shall preach at the Sanctuarie, Spittle, on Mondaie in Easter Weeke, and
so it is, that Englishmen, both merchants and others, are undowne, for
strangers have more liberty in this land than Englishmen, which is
against all reason, and also against the commonweal of the realm. I
beseech you, therefore, to declare this in your sermon, and in soe doing
you shall deserve great thanks of my Lord Maior and of all his
brethren;' and herewith he offered unto the said Doctor Standish a bill
containing this matter more at large.... Dr. Standish refused to have
anything to do with the matter, and John Lincolne went to Dr. Bell, a
chanon of the same Spittle, that was appointed likewise to preach upon
the Tuesday in Easter Weeke, whome he perswaded to read his said bill in
the pulpit."

This bill complained vehemently of the poverty of London artificers, who
were starving, while the foreigners swarmed everywhere; also that the
English merchants were impoverished by foreigners, who imported all
silks, cloth of gold, wine, and iron, so that people scarcely cared even
to buy of an Englishman. Moreover, the writer declared that foreigners
had grown so numerous that, on a Sunday in the previous Lent, he had
seen 600 strangers shooting together at the popinjay. He also insisted
on the fact of the foreigners banding in fraternities, and clubbing
together so large a fund, that they could overpower even the City of
London.

Lincoln having won over Dr. Bell to read the complaint, went round and
told every one he knew that shortly they would have news; and excited
the 'prentices and artificers to expect some speedy rising against the
foreign merchants and workmen. In due time the sermon was preached, and
Dr. Bell drew a strong picture of the riches and indolence of the
foreigners, and the struggling and poverty of English craftsmen.

The train was ready, and on such occasions the devil is never far away
with the spark. The Sunday after the sermon, Francis de Bard, the
aforesaid Lombard, and other foreign merchants, happened to be in the
King's Gallery at Greenwich Palace, and were laughing and boasting over
Bard's intrigue with the citizen's wife. Sir Thomas Palmer, to whom they
spoke, said, "Sirs, you have too much favour in England;" and one
William Bolt, a merchant, added, "Well, you Lombards, you rejoice now;
but, by the masse, we will one day have a fling at you, come when it
will." And that saying the other merchants affirmed. This tal