inscription placed over the door:-"Richard Watts, Esq. by his will dated 22d of August, 1579, founded this charity for six poor travellers; who, not being rogues or proctors, may receive gratis, for one night, lodging, entertainment, and four-pence each. In testimony of his munificence, in honour of his memory, and inducement to his example, Nathaniel Hood, Esq. the present mayor, has caused this stone gratefully to be renewed and inscribed, A. D. 1771.”*

For the support of this charity, Mr. Watts left an etate, valued at that time at no more than 361. per year, but now producing an income of 500l. per annum. He ordered, by his will, that what surplus remained, after defraying the expences of this house for travellers, should be given to the

* That this liberal patron of the poor should except rogues from a participation of his charity, is not matter of surprize; for it ill becomes the friend of integrity to countenance or encourage the man of known dishonesty and injustice. But that proctors should also be excluded, in so express a manner, carries with it an inuendo, that he had no better opinion of that profession than he had of those whom he has stigmatized by the appellation of rogues. At this distance of time, it is difficult to account for the exception here mentioned. Popular tradition assigns a cause, which carries with it some plausible appearance of truth-That Mr. Watts had employed a proctor to make his will, in which he had given and bequeathed to himself no inconsiderable part of the effects of his client; who, recovering beyond all expectation, detected the fraud, and ever after conceived an aversion to that order. However it is most probable that the testator, when dictating this clause in his will, had not in his thoughts the practitioners in our ecclesiastical courts, the term proctors not being exclusively applicable to them. And in Strype's Annals of the Reformation there is a passage which will strongly induce us to believe that Mr. Watts meant those who collected money under begging briefs, and were in general a debauched set of vagrants and receivers of stolen goods: "If some like course (viz. committing to a house of correction) might be taken with the wandering people, they would easily be brought to their places of abode. Being abroad, they all in general are receivers of all stolen things that are portable: as namely, the tinker in his budget, the pedlar in his hamper, the glassman in his basket, and the lewd proctors, which carry the broad seal and green seal in their bags, cover infinite numbers of felonies; in such sort that the tenth felony cometh not to light. For he hath his receiver at hand in every alehouse, in every bush. And these last rabble are very nurseries of rogues."

poor

poor of Rochester; in consequence of which it is paid to the overseers and churchwardens of the parishes of St. Nicholas, St. Margaret, and Stroud, in such proportions as were decreed by the court of chancery.

On the same side of the street is the Free School, founded by Sir Joseph Williamson, secretary of state in the reign of Charles II. and a representative of this city in four parliaments during the reign of William III.

The east gate stood at this end of the High Street, and might be a structure as large and commodious as it was strong; for, by the charter of Edward IV. a licence was given to the mayor and citizens to build upon it, for the use and profit of the city, new houses, as well of stones as wood. A part of it was remaining till the late erection of the houses opposite the free-school. The tide seems occasionally to have flowed across this street, there being, about the year 1529, a legacy bequeathed towards the repair of a bridge of wood in Eastgate. At the bottom of this street a new road that leads to Canterbury opens to view. On this road the traveller will be entertained with an agreeable view of the Medway, the ordnance office, the dock yard, the guardships, and the ships in ordinary, lying from the bridge at Rochester to Gillingham Fort. The country adjacent serves also to enrich a prospect that the most luxuriant imagination cannot contemplate without pleasure. The road was made in the year 1769, in forming which, the workmen were obliged to cut throngh bigh hills, and fill up deep valleys. When the scheme was proposed for paving Rochester and Stroud, according to the present mode, the inhabitants of Chatham were invited to accede to the proposal, and join in a petition to parliament for paving the three towns. The offer was rejected, which occasioned the new road to be made behind Chatham*.

At

* Mr. Brayley has informed us, that "before the act was applied for, the inhabitants of Chatham (as well as those of Stroud, who accepted the invitation) were repeatedly invited to join in the petition to parliament but the intrigues of an attorney, who had been made a principal in the

business,

At a small distance from the entrance on the new road is St. Catharine's Hospital, founded by Simon Poten, master of the Crown Inn, in 1316, for the support of leprous or other diseased persons. It is now the habitation of twelve poor widows, who have separate rooms to dwell in, are found in coals, candles, and receive each about 50s. per

annum.

Since the year 1769 various improvements have taken place in this city, particularly the large suburb denominated TROY TOWN, in the road to Maidstone.

According to the Population act, it appears that in the year 1800, the number of inhabitants in Rochester was six thousand eight hundred and seventeen; the number ofhouses one thousand one hundred and fifty. Through this city passes the road to France, and other parts of the Continent, on which account, in times of peace, Rochester is Alled with travellers, and has numerous inus, &c. for their accommodation, which are spacious and convenient. The inhabitants are mostly engaged in trade, or maritime concerns; and on the Medway, near the bridge, is a commodious wharf or quay.

Betwixt Rochester and Chatham is St. Margaret's Bank, on which is a row of houses, that command the river, and are pleasantly situated. The road to Chatham runs under it. At the entrance into Chatham is the king's victualling office, a place of great neatness and conveniency. From which his majesty's ships at Chatham and Sheerness are supplied with provisions. Not far from hence, on the right band, is a small chapel, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, which belonged to an hospital, that was instituted for the

business, occasioned them to refuse compliance. Through this circumstance, the act was granted to Rochester and Stroud only; and though the people of Chatham, discovering the folly of their conduct, obtained a separate act, for paving, &c. their own town, within three years afterwards, the mischief was then done; for the new road made by the inhabitants of Rochester, being far more commodious than that which went through Chatham, occasioned all the transit and road trade to be. carried to the former city."-Beauties of England.

VOL. V. No. 110.

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reception

reception of poor and leprous persons. The estates of this community, since the year 1627, have been invested in the deans of Rochester as governors and patrons of the hespital, and the brethren of the same. There were formerly only three brethren, one of whom was always a clergyman, and officiated as the chaplain; but at present, the society consists of four, two of which are in orders. The chapel is now used as a chapel of ease to Chatham church, which is too small for the parishioners, who are very numerous.

On the opposite side of the street, is an hospital, founded by fir John Hawkins, for poor decayed mariners and shipwrights. The building appropriated for their reception was finished in 1592, and queen Elizabeth, at the founder's request, granted a charter of incorporation to this charity, by the name of "The Governors of the Hospital of Sir John Hawkins, knt. at Chatham." Ten pensioners are maintained here at an allowance of 3s. 6d. per week, and a chaldron of coals yearly. No person is eligible, who has not been maimed or disabled in the service of the navy, or otherwise brought to poverty. Over the gate, on the outside, is this inscription:

"The poor you shall always have with you: to whom ye may do good yf ye wyl."

CHATHAM,

a large, populous, but ill-built town, adjoins the east side of Rochester, extending along the banks of the Medway, and up the hill. In the Textus Roffensis, and in the Domesday Book, it is called Cottham and Ceteham, and is described as having a church, and six fisheries value twelve-pence. It had belonged to earl Godwyn, and afterwards to his son Harold II. William I. granted it to bishop Odo; but on his disgrace, the king bestowed it, with the manor of Leeds, in this county, to Hamon de Crevecœur, or de crepito corde, a Norman knight, the founder of the potent and illustrious family of the same name, who frequently styled themselves Domini de Cetham, and made this the head of their barony, and principal residence, till

the

the erection of Leeds Castle by Robert de Crevecœur. Chatham reverted to the crown in consequence of the disaffection of one of this family, and after having many lords, was ultimately passed into various families by purchase.

The DOCK YARD and ARSENAL, occupies an extensive area on the north side of the town, measuring nearly a mile in length, and is defended on the land side by strong fortifications. This dock appears to have been formed in the time of Elizabeth; and Camden describes it as "stored for the finest fleet the sun ever beheld, and ready at a minute's warning; built lately by our most gracious sovereign Elizabeth, at great expense, for the security of her subjects, and the terror of her enemies, with a fort on the shore for its defence." The original dock, now the ordnance wharf, was so appropriated by James I. who finding it too small and inconvenient for the increasing business of the navy, caused the present dock to be made. This also was enlarged, and improved by Charles I.; many alterations have since been made, and additional buildings erected. It is surrounded by a high wall; the entrance is by a spacious gateway, flanked by embattled towers. The store and mast houses are of great extent: one of the storehouses is two hundred and twenty yards in length; in it are de posited prodigious quantities of sails, rigging, hemp, flax, pitch, tar, rosin, and all other necessaries for ship furniture, arranged in exact order, so that they can be taken out without confusion; and even a first rate can be equipped for sea in a few weeks. The principal mast-house is nearly two hundred and forty feet long, and one hundred and twenty wide; the timbers for the masts are kept floating in two spacious basons. The rope-house is one thousand one hundred and forty feet in length. The sail-loft is nearly seventy yards long. There are four wet-docks, all sufficiently deep and capacious for first rates. The smith's shop contains upwards of twenty forges. The number of artificers and labourers employed here is between three and four thousand. The principal officers of the yard, are a resident

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