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In obedience to the royal precept, Mr.
Stow observes, that the Mayor and Com-
mon Council not only ordered the com-
pany of Haberdashers, of which the
Lord Mayor was a member, to prepare a
magnificent state barge; but enjoined all
the city corporations to provide them-
selves with barges, and to adorn them
in the most superbmanner, and es-
pecially to have them supplied with good
bands of music.
On the 29th of May, the time prefixed
for this pompous procession by water, the
Mayor, Aldermen and Commons assem-
bled at St. Mary Hill; the Mayor and
Aldermen in scarlet, with gold chains,
and those who were knights, with the
collars of SS. At one they went on
board the city barge at Billingsgate,
which was most magnificently decorated,
and attended by fifty noble barges, be-
longing to the several companies of the
city, with each its own corporation on
board; and, for the better regulation of
this procession, it was ordered, that each
barge should keep twice their lengths a-
sunder.
Thus regulated, the city barge was
preceded by another mounted with ord-
nance, and the figures of dragons and
other monsters, incessantly emitting fire
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and smoke, with much noise. Then the
city barge, attended on the right by the
Haberdashers state barge, called the Ba-
chelors, which was covered with gold
brocade, and adorned with sails of silk,
with two rich standards of the King's
and Queen's arms at her head and stern,
besides a variety of flags and streamers,
containing the arms of that company,
and those of the Merchant Adventurers;
besides which the shrouds and ratlines
were hung with a number of small bells:
on the left was a barge that contained
a very beautiful mount, on which stood
a white falcon crowned, perching upon
a golden stump encircled with roses, be-
ing the Queen's emblem; and round the
mount sat several beautiful virgins, sing-
ing, and playing upon instruments. The
other barges followed in regular order, till
they came below Greenwich. On their
return the procession began with that
barge which was before the last, in which
were the Mayor's and Sheriff's officers,
and this was followed by those of the in-
ferior companies, ascending to the Lord
Mayor's, which immediately preceded that
of the Queen, who was attended by the
Bachelors or state barge, with the magni-
ficence of which her Majesty was much
delighted; and being arrived at the Tower,
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