LON 
*n the end of the dormitory,,which is parted off for the 
purpofe ; and feats prepared for the company, which is 
of the greateft refpeftability, and admitted by tickets. 
The play is repeated three times ; and at the la(t perform¬ 
ance a collection is made, and the money received is em¬ 
ployed to buy books for the fcholars; a cuftom more re¬ 
spectable for its antiquity than for its objeft. In thefe 
plays, tlie female parts mull of courfe be performed by 
boys; and there is little doubt but they are afted as well 
as they w ould be by girls of the fame age ; the only de¬ 
fect is, that the delufionof the difference of voices cannot 
be kept up : the- principal woman’s part is generally af- 
figned to one of the biggeft boys, whofe voice may be 
more manly than that of the lover, or even father, in 
tlie fame feene. In the colleges of France, and other Ro¬ 
man-catholic countries, when plays were occalionally 
acted by the fcholars, their fuperiors took the precaution, 
(inafmuch as women were to be kept from their minds as 
much as poffible) fo to alter the drama as to make it con- 
fift. of male characters only. And we know, on the other 
hand, that at rhofe ladies’ boarding-l'chools where the 
vile cuftom of acting plays at breaking-up kill continues, 
the faid plays undergo ftrange caftigations and caftrations. 
In St. Margaret’s parifti there are many charitable-foun¬ 
dations, by different perfops, for the relief of the poor. 
Among thefe, near Tothill-fields, is the Grey-coat 
Hospital, founded by letters patent, in the year 1706. 
This fchool, in 1727, was in fo flourilhing a Itate, that it 
contained eighty boys and fifty girls, in which year the 
charge of all its difburlements amounted to 1457I. 7s. Cd. 
In September 1739, a mathematical fchool was added 
to this foundation, and a proper mafter retained to inftruft 
the boys in navigation, and to fit them for the fea-fervice; 
feveral of them have fince done honour to their profeflion, 
and have become captains in the navy. There are at this 
time in the fchool ninety poor children, who are not only 
clothed and inftrufted, but maintained in lodging, waffl¬ 
ing, and board 5 they are taught reading, writing, and 
arithmetic, and are carefully educated in the principles of 
the Chriltian religion according to the church of England. 
They are publicly examined every Sunday evening at 
{even o’clock. Since the original foundation in 1698, the 
number of children who have been bound apprentices 
from this fchool amounts to 1498. The charge of each 
child is computed at 1 Si. 18s. per annum, including Hi¬ 
laries and wages of mafter, mjftrefs, fervants, and the ex- 
penfes of the infirmary; fo that the yearly expenditure in 
thefe refpefts amounts to 1700I. In addition to the en¬ 
dowment, the finances are affifted by contributions at fer- 
mons, and voluntary behefaftions and legacies. 
The Green-coat Hospital, for the relief of poor fa- 
therlefs children of this parifti, was eftabliffied by Charles I. 
in the year 1633, who endowed it with fifty pounds per 
annum, which is paid out of the treafury. This liofpital 
was rebuilt at the charge of Dr. Bulby, and Charles 
Tvvitty, efq. in the year 1700.-—We had very lately the 
pleafure of feeing the children of this fchool walking in 
proceftion through the church-yard, going to the Sunday- 
afternoon fervice ; and the ncatnefs of their drefs, their 
inodeft behaviour, and’ even the lively emerald of their 
garments, were pleafing to the eye. 
Near the Green-coat Hofpital, by Tothill-fields, is a 
Bridewell, or houfe of correftion, for finch as beg, live 
idly, or lead loofe lives, in this city or its liberties. It 
is alfo a gaol for criminals who commit offences within 
the faid city and liberties ; and wasfo made by aft of par¬ 
liament, in the reign of queen Anne. 
Lady Anne Dacres’s Alms-houfes, called Emanuel- 
College, were founded by her, on the 17th of December, 
anno 1601, for ten poor men and ten poor women, (each 
of whom has liberty to bring up one poor child.) She 
gaw a hundred pounds per annum, ifluing out of the 
manor of Brainfburton, in the county of York, until the 
expiration of a leafe of a hundred and ninety-nine years ; 
and afterwards, the whole manor to accrue, to augment 
Vol. XIII. No, 927, 
DON. , 56* 
this foundation. The hundred pounds is p.\id out of the 
chamber of London, and is under the care and infpeftioa 
of the lord-mayor and court of aldermen. The rental of 
the manor of Brainlburton, and the lands given to this 
foundation, being increafed fo much beyond the founder’s 
expeftation, as to yield an income exceeding thejplan and 
intention of diltributing it to fuch a limited number of 
the clafs of people who were the objects of her benevo¬ 
lence; the governors, not having the power of themfelves 
to increale the number, and being at the lame time ue- 
firous ,of applying the income of their truft to the in¬ 
tended purpofe, preferred a bill to parliament in 1795, 
dating the nature and documents of the foundation, and 
that the income arid revenues were more than fufticient 
for the maintenance and fupport pf the objefts directed 
by the will and charter, and that it was probable they 
would be farther increafed by granting buildiug-Ieafes 
and other means. The ftatute therefore empowered the 
court of aldermen, as governors, to extend and increafe 
the number of objefts of the charity, by elefting and ad¬ 
mitting, as members, fuch additional numbers of poor 
aged perfons, and poor children, or either of them, ac¬ 
cording to their directions and deferiptions, as the go¬ 
vernors fliould think proper objefts, and as the revenues 
fliould be found adequate to maintain and fupport. In 
confequence of this aft, further ftatutes were immediately 
made by the court, whereby five men and five women 
were admitted as out-penfioners, with fuch allowances as 
the court Ihould think fit; and the parifti of Sc. John, 
Weftminfter, was added to thofe out of whom they were 
all to be chofen ; out of every ten, eight from St. Mar¬ 
garet’s and' St. John’s, one from Chellea, and one from 
Hayes. Tlie vacancies of iri-penfioners to be filled up by 
out-penfioners, fo that every one to be elefted fnall be at*, 
out-penfioner in the firft infiance. Thus the whole cha¬ 
rity now confifts of a mafter and miftrefs, and twenty in- 
penftoners, viz. ten men, of whom one is' the warden ; 
and ten women, of whom one is the matron ; five men 
and five women as out-penfioners: alfo, ten boys and tea 
girls, who are in-penfioners, and have a fchool-room, who 
are all apprenticed to trades, with a premium of iol. half 
of which is paid at the time of their binding, and the re¬ 
mainder when they have ferved half their apprer.ticeft'.ip. 
South of Weftminfter-abbey ftands the parochial church 
of St. John the Evangelift. The parifti of St. Margaret 
being greatly increafed in the number of houfes and in¬ 
habitants, it was judged neceffary to ereft one of the fifty 
new churches within it. This church, being finifhed, 
was dedicated to St. John the Evangelift; a parifti was 
taken out of St. Margaret’s; and the parliament granted 
the fum of two thoufand five hundred pounds, to"be laid 
out in the purchafe of lands, tenements, See. for the main¬ 
tenance of the reftor; but, befides the profits arifing from 
this purchafe, it was alfo enafted, that, as a farther pro- 
vifion for the reftor, the fum of one hundred and twenty- 
five pounds fliould be annually railed, by an equal pound- 
rate upon the inhabitants. This church was begun in 
1721, and finifhed in 1728 ; and is remarkable only for 
having funk while it was building, which occalioned an 
alteration in the plan. On the north and fonth litles are 
magnificent porticos, fupported by vaft ftone pillars, as 
is alfo the roof of the church. At each of the four cor¬ 
ners is a beautiful Hone tower and pinnacle: thele addi¬ 
tions were erefted, that the whole might fink equally, and 
owe their magnitude to the lame caufe. The parts of 
this building are held together by iron bars, which crols 
even the aifies. The advowfon of this church is in the 
dean and chapter of Weftminfter; and, to prevent this 
reftory being held in commendam, all licenl’es and dif- 
penfations for holding it are, by aft of parliament, declared 
null and void. 
Beyond this church is the ancient Horfe-ferry between 
Weftminfter and Lambeth, which was fupprefied on the 
building of Weltminfter-bridge; and a liim of three 
tlioul'and pounds fettled on the archbilhops of Canter- 
7 D bury. 
