the former is a pediment, as well as in the centre of CHAP. II.

the east and west sides; and above the piazzas, the fronts of the wards are ornamented with handsome

Ionic pilasters.

In the centre of this court is a graceful and elegant brass statue of King Edward VI. by Scheemakers; behind which is placed, on a kind of small pedestal, his crown laid upon a cushion. The statue was erected in 1737, at the expense of C. Joye, Esq.

In the centre of the east side of this court is a spacious passage into the next, the structure above being supported by three rows of columns. The buildings in the third court are older than the others, and are entirely surrounded with a colonnade of the Tuscan order, above which they are adorned with long slender Ionic pilasters, with very small capitals. In the centre is a stone statue of Sir Robert Clayton, dressed in his robes as lord mayor. It was erected in 1701, and is surrounded with iron rails.

In a small court further east are four wards for salivation, and the surgery, baths, and dead house. North of this court is a handsome edifice, erected in 1814, used as a theatre, museum, and library.

In the second quadrangle is the court-room, a neat apartment, with several fine paintings: over the president's seat is a portrait of the founder of this charity; on his right hand is King William III., and on his left Queen Mary. At the north-west corner, executed by Richardson, hangs the portrait of Sir Robert Clayton, knight, alderman, and president, who was a generous benefactor, and died July 16th, 1707. At the north end of the east wall is a portrait of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, knight, alderman, and president, aged seventynine, 1729. On the left of the chimney, Sir Gerrard

BOOK II. Conyers, knight, alderman, and president, aged eightyfour, 1735, in the lord mayor's robes. On the right side of the chimney is a whole length portrait of Sir John Eyles, Bart. lord mayor at the coronation of King George II. president 1737, painted by Vanloo. All these are full lengths.

At the south end of the room is a large chimney, over which hangs a half-length portrait of "Sir James Campbell, knt. and president, also a great patron of' the foundation."

The number of governors is not limited, but the management is in a committee of thirty of them, of whom ten are changed every year at the annual general court. There are twelve almoners elected quarterly, who every week attend the receiving patients, or discharging such as are cured, or are incurable. The officers are, a president, treasurer, three physicians, three surgeons, apothecary, clerk, receiver, steward, chaplain, matron, brewer, butler, cook, with an assistant and servant, an assistant clerk in the counting-house, two porters, four beadles, nineteen sisters, nineteen nurses, nineteen watchmen, chapel clerk, sexton, and watchman.

The beds are 474. Iron bedsteads have been introduced by a subscription for that purpose. In 1613, there were in this hospital 780 persons, and then under cure 205. In 1629 there were cured 843, buried out of the hospital 209. At Easter, 1630, there remained under cure, 277.* In the report of 1802, it is stated, that "in the last year there had been cured and discharged of wounded, sick, and diseased persons, 2,910, of in-patients; and out-patients, 4,414. Buried

* Syme's MSS.

after much charge in sickness, 214; remaining under CHAP. II. cure, in-patients, 402, out-patients, 176. So that

there are, and have been, in the last year under cure in the hospital, destitute of other proper cure, 8,116."

The report read at Christ church, on Easter Monday, 1829, stated that there had been cured and discharged in the preceding year, in-patients 3258, out-patients, 13,986, many of whom were relieved with money and necessaries at their discharge.

Since the foundation of this extensive charity, an incredible number of distressed objects have received relief from it; and though the estates originally belonging to the hospital were ruined, yet, by the liberality and benevolence of the citizens and others, its revenues have not only been restored, but augmented, and its annual disbursements now amount to a very considerable

sum.

On the north side of St. Thomas's street, stands Guy's hospital, little inferior to the last, but more remarkable, from the circumstance of its having been Guy's hosbuilt and endowed by a single individual; it is indeed pital, a monument of private munificence, to which it would be difficult to produce a parallel. It is named after its founder, Thomas Guy, who, at the advanced age of seventy-six, procured from the governors of St. Thomas's

* He was the son of a lighterman and coal-dealer in Horsleydown, was born in 1644, and was put apprentice to a bookseller and binder, on Sept. 3, 1664. He began business with a stock of the value of about £200. in the house which still forms the angle between Cornhill and Lombard street. English Bibles being at that time very indifferently printed, he engaged in a scheme for printing them in Holland, and importing them into this country; but this practice proving detrimental to the university and the king's printer, they