at Westminster, where no person was present but they two, and therefore made him sit down in one Chair, and He Himself in another, which before the coming of the Bishop were there purposely set, and caused the Bishop, notwithstanding his unwillingness to be covered, and then entred communication with him, in this manner: First giving him hearty Thanks for his Sermon and good Exhortation; he therein rehearsed such special things as he had Noted, and that so many, that the Bishop said, Truely, truely, (for that was commonly his saying) I could never have thought that excellency to have been in his Grace, but that I beheld and heard it in him. At last the King's Majesty much commended him for his Exhortation, for the Relief of the Poor.

But my Lord (quoth he) you willed such as are in Authority to be careful thereof, and to devise some good Order for their Relief; wherein I think you mean Me, for I am in Highest Place, and therefore am the first that must make Answer to God for my Negligence if I should not be careful therein, knowing it to be the express Commandment of Almighty God, to have compassion of his poor and Needy Members, for whom we must make an Account unto Him. And truly, my Lord, I am (before all things else) most willing to travel that way, and I doubt nothing of your long and approved Wisdom and Learning, but that you having such good Zeal as wisheth help unto them, have also had some conference with others, what ways are best to be taken therein, and therefore I pray you to say your mind.

Which Speech being so truly Virtuous and Noble in so young a Prince, deserves an everlasting Record.

The Bishop thinking least of that matter, and being amazed to hear the Wisdom and earnest Zeal of the King, (as he said himself) was so astonished, That he could not tell what to say. But after some pause, said, That he thought (at this present) for some entrance to be had, it were good to practise with the City of London, because the Number of the Poor there are very great, and the Citizens also very many and wise; and he doubted not, but they were also both pitiful and merciful; as the Mayor, and his Brethren, and other the Worshipful of the said City: And that if it would please the Kings Majesty to direct His Gracious Letters unto the Mayor of London, willing him to call unto him such Assistants as he should think meet, to consult of this matter, for some Order to be taken therein, he doubted not but good would follow thereon; and he himself promised the King to be one himself that should earnestly travel therein.

The King (forthwith) not only Granted his Letter, but made the Bishop tarry until the same was written, and his Hand and Signet set thereto; and commanded the Bishop not only to deliver the said Letter himself, but also to signifie unto the Mayor that it was the Kings especial Request and express Commandment, that the Mayor should therein travel, and so soon as he might con

veniently, give him knowledge how far he had proceeded therein. The Bishop was so joyous at the having this Letter, that now he had occasion to travel in so good a matter, wherein he was marvellous zealous, that nothing could have more pleased and delighted him: Wherefore the same Night he came to the Lord Mayor of London, who was then Sir Richard Dobbs Kt. and delivered the King's Letter, and shewed his Message with effect. The Lord Mayor not only joyfully received this Letter, but with all Speed agreed to set the matter forward, for he also favoured it very much. And the next day, being Monday, he desired the Bishop of London to dine with him, and against that time the Mayor promised to send for such men as he thought meetest to talk of this matter, and so he did. He sent first for two Aldermen, and six Commoners, and afterwards more were appointed, to the number of 24. In the end, after sundry Meetings, (for by the means and good diligence of the Bishop it was well followed) they agreed upon a Book that they had devised, wherein first they considered on Nine special kinds and sorts of poor People, and those they brought into these

1. The Poor by Impotency. Three degrees, 2. The Poor by Casualty.

3. The Thriftless Poor.

1. The Poor by Impotency, are also divided into three kinds, 1. The Fatherless Poor Mans Child.

viz. 2. The Aged, Blind and Lame.

3. The Diseased Person, by Leprosie, Dropsie, &c.

2. The Poor by Casualty, are likewise of 3 kinds;

that is to say,

1. The Wounded Soldier.

2. The Decayed Householder.

3. The visited with any grievous Disease. 3. The Thriftless Poor, are three kinds in like manner; 1. The Rioter, that consumeth all.

viz. 2. The Vagabond, that will abide in no place.

3. The Idle Person, as Strumpets and others.

For these three sorts of Poor, three several Houses were provided:

(1.) For the Innocent and Fatherless, which is the Beggars Child, and is indeed the Seed and Breeder of Beggary, they provided the House that was the late Grey-Friers in London, and called it by the Name of Christs-Hospital, where poor Children are trained up in the knowledge of God, and some virtuous Exercises, to the overthrow of Beggary.

For the (2) Degree, was provided the Hospitals of St. Thomas in Southwark, and St. Bartholomew in West Smithfield, where are continually at least 200 Diseased persons, which are not only there lodged and Cured, but also fed and nourished.

For the (3) Degree, they provided Bridewell, where the Vaga

bond and idle Strumpet is chastised, and compelled to labour, to the overthrow of the vicious life of Idleness.

They provided also for the honest decayed Householder, that he should be relieved at home at his House and in the Parish where he dwelt, by a Weekly Relief and Pension.

And in like manner they provided for the Lazer, (or Leprous Person) to keep him out of the City from Clapping of Dishes, and Ringing of Bells, to the great trouble of the Citizens, and also to the dangerous Infection of many, that they should be relieved at home at their Houses, by several Pensions.

Now after this good Order taken, (to the Eternal Honour of this Noble City) and the Citizens willing to further the same, the Report thereof was made to the King; and his Majesty, for the advancement thereof, was not onely willing to grant such as should be Overseers and Governors of the said Houses, a Corporation, and Authority for the Government of them: But also required, that he might be accounted as the Chief Founder and Patron thereof.

And for the furtherance of the said Work, and continual maintenance of the same, He, of his meer Mercy and Goodness granted, that whereas (before) certain Lands were given to the maintaining of the House of the Savoy, founded by King Henry VII. for the Lodging of Pilgrims and Strangers, and that the same was now made but a Lodging for Loyterers, Vagabonds and Strumpets, that lay all day in the Fields, and at night were harboured there, the which was rather the maintenance of Beggary, than any Relief to the Poor: Gave the same lands, being first surrendred by the Master and Fellows there, (which Lands were of the yearly value of 6001.) unto the City of London, for the maintenance of the Foundation aforesaid.

And for a further Relief, a Petition being made to the King's Majesty, for a License to make in Mortmaine, or otherwise without License, Lands to a certain yearly value, and a space left in the Patent for His MAJESTY, to put in what Sum He pleased: He looked on the void place, called for a Pen and Ink, and with his own Royal Hand wrote this Sum; 4000 Marks by the year, (which is 26661. 13s. 4d. and with the former 6007. makes in all 3266l. 13s. 4d.) and then said, in the hearing of his Council, Lord, I yield thee most hearty thanks, that thou hast given me life thus long, to finish this work to the Glory of thy Name.

After which Foundation established, he lived not above two days. His Pious and Religious Life was Remarkable, as may be seen in the whole series of it; and his Death was no less, for the hour before he dyed, he was overheard to pray thus by himself.

O Lord God, deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life. O Lord, thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee; yet for thy Chosen's sake, if it be thy Will, send me life and health, that

I may truly serve thee. O Lord God, save thy chosen People in England, and defend this Realm from PAPISTRY, and maintain thy true Religion, that I and my People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake.

So turning his Face, and seeing some by him, he said, I thought you had not been so nigh. Yes, said Dr. Owen, We heard you speak to your self. Then said the King, I was praying to God; I am faint, Lord have mercy upon me, and receive my Spirit. And, in so saying, his blessed Spirit departed, to take possession of an heavenly Crown, when he had enjoyed an earthly Crown, six years, five months, and nine days.

He died at Greenwich the 6th of July, Anno 1553.

He was buried the 9th of August, in Henry the Seventh's Chappel at Westminster, near the Body of the said King Henry the Seventh his Grandfather.

CASES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE EVIL OF SUNDAY TAVERNS, AND PETTY THEATRES.

In our last number we furnished an account of some of the Sunday taverns in the metropolis, and in proof of our statement of the evils necessarily arising out of them, we have obtained the following cases of young people now suffering in two only, of our metropolitan prisons. Some of the cases refer to penny theatres, whose evils we exposed in our Magazine for November, 1840, under the title of "Penny Theatres and Music Rooms," and other cases refer to the small theatres, in which youths of both sexes are being continually ruined. The Sunday taverns, all have their concert rooms or theatres, and these are now the favourite places for boys and girls, who can steal enough during the day to attend them of an evening. Not only are these places splendidly fitted up, but the acting, the singing, and the drinking during the performances are intended to excite and allure the young and the vicious, at the peril of the ruin of individuals, the happiness of families, and the general corruption and debasement of society.

CASES:"A girl of eighteen years, a straw-bonnet maker, has been in the habit of frequenting W-C- House, both on Sundays and weekdays, with a young man (a lawyer's clerk), with whom she has had an improper intimacy for two years past. On weekdays she has frequently witnessed the performances there, and also attended the ball-room, the price of admission being respectively sixpence and a shilling. On Sundays, drinking only goes on, when the gardens are usually thronged. Committed for ten days for an assault upon another young woman at the above place, on Sunday evening last."

"A youth, seventeen years of age, well educated, his father a professional man; sentenced for two acts of robbery; first, to a

year's imprisonment, in the House of Correction, and afterwards to ten years' transportation. While in a respectable situation in which he had been placed by his father, he fell into the company of a player, at the Y S Tavern, was by him induced to visit that place, became an actor of inferior parts, by which he was enabled to obtain at all times a free admission; and his principles were speedily undermined by the company with whom he there associated. Having lost his situation, and being without money, he first obtained goods in the name of his late master; and afterwards stole a watch from the player by whom he had been led astray; and for these offences he is now suffering. This unfortunate youth expresses the utmost thankfulness that he has been thus arrested in his career of sin."

"A girl, nineteen years of age, was in service twelve months ago;-was persuaded by a girl, who sold fruit opposite her master's house in the Minories, to go with her to a penny theatre, in the neighbourhood. She acknowledges that the company she met there were chiefly thieves and prostitutes, and dates her ruin from her first visit to that place. Has been three times in the House of Correction since that period."

"A boy, fourteen years of age, in prison for the third time; now committed for three months, charged with being concerned with another boy in picking a gentleman's pocket of a considerable sum. His companion was tried at the Central Court, and transported for ten years. States that, some time since, he yielded to the persuasion of some idle boys of his acquaintance to accompany them to a twopenny dancing-room; but having no money he went out with them and stole some wine-glasses, by the sale of which they were enabled to pay for their admission. Since that time he has lived almost entirely among thieves. States that his father is a sofamaker, earning very high wages, that his elder brother is apprenticed to his father and doing well, and that but for his misconduct he might have been the same."

"A boy, fifteen years of age, several times in prison; his first act of theft was committed at the instigation of profligate companions, and to enable him to go to a penny theatre, which has since been closed. Since that time he has frequented concert-rooms, and other cheap places of amusement."

66 "T— S- sixteen years of age, in prison for thieving; was accustomed to frequent music-rooms at public-houses after his work, and having thus commenced a vicious career, he has become a noted thief."

“T———— D—————, fifteen years of age, in prison for thieving; left his father about three months ago, and has lived by thieving during that time. Was accustomed to rob his father some months before he left him, to enable him to frequent theatres and music-rooms at public-houses."

"WF

fifteen years of age, in prison for stealing; first got