twelve feet thick. It took the
Londoners about 160 years. In the year 1760 they finally removed the
gates. Most of the Wall was gone by this time but large fragments
remained here and there. You may still see a considerable piece, part of
a bastion in the churchyard of St. Giles, and the vestry of All Hallows
on the Wall is built upon a bastion. In Camomile Street and in other
places portions of the Wall have been discovered where excavations have
been made: and, of course, the foundation of the Wall exists still, from
end to end.

12. NORMAN LONDON.

When William the Conqueror received the submission of the City he gave
the citizens a Charter--their first Charter--of freedom. There can be no
doubt that the Charter was the price demanded by the citizens and
willingly paid by the Conqueror in return for their submission. The
following is the document. Short as it is, the whole future of the City
is founded upon these few words:--

'William King greets William Bishop and Gosfrith Portreeve and all the
burghers within London, French and English, friendly.

'I do you to wit that I will that ye be all law worthy that were in King
Edward's day, and I will that every child be his father's heir after his
father's day: and I will not endure that any man offer any wrong to you.

'God keep you.'

The ancient Charter itself is preserved at Guildhall. Many copies of it
and translations of it were made from time to time. Let us see what it
means.

The citizens were to be 'law worthy' as they had been in the days of
King Edward. This meant that they were to be free men in the courts of
justice, with the right to be tried by their equals, that is, by jury.
'All who were law worthy in King Edward's day.' Serfs were not law
worthy, for instance. That the children should inherit their father's
property was, as much as the preceding clause, great security to the
freedom of the City, for it protected the people from any feudal claims
that might arise. Next, observe that there was never any Earl of London:
the City had no Lord but the King: it never would endure any Lord but
the King. An attempt was made, but only one, and that was followed by
the downfall of the Queen--Matilda--who tried it. Feudal customs arose
and flourished and died, but they were unknown in this free city.

But the City with its strong walls, its great multitude of people, and
its resources, might prove so independent as to lock out the King.
William