much more ample account than he had intended to give it. Not only did the history of these Companies, as just stated, offer a mass of the most important information as to the trading interests of the country, and on other great points, but it was found to combine matter of the most entertaining kind. The ancient Charters themselves, though usually conceived to be the reverse of entertaining, disclosed many curious facts illustrative of the simplicity of early times, and of the rise and infant state of commerce, and its various regulations. Many of the Companies favoured the author with the inspection of their books, some of them detailing as far back as the reign of Edward III. the manner in which they first formed themselves into societies, the places they met at before they built halls,— the curious custom that obtained amongst them of admitting sisters, or females, as associates in their Fraternities,—their feasts,-set mode of dress, or wearing a Livery, from which they derive their name,—their religious ceremonies,-pageants, -and numerous other amusing particulars. The City Records, and the Collections in the Corporation Library, also presented stores untouched, or scattered through so many scarce and expensive books and tracts, as to be little known. With these, and many other sources of information, which could not have been easily commanded by a writer otherwise situated, he commenced his task, and has continued it to publication. All attempts, however, to bring the volume within four or five hundred pages, as it was thought might be done, when the author announced the terms of publication, have been found impracticable; and though every attention has been paid to condensation of style, to the adoption of what is called "table-work," in the Reports of the Companies' Cha

rities, and the smallest type, which was suitable to such a subject, been used in the printing; the whole, it is now found, cannot be completed in less than 750 or 800 closely printed pages.

It has been owing to these considerations that the work, instead of being ready in a few months, as was advertised, has occupied four years. The same reasons also, coupled with the impracticability of having been yet able to meet the public for some months, and the anxiety for information, induced by the pending Inquiry, make the author vary in another particular from his original announcement,—namely, in dividing the work into Two HALF-VOLUMES, instead of waiting to publish the whole in ONE THICK VOLUME, (as proposed,) and to immediately issue the first Half-Volume, so as to meet the Inquiry into the state of the Companies. He proposes, in this, to answer a doubly-useful purpose; it will afford the public some information on the subject, before it comes on for Parliamentary discussion, and will give the work the advantage of having incorporated in it all that may transpire by that means. It will only be necessary to add, as a conclusion to the explanation already given of the nature of the ensuing History, that it will embody a mass of the most valuable information, from the City Records at the Town Clerk's Office, (which have been obligingly thrown open to the author on this occasion,) from the Records of the Companies, from official instruments at the Government offices, and from a condensation of all the printed accounts to be found on this subject, in the Library of the Corporation of London, at Guildhall. The Companies' Charters will

also be included; to procure which, the editor pledges himself that the Rolls Chapel, where they are enrolled, has been thoroughly searched, and that every Charter of every Company has been carefully examined by himself. From the entire series, exceeding one hundred and twenty Grants or Confirmations, attested copies have been made for this work of all such as are in any way connected with the history or constitution of the Companies, which will be correctly printed, with translations, in double columns.

How far a book compiled with care and ability from such sources merits public attention, as well as that of the Companies, may be estimated from the fact, that the major part of those Companies can only give the Commissioners very limited information,-because they do not possess it themselves. The Fire of London, and other accidents, have left few of them any records beyond the reign of Elizabeth; and the more ancient part of their history, and the most elucidatory, as well as entertaining, is to be sought for only from the sources enumerated. Whether the Commission will take that trouble, (and it must be incomplete without,) the author presumes not to say. At all events, should it be done, the present work, besides containing the result, will also contain abundance of facts and particulars, which, as being totally extraneous to the pending Inquiry, will be only to be found in the present volume.

The facts and particulars alluded to, will consist, in conjunction with the Accounts of the Companies, and, under separate arrangements, of-their Origin and History,-Constitution

and Government,-Dress and Observances,-Halls and Buildings, their Trust Estates, Bequests and Charities; and will embrace Historical Notices of the Trade or Mystery of each Company, the state of its Livery, and the amount of the Livery Fines from the reign of Henry VIII. WITH THE NAMES AND RESIDENCES OF ALL THE PRESENT COURTS AND LIVERIES; grants of Arms; accounts of the Pageants of the Companies; the Biography of eminent Members, &c.; and will be preceded by an INTRODUCTORY HISTORICAL ESSAY, giving an account of the early state of the Metropolitan Gilds, which will also contain information connected with the whole of the Minor Companies.

The embellishments will consist of armorial bearings, views of the Companies' Halls before the Fire, and other curious subjects.

ADVERTISEMENT

(TO THE SECOND VOLUME).

AFTER a lapse of three years from the publication of the First Volume, the Author has the pleasure to present his Subscribers and the Public with a second volume, completing his work. He has little to add to what was then observed, as to the interest and entertainment attached to this subject: the Public, who have the former part, will be the best judges. He wishes, however, to say a few words in explanation of the delay which has occurred, and of some further deviations from his original Prospectus, which will be found in the present volume. For the delay he trusts he shall satisfactorily account, when he states the nature of the task he has had to perform. It has not consisted merely in collecting and having to make into a book a large quantity of varied materials, which a history like the present must always (more than almost any other) require,-but in the peculiar difficulties attendant on it. He has had to pay scores of visits to inspect and copy from the Companies' records, without which little information worthy notice could have been obtained. The labour in this case of turning over ponderous volumes of manuscripts, to select here and there such scattered notices as were applicable,-like Gratiano's reasons, resembling two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of

b