LONDONS Ius Honorarium.
WHen Rome was erected: at the first establishing of a common weale, Romulus the founder of it, instituted a prime officer to gouerne the Citty▪ who was cald praefectus vrbis, i. the praefect of the City, whose vnconroulable authority, had power, not onely to examine, but to determie, all causes & controuersies, & to sit vpon, and censure all delinquents, whether their offences were capitall or criminall: Intra centesfimum lapidem, within an hundred miles of the City, in processe of time the Tarquins being expeld, & the prime soueraignry remaining in the consuls. They (by reason of their forraigne imployments) hauing no leasure to administer Iustice at home, created two cheife officers, the one they cald praetor vrbanus, or Maior, the other per egrinus: The first had his iurisdiction, in and ouer the City, the [Page] other excercised his authority meerely vpon strangers.
The name Pr [...]or is deriued from Pr [...]essondo or Praeeundo, from priority of place, which as a learned Roman Author writs, had absolute power ouer all publique and priuat affaires, to make new Lawes, and abolish old, without controwle, or contradiction: His authority growing to that height, that whatsoeuer he decreed or censured in publique, was cald Ius Honorarium, the first on whome this dignity was conferd in Rome, was spur: [...] Camillus, the sonne of Marcus: And the first Praeter or Lord Maior appointed to the Gouernment of the Honorable Citty of London, was Henry Fitz Allwin, aduaunced to that Dignity, by King Iohn, Anno. 1210. so much for the Honor and Antiquity of the name and place, I proceede to the showes.
‘Vpon the water.’
Are two craggy Rockes, plac'd directly opposit, of that distance that the Barges may passe betwixt them: these are full of monsters, as Serpents, Snakes, Dragons, &c. some spitting Fier, others vomiting water, in the bases thereof, nothing to be seene, but the sad relicks of shipwracke in broken Barkes and split Vessels, &c. The one is cald Silla, [Page] the other Charibdis, which is scituate directly against Messana; Scilla against Rhegium: and what soever shippe that passeth these Seas, if it keepe not the middle Channell, it is either wrackt upon the one, or devoured by the other; Medio cutissimus ibit. Vpon these Rocks are placed the Syrens, excellent both in voyce and Instrument: They are three in number, Telsipio, Jligi, Aglaosi▪ or as others will have them called, Parthenope, skilfull in musicke; Leucosia, upon the winde Instrument; Ligni, upon the Harpe. The morrall intended by the Poets, that whosoever shall lend an attentive eare to their musicke, is in great danger to perish; but he that can warily avoyd it by stopping his eares against their inchantment, shall not onely secure themselves, but bee their ruine: This was made good in Vlisses the speaker, who by his wisedome and pollicy not onely preserved himselfe and his people, but was the cause that they from the rocks cast themselves headlong into the Sea. In him is personated a wise and discreete Magistrate.
THe first show by Land, (presented in Pauls The first show by land. Church yard, is a greene and pleasant Hill, adorned with all the Flowers of the spring, upon which is erected a faire and flourishing tree, furnished with variety of faire and pleasant fruite, under which tree, and in the most eminent place of the Hill, sitteth a woman of beautifull aspect, apparrelled like Summer: Her motto, Civitas bene Gubernata, i. a City well governed. [Page] Her Attendants (or rather Associats) are three Damsels habited according to their qualitie, and representing the three Theologicall vertues, Faith, Hope, and Charity: Amongst the leaves and fruits of this Tree, are inscerted diverse labels with severall sentences expressing the causes which make Cities to flourish and prosper: As, The feare of God, Religious zeale, a Wise Magistrate, Obedience to rulers, Vnity, Plaine and faithfull dealing, with others of the like nature. At the foot of the Hill sitteth old Time, and by him his daughter Truth, with this inscription; Veritas est Temporis Filia, i. Truth is the Daughter of Time: which Time speaketh as followeth.
[Page]Then Time maketh a pause, and taking up a leavelesse & withered branch, thus proceedeth.
The second show by Land, is presented inThe second show by land. the upper part of Cheapside, which is a Chariot; The two beasts that are placed before it, are a Lyon passant, and a white Vnicorne in the same posture, on whose backs are seated two Ladies, the one representing Justice upon the Lyon, the other Mercy upon the Vnicorne. The motto which Justice beareth, is Rebelles protero; the inscription which Mercy carrieth, is Jmbelles protego: Herein is intimated, that by these types and symboles of Honour (represented in these noble beasts belonging io his Majestie) all other inferiour magistracies and governments either in Common weales, or private Societies, receive both being and supportance.
[Page]The prime Lady seated in the first and most eminent place of the Chariot, representeth London, behinde whom, and on either side, diverse others of the chiefe Cities of the Kingdome take place: As Westminster, Yorke, Bristoll, Oxford, Lincolne, Exeter, &c. All these are to be distinguished by their severall Escutchons; to them London being Speaker, directeth the first part of her speech as followeth.
Next after the Chariot, are borne the two rocks, Sylla and Caribdis, which before were presented upon the water: upon the top of the [Page] one stands a Sea Lyon vpon the other a Mearemaide or Sea-Nimphe, the Sirens and Monsters, beeing in continuall agitation and motion, some breathing fire, others spowting water, I shall not neede to spend much time in the Description of them, the wroke being sufficiently able to Commend itselfe.
The third show by Land Presented neere vnto the great Crosse in Cheape-side, beareth the title of the Palace of Honour: A faire and Curious structure archt and Tarrest aboue, on the Top of which standeth Honour, a Glorious presens, and ritchly habited, shee in her speech directed to the right Honorable: the Lord Maior, discouers all the true and direct wayes to attaine vnto her as, first: A King: Eyther by succession or Election.
A Souldier, by valour and martiall Discipline
A Churchman by Learning and degrees in scooles
A Statesman by Trauell and Language &c.
A Lord Maior by Commerce and Trafficke both
By Sea and Land, by the Inriching of the Kingdome, and Honour of our Nation.
The Palace of Honour is thus governed
Industry Controwler, his Word Negotior Charity Steward, the Word Miserior. [Page] Liberality Treasurer, the Word Largior, Innocence and Deuotion Henchmen the words. Patior: Precor. And so of the rest, and according to this Pallace of Honour is facioned not onely the management of the whole Citty in generall: but the House and Family of the Lord Maior in particuler.
Before in the Front of this pallace is seated Saint Katherin, the Lady and Patronesse of this Worshipfull Society of whom I will giue you this short Character▪ the name it selfe imports in the Originall. Omnis ruina, which (as some interpret it) is as much as to say, the fall and ruin of all the workes of the Diuell: Others deriue the word from Catena, a Chaine wherein all cheife Vertues and Graces are concatinated and link't together, so much for her name.
For her birth, shee was lineally descended from the Roman Emperours, the daughter of Costus the sonne of Constantine which Costns was Crowned King of Armenia, for Constantine hauing conquered [Page] that Kingdome, grew Inamored of the Kings Daughter by whom he had Issue, this Costus who after succeeded his Grand Father.
Constantine after the death of his first Wife made an expedition from Roome, and hauing Conquered this Kingdome of Great Britaine: he tooke to his Second Wife Helena, which Helena was she that found the Crosse vpon which the Sauiour of the World was Crucified, &c.
Costus Dying whilst Katherine was yet young, and shee being all that Time huing in Famogosta, (a cheife City) because shee was there Proclaimed and Crowned was called Queene of Famogosta, she liued and dyed a Virgin and a Martyr vnder the Tiranny of Maxentius, whose Empresse, with many other great & eminent persons she had before conuerted to the Faith. So much for her character Her speech to the Lord Maior as followeth.
At that word shee poynteth vpward to a Glorious presens which personates Honor in the top of the pallace, who thus secondeth Saint Katherens Speech.
[...] ▪ cannot heare forget that in the presentment of [Page] my papers to the Master, Wardens, & Committies of this Right Worshipfull Company of the Haberdashers (at whose sole expence and charges all the publick Triumphes of this dayes Solemnity both by water and land, were Celebrated) nothing here deuised or expressed was any way forraigne vnto them, but of all these my conceptions, they were as able to Iudge, as ready to Heare, and to direct as well as to Censure; nether was there auy dificulty which needed a comment, but as soone known as showne, and apprehended as read: which makes me now confident of the best ranke of the Cittisens: That as to the Honour and strength both of the Citty and Kingdome in generall, they excercise Armes in publicke, so to the benefit of their Iudgements, and inriching of their knowledge, they neglect not the studdy of arts, and practise of literature in priuate, so that of them it may be truly said they are, Tam Mercurio quam Marte periti: I proceede now to the last Speech at night in which Vlisses at the taking leaue of his Lordship at his Gate, vseth this short Commemoration, of all that hath bin included in the former pageants, poynting to them in order, the manner thereof thus.
[Page]I haue forborne to spend much paper in neede lesse and Inpertinent deciphering the worke, or explaining the habits of the persons, as being freely exposed to the publicke view of all the Spectators. The maine show, being performed by the most excellent in that kind, Miaster Gerard Christmas hath exprest hia Modals to bee exquisite (as hauing spared nei-ther Cost nor care, either in the Figures or ornaments. I shall not neede to point vnto them to say, this is a Lyon, and that an Vnicorne, &c. For of this Artist, I may bouldly and freely thus much speake, though many about the towne may enuie their worke, yet with all their indeuor they shall not be able to compare with their worth. I Conclude with Plautus insticho: Nam curiosus est [...] non [...]it malevolus.