God to witnes, that knoweth the hartes of all men, that, as I ame scrie I have offended her Majestie, so did I never mene harme to her Highness' person, crowne, or dignitie; but have bene as trewe a subject as any was in Englande, to my abilitie, except none:" (and holdinge up his right haund, he said) "This haund did I put to the ploughe, and got my living by it many yeres. If it wolde have pleased her Highness to have pardoned it, and to have taken my lefte haund, or my life, shee had delte more favourablie with me, for nowe I have no meanes to live; but God, which is the father of us all, will provide for me. I beseche youe all to praie for me, that I maie take this punishment patientlie." And soe he layd his haund upon the block, and prayed the executioner quicklie to dispatch hime; and so at ij blowes his haund was smitten off. So, lifting up the stompe, he said to the people "I have lefte there a trewe Englyshman's haund." And so went from the scaffolde very stoutlie, and with great couradge."

The instruments employed in these cruel inflictions, were a butcher's cleaver and a mallet. Stubbes was regarded to be a Puritan: his sister was married to Thomas Cartwright, who is styled the "father of the Puritans." Some curious particulars concerning the latter, may be seen in Pavle's "Life of Archbishop Whitgift," who, after much forbearance, found it necessary, when Vice Chancellor of Cambridge, to expel Cartwright both from his College, and from the Lady Margaret's Professorship.

THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, CORNHILL.

This edifice, which has no parallel in Europe in point of commercial magnificence, is situated on the

north side of Cornhill, whence it extends southward to Threadneedle Street, and on the east and west into Sweetings Alley and Castle Alley. Here the merchants of London hold their daily meetings, and transact business not only among themselves, but also with merchants and agents from every country in the civilized world.

This structure owes its origin to the munificence of Sir Thomas Gresham, Knt. ; but the City most liberally co-operated with him at the very outset, by purchasing the ground, and clearing away the buildings which stood upon it, at an expense of upwards of 40001. Prior to its foundation the Merchants were accus. tomed to assemble in the open air, in Lombard Street, where they long continued to be exposed to numerous inconveniencies. Different schemes had been suggested to remedy those evils, but the first serious attempt to remove them was made by Sir Richard Gresham, Knt., "the King's Merchant," Sir Thomas's father, in 1531, in which year he was Sheriff of London. His exertions, however, were not successful, although he interested the King, Henry VIII., sufficiently to induce him, three years afterwards, to send letters to the City, directing the building of a Burse at Leadenhall.-This proves the inaccuracy of Pennant, who states that the " original hint" of the Exchange was given to Sir Thomas Gresham, by a Welshman, named Richard Clough, afterwards knighted, who was originally his servant, and for his merit and industry was advanced by Sir Thomas, in 1561,,

"to be his correspondent and agent in the then emporium of the world, Antwerp.”*

In the year 1564, Sir Thomas Gresham, who very laudably persevered in his father's design, proposed to the Corporation "That, if the City would give him a piece of ground in a commodious spot, he would erect an Exchange at his own expense, with large and covered walks, wherein the merchants and traders might daily assemble and transact business in all seasons, without interruption from the weather or impediments of any kind." This offer was accepted, and in 1566, eighty dwellings, or housholds,' forming a part of Cornhill, together with three allies named Swan Alley, New Alley, and St. Christopher's Alley, were purchased by the City, and pulled down to make room for the intended building.-The following particulars relating to the spot thus cleared, were copied from the archives of the Corporation.

* London," p. 446. Pennant further states, that " Clough wrote to his master to blame the City of London for neglecting so necessary a thing; bluntly telling, that they studied nothing else but their own private profit; that they were content to walk about in the rain, more like pedlars than merchants; and that there was no kind of people but had their place to transact business in, in other countries."-All this is, most probably, correct, Strype having given the original extract from Clough's Letter, but in regard to the original hint, there is nothing due to Clough, and the "pride of his country," (Wales) as Pennant uses the phrase, must, in regard to the Exchange, still labour under the suppression which he deprecates.