LONDON BEFORE THE CONQUEST [Illustration: LONDON AND THE THAMES, FROM SPEED'S MAP, 1610] LONDON BEFORE THE CONQUEST BY W. R. LETHABY "Now would I fain In wordys playn, Some honoure sayen, And bring to mynde Of that auncient cytie That so goodly is to se." --_Fabyan._ LONDON MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY MCMII _All rights reserved_ "_Lundres est mult riche cite, Meliur n'ad en Cristienté Pur vaillance, ni melx assisé, Melx gaurnie, de grant prisee; Al pe del mur li curt Tamise Pur li vent la marchandise Des tutes les qui sunt U marcheans Crestiens vient._" _Roman de Tristan._ CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I ORIGINS--THE LEGEND OF LONDON--THE BRITISH CHURCH--THE ENGLISH COME TO LONDON--ALFRED'S LONDON 6 CHAPTER II RIVERS AND FORDS 38 CHAPTER III ROADS AND THE BRIDGE 52 CHAPTER IV THE WALLS, GATES, AND QUAYS 74 CHAPTER V THE CITADEL--SOUTHWARK--THE DANES' QUARTER--THE PORTLANDS AND CNIHTENGILD 101 CHAPTER VI THE WARDS AND PARISHES--THE PALACE 126 CHAPTER VII STREETS--CRAFT GILDS AND SCHOOLS--CHURCHES 145 CHAPTER VIII THE GUILDHALL--LONDON STONE--TOWN BELL AND FOLKMOTE 175 CHAPTER IX THE GOVERNMENT OF EARLY LONDON 187 CHAPTER X LONDINIUM 198 APPENDIX ON MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF MAPS OF EARLY LONDON 212 NOTES ON FIGURES London and the Thames, from Speed's Map, 1610 _Frontispiece_ PAGE FIG. 1.--Goddess of Hope. (Roman bronze found in London). Restored from Roach Smith's _Collectanea_. About two-thirds full size 4 FIG. 2.--Stone Weapons, from the Thames at Westminster. From the Roach Smith Collection 7 FIG. 3.--Centre of Celtic Bronze Shield, from the Thames at Wandsworth. Now in the British Museum 8 FIG. 4.--Celtic Bronze Swords 9 FIG. 5.--Coin of Cunobeline. Enlarged 10 FIG. 6.--Bronze Lamp, Roman, found in London 11