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Mr. URBAN,

Dec. 3.

THE Plates 1. and II. of Antiquities from Bermondsey, Surrey, which are sent for your acceptance, are the joint efforts of two very young Artists. Plate I. North View of part of the remains of the Abbey Buildings*, taken 1809; since destroyed. Plate II. Four capitals, two pieces of architraves, a head of the fantastic kind, once serving as a blocking to an entablature; and a female head, ouce serving as a console, with part of the column it supported. These examples, with others of the like sort, were found in taking down the above remains, which are now levelled with the ground, for making a road, erecting new houses, &c. on the site thereof. The following short account of the Monastery is extracted from Stow :

sey; to whom was committed the

custody of the said Priory, by the letters patents of King Edward III. saving to the King the advowsons of Churches. In the year 1380, the fourth of Richard II. this Priory was made a Denizen (or free English) for the fine of 200 marks, paid to the King's Hanaper in the Chancery. lu the year 1399, Attelborough, Prior of Bermondsey, was made the first Abbot of that house, by Pope Boniface the Ninth, at the suit of King Richard II. In the year 1417, Thomas Thetford, Abbot of Bermondsey, held a plea in Chancery against the King, for the Mannors of Preston, Bermondsey, and Stone in the county of Somerset, in the which suit the Abbot prevailed, and recovered against the King. In the year 1539, this Abbey was valued to dispend by the year, €474. 14s. 4d. ob.; and was surrendered to Henry VIII. the 31st of his reign. The Abbey Church was then pulled down by Sir Thomas Pope, kuight; and, in place thereof, a goodly house builded of stone and timber, since pertaining to the Earls of Sussex. There are buried in that Church, Loufstone, Provost, Shrive, or Domesman, of London, 1115; Sir William Bowes, knight, and Dame Elizabeth, his wife; Sir Thomas Pikeworth, knight; Dame Anne Audley; George, son to John Lord Audley; John Winkefield, esq.; Sir Nicholas Blonket, knight; Dame Bridget, wife to William Trussell; Holgrave, Baron of the Exchequer, &c.

"Peter, Richard, Obsterte, and Umbalde, Monkes de Charitate, came to Bermondsey, the year 1089; and Peter was made first Prior there, by appointment of the Prior of the house called Charitie, in France; by which means this Priory of Bermondsey (being a cell to that in France) was accounted a Priory of Aliens. In the year 1994, deceased Ailewin Childe, founder of this house; then William Rufus gave to the Monks his Mannor of Bermondsey, with the appurtenances, and builded for them there a new great Church. Robert Blewit, Bishop of Lincoln (King William's Chancellor) gave them the Mannor of Charleton, with the appurtenances. Also Geffrey Martell, by the grant of Geffrey Magnaville, gave them the land of Halingbury, and the tithe of Alferton, &c. More in the year Thomas of Arderne 1122, and Thomas his son, gave the monks of Bermond's Eye, the Church of St. George, in Southwark. In the year 1165, King Henry II. confirmed to them the hide or territory of Southwark, and Laygham, Waddam, with the land of Coleman, &c. In the year 1371, the Priories of Aliens (throughout England) being seised into the King's hands, Richard Denton, an English-lings, and eight pence." man, was made Prior of Bermond

* Another View of these Remains will be found in vol. LX. p. 775; and various Architectural and Sculptural Fragments, in vol. LXXVIII. pp. 681. 977. Edit.

GENT. MAG. December, 1810.

The Borough of Southwark, at a subsidy to the King, yielded about 1000 marks, or £800.; which is more than any one City in England payeth, except London; and also the muster of men in this Borough doth likewise, in number, surpass all other Cities, except London; and thus much for the Borough of Southwark, one of the 26 wards of London, which hath an alderman, deputies 3, and a bailiff, constables 16, scavengers 6, wardmote inquest, 20; and is taxed to the fifteen, at 17 pounds, 17 shil

Yours, &c.

J. C.

Mr. URBAN, Dover-street, Dec. 4. THER HERE never, perhaps, was a better rebuke to the folly and vanity displayed by certain descriptions

tions of trades-people, lodging-housekeepers, and the lower orders in general, for the expensive and elegant mode of Clothing, which they have, within a few years, thought proper to assume, than the instance related of the famous Dean Swift.

Having once honoured a Mr. Reilly, a tradesman, with his company to dinner, and observing that person's wife dressed in a very expensive manner for the occasion, he pretended not to know her; and, after having conversed for some time with Reilly, he enquired, with great gravity, when he should have the pleasure of seeing his wife. Being informed that she was in the room, and sitting opposite to him, he said, "That Mrs. Reilly impossible! I have heard that she is a prudent woman, and, as such, would never dress herself in silks, and other ornaments, fit only for gentlewomen. No! Mrs. Reilly, the tradesman's wife, would never wear any thing better than plain stuff, with other things suitable to it." Mrs. Reilly happening to be a woman of good sense, and taking the hint, immediately withdrew, changed her dress as speedily as possible; and, in a short time, returned to the parlour in her common apparel. The Dean saluted her in the most friendly manner, taking her by the hand, and saying, "I am heartily glad to see you, Mrs. Reilly. This husband of yours would fain have palmied a lady upon me, dressed in silk, &c. for his wife; but I was not to be taken in so."

Hence it will be perceived, that the description of persons above mentioned, although they may, "have a right to wear what they can pay for," would, if they were to dress according to their stations, receive the countenance, instead of the contempt and ridicule, of those who are their superiors by birth and education. D.D.D.

LETTER LXIX. ON PRISONS.

"When shall these scalding fountains cease to flow?

How long will life sustain this load of woe? Why glows the morn? Roll back thou source of light,

And feed my sorrows with eternal night!"
GAY'S Dione.

HAT a contrast of passions does

relations! In his circle of acquaintauce, happy in enjoyments which

entail no cares, his feelings are improved by social intercourse, and his sympathies enlarged by humanity: public or domestic distress excites his compassion, and it extends even to the sufferings of the Brute creation.

View the contrast! He tears a fellow-creature, the victim of his anger, from friends, and from every domestic comfort; plunges him into a loathsome dungeon, and almost deprives him of light, air, and sustenance without fuel to dry the damp chamber of misery, or medicine to alleviate the pangs of disease!

I entreat the Readers of the Gentleman's Magazine to peruse the subsequent letter with attention. Here they will find the Soldier, who may have devoted his life to maintain the freedom of his country, and the security of his fellow-citizens in their domestic comforts and Constitutional freedom, himself without protection, and deprived of personal liberty; left to pine in darkness, under the pressure of every want that can embitter the mental feelings, and debilitate the bodily constitution, of a human being.

Here a Prelate, who was wont to teach, by example and precept, the amities of the Gospel, plunged into this noisome dungeon, acquired an incurable disease, for which a retri bution on this side the grave could never be afforded.

Whilst we hear with horror the narratives of foreign cruelties, is it not time to think of our own? and now, that they are brought to light, can a free and humane nation consign them to oblivion? My honoured friend, indeed, entertains a hope, "that these may excite the attention of some Member of the British Legislature." That this hope may be realized, to the credit of the Nation, and the succour of many miserable individuals, is the wish of

J. C. LETTSOM. CASTLE TOWN; Isle of Man. CASTLE RUSHEN GAOL. Governor of the Isle, His Grace the DUKE OF ATHOL. Lieutenant Governor, and Keeper of the Castle, Cornelius Smelt, Lieut.-colonel in the Army. Gaoler, John Fitzsimmons, Head Borough of Castle-Town; heretofore a private

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farm. Salary, £50. British, besides perquisites. Turnkey, Wm. Quayle; Salary, £20. Constables, fifteen, at 10. each per annum; one of whom is in daily attendance on the Gaol : and besides, are five centinels, on guard night and day. Number of Prisoners, Nov. 10, 1810, Debtors, 9; Felons, &c. 0. Allowance, none, nor any medical assistance in case of sickness. Water inaccessible, but as brought in by the constable, or other attendant, of the day.

REMARKS. Castle-Town, in the Isle of Man, is divided into two districts, by a small creek, which opens into a rocky and dangerous bay. In the centre of the town stands CASTLE RUSHEN, which overlooks the country for many miles, and was built in the year 960, by Guttred, a Prince of the Danish line, who lies buried within its walls. Founded on a rock, it presents the appearance of much strength; and, previous to the introduction of artillery, must have been impregnable by any force that could assail it. In figure it is irregular, and thought to resemble Elsineur. A stone glacis surrounds it on all sides. It still continues to brave the rude injuries of time, and arrests attention, as a majestic and formidable object. The early Kings of this island are said to have resided here, in that barbarous pomp, which alone could distinguish them in so remote a period.

A packet sails hither every Monday from Whitehaven, with the Government Mails, and coal-vessels daily. Several passage vessels also set out weekly from Liverpool, which are large in size, and provided with excellent accommodations.

That there should have existed, and perhaps for centuries, a Prison for Debtors, in so remote a part of His Majesty's British dominions, I had no intelligence whatever, till it was communicated to me by two very interesting letters, dated Aug. 20, and Nov. 10, 1810, from a gentleman, formerly a Lieutenant-colonel of Dragoons; and, at the time of writing, an imprisoned Debtor in Castle Rushen.

Whilst I regret that want of knowledge which has hitherto prevented my visiting this lonesome Prison, of which I have been favoured with a drawing, I cannot convey to my Readers a better idea of it, than

must arise from transcribing a part of the letters in question.

"Castle Rushen," says my unknown Correspondent, "was built upwards of 900 years ago, and contains only three inhabitable rooms, in which Felons and Debtors are promiscuously confined. Here no Insolvent Act hath ever reached; neither have the laws of this Island ever provided any mode of relief for the honest, though unfortunate debtor.

“After a debtor has given up all bis effects, there is not any public provision of food, beds, fuel, or medicine, for persons confined in this place. Many of them, therefore, Suffer the severest consequences of want and wretchedness; and, as there, is no parochial support afforded to their wives and families, they are reduced to the greatest distress, although formerly enjoying comfort and respectability. Strange also as it may appear, no subscription was ever known to have been entered into throughout any part of this island, for the relief of the unfortunate. For, as the indigenous Manx are not liable to imprisonment for debt, their feelings seldom are 'tremblingly alive' to the miseries of an incarcerated stranger."

My mournful Correspondent men-, tions, as his fellow prisoners, the descendant of a celebrated Antiquary, and formerly M. P. for Hwho has been confined there for four years; the Rev. Mr. M. a vicar in Queen's County, 18 months; and Major H. formerly M. P. for B. "This gentleman," he adds, was released, in consequence of the nonpayment to him of the Manx-groat per day; and yet, after a lapse of eight months, was put into prison again for the same debt.”

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The writer thus concludes his first. melancholy letter: "The darkness of the room I sit in, must apologize for the badness of my writing; the state of my mind, for the incoherence of my letter; and my poverty, for this paper.”

The court-yard of this prison is a part of the old fossé (the ditch or moat round it) which formerly was filled by the tide; and the water kept in, or let out, as might be necessary for the defence or accommodation of the inner Castle. It is, of course, exceedingly damp; surrounded also

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