I hope that 'SOUTH LONDON' will be received with favour equal to that bestowed upon its predecessors. The chief difficulty in writing it has been that of selection from the great treasures which have accumulated about this strange spot. The contents of this volume do not form a tenth part of what might be written on the same plan, and still without including the History Proper of the Borough. I am like the showman in the 'Cries of London'--I pull the strings, and the children peep. Lo! Allectus goes forth to fight and die on Clapham Common: William's men burn the fishermen's cottages: little King Richard, that lovely boy, rides out, all in white and gold, from his Palace at Kennington--saw one ever so gallant a lad? The Bastard of Falconbridge bombards the city: Sir John Fastolfe's man is pressed into Jack Cade's army: the Minters make their last Sanctuary opposite St. George's: the Debtors languish in the King's Bench. There are many pictures in the box--but how many more there are for which no room could be found! I must acknowledge my obligations, first, to the Editor of the _Pall Mall Magazine_, where half of these chapters first had the honour of appearing, for the wealth of illustration of which he thought them worthy: and next to the artist, Mr. Percy Wadham, who has so faithfully and so cunningly carried out the task committed to him. WALTER BESANT. UNITED UNIVERSITY CLUB: _September 1898_. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS 1 II. EARLY HISTORY 25 III. A FORGOTTEN MONASTERY 47 IV. THE ROYAL HOUSES OF SOUTH LONDON 69 V. PAGEANTS AND RIDINGS 124 VI. A FORGOTTEN WORTHY 134 VII. THE BOMBARDMENT OF LONDON 153 VIII. THE PILGRIMS 157 IX. THE LADY FAIR 179 X. ST. MARY OVERIES 191 XI. THE SHOW FOLK 206 XII. BELOW BRIDGE 229 XIII. THE LATER SANCTUARY 241 XIV. IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 248 XV. THE DEBTORS' PRISON 272 XVI. THE PLEASURE GARDENS 282 XVII. SOUTH LONDON OF TO-DAY 301 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ST. SAVIOUR'S, SOUTHWARK _Frontispiece_ _Etched by F. S. Walker, R.E._ PAGE