the arms and motto of the company, and at the west, is a small music gallery. Several banners are suspended from the ceiling: and over the archways of the doors are busts of George III. and George IV.; Frederick, Duke of York; Lord Nelson, and the Duke of Wellington. On the ground floor are the council-room, council dining room, waiting room, and Election Hall. In the latter are whole lengths of Charles I.; Mr. Bernard Hyde, a benefactor in 1630; Mr. William Robson, a benefactor in 1633, who gave the Company £5,000. for charitable uses; and Adn. Charpentier, the artist, a donor in 1760, painted by himself: over the chimney is a small picture of William III., on horseback; and against the walls are placed armorial shields of the different masters, members of the company, who have filled the civic chair. Here also is a carved chair, with the Company's arms curiously inlaid at the back. In the Waiting Room, in which views of the building, lists of the benefactors, and plans of the estates are suspended, is a curious record of ancient festivity, viz:

"A Bill of Fare for Fifty People of the Company of Salters, A. D. 1506."

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR, SMITHFIELD.

THE privilege of holding a FAIR in Smithfield, at Bartholomew Tide, was granted by Henry the Second to the adjoining priory of St. Bartholomew, to be held

on the eve, the day, and the morrow of that festival. It was, at first, kept on the spot still called Cloth Fair, and was attended by all the clothiers and drapers, who had stands or booths within the precinct walls of the priory, the gates of which were locked at night, and a watch set for the protection of their goods. This fair was afterwards prolonged for the space of a fortnight, but having become the scene of great dissoluteness, it was in 1703, by an order of the Common Council, reduced to the term which had been assigned in the original grant. At the time of this fair, a court of Pied-poudre," is still held, daily, for the settlement of disputes respecting" debts and contracts" arising during its continuance.

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In the year 1641, a curious Tract, now extremely rare, of which the following is a copy, was "printed for Richard Harper, at the Bible and Harpe, in Smithfield :

BARTHOLOMEW FAIRE;

OR,

Variety of Fancies, where you may find a Faire of Wares, and all to please your Mind,

with

The severall enormityes and misdemeanours, which are there seene and heard.

BARTHOLOMEW FAIRE begins on the twenty-fourth day of August, and is then of so vast an extent, that it is

* Now the 4th of September, by the alteration of style in

1756.

contained in no lesse than four parishes, namely, ChristChurch, Great and Little Saint Bartholomewes, and Saint Sepulchres. Hither resort people of all sorts, High and Low, Rich and Poore, from cities, townes, and countrys; of all sects, Papists, Atheists, Anabaptists and Brownists; and of all conditions, good and bad, vertuous and vitious, Knaves and Fooles, Cuckolds and Cuckoldmakers, Bauds and Whores, Pimpes and Panders, Rogues and Rascalls, the little Loud-one and the witty Wanton.

And now that wee may the better take an exact survay of the whole Faire, first let us enter into ChristChurch Cloysters, which are now hung so full of pictures, that you would take that place, or rather mistake it, for Saint Peters in Rome; onely this is the difference, those there are set up for worship, these here for sale; but by the way, I'le tell you a tale of a precise Puritan, who came in all hast from Lincolne to London purposely to see the Faire, where he had never bin before, and coming out of Newgate Market, through Christ Church into the Cloysters, and elevating the snow bals of his eyes, he presently espyes the picture of Christ and his twelve Apostles, with the virgin Mary, and many other Saints departed, at which sight the very thought and strong conceit of superstition set such a sharp edge upon the pure mettle of his inflam'd zeale, that very manfully, like a man of valour, and son of Mars, he steps to a stall wel stor'd with twopeny halberts, and woodden backswords, where having arm'd himself Cap a Pea, (as he thought) he begins in a violent passion, to exclaime against the Idolatry of the times, that it was growne abominable; protesting that the whore of Babilon was crept into Christ Church, and that the good motions of the Spirit had brought him to towne, to make a sacri

fice of those Idle Idolls, to his just anger and holy indig-` nation, which begot no small laughter to the multitude, which throng'd about him, that put him into such a chafe, in so much that at the last, like Rosicleare, the Knight of the sunne, or Don Quixo', most furiously he makes an assault and battery upon the poore innocent pictures, till the Shopkeepers apprehending him had him before a Constable, who forthwith comitted my little furie to the Stockes, where we will leave him to coole his heeles, whilst we take a further view of the Faire. And now being arriv'd through the long walke, to Saint Bartholomewes hospitall; that place (me thinkes) appeares to me, a sucking Exchange, and may be so termed, not unfitly; for there many a handsome Wench exchanges her maidenhead for a small favour, as a moiety of bone-lace, a slight silver bodkin, a hoopt-ring, or the like toye; for shee comes not thither with her Sweet-heart, to serve her owne turne only, but also to satisfie his desire; according to the old saying, one good turne deserves another.

Let us now make a progresse into Smith-field, which is the heart of the Faire, where in my heart I thinke there are more Motions in a day, to be seene, then are in a terme in Westminster Hall to be heard. But whilst you take notice of the severall Motions there, take this caution along with you, let one eye watch narrowly that no ones hand make a motion into your pocket, which is the next way to moue you to impatience.

The Faire is full of gold and silver-drawers: just as Lent is to the Fishmonger, so is Bartholomew Faire to the Pickpocket; it is his high harvest, which is never bad, but when his cart goes up Holborne.

The Citty-marshalls are as dreadfull to these yongsters, as the Plague is to our London actors; that restraines them from playing, and they hinder these from working :