rved her as
well as he had done her brother Edward, and Queen Mary, her sister, she
would give him as much land as ever they both had. This gracious promise
Gresham reminded the Queen of years after, when he had to complain to
his friend Cecil that the Marquis of Winchester had tried to injure him
with the Queen.

Gresham soon resumed his visits to Flanders, to procure money, and send
over powder, armour, and weapons. He was present at the funeral of
Charles V., seems to have foreseen the coming troubles in the Low
Countries, and commented on the rash courage of Count Egmont.

The death of Gresham's only son Richard, in the year 1564, was the
cause, Mr. Burgon thinks, of Gresham's determining to devote his money
to the benefit of his fellow-citizens. Lombard Street had long become
too small for the business of London. Men of business were exposed there
to all weathers, and had to crowd into small shops, or jostle under the
pent-houses. As early as 1534 or 1535 the citizens had deliberated in
common council on the necessity of a new place of resort, and Leadenhall
Street had been proposed. In the year 1565 certain houses in Cornhill,
in the ward of Broad Street, and three alleys--Swan Alley, Cornhill; New
Alley, Cornhill, near St. Bartholomew's Lane; and St. Christopher's
Alley, comprising in all fourscore householders--were purchased for
L3,737 6s. 6d., and the materials sold for L478. The amount was
subscribed for in small sums by about 750 citizens, the Ironmongers'
Company giving L75. The first brick was laid by Sir Thomas, June 7,
1566. A Flemish architect superintended the sawing of the timber, at
Gresham's estate at Ringshall, near Ipswich, and on Battisford Tye
(common) traces of the old sawpits can still be seen. The slates were
bought at Dort, the wainscoting and glass at Amsterdam, and other
materials in Flanders. The building, pushed on too fast for final
solidity, was slated in by November, 1567, and shortly after finished.
The Bourse, when erected, was thought to resemble that of Antwerp, but
there is also reason to believe that Gresham's architect closely
followed the Bourse of Venice.

The new Bourse, Flemish in character, was a long four-storeyed building,
with a high double balcony. A bell-tower, crowned by a huge grasshopper,
stood on one side of the chief entrance. The bell in this tower summoned
merchants to the spot at twelve o'clock at noon and six o'clock in the
evening. A lofty Corinthian colu