The Children, and all others in this Workhouse, are required to attend Divine Service Morning and Evening. Which, in a convenient Place, is there regularly and duly performed.

The present real Estate belonging to this Corporation (besides the Ground on which the Workhouse is situated) amounts to little more than 280l. per Annum. And the necessary Expence far exceeding the Yearly Income, had very much increased the Debts of the House, and prevented the farther good Designs intended. And therefore it was recommended to good and well disposed Persons, to encourage by their Charity this most useful and beneficial Work.

I cannot but add here, that one of the Aldermen, now alive (whose Name I must conceal) was so sensible of the great Benefit of this House to the whole City, that he told me, that rather than it should sink, he would contribute 1000l. himself to maintain it.

In the Year 1714, Sir Robert Beachcroft, Maior, the Common Council resolved (as they might by the Act of Parliament) to raise 5000l. upon the several Wards, for the necessary Sustentation of the Workhouse, and for the defraying the Expences and Debts thereof: In the Payment whereof some of the Wards are backward, as to their Proportions, even to this Year.

The present Treasurer, a careful and diligent Man, by his Interest hath bought some Houses adjoining to the Workhouse, which cost 1000l. and built two Houses, fronting the Street, upon that Ground. Which are let for 40l. Rent each: which Rent is for the Use of the House; having now also a very decent Frontispiece, with the Effigies of a poor Boy, and another of a Girl over the Gate.

The present Treasurer of this House is Samuel Webb of Hackney, Esq;

These are also Officers of the same:

Mr. Maine, Steward.
Mr. Chandler, Secretary.
Mr. Barret, Chaplain and Schoolmaster.
A Keeper of the Idle People and Vagrants.

All which eat at a common Table. This last is the Governor of the other Side, who hath under him Hempdressers by Trade. There is also a Writing Master, and School Mistress, and a Porter to wait at the Gate, and to summon Courts.

And now while we look back upon all these Hospitals, and consider the noble Bounty wherewith the Numbers contained in them are upheld, we may well use the Words of a very Reverend Divine (afterward Bishop of Norwich) which he spake long ago to the Citizens from the Pulpit, on the same Occasion: "Blessed be God, as good Works have abounded in this Age [of the Reformation] so this Place [London] hath superabounded in good Works. Be it spoken to the Glory of that God, whose all our good Works are; and to the Honour of the Gospel, to the Conviction of that lewd Slander of Solifidianism, [charged by the Papists upon the Protestants] LONDON shall vye good Works with any City upon Earth."

* Some further and more particular Account of that worthy Master of Merchant Taylors School, viz. Mr. Du Gard (spoken of before in this Chapter) and of the Cause of his first Discharge from the Government of that School, and Commitment to Newgate, may be found in the Register of his Scholars, now remaining in Sion College; and being transcribed thence by the present learned Library Keeper, and kindly communicated to me since, is as followeth:

" Ad Februarij 20, 1649.
Atque hæc sunt Nomina Discipulorum, quos ego Gulielmus Dugard, in Scholam liberam dignissimæ Societatis Mercatorum Scissorum admisi a Maij, 10. 1644, ad Februarij 20. 1649. Quo temporea Concilio Novi Status * ab Archididascalatus officio summotus, & in carcerem Novæ Portæ conjectus sum; ob hanc præcipuè causam, quod Claudij Salmasij Librum (qui inscribitur, DEFENSIO Regia pro CAROLO primo ad serenissimam Regem CAROLUM secundum, Legitimum Hæredem & Successorem) typis mandandum curaveram: Typographéo insuper integro spoliatus, ad Valorem mille Librarum, minimum. Nihil jam reliquum habens, unde Victum quæram Uxori & sex liberis. Quos Dei misericordis, & benignissimi Patris Providentiæ alandos, committo & commendo, per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum."

"GULIELMUS
E Carcere Novæ DUGARD. Portæ, Martis 7mo. Anno Dom. 1649. "

Then follows immediately:

"Nomina Discipulorum, quos ego Gulielmus Dugard admisi in privatam Scholam, quam aperui in vico vulgo dicto Peters Hill, in ædibus conductitiis ab Aprilis 15. ad Septembris 25. 1650. Quo tempore a dignissima Societate Mercatorum Scissorum, hortatu tamen Concilij Status, ad antiquam provinciam Scholæ Mercatorum Scissorm restitutus sum."

So that in short, his Case (as by his own Relation) was; that he, having a Propriety in a Printing Press, printed there a Book in Latin, Intitled, A Royal Defence of K. Charles I. Dedicated to his Right and Lawful Heir K. Charles II. soon after that barbarous Act committed upon that King's Royal Person. For Printing this, he was deprived by the Council of State, of his School, and of Press, (which he reckoned a Thousand Pounds Damage to him) and turned out into the wide World with Wife and Six Children; and himself imprisoned in Newgate. That afterwads he kept a private School on St. Peters Hill. But in the Year 1650 he was by the Company of Merchant Taylors restored to his former School; and that by the Motion of the Council of State, that had before punished him after that severe manner.

Of his second Deprivation in the Year 1661, he gives no Reason in his Register; but hath only this short Note of the Number of his Scholars, viz.

"Numerus admissorum in privatam Scholam a Julij 4to, 1661, ad Martii 25. 1662. 193."

Such a Reputation had he for his Ability in teaching Youth.