ned more damage by fire, which may be
attributed, in some measure, to the custom of covering the houses with
thatch.--Two desolating fires which happened in the latter part of Henry
VII's reign, induced the corporation to make a law, that no new building
should afterwards be covered with thatch.

Norwich was beginning to decline, but again revived in 1566, by the
settling here of about 300 Dutch and Walloons, who had fled from the
persecution of the Duke of Alva; and their number kept increasing very
rapidly for several years. About this time, bombasines and some other
valuable articles were invented here, and contributed much to the
population of the city. In 1574, Norwich exhibited on its muster roll
2120 able men, towards the general defence against the invincible Armada.
In 1578, queen Elizabeth took up her abode for several days in the city.
In 1688, the charter was confirmed to its full extent, by virtue of
which, the government is vested in a mayor, recorder, steward, two
sheriffs, twenty-four aldermen, of which the mayor is one, sixty common
councilmen, a town clerk, chamberlain, sword bearer and other officers.

In 1556, the extent of Norwich was ascertained, by which it appears to be
14 miles in circumference. Norwich first sent members to parliament in
1264. In 1403, four citizens were summoned to parliament, but as they
were paid by the citizens 3 pounds for their attendance, they petitioned
sending only two to save expence. The city at present sends two who are
chosen by the freeholders and freemen, some of whom are so by
inheritance, some by servitude, and others by purchase--the sheriffs for
the time being, are the returning officers.

Till within a few years, the population of Norwich had been increasing,
_viz._ from the year 1693 to 1786, as will appear by the annexed
parochial list; but this is owing principally to strangers resorting to
Norwich as a manufacturing place, for by comparing, the births with the
deaths within that period, the latter have considerably exceeded the
former. The decrease in the population observable in the table since
1786, is 3197; but 1786 was a year of peace; and in 1801, those serving
in the army, navy, and militia, were not included; out of the number of
houses in 1801, there were 747 unoccupied, and of the total number of
persons, 21,044 were females, and 15,810 males, being nearly in
proportion of 4 to 3.

At what period the art of manufacturing cloth from wool