Anno 1345, Stews were licenced by King _Edward_ III. Anno 1381, these Stew-Houses belonged to _William Walworth_, Lord-Mayor of _London_, who let them out to some _Flemish_ Women, and soon after they were plundered by _Walter Tyler_, and the rebellious _Kentishmen_, when probably they were put down, and again suffered, and afterwards confirmed by _Henry_ VI. In 1506, King _Henry_ VII. for some Time shut up these Houses, which were in Number _Eighteen_, and not long after renewed their Licence, and reduced them to _Twelve_; at which Number they continued till their final Suppression by Sound of Trumpet, in 1546, by King _Henry_ VIII, whose tender Conscience startled at such scandalous and open Lewdness. The single Women who were Retainers to, or Inmates in, these Houses, were excommunicated, not suffered to enter the Church while alive, or if not reconciled before their Death, prohibited Christian Burial, and were interred in a Piece of Ground called the _Single-Women’s Church-Yard_, set a-part for their Use only. These Houses were distinguished by several Signs painted on their Fronts, as, a _Boar’s-Head_, the _Crane_, the _Cardinal’s Hat_, the _Swan_, the _Bell_, the _Castle_, the _Cross-Keys_, and the _Gun_. [Illustration] [Illustration] NUMBER II. _An Attempt to prove the Antiquity of the_ Venereal Disease, _long before the Discovery of the_ West-Indies; _in a Letter to Dr._ JAMES DOUGLASS, _M. D._ _SIR_, The Undertaking I am at present engaged in, is to prove that the _Venereal Disease_ was known among us, much earlier than the _Æra_, which has been generally assign’d for its Rise by modern Authors; for it is believed it was not known, at least in _Europe_, till about the Year 1494. Notwithstanding which, I determine to make it evident, that it was frequent among us some Hundreds of Years before that Date. I could mention several Physicians and Surgeons of Eminence, who have been of the same Sentiments, particularly, the Learned Dr. _Charles Patin_, who has written a curious Dissertation to prove the _Antiquity of this Disease_, which is sufficient to excuse me from the Imputation of having started a Novelty, or being at the trouble of quoting antient Authorities before taken notice of, from the most ancient Writers of Medicine; as _Hippocrates_, _Galen_, _Avicen_, _Celsus_, &c. and even the _Holy Scriptures_. I shall therefore lay aside all those foreign Aids and Assistances, and trace out the Symptoms of the Disease, as they naturally arise, from the _first_ Infection to the _last_ destructive Period, and shew that, by searching into our own Antiquities, we may be furnished with Instances of the Frequency of the Distemper among us, in all its respective Stages, before ever our Modern Authors dream it had its Appearance in _Europe_,