1823.] Fly Leaves, No. XV-Early English Drama.-Islington. Wells, those who did so, we may presume, had their minds fixed upon the custom recorded in the Book of Genesis, where the Patriarchs gave names to particular Wells. Thus Abraham called the Well he recovered from the servants of Abimeleck, Beer-sheba, or the Well of the Oath, because there they sware both of them. Thus also Isaac, when his herdsmen had found a Well, and the herdsmen of Gerar had a contest with them about the right of it, called the name of the Well Ezeck, that is, strife: because they strove with him. And he digged another Well, and strove for that also, and he called the name of it Sitnah, that is, hatred. And he removed from thence, and digged another Well, and for that they strove not, and he called the name of it Rehoboth, that is, room. And he said for now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. And in the Gospel of St. John, we read, it was at Jacob's Well where Jesus talked with the woman of Samaria. The day concluded by the visitors partaking of the hospitality of the inhabitants, and being gratified with a well-arranged band, playing appropriate pieces of music at each other's houses; and had the day been more favourable, and free from rain, a greater attendance at Church and the Wells would have been witnessed. Yours, &c. R. R. RAWLINS. WI FLY LEAVES.-No. XV. Early English Drama. ITHIN six months after the commencement of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in 1559, we find theatrical representations were to be regulated according to the following proclamation, which has escaped all former research upon the history of the Stage. "By the Queene. Forasmuche as the tyme wherein common Interludes in the Englishe tongue are wont vsually to be played, is now past vntyll All Hallontyde, and that also some that haue ben of late vsed, are not conuenient in any good ordred Christian Commonweale to be suffred. The Quenes Majestie doth straightly forbyd al manner Interludes to be playde eyther openly, or priuately, except the same be notified before hande, and licensed within any Citie or towne corporate, by the Maior or other chiefe officers of the same, and within any shyre, by suche as shal be Licue 295 tenaunts for the Queenes Maiestie in the same shyre, or by two of the Justices of the Peax, inhabyting within that part of the shire where any shal be played. "And for instruction to euery of the sayde officers her Maiestie doth likewise charge euery of them as they will auns were: either matters of religion or of the gouerthat they permyt none to be played wherin naunce of the estate of the commo" weale shal be handled, or treated, beyng no meete matters to be wrytten, or treated vpon, but by menne of aucthoritie, learning and wisedome, nor to be handled before any audience, but of graue and discreete persons: All which parts of this proclamation, her Maiestie chargeth to be inuiolably kepte. And if any shal attempte to the contrary, her Maiestie giueth all maner of officers that haue authoritie to see common peax kepte in commandement, to arrest and enprison the parties so offending for the space of fourteene dayes or more, as cause shall nede: And furder also vntill good assuraunce may be founde and gyuen, that they shalbe of good behauiour, and no more to offende in the like. "And further her Maiestie gyueth speciall charge to her nobilitie and gentilmen, as they professe to obey and regarde her Maiestie, to take good order in thys behalfe wyth their seruauntes being players, that this her Maiesties commaundement may be dulye kepte and obeyed. the xvi. daye of Maye, the first yeare of our "Yeuen at our palayce of Westminster Raygne. Imprinted at London in Powles Churchyarde, by Richard Jugge and John Cawood, printers to the Quenes Maiestie. Cum Priuilegio Regiæ Maiestatis." The term "Interludes," as here used, Mr. URBAN, Cornhill, Oct. 11. (p. 113) and his Corrector (p. 194), may easily be reconciled. The Public-house in question is certainly in the Village of Islington, and, if tradition may be credited, was formerly in the Parish. The tradition to which I allude 296 Islington and Clerkenwell.—James's Passage to London, in 1603. [Oct. I allude is, that the whole of the ground from what is now the corner of the Back Road, to the Angel Inn at the corner of the New Road, was forfeited by the parish of St. Mary, Islington, and united to that of St. James, Clerkenwell, in consequence of the refusal of the Islingtonians to bury a pauper who was found accidentally dead at the corner of the Back Road'; and the corpse being taken to Clerkenwell, the district above described was claimed and retained by that parish. This might possibly have happened before a single house stood on the disputed ground. Certain it is, that on the opposite side of the way, the parish of Islington extends to the corner of the City Road, exactly facing the Angel. I give you the tradition, Mr. Urban, as I received it, at a distance of now more than seventy years, without vouching for its authenticity, and without any knowledge whatever of the Law on such a subject. But I have met with something of a similar nature in the City of London. In Gough-square, Fleet-street, are two good houses, surrounded by others belonging to St. Bride's Parish, but belonging to St. Dunstan's in the West; which, according to tradition, were obtained by the latter parish in consequence of the neglect in the former to bury a person found dead on a spot of ground in front of those two houses. The Records of the several Parishes might throw some light on what may perhaps be deemed a not incurious subject. I was in hopes that Mr. Nelson, whose researches into the History of Islington have been very indefatigable, might have furnished some information. I am certain that the very intelligent Vestry Clerk of that Parish would have readily searched for him the Registers and Churchwarden's Accompts of early times. In turning over Mr. Nelson's History, I was struck by the following me to make some further enquiries, I have since met with the following additional particulars from a contemporary writer, John Savile, who delivered a Congratulation to the King, at Theobalds, which he soon after published, with some particulars of the King's entry into London, of which he was. an eye-witness. "From Stamford Hill to London was made a traine with a tame deare, with such twinings and doubles, that the hounds could not take it faster than his Majestie proceeded; yet still, by the industrie of the huntsman, and the subtilitie of him that made the traine, in a full-mouthed crie all come the way, neuer farther distant than one close from the highway, whereby his Highnesse rid, and for the most part directly against his Majestie, whom, together with the whole companie, had the lee winde from the hounds, to the end they might the better perceue and iudge of the vniformitie in the cries. After his Majestie was from Kingsland, there begun a division amongst the people which way his Highnesse would take when he came at Islington, but in fine he came the higher way, by the West end of the Church; which streete hath euer since been, and I gesse ever wilbe, called King's-street, by the inhabitants of the same. When his Highnes had passed Islington, and another place called Newrents, and entred into a close called Wood'sclose, by a way that was cut of purpose through the banck, for his Majestie's more convenient passage into the Charter-house garden, the people that were there assembled, compare to nothing more conveniently then to imagine euery grasse to have been metamorphosed into a man, in a moment, the multitude was so marvellous, amongste whome were the Children of the Hospital singing, orderly placed for his Majestie's comming along through them, but all displaced by reason of the rudenesse of such a multitude." 66 On this passage I have only to remark that the old name of "the higher way," or Upper-street," is still in use; but "King-street" is only retained in the name of an old tavern; that the New Rents* might possibly be the island of houses from the Back Road to the New Road; and that there is now no occasion for breaking the bank for a passage through the field then called Wood's Close. The New River did not then exist; and it is certain that the ground on which Lady Owen's Almshouses stand was then a field. SENEX. * The old Parish Accompts might settle the site of the New Rents of 1603, which were probably so called for many years. Mr. 1823.] Lilly and his Life and Times. WILLIAM LILLY, AND HIS HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 1 N our vol. xc. i. p. 99, we gave some curious Letters of this famous Astrologer; and are now induced to advert to him in consequence of a neat edition having been lately published by Mr. Baldwyn, of his "History of his Life and Times, from. the years 1602 to 1681. Written by himself, in the 66th year of his age, to his worthy friend, Elias Ashmole. Published from the original MS. London, 1715." This curious volume, together with Lilly's "Life of Charles I. and that of his trend Ashmole," written by that author by way of diary, was republished in 1774 by T. Davies. Lilly's Life was well abridged by Mr. Nichols in his voluminous History of Leicestershire," under the parish of Diseworth, where Lilly was born. In that work, Mr. N. has given a faithful copy of the original portrait of Lilly, by Marshall, prefixed to his "Christian Astrology modestly treated of," taken in his 45th year. This portrait we are permitted to lay before our readers (see the Plate); and by way of accompaniinent, shall give a hasty view of his life, extracted from his own "History," which is one of the most entertaining narratives in our language. It is addressed to his friend and patron, the credulous Ashmole, who, with all the advantages of learning, was the dupe of every pretender to it. Such a connexion would be advantageous to the Astrologer in many respects: with the obsequiousness of a dedicator throughout his book, he must have despised the man to whom it was addressed. This famous Astrologer was born at Diseworth in Leicestershire, in 1602, and was educated at Ashby-de-laZouch under a puritan named Brinsley, till he was near 18. According to his own account he made good use of his time at school: For the two last years of my being at school I was of the highest form of the school, and chiefest of that form: I could then speak Latin as well as English; could make extempore verses upon any theme; all kinds of verses, hexameter, pentameter, phaluciacks, iambicks, sapphicks, &c.; so that if any scholars from remote schools came to dispute, I was ringleader to dispute with them; I could cap verses, &c. If any minister came to examine us, I was brought forth against him; nor would I argue with GENT. MAG. October, 1823. 297 him unless in the Latin tongue; which I found few of them could speak without they did, I would complain to my master, breaking Priscian's head; which if once Non benè intelligit linguam Latinam, nec prorsus loquitur.' In the derivation of words I found most of them defective; nor indeed were any of them good grammarians. All and every of those scholars who were of my form and standing went to Cambridge, and proved excellent Divines: only poor I, William Lilly, was not so happy; Fortune then frowning upon my father's present condition, he not being in any capacity to maintain me at the University." In 1620 he went on foot to London, where he arrived with 7s. 6d. only in his pocket, to be servant of all work to a Leicestershire man, one Gilbert Wright, who was of no particular calling, but had been in the service of Lady Paulet and Serjeant Puckering. In about seven years his master died, and Lilly married his widow, with 1,000l. fortune. This made him easy in circumstances, when he gave way to his favourite amusement of angling; and became a constant attendant on sermons among the Puritans. In 1632 he was induced to study, or rather to counterfeit, astrology, from attending the lectures of Evans, a Welchman, who had fled his benefice for some misdemeanors not specified by his pupil. Gleaning hints from this man, and others of that class, and obtaining a MS copy of the celebrated Ars Notoria, he set up for himself, not only as a conjuror but as a tutor. He speaks, at this period of his life, of one David Ramsey, the horologist, lately introduced into THE FORTUNES OF NIGEL, in an anecdote of some interest: "Davy Ramsey, his Majesty's clockmaker, has been informed, that there was a great quantity of treasure buried in the cloyster of Westminster Abbey; he acalso then Bishop of Lincoln; the Dean quaints Dean Williams therewith, who was gave him liberty to search after it, with this proviso, that if any was discovered, the Church should have a share of it. Davy Ramsey finds out one John Scott, who pretended the use of the Mosaical rods, to assist him herein: I was desired to join with him, into which I consented. One winter's night, Davy Ramsey, with several gentlemen, myself, and Scott, eutered the cloysters: we played the hazel-rod round about the cloyster; upon the West side of the cloysters the rods turned one over another, an argument that the treasure was there. The labourers digged at least six feet deep, and |