The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1860-02-11
MedIeYal London.

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Medieval London.
Looking through review in the Lon
don Timea of a work in course Of publi.
... A. ,.u,. - I;h.r A,hro
ca'ion, ohaer 'ne syie - n'D,1 D''
compiled A. u. l4is, ana edited py henry
Thomas Riley, M. A., &C., under the di
rsotion Of the Master of the Rolls, we
G.. .,.;,,, c,a,s ros,oo,;rr Ton.
nnu many 0u,'ou' '"0o i,'pe ~
don lie In what Is calied lts medieeVai
period. The book is a compilation from
the mnnic;pal records at Guildhall The
p.:.- r.. g y. ~. n II,7
Nov'e"si says tI', , -
For the curious phases ana details Oh
this CIVIC lie, with its close ana strlngent
limitations, the tiber AlouS, one OF the
many books at the Gliidnail, Is the most
important Compned under Sae auspices
OF Jehn carpenter, town CLERK IN l4l9s
Gwho was also an MI. r., executor OF
Richard Wilmington, and the real
founder OF the Clty Of London Scnooil,
the Liber Albus has always Deen neia IN
high esteem, as one OF their cholcess
neiriooms, py tae CIVIC autnori1les. IN
iavs :ne n.Jer nnDuS 20 .Sa Sn'1 I;hau ~ iS M;gsn
because according IN an enigram in.
scribed on its fy leaf, it has been
thumbed and creased with vacant rever-
ence by civic commentators. Dead may
ora have left their sign manuals upon its
margins in the unctuous exudations
of digested turtle ''Unctis," says the
Epigrammatist, meaning grease spots:
but, inasmuch as they are imputed to
their authors in 0vidian Latin, successive
Aldermen have slept the sleep of inno-
cence, happily unconcious Of the wag's
Indictment. It is impossible that we can
repeat here all that the Liber Albus con-
tains, but its editor conceives that he is
speaking within limits when he says that
there is no medieval work or compilation
at present known-save and except some
volumes of the Letter Books between B
and THAT is so informing on the laws,
manners and institutions Of town life in
this country at distance Of time ranging
from 200 yr 300 years after tho Norman
conquest. , .'5,3'3,4. 5.e
roNnoN Housrs TN rHp Mm.p.ys M THE
-.--',''n,'' y. ,,,,,,,., : ''-"
m ..,,. ,.. .fLaS.A'AAAi'' =. u'i ..
Inc mode OF living was coarse ana
meagre beyond conception, and there was
o deficiency OF personal comfort which
we can hardly realize. Inc medieyal
citizen lived IN house which barely
sheltered him from the lnclemencies OF
the weather, ana wnere the smoke, ram M
ana wind disputed MS occupancy: Inc
houses were az hrSt mere novels OF wooa
or asniar WORK; pus al1er Aondon was
purnt In tne reign oi hing otepnen. mere
was framed, In the hrst year OF hicnard
l., 'fltz Alwynes Asnze, IN oth er
words, the earliest English building ACT
which required stone materials for partl-
ton walls, and imposed other conditions
as TO roofs, ga6les, proJectons, &c. Az
the time OF the pronunciation OF ti'z
Aiwynes Assi2e IL Is evidens tnas the
houses IN London consisted ot but one
story over the ground moor, ana no more
But IN the early part OF the fourteenth
century we ma houses IN London OF two
or three stories, eacn story ! sometimes
forming tne ireenola OF oinerent maj
viouais, entered, prooapiy, Dy stairs on
the outside, ana causing slcn multIpiied
disputes that Edwardus Secundus he1
udu w lutbrl6r6 Wy mbHudtc w uLTcCt
rsna;r windows ara mentioned n tbe
Assize but glass 10 Glaze them. Imported
from FIandera was annarentlv rare: while
ut that dav cb;mnevs were not--at least
in towns though by the wear 1900 they
were comnarativaly common Then 4
was enactad with nronar rrecant;on that
thew should he faced with nIaster tiles
or stone: and hart Of the oath taken by
the Scayacers Of the City on enterinS
Office is to the effect that thew will see
sthat all chimnevs ovens and reredosses
are made Of stone and suffcientlv nro
tected against Tia neril Of fret The
occuniers of large bouses were also re
onired 10 keen ladders for the succor nj
their naiuhbors IN an amergencv. and
each ward was en;o;ned To nroyida ,
stronc iron crook With q wooden handle
two chains And two strong cords for III,
snsedv ramoval of burn;ng % houses. o which
nro.;.;on os tha ad;tor .ans - snsat. Wv,
pos;t;veIy for The si;cbt ana = ,,nsuhstant;a' [ a'
manner of their constrnct;on
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