In 1572 the Queen in a letter to the Mayor commanded him to raise a large body of men, young and strong, for instruction in the Military Arts. Accordingly the Companies chose young men to the number of 3000; armed them; placed officers of experience over them, and instructed them. This appears to have been the beginning of the London Trained Bands. In May of the same year they were reviewed by the Queen. In 1574 the City was called upon to furnish 400 soldiers for the Queen’s service. In 1578 the City was ordered to provide 2000 arquebusiers. Scarcely had the order been received when there came another for 2000 men to be raised and kept in readiness. On the 8th March 1587, the Queen sent a letter, followed by one from the Privy Council, to the same effect, informing the Mayor that certain intelligence had been received of warlike preparations being made in foreign parts, and calling upon the City to provide a force of 10,000 men fully armed and equipped, of whom 6000 were to be enrolled under Captains and Ensigns and to be trained at times convenient. The men were raised in the following numbers from each ward:— Farringdon Ward Within 807 Bassishaw 177 Bread Street 386 Dowgate 384 Lime Street 99 Farringdon Without 1264 Aldgate Ward 347 Billingsgate 365 Aldersgate 232 Cornhill 191 Cheap 358 Cordwainer 301 Langbourne 349 Coleman Street Ward 229 Broad Street 373 Bridge Ward Within 383 Castle Baynard 551 Queenhithe 404 Tower Street 444 Walbrook 290 Vintry 364 Portsoken 243 Candlewick 215 Cripplegate 925 Bishopsgate 326 —————— Total 10,007 We may apply this total in order to make a guess at the population of London in 1587. Thus supposing _x_ to be the percentage of the population taken from each ward to fill the ranks, since the population of each ward = the number taken, multiplied by 100, and divided by _x_, Therefore the whole population of the City = whole number taken, multiplied by 100, and divided by _x_ = 1,000,700 ÷ _x_ If 10 per cent of the population were taken we should have a total of 100,070 or roughly 100,000. [Illustration: _W. A. Mansell & Co._ THE SPANISH ARMADA (THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT) From Pine’s engravings of the House of Lords tapestry hangings.] The City also supplied a fleet of sixteen ships, the largest in the river, fully found, with four light pinnaces, and paid the men during their services. It was with these ships that Drake ran into Cadiz and Lisbon, destroyed a great quantity of shipping, and threw into the sea the military materials that had been accumulated there.