with the other ftatutes, ftill extant in the Chamber of London. How they were obeyed, even in years of plenty, it is eafy to conjecture. * This year the harvest was fo abun dant in England, that the quarter of wheat was fold in fome places for twenty pennies, in fome for fixteen, and in others for twelve. (Trivst, p. 266.) Stow fays, that in the west and north parts of the countries it was fold for eight pennies, fhillings. The variation in the fif teenth and fixteenth of Edward the It was, that in the former wheat was fold for ten groats a quarter, and in the latter for eighteen-pence a bufhel. In the feventeenth year of the reign of this Prince, there fell fo much rain, that wheat was raifed from three-pence the bufhel to fixteen-pence, and fo increafed yearly, till at last (as we have obferved) it was fold for twenty fhillings the quarter.-Baker's Chronicle, p. 101. Having been fo particular with refpect to the variations in the price of wheat, becaufe famine has, we have already obferved, been stated to have been one of the circumftances which tended in fome degree to reprefs the energy of the people, and confequently the rifing profperity of the metropolis; and having alfo in the note, from much higher authority than our own, thown, that it not only arofe, as we ventured to hint, from bad management, but from a want of understanding the commercial mode of circulating this and other neceffary articles, we muft ftill further ftate, that although the effects of neglected agriculture and contracted traffic were obvious, they were, in our opinions, by no means fo much to be deplored as the other fevere affliction which affailed the city, namely pestilence, which we fear the mode of building, and the want of cleanliness among the lower orders of the people, more than either the quality for the fcarcity of their provifions, engendered. (being one farthing a peck,) but in London when at the dearest price of the year, fo high as three fhillings and tour pence. Such a monstrous inequality in an article of the first neceffity, fhows that the home carrying trade, the greateft, and by far the most important, in any well regulated country, was ftil almost unknown in Eng. land.-Macpherson's Annals of Commerce, Vol. I, p. 449. * It must be observed, that until the year 1433, a quarter of corn confifted of nine bushels. In the celebrated ordinance of Edward the Ift, to which we have referred, every article of civic food now in ufe, This trade, from a variety of other caufes, but particularly from the spread of inland navigations, feems to be now thoroughly understood and advantage oudly practifed. With respect to the mode of building adopted in general, not only in London 'but (except turtle and venifon, yet we know the latter was plenty,) is mentioned, and alfo a number of the names have either been changed, or they are not now to be found in the markets. It appears that in ancient times the expenfes of houfekeeping in London had become enermous: there is extant an account made by Henry Leicester, Cofferer to Thomas Earl of Lancaster, of one year's expenditure in the faid Earl's houfe, from the day next after Michaelmas, in the 7th of Edward the IId, 1313, to Michaelmas Day following, which we find amounted to the (for that time) enormous fum of 7957!. 135. 4d.*; of which 34051. was expended in the pantry, buttery, and kitchen, though an ox fatted with corn was, even at the dearest time, or what was termed a famine, fold for twenty fhillings, and all other articles of provisions in proportion. The housekeeping of Hugh Spencer the elder is recorded, about the fame period, to have much exceeded that of the Earl of Lancaster: his effects, confifting of ar mour, plate, jewels, and money, when banished, were valued at 10,000l., befides his eftates, live and dead stock, wine, wool, and a library of books. In fact, the luxury of the table, from thefe examples, by gradual degrees, arose to fuch height, that in the next reign it was thought necessary to retrain it by the ftatute of 10 Edward III, which prohibited all perfons, of whatever rank, from having more than two courfes, and more than two kinds of meat, with pottages in each course, except on eighteen holidays in the year, wher, fays the author of Annals of Commerce, "Gluttony and extravagance might be freely indulged." But however wholesome and laudable the enactments of this itatute might be, for certainly it was a confiderable step toward amendment, to attempt to reduce the gala days of the Citizens, for inftance, to eighteen, from at least a hundred and eighty; yet we fear they were but little regarded, as we apprehend the entertaining of four Kings by Henry Picard, at his houfe in the Vintry, which has been fo often mentioned, is not the only inftance of the opulence This fum is more than equal to two hundred thousand pounds of the prefent money. and but in the other cities and towns of England, it was certainly, as if contrived on purpofe, calculated to impede that free circulation of air fo neceffary to the health, and confequently the existence, of their inhabitants. When we take an ideal view of the metropolis at this period, and confider that although there were within its walls large vacant spaces, confifting of the gardens appertaining to the manfions of the Nobility, to the halls of Companies, and to the different monafteries and convents, which are now covered, and that the population, though it never has nor can be correctly afcertained, was certainly proportionably fmall, compared to what it is at prefent, yet it muft alfo be recollected, that little falubrity could be derived from these apparent advantages, because thofe parts of the city which were inhabited, which were, generally fpeaking, either along the bank of the river, weft from St. Paul's, and north to the wall, were interfected by narrow streets, lanes, and alleys, and encumbered with houfes, whofe apartments jutting out ftory above ftory, almoft in their upper touched thofe on the oppofite fide, forming paffages rather than streets, &c. In places like thefe, habitations thus conftructed, the cielings of which were low, and whofe inmates were numerous, mult certainly, even if cleanlinefs had been attended to within, have engendered difeafe: and luxury of this age to be found upon record: indeed we find, that the latter had this year, 1363, arifen to fuch a height, that the parliament thought it neceffary to prefcribe, by the ftatute 37 Edw. 3. cc. 8-14, a fcale of victuals and clothing for the various members of the community, regulated by the rank, fortune, or profeffion of each individual. "But," fays the author of Annals of Commerce, after enumerating many, "it would be too tedious to go into the minutie of thefe futile and fhort-lived regulations, especially those for the dresses and trinkets of the women. We learn by them, that veils were worn even by the wives and daughters of fervants, who were not allowed to give more than 12 pennies for them." (Annals of Commerce.) We are told, that the plunder brought from France furnished the materials of a great part of the extravagance now complained of, and an infectious example for the reft of it." (Walfingham, p. 186.) but as we have reafon to believe that was not the cafe, as the want of that plentiful fupply of water, which now adds fo much to the health and comfort of the people, and the custom which prevailed among the lower orders, of wearing, at all feafons of the year, fcarcely any apparel but what was made of woollen, operated to the repreffion, and encouraged that neglect of domeftic and perfonal purity which we have hinted has been faid to have rendered their houfes morbid dens, it is little to be wondered that peftilential diseases fometimes prevailed; indeed the only wonder is, that they were not more frequent. Although, philofophically fpeaking, we apprehend thefe to be fome of the caufes that produced those dreadful vifitations; yet, as the author whom we have quoted at the end of the note has affigned the means obtained by the conqueft of part of their country, and the bad example of the French operating upon the minds of the English, as reafons that produced the luxury, extravagance, (and confequently dif eafe,) among them, which the Parliament by fumptuary laws in vain endeavoured to reftrain; fo Rapin, who feems to be of the fame opinion, has given a ftill more moral and religious turn to the fubject, and very properly confiders the plague as a vifitation for the fins of the people: he has fo well defcribed his ideas, that we shall quote his words; for although, fince the conflagration in the year 1666, the peltilence has ceased, the vices and follies alluded to, which very frequently produce other plagues, we fear till continue to operate. [1348.] "During the profperity enjoyed by the English," (after their Monarch had fo gloriously terminated his triumphs in France by the conquest of Calais, and had still obtained a greater conqueft over himself by a refusal of the Imperial dignity *,) "it is no won der der that eafe and plenty threw them into exceffes that are the ufual attendants thereof. All the hiftorians unanimoufly affirm, that an unbridled debauchery at that time prevailed throughout the kingdom, and the women laying afide their modefty, the great ornament of their fex, feemed to glory in the lofs of their virtue. Nothing was more common than to fee them running in troops and tilts, dreffed like cavaliers, with fwords by their fides, and mounting their steeds adorned with rich trappings, without any regard to the ho nour of their reputation. The men's their eyes on the King of England, a Monarch whom the battle of Crefly and the taking of Calais had rendered very famous Victories like thefe had probably taught them to believe that he was born to revive the glory of the Roman name, and to tranimit it to his fon. But Edward, who was not ignorant that the acceptance of this dignity at fuch a juncture was likely to inve ve him in a long feries of contention, and had befides in view, however diftant, the crown of France, most prudently and politically declined the offered honour. The Crown Field, part of which is now Cheapfide, was in this age the principal rendezvous of Ladies and Knights; here they ufed to parade in their mottiendid paraphernalia and paroply. It seems to have been, allowing for the difference of drefs and manners within the walls, what Hyde Park was in after-ages, and fill is, without. In the Crown Field, toward the latter end of the reign of Edward the Ilid, a fplendid tournament was exhibited, and Alice Perrors apucared in the character, or rather under the appellation, of the Lady of the Sun, fitting by the fide of the Monarch in a triumphal charict, and attended by many ladies of quality, each leading Knight by his h. rie's bridle † †The very reverfe of this is affected by Pernant: he, upon what authority we know not, lays, the train of Knights folJowed the car of the Lady of the Sua, each leading a beautiful palfrey, mounted by a damfel we will fuppofe, ftill more beautiful. This would be more confcnant to that galantry which was the fpirit of the mes, did we not know that ladies in romance net.mes led the feeds of their Knights into the field, and that Knights in panoply could not ftir a foot to Jead them. exceffes were no lefs fcandalous. God permitted not thefe diforders to go long unpunished: a terrible plague, after raging in Afia and part of Europe, fpread itfelf into France, and from thence into England, where it made fuch defolation that one half of the nation was swept away *; London, especially, Stow fays, that Cheapfide was no manner of fireet, but a fair large place called the Crown Field †," and "tournaments were held there in the time of Edward the IIId," who had a palace there, built by Edward the Ift, called the Cornets' Tower, the fite of which is now part of BucklefSmithfield, where the Lady of the Sun bury. Tournaments were alfo held in and her lover, then fixty-two years of age, are alfo faid to have prefided. *This horrid peftilence, it is faid, was first engendered in the kingdem of Cathay, in Alia, in the year 1346, whence it fpread to other parts of that quarter of the world, and then palled into Greece, Africa, and Europe. It vifited France, and finally extended to England, being probably the confequence of our helligerent connexion with that country. In this place, (rendered remarkable by one of thofe monuments of conjugal affection erected by Edward the Ift to the memory of his Queen Elinor,) before Edward the IIId was in what hiftorians have termed his dotage, that is, in the year 1331, were held a feries of mot fplendid tournaments, which began September 21, and continued three days: a fcaffold was erected for Queen Philippa and her ladies, who, as will be fuppofed, the valiant deeds of the Knights, which, were all mo richly attired to behold Stow fays, fuddenly broke afunder, and caufed either a ferious or comic terminawhich, from the hint of the hiftorian, who tion of the folemnity, we fcarcely know fays (with fome fhame) we are inclined to think it might in fome degree resemble "The fall of Bajazet, in Hogarth's Southwark Fair." Be this as it may, the King, to prevent fuch accidents in future, ordered a building of ftone to be erected near the church of St. Mary-le-Bow, for hintelt, the Queen, and other States, and where afterward the beautiful Alice Perrers attracted the attention, though, perhaps, when her expenfes were confidered, not the unqualified admiration of the me tropolitans. Here |