at Bayswater-bridge, but on the establishment of the Chelsea Water-works it became useless, and was therefore removed. The conduits at one period being so important to the inhabitants, the chief care and protection of them was confided to the principal magistrates of the City; and all the early writers who have noticed them, concur in representing the great attention bestowed upon their condition and preservation. Moreover it is recorded that endeavours were sometimes made to render them subservient to the purposes of moral instruction, even to royal personages. When James I. passed through the City on his accession to the English crown, "the unlettered bards" displayed their powers in "uncouth rhymes;" and though not exhibiting a "muse of fire," or "the highest heaven of invention," like the contemporaneous but matchless strains of the "immortal Shakspeare," or the "learned Jonson," yet some specimens of the doggerel effusions of the rudely ambitious "sons of song," may perhaps form neither an unappropriate nor unamusing conclusion of this chapter. MORAL SENTENCES ON THE CITY CONDUITS. "In a scarce and curious black letter duodecimo, printed in 1607, and intituled, Strange Histories, or Songs and Sonnets of Kings, Princes, Dukes, Lordes, Ladyes, Knights and Gentlemen: very pleasant either to be read or songe, and a most excellent warning for all Estats, are the following transcripts of Moral Sentences, which were set upon conduits in London against the day King James came through the Citie at his first coming to the Crowne." Upon the Conduit in Grateous (Gracechurch) Street, were these Verses "Let money be a slave to thee, Yet keepe his service if you can: In Cornewall (Cornhill). "To be wise and wealthy too Is sought of all, but found by few." "All on this world's Exchange do meete, But when death's burse-bell rings, away ye fleete." "When a Kinge's head but akes, Subjects should mourne For under their crownes A thousand cares are worne." "Bread earned with honest labouring hands, "He that wants bread and yet lyes still "As man was first framed, and made out of clay, So must he at length depart hence away." "A man without mercy of mercy shall misse; : CHAPTER II. Various projects to remedy the defective supply of Water to London. Russel's scheme for conveying it from Uxbridge. Morice's first Water-wheel at London-bridge. Genebelli's proposal to Lord Burleigh. Bevis Bulmar's Horse Engine at Broken Wharf. New River. Plans of Forde and Sir Walter Roberts. London Bridge Water-works' Company. Southwark Waterworks. York Buildings' Works. Mary-la-bonne Springs. Marchant's Water-works. Company of St. Alban's Waters. Increase in the number of Wheels at London-bridge: different improvements in the Works: their capacity and extent of Supply: final demolition for building the new bridge. Transfer of supplying the City to the New River. THE circumstances related in the preceding chapter show, that the supply of water to the metropolis for domestic purposes, was constantly the occasion of much solicitude, during a long series of years. It must likewise be evident, that the various contrivances to render it adequate to the wants of its great population, too often proved incompetent to realize this paramount object. The deficiency, however, generally prompted ingenious and enterprising men, to devise and propose schemes for increasing the quantity; and the diversity of their efforts will appear from a detail of several projects, which are mentioned by Stow, by his editor in 1633, and by Strype. The remark may likewise not be irrelevant, that the practice pursued in many other cities, of obtaining a partial supply from wells, by the bucket and windlass, was attended with considerable difficulty, on account of the great depth to the source of the water. Besides, though the common lifting pump had been invented early in the fifteenth century (in 1425); yet, in Elizabeth's reign, its use was very limited; and some of them exhibited the whimsical taste of the persons who fabricated such structures. One of the plans, noticed by Stow, is the following; and it is to be regretted, that his statement does not comprise some particulars respecting the mode by which the object was intended to be accomplished. "But before the New River was thus brought to the supply of the Citie, the projecting for the conveniency of water from the north side of the Citie was not out of the heads of the Citizens; for about the yeare 1580 odd (as I conceive it), there was one Russel, who propounded to bring it from Isleworth, viz. the river of Uxbridge to the said north of London: and that by a geometrical instrument, he propounded the invention in writing to the Lord Burghleigh."* The next attempt was of a different description, and by being realized, laid the foundation for the London-bridge water-works. "Of later times Thames' water was conveyed into mens' houses by pipes of lead from a most artificial forcier standing neere to London-bridge, and made by Peter Morice, a Dutchman, in the yeere 1582 for the service of the Citie, and the eastern part thereof." + On the condition of his paying annually ten shillings into the chamber of London, it appears that the Lord Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London granted to this ingenious man a lease, dated May 30th, 1581, for a term of 500 years, by which he was authorized to erect an engine within the first arch of London-bridge, for the purpose of supplying the City with water. As this machinery completely effected its object, two years afterwards another lease for a similar term was also granted to him, for the use of the second arch; and the effects produced by this contrivance are thus described, in 1633 : A curious Pump in the yard belonging to Leather sellers Holl, Bishopsgate, supposed to be constructed in the time of Queen Elizabeth or James 1t The Mermaid figure at the top was used on festal days as a fountain for discharging wine or other liquors from the breasts. 4.E. Maddley, lith I Wellington StStrand |