heroes thus formed a powerful coalition, which was only overcome at last
by the onset of numbers. The scene altogether was of a most scandalous,
if comical, description. It was some time past midnight when Mr.
Marriot, the armourer, arrived at Guildhall, and at length succeeded in
releasing the two half-dead warriors from their coats of mail.

After all, these famous suits of armour never returned to the wardrobe
of the Surrey Theatre, or gleamed upon its stage. From Guildhall they
were taken to Mr. Marriott's workshop. This, with all its contents, was
accidentally consumed by fire. But the armourer's trade had taught him
chivalry. At his own expense, although he had lost some three thousand
pounds by the fire, he provided Elliston with new suits of armour in
lieu of those that had been destroyed. To his outlay the Lord Mayor and
the City authorities contributed--nothing! although but for the
procession of the 9th of November the armour had never been in peril.

The most splendid sight that ever glorified mediaeval Cheapside was the
Midsummer Marching Watch, a grand City display, the description of which
makes even the brown pages of old Stow glow with light and colour,
seeming to rouse in the old London chronicler recollections of his
youth.

[Illustration: THE DEMOLITION OF CHEAPSIDE CROSS. _From an old Print._
(_See page 334._)]

"Besides the standing watches," says Stow, "all in bright harness, in
every ward and street in the City and suburbs, there was also a Marching
Watch, that passed through the principal streets thereof; to wit, from
the Little Conduit, by Paul's Gate, through West Cheap by the _Stocks_,
through Cornhill, by Leaden Hall, to Aldgate; then back down Fenchurch
Street, by Grasse Church, about Grasse Church Conduit, and up Grasse
Church Street into Cornhill, and through into West Cheap again, and so
broke up. The whole way ordered for this Marching Watch extended to
3,200 taylors' yards of assize. For the furniture whereof, with lights,
there were appointed 700 cressets, 500 of them being found by the
Companies, the other 200 by the Chamber of London. Besides the which
lights, every constable in London, in number more than 240, had his
cresset; the charge of every cresset was in light two shillings four
pence; and every cresset had two men, one to bear or hold it, another to
bear a bag with light, and to serve it; so that the poor men pertaining
to the cressets taking wages, besides that every on