John the citizens were allowed a charter and a mayor. This king visited Lynn twice; driven here at one time by his rebellious barons; when, on the petition of John de Grey, bishop of Norwich, who had just erected a palace at Gaywood in this vicinity, the king granted Lynn a charter to be a free borough for ever, the burgesses to choose a præpositus or provost, that should be subject to the bishop, from thence denominated the bishop's man. It is related, that once on this king's marching from this place he lost, on crossing the washes at an improper time of the tide, all his baggage, provisions, and treasures. On his last visit to Lynn he presented the corporation with a most curious cup and cover, weighing 73oz. as appears by his letters patent in the last year of his reign, directed "To the Mayor and good Men of Lenn." This celebrated piece of antiquity, called to this day king John's Cup, is of silver, gilt on the inside, adorned with beautiful imagery and enamelled work.* It is in the highest state of preservation. On the bottom of the foot are engraved memoranda of its having been repaired four times. The cup is rich gilt, except the figures and the light sprig ornament round them, which are silver; part of their dresses, and the ground to them, are in colours enamelled. The figures round the lid of the cup are a hunting party :the first a lady bearing a hawk; the second has a dog; the third, a gentleman carrying a hare, with a dog; the fourth a gentleman with a dog on each side; the fifth is a lady with a bow and arrow, she has with her a dog; each figure is separated from the other by an ornamented division: the figure on the bottom of the inside of the cup is in the bacchante style, holding in one hand a drinking horn, and on the other a hawk. This idea is well conceived, as combining the joys of the festive cup with pleasures of the enlivening chace. The figures round the body of the cup

but they broke open the doors and would have taken him ont by force. On this noise and uproar, a number of the Christians came to his rescue; but the inhabitants being in fear of the king, who had taken the Jews under his protection, acted on the reserve; on which many young strangers and foreigners, who were in the town on account of their trade, fell on the Jews, killed several, burnt and plundered their houses, and then to avoid the king's anger took shipping directly with their booty.

"The late Mr. John Carter," it is said in the Excursions through Norfolk, “had great trouble in getting permission to make a drawing of this cup, which was at length allowed, on condition that he should be confined in a room while making the drawing, and a man to be placed over him, to be paid by Carter, to see he did no damage to the cup. Under these circumstances he actually made the drawing engraved in his Specimens of Sculpture,"

are expressive of no particular action, they merely, like the other figures, represent the various dresses worn by the ladies and gentlemen in king John's reign; the hawk on the hand of one of the gentlemen is a badge of ancient nobility. The figures on the foot of the cup come under the same description as the foregoing.-Vide plate and description in Carter's Ancient Sculpture.

This cup is in the keeping of every mayor for the time being, and used on certain solemn occasions, filled with sack, and shewn as a unique curiosity, in memory of their founder and great benefactor. The mayor is annually elected on the feast of St. John, August 29th, and sworn into office that day month following, when he gives an entertainment to the corporation, &c. At this feast St. John's cup is handed to the mayor after dinner, who presents it to his predecessor, who takes off the lid and drinks the king's health. He then places the lid on the cup, and after certain ceremonies of turning the cup round delivers it to the new mayor, who passes it with the same ceremony down the table; from thence it is carried to the mayoress and the ladies; "and whoever," says Mackarel, " goes to visit the mayor must drink out of this cup, which contains a full pint."

The sword that is carried before the mayor is supposed to have been the gift of king John, taken from his own sidevide inscription: "Ensis hic Donum fuit Regis Johannis, à suo ipsius latere datum. Various, however, are the opinions respecting this sword; but the most probable is that it was given to the corporation by king Henry VIII., when the town coming into his possession, instead of Lynn Episcopi, was ever after called Lynn Regis. Henry also granted them a charter, and allowed them many privileges. Sir Henry Spelman says, "that he was assured by the town clerk of Lynn, in the year 1630, that the sword-bearer of Lynn, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, 1580, procured the inscription, relative to king John on the sword, from the schoolmaster of Lynn, as one side of the hilt was plain and had it engraved thereon." It cannot be supposed that any king could wear such a sword by his side, but it might have been brought him and put to his side for the purpose of presenting it to the mayor on some particular occasion, and thereby rendering the gift more honourable to the corporation. On

the other side of the hilt is "Vivat Rex Henricus Octavus, Anno Regni sui xx.'

Besides this antique sword, four silver maces gilt are carried before the mayor on all processions, and in these, with the sword, the present regalia consists. On the 29th of August the mayor calls a hall for the election of a successor, who is chosen by the common-council, as the commoncouncil are by the court of aldermen; but if any dispute shall arise, and the mayor break up the hall assembly, the common-council may sit upon the steps of the hall and choose a mayor, if ten out of the eighteen are unanimous, and this election the court of aldermen cannot controvert.

The corporation consists of a mayor, recorder, twelve aldermen, eighteen common-councilmen, a town clerk, chamberlain, two coroners, and several inferior officers. The mayor is chosen from among the aldermen, by the members of the common-council, and must be one who has not served the office previously, for at least five years. In case he decline or refuse, the mayor and aldermen may fine him in any sum not exceeding 501. The fine for alderman is not to ex

ceed 401.; and the common-councilman's fine is 201.

The election for representatives in parliament is in the whole body of the freemen at large, and the mayor for the time being is the returning officer. This borough was always attached to the Walpoles. When sir Robert Walpole, who was representative for Lynn, was expelled the house of commons, through the powerful interest of the Tory faction, in 1711, the electors of Lynn again chose him as their representative. See article HOUGHTON.

Every first Monday in the month, the mayor, aldermen, clergy, &c. meet to hear and determine all controversies amicably, for preventing law-suits. This admirable institution, so honourable to this venerable and royal borough, was first adopted in 1588, and called the Feast of Reconciliation.

• The charter granted by king John, does not mention this sword, but that of Henry expressly says, "he granted them a sword, to be carried before the mayor." It is said, that when some kings have honoured the town, the mayors themselves have carried this sword before them: and it is remarkable, says Mackerell, that, in a window on the north side of the choir, near the altar of St. Nicholas' chapel, the townarms and the sword are depicted in glass, that most probably was fixed there soon after erecting the chapel and glazing the windows, which is supposed to have been in the reign of Edward III., between the years 1326 and 1376, or about 150 years after king John is said to bave given the sword to the town. Upon the whole it is pretty clear, that the sword was given by king John; but whether from his own side, and to be carried before a provost or a mayor, must still remain doubtful.

The revenues of the corporation arise from the gild of the Trinity and St. George, the profits of the tollbooth, tonnage, measureage, and lovecop,* at fairs, markets, &c. &c.

Lynn was always a town of great commerce, as it is at this day. Many persons from the Low Countries settled here, and at Norwich, in 1571; for we find that Ant. de Potter, dyer, in behalf of those that made mockados at Lynn, obtained, after a long debate in the court, that the warden of the Walloons in that city should search and seal all the commodities brought from Lynn, &c. &c. The harbour of Lynn is capable of containing two hundred ships. Preparatory to the restoration of king Charles II., its fortifications were restored by sir Horatio Townshend, ancestor of the Townshends of Rainham, who was created a baron by Charles II. for his loyalty, by the style and title of baron of King's Lynn, to which the motto borne in the arms of this noble family alludes: "Hæc Generi Incrementa Fides."

In the rebellion against Charles I., the mayor and burgesses defended the town against the earl of Manchester for some time, and held it for the king against an army of 18,000 men, and a siege of three weeks with great bravery; but not being supported by the earl of Newcastle, who lay near Lincoln with an equal number of troops, and having applied to him in vain for relief, they were obliged to surrender and make the best terms they could. It does not appear that the garrison, which consisted of the burgesses and inhabitants, reinforced by the country gentlemen in the neighbourhood, with eight troops of horse and eight companies of foot, could amount to more than 5,000 men in arms. In the spring of 1643, a few months before the siege, the mayor and corporation invited Cromwell to visit this town, and "Mr. Mayor was allowed 57. for his preparations for the entertainment of the Protector." The burgesses also about this time were allowed 5s. a day for their duty in parliament.

St. Margaret's church and priory, were founded by Herbert, bishop of Norwich, in the reign of king William II, and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, St. Margaret, and

• What is now improperly called lastage, i. e. a penny per quarter on corn carried out by aufreemen.

all the maiden saints. It was built by the bishop at the request of the men of Lynn; and to perform this the better he granted an indulgence of forty days to all who should contribute to it. The church and priory were subordinate to the priory of the holy Trinity of Norwich. The latter was for monks of the Benedictine order. The priory of St. Margaret was on the south side of St. Margaret's church. After the dissolution, what was then left of the priory was removed, and scarcely any remains of it now exist, except what may be discovered in some of the walls in the old dwellings on the north side of the lane. It was pulled down to enlarge the churchyard, but the lane adjoining retains the name of Priory Lane. The church of St. Margaret was built in the form of a cross, probably on the site of some old church, and was a spacious structure, and though curtailed of its original dimensions is still a noble pile. The nave and aisles form the present place of worship. An order was issued from the mayor, in the thirty-sixth Henry VI. to build the bell tower of this church. The roof is supported by twenty-two columns, of which those east of the transept are formed by a cluster of five shafts to each. In this part of the building are some ancient carved stalls. The east end of the church, has a circular window with ten transverse mullions, and is divided from the transept by a wooden screen, erected in 1622. Mackarel says, "the screen was beautified in the reign of James I. and had represented on it the four cardinal virtues," &c. &c. The stone font is ancient. By the north door was erected in 1656, a desk, built pulpit wise, from whence the minister used to instruct the poor. There were no less than three brass eagles belonging to this church, of which only two remain. In the year 1609, a new carved pulpit was set up in this church. The old one was sold for 40s. to be put up in the church of East Winch. The organ, "adorned with proper figures," was given in 1677, by Thomas Thetford, the mayor, and others.-Vide a faculty in Mackarel's Lynn, granted for the purpose by king James, where the wardens are forbidden "to presume by their rash boldness to offer any impediment."

Little of the west front can be attributed to the original structure. Some interesting arches towards the south-west corner, are indeed similar to those often noticed behind the