LOM fies a little W. of Falkland, and is fkirted with 2. LOMOND, WESTERN, is confiderably higher (III.) LOMOND, LOCH, a large lake of Scotland, in Lennox-fhire, which Mr Pennant ftyles "the most beautiful of the Caledonian lakes." The view of it from Tarbat presents an extenfive ferpentine lake winding amidst lofty hills, on the N. barren, bleak, and rocky, which darken'with their fhade that contracted part of the water. About 28 iflands are difperfed over the lake, well wooded; of these fome juft peep above the furface, and are tufted with trees; others are fo difpofed as to form magnificent viftos. Oppofite Lufs. at a final distance from shore, is a mountainous ifle almoft covered with wood, near half a mile long. The largest island is 2 miles long, and ftocked with deer. The lake is 36 miles long; its greateft breadth is 8; its greatest depth, 120 fathoms. Its furface has for many years paft 1 een obferved gradually to increase, and invade the adjacent fhore; whence Mr Pennant "fuppofes that churches, houses, and other buildings, have been loft in the water." Cambden's Atlas Britannica, it appears, that an And from a paffage in ifland exifting in his time, called Camfraddan, in which was a house and orchard, is now loft: Large trees are alfo often found in the mud near the fhore, overwhelmed in former times by the increase of water, occafioned by vaft quantities of ftone and gravel brought down by the rivers, and by the falls of their banks. LOMONOZOF, a celebrated Ruffian poet, the great reformer of his native tongue, was the fon of a fish-monger at Kolmogori. He was born in 1711, and was fortunately taught to read; a rare inftance in a perfon of fo low a ftation in Ruffia. His genius for poetry was first kindled by the perufal of the Song of Solomon, done into verfe by Polotfki; which infpired him with fuch an irrefiftible paffion for the Mufes, that he fled from his father, and took refuge in the Kaikonofpafki monaftery at Mofcow; where he indulged his tafte for letters, and ftudied the Greek and Latin languages. In this feminary he made fuch progrefs in literature, as to be employed by the Imperial Academy of Sciences. In 1736, that fociety fent him to the univerfity of Marpurg in Heffe Caffel, where he ftudied univerfal grammar, rhetoric, and philofophy, under the celebrated Chriftian Wolf. He continued at Marpurg 4 LON years, during which time he applied himself to chemistry, which he afterwards pursued with ftill greater fuccefs under the famous Henckel at Freyberg in Saxony. In 1741 he returned into Ruffia; was chofen in 1742 adjunct to the imperial academy; and in 1743, member of that fort ety, and profeffor of chemistry. In 1760, he was appointed infpector of the feminary, then annex. ed to the academy, and in 1764, Catharine II. made him a counfellor of ftate. Lomonozof excelled in various kinds of compofition; but his chief merit is derived from his poetical compofitions, ly admired for originality of invention, fublimity the finest of which are his odes. They are greatof fentiment, and energy of language. Pindar Ruffian tongue fay, he has fucceeded in imitawas his great model, and thofe verfed in the ting the Theban bard, without incurring the cencompofition, he enriched his native language with fure of Horace. various kinds of metre, and is hence ftyled the In this and other species of Father of Ruffian Poetry. The titles of his princi pal works, which were printed in 3 vols. 8vo, how the verfatility of his genius, and his extenfive knowledge. Vol. I. befides a preface on the advantages derived to the Ruffian tongue from the ecclefiaftical writings, contains ro facred, and 19 panegyric odes. The II. comprifes An Essay on Ruffian Poetry; Tranflation of a German Ode; Idylls; Tamira and Selim; and Demopboon, 2 Tragedies; Poem on the Utility of Glafs; two cantos of an epic poem, entitled, Peter the Great; Heads of Lectures on Natural Philofophy; Tranflations in verfe and profe, from the claffics, which he quoted as examples in his Lectures on Rhetoric; Defcription of the Comet in 1744 &c, Vol. III. confifts chiefly of Speeches and Trea tifes read before the Academy; Panegyric on the Emprefs Elizabeth'; on Peter the Great; on the Advantages of Chemistry; on the Phenomena of Latin tranflation; on the Origin of Light as a new the Air occafioned by the Electrical Fire, with a Theory of Colours; Methods to determine the Courfe of a veffel; on the Origin of Metals by Earthquakes; Latin Differtation on Solidity and Fluidity; on the Tranfit of Venus in 1761, with a German tranflation. He alfo wrote Annals of the Ruffa, from its Origin to the Death of Yaroffaf I. Ruffian Sovereigns; and the Ancient Hiftory of in 1054; a work of great merit, as it illuftrates the moft obfcure period in the annals of Ruffia, He died 4th April 1764, aged 54. *LOMP. n. f. A kind of roundish fish. Forets, and ci-devant duchy of Luxemburg; 12 LOMPRE, a town of France, in the dep. of miles E. of Givet. LOMZA, a town of Poland, in Mafovia. rifes in Weftmoreland, and running paft Kirkby Italian republic, in the dep. of Mella, and diftri&t (2.) LONADO, or a town of the Italian repub- ritory, 12 miles ESE. of Brefcia, containing 4000 citizens in 1797. It was taken by the French under Bonaparte, in the end of June 1796; and, on the 31st July following, a bloody battle was fought near it, between Bonaparte and Wurmfer, wherein, after a moft obftinate refiftance, the Auftrians were defeated, with the lofs of 2000 men. Gen. Wurmfer, however, feizing a new poft with 25,000 men, between the Cheife and Scanello, rifked another engagement, but was forced to retreat over the Mincio, after lofing, in 5 days, 70 field pieces, 6000 men killed, and 15,000 prifoners. LONCHAUMOIS, a town of France, in the dep, of Jura, 5 miles NNE. of St Claude. LONDE, Francis DE LA, a French poet, born at Caen in 1685. He wrote several tracts in profe, befides his poems, which are efteemed. He died in 1765, aged 80. LONDINIERES, a town of France in the dep. of Lower Seine, 15 miles ENE. of Dieppe. (I. 1.) LONDON, a large city of England, the metropolis of Great Britain, and one of the moft, wealthy and populous places in the world, is fituated in Middlesex, on the Thames, 400 miles S. of Edinburgh, 270 SE. of Dublin; 180 W. of Amfterdam, 210 NW. of Paris, 500 SW. of Copenhagen, 600 NW. of Vienna, 790 SW. of Stockholm, 800 NE. of Madrid, 820 NW. of Rome, 850 NE. of Lisbon, 1360 NW. of Conftantinople, and 1414 SW. of Mofcow. Lat. 51. 31. N. (2.) LONDON, ANCIENT AND MODERN NAMES OF. This city was by the Romans firft called Londinium or Lundinum. See Tacit. Ptol. Antonin. Ammian. That name was afterwards changed into Augufta; but, in honour of whom, or how long this name prevailed, is not known. After the eftablishment of the Saxons, it was called Caer Lundain, Lundoun Byrig, Lunden Ceafter, Lundenwye, Lundenne, Lunden-berh, or Lundenburgh. Since the conqueft the records call it Londinia, Lundonia, Londine, Londres; and, for feveral ages paft, it has been called London, a modern variation of Londinium. The most probable derivation of thefe Dames appears to be, either from the British words thong, a fhip, and din, a town, i. e. a town or harbour for fhips; or from Llin, a lake, q. d. Llin din, the town upon the lake, the Surry fide being supposed, upon good grounds, to have been anciently a great expanfe of water. Londinium, however, was not the primitive name of this city, which exifted before the invafion of the Romans; but TRINOW, or the New City; being, at the time of Cæfar's arrival in the island, the capital of the Trinobantes or Trinouantes. The name of this nation, as appears from Baxter's British Gloffary, (p. 230.) was derived from the 3 British words, tri, nou, bant, which fignify the inhabitants of the new city; a name probably given them by the Britons, after it was built. At the time of the first Roman invafion, this New City was fo inconfiderable, that it is not mentioned by Cæfar, though he must have been within fight of it. His filence about it, indeed, is brought as a proof that he did not cross the Thames; while Norden, by the firmiffima civitas of the Trinobantes, underftands this city, the Trinobantes themselves having been among the firft of the British states who fubmit ted to that conqueror. By Ptolemy, and fome other ancient writers, indeed, Londinium is placed in: CANTIUM, or Kent, on the S. fide of the Thames, and they fuppofe the Romans had a ftation in St George's fields, between Lambeth and Southwark, where many Roman antiquities have been found. Three Roman ways from Kent, Surry, and Middlesex, interfected each other in this place; and therefore it is fuppofed to be the original Londinium, which it is thought became neglected after the Romans reduced the Trinobantes, and fettled on the other fide of the Thames; and the name was transferred to the new city. (3.) LONDON, ANCIENT COMMERCE AND PRI VILEGES OF, UNDER THE ROMANS. The Romans poffeffed themselves of London, on their ad invafion in the reign of Claudius, about 105 years after their firft under Cæfar. They had taken Camalodunum, now MALDON in Effex, and planted in it a colony of veterans of the 14th legion. London and Verulam were next taken poffeffion of. Camalodunum was made a colonia, or place governed entirely by Roman laws and cuftoms; Verulam (on the fite of which St Alban's now ftands), a municipium, in which the natives enjoyed the privileges of Roman citizens, along with their own laws and conftitutions; but Londinium, according to Mr Pennant and others, was only a prafecura, the inhabitants, a mixture of Romans and Britons, being suffered to enjoy no more than the name of citizens of Rome, being governed by præfects, without having either their own laws or magiftrates. But others obferve, that the Romans, to fecure their conqueft, and to gain the affections of thofe Britons who had fubmitted to their authority, made London equally a municipium or free city with Verulamium, as may be feen in Aulus Gellius, 1. 16. c. 13. and Spanhem, Orbis Roman. p. 37, 38. tom. ii. The general exports of London, at this period, according to Straho, were, "corn, cattle, gold, filver, iron, skins, flaves, and dogs, naturally excellent hunters." The imports were falt, earthen wares, brass works, polished bone refembling ivory, horse-collars, toys of amber, glaffes, &c. In the reign of Nero, Tacitus tells us, London was become famous for the great conflux of merchants, her extensive commerce, and plenty of all things. No fewer than 7 of the 14 itinera of Antoninus begin or end at London; which tends to corroborate the many other proofs, that this city was the capital of Britain in the times of the Romans. (4.) LONDON, ANCIENT EXTENT AND WALLS OF. At firft London had no walls or fortifications to defend it, and was therefore exposed to the attacks of every enemy; and thus it fuffered feverely about the year 64, being burnt by the Britons under Boadicea, and all the inhabitants maffacred. But it was foon reftored by the Romans; and increafed fo much, that in the reign of Severus it is called by Herodian a great and wealthy city. It continued, however, in a defencelefs ftate for more than a century after this; when at laft a wall of hewn ftone and British bricks was erected round it. London at this time extended in length from Ludgate-hill to a spot a little beyond the Tower. The breadth was not Aaa 2 half berties, or thofe parts of this great city, which are fubject to its jurifdiction, and lie without the walls of London, are bounded on the E. in Whitecha pel, the Minories, and Bifhopfgate, by bars, which were formerly posts and chains, that were often arbitrarily taken away, when it was thought proper to feize the franchises of the city; on the N. they are bound in the same manner in Pickax ftreet, at the end of Fan-alley, and in St John's street: on the W. by bars in Holborn: at the E. end of middle Row, and at the W. end of Fleet. ftreet, by Temple-Bar; on the S. may be includ ed the jurifdiction on the Thames, and over the borough of Southwark. half equal to the length. Maitland afcribes the building of the walls to Theodofius governor of Britain in 369 Dr Woodward fuppofes them to have been founded under Conftantine the Great'; and this feems to be confirmed by the numbers of coin of his mother Helena, which have been discovered under them. He made it a bifhop's fee. The bishops of London and York were at the council of Arles in 314. He alfo fettled a mint in it, as appears from his coins. The ancient wall began with a fort near the prefent lite of the Tower, was continued along the Minories, and the back of Houndfditch, across Bifhopfgateftreet, in a ftraight line by London-wall to Cripplegate; then returned S. by Crowder's Well Alley to Alderfgate; thence along the back of Bull and Mouth street to Newgate, and again along the back of the boufes in the Old Bailey to Ludgate; foon after which it probably finished with an other fort, where the late king's printing houfe, in Black Friars, now ftands: hence another wall ran near the river fide, along Thames ftreet, to the fort on the E. extremity. The walls were 3 miles and 165 feet in circumference, guarded at proper distances on the land fide with 15 lofty towers; fome of which were remaining within thefe few years. Maitland mentions one 26 feet high, near Gravel-lane, on the W. fide of Houndf ditch; another, about 80 paces SE. towards Aldgate; and the bases of another, fupporting a mo-. dern houfe, at the lower end of Vinegar-yard, S. of Aldgate. The walls, when perfect, are fuppofed to have been 22 feet high, the towers 40. Thefe remnants were evidently of Roman ftructure, from the tiles and difpofition of the masonry. London Wall, near Moorfields, is now the moft entire part left of that ancient precinct. The gates, which received the great military roads, were four. The Prætorian way, the Saxon Watling ftreet, paffed under one, on the fite of the late New. gate; veftiges having been discovered of the road in digging above Holborn-bridge: it turned down to Dowgate, or more properly Dar-gate or Water-gate, where there was a trajectus or ferry, to join it to Watling ftreet, which was continued to Dover. The Hermin street paffed under Cripplegate; and a vicinal way went under Aldgate by Bethnal-green, towards Oldford, a pafs over the Lee to Duroleiton, the modern Leiton in Effex. OF. (5.) LONDON, BOUNDARIES AND LIBERTIES That part of this immenfe capital which is diftinguished by the name of The City, ftands on the N. fhore of the river, from the Tower to the Temple, occupying only that space formerly encompaffed by the wall. (See 4.) In this wall there were 7 gates by land, viz. Ludgate, Aldgate, Cripplegate, Alderfgate, Moorgate, Bishopfgate, which were all taken down in Sept. 1760; and Newgate, the county gaol, which was taken down. in 1776, and a massive building erected a little S. of it, which by the rioters in 1780 (fee $ 34.) received damage to the amount of L.80,000. On the fide of the water there were Dowgate and Billingfgate, long ago demolished, as well as the poftern gate near the Tower. In 1670 there was a gate erected, called Temple-bar, which terminates the bounds of the city weftward. The li (6.) LONDON, DIVISION OF, INTO WARDS AND is at prefent divided into 26 wards, and 236 prePRECINCTS. The city, including the borough, cincts. old gate which stood near it, is very large, and is 1. Alderfgate ward, so named from an divided into Alderfgate within and Alderfgate without; each confifting of 4 precincts; under one alderman, 8 common council men, and above 30 inferior officers, called conftables, inqueft the wards have a greater or fmaller number. 2. men, scavengers, and beadles; officers of which all Aldgate, named alfo from a gate of great antiquity, mentioned in king Edgar's charter to the knights of the Knighton Guild, about A. D. 967; and probably of a much more ancient foundation. In the time of the wars betwixt king John and his barrons, the latter entered the city through this gate, and committed great devaftations. Aldgate was rebuilt of ftone brought from Caen. The new gate was very ftrong, and had a deep well within it. In 1606 it was again rebuilt; and many Roman coins were found in digging the foundations. This ward is divided into 7 precincts; and governed by an alderman, fix common council men, and above 34 inferior officers. 3. BaffShaw or Bafinghall ward is very fmall, and confifts only of two precincts, containing 142 houfes. It is governed by an alderman, 4 common council men, and 24 petty officers. 4. Billing fgate ward is faid to have derived its name from a British king named Belinus, an affifiant of Brennus king of the Gauls at the taking of Rome, and the fame with the Beli-Maur mentioned in the Welsh genealogies; and Ludgate to have been named from his fon K. Lu'. It is divided into 12 precincts; goand 32 inferior officers. The fituation of this verned by an alderman, io common council men, ward on the river, gives it great advantages with refpect to trade; fo that it is well inhabited, and is in a continual hurry of bufinefs at the feveral vided into Bishopfgate within and without. The quays. 5. Bishop/gate ward is very large, and difirft is divided into 3 precincts; the 2d into 4: governed by an alderman, 12 common-council men, and 31 petty officers. which it is named, was built by Erkenwald Bp. The gate, from paired by William I. In the time of Henry III. of London in 675: and is faid to have been rethe Hanfe merchants had certain privileges, in return for which they rebuilt this gate elegantly in 1479. 6. Bread-freet award is divided into 13 precincts; governed by an alderman, 12 common council men, and 40 inferior officers; though it contains only 331 houfes. It is named from the an and 30 conftables, &c. Its name fignifies the fran chife of liberty gate. It was for fome time a guild, and had its beginning in the reign of King Edgar, when 13 knights requested to have a portion of land on the E. part of the city, with the liberty of a guild for ever. The king granted their request on thefe conditions; that each of them should victoriously accomplish three combats, one above ground, one under ground, and the third in the water; and after this, at a certain day, in E. Smithfield, they fhould run with spears against all comers. All this being performed, the king named it Knighton Guild, and extended it from Aldgate to the places where the bars now are on the E. to the Thames on the S. and as far into the water as a horfeman could ride at low water and throw his fpear. 22. Queen-hithe ward is divided into 9 precincts, governed by an alderman, 6 common council men, and 9 conftables. It is named from the bithe, or harbour for large boats, barges, and lighters; for which it was the anchoring place, and the key for loading and unloading veffels of almost any burden ufed in ancient times. It is called Queen-hithe, because the queens of England ufually poffeffed the tolls of veffels that unloaded goods at this hithe. 23. Tower ward or Tower-fireet ward, is governed by one alderman, 12 common council men, and 38 inferior officers. It takes its name from Tower-freet, which leads in a direct line to the principal entrance of the Tower. 24. Vintry ward is a small ward, containing only 418 houses; but is divided into 9 precincts, and governed by an alderman, 9 common council men, and 26 petty officers. It is named from the vintners, or wine-merchants of Bourdeaux, who formerly dwelt in it. 25. Wall-brook ward is small, containing only 306 houfes; but is divided into 7 precincts, governed by an alderman, 8 common council men, and 27 petty officers. It is thus named from the rivulet Wall-brook, that ran down Wall-brook street into the Thames near Dowgate; but at laft was fo hidden by bridges and buildings, that its channel became a common fewer. 26. Bridgeward without includes the borough of South wark, and the parishes of Rotherhithe, Newington, and Lambeth. It has its name from London bridge, with the addition of without, because the bridge muft be paffed in order to come at it. See SouUTHWARK. Westminster is generally reckoned a part of London; but as it is a distinct city, and under a diftinct government, it will be found defcribed in its order. See WESTMINSTER. cient bread-market, held in Bread-street. 7. Bridgeward within is divided into 14 precincts, of which 3 were on London bridge, (whence the name), and is governed by an alderman, 15 common council men, and 44 inferior officers. 8. Broad-street ward is divided into ro precincts; and governed by an alderman, ro common council men, and 32 inferior officers. It is named from that part of it called Old Broad-freet, which, before the fire of 1666, was one of the broadeft ftreets in London. 9. Candlewick ward, Candlewick freet, or Candle wright freet ward, is a small ward, confifting of about 286 houses; yet is divided into 7 precincts; governed by an alderman, 8 common council men, and 28 petty officers. It is named from a street, formerly inhabited chiefly by candle-wrights, or candle-makers, now called Canon-freet. 10. Caftle Baynard ward is divided into to precincts, under an alderman, to common council men, and 31 inferior officers. It is named from a caftle built on the bank of the river, by one Baynard, a foldier, who was raised to great honours by William I. 11. Cheap ward is divided into 9 precines, governed by an alderman, 12 common council men, and 34 inferior officers. The name is derived from the Saxon word chepe, i. e. a market, kept in this divifion, now called Cheapfide, but then Weftcheap. 12. Coleman freet ward is divided into 6 precincts, governed by an alderman, 6 common council men, and 26 petty officers. 13. Cordwainers award is divided into 8 precincts, governed by an alderman, 8 common council men, and 31 officers. It is named from Cordwainers ftreet, now Bow-lane, formerly occupied chiefly by cordwainers, or fhoemakers. 14. Cornhill ward is of small extent, and is divided into 4 precincts, governed by i alderman, 6 common council men, and 25 other officers. It is named from its principal street, Cornhill, fo named from the cornmarket very early held in it. 15. Cripplegate award is divided into 13 precincts, 9 within and 4 without the wall; and is governed by an alderman, 12 common council men, and 66 inferior officers. 16. Dowgate award is divided into 8 precincts, governed by an alderman, 8 common council men, and 21 petty officers. It is named from the ancient water-gate, called Dourgate, which was made in the original wall along the N. fide of the Thames, for the fecurity of the city against invafion by water. 17. Farringdon ward within is divided into 18 precincts, governed by one alderman, 17 common council men, and 57 inferior officers. It was named after William Farringdon, goldsmith, who, in 1279, purchased all the aldermanry, within the city and fuburbs, between Ludgate and Newgate, and alfo without these gates. 18. Farringdon ward without, so named after the fame goldfmith, is governed by one alderman, 16 common council men, and 99 inferior officers. 19. Langbourn ward is divided into 12 precincts, and was named from a long bourn, or rivulet, which anciently flowed from a fpring near Magpye alley. 20. Limeftreet ward is very small, and confifts of 4 precincts, governed by an alder man, 4 common council men, and 22 petty officers. 21. Portfoken ward is divided into s precincts, governed by an alderman, common council men, (7.) LONDON, EXTENT OF. The irregular form of London makes it difficult to afcertain its extent. However, its length from E. to W. is generally allowed to be above 7 miles from Hyde-park corner to Poplar; and its breadth in fome places three, in others two, and in others again not much above half a mile. Hence the circumference of the whole is almost 18 miles; or, according to a later measurement, the extent of continued buildings is 35 miles two furlongs and 39 roods. 1 (8) LONDON, GOVERNMENT OF. The city' and liberties of London are under a civil, an ecclefiaftical, and a military government. i. LONDON, GOVERNMENT, CIVIL, OF. The civil government of London divides it into wards ་ ་ ་ ༈ སྙ་མ and. and precincts, (fee § 6.), under a lord mayor, aldermen, and common council. The lord may. or is the fupreme magiftrate, chofen annually by the citizens, pursuant to a charter of King John. The manner of electing a lord mayor is by the liverymen of the feveral companies, affembled in Guildhall annually, on Michaelmasday, (according to an act of common council in A. D. 1476); when the liverymen nominate two aldermen below the chair, who have ferved the of fice of sheriff, to be returned to the court of aldermen, who may choose either of the two; but the fenior, fo returned, is generally declared lord mayor elect. The election being over, the lord mayor elect, accompanied by the recorder and divers aldermen, is foon after prefented to the lord-chancellor for his approbation; on the 9th Nov. following, is fworn into office at Guildhall; and on the roth, before the barons of exchequer at Westminster; the proceffion on which occafion is exceedingly grand and magnificent. The lord mayor fits every morning at the manfion-houfe, where he keeps his mayoralty, to do the bufinefs incident to his office. Once in 6 weeks, or 8 times in the year, he fits as chief judge of Oyer and Terminer, or gaol-delivery of Newgate for London and Middlefex. His jurifdiction extends all over the city and fuburbs, except fome places that are exempted. It extends alfo from Colneyditch, above Staines-bridge in the W. to Yeudale, or Yenflete, and the mouth of the Medway, and up that river to Upnor-caftle, in the E. by which he has the power of punishing or correcting all perfons that shall annoy the ftreams, banks, or fish. For this purpose he holds feveral courts of confervancy in the counties adjacent to the faid river, for its confervation, and for the punishment of offenders. See MAYOR. The office next in dignity is that of alderman. (See ALDERMAN). Of these there are 26, who are properly the fubordinate governors of their refpective wards under the lord mayor's jurifdiction. They originally held their office either by inheritance or purchafe; but the oppreffions to which the citizens were fubject from fuch a government, put them upon means to abolish the perpetuity of that office; and they brought it to an annual election. But that mode of election becoming a continual bone of contention among the citizens, the parliament, 17 Rich. II. A. D. 1394, enacted, That the aldermen of London fhould continue in office during life or good behaviour. And fo they ftill continue, though the manner of electing has feveral times varied. At prefent it is regulated by an act of parliament, paffed in 1724-5: and the perfon fo elected is returned to the court of lord mayor and aldermen, by whom he must be admitted and fworn into office before he can act. If the perfon chofen refufeth to ferve the office of alderman, he is finable sool. Thefe high officers conftitute a fecond part of the city legiflature when affembled in a corporate capacity, and exercife an executive power in their refpective wards. The aldermen who have paffed the chair, or ferved the office of lord mayor, are juftices of the quorum; and all the other aldermen are not only juftices of the peace, but by ftat. 43 Eliz. entitled, An a& for the relief of the poor, เ every alderman of Lon : don, within his ward, fhall and may do and execute, in every respect, so much as is appointed and allowed by the faid act to be done or executed by one or two juftices of peace of any county within this realm." Every one keeps his awardmote, or court for choofing ward officers, and fettling the affairs of the ward, to redrefs grievances, and to prefent all defaults found within the ward. The next branch of the legislative power is the COMMON COUNCIL. The many inconve. niences that attended the popular affemblies, called FOLKMOTES, determined the commonalty of London to choose representatives to act in their name, with the lord mayor and aldermen, in all affairs relating to the city. At first these reprefentatives were chofen out of the companies; but thefe not being found fatisfactory, nor properly the representatives of the whole body of the inha bitants, it was agreed to choose a certain number of difcreet men out of each ward: which number has from time to time increased, according to the dimenfions of each ward. At prefent the 26 wards, (§ 6.) being fubdivided into 236 precincts, each precinct fends a reprefentative to the common council, who are elected after the same man. ner as an alderman and as the lord mayor prefides in the wardmote, and is judge of the poll at the election of an alderman, fo the alderman of each ward is judge of the poll at the election of a common council man. Thus the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council, are a kind of city parliament, refembling the great council of the nation. For it confies of two houses; one for the lord mayor and aldermen, or the upper house; another for the commoners or reprefentatives of the people, commonly called the common council men. They have power to make and repeal bye. laws; and the citizens are bound to fubmit to them. When they meet in their incorporate capacity, they wear deep-blue filk gowns: and their affemblies are called the court, and their ordinances acts of common council. No act can be performed in the name of the city, without their concurrence. But they cannot affemble without a fummons from the lord mayor, who, however, is obliged to call a common council, when demanded by 6 reputable citizens, and members of that court. This corporation is affifted by two SHERIFFS and a RECORDER. The fheriffs are chartered officers, to perform certain fuits and fervices, in the king's name, within London and Middlefex, chofen by the liverymen of the companies on Midfummer day. Their office, according to Cambden, is to collect the public revenues within their feveral jurifdictions; to gather into the exchequer all fines belonging to the crown; to ferve the king's writs of procefs; to attend the judges, and execute their orders; to impannel juries; to compel obftinate men by the poffe comitatus to fubmit to the decifions of the law; and to take care that all condemned criminals be duly punished. They alfo execute the orders of the common council, when they have refolved to addrefs his majefty, or to petition parliament. In virtue of their office, they hold a court at Guildhall every Wed. and Frid. for actions entered at Wood-ftreet Compter; and on Thurf. and Sat. for thofe entered at the Poultry Compter: of |