LON 
JicufeS, tlie hofpital was greatly injured by that calamity* 
In the year 1729 the hofpital became fo ruinous, that there 
appeared an abfolute neceflity for rebuilding it; and a 
fublbription was entered into by many of the governors, 
and other charitable perfons, among whom was Dr. Rat- 
cliffe, for defraying the expenfe, upon a plan then pre¬ 
pared, containing four detached piles of ftone building, 
to be connected by gateways, and to form a quadrangle. 
The firft ftone of this building was laid on the 9th of 
June, 1730, by fir George Brocas, the lord-mayor, in the 
prefence of feveral aldermen and governors ; and, the 
eaftern fide of the fquare, which completed the whole, 
being finifhed in 1770, it is now one of the moft pleafing 
ftrudtures in London, when viewed from the area within, 
which it furrounds, and where only it can be feen to ad¬ 
vantage. 
That part which opens to Smithfield, and which may 
be efteemed the principal front, is allotted for the public 
bufinefs of the hofpital. It contains a large hall for the 
general courts of the governors 5 a counting-houfe for 
the meetings of committees ; rooms for examining, ad¬ 
mitting, and difeharging, patients; with other neceffary 
offices. In this part of the building is a ftair-cafe painted 
and given by Hogarth, confiding of two pictures, repre- 
fenting the Good Samaritan and the Pool of Bethefda. 
The (lyle of Hogarth is well known ; and his dramatic 
genius, always bent to ailufions, is remarkable in both of 
thefe large performances. There is a curious part in the 
one reprefenting the Good Samaritan. The traveller has 
rot been the only vidtim of the cruelty of the robbers, 
but his dog alfo has been wounded ; and he is reprefented 
licking (and, as we know, healing by licking) the wound 
on his leg. This means the artift has adopted to Ihow 
that man wants the help of others to affift him when la¬ 
bouring under pain or difeafe, whereas animals havf, in 
compenfation for the abfence of realon, received from Pro¬ 
vidence faculties and properties unknown to mankind.— 
In the hall is a full-length portrait of Henry VIII. and 
another of Dr. Ratcliffe, who bequeathed five hundred 
pounds a-year to the hofpital for the improvement of the 
diet, and one hundred pounds a-ysar to buy linen. In 
©ne of the windows, is a reprefentation, in ftained glafs, 
of Henry VIII. delivering the charter to the lord-mayor. 
The front of the hofpital towards Smithfield is adorned 
with pilalters, entablature, and pediments, of the Ionic 
order, with a ftatue of king Henry VIII. in a niche ; and 
the figures of two cripples on the pediment. Beneath the 
figure of the king is the following infeription : “ Bar¬ 
tholomew’s Hofpital, founded by Rahere anno 1102. 
Re-founded by King Henry VIII. anno 1546.” Under¬ 
neath which is the following : “This front was rebuilt 
anno 1702, in the firft year of Queen Anne. Sir Wil¬ 
liam Prichard, knt. and alderman, prefident. John Ni- 
chol, efq. treafurer.” Tile other three fides of the qua¬ 
drangle contain the wards for the reception of patients ; 
in which are between four and five hundred beds. 
There are three phyficians, three furgeons, three af- 
fiftant furgeons, two houfe-furgeons, and an apothecary, 
belonging to this hofpital; befides a chaplain, four almo¬ 
ners, clerk, fteward, rent-gatherer, matron, filter and 
nurfes to each ward, laundrefs, furveyor, carpenter, cook, 
porter, four beadles, three box-carriers, and a bath-keeper. 
The prefident is the chief governor ; but the real adding 
governor is the treafurer, who has a handfome houfe and 
garden in a court adjoining the eaft end of the hofpital, 
and, “ as the fuperior refident officer, has the control over 
all the other officers and fervants in every department, 
and may fufpend any one from his or her employment." 
He has no falary ; but has at all times a right to the ufe 
of at lealt 3000I. belonging to the funds of the hofpital, 
befides a good houfe, garden, and liable ; and it is added, 
in recompenfe of your pains, you (hall be allured of the 
merits laid up for you in the promifes and blood of Jefus 
Chrift our Saviour.” Rules and Orders, Sept. 3813.— 
The phyficians and furgeons have an annual allowance, 
but the amount is not known to the public; that of the apo- 
D O N. 406 
thecary is 400I. per annum, clear of property-tax; and al^ 
perquifites to ceafe from Midfummer 1813. “ Ifany officer 
or fervant of this hofpital (hall receive a fee, Chriftmas- 
box, or other perquifite, from any tradefman or work¬ 
man who ferves or works for the hofpital, or from any pa¬ 
tient, or from any perfon viliting the patients, he or Ihe 
(hall be forthwith difeharged ; and any tradefman or work¬ 
man giving fuch fee, (hall be incapable in future of ferv- 
ing the hofpital.” Ibid. 
Corruptions and abufes will pervade every confiderable 
eftabliffiment; and the reader will be apt to think that 
the Rule we have juft quoted is not very Itridlly obferved. 
It certainly is not. But, when we confider the great fum 
of good that is produced from inftitutions of this kind, 
we (hould not be “ extreme to remark what is done amil's.” 
Mr. Highmore, who has made himfelf perfedl matter of 
the fubjedt, writes as follows : “ In thofe hofpitals which 
I have personally vifited, and in thofe charities of whofe 
affairs I have acquired any infpedtion, I (hall ever exult 
with grateful fatisfadlion to declare, that I have found far 
more to praife than to blame, or even to amend : indeed, 
I feel it my duty to fay, what I firmly believe, that their 
objedl and defign are for the moft part faithfully and ho¬ 
nourably fulfilled ; the wants of the poor are tenderly re¬ 
garded, and the benefadlions bellowed are generally em¬ 
ployed for their benefit. I have not found any thing 
which the condudlors were interefted to conceal ; nor have 
heard complaints from patients of any partiality or defedl 
in the diftribution of fucb requifites as the nature of their 
cafes might require. But due allowance mull always be 
made for the infirmities of human nature : poverty and 
dijlrefs do not always produce gratitude to their beneJaElors, 
neither do fervitude and dependence, in places of truft, 
always produce tempers and qualifications fitted for the 
cxercife of power.” Hill, of Public Charities, Introd. 
The government of this charity has been, upon the 
whole, (and particularly at this moment under the pre- 
fent upright and aElive treafurer,) fo well condufled, 
its revenues fo faithfully applied, and the acknowledged 
diligence and (kill of the phyficians and furgeons fo amply 
devoted to its objedls, that it has attained the power of 
receiving patients from all parts of the kingdom, whether 
natives or foreigners, without limitation ; many of whom 
have been furnilhed with money for neceffaries at their 
departure ; and alfo of adminiftering relief to out-patients 
to a very confiderable extent. In the year 1704 their 
number was 2264 cured and difeharged, 365 buried, and 
363 under cure. In 1754 the number increafed 106703 
difeharged, 280 buried, 649 under cure, and 317 to whom 
truffes had been furnilhed : total 7749. In the year 1729, 
ending at Michaelmas, the total was 5028, and the ex¬ 
penditure amounted to 10,4251. 6s. ii|d. In the year 
1772, the expenditure increafed to 10,846!. The report 
of the year 1813, as read before the lord-mayor and the 
reftof thecommittee of governors on Eaiter Monday, 1814, 
is as follows ; . 
Admitted, cured, and difeharged, during the laft 
year, 3909 in-patients, and 4176 out-patients, 
many of whom have been relieved with money, 
clothes, and other neceffaries, to enable them to 
return to their feveral habitations - - 8085 
Buried this year - 274 . 
Remaining under cure, |* n 'P at ' e . nts ’ “ 44-6 
0 ’tout-patients, - 360 
Within the principal gate of this hofpital Hands the- 
parochial church of St. Bartholomew the Lefs, which was 
originally a chapel to the hofpital, and founded at the 
fame time; bur, at the diffolution of the priory, it was 
converted into a parilh-church for the inhabitants of the 
precindl of the hofpital. It is a vicarage, the patronage 
of which has been in the governors of the hofpital ever 
fince the grant of that eltablilhment to the citizens of 
London. The church is an old fabric, lighted with a fin- 
gle feries of windows,-and having a fquare tower with a 
turret at one corner, like the fire-beacons of many of the 
old churches. It is ninety-nine feet in length, forty-two 
3 in 
