London and the Kingdom - Volume I | Page 2

and the City's records are almost, if not altogether, silent on the subject.
The work does not affect to be a critical history so much as a chronique pour servir, to which the historical student may have recourse in order to learn what was the attitude taken up by the citizens of London at important crises in the nation's history. He will there see how, in the contest between Stephen and the Empress Matilda, the City of London held as it were the balance; how it helped to overthrow the tyranny of Longchamp, and to wrest from the reluctant John the Great Charter of our liberties; how it was with men and money supplied by the City that Edward III and Henry V were enabled to conquer France, and how in after years the London trained bands raised the siege of Gloucester and turned the tide of the Civil War in favour of Parliament. He will not fail to note the significant fact that before Monk put into execution his plan for restoring Charles II to the Crown, the taciturn general--little given to opening his mind to anyone--deemed it advisable to take up his abode in the City in order to first test the feelings of the inhabitants as to whether the Restoration would be acceptable to them or not. He will see that the citizens of London have at times been bold of speech even in the presence of their sovereign when the cause of justice and the liberty of the subject were at stake, and that they did not hesitate to suffer for their opinions; that, "at many of the most critical periods of our history, the influence of London and its Lord Mayors has turned the scale in favour of those liberties of which we are so justly proud"; and that had the entreaties of the City been listened to by the King and his ministers, the American Colonies would never have been lost to England.
There are two Appendices to the work; one comprising copies from the City's Records of letters, early proclamations and documents of special interest to which reference is made in the text; the other consisting of a more complete list of the City's representatives in Parliament from the earliest times than has yet been printed, supplemented as it has been by returns to writs recorded in the City's archives and (apparently) no where else. The returns for the City in the Blue Books published in 1878 and 1879 are very imperfect.
R. R. S.
THE GUILDHALL, LONDON, April, 1894.

CONTENTS
PREFACE.
CHAPTER I.
THE PORT OF LONDON. THE CITY NOT IN DEMESNE. THE ROMAN OCCUPATION. THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND. THE BISHOP OF LONDON. THE DANES IN LONDON. ALFRED "RESTORES" LONDON. THE FRITH-GILD OF THE CITY. THE FIRST PAYMENT OF DANEGELT. LONDON SUBMITS TO SWEYN. CNUT EXPELLED BY ETHELRED. THE LAWS OF ETHELRED. THE "LITHSMEN" OF LONDON. LONDON THE CAPITAL. EARL GODWINE AND THE CITIZENS.
CHAPTER II.
THE NORMAN CONQUEROR. LONDON SUBMITS TO WILLIAM. WILLIAM'S CHARTER TO THE CITY. THE "DOOMSDAY" BOOK. THE ELECTION OF HENRY I. HENRY'S CHARTER TO THE CITY. THE SHERIFF-WICK OF MIDDLESEX. LONDON'S ELECTION OF STEPHEN. THE EMPRESS MATILDA. LONDON AND THE SYNOD AT WINCHESTER. THE EMPRESS MATILDA IN LONDON. LONDON HOLDS THE BALANCE.
CHAPTER III.
FITZ-STEPHEN'S DESCRIPTION OF LONDON CHARTER OF HENRY II TO THE CITY. THE REVOLT OF THE BARONS RICHARD I AND HIS CHANCELLOR. THE CITY AND ITS "COMMUNE." SUBSTITUTION OF MAYOR FOR PORT-REEVE. CHRONICLE OF ARNALD FITZ-THEDMAR. THE CITY'S CLAIM AT CORONATION BANQUETS. INSURRECTION UNDER LONGBEARD. THE GOLDEN BULL. FITZ-WALTER THE CITY'S CASTELLAIN. LONDON AND THE GREAT CHARTER. DEATH OF KING JOHN.
CHAPTER IV.
THE TREATY OF LAMBETH. TUMULT RAISED BY CONSTANTINE. THE KINGDOM OVER-RUN BY FOREIGNERS. TAKEN INTO THE KING'S HAND. LONDON SUPPORTS THE BARONS. THE CITY AT THE MERCY OF THE KING. ORGANIZATION OF CRAFT GUILDS. THE MISE OF AMIENS. SIMON DE MONTFORT'S PARLIAMENT. THE BATTLE OF EVESHAM AND ITS RESULTS. THE FATE OF FITZ-THOMAS, MAYOR. THE MAYORALTY RESTORED. WALTER HERVY RE-ELECTED MAYOR.
CHAPTER V.
FITZ-THEDMAR'S PREJUDICE AGAINST HERVY. CHARGES AGAINST WALTER HERVY. THE RESULTS OF HERVY'S POLICY. INTERRUPTION OF TRADE WITH FLANDERS. FLEMINGS EXPELLED FROM ENGLAND. ARRIVAL OF EDWARD I IN ENGLAND. THE MURDER OF LAURENCE DUKET. THE ITER AT THE TOWER. THE EXPULSION OF THE JEWS. DEATH OF QUEEN ELEANOR. THE KING IN DIFFICULTIES. RISING OF THE SCOTS UNDER WALLACE. DEATH OF EDWARD I.
CHAPTER VI.
THE ORDAINERS AND THEIR WORK. RICHER DE REFHAM, MAYOR. THE FALL OF GAVESTON. THE CITIZENS RESIST A TALLIAGE. DISSENSION IN THE CITY. PROCEEDINGS AT THE ITER OF 1321. CLAIMS PUT FORWARD BY THE CITY. CONTINUATION OF THE ITER. HAMO DE CHIGWELL, MAYOR. MILITARY SERVICE OF LONDONERS. ESCAPE OF MORTIMER FROM THE TOWER. THE CITY LOST TO EDWARD II. MURDER OF BISHOP STAPLETON. DEATH OF THE KING.
CHAPTER VII.
THE CITY MARKET MONOPOLY. THE CORONATION STONE. JOHN DE GRANTHAM ELECTED MAYOR. THE KING AND THE EARL