SOUTH LONDON PARKS 175 
to the site of the once famous Wells. The Park itself, 
which covers 72 acres, was the munificent gift of 
Dulwich College. The gift was confirmed by an Act 
of Parliament in 1885, and the Park opened to the 
public in 1890. The College was founded by Edward 
Alleyn in 1614, who called it “The College of God’s 
Gift.” Originally, there were besides the Master, 
Warden, and four Fellows, six poor brethren and six 
sisters, and thirty out-members. The value of the 
property has so enormously increased that the number 
of scholars has been very greatly added to, and now 
hundreds of boys, some quite free, and some for a very 
low fee, obtain a sound commercial education. The 
founder was a friend of Shakespeare, and one of the 
best actors of his plays in the poet’s lifetime. His 
early biographers go out of their way to refute the 
alleged reason of his founding “ God’s Gift College,” 
namely, that when on one occasion he was personating 
the devil, the original appeared, and so frightened him 
that he gave up the stage to devote himself to good 
works. Were this story true, the vision was certainly 
well timed, and has produced unexpected and far-reach¬ 
ing results. The educational work, the picture gallery, 
and the well laid out estate of Dulwich Manor, including 
the large public Park, are all the direct result! 
There are a few fine old trees in the Park, particu¬ 
larly a row of gnarled oaks near the lake. This is a 
small sheet of water on the side nearest the College. The 
carriage road, which encircles the Park, crosses by a 
stone bridge the trickling stream, formed by the over¬ 
flow from the lake. On the south-east side of the Park 
there are but few trees, but large masses of rhododen¬ 
drons and azaleas have been planted, which make a 
