“On the 7th of March, 1642, the two Houses of Parliament ordered that the City of London should be fortified, for its better security and safety; and on the day following the order was printed, in small quarto, a copy of which is in the King’s Collection of Tracts in the British Museum, volume 97; and of which, if I repeat you a portion of the title, you will receive all the information contained in the pamphlet itself. ‘An Ordinance and Declaration of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that the Lord Mayor and Citizens of the City of London, for the better securing and safetie thereof, shall have full power and authority, according to their discretion, to trench, stop, and fortifie all high-waies leading into the said City, as well within the Liberties, as without, as they shall see cause. And for the better effecting thereof, shall impose upon all the inhabitants within the same, upon every house worth £5. a year, six pence, and every house of greater rent, after the rate of two pence in the pound.’ Another copy of this ordinance was printed in April, 1643, and is to be found in volume 104 of the same collection. Maitland, in his ‘History,’ volume i., pages 368, 369, also mentions an act of Common Council passed for the same purpose, February the 23rd, 1642-43: and gives a plan of the fortifications erected round the City. It was enacted, says he, that ‘all the passages and ways leading to the City should be shut up, excepting those entering at Charing Cross, St. Giles’s in the Fields, St. John’s Street, Shoreditch, and Whitechapel; and that the exterior ends of the said streets should be fortified with breast-works and turnpikes, musket-proof; and all the sheds and buildings contiguous to London-Wall without, be taken down; and that the City Wall, with its bulwarks, be not only repaired and mounted with artillery, but, likewise, that divers new works be added to the same at places most exposed.’ When this act had been confirmed by the above ordinances of Parliament, the fortifications were commenced and carried on with considerable rapidity; men, women, and children, were employed upon the works; and, in a short time, an earthern rampart, with redoubts, horn-works, batteries, forts, and bulwarks, was erected round the Cities of London and Westminster, and the Borough of Southwark. We have no particular account, however, of the manner in which London Bridge was fortified at this period; and the great events which took place in the history of the Civil Wars seem to have swallowed up every circumstance connected with this edifice. We learn, indeed, that in the year 1647, the Parliamentary Army entered the City, whilst the Corporation was engaged in an irresolute debate as to the measures to be adopted for its defence: when frequent conciliatory messages passed between the chief Officers and London; and, the less to alarm the Metropolis, the soldiers were quartered at some distance from it. ‘However, in this calm,’—says Lord Clarendon, who relates these circumstances in his ‘History,’ volume iii., part i., book x., page 104,—‘they sent over Colonel Rainsborough with a brigade of horse, and foot, and cannon, at Hampton Court, to possess Southwark, and those works which secured that end of London Bridge; which he did with so little noise, that in one night’s march he found himself master, without any opposition, not only of the Borough of Southwark, but of all the works and forts which were to defend it; the soldiers within shaking hands with those without, and refusing to obey their officers which were to command them: so that the City, without knowing that any such thing was in agitation, found in the morning that all that avenue to the Town was possessed by the enemy; whom they were providing to resist on the other side, being as confident of this that they had lost, as of any gate in the City.’
“Bulstrode Whitelock, in his ‘Memorials of the English Affairs,’ London, 1732, folio, page 263, enables us to add to this account, that on Colonel Rainsborough’s advance to Southwark, he found the Bridge gates shut, the Portcullis lowered, and a guard within; but upon placing a counter-guard with two pieces of ordnance, against the gate, in a short time the great fort was surrendered; about two in the morning of Monday, the 2nd of August, 1647.
“A curious invention, which, very probably, was never carried into execution, was, in the year 1643, connected with the history of London Bridge; being the scheme of an unsuccessful engineer named Captain John Bulmer. You may see an original copy of his ‘Propositions in the Office of Assurance, London, for the Blowing up of a Boat and a man over London Bridge,’ in the King’s Collection of Tracts in the British Museum, Miscellaneous Pieces, volume 3*, folio, article 88. In this statement, which consists of a broadside of one page, he thus commences. ‘In the name of God, Amen, John Bulmer, of London, Esquire: Master and Surveiour Generall of the King’s Maiestie’s Mines Royall, and Engines for Water-workes, propoundeth—by God’s assistance,—that he, the said John Bulmer, shall and will, at and in a flowing water, set out a Boat or Vessell with an Engine, floating with a man or a boy in and aboard the said Boat, in the River of Thames, over against the Tower-wharfe, or lower. Which said Boat, with the said man or boy in or aboard her, shall the same tide, before low-water againe, by art of the said John Bulmer, and helpe of the said engine, be advanced and elevated so high, as that the same shall passe and be delivered over London Bridge, together with the said man or boy in and aboard her, and floate againe in the said River of Thames, on the other side of the said Bridge, in safety.’ He then proceeds to covenant for himself, his heirs, &c., to perform this within the space of one month, after he shall have intimated at the Assurance Office that he is about to put it in practice. This announcement was to be made ‘so soone as the undertakers wagering against him six for one,’ should have deposited in the Office such a sum as he should consider sufficient to ‘countervaile his charges of contriving the said Boat and Engine.’ Captain Bulmer was also to deposit his proportion of the money, and the whole, being subscribed and signed, was to remain in the office, until he had either performed his contract, when he was to receive it; or till his failure, when it was to be re-delivered to the subscribers. This curious paper is dated November the 6th, and concludes with the following promise: ‘And all those that will bring in their monies into the Office, shall be there assured of their losse or gaine, according to the conditions above mentioned.’ I imagine, however, that this scheme met with but little or no encouragement, because I find a new edition of it, dated March the 20th, 1647, printed in small folio, and inserted in the King’s Tracts marked ‘Single Sheets,’ volume 5, article 130. It varies, however, somewhat from the foregoing, and states that ‘the blowing up of a Gun from under the water by the breath of a man’s mouth, shall occasion the raising of such Boate or vessell; which said gun shall then forthwith after be discharged by fire given thereunto, and presently sinke againe: after the sinking whereof, another gunne shall be raised by such meanes as aforesaid, which shall be discharged also, forthwith upon the floating of the said Boate or Vessell on the other side of the sayd Bridge.’ He no longer mentions his terms to be ‘six for one,’ but states that his performance shall take place within a month after the amount of his expenses shall be subscribed by ‘persons pleasing to afford assistance and furtherance to arts and mysteries of this nature.’ He adds too, that security will be given at the office, and that his reason for desiring these deposits is, ‘for that losse of time in collection of the same after performance, would hinder him from prosecution of businesse of greater consequence, and tending to the publique good. He was, however, I doubt not, still unsuccessful; for his time was not only one of national poverty, arising from the Civil Wars, but it was also one of projectors as forward and as promising as himself: whilst the people, in general, seemed but little disposed to encourage any new scheme, however wonderful, and to be of the mind of Goldsmith’s Scrivener, when he said, ‘For my part, I believe all the money is gone to the Devil, or beyond the seas, and he who has a little is a fool if he don’t keep it to himself.’ The Captain, notwithstanding, seems to have made another effort in November, 1649, in the form of a small folio sheet, entitled ‘A note of such Arts and Mysteries as an English Gentleman, a Souldier, and a Traveller, is able, by God’s assistance, to perform; he having means to perfect the same;’ of which there is also a copy in the King’s Tracts, marked ‘Single Sheets,’ volume 8, Article 90. It consists of five propositions concerning Mines, Warlike Engines, Draining and raising water, and Machines for recovering goods from the sea: which secrets he states himself to have discovered ‘with much study, travell, and expenses of many thousands of pounds;’ and that now ‘being old and out of employment, he is willing to shew his art in these things to any which are desirous to learn, upon assurance of such reward as they shall agree upon.’ To this is added a certificate of his ability to perform several of his projects, from Emanuel College, Cambridge, dated 1646; and the paper concludes by a copy of most lamentable verses vindicating himself from his detractors.
“In February, 1644-45, the head of Henry Morse, a Priest of the Society of Jesus, was set up on London Bridge. See Bishop Challoner’s ‘Martyrology,’ volume iii., page 164.
“The manuscript Survey of Bridge Lands which I have already mentioned, bears a memorandum that it was lent in 1653; and it commences with a regulation, which, from its language and orthography, appears to have been made much before that period, relating to an officer called the Sheuteman, who was, probably, an overseer of the Bridge works, and watched the cataracts or falls in the arches. The article is entitled ‘An Order taken and made for the Sheuteman, by us Symond Ryse, and William Campion, Wardens of London Bridge;’ and in substance it is nearly as follows. ‘For as much as diuerse and sundry nights the Sheuteman hath occasyon to ryse in the night-seison to come to his boots, (boats) to see the tydes as they fall erly or late for the occupations of the Bridgehouse, so that the Porter muste open him the gate at vn due tymes of the night, contrary to the ordinances made for the same; whiche is not onely to his greate payne and daunger, but also to the great perell and daunger that myght fall to the house; for, when the gates be opened at ded tymes of the night, it is to be doutyd that some lewed persons myght entre in after them, and not onely robbe thys house, but also putt in daungre of their liues so many as be within. For Remedye whereof, we, the said Wardene, have ordeyned and appoynted a lodging to be made att the ende of the Crane Howse, within the Bridge-howse Yarde, with a chemnye in the same lodging, and sufficient for two or three persons to lye in yt; to the entente that the Sheuteman, with such persons as of consequence he moste have with him for causes requysyte for the tydes, may lye there drye, and tarye theyre tydes when theye fall in the nyght, very erly or late, hauing business to do for the howse; and also when they come from theyre labour weete, or att vn due tymes of the nyght, to goo home to theire houses, may tarye there, and make them fyre to drye them and keepe them warme, of such chyppes as ys hughed of the timber in the yerd, and none other, and nott to keepe any hospitalitie, or dwelling there at ony tyme, but att such tyme and tymes afore rehersed. And according to the old vse and custome, that when the Sheuteman by daye tyme be not occupyed with the boats about the affairs of the Bridge workes, that then he is to doe all such workes within the Bridge-house yerde and in all other places as other laborers doeth, and so he is to receyue his wages, or els not. And this ordinance to be alwayes kept.’
“In the year 1657, James Howel published his volume entitled ‘Londinopolis; an Historicall Discourse, or Perlustration of the City of London,’ to which he attached some Latin verses in praise of London Bridge, on the leaf immediately following the title-page. They are entitled in Latin, ‘Concerning London Bridge, and the stupendous site and structure thereof, in imitation of those celebrated six verses of the Poet Sannazarius, on the City of Venice, commencing ‘Viderat Hadriacis.’ This beautiful hexastichon is to be found in that old and fair edition of his Latin Poems printed at the Aldine Press, Venice, 1535, 8vo., in the first book of Epigrams, page 38 b, and it is entitled ‘On the Wonders of the City of Venice.’ Now, that you may have some slight idea of the original of Howel’s rhymes, before I recite them, perhaps you will permit me to repeat to you an English paraphrase of Sannazario’s own verses, fairly composed in the Sonnet stanza, but not possessing the elegant conciseness of the Latin?”
“Pray, go on, Sir,” answered I, with a good deal of satirical ceremony in my voice; “Pray go on, Mr. Barnaby; it’s long since I have had any choice as to what you shall put in, or what you shall leave out, of your discourse; and, therefore, let’s have the Sonnet, such as it is: you know the proverb,—in for a penny, in for a pound.”
“A facetious gentleman, truly,” was the Antiquary’s reply; “but let me observe for your consolation, Master Geoffrey, that we are now rapidly passing through the history of the Bridge, and that on later events I shall frequently have but little information to impart. However, to return to the matter in hand,—this is the Sonnet.
“As Neptune saw, reclined upon his waves,
In the fair Adriatic Venice stand
A City, o’er its waters to command,
And placed in rule o’er all its billowy caves!
He cried, in wonder at the pile it laves,—
Thy Tarpeian arches Jove himself hath plann’d,
And thy vast walls were wrought by Mars’s hand.
Hail, City! which the main in triumph braves!
Though some esteem the Tiber’s royal pile
The glory of the deep Pelagian sea;
Venice, look round on mainland and on isle,
There is not one so mighty and so free!
‘They are of men,’ thou say’st with lofty smile,
But God alone hath rear’d and planted thee!