Bells Cathedrals: The Priory Church of St. Bartholomew-the-Great, Smithfield | Page 2

(1727 edition), and Pit's "De Illust. Scriptoribus Angliae."
Besides the invaluable "Historia Anglorum" of Matthew Paris (ed. Sir F. Madden), and Stow's "Survey of London" (ed. John Strype), the following books may be found useful:
"Repertorium, or History of the Diocese of London." Richard Newcourt. 1708.
"New View of London." Edward Hatton. 1708.
"New Remarks of London: by the Company of Parish Clerks." 1732.
"London and its Environs described." R. and J. Dodsley. 1761.
"History of London." Win. Maitland. (Ed. Entick, 1772.)
"Londinium Redivivum." J. P. Malcolm. 1803.
"Londina Illustrata." Robert Wilkinson. 1819.
"The Churches of London." G. Godwin and J. Britton. 1839.
"Memories of Bartholomew Fair." H. Morley. 1859.
The progress of the modern work at the church has been announced from time to time in the circulars issued by the Restoration Committee, the substance of which is incorporated in the text, where also the other authorities consulted by the present writer are referred to.
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CONTENTS
PAGE Preface v
List Of Works Of Reference vii
List Of Illustrations xi
Chapter I.
History Of The Foundation 3 II. Exterior Of The Church 25 III. Interior Of The Church 33 IV. St. Bartholomew-the-less And The Hospital 63
Appendix I. The Priory Seals 73 II. The Priors And Rectors 77 III. Inventory Of Vestments, Etc. 79 IV. The Organ 80
Index 83

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE Interior Of The Church From The Organ Gallery Frontispiece The Priory Arms Title-Page Interior Of The Church From The East (1805) 2 North Side Of The Choir From The Triforium 9 Interior Of The Choir (1822) 11 Plan Of The Monastic Buildings At The Dissolution 15 The Choir Before Restoration 19 The Priory Church From The West 24 The Priory Church From The West (1810) 25 The North Porch 29 View Of The Crossing From The Triforium 32 South Aisle From The West--showing Early English Shafts 34 North Transept And Screen 36 North Transept From The South 37 The Font And Freshwater Monument 41 Interior From The East--showing Prior Bolton's Gallery 42 The Founder's Tomb 45 The Founder's Tomb, Showing The Original Extent Of Arcaded Work 46 The Chamberlayne Monument 48 The Smalpace Monument 49 The Ambulatory And Entrance To The Lady Chapel 51 The Mildmay Monument 53 The Lady Chapel 56 The Crypt 57 The Remaining Bays Of The Cloister 59 St. Bartholomew-the-less And The Hospital Gate 62 Interior Of St. Bartholomew-the-less 65 Brass Of William And Alice Markeby 67 Ancient Sculptured Tablets 68 Seals Of The Convent And Hospital (Eleven Examples) 73-76 Plan Of St. Bartholomew-the-less 71 Plan Of St. Bartholomew-the-great (Existing Church) At End
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[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH, FROM THE EAST From a print of 1805. E. Nash del. J. Greig sc.]

ST. BARTHOLOMEW-THE-GREAT
CHAPTER I
HISTORY
The spring and fountain-head of our information about the Priory of St. Bartholomew-the-Great is an account of the foundation, interwoven with the life and miracles of Rahere, the founder, which was written in Latin by one of the Canons soon after Rahere's death in the reign of Henry II. An illuminated copy of this work, made at the end of the fourteenth century, is preserved in the British Museum, with an English translation, which forms the groundwork of all subsequent histories.[1]
Allowing for a few contradictory dates and statements in this precious document, and for the occasional flights of a pious imagination in the biographer or his subject, we arrive at the following historical basis: Rahere was a man of humble origin, who had found his way to the Court of Henry I, where he won favour by his agreeable manners and witty conversation, rendered piquant, as it appears, by a certain flavouring of licentiousness, and took a prominent part in arranging the music, plays, and other entertainments in which the King and his courtiers delighted during the first part of the reign.[2]
In the year 1120 a total change was wrought in Henry's character by the loss of his only legitimate son in the wreck of the "White Ship," on its voyage from Normandy to England, after which the King is said never to have smiled again. The event naturally cast a gloom over the Court; frivolities were abandoned, and religious devotion, either genuine or assumed in polite acquiescence with the royal humour, took the place of the amusements which had hitherto held sway. In one case, at least, the spirit of reformation was at work in good earnest. Rahere, repenting of his wasted life, thereupon started on a pilgrimage to Rome, to do penance for his sins on the ground hallowed by the martyrdom of St. Paul, some three miles from the city. The spot known as the Three Fountains, now rendered more or less sanitary by the free planting of eucalyptus, was then and long afterwards particularly unhealthy, and while there Rahere was attacked by malarial fever. In his distress he made a vow that, if he were spared, he would establish