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hospital of the Savoy, gave for the above
charitable uses a great part of the re-
venue, together with the bedding and
furniture.
In the following reigns granaries and
storehouses for coals were erected at
the expence of the city within this hos-
pital, and the poor were employed in
grinding corn with hand-mills; which
were greatly improved in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth, when a citizen invent-
ed a mill, by which two men might grind
as much corn in a day as could be ground
by ten men with the other mills, and
being to be worked either by the hands
or feet, if the poor were lame in the
arms, they earned their living with their
feet, and if they were lame in their legs,
they earned their living with their arms.
In the year 1666, this edifice was
entirely consumed by fire, and likewise
all the dwelling houses in the precinct of
Bridewell, from whence had arisen two
thirds of its revenue; the hospital how-
ever was rebuilt in 1668, in the man-
ner in which it at present appears.
It consists of two courts, in which the
buildings are convenient, and not very
irregular. The chapel has a square roof,
and galleries on the north and west side,
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supported by columns of the Tuscan or-
der, and the floor is paved with black and
white marble. At the west end are
places for the hospital boys, and others
for the prisoners. The wainscoting and
finishing are very neat. The latar piece
is adorned with two pilasters, with their
entablature and a circular pediment of the
Corinthian order, between which the
commandments are done in gold upon a
black ground, and the Lord's prayer and
the creed wrote on a blue ground; these
pieces are enriched with gilt cherubims,
leaves and fruit, and placed in gilt
frames. The court room is adorned with
columns of the Composite order, a gal-
lery, and the names of all the benefactors
to the hospital wrote in gold. There
is here a chair for the President, and con-
venient seats for the Governors.
In this hospital are generally about a
hundred youths, that are apprentices to
glovers, flaxdressers, weavers, &c. who
reside there. These youths are under
particular regulations, and distinguish
themselves at all dangerous fires, by the
dexterity with which they work an excel-
lent fire engine belonging to the hospi-
tal, and the expedition and regularity
with which they supply it with water.
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