year, 1497, and was
given its Christmas name, Natal (the 'birthday' place) by the great
Portuguese captain who, in those southern waters,

'Did win a gallant name,
And ruled the stormy sea.'

MARY H. DEBENHAM.

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

True Tales of the Year 1806.

IV.--A GOOD CONSTABLE.

A hundred years ago the streets of London were very insufficiently
guarded. Of police, as we now understand the word, there were none, but
at night the public buildings and principal thoroughfares were handed
over to the care of aged and decrepit men, called 'Charlies,' who, being
too old to work by day, were supposed to be able to take charge of the
streets by night!

These 'Charlies' were furnished with staves and lanterns, which were
often violently wrenched from them, for it was then a fashionable
amusement of wild young men of the upper classes to 'go on the
_ran-dan_,' as it was called--that is, to run up and down the
ill-lighted streets, knocking down first one old Charlie and then
another, and carrying off the staff and lantern as trophies. A young
fellow who managed to upset a wooden watch-house, with a poor old man
inside, was very proud of himself indeed, though, maybe, the old
'Charlie' was meanwhile being almost suffocated to death with the
watch-house on the top of him.

Besides 'guarding' the streets, these old watchmen had to announce each
hour as it struck, and to give the news of the weather; thus: '_Past one
o'clock and a windy morning!_' Once, when many Londoners were expecting
an earthquake, which had been prophesied for that day, some jesters,
returning from a noisy tavern-meeting, frightened the householders by
calling out, as they passed along the streets, 'Past twelve o'clock, and
a fine earthquake!'

It is needless to say that robbery and ill-doings of all kinds were of
nightly occurrence, and no decent person was in the streets of the City
after dusk except by necessity, for neither life nor property was safe
from the ruffians who then roamed about.

So things went on until the time came when Mr. John Sewell, a
bookseller, was appointed Constable for the Ward of Cornhill. He was a
very energetic man, who had long been ashamed of the state of the City
streets, and he determined, now that he was in office, to try and
introduce some reforms. The first thing he decided upon was to serve as
constable in person, instead of providing substitutes, which had been
always done by former Head Cons