very mean and ordinary. Black Raven Court, an open Place, with good new Brick Buildings, well inhabited: And here is kept the Transport Office. Plough Yard; but ordinary built and inhabited. Crown Court but small, with a Free Stone Pavement.

Tower Hill. The West Row of Buildings, with part of the Hill, (which is in this Ward) is a handsome Structure, very well inhabited, and pleasantly seated in an open Air, having the delightful Prospect of the Thames, and the Tower: And in this Row is Barking Alley, or Alleys; one leading into Tower Street, and the other into Seething Lane; in both which the Buildings encompass Barking Church on the North and East Sides. Then about the middle of this Row of Buildings is Rose Court. both small and ordinary. Further Northwards, is Muscovy Court, a curious large open Place, with a Free Stone Pavement, and consisting of fair new Brick Buildings, and they very well inhabited. Out of this Court is a back Passage, with a Door into the Navy Office.

Formerly there were round the Tower old Buildings, which enclosed the Ditch, or Moat; and these stood until the Reign of King Charles II. But being found incommodious, were all by Command from above (Sir John Robinson being Lieutenant) pulled down, and the Moat cleansed and enlarged, with Brick-work on the outside, even to the Ground. So that now the Tower us not so choaked up, but stands open on all Sides.]

Thus much for the Bounds and Antiquity of this Ward. Wherein are noted, first, the Tower of London, three Parish Churches, the Custom House, and two Halls of Companies; to wit, the Clothworkers and the Bakers.

This Ward hath an Alderman, his Deputy, Common Counsellors 8, Constables 13, Scavengers 12, Wardmote Men 13, and a Beadle: It is taxed to the Fifteen at 26l. *.

There are to watch at the several Stands within this Ward every Night, a Constable and the Beadle with forty Watchmen.

The Jury Men returned by the Wardmote Inquest for this Ward, are to serve as Jurors in the several Courts in Guildhall in the Month of May.]

The Alderman of this Ward is Sir Charles Peers, Knt.

THE second Ward within the Walls on the East part, is called Ealdgate [or Aldgate] Ward, as taking Name of the same Gate. The principal Street of this Ward beginneth at Ealdgate, stretching West to sometime a fair Well, where now a Pump is placed. From thence (the way being divided into twain) the first and principal Street, (called Ealdgate Street) runneth on the South Side to Lime Street Corner. And half that Street down on the left hand, is also of that Ward.

In the mid way on that South Side, betwixt Ealdgate and Lime Street, is Hart Horn Alley, a way that goeth thorough into Fenchurch Street, over against Northumberland House. Then have ye Bricklayers Hall, [used also now by the Company of Silkthrowers] and another Alley, called Sprinkle Alley, of an holy Water Sprinkle sometime hanging there, now named Sugar Loaf Alley, of the like Sign.

Then is there a fair House, with divers Tenements near adjoining, sometime belonging to a late dissolved Priory, but since possessed by Mrs. Cornwallis, Widow, and her Heirs, by the Gift of King Henry VIII. in reward of fine Puddings (as it was commonly said) by her made, wherewith she had presented him: Such was the princely Liberality of those times. Of later time, Sir Nicholas Throgmorton Kt. was lodged there; which now is the African House.

Then somewhat more West is Belzeter's Lane, so called of the first Builder and Owner thereof; now corruptly called Billiter Lane: [A Place consisting formerly of poor and ordinary Houses, where it seems needy and beggarly People used to inhabit; whence the Proverb used in ancient Times, A bawdy Beggar of Billiter Lane, which Sir Thomas More somewhere used in his Book which he wrote against Tyndal.]

Betwixt this Belzeter's Lane and Lime Street, was, (of later time) a Frame of three fair Houses set up in the Year 1590. in place where before was a large Garden Plot, inclosed from the high Street with a Brick Wall, which Wall being taken down, and the Ground digged for Cellerage, there was found right under the said Brick Wall, another Wall of Stone, with a Gate arched of Stone, and Gates of Timber to be closed in the midst towards the Street; the Timber of the Gates was consumed, but the Hinges of Iron still remained on their Staples on both the Sides.

Moreover, in that Wall were square Windows, with Bars of Iron on either side the Gate: This Wall was under Ground above two Fathoms deep, as I then esteemed it, and seemeth to be the Ruins of some House burned in the Reign of King Stephen, when the Fire began in the House of one Aelward, near London Stone, and consumed East to Ealdgate. Whereby it appeareth, how greatly the Ground of this City hath been in that Place raised.

On the North Side, this principal Street stretcheth to the West Corner of St. Andrew's Church, and then the Ward turneth towards the North, by St. Mary Street, on the East Side, to St. Augustine's Church in the Wall, and by Buries Marks again, or about by the Wall to Ealdgate.

The second way from Ealdgate, more towards