with him at the memorable battle of Haftings. The fubject of this memoir manifefted the greatest loyalty to King Charles the Second, whofe reftoration he was inftrumental in promoting: for this, and for other eminent services, as the patent expreffes it, he was advanced to the degree of an Earl by the title of Earl of Berkeley; and in 1678 was fworn a member of the Privy Council. Having been made free of the Grocers' Company in 1660, he ferved the office of Master in 1682. His Lordship was appointed Cuftos Rotulorum of the county of Gloucefter by King James the Second in January 1684, and, in the fubfequent year, became one of his Privy Council. On that Monarch's withdrawing himself, he was one of the Lords who affembled at Guildhall; and, having fent for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, fubfcribed a declaration, That they would affift his Highnefs the Prince of Orange, in obtaining a free parliament, wherein our * This Harding defcended from the royal line of the Kings of Denmark.-Abbot Newland's Pedigree in Berkeley Caftle. + Collins's Peerage of England, vol. iii. laws, liberties, and properties may be fecured; the Church of England in particular, with a due liberty to Proteftant Diffenters; and, in general, the Protestant religion over the whole world, may be fupported and encouraged, &c." On the acceffion of King William and Queen Mary, he was appointed one of their Privy Council, and in July 1689 conftituted Cuftos Rotulorum of the county of Surrey. I have in my poffeffion an original letter of the Earl of Berkeley to Sir John Moore, a member of the Grocers' Company, dated 31 January 1693, which is fo curious that I here infert it verbatim et literatim. The Earl wants to borrow £ 500 India Stock, for the purpose, no doubt, of having a vote on some particular occafion, and it appears probable that a frequent recurrence to this practice occafioned the bye law which exists at present, and which denies the right of voting to a proprietor who has not held his Stock twelve months. "SIR, "ONCE more I take liberty to ask a favour of you wch I am fure you may grant without preiudice to you, and I hope you wil not refuse it, tis this, yt you wil please to lend me £500 Eaft India Stock either old or new (but I had rather have old) for 6 monthes, paying you interest and when you convay ye Stock to me I must by writing covenant to reconvay it to you againe at ye end of 6 monthes-This I believe wil be of advantage to me as I order it-What favour I ask you now S Jhon Mordant did for me about 6 monthes past and I did lately at ye end of 6 monthes reconvay yo 500 Stock to him againe and payed him fiveteene pounds interest Monny—I defire you will write to me a line or 2 in answere and direct y' letter thus (to be fent by ye poft) for Ye Earle of Berkeley to be left at ye house of one Heritage a butcher in hounflow; I am St yrs very afectionately Cranford, Jan. 31st 1693. For S Jhon More K and Alderman at his house in Mincing Lane neare phanfhaw Streete London. "BERKELEY." This noble Earl departed this life in October 1698, and was interred at Cranford in Middlesex. SIR JOHN MOORE, KNT. ITH the exception of Sir Grocers' Company are under greater obligations than Sir John Moore. At a period when their affairs were in the greatest confufion, their revenues entirely fufpended and their Hall in ruins, he gave a noble example of liberality to his brother Liverymen. His conduct is noticed in the Company's books, in the following terms :-" Sir John Moore, a worthy member of this Society, taking into his serious confideration the deplorable condition of this Company, every year much declining in reputation, by reafon of the ruinated condition of their Hall, offers, as an encouragement to ftrangers to join it, to repair it at his own cofts, hoping to induce other members, by this example, to contribute liberally towards the Company's debts." The estimate of the propofed repairs amounted to £500, which Sir John paid to the Wardens on the 14th of March 1681; he exerted, befides, all his influence to prevail on his brethren to affift him in the laudable work, and fucceeded to fo great a degree, that, in January 1684, the Court of Affistants expreffed their sense of his services by paffing the following refolution : "This Court being deeply fenfible of the great kindnesse done to this Company by Sir John Moore, Alderman of this City, a worthy member, in fo large and liberal a Summe of money freely given for repairing and beautifying of the Company's Hall at his own proper charge, by whose example the rest of that great work was fo commodiously carried on and perfected, to the great encouragement of all members and benefactors, doe, therefore, in great acknowledgment, order that the Wardens (to whom it is wholly referred to contract for the fame on the best terms they can to have the fame well done) do forthwith procure his picture to be drawn to the life, and fet up in a fair frame in the Hall at the Company's charge." The period of Sir John Moore's Mayoralty was very tumultuous; it occurred in 1682 at the latter part of the reign of Charles the Second, whofe proceedings towards the City being arbitrary and violent, naturally excited all the vehemence of party fpirit. Sir John, eager to fupport the Court intereft, interfered in an unusual manner in the election of Sheriffs, by nominating Dudley North, Efq., and iffuing to the refpective Companies a precept in an unusual form. It ran thus: "By the Mayor, "These are to require you, that on Midsummer-day next, being the day appointed as well for confirmation of the person wнHO HATH BEEN BY ME CHOSEN, according to the ancient custom and conftitution of this City and county of Middlesex, for the year enfuing, as for the election of the other of the faid Sheriffs and other officers, you cause the Livery of your Company to meet together at your common hall early in the morning, and from thence to come together decently and orderly in their gowns to Guildhall, there to make the faid confirmation and election. Given the nineteenth of June, 1682. JOHN MOORE.”* This dictatorial mode of proceeding gave great offence to the Citizens; fo much fo that when they affembled at Guildhall on Midfummer-day, and the Common-Crier made proclamation and said, “ You, Gentlemen of the Livery of London, attend your confirmation," they interrupted the proceedings, exclaiming, with one voice, "No confirmation! no confirmation!" The business was fufpended for nearly half an hour, and at length, after a speech from the Recorder, it was allowed again to proceed according to the ancient method and the four following gentlemen were put into nomination, Dudley North, Ralph Box, Thomas Papillion, and John Dubois, Efquires. The fhow of hands was clearly in favour of the two latter gentlemen, but a poll was demanded and granted for the four candidates. * Maitland's Hiftory of London, vol. i. p. 474. P P |