though his death was pretended to have been natural, the impartial world believed he had fallen a sacrifice to the cruelty and vengeance of his enemies.

"His body, indeed, which was exposed three days successively, displayed no external marks of violence; but the same artifice had been practised on Edward II. Richard II. and on Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloucester; and the repetition of the deceit, instead of removing the scruples of the people, tended only to strengthen their suspicions, and to make them conclude with the greater certainty that Humphry had undergone the fate of his unhappy ancestors.

"Soon after, Sir Roger Chamberlayn, Richard Middleton, Thomas Herbert, Richard and Arthur Needham, with several other gentlemen of the duke's family, were brought to trial for aiding him in his supposed treasons, and condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Accordingly they were conducted through the city on sledges to the place of execution, hanged by the necks for a considerable time, cut down with some remains of life, stripped naked, and their bodies marked with a knife, in order to their being quartered; but just as the executioner was proceeding to the last part of his office, a pardon was produced, and the unhappy sufferers were restored to life: a species of mercy of such a barbarous and savage nature, as, in the opinion of every humane and generous person, ought certainly to have entitled the authors of it to the same cruel and disgraceful punishment which they inflicted on the supposed delinquents.

"Henry himself was not suspected of having had any share in the murder of his uncle, which was universally ascribed to the contrivance of the queen, the cardinal, and the duke of Suffolk; all of whom, on that account, were assailed by the people with the most bitter imprecations."

The mal-administration of the queen and her favourites. having excited popular alarm and discontent, several tumults of inferior note, gave way to an insurrection so formidable, as apparently to shake the throne, and even royalty itself, to the foundation. The violence of the queen against the people of Kent, for the decollation of her minion the duke of

Suffolk,

Suffolk, broke out into such extravagance, and was carried to so high a pitch of resentment, as to rouse the people to arms: hence arose the rebellion of John Cade, who having assembled a considerable force, under the popular pretext of reformation; encamped at Blackheath, and assumed the name of Mortimer, as a lure to the adherents of that family, as well as to those who favoured the interests of the house of York.

Cade, by his courage, capacity, and spirit, was extremely well qualified for such an undertaking; and repairing to the county of Kent, in which the duke of York had a great number of adherents, he collected a strong body of malcontents. The king, apprized of this insurrection, sent a confidential person to demand the cause of their hostile appearance; Cade, in the name of his followers, replied, “that they had no intention to injure the person of his majesty ; they only meant to petition the parliament, that evil ministers might be removed from their places, and brought to their merited punishment: and that the people might be eased of those intolerable taxes, with which they were now oppressed." They accordingly presented two petitions to parliament, stating the grievances which ought to be redressed, and possitively insisting that the duke of Somerset should be punish. ed for the loss of Normandy; and that the king's council might be composed of the princes of the blood, and other persons of integrity and ability.

These remonstrances being imparted to the king, the council condemned them as arrogant and seditious, and resolved to suppress the rebellion by force of arms. Henry, having assembled a body of fifteen thousand men, advanced at their head towards Blackheath. At his approach Cade retired, as if he had been afraid of a battle, and lay in ambush in a wood, not doubting but that he should be followed by the king's whole army; but Henry, supposing they were entirely dispersed, retired to London, after having detached a small party in pursuit of the fugitives, under the command of Sir Humphry Stafford, who, falling into the ambuscade, was put to the sword with all his followers. Having obtained this advantage, Cade directed his march towards London,

while the king and council retired hastily to Kenilworth-castle for safety, after having left a strong garrison in the Tower, under the command of lord Scales. The citizens of London, alarmed at the success of the rebels, opened the gates at their approach; and Cade entered in triumph at the head of his troops, which had been greatly augmented since his victory. But charged his men, on pain of the severest penalties, not to be guilty of any outrage, or to give the inhabitants the least cause of offence. On the following day, hearing that the treasurer, lord Say, was in the city, he ordered him to be seized and beheaded, without any form of trial; and, in the evening, retired to the borough of Southwark.

He thus continued for several days, to enter the city in the morning and retire from it at night, that he might not give offence to the inhabitants, with whom he lived at first on very friendly terms. But, at length, the rebels having pillaged some houses, and committed other outrages, Cade one morning found the gate of the bridge shut and barricaded against him. Attempting to force a passage, a battle ensued between the insurgents and the citizens, both of whom maintained the fight with considerable obstinacy, till night terminated the combat.

The archbishop of Canterbury, and the chancellor, who had retired to the Tower, being informed by their emissaries that the insurgents were greatly dispirited by this repulse, and heartily tired of their rebellious project, drew up a general pardon, confirmed by the sanction of the great seal, and found means to publish it by night in the borough of Southwark. This expedient was attended with the desired effect. The rebels, glad of an opportunity to escape the punishment merited by their crimes, deserted in such numbers that by day-break Cade found himself almost alone, and was obliged to take shelter in the woods of Kent and Sussex, where, a price being fixed upon his head, he was at last discovered and killed by Alexander Iden, who, for this service, was rewarded with the government of Dover Castle *.

Lyttleton's History of England.

In consequence of the service performed by the citizens on this trying occasion, their chief magistrate, Sir Godfrey Fielding, was nominated one of the privy council.

The annual procession by water on Lord Mayor's day commenced at this time. In 1454, Sir John Norman, Lord Mayor elect, built a magnificent barge for the use and honor of his mayoralty; before his time it was usual for the chief magistrate and his train to go to Westminster Hall, on horseback. The companies followed Norman's example and constructed elegant vessels to accompany their mayors. The watermen were so elated by this circumstance that they caused a commemoration song to be composed on the occasion, beginning, "Row thy boat, Norman," &c. "Thus the element to which London owes all its greatness began to exhibit the yearly spectacle of a harmless naval festivity, the delight of myriads to this day, after a lapse of three centuries and a half."

Irregularity of conduct and rudeness of manners having been the ruling features of these times, impelled the well disposed to apply a partial remedy; for this purpose, in 1456, a petition, from four of the London clergy *, to Parliament was productive of the foundation of four grammar schools, in the parishes of Great Alhallows, St. Andrew Holborn, St. Peter Cornhill, and St. Mary Colechurch. This benevolent example incited the archbishop of Canterbury, and Kempe, bishop of London, to obtain the king's letters patent, nine years afterwards, for the foundation of other seminaries of learning in St. Paul's Church Yard, the collegiate church of St. Martin's le Grand, St. Mary le Bow, St. Dunstan's in the East, and the Hospital of St. Anthony. These schools, however, were not upon so liberal an establishment as those of later times; for though they were public and common, they could not be called free, because only such boys were

These worthy clergymen were Maistre William Lycchefeld, parson of the parish chirche of Al-Hallowen the More; Maistre Gilbert, parson of Seint Andrew, Holbourne, in the suburbs; Maistre John Cote, parson of St. Petre in Cornhill; and John Neel, maistre of the Hous or Hospital of St. Thomas of Acres and parson of Colchirche. Strype's Stow.

admitted

admitted as were of good talents, and whose schooling was paid by the nobility and the richer citizens; the latter are the benevolent foundations of pious persons, who took care that a competent maintenance should be settled on the various preceptors, on condition to teach such a number of the children of the parish where they are built, freely, without taking any salary or reward from their parents and friends."

A circumstance occurred about this time, which caused great agitation in the city. The clergy of London having obtained a grant from the Pope, in the year 1453, to levy certain rates or offerings on the laity, it gave rise to many disputes between them and their respective parishioners: but, in the year 1457, these disputes were finally adjusted, by the laity agreeing to pay, and the clergy to accept, the following composition :

The Composition of all Offerings within the City of London, and Suburbs of the fume.

"First, that every person, dweller and inhabitant in any house in London, or its suburbs, who hireth and occupieth the same at ten shillings per annum, shall offer to God, and to the church in whose parish such house standeth, one farthing on each of the first days hereafter mentioned, viz. on every Sunday in the year, and principal saints days: to be kept for all the churches in London from henceforward, on the third of October yearly, and also on the patron's day of each church in London and its suburbs. And if such inhabited houses be let for twenty shillings, to pay two farthings or a halfpenny; or if for thirty shillings, to pay three farthings; if for forty shillings, to pay one penny; if for fifty shillings, to pay one penny farthing. And so every sum, ascending and descending by ten shillings, into what sum soever, shall always offer one farthing, after the rate of ten shillings, at the foresaid feasts. And he who rents houses in divers parishes within London and its suburbs, shall pay or offer the same, for each house, to the church in which parish it stands. Provided that should it happen two of the said feasts fall on one day, the offering shall be only for one day. That a

house