chapter of his church of Bethelem into bodily possession: I have indented and given to his possession all the foresaid lands, which possession hee hath received, and entred in forme aforesaid; and in token of subjection and reverence, the said place in London without Bishopsgate shall pay yearly in the said citie a marke sterling at Easter to the bishop of Bethelem, his successors, or his messengers, in the forme of a pension. And if the faculties or goods of the said place (our Lord granting) happen to grow more, the said place shall pay more in the name of pension at the said terme to the mother church of Bethelein.

"This (forsooth) gift and confirmation of my deed, and the putting to of my seale for mee and mine heires, I have steadfastly made strong, the yeere of our Lord God a thousand two hundred forty-seven, the Wednesday after the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist these being witnesses, Peter the sonne of Allen then maior of London, Nicholas Bet then sheriffe of the said citie, and alderman of the said ward, Ralph Sparling, Godfrey of Campes, Simon Comicent, Simon Ronner, Rob of Woodford, Thomas of Woodford, Walter of Woodford, Walter Pointell, &c. &c.”

This priory having been suppressed, in common with all other religious houses, in the reign of Henry VIII., was purchased from the crown by the mayor and commonalty of London in 1546, and converted into a Lunatic Asylum, the friends of the patients paying a weekly sum for their support. At a court of aldermen held 7th April 5th Edward VI. it was ordered, "That the inhabitants within the precincts of Bethlehem should be from thenceforward united to the parish of St. Botolph without Bishopsgate, and to be allotted and charged to all offices and charges, tythes and clerks' wages excepted. In consideration whereof, the parson of the said parish was to receive yearly 20s. and the clerk 6s. 8d. out of the chamber of London.

The priory enclosed all the estate and ground in length from Bishopsgate-street east, to the great ditch in the west, which was called the deep ditch, dividing the said lands from Moorfields, and in breadth to the land of Ralph Downing, viz. Downing's alley on the north, and to the land of the church of St. Botolph in the south.

On the dissolution of the priory the site and lands were disposed of to the citizens, and were immediately leased out to tenants, and entirely built upon, except about an acre at the north-east extremity of Lower Moorfields, known by the modern appellation of Broker Row, from the brokers' shops there, which was the situa tion of the deep ditch before alluded to.

In 1568, sir Thomas Rowe, merchant taylor, and lord-mayor of London, caused this ground to be enclosed with a brick wall, to be a common burial ground, at a low rate, to such parishes in London as wanted convenient burial places: he gave it the name of the New Church Yard near Bethelem, and established a sermon to be preached there on Whitsunday annually, which for many years was honoured with the presence of the lord mayor and alderman, but this custom has long been discontinued, and the burial ground shut up.

The houses in Petty France, so called on account of the refugees there, becoming ruinous, were pulled down, and New Broad Street erected on the site.

"Next unto the parish church of St. Buttolph was a faire inne for the receipt of travellours;" this was upon the site of the present White Hart Tavern, but although that building is very ancient and bears the date of 1480, yet Mr. Pennant states, that none of the original building was left, and adds, "I believe that there are but very few houses in London remaining, older than the time of queen Elizabeth or James I." It is no wonder we have so few till about the year 1200 there were very few stone houses, and none tiled or slated; they were built with wood and thatched with straw or reeds. In the year 1189, Richard I. ordered that they should be built with stone to a certain height, and that they should be covered with slate or burnt tile. This order was repeated, but it was long before it was obeyed.

Farther northward of the church, near Half-Moon Alley, is the LONDON WORKHOUSE, a large and convenient structure for the reception, employment, and relief of the indigent and helpless, and the punishing vagrant and disorderly persons within the city and liberties of London. In 1662 an act of parliament was passed, by which the governors, consisting of the lord-mayor, aldermen,

Y

and fifty-two citizen's chosen by the common-council, were constituted a body corporate, with a common seal. The lord-mayor for the time being was appointed president of the corporation, which was allowed to purchase lands and tenements to the annual value of £300.; and the common council were empowered to rate the several wards, precincts, and parishes of the city for its support.

The several parishes, besides their assessments, formerly paid one shilling per week for each child they had in the workhouse; but in the year 1751, the governors came to a resolution that no more children paid for by the parishes to which they belonged, should be taken into the house; and since that time it has been resolved, that only such children should be taken in as are committed by the city magistrates, found begging in the streets, pilfering on the quays, or lying about in uninhabited places.

The children are dressed in russet cloth, with a round badge apon their breasts, representing a poor boy and a sheep, with this motto, "God's providence is our inheritance." The boys are taught to read and write, and the principal part of their time is spent in weaving, &c., the girls are employed in sewing, spinning, and other labour, by which they are qualified for service. When at a proper age, the boys are bound apprentices to trades, or sent to sea, and the girls are placed out in reputable families.

When assistance is required for the expenses attending the workhouse, the governors apply to the court of commoncouncil, who, on each application, order the sum of £2000. to be paid by a proportionate assessment on the respective parishes in the city.

When the city gates were pulled down in 1761, the debtors in Ludgate, citizens of London, were removed to a part of this house, in apartments allotted for that purpose; and here, within these few years they remained, till removed to Giltspur Street compter.

A little lower down the street, on the west side, is No. 169, a very old house, once the residence of sir Paul Pindar, an eminent merchant. It is now a public house, called

"This great and wealthy merchant was early distinguished by that frequent cause of promotion, the knowledge of languages. He was placed apprentice with an Italian master, travelled much, and was appointed ambassador to the grand seignior by James I. in which office he gained great credit by extending the English commerce in the Turkish dominions. He brought over with him a diamond valued at £30,000.; the king wished to buy it on credit: this the sensible merchant declined, but favoured his majesty with the loan on gala days: his unfortunate son became the purchaser. Sir Paul was appointed farmer of the customs by James, and frequently supplied that monarch's wants, as well as those of his

successor. He was esteemed worth £236,000. exclusive of bad debts, in the year 1639. His charities were very great : he expended nineteen thousand pounds in the repairs of St. Paul's cathedral. He was ruined by his connection with this unfortunate monarch, and if I remember rightly, underwent imprisonment for debt. It is said that Charles owed him and the rest of the old commissioners of the customs £300,000.; for the security of which, in 1643, they offered the parliament £100,000. but the proposal was rejected. He died August 22, 1650, aged 84. He left his affairs in such a perplexed state, that his executor, William Toomes, unable to bear the disappointment, destroyed himself, and most deservedly underwent the ignominy of the now almost obsolete verdict of felo-de-se.*

The worthy knight was greatly reputed during his life, and was a sterling friend to the poor of the parish, to whom he from time to time gave liberal benefactions, as appears by the registers of St. Botolph's parish.

The faithful delineation of this antique house above given, excludes the necessity of any description from our pen.

Formerly the city liberties ended at Hog Lane, in Norton Folgate.

In this lane, and the fields adjoining, hogs were allowed to be nourished by the bakers of London, whence its name. "Here," say's Stow," are fair hedge rows of elm-trees on each side, with bridges and easy styles to pass over into the pleasant fields, very commodious for citizens therein to shoot, walk, and otherwise to recreate and refresh their dulled spirits in the sweet and wholesome air; which is now, within a few years, made a continual building throughout of gardens, houses, and small cottages, and the fields on either side are turned into garden plats, timber-yards, bowling allies, and such-like, from Houndsditch in the west, so far as Whitechapel, and farther in the east." This verdant, and then agreeable and salubrious spot, doubtless where the care-worn citizen would retire for the enjoyment of rurality and quiet, is now covered by the equally celebrated, but not so inviting, the fragrantsmelling, pure, and delightful Petticoat Lane, with its dirty and

* Pennant.