London and its Environs Described, Volume IV, Page 14 & 15

This page continues the article entitled London, which started on Page 1.
The next article is entitled London Assurance, and starts on Page 118.

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surnamed Coeur de Lyon, was remark- able for the dreadful massacre of the Jews in this city. Intimation was given to that people not to appear at the ceremo- ny; but many endeavouring to satisfy their curiosity, by carrying presents to the King, attempted to get into the abbey church of St. Peter's Westminster: but being repulsed by his Majesty's dome- stics, a rumour spread among the po- pulace, that the King had given orders for the entire destruction of that people. Upon which the mob, barbarously falling upon these poor defenceless wretches, murdered all who fell in their way, and then hastening to the city, with a more than diabolical fury massacred all they could find, and then plundered and burnt their houses. However, the next day, the wicked ringleaders of these horrid barbarities were siezed, and immediately hanged. In the year 1197, the citizens pur- chased of King Richard a charter, for 15,000 marks, by which they were im- powered to remove all wears out of the river Thames, and the King resigned all his right to the annual duties arising from them. This is the first charter from which the city claims its jurisdiction and conservacy of that river.
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In the next reign the citizens obtain- ed several charters from King John, by which this and all their other privileges were confirmed: and in the year 1207, Henry Fitz-Alwyn took the title of Mayor, instead of Custos and Bailiff, under which names he had held that dignity for twenty years successively. In the year 1211, the citizens, as an additional security, began to encompass the wall with a deep ditch 200 feet wide; a work in which a vast number of hands was employed. The same year London bridge was consumed by a dreadful fire. In the beginning of the reign of King Henry III. the city obtained from that Prince five charters, on condition of pay- ing him a fifteenth of their personal estates, by which all their former privileges were confirmed, and some others added. But these were only made to be broken; for this perfidious Monarch frequently extort- ed money from the citizens, and upon the slightest pretences imprisoned the Mayor and Sheriffs. He seized the char- ters he had granted, and made the citi- zens purchase new ones; and in the whole of his behaviour acted like a sharp- er, void of every principle of honour and justice, or the least regard to his word, his promises, or his oaths.
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