The survey of London: contayning the orignall, increase, moderne estate, and government of that city, methodically set downe / With a memoriall of those famouser acts of charity, which for publike and pious uses have beene bestowed by many worshipfull citizens and benefactors. Begunne first by the paines and industry of Iohn Stovv, in the yeere 1598. Afterwards inlarged by the care and diligence of A[nthony] M[unday] in the yeere 1618. And now completely finished by the study and labour of A. M., H[enry] D[yson] and others. This present yeere 1633. Whereunto, besides many additions (as appeares by the contents) are annexed divers alphabeticall tables.

John Stow

Date:: 1633

Credit: The survey of London: contayning the orignall, increase, moderne estate, and government of that city, methodically set downe / With a memoriall of those famouser acts of charity, which for publike and pious uses have beene bestowed by many worshipfull citizens and benefactors. Begunne first by the paines and industry of Iohn Stovv, in the yeere 1598. Afterwards inlarged by the care and diligence of A[nthony] M[unday] in the yeere 1618. And now completely finished by the study and labour of A. M., H[enry] D[yson] and others. This present yeere 1633. Whereunto, besides many additions (as appeares by the contents) are annexed divers alphabeticall tables. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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T~he ^verof Thames. The legth of the Thames fa o the head lo the tall into the Sea. An hono¬ rable affir¬ mation of ■ the River oil hmet. band; the firfl: water that it then mee. teth withal], is the Brome on Kent fide, weft of Greenwich^ whole head is Bromis in Bromley Parilli, and going thence to Lewfbam, itiakcthma. water from the Eaft,andfodircdeth its courfe forth* right unto the Thames. The next water that it meeteth with- all, is on Ejjex fide,almoft againft wol- mch^ and that is the Lee or Luie. And being paft that, the Darwent alfo mce- teth with our Thames o^Kent fide, two miles and more beneath it rifing' at Tanridge. The next River that fal, leth into the Thames^ is Weft oftherr^- nie IIes,a Rill of no great fame, neither long courfe: for, rifing about Coring- ham^ it runneth not many miles Eaft, and by South, till it fals into the mouth of this Rivcr,wliich I doe now deferibe. Laft ofall wecome to the Medmy, a- notable River, in mine opinion, watCi ting ail the South, and Southweft parts of Kent^ in whofe defeription we cannot (at this time) proceed any further. Having (in this manner) briefely roLiched this Noble River, and fuch Brookes as fall into the fame: I will iil- ferc a word or two,concerning the com*, modities of the faid River, which I will performe with fo much brevity as is poffiblcj hereby alfo finding out her whole trad and courfe from the head, to the fail thereof into the Sea.It appea- reth evidently, that the length thereof is (at the leaft) an hundred and eighty miles, if it be meafured by the journies of the Land. And as it is in courfe, the longeft of the three famous Rivers of this lie: fo is it nothing inferiour to them, in abundance of all kind of Fifh, whcrcofitishard to fay, which of the three have either moft plenty, or grea- teft variety, if the circumftances be du¬ ly weighed. What fome other write, concerning the Rivers of their Conntries,it skilleth not, neither will I (as divers doe)invent ftrange things of this Noble ftreame, therewith to nobilitate, and make it more honourable: But this will I in plaine termes alfirme^ That it neither ivvallowcth up baftards of the Celtijh Brood, nor cafteth up the right-begot. ten, that are throwne in,(without hurt) into their Mothers lappe: as Polhian fable th of the EpiJlolaru?nlib, 8. Epift, 6, nor yeeldeth clots of gold, as the doth: bat an infinite plenty of excellent, fwecc and pleafant Fifh, wherwith fuch as inhabit neere to her banks, are fed and fully nouriftied. What fhould I fpeake of the fat and fweet Salmons, dayly taken in this ftreame,and chat in fuch plenty, (after the time of the Smelt is paft) as no Ri¬ ver in Europe is able to exceed it ? But what ftore alfb of Barbels,T rowcs,Che- vins, Pearches, Smelts, Breames, Ro¬ ches, Daces, Gudgeons^ Flounders, Scrimps, Eeles, &c. are commonly to be had therein, I refer me to them that know by experience better than I, by reafonoftheir daily trade of fiihing in the fame. And albeit it fecmech from time to time, to be (as it wcrc)4efrau- ded in fundry wife, of thefe her large commodities, by the infatiablc avarice ofFifhermen: yet this famous River complaineth commonly of no want, but the more it lofeth at one time, the more it yeeldeth at another. Onely in Carpes irfeemethtobe fcant, fith (not long (ince) that kindeof Fifh was brought o- ver into England^ and but of late (to fpeake of) into this ftreame, by the vi¬ olent rage of Land-floods, that breakd open the heads and dammes of divers Gentlemens Ponds, by which mcanes it became fbmewhat partaker alfo of this raid commodity, whereof (before) It had no portion that I could ever heare. Oh that this worthy River might bee fpared but one ycere from Nets,&c.feut alas,thcn (hould many a peore man be undone. In the meanc time it is lamea, table to fee, how it is and hath bcene choked of late, with fands and fheivcs, by the penning and wrefting of the courfe of the water for commodities fake. But as this is an inconvcniency eafily remedied, if good order were ta¬ ken for the redreffe thereof: fo now, the fine or pay fet upon the Ballaft, fome- times freely given to the Merchants by Parenc,even to the Lands end, (lufjues aupeinEl)willhQ another caiife of harme to this noble ftreame: and all through an advantage taken at the want of an (/) in the word ponB : which grew through an errour committed by an Englijh Telitian m lib S.Epifl. The greai plcHty of fat&fwcct Salmons takenia theThawei daily. The fpoile andhavok of cove¬ tous Fi- ihermen. Carps a Fiih late brought into fug. land, and later into thcTbamcb 'fheRlTcr choaked up with fands and ihelves in many pla^ ces, a mat¬ ter much pitttied, and re<]ui- riflg rc- dreffic^

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