I Could in this my Preface (by as great light of Learning as any formerly imployed, in this seruice) can attaine, to de­liuer to You the Original and cause of all Tryumphes, their excessiue cost in the Time of the Romans: I could likewise with so Noble Amplification make a suruey of the worth, and glory of the Triumphs of the precedent times in this Honorable City of London: That were my work of a bigger bulke, they shold remaine to all Posterity: but both my Pen, and ability this way are confin'd in too narrow a Circle: Nor haue I space enough in this so short a Volume to expresse onely with rough lines, and a [...]aint shadow (as the Painters phrase is) First the great care and alacrity of the right Worshipful the Master and Wardens, and the rest of the selected and Industrious Com­mitees; [Page] both for the curious and iudging election of the Subiect, for the present Spectacles; and next that the working or mechanicke part of it might be answerable to the Invention: Leauing therefore these worthy Gentlemen to the embraces, and thankes of the right Honorable and worthy Pretor; and my selfe vnder the shaddow of their Crest, (which is a safe one) for 'tis the Holy Lambe in the Sunne-beames: I do present to all modest and in­different Iudges these my present endeavours.

I fashioned for the more amplefying the shew vpon the water two Eminent Spectacles, in maner of a Sea-Triumph. The first furnisht with fower Persons; In the front Oceanus and Thetis, behind them, Themesis and Medway: the two riuers on whom the Lord Mayor extends his power, as farre as from Stanes to Rochester. The other shew is of a faire Terrestiall Globe, Circled about in conue­nient Seates, with seauen of our most famous Na­uigators: as, Sr. Francis Drake, Sr. Iohn Haukins, Sr. Martine Furbisher, Sr. Humfery Gilbert, Cap­taine Thomas Cauendish, Captaine Christopher Carlile, and Captaine Iohn Dauis. The conceite of this Deuice to be, that in regard the two Riuers pay due Tribut of waters to the Seas. Oceanus in gratefull recompence returnes the memory of these seauen worthy Captaines, who haue made England so famous in remotest partes of the world. These two spectacles, at my Lord Maiors taking water at the Three Cranes, aproaching my [Page] Lords Barge: after a peale of Sea-thunder from the other side the water; these speeches betweene Oceanus and Thetis follow.

This Shew hauing tendred this seruice to my Lord vppon the Water, is after to be conueyed a Shore, and in conuenient place employd for ador­ning [Page] the rest of the Triumph. After my Lord Maiors landing, and comming past Paules Chaine, there first attends for his Honor in Pauls Church-yarde, a beautifull Spectacle, called the Temple of Honor, the Pillars of which are bound about with Roses, and other beautifull Flowers, which shoot vp to the adorning of the Kings Maiesties Armes on the top of the Temple.

In the highest seate a Person representing Troy­nouant or the City, in throned in rich Habilaments, beneath her as admiring her peace and felicity, sit fiue eminent Cities, as Antwerpe, Paris, Rome, Venice and Constantinople: vnder these sit fiue famous Schollers and Poets of this our Kingdome, as Sir Ieffery Chaucer, the learned Gower, the excellent Iohn Lidgate, the sharpe witted Sr. Thomas Moore, and last as worthy both Souldier and Scholler, Sir Phillip Sidney, these being Celebrators of honor, and the perseruers both of the names of men, and memories of Cities aboue, to posterity.

I present riding afore this Temple, Henry de Royall, the first Pilgrime or Gatherer of quartridge for this Company; and Iohn of Yeacksley, King Ed­ward the thirds Pavillion maker, who purchast our Hall in the sixt yeare of the aforesayd Kings gouern­ment: These liued in Edward the firsts time like­wise, (in the sixt of whose Raigne, this Company was confirmed a Guild or Corporation by the name of Taylors, and Linnin Armores, with power to choose a Maister and Wardens at Midsomer) [Page] these are decently habited and hooded according to the ancient manner: My Lord is heere saluted with two Speeches, first by Troynouant in these lines following.

These passing on, in the next place, my Lord is incountred with the person of S. Iohn Hawkwood in compleate Armour, his plume and Feath [...]r for his Horses shafforne of the Companies colours, white and Wa [...]chet: this worthy Knight, did most wor­thy seruice, in the time of Edward the third in France, after serued as Generall.

Diuers Princes of Italy, went to the Holy-land, and in his returne backe, dyed at Florence, and there lyes buried with a faire Monument ouer him: This worthy Gentleman was Free of our Company; and thus I prepare him to giue my Lord entertainment.

After him followes a Triumphant Chariot with the [Page] Armes of the Merchant-Taylors, colored and guilt in seueral places of it, and ouer it, there is supported for a Cannopy, a rich and very spatious Pauillion, coloured Crimson, with a Lyon Passant: this is drawne with fower horses, (for Porters would haue made it moue tottering and Improperly.) In the Chariot I place for the honor of the Company (of which Records remaine in the Hall:) Eight Famous Kings of this Land, that haue bin free of this Wor­shipfull Company.

First the Victorious Edward the Third, that first quartered the Armes of France with England, next the Munificent Richard the Second, that kept Ten-Thousand daily in his Court in Checkroult, By him the Graue and discreet Henry the Fou [...]th, in the next Chayres the Scourge and Terrour of France, Henry the Fifth, and by him his religious, though vnfortunate Sonne, Henry the sixt: the two next Chayres are supplied with the Persons of the Ama­rous and Personable Edward the Fourth (for so Phillip Commineus, and Sir Thomas Moore describe him) the other with the bad man, but the good King, Richard the third, for so the Lawes he made in his short Gouernment doe Illustrate him; But lastly in the most Eminent part of the Chariot I place the wise and politique Henry the Seauenth, houlding the Charter by which the Company was Improued from the Title of Linin-Armorers into the name of Master and Wardens of Merchant-Taylors of Saint Iohn Baptist. The Chayres of these [Page] Kings that were of the House of Lancaster are gar­nisht with artificiall Red Roses, the rest with white, but the Vniter of the deuision and houses, Henry the Seauenth, both with White and Red, from whence his Royall Maiesty how raigning tooke his Motto: for one peice of his Coyne, Henricus rosas regna Iacobus.

The speaker in this Pageant is Edward the third, the last Line of his speech is repeated by all the rest in the Chariot.

And this repetition was proper, for it is the Com­panies Motto: Concordia paruaeres crescunt.

After this Pageant rides Queene Anne, wife to Richard the second, free likewise of this Company, [Page] nor let it seeme strange, for besides her, there were two Dutchesse, fiue Countesses, and two Barron­nesses free of this Society, s [...]uenteene Princes and Dukes, one Arch-bishop, one and thirty Earles, (besides those made with Noble Prince) Henry, one Vicount, twenty foure Bishops, sixty six Barons, seuen Abbotts, s [...]uen prior; or subprior, and with Prince Henry in the yeare 1607. the Duke of Linox, the Earles of Nottingham, Suffolke, Arundel, Oxford, Worcester, Pembrooke, Essex, Northampton, Salisbury, Montgomery, the Earle of Perth, Vicount Cran­borne: Barons, the Lord Euers, Hunsden, Hayes, Borley, Mr. Howard, Mr. Sheffield, Sir Iohn Harrin­ton, Sir Thomas Chaliner, besides States of the Low-Countries, and Sir Noel Caroone their Legier Embassadour.

And in regard our Company are stild Brethren of the Fraternity of St. Iohn Baptist, and that the ancient Knights of St. Iohn of Ierusalem, (to which now demolisht House in St. Iohns Streete, our Company then vsing to go to offer, it is recorded Henry the seuenth then accompaning them, gaue our M ^r. the vpper hand,) because these Knights, I say, were instituted to secure the way for Pilgrimes; in the desert, I present therefore two of the Wor­thiest Brothers of this Society of St. Iohn Baptist I can find out in Hystory. The first Amade le Graunde, by whose ayde Rhodes was recouered from the Turkes, and the order of Anuntiade or Salutati­on instituted with that of foure letters FERT, sig­nifying, [Page] Fortitudo Eius Rhodum Tenuit; and the o­ther of Mounsieur Iean Valet, who defended Malta from the Turkes inuation, and expeld them from that impregnable Key of Christendome this stild, Great Maister of Malta, that Gouernour of Rhodes.

Next I bring our two Sea Tryumphs, and af­ter that, the Shippe called the Holy-Lambe, which brings hanging in her Shrowdes the Golden-Fleece, the conceite of this being that God is the Guide and Protector of all Prosperous Ven­tures.

To second this, follow the two beast, the Lyon and Cammell proper to the Armes of the Com­pany; on the Camell rides a Turke, such as vse to Trauaile with Carauans, and one the Lyon a Moore or wild Numidian.

The fourth eminent Pagiant, I call the Monu­ment of Charity and Learning, this fashioned like a beautifull Garden with all kind of flowers, at the soure Corners, foure artificiall Bird Cages, with variety of Birds in them: this for the beauty of the Flowers, and melody of the Birds, to represent a Spring in Winter: in the middest of the Garden, vnder one Elme-tree, sits the famous and worthy Patriot Sir Thomas White; who had a dreame that hee should build a Colledge where two bodies of an Elme sprang from one roote, and beeing inspired to it by God, first rod to Cambridge, to see if he could find any such, Failing of it there, [Page] went to Oxford and surueighing all the grounds, in and neere the Vniuersity, at last in Gloster-Hall­garden, he found one that somewhat resembled it, vpon which he resolued to endow it with larger re­uenew, and to increase the foundation, hauing set men at worke vpon it, and riding one day out at the North-Gate at Oxford, he spied on his right hand the selfe same Elme had bin figurd him in his dreame, wherevpon he giues o're his former pur­pose, of so amply inlarging Gloster-Hall (yet not without a large exhibition to it) purchases the ground where the Elme stood: and in the same place built the Colledge of Saint Iohn Baptist, and to this day the Elme growes in the Garden, care­fully preserued; as beeing vnder God a motiue to their worthy foundation.

This I haue heard Fellowes of the House of ap­proued credit, and no way superstitiously giuen, affirme to haue bin deliuered from man to man, since the first building of it, and that Sir Thomas White inuiting the Abbot of Osnye to dinner in the aforesayd Hall, In the Abbots presence, and the hearing of diuers other graue persons affirm'd by Gods Inspiration in the former receited maner, he built and endowed the Colledge.

This relation is somwhat with the largest, only to giue you better light of the figure: the cheife per­son in this is, Sir Thomas White, sitting in his Emi­nent Habit of Lord Maior, on the one hand sits Charity with a Pellican on her head, on the other [Page] Learning with a booke in one hand, and a Lawrel Wreath in the other, behind him is the Colledge of St. Iohn Baptist in Oxford exactly modeld, two Cornets which for more pleasure answere one and another interchangably, and round about the Pageant sit twelue of the foure and twentie Cities, (for more would haue ouer-burthened it) to which this worthy Gentleman hath beene a charitable Benefactor▪ when my Lord approaches to the front of this peece: Learning humbles her selfe to him in these ensuing verses.

The last, I call the Monument of Gratitude, which thus dilates it selfe.

Vppon an Artificiall Rocke, set with mother of Pearle▪ and such other precious stones, as are found in quarries, are placed foure curious Paramids charged with the Princes Armes, the three Fea­thers, which by day yeeld a glorious shew, and by night a more goodly, for they haue lights in them, that at such time as my Lord Maior returnes from Pauls, shall make certaine ouals and squares, resemble pretious stones, the Rocke expresses the riches of the Kingdome Prince Henry was borne Heire to, the Piramids, which are Monuments for the Dead, that hee is deceased: on the top of this rests halfe a Celestiall Globe, in the middest of this hangs the Holy Lambe in the Sun-beames, on either side of these, an Angell, vpon a pedestall of gold stands the figure of Prince Henry with his Coronet, George and Garter; in his left hand hee holds a Circklet or Crimson Veluet, charged with foure Holy Lambes, such as our Company choose Masters with; in seuerall Cants beneath sits, first Magistracy tending a Bee Hiue, to expresse his Grauety in Youth, and forward industry to haue proued an ab [...]olute Gouernour: Next Liberality, by her a Dromedary shewing his speed and alacrety in gratifying his Followers: Nauigation with a Iacobs Staffe and Compasse, expressing that his de­sire [Page] that his reading that way, might in time grow to the practicke & building, to that purpose one of the goodliest Ships was euer launcht in the Riuer: in the next Vnanimity with a Chaplet of Lyllies, in her lap a sheafe of Arrowes, shewing he loued No­bility, and Communalty with an intire▪ heart. Next Industry on a hill where Antes are whording vp Corne, expressing his forward inclination to all Noble exercise: Next Chastity, by her a Vnicorne, shewing it is guide to all other vertues, and cleares the Fountaine head from all poyson: Iustice with her properties: Then Obedience, by her an Elephant the strongest Beast, but most obseruant to man of any Creature: Then Peace sleeping vpon a Canon, alluding to the eternall Peace he now possesses: For­titude a Pillar in one hand, a Serpent wreath'd a­bout the other, to expect his height of minde, and the expectation of an vndaunted resolution. These twelue thus seated, I figure Loyalty as well sworne Seruant to this City, as to this Company, and at my Lord Maiors comming from Pauls, and going downe Wood-streete, Amade le Graunde deliuers this Speech vnto him.

I could, a more curious and Elaborate way haue exprest my selfe in these my endeauors, but to haue bin rather too teadious in my Speeches, or too weighty, might haue troubled my Noble Lord, and pusled the vnderstanding of the Common People; suffice it▪ I hope 'tis well, and if it please his Lordship, and my Wort [...]y Im­ployers, I am amply sati [...]fied.