This was owed by a Proclamation against vicious, debauched, and profane persons. "WILLIAM R. "As we cannot but be deeply sensible of the great goodness and mercy of Almighty God (by whom Kings reign) in giving so happy success to our endeavours for the rescuing these kingdoms from popish tyranny and superstition, and in preserving our royal persons, supporting our government, and uniting the arms of most of the princes and states in Christendom against our common enemy: so we are not less touched with a resentment, that (notwithstanding these great deliverances) impiety and vice do still abound in this our kingdom; and that the execution of many good laws, which have been made for suppressing and punishing thereof, have been grossly neglected, to the great dishonour of God and our holy religion wherefore, and for that we cannot expect increase or continuance of the blessings we and our subjects enjoy, without providing remedies to prevent the like evils for the future, we judge ourselves bound, by the duty we owe to God, and the care we have of the people committed to our charge, to proceed in taking some effectual course therein; and being thereunto moved by the pious address of our Archbishops and Bishops, we have thought fit, by the advice of our Privy Council, to issue this our Royal Proclamation, and do declare our princely intention and and resolution, to discountenance all manner of vice and immorality in all persons from the highest to the lowest degree in this our realm. And we do hereby for that purpose straightly require, charge and command all and singular our Judges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, and all other our officers ecclesiastical and civil, in their respective stations, to execute the laws against blasphemy, profane swearing and cursing, drunkenness, lewdness, profanation of the Lord's day, or any other dissolute, immoral or disorderly practices, as they will answer it to Almighty God, and upon pain of our highest displeasure. And for the more effectual proceedings herein, we do hereby direct and command our Judges of Assizes, and Justices of Peace, to give strict charges at the respective Assizes and Sessions, for the due prosecution and punishment of all persons that shall presume to offend in any the kinds aforesaid; and also of all persons that, contrary to their duty, shall be remiss or negligent in putting the said laws in execution. "Given at our Court, at Whitehall, the oneand-twentieth day of January, 1691-2, in the Third Year of Our Reign." Some of the inhabitants of London, included in the above Proclamation, had the baseness to endeavour all in their power to deprive the proprietors of the "light Royal," and the publick, of the advantages to be derived from their dis tribution tribution throughout the city. In many instances, they broke them by the usual means; but at the Exchange, and in Cornhill, they fired at the lamps with bullets-one of which had nearly been fatal to a person near a window the moment it was discharged. The custom of tolling a church-bell the moment of the decease of any person (termed, from this circumstance, the passing-bell), to invite the prayers of the publick for the repose of the soul of the departed, and the funeral-bell, are of great antiquity but the London Gazette of February 18, 1694, contains the first instance I have met with of a royal command to toll the biggest bell in every cathedral, collegiate, and parochial church of England and Wales, from nine till ten in the morning, from two till three, and from five till six, on the 5th of March, the day appointed for the interment of queen Mary. Hackney coaches were admitted into Hyde Park before the year 1694; but were expelled at that period, through the singular circumstance of some persons of distinction having been insulted by several women, in masks, riding there in that description of vehicle. At the same instant, the gambling traders of London were daily assembling about the Royal Exchange, offering £30 to receive £.100, provided the city and castle of Namur were taken before the last of September in the above year; and another description CC scription of adventurers were circulating the following Proposals, which I insert as the precursor of the schemes which distinguished the year 1720. "From the Undertakers of the Royal Academy. "Finding a general approbation of the design of our late Proposals for establishing a Royal Academy here in town, which notwithstanding has met with some difficulties, by reason of the great number of scholars we proposed to be taught; as also because some persons scrupled the security of performance, and others the word Lottery, or the method of being admitted by a fortuitous way of drawing; we have, therefore, to obviate all possible objections, thought fit to alter our former, and advance these new Proposals: "First, That most of the best Masters in town shall still be retained by us, to teach the following Arts and Sciences: Languages-French, Latin, and Greek. Mathematicks, in all their parts. Musick-Organ, Harpsichord, Lute, Guittar, the Orboe, Viol, Violin, and Flute. Singing. Dancing. Fencing, Wrestling, Vaulting. "The Scholars in these Arts and Sciences are to be of two sorts: "First, "First, Externs, who shall come to our Academies, and be taught three times a week, and three hours at a time, in any one of the abovesaid Arts or Sciences; having power to change as often as they please, and learn any other, paying 5s. for every such exchange; the rates payable by Externs are only £.6 per annum, whereof one half is to be advanced at their admittance, the other half at the half-year's end. The number to be thus admitted into both our Academies is, at present, designed to be only 500. "Secondly, Academicks, who shall dyet, have chambers and necessary attendance, in the Academies, under the care and government of the Governour and Masters living in the house. These also shall learn one Science at a time, and be taught the whole week, for £.30 per annum, at two payments as above; or £.50 per annum for them and their servant, paying also 5s. for every time they exchange one Science for another. If either Academicks or Externs would be taught more than one Science at a time, they shall learn as many as they please at 30s. per quarter each. The number of these is designed to be only 100; in all, 600. "And if any of our Scholars should be in the least dissatisfy'd, or have any extraordinary business to divert 'em from their studies, they shall be at liberty to sell, assign, and transfer, their right to any other person, who thereby shall be capable CC 2 |