During The Grand Rebellion, When The Estates Of The Prime Nobility
And Gentry Were Sequestered, And There Was No Court
For them to
resort to, the then powers encouraging only the maddest enthusiast,
or the basest of the people, whom
They looked upon as the fittest
instruments to support their tyranny; some ingenious gentlemen, who
had applied themselves chiefly to their studies, and abhorred the
usurpation, proposed the erecting a society for the improvement of
natural knowledge, which might be an innocent and inoffensive
exercise to themselves in those troublesome times, and of lasting
benefit to the nation. Their first meeting, it is said, were at the
chambers of Mr. Wilkins (afterwards Bishop of Chester) in Wadham
College, in Oxford, about the year 1650, and the members consisted
of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq., Dr. Ward (afterwards Bishop of
Salisbury), Sir Christopher Wren, Sir William Petty, Dr. Wallis, Dr.
Goddard, and Dr. Hook (late Professor of Geometry), the above-named
Bishop Wilkins, and others. In the year 1658 we find them
assembling in Gresham College, in London, when were added to their
number the Lord Brounker (their first president), Sir Robert Murray,
John Evelyng, Esq., Sir George Ent, Dr. Croon, Henry Shingsby, Esq.,
and many others. And after the Restoration, his Majesty King
Charles II. appeared so well pleased with the design, that he
granted them a charter of incorporation, bearing date the 22nd of
April, 15 Charles II., anno 1663, wherein he styled himself their
founder, patron, and companion; and the society was from
thenceforward to consist of a president, a council of twenty, and as
many fellows as should be thought worthy of admission, with a
treasurer, secretary, curators, and other officers.
When a gentleman desires to be admitted to the society, he procures
one of the Corporation to recommend him as a person duly qualified,
whereupon his name is entered in a book, and proper inquiries made
concerning his merit and abilities; and if the gentleman is approved
of, he appears in some following assembly, and subscribes a paper,
wherein he promises that he will endeavour to promote the welfare of
the society: and the president formally admits him by saying, "I
do, by the authority and in the name of the Royal Society of London
for improving of natural knowledge, admit you a member thereof."
Whereupon the new fellow pays forty shillings to the treasurer, and
two-and-fifty shillings per annum afterwards by quarterly payments,
towards the charges of the experiments, the salaries of the officers
of the house, &c.
Behind the house they have a repository, containing a collection of
the productions of nature and art. They have also a well-chosen
library, consisting of many thousand volumes, most of them relating
to natural philosophy; and they publish from time to time the
experiments made by them, of which there are a great number of
volumes, called "Philosophical Transactions."
The Hospital of St. Bartholomew, on the south side of Smithfield, is
contiguous to the church of Little St. Bartholomew. It was at first
governed by a master, eight brethren, and four sisters, who had the
care of the sick and infirm that were brought thither. King Henry
VIII. endowed it with a yearly revenue of five hundred more yearly
for the relief of one hundred infirm people. And since that time
the hospital is so increased and enlarged, by the benefactions given
to it, that it receives infirm people at present from all parts of
England. In the year 1702 a beautiful frontispiece was erected
towards Smithfield, adorned with pilasters, entablature, and
pediment of the Ionic order, with the figure of the founder, King
Henry VIII., in a niche, standing in full proportion; and the
figures of two cripples on the pediment: but the most considerable
improvements to the building were made in the year 1731, of the old
buildings being pulled down, and a magnificent pile erected in the
room of them about 150 feet in length, faced with a pure white
stone, besides other additions now building.
There are two houses belonging to this hospital, the one in Kent
Street, called the Lock, and the other at Kingsland, whither such
unfortunate people as are afflicted with the French disease are sent
and taken care of, that they may not prove offensive to the rest;
for surely more miserable objects never were beheld, many of them
having their noses and great part of their faces eaten off, and
become so noisome frequently, that their stench cannot be borne,
their very bones rotting while they remain alive.
This hospital is governed by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, with about
three hundred other substantial citizens and gentlemen of quality,
who generally become benefactors; and from these and their friends
the hospital has been able to subsist such numbers of infirm people,
and to perform the surprising cures they have done; for the patients
are duly attended by the best physicians and surgeons in London, and
so well supplied with lodging and diet proper to their respective
cases, that much fewer miscarry here, in proportion, than in the
great hospital of invalids, and others the French so much boast of
in Paris.
Those that have the immediate care of the hospital are, the
president, the treasurer, the auditors of accounts, viewers of their
revenues, overseers of the goods and utensils of the hospital, and
the almoners, who buy in provisions and necessaries for the
patients.
A committee, consisting of the treasurer, almoners, and some other
of the governors, meet twice a week to inspect the government of the
house, to discharge such persons as are cured, and to admit others.
26. Bridge Ward Without contains in chief the Borough, or Long
Southwark, St. Margaret's Hill, Blackman Street, Stony Street, St.
Thomas's Street, Counter Street, the Mint Street, Maiden Lane, the
Bankside, Bandy-leg Walk, Bennet's Rents, George Street, Suffolk
Street, Redcross Street, Whitecross Street, Worcester Street, Castle
Street, Clink Street, Deadman's Place, New Rents, Gravel Lane, Dirty
Lane, St. Olave's Street, Horselydown, Crucifix Lane, Five-foot
Lane, Barnaby Street, Long Lane and Street.
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