arms in Cripplegate Ground being drawn
up together, march'd in a military order to the house of my
Lord Maior, where they attended on him, and from thence
march'd before him to the Three Crane Wharfe, where part of
them under the red colours embarqued themselves in three
severall barges; and another part took water at Stone
Staires, being under green colours, as enemies to the other;
and thence wafting to the other side of the water, there
began an encounter between each party, which continued all
the way to Westminster; a third body, consisting of pikes
and musquets, march'd to Bainard's Castle, and there from
the battlements of the castle gave thundering echoes to the
vollies of those that pass'd along the streame. Part before
and part behind went the severall barges, with drums
beating, and trumpets sounding, and varietie of other musiek
to take the eare, while the flags and silver pendents made a
pleasant sight delectable to the beholders.
“After these came severall gentlemen-ushers adorn'd with
gold eliaines; behind them certaine rich batelielours,
wearing gownes furr'd with foynes, and upon them sattin
hoods; and lastly after them, followed the Worshipfull
Company of Skinners itself, whereof the Lord Maior is a
member. Next these, the city officers passing on before,
rode the Lord Maior with the Sword, Mace, and Cap of
Maintenance before him, being attended by the Recorder, and
all the aldermen in scarlet gowns on horseback. (Aldermen on
horseback!!) Thus attended, he rode from Bainard's Castle
into
Cheapside, the Companies standing on both sides of the way
as far as the upper end of the Old Jury, ready to receive
him. When he was come right against the old Change, a
pageant seem'd to meet him. On the pageant stood two
leopards bestrid by two Moors, attir'd in the habit of their
country; at the foure corners sate foure virgins arraid in
cloth of silver, with their haire dishriveld, and coronets
on their heads. This seem'd to be the embleme of a city
pensive and forlorn, for want of a zealous governor: the
Moors and leopards, like evill customs tyrannizing over the
weak virginitie of undefended virtue; which made an aged
man, who sate at the fore part of the pageant, mantled in a
black garment, with a dejected countenance, seem to bewaile
the condition of his native city; but thus he remaind not
long: for at the approach of the Lord Maior, as if now he
had espy'd the safety of his country, he threw off his
mourning weeds, and with the following speech made known the
joy he had for the election of so happy and just a
magistrate.
“The speech being spoken, the first pageant past on before
the Lord Maior as far as Mercers' Chappel; a gyant being
twelve foot in height going before the pageant for the
delight of the people. Over against Soper-lane End stood
another pageant also; upon this were plac'd severall sorts
of beasts, as lyons, tygers, bears, leopards, foxes, apes,
monkeys, in a great wildernesse; at the forepart whereof
sate Pan with a pipe in his hand; in the middle was a
canopie, at the portal whereof sate Orpheus in an antique
attire, playing on his harp, while all the beasts seem'd to
dance at the sound of his melody. Under the canopie sate
four satyrs playing on pipes. The embleme of this pageant
seem'd proper to the Company out of which the Lord Maior was
elected; putting the spectators in mind how much they ought
to esteem such a calling, as clad the Judges in their
garments of honour, and Princes in their robes of majestic,
and makes the wealthy ladies covet winter, to appear clad in
their sable funs. A second signification of this emblem may
be this—that as Orpheus tam'd the wild beasts by the
alluring sound of his melody, so doth a just and upright
governor tame and govern the wild affections of men, by good
and wholesome lawes, causing a general joy and peace in the
place where he commands. Which made Orpheus, being well
experienced in this truth, to address himself to the Lord
Maior in these following lines.
“The speech being ended, the Lord Maior rode forward to his
house in Silver Street, the military bands still going
before him. When he was in this house, they saluted him with
two volleys of shot, and so marching again to their ground
in Cripple-gate Churchyard, they lodg'd their colours; and
as they began, so concluded this dayes triumph.”
When the barges wherein the soldiers were, came right
against Whitehall, they saluted the Lord Protector and his
Council with several rounds of musketry, which the Lord
Protector answered with “signal testimonies of grace and
cour-tesie.” And returning to Whitehall, after the Lord
Mayor had taken the oath of office before the Barons of the
Exchequer, they saluted the Lord Protector with “another
volley” The City of London had been actively instrumental in
the deposition and death of King Charles the First, and
Cromwell could not do less than acknowledge, with some show
of respect, the blank cartridges of his old friends. The
furr'd gowns and gold chains, however, made the amende
honorable, when they “jumped Jim Crow,” and helped to
restore King Charles the Second.
But Easter-Monday was not made only for the city's dancing dignitaries. It draws up the curtain of our popular merriments; and Whit-Mon-day, * not a whit less merry, trumpets forth their joyous continuation.
* June 9, 1786. On Whit-Tuesday was celebrated at Hendon in
Middlesex, a burlesque imitation of the Olympic Games.
One prize was a gold-laced hat, to be grinned for by six
candidates, who were placed on a platform, with horses'
collars to exhibit through. Over their heads was printed in
capitals,