sword, and cutting off one half of his Cloak (which was the only garment he had remaining, having already bestowed the rest to the like charitable uses) he presented it to the shivering mendicant, reserving the other half for his own use. In this room also, are some good portraits of Charles the Second, James the Second, and his Queen Mary; Prince George of Denmark, &c. as well as two clever modern heads of Mr. John Wright, a late Master, and the late Benjamin Kenton, Esq. who was Master in 1776;* both the latter were esteemed as very excellent likenesses. Mr. Kenton died in May, 1800, at the advanced age of eighty-two: the life of this gentleman, who was professionally a Vintner, affords a most striking illustration of the apothegm, that Industry and Perseverance lead to affluence;' for although of the most humble origin, and possessed of no other education than what he had received at a common Charity-school, he realized upwards of 100,0001. the greatest part of which, nearly 65,000l. he bequeathed to various Charitable Establishments and uses: of this sum he gave 2,0001. to the general fund of the Vintners' Company, and 2,5001. for the rebuilding, &c. of the Alms-houses at MileEnd.t

*

This Company is governed by a Master, three Wardens, and twenty-eight Assistants. "They have considerable possessions," says Maitland" out of which they pay large sums annually, for the relief of the poor."

THE CLOTHWORKERS' COMPANY, though a very ancient Guild, was not incorporated till the year 1482, when Edward the Fourth, granted the Members his Letters Patent, by the style of The Fraternity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of the Sheermen of London ;' but this appellation was changed on their re-incorporation by Queen Elizabeth, to that of The Master, Wardens, and Commonalty, of Freemen of the Art and Mystery of Clothworkers

His mother kept a green-stall in Whitechapel road, in the house where

he himself was born, at the corner of Fieldgate.

↑ A short Memoir and Portrait of Mr. Kenton, were given in the Euro pean Magazine for November, 1808.

werkers of the City of London.' Elizabeth's Charter was confirmed by Charles the First, in the year 1634. This Company is governed by a Master, four Wardens, and a Court of about forty Assistants. Its Members possess considerable estates, both in their own right, and in trust for Charitable purposes, their annual expenditure for which, is stated at about 14001.

CLOTHWORKERS' HALL, is a small building principally of red brick, on the east side of Mincing Lane, Fenchurch Street: the front is ornamented with four fluted columns, crowned with Corinthian capitals, of stone, and supporting a frieze and cornice. The Hall is a lofty apartment, wainscotted to the ceiling, which is richly stuccoed with compartments of fret-work, and other ornaments. The arms of England, of the City, and Company, and of various Masters and benefactors, are exhibited in large compartments of richly coloured painted glass in the windows. The screen is of oak, with four pilasters of the Corinthian order, supporting an entablature, and compass pediment. At the upper end of the Hall, are carved statues as large as life, of James the First, and Charles the First, in their royal robes.*

THE DYERS' COMPANY, was incorporated by Edward the Fourth, in the year 1472, and had granted, among other privileges, the liberty of keeping Swans upon the river Thames. This is said to have been originally one of the twelve principal Companies, though it now ranks only as the thirteenth. The ancient Dyers' Hall, which stood on the south side of Upper Thames Street, near Cold Harbour, was destroyed in the Great Fire; as was also the new fabric which arose upon its site, on the 22d of April, 1681. The ground was afterwards let out by the Company, and is now occupied by large warehouses, yards, &c. which still bear the name of Dyers' Hall. The present Hall is a small but neat brick edifice, in Great Elbow Lane, Dowgate Hill.

THE

The Clothworkers' arms are sable, a chevron, ermin, between two habicks, in chief, and a thistle in base, proper: crest, a ram, passant; supporters, griffins, spotted sable: motto, My Trust is in God alone.' The arms were granted by Thomas Benolt, Clarencieux, in 1530; the crest and supporters by Robert Cooke, Clarencieux, in 1587,

THE BREWERS' COMPANY was incorporated by Henry the Sixth, in the year 1438, and confirmed by Edward the Fourth, with the further privilege of making bye-laws. The chosen patrons of this Company, were the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. Thomas Becket, and they originally bore the arms of the latter impaled with their own; after the Archbishop, however, had been uncanonized, and his bones taken up and burnt, by order of King Henry the Eighth, the arms were separated by Clarencieux, and the Brewers had a new crest granted to them in lieu of the bearings of the Saint.

The art and mystery' of Brewing, is doubtless of very remote origin, though the time of its introduction into this country is unknown. Malt liquor is stated to have been used in Britain as early as the fifth century, and it is pretty certain, that considerable Breweries were in operation in London, before the Norman Conquest.' These however, appear to have been confined to the production of Ales, of different qualities and strength, the prices of which were regulated by the Magistracy, at least as early as the year 1256.*

In 1302, ground malt was sold as low as at 3s. 4d. the quarter; yet within thirteen or fourteen years after, it rose to 13. 4d. the quarter, and upwards; owing to the great dearth which then prevailed, The price of Ale partook of the general dearness, and the best sort rose to threepence, and fourpence a lagena, (flaggon or gallon) which occasioned a Proclamation to be issued, restraining the price to one penny; and commanding also, that 'no wheat should be malted.'---This, says Bishop Fleetwood, 'the Londoners had usually done to the great consumption of corn,

and

*In the 51st of Henry the Third, it was determined by authority, that when a quarter of Barley was sold at 2s. then Ale might be afforded 4 Quarts for 1d.; and when Barley was at 2s. 6d. the quarter, then Ale was to be 7 Quarts for 2d. and so to increase, and decrease, after the rate of 6d. the Quarter. Fleetwood's Chron. Prec. p. 411. Fo.

t Dug. Hist. of St. Paul's, p. 32.

Walsing. Chron. anno 1315, and 1316.