the area under it was paved with Purbeck stone, at the expence of Sir Stafford Fairborne, in 1706: adjoining to the back part of the area is the gaol of this city, an inconvenient and noisome dungeon. The entrance into the hall is by a spacious staircase, the ceiling of which is curiously ornamented; as is the ceiling of the hall, with trophies of war, fruits and flowers. At the upper end of the hall are full-length portraits of king William III. and queen Anne, by Kneller. Against the upper end of the front wall is the portrait of Sir Cloudesly Shovel. Sir John Jennings and Sir Thomas Colby are ranged on the same side. At the lower end of the hall are the portraits of those two eminent benefactors to this city, Sir Joseph Williamson and Mr. Watts. Sir John Lake is the first portrait within the back wall; Sir Thomas Palmer and Sir Stafford Fairborne are placed in the some line, all executed by the most eminent masters. All public business respecting the government of the city is transacted in this hall, and here also the judges have frequently held the assizes for the county of Kent. The clock-house was built at the expence of Sir Cloudesly Shovel, in 1686, who also gave the clock; and, by a deed of gift, confirmed the same to the mayor and citizens for ever. The original dial being much decayed, it was taken down in 1771, and the mayor and citizens caused the present elegant dial to be erected; they also added the minute hand to the clock, and a large bell: over the dial are the arms of Sir Cloudesly Shovel.

At the bottom of Cheldegate Lane, opposite the College gate, is a large and commodious brick building for the reception of the poor of St. Nicholas parish. It was erected in 1724; towards the building of it, Sir Thomas Palmer and Sir John Jennings gave 500l. Such of the poor as are able are employed in spinning worsted and yarn.

In the High Street, near the pump, antiently stood the corn cross, where was held the corn market, long disused. On the left, is the Custom House; adjoining to which is the house appointed for the reception of six poor travellers. The design of this charity may be seen from the following inscription

2

inscription placed over the door:-" Richard Watts, Esq. by his will dated 22d of August, 1579, founded this charity for six poor travellers; who, not being rogues or proctors, may receive gratis, for one night, lodging, entertainment, and four-pence each. In testimony of his munificence, in honour of his memory, and inducement to his example, Nathaniel Hood, Esq. the present mayor, has caused this stone gratefully to be renewed and inscribed, A. D. 1771."*

For the support of this charity, Mr. Watts left an etate, valued at that time at no more than 361. per year, but now producing an income of 500l. per annum. He ordered, by his will, that what surplus remained, after defraying the expences of this house for travellers, should be given to the

* That this liberal patron of the poor should except rogues from a participation of his charity, is not matter of surprize; for it ill becomes the friend of integrity to countenance or encourage the man of known dishonesty and injustice. But that proctors should also be excluded, in so express a manner, carries with it an inuendo, that he had no better opinion of that profession than he had of those whom he has stigmatized by the appellation of rogues. At this distance of time, it is difficult to account for the exception here mentioned. Popular tradition assigns a cause, which carries with it some plausible appearance of truth-That Mr. Watts had employed a proctor to make his will, in which he had given and bequeathed to himself no inconsiderable part of the effects of his client; who, recovering beyond all expectation, detected the fraud, and ever after conceived an aversion to that order. However it is most probable that the testator, when dictating this clause in his will, had not in his thoughts the practitioners in our ecclesiastical courts, the term proctors not being exclusively applicable to them. And in Strype's Annals of the Reformation there is a passage which will strongly induce us to believe that Mr. Watts meant those who collected money under begging briefs, and were in general a debauched set of vagrants and receivers of stolen goods: "If some like course (viz. committing to a house of cor rection) might be taken with the wandering people, they would easily be brought to their places of abode. Being abroad, they all in general are receivers of all stolen things that are portable: as namely, the tinker in his budget, the pedlar in his hamper, the glassman in his basket, and the lewd proctors, which carry the broad seal and green seal in their bags, cover infinite numbers of felonies; in such sort that the tenth felony cometh not to light. For he hath his receiver at hand in every alehouse, in every bush. And these last rabble are very nurseries of rogues."

poor

poor of Rochester; in consequence of which it is paid to the overseers and churchwardens of the parishes of St. Nicholas, St. Margaret, and Stroud, in such proportions as were decreed by the court of chancery.

On the same side of the street is the Free School, founded by Sir Joseph Williamson, secretary of state in the reign of Charles II. and a representative of this city in four parliaments during the reign of William III.

The east gate stood at this end of the High Street, and might be a structure as large and commodious as it was strong; for, by the charter of Edward IV. a licence was given to the mayor and citizens to build upon it, for the use and profit of the city, new houses, as well of stones as wood. A part of it was remaining till the late crection of the houses opposite the free-school. The tide scems occasionally to have flowed across this street, there being, about the year 1529, a legacy bequeathed towards the repair of a bridge of wood in Eastgate. At the bottom of this street a new road that leads to Canterbury opens to view. On this road the traveller will be entertained with an agreeable view of the Medway, the ordnance office, the dock yard, the guardships, and the ships in ordinary, lying from the bridge at Rochester to Gillingham Fort. The country adjacent serves also to enrich a prospect that the most luxuriant imagination cannot contemplate without pleasure. The road was made in the year 1769, in forming which, the workmen were obliged to cut throngh high hills, and fill up deep valleys. When the scheme was proposed for paving Rochester and Stroud, according to the present mode, the inhabitants of Chatham were invited to accede to the proposal, and join in a petition to parliament for paving the three towns. The offer was rejected, which occasioned the new road to be made behind Chatham *.

At

* Mr. Brayley has informed us, that "before the act was applied for, the inhabitants of Chatham (as well as those of Stroud, who accepted the invitation) were repeatedly invited to join in the petition to parliament but the intrigues of an attorney, who had been made a principal in the

business,

At a small distance from the entrance on the new road is St. Catharine's Hospital, founded by Simon Poten, master of the Crown Inn, in 1316, for the support of leprous or other diseased persons. It is now the habitation of twelve poor widows, who have separate rooms to dwell in, are found in coals, candles, and receive each about 50s. per

annum.

Since the year 1769 various improvements have taken place in this city, particularly the large suburb denominated TROY TOWN, in the road to Maidstone.

According to the Population act, it appears that in the year 1800, the number of inhabitants in Rochester was six thousand eight hundred and seventeen; the number. of houses one thousand one hundred and fifty. Through this city passes the road to France, and other parts of the Continent, on which account, in times of peace, Rochester is filled with travellers, and has numerous inns, &c. for their accommodation, which are spacious and convenient. The inhabitants are mostly engaged in trade, or maritime concerns; and on the Medway, near the bridge, is a commodious wharf or quay.

Betwixt Rochester and Chatham is St. Margaret's Bank, on which is a row of houses, that command the river, and are pleasantly situated. The road to Chatham runs under it. At the entrance into Chatham is the king's victualling office, a place of great neatness and conveniency. From which his majesty's ships at Chatham and Sheerness are supplied with provisions. Not far from hence, on the right hand, is a small chapel, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, which belonged to an hospital, that was instituted for the

business, occasioned them to refuse compliance. Through this circumstance, the act was granted to Rochester and Stroud only; and though the people of Chatham, discovering the folly of their conduct, obtained a separate act, for paving, &c. their own town, within three years afterwards, the mischief was then done; for the new road made by the inhabitants of Rochester, being far more commodious than that which went through Chatham, occasioned all the transit and road trade to be carried to the former city."-Beauties of England.

VOL. V. No. 110.

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reception

reception of poor and leprous persons. The estates of this community, since the year 1627, have been invested in the deans of Rochester as governors and patrons of the hospital, and the brethren of the same. There were formerly only three brethren, one of whom was always a clergyman, and officiated as the chaplain; but at present, the society consists of four, two of which are in orders. The chapel is now used as a chapel of ease to Chatham church, which is too small for the parishioners, who are very numerous.

On the opposite side of the street, is an hospital, founded by fir John Hawkins, for poor decayed mariners and shipwrights. The building appropriated for their reception was finished in 1592, and queen Elizabeth, at the founder's request, granted a charter of incorporation to this charity, by the name of "The Governors of the Hospital of Sir John Hawkins, knt. at Chatham." Ten pensioners are maintained here at an allowance of 3s. 6d. per week, and a chaldron of coals yearly. No person is eligible, who has not been maimed or disabled in the service of the navy, or otherwise brought to poverty. Over the gate, on the outside, is this inscription :

"The poor you shall always have with you: to whom ye may do good yf ye wyl."

CHATHAM,

a large, populous, but ill-built town, adjoins the east side of Rochester, extending along the banks of the Medway, and up the hill. In the Textus Roffensis, and in the Domesday Book, it is called Cettham and Ceteham, and is described as having a church, and six fisheries value twelve-pence. It had belonged to earl Godwyn, and afterwards to his son Harold II. William I. granted it to bishop Odo; but on his disgrace, the king bestowed it, with the manor of Leeds, in this county, to Hamon de Crevecœur, or de crepito corde, a Norman knight, the founder of the potent and illustrious family of the same name, who frequently styled themselves Domini de Cetham, and made this the head of their barony, and principal residence, till

the