Whereupon Ambaſſadors were eftſoones diſpatched to Rome, lamentably beſeeching that they woulde not ſuffer their miſerable countrey to be vtterly deſtroyed: then againe an other Legion was ſent, which comming vpon a ſuddaine, made a greate ſlaughter of the ennemie, and chaſed him home, euen vnto his own country. Theſe Romaines at their departure, tolde the Britaines plainely, that it was not for their eaſe or leaſure to take vpon them any more ſuch long and laborious iournyes for their defence, and therefore bad them practiſe the vſe of armour and weapons, and learne to withſtand their ennemies, whome nothing elſe did make ſo ſtrong as their faint hart, and cowardiſe, and for ſo much as theyWitichindus. thought that it would be no ſmall helpe and encouragement vnto their Tributary frendes whom they were now forced to forſake,Wal of ſton builded by the Romās. bewttwixt the Britans, and Scots. they builded for them a wall of harde ſtone from the weſt ſea to the eaſt ſea, right betwéene thoſe two Cities, which were there made to kéepe out the ennemies, in the ſelfe ſame place where Seuerus before had caſt his Trench. The Britaines alſo putting to their helping handes as laborers.

This wall they builded 8. foote thicke in breadth, and 12. foote in height, right as it were by a lyne, from eaſt to weſt, as the ruines thereof remaining in many places til this day, do make to appeare. Which worke thus perfected, they giue the people ſtraight charge to looke well to themſelues, they teach them to handle their weapons, and they inſtruct them in warlike feates. And leſt by the ſea ſide ſouthwardes, where their ſhips lay at harbor, the ennemie ſhould come on land, they made vp ſundrie Bulwarkes each ſome what diſtant from the other, and ſo bid them farewell as minding no more to returne. This happened in the daies of the Emperour Theodoſius the younger almoſt 500. yeares after the firſt ariuall of the Romaines here, aboute the yeare after Chriſtes incarnation, 434.

The Britaines after this, continuing a lingering & doubtful war withMalmſbery. Bede. the Scots and Pictes, made choice of Vortiger, to bee their kingThe Britains giuen to gluttony, dronkennes, pride and contention. and leader, which man (as ſayth Malmeſbery,) was neither valorous of courage, nor wiſe of counſell, but wholy giuen ouer to the vnlawful luſts of his fleſh: the people likewiſe in ſhort time, being growne to ſome quietnes gaue themſelues to gluttony, and dronkennes, Wall about the Citie of London. 7 drunkennes, pride, contention, enuie, and ſuch other vices, caſting from them the yoke of Chriſt. In the meane ſeaſon a bitter plague fell among them, conſuming in ſhort time ſuch aThe Britaines plagued for their ſinfull life. multitude, that the quicke were not ſufficient to bury the deade, and yet the remnant remayned ſo hardened in ſinne, that neither the death of their frendes nor feare of their owne daunger, could cure the mortality of their ſoules, whereupon a greater ſtroke of vengeance inſued vpon the whole ſinfull nation. For being now againe infeſted with their old neighbors the Scots, and Pictes, they conſult with their king Vortiger, and ſend for the Saxons, Witichendus.Second i in Witichendus flipped in original text. Bede.who ſhortly after ariued here in Britaine, where ſaith Bede, they were receiued as frends: but as it proued they minded to deſtroy the countrie as ennemies for after that they had driuen out the Scots and Pictes, they alſo draue the Britaines ſome ouer the ſeas, and ſome into the waſte mountaines of Wales and Cornewell, and deuided the countrie into diuers kingdomes amongſt themſelues.The Saxons ſent for to defend the Britaines, but they draue thé into the mountains.

Theſe Saxons were likewiſe ignorant of the Architecture or building with ſtone,Saxons vnſkilful of building with ſtone. vntill the yere of Chriſt 680. for then it is affirmed that Bennet Abbote of Wirall, Maiſter to the reuerend Bede, firſt brought Maſons and Workemen in ſtone into this Iland amongſt the Saxons, Benet a monk brought maſons into this land amongſt the Saxons. (he I ſay) brought hyther Artificers of ſtone houſes, Paynters and Glaſiers, artes before that time vnto the Saxons vnknowne, who before that time vſed but wodden buildinges.

Thus much be ſayed for walling, not onely in reſpect of this City, but generally alſo of the firſt, within the Realme. NowTrinouāt ſince called Londō. to returne to our Trinouant, (as Ceſar hath it) the ſame is ſince by Tacitus, Ptolomeus, and Antoninus called Londinium, Longidinum, of Amiamus, Lundinum, and Auguſta who calleth it an auncient Citie of our Britaines Lundayne, of the olde Saxons, Lundonceaſter, Londonbeig, of ſtrangers, Londra and Londres, of the inhabitants,Camden. the city of London deſtroyed by the Danes, and againe repaired. London, whereof you may reade a more large and learned diſcourſe, and how it tooke the name in that worke of my louing frend M. Camden now Clarenciaulx which is called Britania.

This Citie of London hauing beene deſtroyed and brent by the Danes and other Pagan ennemies about the yere of Chriſt, B4 839. 8 Wall about the Citie of London. 839. was by Alfred king of the weſt Saxons, in the yere 886 repayred and honorably reſtored, and made againe habitable. Who alſo committed the cuſtody thereof vnto his ſonne in law, Ethelrod Earle of Mercia, vnto whome before hee had giuen his daughter Ethelfled.

And that this Citie was ſtrongly walled, may appeare by diuers accidents, whereof I haue read ſome, namely William of Malſmebery, W. Malmeſbery. Aſſur. Marianus Florentius, hath that about the yeare of Chriſt, 994. the Londoners, ſhut vp their gates and defended their king Ethelrod, within their wals againſt the Danes, in the yeare 1016. Edmōd Ironſide raigning ouer the weſt Saxons Canute the Dane bringing his nauie into the weſt part of the bridge, caſt a Trench aboute the Citie of London, and then attempted to haue won it by aſſault, but the Citizens repulſed him and draue him from their wals. Alſo in the yeare 1052. Earle Godwin with his nauie ſayled vp by the ſouth ende of the bridge, and ſo aſſailed the wals of this Citie, & Wiliam Fitzſtephen W. FitzſtephēThe Citie of London walled round aboute by the Riuer ofThames. Wals of London repayred writing in the raigne of king Henry the ſecond, of the wals of this Citie, hath theſe words The wal is high and great, well towred on the Northſide with due diſtances betweene the towers. On the ſouthſide alſo the Citie was walled and towred, but the fiſhful riuer of Thames with his ebbing, and flowing hath long ſince ſubuerted them.

This may ſuffice for proofe of a wall, and forme thereof, about this Citie, and the ſame to haue béene of greate antiquity, as any other within this Realme, and now touching the maintenance & repayring the ſaide wals, I finde that in the yere 1215, the 16. of King Iohn , the Barons entring the Citie by Ealdgate, Roger of Windouer. Mathew Paris, Randulph Cocſhall. firſt tooke aſſurance of the Citizens, and then they brake into the houſes of the Iewes, and ſearched their coffers, and after with greate diligence repayred the wals, and the gates of the Citie of London with ſtone, taken from the Iewes broken houſes. In the yeare 1257. Henry the 3. cauſed the wals of the Citie of London, which were ſore decaied and deſtitute of Towers, to be repayred in more ſeemely wiſe then before, at the common charges of the Citie. Alſo in the yeare 1282.Mathew Paris King Edward the firſt granted to H. VValleis Maior, and the Citizens of London, the fauour, to take toward the making of the wall, and incloſure of the Citie, certaine cuſtomes, as appeareth by his grante. This wal was then to be made Wall about the Citie of London. 9 made from Ludgate to Fleete bridge, and along by the water of Fleete, vnto the riuer of Thames. Moreouer in the yere 1310. Edward the 2. commanded the Citizens to make vp the wal alredy begunne, and the Tower, at the ende of the ſame wall, within the water of Thames neare vnto the blacke Fryers &c. It was alſo granted by king Richard the ſ o e cond in the 10. of his raign that a Toll ſhoulde be taken of wares, ſolde by lande and by water for 10. yeares, towardes the repayring of the wals and clenſing of the ditch aboute London. In the 17. of Edward the 4. Ralfe Ioceline, Mayor, cauſed parte of the wall aboute the Citie of London, Pattent, to be rapayred, to wit, betwixt Aldgate and Alderſgate he alſo cauſed the Morefielde to bee ſearched for clay, and willed bricke to be made, and brent there, he likewiſe cauſed chalke to bee brought out of Kent and to be brent into lime in the ſame Morefield, for more furtherance of the worke. Then the Skinners, to begin in the Eaſt, made that parte of the wall, betwixt Algate and Buries marke towardes Biſhopſgate, as may appeare by their armes in thrée places fixed there, the Mayor with his cōpany of the Drapers made all that part, betwixt Biſhopſgate & Alhallowes Church in the ſame, and from Alhallowes towards the Poſterne. A great part of the ſame wal called Moregate was repayred by the executors of Sir Iohn Croſby, late Alderman, as may appeare by his Armes, ſtanding in two places there. Other Companies repayred the reſt of the wal to the Poſterne of Criplegate. The Goldſmiths repayred frō Criplegate, towards Alderſgate, & there the work ceaſed. The circuite of the wall of LondonCircuit of the Wall from the eaſt to the weſt. on the landes ſide, to wit from the tower of London in the eaſt, vnto Aldgate, is 82. perches: from Aldgate to Biſhopſgate, 86. perches: from Biſhopſgate in the north to the Poſtern of Criplegate 162 perches, from Criplegate to Ealderſgate 75. perches, from Eldrichgate to Newgate, 66. perches, from Newgate in the weſt to Ludgate, 42. perches, in all 513. perches of aſſize. From Ludgate againe to the Fleete dike, weſt, about 60. perches: from Fleete bridge ſouth to the riuer of Thames, aboute 70. perches, and ſo the totall of theſe perches amounteth to 643. euery perch, conſiſting of 5. yeardes and a halfe, which do yeelde 3536. yardes and a halfe, conteyning 10608 foote, which make vp two engliſh miles and more by 608. foote.