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Show ORIGIN OF THE TRIO OF GOLDEN BALLS. Lombard street took its name from the Lombard merchants who, coming from the four Italian republics of Genoa, Ge-noa, Lucca, Florence and Venice, settled set-tled in London In the reign of Edward Ed-ward L ' They were the great money-changers and money-lenders of early times. The English Kings being often in great straits for money to carry on foreign wars and for other purposes, they appealed ap-pealed to thd Lombard merchants for advances, granting them exclusive privileges In return. Their extortions became so great that. In the reign of Queen Elisabeth, steps were taken to oblige them, to leave the country. They are chiefly remembered by their armorial armo-rial bearings of three golden balls, now the distinguishing mark of the useful pawnbroker, the humble descendant of the proud Lombard money-lenders. |