QUIA Labilitas humane memorie, brevitasque vite de singulis rebus memorandis, licet Scriptis, presertim irregulariter & confusè & multo magis de non scriptis, certum herè notitiam, non permittunt: Cúmque per frequentes prestilentias, subtractis velut insimul cunctis Gubernatoribus longevis, magis expertis & discretioribus Civitatis Regal. London; Juniores eis in Civitatis regimine succedentes in varijs casibus, pro defectu scripture nimirum, sepius ambigebant; unde super judicijs reddendis controversia & perplexitas inter eos pluries causabantur; Necessarium videbatur adeo tam superioribus quam subditis dct. Civitatis, quoddam Volumen, quod Repertorium a contento in eo Civitatis regimine, diceretur, ex notabilibus memorandis, tam in Libris, Rotulis, quam in cartis dct. Civitatis, inordinatè diffuséque positis, compilari. Et quia dict. propositum, qua de causa nescitur, nisi propter laborem nimium, huctenus non fuerit executum, tempore Maioratus nobilis viri Richardi Whityngton Maioris dct. Civitatis, An. viz. Incarnationis Domini Millimo. quadringentesimo decimo nono, Regno vero Regis Hen. Quinti post Conquestum 7mo. mense Novembris, hujusmodi Volumen, annuente Dno. compilatur; Continens in se tam laudabiles Observancias, non scriptas, in dict. Civitate fieri solitas, & approbatas; Ne posterius deleat ipsas Oblivio; quàm notabilia memoranda, modo quo predicitur, sparsim & inordinatè scripta: ut securius per ea cognita, sciant tam superiores quam subditi dct. Civitatis, quid in casibus raris & insolitis de cetero sit agendum, &c.

Et ut facilius inveniatur quod a Lectoribus queritur in hoc Libro presens Volumen in 4 Libros, & quilibet Liber in certas partes per suos Articulos & Capitula distinguetur, quæ per separalia Tabulas & Kalendaria ante cujuslibet librorum predictorum initium titulata, manisfestius apparebit, &c.

This is a Short Account of the Liber Albus. The other Book, which I had also the Favour of perusing, namely Horne, was near an Hundred Years older, so named from Andrew Horne, sometime Chamberlain of the City, viz. in the Time of King Edward II. What this Book contains, is told by this Inscription in one Place of it, viz. Iste Liber restat Andreæ Horne Piscenario London. de Breggestrete. In quo continentur Cartæ, & aliæ Consuetudines predict. Civitat. Angliæ & Statuta per Henricum Regem, & Edwardum Regem fil. predict. Regis Henrici edita. And again, In isto Libro continentur tota Statuta, & Ordinationes & Cartæ & Libertates, & Consuetudines Civitat. London & Ordo Justitiorum itinerantium apud Turrim Lond. & ipsum iter.

Another Book also there was in the Chamber, which I also perused for the same Purpose, called Liber Custumorum. The First Tract whereof is, de Laudibus Nobilitatis Insulæ Britanniæ. It is in old French, and consisteth of thirteen Chapters; Beginning thus,

"De Britaigne, que ore est appele Engleterre, & qui est si benure sur toutes autres Isles; & qui est si plentiuous de blez & des arbres, & large de boys & de rivers & de veneisons & de oisiaus covenables, & noble de mout de maneres bons chiens. Citees y ad mont belles et bien assises, & belles guámeries de terre amyable; close de mere & de douces Ewes delitables: ceo est asavoir, de fluvies, de beaus undes, de clers fountaynes & de douces, &c. Un Sage Home fait ces vers a Loenge D'Engleterre:"

Illa quidem longe celebri splendore beata
Glebis, Lacte, favis, supereminet Insula cunctis,
Quas regit ille Deus, spumanti cujus ab ore
Testes LONDONIE Ratibus, Wyntonia Baccho,
Hereforda grege, Wyrecestria fruge redundans;
Batha Lacu, Saresbiria feris, Cantuaria pisce,
Eboracum Sylvis, Excestria clara metallis,
Norvycum Satis, hybernis Cestria gallis,
Cicestrum Norwageniis, Dunelmia Principatis.
Testes Lincolnie, gens infinita decore
Testis Ely, formosa situ, Roucestria visu, &c.

And then after this Flourish for England, the Writer applies himself to treat of London; as, the several Charters, the Wards, and the Streets, Passages and Places there, Privileges of Maiors, & c.

To which I add the Calendarium Cameræ London. Which was also another Book in the Chamber, of use to me also in my Searches.

My Extracts from these Books in the Chamber, were very large, as being of divers and various Matters; such as I thought proper for my Use, in order to a further Improvement of this SURVEY. My next Business was to digest these my Collections into their suitable Places throughout the whole Book. And in order to that, to obtain leave that my Papers, which remained in the Town Clerks Hand, might be restored to me. Which at length by an Order of the Court of Aldermen, Sir Sam. Dashwood Lord Maior, was granted. Which was in this Tenor.

Dashwood Maior.
Martis XXVII. die Aprilis 1703. Annóque R. Reginæ ANNæ Angl. &c. Secundo.

"Mr. Strype having, pursuant to a former Order of this Court, dated the Nineteenth Day of May, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Two, taken several Notes out of some of the Cities Books, in order to his revising of Stow's SURVEY of this City; which were by the said Order to continue in Mr. Town Clerks Hands, till perused by this Court: And the said Mr. Strype now making Application into this Court, that he might have the said Notes from Mr. Town Clerk; It is now ordered, that for the quicker Dispath ctherein, Mr. Recorder, Mr. Commmon Serjeant, and Mr. Town "