NEW RIVER. Various were the projects in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth, and King James I. for supplying the city of London with a sufficient quantity of water, for domestic uses: the former granted an act of parliament, which gave the citizens liberty to cut and convey a river from any part of Middlesex or Hertfordshire to the city of London, within the limited time of ten years; and the latter granted another act, in which they obtained the same power, but without being confined to any limited time: nobody however began this great and important work, till at last Sir Hugh Middleton undertook to bring a river from Amwell in Hertfordshire to the north side of London near Islington. The work began on the 20th of September 1608, and was attended with innumerable difficulties. The distance from London is twenty miles, and he was obliged, in order to avoid the eminences and vallies in the way, to make it run a course of thirty-eight miles three quarters and sixteen poles, and to carry it over two vallies in long wooden frames or troughs lined with lead; that at Buthill, being six hundred and sixty feet in length, and thirty in height; under which, for the passage of the land waters is an arch capacious enough to admit under it the largest waggon laden with hay, or straw: the other near Highbury is four hundred and sixty-two feet long, and seventeen in height, where it is raised along the top of high artificial banks, and at the bottom of the hollow supported by poles, so that any person may walk under it. In short over and under this river, which sometimes rises thus high, and at others is conveyed under ground, runs several considerable currents of land waters, and both above and below it a great number of brooks, rills, and water courses have their passage. This river, which is of inestimable benefit to London, was by this truly great man brought to the city within the space of five years, and was admitted into the reservoir near Islington on Michaelmas day 1613; on which day Sir Thomas Middleton, brother to the great Sir Hugh, was elected Lord Mayor for the ensuing year, who accompanying Sir John Swinerton, then Lord Mayor, attended by many of the Aldermen, the Recorder, and other gentlemen, repaired to the bason, now called New River Head, when about sixty labourers, handsomely dressed, and wearing green caps, carrying spades, shovels, and pickaxes, marched, preceded by drums and trumpets, thrice round the bason, when stopping before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and other gentlemen, who were seated upon an eminence, one of the labourers addressed himself to them in a long copy of verses, which being ended, the sluices were opened, and the stream ran plentifully into the reservoir, under the sound of drums and trumpets, the discharge of several pieces of ordnance, and the loud acclamations of the people.