anxious interest. Pritchard,
himself a Merchant Taylor, was known to be of the same political mind as
the out-going mayor, and it was the common belief at the time that if the
majority of votes should prove to be in favour of Gold or Cornish, who
were of the Whig party, the king would interpose and continue Sir John
Moore in office for another year.(1523) His majesty had recently been
amusing himself at Newmarket, but he had been kept posted up in city news,
and immediately after his return to Whitehall was waited on by the mayor
and aldermen (22 Oct.) and informed of the state of affairs. The result of
the scrutiny, according to the paper submitted to the Court of Aldermen,
was still in favour of Gold and Cornish, but according to the return made
by the mayor(1524) (25 Oct.) Pritchard was placed at the head of the poll
with 2,138 votes, as against 2,124 for Gold, 2,093 for Cornish and 236 for
Tulse. The first two named were therefore presented to the Court of
Aldermen for them to choose one to be mayor according to custom, and their
choice falling upon Pritchard he was declared elected, and on the
following feast of SS. Simon and Jude (28 Oct.) was admitted and sworn.

(M779)

A motion was afterwards made (24 Nov.) for a _mandamus_ directing the
mayor and aldermen to swear Gold or Cornish as duly elected mayor of
London, but nothing came of it.(1525)

(M780)

The time was thought opportune by the Duke of York for prosecuting his
action for slander against Pilkington commenced in June last. The words
complained of, and for which the duke claimed damages to the extent of
L50,000, were declared on the oath of two aldermen--Sir Henry Tulse and Sir
William Hooker--to have been spoken by him at a Court of Aldermen at a time
when that body was about to visit the duke to congratulate him upon his
return from Scotland, and were to the effect that the duke had burnt the
city and was then coming to cut their throats. That the words, if spoken--a
question open to much doubt--were scandalous to a degree cannot be denied,
but the claim for damages was none the less vindictive. Instead of laying
his action in London the duke caused his action to be tried by a jury of
the county of Hertford (24 Nov.). Pilkington made very little defence (he
probably thought it useless), and the jury awarded the duke the full
amount of damages claimed. The ex-sheriff was of course ruined; he
surrendered himself into custody(1526) and gave up his ald