$10 L O N 
tation of foon becoming nis wife, “Tell him I bade you, 
and he will not be angry.” But {he too foon learnt how 
fatal it is for any one in a dependent fituation to exceed 
the limits of their authority; for her mailer, on his re¬ 
turn, was enraged at finding that they had ftretched be¬ 
yond his orders, renounced his engagement to his fervant, 
and devoted his ample fortune to public charity. See the 
word Guy, vol. ix. p. 132. 
The only motive which induced Mr. Guy to ereft this 
hofpital in fo low and clofe a fituation, was, his defign of 
putting it under the management and direction of the go¬ 
vernors of that of St. Thomas’s. By the advice of his 
friends, he altered his refolution ; but it was then too 
late to think of choofing another fituation ; for the build¬ 
ing was at that time raifed to the fecond ftory. However, 
he rendered the place as agreeable as poffible, by its ele¬ 
vation above the neighbouring ftreets. The building 
confilts of two quadrangles, beftdes the two wings that 
extend from the front to the ftreet. The wing on the 
weft fide has been lately added ; and is built with fuch 
elegance and uniformity, as to make the whole a very 
handfome and regular edifice. The entrance into the 
building is by an elegant and noble iron gate, fupported 
by Hone piers. Thefe gates open into a fquare, in the 
centre of which is a brazen flatue of the founder, drefl'ed 
in a livery-gown, and well executed. In the front of the 
pedeftal is this infcription: Thomas Guy, sole Founder 
of this Hospital in his Life-time. A.D. MDCCXXI, 
On the weft fide of the pedeftal is reprefented, in baffo- 
relievo, the parable of the Good Samaritan ; on the fouth 
fide are Mr. Guy’s arms ; and on that fide of the pedeftal 
facing the eaft, is our Saviour healing the impotent man. 
-—The centre building is very noble. In the tympanum 
of the pediment we remark a medallion containing an al¬ 
legorical figure of Phyfiology, fupported by two patients ; 
one feems to be labouring under acute pains, the other 
loft in fpafmodic lethargy. Underneath are four bas-re¬ 
liefs with children holding appropriate attributes; and be¬ 
low two niches ; one containing Efculapius, with his 
club and ferpent, the other Hygeia with the patera in her 
right hand. A reprefentation of this beautiful pediment 
is given in the centre of Plate VII n. 
A fliort time after Mr. Guy’s deceafe, his executors, 
purfuant to his laft will, applied to parliament, to get 
themfelves, with fifty-one other gentlemen nominated by 
the teftator, to be incorporated governors of the intended 
hofpital; upon which all thefe gentlemen were conftituted 
a body politic and corporate, by the name of the Prefident 
and Governors of Guy’s Hofpital. By this aft of incor¬ 
poration, they were to have perpetual fucceffion, and a 
common feal, with the power of poffefiing the real and 
perfonal eftates of the late Thomas Guy, for the purpofes 
of the will, and to purchafe, in perpetuity, or for any 
term of years, any other eftate whatfoever, not exceeding 
twelve thoufand pounds per annum. As foon as this 
corporation was eftablifhed by parliament, the governors 
immediately fet about completing the work, by finiftiing 
and furniftiing the hofpital, and taking in patients, the 
siumber of whom, at firft, amounted to four hundred and 
two. The officers and fervants belonging to this hofpital 
are chofen by the governors, who have, everfince, carried 
©n this noble charity in fuch a manner as to anfvver, in the 
ftrifteft degree, the benevolent intentions of the founder. 
This inftitution is under the medical infpeftion of three 
phyficians and three furgeons, who are allowed 40I. a-year 
each ; and an apothecary, who has a falary of 90I. for him- 
ielf and affiftant, and a houle. The officers are a clerk, 
chaplain, iteward, accomptant, matron, butler, and af¬ 
fiftant furgery-man, porter, beadle, keeper of the lunatic 
men, and keeper of the lunatic women. It contains at 
this time thirteen wards, and four hundred and eleven 
beds; and behind the hofpital is a fmall neat building for 
unatic patients. The day of admiffion is Wednelday. 
'Guy’s Hofpital is joined with the univerfuies and colleges 
of Eton, Wincbefter, and Weftininfter, the royal hof- 
D O N. 
pitals, and the Foundling, in the aft of 1708, in the elauffi 
of exemption from the tax on fervants. The buildings 
are airy and well calculated to promote recovery ; the hof¬ 
pital ftauds in the centre, and the houfes of the principal 
officers on each fide; there is alfo a theatre for medical 
leftures, and on Saturday evenings medical fubjefts are 
debated there for the improvement of the fcience and 
praftice. A library is alfo a part of.the eftablifhment, 
well furnifhed with profeffional works, and a colieftioa 
of anatomical preparations. The petition for patients* 
admiffion is delivered gratis, ftating the complaint, “and 
being in low circumftances, and deftitute of friends, 
whereby to obtain a cure —this is to be counterfi cried 
by a houfekeeper undertaking to remove him at his°dif- 
charge, or death, or pay il. for burial to the lie ward. 
The expenfes of admiffion amount to 3s. 3d. for a clean 
patient, and 7s. for a foul patient. 
Behind this hofpital, and near a place called the Maze* 
we find Meeting Walk, and a large piece of unoccupied 
ground, on the fide of which we could not help admiring 
a clump of very old willow' trees, which feem to mourn 
for the departure of the ancient rope-makers who uled to 
make their retrograde progress under their ftades. 
Nearly oppofite the hofpital, and on the north fide of 
the ftreet, is the parifh-church of St. Thomas, which owed 
its ereftion to the fervice of the hofpital; but, the num¬ 
ber of houfes within the precinft: having confiderably in- 
creafed, it was judged neceflary to leave this church for 
the ufe of the inhabitants, and to make it parochial, 
erefting at the fame time a chapel in the hofpital more 
convenient for the accefs of the patients. This church 
is therefore in the gift of the governors, who choofe one 
out of two perfons returned by the parifhioners. This 
church is a plain brick building ; one feries of windows, 
and the corners, ftrengthened and adorned with ruftic 
work, give it an agreeable appearance : the length of it is 
a hundred and fifty feet, the breadth thirty-three, the 
height of the roof twenty-eight, and that of the tower 
ninety-two. 
Going on towards the fouth, and proceeding through 
High-llreet, we find on our right a paffage that leads to 
the Borough Market, a place which has confiderably in- 
creafed within thefe few years. In fhape it is very irre¬ 
gular; and of no very briik trade ; yet the appearance is 
pleafing, on account of many piazzas with columns built 
on feveral parts of the area.—-Higher up, where the fpace 
widens, we have on our left the Talbot inn, properly and 
originally the Taberd or Tabard inn. Stow mentions, that 
“ among the faire innes for receit of travellers, by the 
fignes of the Spurre, Chriilopher, Bull, Queen’s Head 
Tabard, George, Hart, King’s Head, &c. the molt an¬ 
cient is the Tabard, fo called of the figne, which, as wee 
now term it, is of a jacket, or fleevelefte coate, whole be¬ 
fore, open on both Tides, with a fquare collar, winged at 
the (houLders ; a itately garment, of old time commonly 
worne by noblemen and others both at home and abroad, 
in the warres ; but then (to wit in the wanes), their armes 
were embroidered orotherwife depift upon them, thatevery 
man by his coate of armes might bee knowne from others. 
But now thele tabards are onely worne by the heralds* 
and bee called their coates of armes in fervice. For the 
inne of the Tabard, Geffrey Chaucer, efquire, the moll fa¬ 
mous poet of England, in commendation thereof, writetk 
thus : 
“ It befell in that feafon, on a-day 
In Southwark, at the Tabert , as I lay. 
Ready to wend on my pilgrimage 
To Canterbury, with full devout courage; 
That night was comen into the hoftery 
Well nine-and-twenty in a company 
Of fundry folke, by adventure y fall, 
In fellowlhip, and pilgrims were they all. 
That towards Canterbury vvoulden ride; 
The ftables and chambers werein wide. 
And well we were eafed at the beft,” &c. 
Behind 
