near unto Smithfield, are since removed into Cordwayner street,the upper part thereof by Bow church, and last of all into Birchoveris lane by Cornehill; the shoe-makers and curriers of Cordwayner street removed the one to St. Martin's le Grand, the other to London wall near unto Mooregate; the founders remain by themselves in Lothberie; cooks,[1] or pastelars, for the more part in Thames street, the other dispersed into divers parts; poulters of late removed out of the Poultrie, betwixt the Stockes and the great Conduit in Cheape, into Grasse street and St. Nicholas shambles; bowyers, from Bowyers' row by Ludgate into divers places, and almost worn out with the fletchers; pater noster makers of old time, or bead-makers, and text-writers, are gone out of Pater noster row, and are called stationers of Paule's churchyard;[2] patten-makers, of St. Margaret, Pattens' lane, clean worn out; labourers every work-day are to be found in Cheape, about Soper's land end; horse-coursers and sellers of oxen, sheep, swine, and such like, remain in their old market of Smithfield, etc.
That merchants of all nations had their keys and wharfs at this city, whereunto they brought their merchandises before and in the reign of Henrys II., mine author wrote of his own knowledge to be true, though for the antiquity of the city he took the common opinion. Also that this city was in his time and afore divided into wards, had yearly sheriffs, aldermen, general courts, and assemblies, and such like notes by him set down, in commendation of the citizens; whereof there is no question, he wrote likewise of his own experience, as being born and brought up amongst them.
And to confirm his opinion, concerning merchandises then hither transported, whereof happily may be some argument, Thomas Clifford[3] (before Fitzstephen's time), writing of Edward the Confessor, saith to this effect: "King Edward, intending to make his sepulchre at Westminster; for that it was near to the famous city of London, and the river of Thames, that brought in all kind of merchandises from all parts of the world, etc."
- ↑ The cooks in Lydgate's time, as we learn from the same ballad, resided chiefly in Eastcheap:
"Then I hyed me into East Chepe;
One cryes ribbs of befe, and many a pye:
Pewter pottes they clattered on a heape;
There was harpe, pype and mynstrelsye," etc. - ↑ "Pater noster beade-makers and text-writers are gone out of Paternoster rowe into stationers of Paule's churchyard." — 1st edition, p. 63.
- ↑ Thomas Clifford.
