Wherefore, good subjects, pluck up your hearts, and, like true men, stand fast with your lawful Prince against these rebels, both ours and yours, and fear them not, for I assure you, I do not, and will leave with you my Lord Howard and my Lord Treasurer, to be assistant with my Lord Mayor, for the safeguard of the City from spoil and sackage, which is the only scope of this rebellious company.
SORANZO'S REPORT ON LONDON (1554).
The following is the impression of a Venetian Ambassador, contained in his report to the Senate:
Source.—Calendar of State Papers, Venetian, 1534-1554, No. 934.
The principal cities of the kingdom are London and York, but London is the most noble, both on account of its being the royal residence, and because the river Thames runs through it, very much to the convenience and profit of the inhabitants, as it ebbs and flows every six hours like the sea, scarcely ever causing inundation or any extraordinary floods; and up to London Bridge it is navigable for ships of 400 butts burden, of which a great plenty arrive with every sort of merchandise. This bridge connects the city with the borough, and is built of stone with twenty arches, and shops on both sides. On the banks of the river there are many large palaces, making a very fine show, but the city is much disfigured by the ruins of a multitude of churches and monasteries belonging heretofore to friars and nuns. It has a dense population, said to number 180,000 souls; and is beyond measure commercial, the merchants of the entire kingdom flocking thither, as, by a privilege conceded to the citizens of London, from them alone can they purchase merchandise, so they soon became very wealthy; and the same privileges placed in their hands the government of the city of London, which is divided into 24 trades or crafts, each of which elects a certain individual, styled alderman, the election being made solely in the persons of those who are considered the most wealthy, and the office is for life; the which aldermen, after assembling these trades, create annually a person as their head for the current year entitled Mayor.
THE ROYAL EXCHANGE (1566).
Sir Thomas Gresham, a wealthy and munificent London merchant, offered in 1563 to build, at his own expense, a Bourse or Exchange, if the City would provide the ground. The need for some such building was becoming rather serious; the commerce of the country was growing very rapidly, and Lombard Street had long been too small for the business of London. Men were exposed there to all weathers, and had to crowd into small shops. For twenty or thirty years there had been talk of making a new place of resort for the merchants, and the example of Antwerp, London's great rival in trade, inspired Gresham to make his magnificent gift to his fellow-citizens.
Gresham's building was destroyed in the Fire of 1666, and its successor was burned down in 1838.
Source.—Stow's Survey, p. 193.
Then next is the Royal Exchange, erected in the year 1566, after this order, viz., certain houses upon Cornhill, and the like upon the back thereof, in the ward of Broad street, with three alleys, the first called Swan Alley, opening into Cornhill, the second New Alley, passing throughout of Cornhill into Broad-street ward, over against Saint Bartholomew lane, the third Saint Christophers Alley, opening into Broad street ward, and into Saint Christophers parish, containing in all fourscore households: were first purchased by the Citizens of London, for more than £3532, and were sold for £478, to such persons as should take them down and carry them thence, also the ground or plot was made plain at the charges of the City, and then possession thereof was by certain Aldermen, in name of the whole Citizens, given to Sir Thomas Gresham, Knight, Agent to the Queen's Highness, thereupon to build a Bourse, or place for merchants to assemble in, at his own proper charges: and he on the seventh of June laying the first stone of the foundation, being brick, accompanied with some Aldermen, everyone of them laid a piece of gold, which the workmen took up, and forthwith followed upon the same with such diligence, that by the month of November, in the year 1567, the same was covered with slate, and shortly after fully finished.