howse. There was a schole howse sett upp to learne younge boyes to cutt purses. There were hung up two devises, the one was а pockett, the other was a purse. The pockett had in yt certen cownters and was hunge abowte with hawkes bells, and over the toppe did hannge a litle sacring bell; and he that could take owt a cownter without any noyse, was allowed to be a publique foyster: and he that could take a peece of sylver owt of the purse without the noyse of any of the bells, he was adjudged a judiciall Nypper. Nota that a ffoister is a Pick-pockett, and a Nypper is termed a Pickepurse, or a Cutpurse. And as concerninge this matter, I will sett downe noe more in this place, but referr your Lordship to the paper herein enclosed.

66

Saterdaye and Sondaie beinge past, uppon Mondaie my Lord Maior, my Lord Buckhurste, the Mr. of the Rooles, my Lord Anderson, Mr. Sackford Master of the Requests, Sir Rowland Hayward, my selffe, Mr. Owen, and Mr. Younge, with the assystaunce of Mr. Attorney and Mr. Solicitor, did arraigne one Awfeild, Webley, and Crabbe, for sparcinge abrood certen lewed, sedicious, and traytorous bookes; Awfeild did most trayterously maynteyne the booke, with longe tedious and frivolous wordes and speeches. Webley did affirme as much as Awfeild had uttered. They are both executed

thorough Gods goodnes and yo' Lordshipps good helpe, as Mr. Younge told me. There came a letter to reprive Awfeild, yt was not well digested of as many as knewe of yt, but after all was well taken. When he was executed, his bodye was brought into St. Pulchers to be buried, but the parishioners would not suffer a Traytor's corpes to be layed in the earthe where theire parents, wyeffs, chyldren, kynred, maisters, and old neighbors did rest: and so his carcase was retourned to the buryall grounde neere Tyborne, and there I leave yt. Crabbe surelye did renownce the Pope, and my Lords and the rest of the Benche moved Mr. Attorney and Mr. Solicitor to be a meane to her Maiestie for him, and for that cause he was stayed. Trewelye my Lord it is nothinge needfull to wrytte for the staye of any to be repryved, for there is not any in our Commyssion of London or Middlesex but we are desirous to save or staye any poore wretche, yf by color of any lawe or reason we maye doe ytt. My singler good Lord my Lord William of Wynchester was wonte to saye, when the Courte is furthest from London, then is there the best justice done in all England.' I once hard as great a parsonage in office and authoritye as ever He was, and yett lyvinge, saye the same wordes. Yt is growen for a trade nowe in the Courte to make meanes for repryves, twentie

pownd for a reprive is nothinge, although it be but for bare tenn daies. I see it will not be holpen onles one honored gentilman, who many tymes is abused by wronge informacion (and suerlie uppon my sowle, hot uppon any evill meaninge) do staye his penn. I have not one Letter for the staye of a theiffe from your Lordshippe. Fearinge that I trouble your Lordship with my tedious Lettres, I end, this vijth of Julie, 1585.

}

"Your good Lordships moste humbly

bownden

" W. FLETEWOODE."

A list of the " Harboringe Howses" is elsewhere given; and upon one of them there is a singular note for the Lord Treasurer's edification, in the cant or slang language of the day:

"Memorand. That in Wotton's howse at Smarts Keye are wrytten in a table divers Poysies, and among the rest one is this

"Si spie sporte, si non spie, tunc steale.

Another is thus

"Si spie, si non spie, ffoyste, nyppe, lyfle, shave and spare not.

"Note that ffoyste is to cutt a pockett, nyppe is to cutt a purse, lyft is to robbe a shoppe or a gentilmans chamber, shave is to ffylche a clooke, a sword, a sylver sponne or such like, that is negligentlie looked unto. Nota, that mylken

ken is to commytt a roborie or burgularie in the night in a dwelling house, &c."

We shall make but one addition :

["The Apprentices of London in early times were considered a formidable body. Our chronicles represent them as being either the authors or abettors of almost all the slighter Insurrections of the Metropolis.

"For an account of Evil May Day mentioned in this letter, an Insurrection of the Apprentices of a more serious description, the reader is referred to the old editions of Hall's Chronicle, fol. 61. 9th Henry VIII. Grafton, fol. 1021. and Stow's Annals, under the year 1517.]

Right Honorable and my singuler good Lord, this present daye from two of the clocke until syx, my Lo. Maior, with some of his bretherne th' Aldermen and myselffe, dyd examyne certene Apprentices for conspiringe an insurrection in this Cittie agaynst the Frenche and Dutche, but speciallie against the Frenche; a thinge as lyke unto yll Maye daie as could be devysed in all manner of circumstances, mutatis mutandis,, ther wanted nothinge but execucion. We have taken fyve, all of an age, yet all under xxjte fower of them Darbisher borne; the fiyrste borne in Norhamshier. We are searchinge and seekinge for the principall Captayne; we hope we shall heare of him this night, for he hath ben workinge all this daie in the Whyt hall at

Westminster, and at his cominge home we trust We have this night sett a standinge watche armed, from nyne until seven in the morninge, and doe meane to contynewe the same soe longe as yt shalbe thought convenient unto your honor and the resydewe of my Lords.

to have him. We have this

"Mr. Alderman Woodcocke, who maryed the wydowe of Mr. Lanyson, shalbe buried uppon Moundaie next. ST Rowland Hayward is extreame sicke and greatlie distressed (our Lord comfort him.) My Ladie his wieffe is likewise verie sicke.

"This night Mr. Attorney Generall sent his man unto me to sett my hand and seale unto a warrant to summon a Quest of enquirie to appeare to morowe att Westminster Hall. The Citizens, when they shall heare of yt, will lyke thereof verie well, for they all crye owt that justice maye be done uppon these Treators. The foresaid Apprentices, being of the Mysterie of Plastorers, are commytted unto Newgate uppon the Quenes Highnes and her Councells commaundement, where they are lyke to remayne untill they be delivered by speciall warrant.

Here is presentlie noe other thinge worthie of writinge. Wherefore I beseech God to preserve first her Matie, and then y' Lordship, from all these Treators and such other wicked people. From the Guylde hall this present Twesdaie the