Anno 1593, May the 4th, a Compleat List was brought in of the Number of Strangers, with the Children and Servants, according to Certificates made by every several Ward of London, viz.

By another Book of the Numbers of Strangers taken for the same Year 1593, they are reckoned to amount to 5259, taking in, I suppose, all within the Liberties also, and without. Thence were deducted 959 English Servants, and the Sum was reduced to 4300; to which were also subjoyned all the English that were set on work by the Srrangers, which were made to amount in the whole to 1493.

Among the Persons named in a List of the Year 1576, are John Houblowe, and Gyllam Tulyer mentioned. And in another are the Names of John Hubland, and Peter Hubland, miswrit in both Places, I make no doubt, by the English Scribes. And in an authentic Catalogue, I have seen of such French as fled to Rye in Sussex upon that inhumane Massacre of Protestants in France, Anno. 1572; there be the Names of Le Tellier, and Tellier, one a Merchant, another a Minister, and another a Brazier of Diep. Some of these very probably were the Ancestors of those eminent Merchants and Citizens bearing the Name of Houblon and Lethieulier, which at this present flourish here in Wealth and Reputation; and some of them, such as have, and do partake of the Government of this City, as well as other Places of Honour and Trust.

And having related thus much of the Foreigners that transplanted themselves from abroad into this Place, I shall add something further of the Manner of their Reception and Entertainment among the Citizens. Many whereof (especially the more ordinary sort) had no great love for them, and were glad of an opportunity of oppressing them, the English Nature being somewhat inhospitable to Strangers, jealous of their Industry, and suspecting them to get their Trade away from them.

Anno 1563, July 30, a Proclamation came out against Strangers: and divers Frenchmen, Denizons and others, were seized, it may be, upon the Falseness and Treachery of the French to the English at New-Haven. But to see how ready the Citizens were to take this Opportunity to express their Disgust against Foreigners; Sir Thomas Lodge, Lord Maior, wrote to the Privy Council, that the People, a great Number of them, were very fervent, and a great Number very unquiet, and proceeded, without Order, in the execution of the said Proclamation; so that he thought it good, as he wrote, to give their Honours Intelligence thereof, beseeching their further Order and Pleasure herein; for that the same Proclamation was not orderly published, and the People very heady in using the Liberty of the same.

The poor Strangers not only in London, but all England over, as they were offensive to the ordinary sort of People, as Mechanics and such like, so they were sought as a Prey by others, to make a Benefit of them. Thus one Rafe Lane, a projecting Man, in the Year 1583, made this motion to the Lord Treasurer, that considering, by reason of the Civil Wars in the Parts beyond Seas, numbers of Strangers made their Habitations within this Realm, and that in such great Multitudes, as was to the great Annoyance of homeward Artizans and Subjects, both through the Exercise of English Trades, and by not performing for their Parts, that which the Laws of this Land did enjoyn for the benefit of the Common-weal; as also through the encrease of the Prices of Victuals, raising the Rents of Tenements, and encreasing of Sickness by their over pestering of small Rooms with many of them; besides other like Inconveniences, meet either to be refrained, or else at the least, in some measure to be restrained by new Provisions, meeting with the Mischief of such new Accidents: Therefore that her Majesty would be pleased to grant him the executing such Laws as were made against Aliens, with the Benefit of the Penalties thereof, and Authority yearly to Survey them, taking their Appearances, and for the Registring of every of their Names to take 4d. with a like Authority to take yearly Bonds to her Majesty's Use (and that only of such of them as have already broken the Laws) not to offend in the like hereafter, and to dispense with what is past. This, if it had past according to the Petitioner's Desire, would (it is like) have given occasion of continual vexation to the Strangers.

Three Years after, viz. 1586, the Apprentices of London did conspire an Insurrection in the City against the French and Dutch; but especially against the French. A thing as like unto Evil May-day as could be devised in all manner of Circumstances, there wanted nothing bur Execution. Several of these were taken all under 21 Years of Age. They were of the Mystery of the Plaisterers, and were committed to Newgate upon the Queen and Councils Commandment; and the Recorder, and other Magistrates of the City, were in search for the principal Captain. For the effecting this, they had been working one whole Day or two, after in Whitehall and at Westminster, (where they suspected him to be) and at his coming home they hoped to have him, having set a standing Watch armed from Nine at Night until Seven in the Morning; and meant to continue the same so long as it should be thought convenient by the Lord Treasurer, and other of the Lords, as the Recorder signified to them.

Again, in the Year 1592, the Outlandish Strangers that dealt in Retail Trades, were greatly disgusted by the English Shopkeepers and Freemen of London, as spoiling their Trades; and they made Complaint, and drew up Allegations against retailing Strangers, in order to the getting of an Act of Parliament against their retailing. They alledged, that the retailing of foreign Commodities by Strangers caused the Decay of English Retailers, in Ability, Number and Trade. For Example, the English Retailers of Linnen Cloth in London were to the Number of 160 or thereabouts, but now they were but 67, and the Strangers were encreased double in that Trade. And whereas, within seven Years past, one English Retailer of Linnen Cloth in London, uttered yearly in Lawnes and Cambricks to the value of 1400l. now the best of them uttered not in that sort of Ware yearly 200l. and so of the rest, though much more of those Wares were uttered at that Day than was wont to be. So that what the English Retailer lost, the retailing Strangers got. They alledged further, that the Strangers Retailers, had more Liberty than the English Retailers, in that they retailed in Cities, Towns Corporate, and the Suburbs of Cities and other exempt Places; which English Retailers were prohibited by a Law to do, viz. the Statute of 1 & 2 Phil. & Mar. And that some Strangers were both Merchants and Retailers. They alledged, that the Strangers Retailers hindred the Queen's Subsidies and Customes, in living obscurely as poor Retailers in shew; and so paid the Queen for Subsidy but 4d. a Poll; and in not being mere Merchant, whereby they should pay double Customs and Subsidies. They alledged, that they enhaunced the Prices of