And the City, to have this the more firmly confirmed to them for the future, obtained of the Queen the Ratification thereof, by the Assistance of the Lord Treasurer; who conferred with the Queen's Attorney and Solicitor, about the drawing up of the Book that was to pass from the Queen to the City. They both had viewed the Book presented to them, and reformed it in what Points they thought good, and so returned it back to the Treasurer; who was to give his own Warrant to the Attorney and Solicitor for their Approbation of the same under their Hands. Which Sir William Webb, Maior, requested of the said Treasurer, in a Letter dated the Year abovesaid.

I pass to the Year 1592, which was a Plague Year. Then were Articles presented to the Lords of the Council to be considered of, for Provision and Order, as well against the encrease of the Plague, as also for relief of the poor People, whether Lame or Whole, and vagrant People who daily begged in the Streets. Whereof one great Advice was, to remove the Sound from the Sick; so that whensoever ay House was infected, then to leave the Sick to the House, and to remove the Sound into Houses to be appointed on purpose.

In the Month of June, 1595, on a Sunday, a multitude of rebellious Apprentices got together in divers Parts of the City, and near the Tower, to be sheltered there from the Maior. These were so formidable, and had so often used these Disorders before, that Sir John Spencer, Maior, wrote to the Lord Treasurer thereof; and was of Opinion that they would not be supprest, until some of them were punished, according to Martial Law, and their Masters also fined and punished; whom he had by several Precepts commanded to keep their Servants within.

Great Care was continaully taken in the City for the Poor. In the Maioralty of Sir Stephen Slany, Decemb. 1. 1595. there was taken the total Number of all poor Housholders, inhabiting within the several Wards of the City and Liberties thereof, who wanted Relief at present. Which was given up by the said Maior to the Queen. The whole Number of these poor Housholders in the several Wards, was 4132. That is to say, in the Ward of

About these Times many Ballads were dispersed in the City, abusing the Government. The Author of one of them was discovered in the Year 1596. when Corn having been dear, a Book of Orders was issued out from the Privy Council for remedying the Dearth. But to ridicule these Orders, and to disaffect People to the Government, a Ballad was printed and dispersed, and soon brought to Sir Stephen Slany, Maior. It contained a Complaint of the great Want and Scarcity of Corn within the Realm: and it brought in the Queen speaking to her People Dialoguewise, in very fond and undecent sort; and prescribing Orders for the remedying the Dearth, extracted, as it seems, out of the aforesaid Book. The Author was one Delonie, a idle Fellow, and the same who before had printed a Book for the Silk-Weavers; wherein was also foolish and disordered Matter. The Maior called the Printer before him, and the Party by whom it was put to Print; who pretended a Licence: But finding it untrue, he committed him to the Counter, and took Surety of the Printer for his Apprearance; and sent the Ballad to the Lord Treasurer. This was in July; and in September following two Libels more fell into the Maior's Hands, dispersed by some seditious Persons in the City; which he sent also to the Treasurer, together with a Bagg, with certain things enclosed in it, left at one Mr. Kempton's House, Deputy of the Ward, a Citizen of good Reputation. So much were Men now set upon affronting the Government, by this way of Libeling. And before any of the former, viz. in April, there was taken up in the Warders Room before the Tower-Gate, by the Under-Porter there, another abusive Writing, directed to certain Persons; but mentioning therein a late Execution of Justice against some disorderly Apprentices and others; with an Invective against the Counsil of the Land. Whereby he meant probably the learned Counsil and Judges. The Libel seemed to have been devised, by the stile and manner of Writing, by some Apprentice of St. Katharine's, or thereabouts. This the Maior sent also to the Lord Treasurer; and desired to know, whether he should proceed by Examination to find out the Author, with the Advice and Help of the Lieutenant, or rather suppress it till they heard more, considering the Times, and the End and Purpose of such as scattered such infamous Libels, and seditious Writings: Who desired nothing more than to have them blazed and scattered abroad.

About the Year 1593, and before, the City as well as other Parts of the Kingdom, was grievously pestered with Beggars; and they, many of them poor disbanded Soldiers, become poor and maimed by the Wars in the Low Countries and with Spain; and many more that pretended themselves to be so: Who committed many Robberies and Outrages. This caused the Queen to set forth a Proclamation in the Month of February, for the Suppressing of the Multitudes of idle Vagabonds, and avoiding mischievous, dangerous Persons from her Majesty's Court.

It sets forth, "How idle Persons and Vagabonds were manifestly seen wandering in the common High Ways, to the Annoyance of the common People, both in their Goods and Lives: a Multitude of able Men, neither Impotent nor Lame, exacting Money continually upon pretence of Service in the Wars, without Relief. Whereas many of them never did so serve. And yet such as had served, if they were Maimed or Lamed by Service, were provided for in the Countries, by Order of a good Statute made the last Parliament."

"For Reformaion whereof, She commanded her Justices and Officers to have a better Regard therero: And to apppoint upon certain Days of the Week, Monthly (for some Season) Watches and privy Searches in Places needful. And thereby to Attach and Imprison such idle Vagabonds: and to send the Lame and Maim-"