Oldal 116 [116]
94 THE CITY GOVERNMENT
and historians well acguainted
with the subject, in which Roman
London plays a part so important
that it would seem to have
crammed an immense Civic ex¬
perience into those fifty years of
doubt, disorder, and warfare.
Two considerations, however,
need only be stated here in ex¬
cuse for those who do not believe
that Roman institutions of any
kind survived till the time of
Alfred. One of these consists 1n
the fact that, so far as. we are
acquainted with Roman municipal
officers, not a single office exists in
London which answers to one of them.
And the second consideration is even
more weighty. We have no difficulty
whatever in tracing back the civic
offices to their origin, and we find that
origin in the ordinary organisation of
any English shire. The burden of
proof therefore rests on those who put
forward the Roman view, which, fasci¬
He nating as it is, is wanting in a single
Bin
CLOTHWOKKERS' HALL, MINCING LANE,
SHOWING ARMS OVER DOORWAY