King, where he frequently indulged in the pastime of hunting; and on passing the labourers occupied in cutting the New River, he would naturally make inquiries as to their progress. The undertaking was of a character so unusual, and so much of it passed directly through the King's domains, that he could not but be curious about it. Myddelton, having had dealings with His Majesty as a jeweller, seized the opportunity of making known his need of immediate help, otherwise the project must fall through. Several interviews took place between them at Theobalds and on the ground; and the result was that James determined to support the engineer with his effective help as King, and also with the help of the State purse, to enable the work to be carried out.

An agreement was accordingly entered into between the King and Myddelton, the original of which is deposited in the Rolls-office, and is a highly interesting document. It is contained on seven skins, and is very lengthy; but the following abstract will sufficiently show the nature of the arrangement between the parties. The Grant, as it is described, is under the Great Seal, and dated the 2nd of May, 1612. It is based upon certain articles of agreement, made between King James I. and Hugh Myddelton, "citizen and goldsmith of London," on the 5th of November preceding. It stipulates that His Majesty shall discharge a moiety of all necessary expenses for bringing the stream of water within “one mile of the city," as well as a moiety of the disbursements "already made" by Hugh Myddelton, upon the latter surrendering an account, and swearing to the truth of the same. In consideration of His Majesty's pecuniary assistance, Myddelton assigned to him a moiety of the interest in, and profits to arise from, the New River "for ever," with the exception of a small quill or pipe of water which the said Myddelton had granted, at the time of his agreement with the City, to the poor people inhabiting St. John-street and Aldersgate-street,-which exception His Majesty allowed.

One of the first benefits Myddelton derived from the arrangement was the repayment to him of one-half the expenditure which had been incurred to that time. It appears from the first certificate delivered to the Lord Treasurer, that the total expenditure to the end of the year 1612 had been 4485l. 18s. 11d., as attested by Hugh Myddelton, acting on his own behalf, and Miles Whitacres acting on behalf of the King. Further payments were made out of the Treasury for costs disbursed in executing the works; and it would appear from the public records that the total payments made out of the Royal Treasury on account of the New River works amounted to 86097. 14s. 6d. As the books of the New River Company were accidentally destroyed by a fire many years ago, we are unable to test the accuracy of these figures by comparison with the financial records of the Company; but, taken in conjunction with other circumstances hereafter to be mentioned, the amount stated represents, with as near an approach to accuracy as can now be reached, one-half of the original cost of constructing the New River.

As the undertaking proceeded, with the powerful help of the King and the public Treasury, and as the great public uses of the New River began to be recognised, the voice of derision became gradually stilled, and congratulations began to rise up on all sides in view of the approaching completion of the bold enterprise. The scheme had ceased to be visionary, as it had at first appeared, for the water was already brought within a mile of Islington; all that was wanted to admit it to the reservoir being the completion of the tunnel near that place. At length that too was finished; and now King, Corporation, and citizens vied with each other in doing honour to the enterprising and public spirited Hugh Myddelton. The Corporation elected his brother Thomas Lord Mayor for the year; and on Michaelmas Day, 1613, the citizens assembled in great numbers to celebrate by a public pageant the admission of the New River water to the metropolis. The ceremony

CHAP. III.

OPENING OF THE NEW RIVER.

took place at the new cistern at Islington, in the presence of
the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Council, and a great con-
course of spectators. A troop of some three score labourers in
Monmouth caps, bearing spades and mattocks, or such
green
other implements as they had used in the construction of
the work, marched round the cistern to the martial music
of drums and trumpets, after which a metrical speech, com-
posed by one Thomas Middleton, was read aloud, expressive
The following extract
of the sentiments of the workmen.
may be given, as showing the character of the persons
employed on the undertaking:-

First, here's the Overseer, this try'd man,
An antient souldier and an artizan;
The Clearke; next him the Mathematian;
The Maister of the Timber-worke takes place
Next after these; the Measurer in like case;
Bricklayer, and Enginer; and after those
The Borer, and the Pavier; then it showes
The Labourers next; Keeper of Amwell Head;
The Walkers last;-so all their names are read.
Yet these but parcels of six hundred more,
That, at one time, have been imploy'd before;
Yet these in sight and all the rest will say

That all the weeke they had their Royall pay!

At the conclusion of the recitation the flood-gates were thrown open, and the stream of pure water rushed into the cistern amidst loud huzzas, the firing of mortars, the pealing of bells, and the triumphant welcome of drums and trumpets.*

* A large print was afterwards published by G. Bickham, in commemoration of the event, entitled 'Sir Hugh Myddelton's Glory.' It represents the scene of the ceremony, the reservoir, with the stream rushing into it; the Lord Mayor (Sir John Swinnerton) on a white palfrey, pointing exultingly to Sir Hugh; the Recorder, Sir Henry Montague, afterwards Lord Keeper

and Earl of Manchester, and by his side the Lord Mayor elect, the projector's brother, Maister Thomas Myddelton. Various figures gesticulating their admiration occupy the foreground, whilst the foot of the print is garnished with little "chambers," or miniature mortars, spontaneously exploding. There is a copy of the original print in the British Museum.

It is rather curious that James I. was afterwards nearly drowned in the New River which he had enabled Hugh Myddelton to complete. He had gone out one winter's day after dinner to ride in the park at Theobalds accompanied by his son Prince Charles; when, about three miles from the palace, his horse stumbled and fell, and the King was thrown into the river. It was slightly frozen over at the time, and the King's body disappeared under the ice, nothing but his boots remaining visible. Sir Richard Young rushed into his rescue, and dragged him out, when "there came much water out of his mouth and body." He was, however, able to ride back to Theobalds, where he got to bed and was soon well again. The King attributed his accident to the neglect of Sir Hugh and the Corporation of London in not taking measures to properly fence the river, and he did not readily forget it; for when the Lord Mayor, Sir Edward Barkham, accompanied by the Recorder, Sir Heneage Finch, attended the King at Greenwich, in June, 1622, to be knighted, James took occasion, in rather strong terms, to remind the Lord Mayor and his brethren of his recent mischance in "Myddelton's Water."

It is scarcely necessary to point out the great benefits conferred upon the inhabitants of London by the construction of the New River, which furnished them with an abundant and unremitting supply of pure water for domestic and other purposes. Along this new channel were poured into the city several millions of gallons daily; and the reservoirs at New River Head being, as before stated, at an elevation of 82 feet above the level of high water in the Thames, they were thus capable of supplying through pipes the basement stories of the greater number of houses then in the metropolis.

The pipes which were laid down in the first instance to convey the water to the inhabitants were made of wood, principally elm; and at one time the New River Company had wooden pipes laid down through the streets to the extent of about 400 miles! But the leakage was so great through

the porousness of the material,-about one-fourth of the whole quantity of water supplied passing away by filtration, and the decay of the pipes in ordinary weather was so rapid, besides being liable to burst during frosts, that they were ultimately abandoned when mechanical skill was sufficiently advanced to enable pipes of cast-iron to be substituted for them. For a long time, however, a strong prejudice existed against the use of water conveyed through pipes of any kind, and the cry of the water carriers long continued to be familiar to

London ears, of "Any New River water here!" "Fresh and fair New River water! none of your pipe sludge!"

Among the many important uses to which the plentiful supply of New River water was put, was the extinction of fires, then both frequent and destructive, in consequence of the greater part of the old houses in London being built of wood. Stow particularly mentions the case of a fire which broke

out in Broad Street, on the 12th November, 1623, in the house of Sir William Cockaigne, which speedily extended itself to several of the adjoining buildings. We are told by the chronicler, that "Sir Hugh Myddelton, upon the first knowledge thereof, caused all the sluices of the watercisterne in the field to be left open, whereby there was plenty of water to quench the fire. The water" [of the New River], he continues, "hath done many like benefits in sundrie like former distresses."

We now proceed to follow the fortunes of Myddelton in connexion with the New River Company. The year after the public opening of the cistern at Islington, we find him