| 6 | B R I | |
long, 87 broad, and the steeple is 234
feet high. It has a plain and regular body,
the openings all answering one another;
the roof is raised on pillars, and the
altar piece, like the outside of the church,
is very magnificent. The circular pedi-
ment over the lower part, is supported
by six Corinthian columns. The steeple
is a spire of extremely delicate workman-
ship, raised upon a solid yet light tower,
and the several stages by which the spire
gradually decreases, are well designed,
and executed with all the advantage of
the orders.
This church is a vicarage, the advow-
son of which is in the Dean and Chap-
ter of Westminster. The living is worth
about 240l. per annum.
Among the several monumental in-
scriptions in this church, and the church
yard, is the following:
Whoe'er thou art that look'st upon
And read'st what lies beneath this stone,
What beauty, goodness, innocence,
In a sad hour was snatch'd from hence;
What reason canst thou have to prize
The dearest object of thine eyes?
Believe this marble, what thou valu'st most,
And sett'st thy heart upon, is soonest lost.
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| | BRIDEWELL, |
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| B R I | 7 |
BRIDEWELL, so called from its being near a
spring called St. Bridget's, or St. Bride's
well, situated on the west side of Fleet
Ditch, near the Thames, was anciently a
royal palace, where several of our Kings
resided. And here Henry VIII. built a
magnificent house for the reception of the
Emperor Charles V. who before lodged
at Black Friars.
At length at the solicitation of Bishop
Ridley, King Edward VI. gave the old
palace of Bridewell to the city, for the
lodging of poor wayfaring people, the
correction of vagabonds, strumpets, and
idle persons, and for finding them work;
and as the city had appointed the Grey
Friars, now called Christ's Hospital, for
the education of poor children; St. Bar-
tholomew's and also St. Thomas's in
Southwark for the maimed and diseased,
his Majesty formed the Governors of
these charitable foundations into a cor-
poration; allowed them a proper autho-
rity for the exercise of their offices, and
constituted himself the founder and pa-
tron. For this purpose he gave to the
Lord Mayor, Commonalty and Citizens,
and their successors for ever, several
pieces of land to the yearly value of
450l. and at the same time suppressing the
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| B 4 | hospital |
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