Part 15

Christ and the two disciples at Emaus, by Elsheimer. The story is finely told, and there is great expression in the figures: this picture is a curiosity, not only from the great scarceness of the works of this master, but there are in it two different candle lights, and a moon light, which have an uncommon, and yet pleasing effect.

The Virgin supporting a dead Christ, by Lubin Baugin, called in France, Le Petit Guide, from his happy manner of imitating the stile of that great master, of which this little picture, among others, is a proof: this was out of the Duke de Tallard’s collection.

A sea monster swimming away with a woman, by Albert Durer, who has engraved a print of the same subject: this is extremely well preserved, and there is a much better keeping observed in it than is usual in pictures of that age.

A camelion with a thistle and flies, most exquisitely painted after the life, by Van Aelst.

A group of various flowers with insects in a glass of water, by a master who has mark’d the picture with [Albrecht Durer’s mark] This in point of finishing, is perhaps carried as high as art, colours, and the finest pointed pencils can possibly arrive.

A man sitting smoaking, and other back figures, by David Teniers. This is in his finest stile, both for colouring and expression.

Two men with a little dog going to enter a cottage; a smaller picture by the same master. Mr. Major has engraved a print from this, and call’d it the Friendly Invitation.

There are other smaller pictures, good in their kind, such as the Virgin and Child, by Rottenhammer, highly finished and coloured.

The same subject, the school of Caracci, if not of him.

The Virgin and Child with a bird, and a little St. John, by Sebastian Bourdon, richer coloured than common of this master.

A holy family and St. Catherine, by Schidoni.

An angel drawing an arrow from the side of St. Sebastian, finely coloured by Gerrard Seghers.

Alpheus and Arethusa, Glaucus and Scylla, by Filippo Lauri, in his best manner.

A ship on fire, by Vandevelde: the effect surprizingly fine.

A landskip, by Wynants, highly finish’d, &c.

The same Gentleman has also a collection of about twelve thousand prints, engraved and etched by the most celebrated masters of the three last centuries, much the greatest part of which are not only in the highest preservation, but also of the finest impressions; and of many of the matters, there are either all, or very near the whole work; they are contained in about 50 large volumes, besides above 60 volumes in sculpture and architecture. The principal part of this collection of prints are engraved and etched by Andrea Mantegna, Marco Antonio Raimondi, Ugo da Carpi, Silvestra and Marco de Ravenna, Julio Bonafoni, Augustino Venetiana, Martinus Rota, Adamo of Mantua, Andrea del Sarto, Parmegiano, Primaticcio, Schidoni, Sisto Badalocchi, Baroccio, Carnillo Procaccino, Michael Angelo Caravaggio, Guercino, Spagnoletto, Paulo Veronese, Palma, Giulio Carpioni, Domenico Canuti, Odoardo Fialetti, Paulo Farinati, Ventura Salembeni, all the Caracci’s, Battista Franco, Guido Rheni, Simone Cantarini, Elisabetta Sirani, Claude Lorrain, Gaspar Poussin, Crescentio, Horizonti, Francesco Bolognese, Paul Brill, Both of Italy, Salvator Rosa, Pietro Testa, Castiglione, Bourgognone, Carlo Maratti, Luca Jordano, Rubens, Vandyck, and others, after him the whole work, Jordaens Rombouts, Cornelius de Wael, Vosterman, Martinus Secu, Albert Durer, Lucas Van Leiden, Hisbin, Geo. Pens, the Visschers, Rembrant near the whole work, Ostade, David Teneirs, Both, Bega, Berchem, Paul Potter, Stoop, Ad. Vandevelde, Bamboccio, Hondius, Fyt, Jean Miele, Molenaer, Hollar, Bloemart, Sebastian Bourdon, Le Brun, La Hyre, Mignard, Della Bella, Callot, Mellan, Spierre, Perelle, Coypel, Pittau, Morin, Edelinck, Masson, Drevet, Nanteuil, and many other excellent masters: also a very considerable collection of original drawings by most of the greatest Italian, and some of the best Flemish and Dutch masters.

BERKLEY _street_, Hyde park road; thus called from its being near the Lord Berkley of Stratton’s mansion house.

BERMEETER’S ALMSHOUSE, in St. John street Bethnal green, was founded by Mr. Bermeeter, for six poor women, and by him endowed with 30_l._ _per annum_.

BERMONDSEY SCHOOL, was founded in the year 1718, by Mr. Josiah Bacon, who bequeatheth the sum of 700_l._ for purchasing land, and erecting a school upon it, which he endowed with 150_l._ a year, for educating sixty poor children of the parish of St. Mary Bermondsey street, called by corruption Barnaby street. See _St._ MARY MAGDALEN’S BERMONDSEY.

The district of Bermondsey appears in William the Conqueror’s survey to have been a royal manor, in which were twenty five husbandmen, and twenty-three cottagers. _Maitland._

BERNARD’S or BARNARD’S INN, situated on the south side of Holborn, near Fetter lane, was anciently called Mackworth’s Inn, and is one of the Inns of Chancery. This Society consists of a Principal and twelve Antients, besides other members, who are obliged to be in commons a fortnight in two terms, and ten days in each of the other two, on the penalty of forfeiting five shillings a week.

BERRY _court_. 1. Liquorpond street.†. 2. Love lane, Wood street, Cheapside.† 3. St. Mary Ax.

BERRY _street_. 1. Piccadilly.† 2. Near St. Mary Ax, Leadenhall street.†

BERWICK _street_, Old Soho.

BETHLEHEM _court_, Old Bethlehem.†

BETHLEM, or BEDLAM HOSPITAL, originally a priory, was founded in the year 1247, by Simon Fitzroy, of London, or according to Stow, Simon Fitz Mary, Sheriff of London, on the east side of the place now called the quarters of Moorfields, and of the burial ground of Old Bethlem. This priory consisted of brothers and sisters, who wore a star upon their copes and mantles, probably in commemoration of the star that guided the wisemen in their visit to our Saviour at his birth; and these monks were to receive the Bishop and the Canons of Bethlehem, whenever they should come to England. But King Henry VIII. giving this house to the city of London, it was converted into an hospital for the cure of lunatics; but not without a certain weekly expence, paid either by their relations or the parish.

This hospital being, however, in an incommodious situation, and becoming both ruinous, and unable to receive and entertain the great number of distracted persons, whose friends sued for their admission, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, granted the Governors a piece of ground along the south side of the lower quarters of Moorfields, upon which the foundation of the present hospital was laid in April 1675, and notwithstanding its being the most magnificent edifice of its kind in Europe, was only fifteen months in erecting, as appears by an inscription on its front.

This noble edifice is 540 feet in length, and 40 feet in breadth, and is finely situated. The middle and ends, which project a little, are adorned with pilasters, entablatures, foliages, and other ornaments, and rising above the rest of the building, have each a flat roof with a handsome balustrade of stone, in the center of which is an elegant turret. That in the middle is adorned with a clock, and three dials, a gilt ball, and a vane on the top.

[Illustration: S. Wale del. B. Green sculp. _Bethlem._]

[Illustration: S. Wale del. B. Green sculp. _London Bridge._]

This building upon the whole shews more the good intentions, than the good taste of the founders of this charity, the style of architecture being very improper for an hospital for madmen. Simplicity and regularity was all that should have been aimed at, and if there was a necessity for pilasters, those of the Tuscan order would have suited the design much better than Corinthian; but without regarding the application, the middle pavilion, which is elegant, should have certainly been larger and more principal. The entrance is grand, and the figures on the piers, one representing raving, and the other melancholy madness, are finely expressed, and do honour to their author Mr. Cibber, father of the late Poet Laureat. Since the first erecting of this edifice, two wings have been added, in order to contain a number of incurables. And before this fabric is a handsome wall 680 feet in length, which, like the structure itself, is built with brick and stone. It incloses a range of gardens neatly adorned with walks of broad stone, grass plats and trees, wherein those of the lunatics who are well enough to be suffered to go about, are allowed to walk there and enjoy the benefit of the fresh air. In the middle of this wall is a large pair of fine iron gates, and by them a small entrance for the admission of those who come out of curiosity to visit this hospital; on each side towards the top of these gates are placed the two statues, in the manner represented in the print.

The expence of erecting this edifice, besides that of building the wings, amounted to near 17,000_l._

The inside chiefly consists of two galleries one over the other, which cross the wings, and are 193 yards long, thirteen feet high, and sixteen feet broad; without including the cells for the patients, which are twelve feet deep. These galleries are divided in the middle by two iron grates, by which means all the men are placed at one end of the house, and all the women at the other, and in each gallery servants lie, to be ready at hand on all occasions. In the middle of the upper gallery is a large spacious room, where the Governors, and, in the lower, where the weekly Committee meet, and the Physician prescribes for the patients; besides, above there are convenient apartments for the steward of the house, the porter, matron, nurse and servants; and below stairs all necessary offices for keeping and dressing the provisions; for washing, and other necessary offices belonging to so large a family; and also a bathing place for the patients, so contrived, as to be an hot or cold bath, as occasion requires.

[Illustration: _S. Wale delin._ _C. Grignion sc._ _Figures on Bethlem Gate_]

There are generally above 200 lunatics maintained in this hospital, each of whom has a small room or cell to himself, where he is locked up on nights, and in this room is a place for a bed; but where the patients are so senseless as not to be fit to make use of one, they are every day provided with fresh clean straw. Those are judged the fittest objects that are raving and furious, and yet capable of cure.

As to the method of admitting them, they are brought on Saturday, when the Committee meets, to be viewed by them and the Physician; and if a person be judged a fit object, a warrant is drawn up for his admission by the clerk of the hospital, to be signed by the President, or, in his absence, by the Treasurer. Those who put in the patient are obliged to give a bond, signed by two persons, to take him away when discharged, or if he dies, to be at the expence of burying him. Their friends, who put them in, are obliged to provide them with cloaths; but there is a wardrobe from whence they are supplied, when neglected by those friends: for though, when raving and furious, they suffer but little from the weather; yet in their intervals, they frequently contract other distempers, care of which is also taken, as well as of their lunacy, whether those distempers be external or internal; and though formerly every patient paid 5_s._ a week, they now not only pay nothing, but after their recovery and leaving the hospital, are furnished with medicines to prevent a relapse. When a patient is cured, he is called before a Committee of the Governors and Physicians, who examine him, and being found fit to be discharged, the Physician gives a certificate to that purpose, and then the steward of the house takes care to have him delivered to his friends.

The hospitals of Bethlem and Bridewell being made one corporation, they have the same President, Treasurer, Governors, Clerk, Physician, Surgeon, and Apothecary; yet each hospital has its proper steward and inferior officers, and a particular committee is chosen out of the Governors for each. Out of that appointed for Bethlem, there are six who meet every Saturday, to examine the steward’s account of expences for the preceding week, and to sign it after it is approved; they also view the provisions, examine the patients that are to be received or discharged, and have the direction of other affairs belonging to this hospital.

BETHNAL GREEN, a village near Mile End, and lately one of the hamlets of Stepney, from which parish it was separated by an act of parliament in the 13th year of his present Majesty’s reign. The old Roman way from London led thro’ this hamlet, and joining the military way from the west, passed with it to Lea Ferry at Old Ford. Within this hamlet, Bonner, Bishop of London, had a palace, and the Trinity House have a hospital for twenty-eight decayed seamen, who have been masters of ships or pilots, or their widows. See TRINITY HOSPITAL.

The church built pursuant to the above act, is placed at the north east corner of Hare street, Spitalfields, and is a neat, commodious edifice, built with brick coped and coined with freestone; and the tower, which is not high, is of the same materials. It is remarkable, that though the village of itself is small, yet as part of Spitalfields anciently belonged to that hamlet, this parish contains 1800 houses, and the parishioners are computed to amount to above 15000.

BETT’S _alley_, Anchor street.†

BETT’S _street_. 1. By Knockfergus.† 2. Ratcliff Highway.†

BEVIS _lane_, Duke’s place.

BEVIS MARKS, St. Mary Ax. Here was once a very large house with several courts and gardens, which belonging to the Abbot of Bury in Suffolk, was called Bury’s Marks, corruptly Bevis Marks. This house being demolished, the ground has many houses built upon it, and among the rest a synagogue of Jews. _Stow._

BEVIS MARKS SCHOOL, was founded in the in the year 1731, by Isaac de Costa Villa Real, a Portuguese Jew, who also endowed it with the annual sum of 80_l._ for cloathing and educating twenty Jew girls of his nation.

BEWLEY’S _rents_, Holiwell court.†

BIGG’S _alley_, Thrall street, Spitalfields.†

BIGG’S or BETT’S _rents_, Rosemary lane, Tower hill.

BILL _alley_, Billiter lane.

BILLET _yard_, Billiter lane.

BILLINGSGATE, a great fish market in Thames street; which is only a large water-gate, port, or harbour, for small vessels, laden with fish, oranges, lemons, Spanish onions, and in summer, with Kentish cherries; here the Gravesend boats wait to take in their fare; and here the woodmongers and coalmen meet at about eight or nine o’clock every morning, this being a kind of exchange for those concerned in the coal trade.

Billingsgate is however most famous for being the greatest fish market in England, and the only port for fish in London, which has occasioned several acts of parliament, to prevent the fishmongers monopolizing that considerable article of food. By these acts it is made lawful for any person to buy fish in that market, and to sell it again in any other market or place in the city of London, or elsewhere, by retail; but no fishmonger, or other person, is to engross or buy more than shall be for his own sale or use, on pain of forfeiting 20_l._ for every such offence, and no fishmonger, or other person, is to expose to sale any fish at Billingsgate by retail that was before bought in the same market.

BILLINGSGATE _dock_, Thames street.

BILLINGSGATE _ward_, is situated on the side of the Thames, and is therefore bounded by that river on the south; as it is on the east by Tower street ward, on the west by Bridge ward, and on the north by Langbourn ward. It contains a part of Thames street, and Little Eastcheap, which lie in the same direction, and those leading from one of those streets to the other, as St. Mary at hill, Love lane, Botolph’s lane, Pudding lane, and on the other side of Little Eastcheap, a considerable part of Rood lane, and Philpot lane. The most remarkable buildings are the churches of St. Mary at hill, St. Margaret Pattens, and St. George, Botolph lane; Butchers hall, and the King’s weigh-house.

This ward is governed by an Alderman, and ten Common Council men, one of whom is Deputy, eleven constables, six scavengers, fourteen wardmote inquestmen, and a beadle.

The jurymen returned by the wardmote inquest, serve as jurors in the courts of Guildhall in the month of May.

BILLITER _lane_, Leadenhall street. It was anciently called Belzeter’s lane, from its first builder and owner, which was at length corrupted to Billiter lane. _Maitland._

BILLITER _square_, Billiter lane.

BILTON’S _alley_, Freeman’s lane, Horselydown.†

BINGLE’S _lane_, Poplar.†

BINHAM’S _yard_, near St. James’s square.†

BIRCHIN _lane_, Cornhill. Stow observes that it was anciently called Birchover’s lane, from Birchover, the first builder and owner, and that this name was corrupted to Birchin lane.

BIRD’S _alley_, Fashion street.†

BIRD’S _court_, Philip lane.†

BIRD’S _street_, 1. Brook’s street.† 2. Green Bank, Wapping.† 3. Orchard street.†

BIRD’S _wharf_, White Friars stairs.†

BIRD’S _yard_, Chick lane, Smithfield.†

BIRD CAGE _alley_. 1. Anchor street.* 2. In the Borough.* 3. St. Margaret’s Hill, Southwark.*

BIRDCATCHERS _alley_, Whitechapel.

BIRD IN HAND _alley_, Cheapside.*

BISHOP’S _court_. 1. Ailsbury street. 2. Brook’s street. 3. Chancery lane, from the Bishop of Chichester’s house near that place. 4. Coleman street. 5. Durham yard in the Strand. 6. Fore street. 7. Gray’s Inn lane. 8. Little Old Bailey. 9. Lothbury. 10. Old Soho. 11. Old street.

BISHOP’S _yard_, Charles street, Grosvenor square.

BISHOPSGATE, is situated 1440 feet north west of Aldgate. Mr. Strype imagines that it was erected by Erkenwald Bishop of London about the year 675, a conjecture founded only on the effigies of two Bishops wherewith this gate was formerly adorned, and from which it might take its name: but it is probable that it was not erected so early, since Mr. Stow could not find it mentioned before the year 1210.

In the reign of King Henry III. the Anseatic company residing in this city, in consideration of several privileges granted them, obliged themselves and their successors, not only to keep this gate in repair, but to defend it, whenever it should be attacked by an enemy: and by this company it was rebuilt in a beautiful manner in the year 1479. On the south side over the gateway, was placed a stone image of a Bishop with a mitre on his head; he had a long beard, eyes sunk, and an old mortified face, and was supposed to present St. Erkenwald. On the north side was another Bishop with a smooth face, reaching out his right hand to bestow his benedictions, and holding a crosier in his left, who is thought to have been the courtly Bishop William the Norman: this last was accompanied by two other figures in stone, supposed to be King Alfred, and his son Eldred Earl of Mercia. The present structure is a plain neat edifice erected in 1735. On the top over the gateway, which is very lofty, is the city arms supported by dragons; and on each side of the gate is a postern for the convenience of foot passengers.

BISHOPSGATE _street_ extends from Cornhill, thro’ the gate, to Norton Falgate, that part between the gate and Cornhill being called Bishopsgate street within, and all without the gate, Bishopsgate street without.

BISHOPSGATE _ward_, which takes its name from the gate, that stands almost in its center, is bounded on the south by Langbourn ward; on the west by Broad street ward; and Moorfields on the east by Aldgate ward, Portsoken ward, and part of the Tower liberty; and on the north by Shoreditch: thus this ward extends from the bars near Spital square, on both sides of the way, (including near half of Houndsditch) as far as the pump at the corner of St. Martin’s Outwich; and winds by the west corner of Leadenhall, down Gracechurch street, to the south west corner of Fenchurch street. The principal places in this ward are, the parish churches of St. Botolph without Bishopsgate, St. Ethelburga’s, and Great St. Helen’s; Leatherfellers hall, Gresham college, and the London Workhouse.

This ward is under the government of an Alderman and two Deputies, one within, and the other without the gate, six Common Council men, thirteen wardmote inquest men, seven constables, seven scavengers, and a beadle. The jurymen returned by the inquest men are to serve in the several courts of Guildhall in the month of December

BISSEL’S _court_, Wapping.†

BIST’S _gardens_, in the Mint, Southwark.†

BITT _alley_, Turnmill street.

BLACK _alley_, Turnmill street.

BLACK AND WHITE _alley_. 1. Old Bailey. 2. Tower hill.

BLACK AND WHITE _court_, Old Bailey.

BLACK BELL _alley_. Petticoat lane.*

BLACK BIRD _alley_. 1. St. John’s street, Spitalfields.* 2. Spicer street.*

BLACK BOY _alley_. 1. Chick lane.* 2. Barnaby street.* 3. Blackman street, Southwark.* 4. Fore street, Lambeth.* 5. In the Minories.* 6. Near Peter’s Hill, Thames street.* 7. Rosemary lane.* 8. Saltpetre Bank.*

BLACK BOY _court_, Long Acre.*

BLACK BOY _yard_. 1. In the Minories.* 2. Saltpetre Bank.*

BLACK BULL _alley_, Petticoat lane, Whitechapel.*

BLACK BULL _yard_, Whitechapel.*

BLACKBURN’S _alley_, Rotherhith wall.†

BLACKBURN’S _court_, Portpool lane.†

BLACKBURN’S _mews_, Grosvenor street.†

BLACK DOG _alley_. 1. Bowling alley, Dean’s yard, Westminster.* 2. East Smithfield.*

BLACK DOG _yard_. 1. Near Vauxhall.* 2. Shoreditch.*

BLACK EAGLE _court_, Whitechapel.*

BLACK EAGLE _street_, Brick lane, Spitalfields.*

BLACK EAGLE _yard_, Black Eagle street.*

BLACK FIELDS, Horselydown.

BLACK FRIARS, near Fleet ditch, was a monastery of that order, otherwise called Preaching Friars. This monastery was erected by Robert Kilwarby Archbishop of Canterbury, about the year 1276, who also built the church of Black Friars, to which King Edward I. and Queen Eleanor were great benefactors, and even the reputed founders. This church was large and richly furnished with ornaments. In the monastery several parliaments were held, and the Emperor Charles V. who was also King of Spain, lodged there in the year 1522. There the ancient Kings had their records and charters kept, as well as at the Tower: and, tho’ this monastery was dissolved with the rest by King Henry VIII. yet in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Black Friars was inhabited by many noblemen and gentlemen; parliaments still continued to be often held there, and being a place of refuge, malefactors frequently took shelter in its liberties, and the inhabitants were free from arrests: but these pernicious privileges have been many years lost; and as it has been lately made part of the ward of Faringdon within, the shopkeepers and tradesmen are obliged to be free of the city; two Common Council men are annually elected out of it, and added to the number that used to serve this ward.

BLACK FRIARS _bridge_. The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of this city, have been empowered by a late act, to build a bridge cross the Thames from Black Friars to the opposite side in the county of Surrey; to fill up the channel of Bridewell dock, or Fleet ditch, and to purchase and pull down such buildings as shall be thought proper for forming and widening streets and avenues. This bridge is to have a free and open passage thro’ the arches of 750 feet at least within the banks of the river. A sufficient number of glass lamps are to be fixed on proper parts of it, to burn from sun setting to sun rising; and a number of watchmen placed for the security of passengers.

For the erecting and support of this work, when finished, they are to receive as toll, any sum they shall direct, not exceeding the following rates: