The two foundations of St. Bartholomew's Hospital : A. D. 1123 and A. D. 1546, being an introductory address given at a meeting of the Abernethian Society, October 8th, 1885 / by W. Morrant Baker.

  • Baker, W. Morrant (William Morrant), 1839-1896.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The two foundations of St. Bartholomew's Hospital : A. D. 1123 and A. D. 1546, being an introductory address given at a meeting of the Abernethian Society, October 8th, 1885 / by W. Morrant Baker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “ Whofe clear prophecies how they be fupported, greatly with the might of truth, experience hath approved it. And every faithful man may clearly behold the fame.” Three men of Greece also, of noble lineage, who were on pilgrimage and had entered England, “ Defiring to vifit the bodies of faints there retting,” came to London and to Smithfield; “ and before them that there were prefent and beheld them as fimple ydiottys, began wonderful things to fay and prophefy of this place, faying, ‘Wonder not to fee us here to worfhip God, where a full acceptable temple to him fhall be builded ; for the high Maker of all things will that it be builded ; and the fame of this place fhall attain from the fpring of the fun to the going down.’ ” Rahere set himself no easy task when he deter- mined to build in Smithfield. “Truly this place” [the MS. continues] “pre- tended none hope of goodnefs. Right unclean it was; and as a marfh, dungy and fenny, with water almoft every time abounding; and that that was eminent above the water, dry, was deputed and ordained to the jubeit or gallows of thieves, and to the torment of other that were condemned by judicial authority.” And here we meet with a very remarkable cir- cumstance in the life of Rahere. “ Truly when Rahere had applied his ftudy to the purgation of this place, and decreed to put his hand