A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12Dodsley, Robert
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12
Dodsley, Robert
English drama
"Her riches and his industry brought him both great wealth and honour,
being afterwards no less than Sir Stephen Foster, Lord Mayor of the
honourable city of London: yet whilst he lived in this great honour
and dignity, he forgot not the place of his captivity; but, mindful of
the sad and irksome place wherein poor men were imprisoned, bethought
himself of enlarging it, to make it a little more delightful and
pleasant for those who in aftertimes should be imprisoned and shut up
therein. And, in order thereunto, acquainted his lady with this his
pious purpose and intention, in whom likewise he found so affable and
willing a mind to do good to the poor, that she promised to expend
as much as he should do for the carrying on of the work; and, having
possessions adjoining thereunto, they caused to be erected and built
the rooms and places following, that is to say, the paper house, the
porch, the watch-hall, the upper and lower lumbries, the cellar, the
long ward, and the chapel for divine service; in which chapel is an
inscription upon the wall, containing these words--
"_This chapel was erected and ordained for the divine worship and
service of God, by the Right Honourable Sir Stephen Foster, Knight,
some time Lord Maior of this honourable city, and by Dame Agnes his
wife, for the use and godly exercise of the prisoners in this prison
of Ludgate, Anno 1454._
" ... He likewise gave maintenance for a preaching minister," ... and
"ordained what he had so built, with that little which was before,
should be free for all free-men, and that they providing their
own bedding should pay nothing at their departure for lodging or
chamber-rent."[27]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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