[450] Noorthouck’s History of London. Lond. 1773, 4to, p. 233. For the safety and peace of the city, all inhabitants were ordered to hang out candles duly at the accustomed hour. [451] See Twiss and Dalrymple’s Travels. [452] Swinburne’s Travels through Spain, 1779, 4to. [453] Nicolai Beschreibung von Berlin und Potsdam, pp. 308, 971. [454] Nicolai Beschreibung einer Reise, iii. pp. 212, 214. [455] Philosophical Magazine for March, 1846. NIGHT-WATCH. The establishment of those people who are obliged to keep watch in the streets of cities during the night, belongs to the oldest regulations of police. Such watchmen are mentioned in the Song of Solomon, and they occur also in the book of Psalms. Athens and other cities of Greece had at least sentinels posted in various parts; and some of the _thesmothetæ_ were obliged to visit them from time to time, in order to keep them to their duty[456]. At Rome there were _triumviri nocturni_, _cohortes vigilum_, &c. The object of all these institutions seems to have been rather the prevention of fires than the guarding against nocturnal alarms or danger; though in the course of time attention was paid to these also. When Augustus wished to strengthen the night-watch, for the purpose of suppressing nocturnal commotions, he used as a pretext the apprehension of fires only. The regulations respecting these watchmen, and the discipline to which they were subjected, were almost the same as those for night-sentinels in camps during the time of war; but it does not appear that the night-watchmen in cities were obliged to prove their presence and vigilance by singing, calling out, or by any other means. Signals were made by the patroles alone, with bells, when the watchmen wished to say anything to each other. Singing by sentinels in time of war was customary, at least among some nations; but in all probability that practice was not common in the time of peace[457].