SOUTHWARK. Ir was called by the Saxons, Suthverke, or the South work, in refpect to fome fort or fortification bearing that afpect from London. It was alfo called the Borough, or Burg, probably for the fame reason. It was long independent of the city of London: but, in confideration of the inconveniences arifing from the escape of malefactors from the great capital into this place, it was, in 1327 granted by Edward III. to the city, on payment of ten pounds annually. It was then called the village of Southwark; it was afterwards ftyled the bailiwick of Southwark, and the mayor and commonalty of London appointed the bailiff. This power did not feem fufficient to remedy the evil, a more intimate connection was thought neceffary: in the reign of Edward VI. on a valuable confideration payed to the crown, it was formed into a twenty-fixth ward, by the title of Bridge ward without, and Sir John Ayliff was its firft alderman. It had long before enjoyed the privilege of fending members to parlement. It is mentioned. among the boroughs in the time of Edward III; but the names of the firft members which appear, are Robert Acton and Thomas Bulle, in 1542. The members are elected by the inhabitants paying fcot and lot, and returned by the bailiff. THE fift time that Southwark is mentioned in hiftory, is on occafion of earl Godwin's failing up the river to attack the royal navy of fifty fhips, lying before the palace of Westminster; this was in 1052, when we are told he went ad Suthwecree, and stayed there till the return of the tide *. ST. GEORGE'S church is of confiderable antiquity; it is men • Simeon Dunelm, in x Script. i. 186. tioned 37 38 HOUSE OF CHARLES BRAN DON. THE MINT. KING'S-BENCH KING'S-BENCH PRISON. tioned in 1122, when Thomas of Arderne and his fon beftowed it on the neighboring monks of Bermondsey*. It was rebuilt in 1736, by Price, with a fpire fteeple moft aukwardly standing upon ftilts. NOT far from this church ftood the magnificent palace of Charles Brandon duke of Suffolk, the deferved favorite of Henry VIII. After his death, in 1545, it came into the king's hand, who established here a royal mint. It at that time was called Southwark Place, and in great measure preferved its dignity. Edward VI. once dined in it. His fifter and fucceffor prefented it to Heath archbishop of York, as an inn or refidence for him and his fucceffors, whenever they repaired to London. As to the Mint, it became a fanctuary to infolvent debtors; at length becoming the peft of the neighborhood, by giving fhelter to villains of every species, that awakened the attention of parlement; which, by the ftatutes 8 and 9 William III. c. 27. 9 George I. c. 29. and 11 George I. c. 22. entirely took away its abused privileges. THE King's-bench prifon, in this parish, is of great antiquity. To this prifon was committed Henry prince of Wales, afterwards Henry V, by the fpirited and honeft judge Gascoigne, for ftriking or infulting him on the bench. It is difficult to fay which we should admire moft, the courage of the judge, or the peaceful fubmiffion of the prince to the commitment, after he was freed from the phrenzy of his rage. The truth of the fact has been doubted; but, it is delivered by feveral grave hiftorians, such as Hall, who died in 1547, who mentions it folio 1; Grafton, perhaps his copyift, at p. 443; and the learned Sir Stow's Survaie, 789. Thomas STRIKING JUDGE GASCOIGNE. Thomas Elyot, a favorite of Henry VIII. in his book called The Governour, relates the fame in p. 102, book ii. c. 6, of that treatife. These were all long prior to Shakespeare, or the author of another play, in the time of queen Elizabeth, styled Henry V. It must have been the poets that took up the relation from the hiftorians, and not the hiftorians from the poets, as fome people have afferted. This was not the only time of his commitment. In 1411 he was confined by John Hornefby, mayor of Coventry, in the Cheley/mor in that city; and arrested with his two brothers in the priory, probably for a riot committed there. The reform of this great prince was very early: for I never can believe him to have been a hypocrite when he wrote in that strain of piety to his father, on the fubject of a victory obtained at Usk, over the famous Glyndwr †. The other play of Henry V. which I allude to, was written before the year 1592. In the scene in which the historical account of the violence of the prince against the chief juftice is introduced, Richard Tarlton, a famous comedian and mimic, acts both judge and clown. One Knell, another drole comedian of the time, acted the prince, and gave the chief juftice fuch a blow as felled him to the ground, to the great diverfion of the audience. Tarlton the judge, goes off the stage; and returns, Tarlton the clown; he demands the cause of the laughter, "O," fays one," had thou beenft here to have feen "what a terrible blow the prince gave the judge." "What, "ftrike a judge!" fays the clown, "terrible indeed muft it be • Dugdale's Hift. of Warwickshire, i. 148. Tour in Wales, i. 369. « to 39 MARSHALSE A. to the judge, when the very report of it makes my cheek "burn *." THE prifon of the Marfbalfea, which belongs to that court, and alfo to the king's palace at Westminster, ftands here; this court had particular cognizance of murders, and other offences, committed within the king's court: fuch as ftriking, which in old -times was punished with the lofs of the offending hand. Here alfo perfons guilty of piracies, and other offences on the high feas, were confined. In 1377 it was broke open by a mob of failors, who murdered a gentleman confined in it for killing one of their comrades, and who had been pardoned by the court †. It was again broke open by Wat Tyler and his followers, in 1381. It escaped in the infamous riots of 1780; but the King's Bench, and the Borough prison, and another Borough prifon called the Clink, were nearly at the fame instant facrificed to their fury. In this parish, near the water, on Bank-fide, ftood Parisgarden, one of the antient playhoufes of our metropolis. Ben Johnson is reproached by one Decker, an envious critic, with his ill fuccefs on the stage, and in particular with having performed the part of Zuliman, at Paris-Garden. It feems to have been much frequented on Sundays. This profanation was at length fully punished, by the dire accident which, heaven-directed, befel the fpectators in 1582, when the fcaffolding fuddenly fell, and multitudes of people were killed or miferably maimed. The omen seems to have been accepted, for, in the next century, the manor of Paris-Garden was erected into a parish, and a church * Br. Biog. iii. 2145. founded PARIS-GARDE N. founded, under the name of CHRIST'S. This calamity feems to have been predicted by one Crowley, a poet, of the reign of Henry VIII; who likewise informs us, that in this place were exhibited bear-baitings, as well as dramatical entertainments, and upon Sundays, as they are to this time at the Combat des Animaux, at Paris. What folly is this to keep, with danger, A great mastive dog, and fowle ouglie bear; At Paris Garden each Sunday a man shal not fail That the poor ought to have al that they may spare. Be fure God his curfe upon you wil light. BEYOND this place of brutal amusement were the Bear-Garden, and place for baiting of bulls; the British circi: "Herein," says Stow," were kept beares, bulls, and other beasts to "be bayted, as alfo maftives in feveral kenels, nourished to "bayt them. These beares and other. beafts are there kept 41 |