Home > Primary Sources > Library > Lord Mayor’s Shows

The Device of the Pageant

This document is currently in draft. When it has been reviewed and proofed, it will be published on the site.

View the draft document.

Please note that it is not of publishable quality yet.

A1rClick here to view the page in facsimile.
THE
DEVICE OF
the Pageant:

Set forth by the VVorſhipfull Companie
of the Fiſhmongers, for the right honora-
ble Iohn Allot: eſtablished Lord Maior of
London, and Maior of the Staple for
this preſent yeere of our Lord
1590.
By T. Nelſon.


Printer’s Ornament





London. 1590.
A1vClick here to view the page in facsimile.
A2rClick here to view the page in facsimile.
Horizontal Rule
The Speech ſpoken by him that rideth on
the Merman, viz.

ATtend my Lord, and marke the tale I tell,
Whoſe forme you ſee is monſtrous, ſtrange and rare.
Before a manlike ſhape, behinde a fiſhes fell,
this ſtrange diſguiſe doth make full many ſtare,
And ſince they preaſe to know why I come here,
Let them be ſtill, the cauſe ſhall ſoone appeare.

WIthin this commoncōmon-wealth (my Lord) all thoſe thaty‘ liue in awe
Do ſeeke each-daie for to performe & keep the ſtabliſht law,
Yea ſuch do keep they‘ ſabboth day in reuerence as they ought
And fiſh dais too as wel as fleſh, which many ſet at naught
Yet if the ſame were well obſerude, fleſh ſeldome would be deere,
And fiſh abound at each mans boord more plentie in each yeere,
Then Englands ſtore would be increaſt with butter, cheeſe & beefe
And thouſands ſet to worke for fiſh, that now beg for releefe.
This ſhape ſo ſtrange, ſhew they are ſtrange, & do digres fromfrõ reaſon
That ſhun in eating fiſh and fleſh, to keepe both time and ſeaſon,
Which fault reformd, our commoncõmon wealth would floriſh in ſuch wiſe,
As neuer anie did beholde the like with mortall eies.

The ſpeech ſpoken by him that rideth
on the Vnicorne.
OH worthie Citie now reioyce in Chriſt,
for through his grace with peace he hath thee bleſt
Hee ſends thee ſtill ſuch godly magiſtrates,
as dailie ſeekes to keepe thee from vnreſt.

Muſe not my Lord, to ſee the Sunne doth ſhine
on Englands peace, who ſits in princely throne,
It doth preſage her Sunne ſhine ſtill ſhall laſt,
and make her foes afeard at euerie blaſt.
This text has been supplied. Reason: The facsimile photograph does not include the whole surface. Evidence: The text has been supplied based on evidence internal to this text (context, etc.).A 2
This text has been supplied. Reason: The facsimile photograph does not include the whole surface. Evidence: The text has been supplied based on evidence internal to this text (context, etc.). (SM)So
A2vClick here to view the page in facsimile.
4

So long as peace directed is by truth,
and Gods pure word receiued as it ought,
So long the Lord will bleſſe this little land,
and make it flow with plentie in each place.

Rule now my Lord and keepe this Citie well,
reforme abuſes crept into the ſame,
So ſhall your fame eternizde be for aie,
and London ſtill preſerued from decaie.
And I that do ſupport the Goldſmiths armes,
which long in loue to you haue bin vnited,
Will do my beſt to ſhadow you from harmes,
and finde the meanes your loues may be requighted.

Fame ſounding a Trumpet ſaith.
THe bleſſed peace which England doth poſſeſſe,
and ſo hath done this thirtie two yeres ſpace.
I Fame am ſent and chargde to do no leſſe,
with trumpets ſound, but ſpread it in each place.
That all may wiſh with hearts which do not faine,
our roiall peace in England ſtill may raine.

The peace of England.
I Repreſent your peace and chiefeſt good,
that euerie houre doth praie for your defence,
I ſit as ſhadow for that roiall bloud,
whoſe life is pure, and ſtill hath this pretence,
That whileſt ſhe liues euen with her heart and might,
ſhe ſeekes in peace for to defend your right.

Wiſedome on one ſide ſupporting the
State, ſaith.
VVIſedome ſupporteThis text has been supplied. Reason: The ink has faded, obscuring the text. Evidence: The text has been supplied based on evidence internal to this text (context, etc.). (CH)th ſtill the publike ſtate,
Wiſedome foreſeeth ere it be too late.

Pollicie on the other ſide ſupporting
the State, ſaith.
YEa pollicie preuents each traiterous fact,
And doth performe full many a famous act,
This text has been supplied. Reason: The facsimile photograph does not include the whole surface. Evidence: The text has been supplied based on evidence internal to this text (context, etc.).Both
A3rClick here to view the page in facsimile.
5

Both Pollicie and Wiſedome will not ceaſe,
Each night and daie for to preſerue this peace.

Gods Truth.
GOds ſacred truth loe here I repreſent,
whom Englands peace doth ſtil maintain in place,
I bring you comfort for your ſoules content,
which Englands peace doth willingly imbrace:
And for her ſake by whom Gods truth doth ſtand,
the God of heauen doth bleſſe this little land.

Prudence and vertue ſhades our peace each daie,
chaſt is her life, and therewith reſts content,
In vaine delights ſhe ſhuns to runne aſtraie,
her vertues are moſt rare and excellent.
Long may ſhe liue ſtill to preſerue this peace,
Lord ſtill I pray her health and ioyes increaſe.

Plentie.
THis famous fleece doth ſo adorne our land,
which daily doth with milke and honie flow,
That Fame doth make all nations vnderſtand,
like peace and plentie neuer man did know,
For wool and lead, for tin, corne, beere and beefe,
Of Chriſtian nations England is the cheefe.

Muſe not to ſee this famous fleece doth ſtand
vpon a wooll packe, fixt at peaces feete,
The reaſon is, as you may vnderſtand,
worthie Iohn Allot for his place moſt meete.
Is Maior of London and the Staple too,
And will performe in both what hee ſhould doo.

Loialtie and Concord.
Faithfull and loyall are hir ſubiects ſeene,
Concord vnites them ſtill in loyall bands,
Their tender hearts is linked to our Queene,
and concord craues no other at their hands,
Thus loyaltie and concord doth agree,
That London ſtill therein ſhall famous bee,
A 3
Ambition.
A3vClick here to view the page in facsimile.
6

Ambition.
AMbition ſtill puft vp with hate and pride,
Doth dailie ſeeke to worke ſweete Englands fall,
He neuer reſts, but ſeekes each time and tide,
How Englands peace might ſoone be brought in thrall.
And common wealth plungde into ciuill broiles,
That forraine foes might triumph in our ſpoiles.

Common wealth.
OUr Senates graue and worthie magiſtrates,
Shall ſtill inThis text has been supplied. Reason: Smudging dating from the original print process. Evidence: The text has been supplied based on evidence internal to this text (context, etc.). (MK)deuor to maintaine our peace,
By baniſhing ambition from our gates,
And ſeeking meanes this peace may neuer ceaſe:
Yea vertue ſo by him aduanſt ſhall be,
That vice ſhall flie and not be ſeene in me.

Science and Labour.
SCience ſtill ſeekes thoſe things we dailie wiſh,
and Labour toiles to bring vs fleſh and fiſh,
Yea Science ſure doth practiſe euerie daie,
that Labor might keepe England from decaie,
Science and Labour ſtill preſerues mans health,
and are chiefe props of this our common wealth.

Richard the ſecond.
HElpe Walworth now to dant this rebels pride.
Aſke what thou wilt thou ſhalt not be denide.

Iacke Straw.
IAcke Straw the rebell I preſent, Wat Tyler was my aide,
Hob Carter and Tom Miller too; we all were not afraid,
For to depriue our ſoueraigne king, Richard the ſecond namde,
Yet for our bad ambitious mindes by Walworth we were tamde,
He being Maior of London then, ſoone danted all our pride,
He ſlew me firſt, the reſt ſoone fled, and then like traitors dide.

Common wealth.
I Repreſent ſir William Walworths place,
A fiſhmonger, and Maior of London twice,
This text has been supplied. Reason: The facsimile photograph does not include the whole surface. Evidence: The text has been supplied based on evidence internal to this text (context, etc.). (CH)I
A4rClick here to view the page in facsimile.
7

I ſlew Iacke Straw, who ſought my kings diſgrace,
and for my act reapt honors of great price,
Firſt Knight was I of London you may reade,
and ſince each Maior gaines knighthood by my deede.

Yea for that deede to London I did gaine,
this dagger here in armes giuen as you ſee,
I won my companie this creaſt which doth remaine,
this to my ſelfe and my poſteritie.
Thus did the King with honors me adore,
and Fame her ſelfe ſtill laudeth me therefore.
It is to be vnderſtood that ſir William Walworth pointeth
to the honors wherewith the king did endue him, which were pla-
ced neere about him in the Pageant.
The firſt was the dagger giuen in the ſhield to the Citie of Lon-
don, the ſecond was the Creaſt giuen to the Companie, namely two
armes bearing vp a crowne, and the third was to the ſaid Wal-
worth and his poſterity for euer, two armes bearing vp a milſtone,
ſhewing thereby that thThis text is the corrected text. The original is e (MK)e ſaid ſir William Walworth performed a
matter ſo vnpoſſible, as it is for a man to holde vp a milſtone be-
tweene both his armes.


Time.
Time ſerues for all things,
Time runneth faſt,
VVe craue your patience,
for the time is paſt.

FINIS.

Cite this page

MLA citation

Nelson, Thomas. The Device of the Pageant. The Map of Early Modern London, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 26 Jun. 2020, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI3.htm.

Chicago citation

Nelson, Thomas. The Device of the Pageant. The Map of Early Modern London. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed June 26, 2020. https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI3.htm.

APA citation

Nelson, T. 2020. The Device of the Pageant. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London. Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI3.htm.

RIS file (for RefMan, EndNote etc.)

Provider: University of Victoria
Database: The Map of Early Modern London
Content: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

TY  - ELEC
A1  - Nelson, Thomas
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - The Device of the Pageant
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/06/26
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI3.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/xml/standalone/DEVI3.xml
ER  -

RefWorks

RT Web Page
SR Electronic(1)
A1 Nelson, Thomas
A6 Jenstad, Janelle
T1 The Device of the Pageant
T2 The Map of Early Modern London
WP 2020
FD 2020/06/26
RD 2020/06/26
PP Victoria
PB University of Victoria
LA English
OL English
LK https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI3.htm

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#TOMN1"><surname>Nelson</surname>, <forename>Thomas</forename></name></author>. <title level="m">The Device of the Pageant</title>. <title level="m">The Map of Early Modern London</title>, edited by <editor><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></editor>, <publisher>U of Victoria</publisher>, <date when="2020-06-26">26 Jun. 2020</date>, <ref target="https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI3.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI3.htm</ref>.</bibl>

Personography

Locations

Organizations