ALL Triumphes have their Titles, and so this, according to the nature thereof, beareth a name: It is called Londini [...], that is, Speculum, more plainly, Londons Mirrour, neither altogether unproperly so termed, since she in her selfe may not onely perspicuously behold her owne ver­tues, but all forraigne Cities by her, how to correct their vices.

Her Antiquity she deriveth from Brute, line­ally discended from Aeneas, the sonne of Anchi­ses and Venus, and by him erected, about the yeare of the world two thousand eight hundred fifty five: before the Nativity of our blessed Sa­viour, one thousand one hundred and eight: first cald by him Trinovantum, or Troy-novant, [Page] New Troy, to continue the remembrance of the old, and after, in the processe of time Caier Lud, that is, Luds Towne, of King Lud, who not onely greatly repaired the City, but increased it with goodly and gorgeous buildings; in the West part whereof, he built a strong gate, which hee called after his owne name Lud gate, and so from Luds Towne, by contraction of the word and dialect used in those times, it came since to be called London.

I will not insist to speake of the name of Maior, which implyeth as much as the greater, or more prime person; such were the Praetors, or Proefecti in Rome, neither were the Dicta­tors any more, till Iulius Caesar aiming at the Imperiall Purple, was not content with that annuall honour, which was to passe successively from one to another, but he caused himselfe to be Elected Perpetuus Dictator, which was in ef­fect no lesse than Emperor.

And for the name of Elder-man, or Alder-man, it is so ancient, that learned Master Cambden in in his Britan. remembreth unto us, that in the daies of Royal King Edgar, a noble Earle, and of the Royall blood, whose name was Alwin, was in such favour with the King, that be was stiled [Page] Healf Kunning, or halfe King, and had the stile of Alderman of all England: This man was the first founder of a famous Monastery in the Isle of Ely, where his body lies interred, upon whose Tombe was an inscription in Latin, which I have, verbatim, thus turned into English, Here resteth Alwin, couzen to King Edgar, Alder­man of all England, and of this Holy Abbey the mi­raculous founder. And so much (being tide to a briefe discourse) may serve for the Antiquity of London, and the Titles for Maior or Alder­man.

I come now to the Speculum, or Mirrour. Plu­tarch tels us, That a glasse in which a man or woman behold their faces, is of no estimation or value (though the frame thereof be never so richly deckt with gold & gemmes, unlesse it represent unto us the true figure and obiect. Moreover, that such are foolish and flattering glasses, which make a sad face to looke pleasant, or a merry countenance melancholy: but a perfect and a true Christall, without any falsity or flattery; rendreth every obiect its true forme, and proper figure, distingui­shing a smile from a wrincle; and such are the meanes many times to bridle our refractory affections: for who being in a violent rage, would be pleased that his ser­vant should bring him a glasse wherein hee might be­hold [Page] the [...]rvity and strange alteration of his counte­nance? Minerva playing upon a Pipe, was mockt by a Satyre in these words.

But though she despised his Councell for the pre­sent, when after, playing upon the same Pipe, in which she so much delighted, shee beheld in a river such a change in her face, shee cast it from her, and broke it a­sunder, as knowing that the sweetnes of her musick could not countervaile or recompence that deformity which it put upon her countenance, and therefore I have purpo­sed so true and exact a Mirrour, that in it may be dis­covered as well that which beautifies the governour, as deformes the government.

One thing more is necessitously to be added, and then I fall upon the showes in present agi­tation: namely, that the fellowship of the Mer­chant Adventurers of England were first trusted with the sole venting of the manufacture of Cloth out of this kingdome, & have for above [Page] this 4 hundred years traded in a priviledged, & wel governed course, in Germany, the Low Coun­tries, &c. and have beene the chiefe meanes to raise the manufacture of all wollen commodi­ties to that height in which it now existeth, which is the most famous staple of the Land, and whereby the poore in all Countries are plentifully maintained: and of this Company his Lordship is free: as also of the Levant, or Turkey, and of the East India Company, whose trading hath beene, and is in these forraine ad­ventures: also who spent many yeares and a great part of his youth abroad in other Coun­tries.

N [...] the first show by water is presented by St. Katherine, of whom I will give you this short Character: She was the daughter of King Costus, and had the generall title of Queene of Famogosta, because crowned in that City, being lineally discended from the Roman Emperors, who as she lived a Vir­gin so she dyed a Martyr, under the Tyrant Maxen­tius, whose Empresse with divers other eminent per­sons she had before converted to the Faith: she rideth on a Scallop, which is part of his Lordships Coate of Armes, drawne in a Sea-Chariot, by two Sea-horses with divers other adornments to beautifie the peece; the [Page] Art of which, the eye may better discover, than my pen describe, and why she being a Princesse, and Patronesse of this Company of the Haberdashers, who onely ruled on the Land, should at this time appeare upon the water, and without any iust taxation, to make that cleare, shee thus delivereth her selfe.

These few following Lines may, (and not im­pertinently) be added unto Iupiters message, delivered by Mercury, which though too long for the Bardge, may perhaps not shew lame in the booke, as being lesse troublesome to the Reader than the Rower.

The second show, but the first by Land, is presented by the great Philosopher Pythagoras, Samius, the sonne of Menarchus; which being outwardly Sphericall and Orbicular, yet being opened it quadrates it selfe iust into so many Angles as there be Scepters, over which his Sa­cred Maiesty beareth title: namely, England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, concerning which number of foure, I thus Read: Pythagoras and his Schollers, who taught in his schooles, that Ten was the nature and soule of all number; one Reason which he gave (to omit the rest) was, because all nations, as well civill as barba­rous, can tell no farther than to the Denary, which is Ten, and then returne in their account unto the Monady, that is one: For example, from Tenne wee proceed to Eleven and Twelve, [Page] which is no more than Ten and One, Ten and Two, and so of the rest, till the number rise to an infinite.

Againe hee affirmeth, that the strength and vertue of all number consisteth in the quater­nion; for beginning with one, two, three and foure, put them together and they make ten; he saith further, that the nature of number consisteth in ten, and the faculty of number is comprized in foure: in which respect the Pythagoreans ex­presse their holy oath in the quaternion, which they cal'd [...], as may appear in these words.

For they held the soule of man to subsist in that number, proportionating it into these foure Faculties, Mens, Scientia, Opinio, Sensus, the Mind, Knowledge, Opinion, and Sence, and therefore according to that number Pythagoras frames his Speech, alluding to those foure Kingdomes over which his Maiesty beareth title.