all the men be rich and true, and the women all fair and honest, then Cheapside shall stand by Charing Cross for a wonder, and I will make no more characters. But I proceed. DONALD LUPTON, London and the Countrey carbonadoed 1632 A Shop-keeper His shop is his well-stuffed book, and himself the title-page of it or index. He utters much to all men, though he sells but to a few, and intreats for his own necessities by asking others what they lack. No man speaks more and no more, for his words are like his wares, twenty of one sort, and he goes over them alike to all comers. He is an arrogant commender of his own things; for whatsoever he shews you, is the best in the town, though the worst in his shop. His conscience was a thing that would have laid upon his hands, and he was forced to put it off, and makes great use of honesty to profess upon. He tells you lies by rote, and not minding, as the phrase to sell in and the language he spent most of his years to learn. He never speaks so truly, as when he says he would use you as his brother, for he would abuse his brother; and in his shop thinks it lawful. His religion is much in the nature of his customers, and indeed the pander to it and by a misinterpreted sense of scripture makes a gain of his godliness. He is your slave while you pay him ready money, but if he once befriend you, your tyrant, and had better deserve his hate than his trust. JOHN EARLE, Micro-cosmographie 1628 you Paul's Walk Falstaff. Where's Bardolph ? Page. He's gone into Smithfield to buy your worship a horse. Falstaff. I bought him in Paul's, and he'll buy me a horse in Smithfield. 2 Henry IV., I. ii. 54-58 Paul's Walk is the land's epitome, or you may call it the lesser isle of Great Britain. It is more than this the whole world's map, which you may here discern in its perfectest motion, jostling and turning. It is a heap of stones and men, with a vast confusion of languages, and were the steeple not sanctified, nothing liker Babel. The noise in it is like that of bees, a strange humming or buzz, mixed of walking, tongues and feet. It is a kind of still roar or loud whisper. It is the great exchange of all discourse, and no business whatsoever but is here stirring and afoot. It is the synod of all pates politic, jointed and laid together in most serious posture, and they are not half so busy at the parliament. It is the antic of tails to tails, and backs to backs, and for vizards you need go no further than faces. It is the market of young lecturers, whom you may cheapen here at all rates and sizes. It is the general mint of all famous lies, which are here, like the legends of popery, first coined and stamped in the church. All inventions are emptied here, and not few pockets. The best sign of a temple in it is that it is the thieves' sanctuary, which rob more safely in the crowd than a wilderness, whilst every searcher is a bush to hide them. It is the other expense of the day, after plays, tavern, and a bawdy-house; and men have still some oaths left to swear here. It is the ears' brothel and satisfies their lust and itch. The visitants are all men without exceptions, but the principal inhabitants and possessors are stale knights, and captains out of service, men of long rapiers and breeches, which after all turn merchants here, and traffic for news. Some make it a preface to their dinner, and travel for a stomach: but thriftier men make it their ordinary, and board here very cheap. Of all such places it is least haunted with hobgoblins, for if a ghost would walk more, he could not. JOHN EARLE, Micro-cosmographie 1628 The Noise and Bustle of the Streets Why sweat they under burdens? The Merchant of Venice, Iv. i. 94 In every street, carts and coaches make such a thundering as if the world ran upon wheels: at every corner, men, women and children meet in such shoals, that posts are set up of purpose to strengthen the houses, lest with jostling one another they should shoulder them down. Besides, hammers are beating in one place, tubs hooping in another, pots clinking in a third, water-tankards running at tilt in a fourth. Here are porters sweating under burdens, their merchant's men bearing bags of money. Chapmen (as if they were at leap frog) skip out of one shop into another. Tradesmen (as if they were dancing galliards) are lusty at legs and never stand still. All are as busy as country attorneys at an assizes. THOMAS DEKKER, The Seuen Deadly Sinnes of London 1606 §3. Disorders What work's, my countrymen, in hand? where go you Coriolanus, 1. i. 57 Up Fish Street! down St Magnus Corner! kill and knock down! throw them into Thames ! 2 Henry VI., IV. viii. 1—3 A busy week for the authorities Riots outside the theatres Right honourable and my very good Lord. Upon Whitsunday there was a very good sermon preached at the new churchyard near Bethlehem, whereat my Lord Mayor was with his brethren, and, by reason no plays were the same day, all the city was quiet. Upon Monday I was at the court and went to Kingston to bed and upon Tuesday I kept the law-day for the whole liberty of Kingston and found all quiet and in good order. There lieth in Kingston Sir John Savage of Cheshire with his lady at Mr Le Grises his house, the which is at vicarage. That night I returned to London and found all the wards full of watchers, the cause thereof was for that very near the Theater or Curtain at the time of the plays there lay a prentice sleeping upon the grass and one Challes at Grostock did turn upon the toe upon the belly of the same prentice, whereupon the apprentice start up and after words they fell to plain blows. The company increased of both sides to the number of five hundred at the least. This Challes exclaimed and said that he was a gentleman and that the apprentice was but a rascal, and some there were little better than rogues that took upon them the name of gentlemen, and said the prentices were but the scum of the world. Upon these troubles the prentices began the next day being Tuesday to make mutinies and assemblies, and did conspire to have broken the prisons and to have taken forth the prentices that were imprisoned, but my lord and I having intelligence thereof apprehended four or five of the chief conspirators, who are in Newgate and stand indicted of their lewd demeanours. Upon Wednesday one Browne a serving-man in a blue coat, a shifting fellow, having a perilous wit of his own, intending a spoie [?] if he could have brought it to pass, did at Theater door quarrel with certain poor boys, handicraft prentices, and struck some of them and lastly he with his sword wounded and maimed one of the boys upon the left hand, whereupon there assembled near a thousand people. This Browne did very cunningly convey himself away, but by chance he was taken after and brought to Mr Humphrey Smith, and because no man was able to charge him he dismissed him. And after this Browne was brought before Mr Young, where he used himself so cunningly and subtly, no man being there to charge him, that there also he was dismissed. And after I sent a warrant for him, and the constables with the deputy at the Bell in Holborn found him in a parlour fast locked in; and he would not obey the warrant, but by the mean of the host he was conveyed away; and then I sent for the host and caused him to appear at Newgate at the sessions oyer and determiner, where he was committed until he brought forth his guest. The next day after he brought him forth and so we indicted him for his misdemeanor. This Browne is a common cozener, a thief and a horse stealer, and coloured all his doings here about this town with a suit that he hath in the law against a brother of his in Staffordshire. He resteth now in Newgate. Upon the same Wednesday at night two companions, one being a tailor and the other a clerk of the common pleas, both of the duchy and both very lewd fellows, fell out about an harlot, and the tailor raised the prentices and other light persons and, thinking that the clerk was run into Lyon's Inn, came to the house with three hundred at the least, brake down the windows of the house, and struck at the gentlemen, during which broil one Randolds a baker's son came into Fleet street and there made solemn proclamation for "clubs." The street rose and took and brought him unto me and the next day we indicted him also for this misdemeanour with many other more. Upon Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday we did nothing else but sit in commission and examine these misdemeanours: we had good help of my lord Anderson and Mr Sackforth. Upon Sunday my lord sent two aldermen to the court for the suppressing and pulling down of the Theater and Curtain. All the lords agreed thereunto saving my Lord Chamberlain and Mr Vizch, but we obtained a letter to suppress them all. Upon the same night I sent for the Queen's players and my lord of Arundel his players, and they all willingly obeyed the lords' letters. The chiefest of her highness' players advised me to send for the owner of the Theater who was a stubborn fellow and to bind him. I did so. He sent me word that he was my lord of Hunsdon's man and that he would not come at me but he would in the morning ride to my lord. Then I sent the undersheriff for him and he brought him to me, and at his coming he stouted me out very hasty, and in the end I shewed him my lord his master's hand and then he was more quiet, but to die for it he would not be bound. And then I minding to send him to prison, he made suit that he might be bound to appear at the oyer and determiner the which is to-morrow, where he said that he was sure the court would not bind him being a councillor's man. And so I have granted his request, where he shall be sure to be bound or else is like to do worse. William Fleetwood, City Recorder, to Lord Burghley, June 18, 1584 Duelling and street brawling Tybalt. What wouldst thou have with me? Mercutio. Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives, that I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out. Tybalt (drawing). I am for you. Romeo. Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. Romeo and Juliet, 111. i. 81-90 Englishmen, especially being young and unexperienced, are apt to take all things in snuff. Of old, when they were fenced with bucklers, as with a rampier, nothing was more common with them, than to fight about taking the right or left hand, or the wall, or upon any unpleasing countenance. Clashing of swords was then daily music in every street, and they did not only fight combats, but cared not to set upon their enemy upon advantages and unequal terms. But at this day when no nation labours more than the English (as well by travelling into foreign kingdoms, as by the study of good letters, and by other means) to enrich their minds with all virtues, I say in these days, they scorn such men, and esteem them of an idle brain who for ridiculous or trifling causes run the trial of |