“In good hope, poor East Greenwiche, God send us to remain, And of some good lotte to have the gaine.” “Draw Brightemston[55] a good lot, Or else return them a turbot.” “From Hastings we come, God send us good speed; Never a poor fisher town in England, Of y^e great lot hath more need.” At last, the Lottery was drawn, in 1569, as we learn from Holinshed. “A great lotterie being holden at London, in Poules Church Yard, at the west dore, was begun to be drawne the eleventh of Januarie, and continued daie and night till the sixt of Maie, wherein the said drawing was fullie ended.” Stow, in his _Annales_, tells us of the next Lottery, 1585: “A lotterie for marvellous rich and beautifull armor was begunne to be drawne at London in _S. Paules_ Churchyard, at the great West gate (an house of timber and boord being there erected for that purpose) on _S. Peter’s_[56] day, in the morning, which lotterie continued in drawing day and night, for the space of two or three dayes.” As far as I can learn, the next public lottery was that of 1612, and I quote once more from the _Annales_: “The King’s maiestie in speciall favor for the present plantation of English Colonies in _Virginia_, granted a liberall Lottery, in which was contained five thousand pound in prizes certayne, besides rewardes of casualtie, and began to be drawne in a new built house at the West end of _Paul’s_, the 29th of June 1612. But, of which Lottery, for want of filling uppe the number of lots, there were then taken out and throwne away three score thousand blanckes, without abating of any one prize; and by the twentith of July all was drawne and finished. This Lottery was so plainely carryed, and honestly performed, that it gave full satisfaction to all persons. _Thomas Sharpliffe_, a Taylor, of London, had the chiefe prize, _viz._ foure thousand Crownes in fayre plate, which was sent to his house in very stately manner: during the whole tyme of the drawing of this lottery there were alwaies present diuers worshipfull Knights and Esquiers, accompanied by sundry graue discreet Cittizens.” There were three lotteries granted for the supply of water to the Metropolis, in 1627, 1631, and 1689, and a petition to hold a lottery for the same purpose in 1637, but this, I think, was not granted. There were many licences granted for various schemes, and there was one, called the Royal Oak lottery, for granting assistance to old Royalists, which seems to have been a swindle. Indeed, this may be said to have been the case with a good many of the Lotteries in Charles II.’s time, till, when Prince Rupert died, and his jewels were to be disposed of by lottery, the public would not subscribe unless the King consented to see that all was fair, as we see by the _London Gazette_, September 27—October 1, 1683: