The four royal hospitals of London are the most conspicuous instances of charities which were under public management, but only partly supported by public contributions. We get from them several complaints of a partial break-down owing to the Civil War, and the figures furnished by the Governors speak for themselves. In 1641 there were over nine hundred children in Christ's Hospital, in 1647 there were only five hundred and ninety-seven; at Thomas's Hospital, in 1641, over a thousand patients were relieved, and in 1647 only six hundred and eighty-two; at St Bartholomew's and Bridewell the numbers had also decreased[645]. The Governors of Christ's Hospital give us their estimate of the reasons for this. We are told that "in respect of the troubles of the times, the meanes of the said Hospital hath very much failed for want of charitable Benevolences which formerly have beene given, and are now ceased; and very few legacies are now given to hospitals, the rents and revenues thereunto belonging being also very ill paid by the tenants, who are not able to hold their leases by reason of their quartering and billetting of soldiers and the taking away of their corne and cattell from them[646]." A few years later the billeting had apparently ceased, but the tenants then suffered "by reason of the severall charges and taxes laid upon them[647]." Even in 1653 we are informed that the revenues of Christ's Hospital "hath divers wayes fallen very short of means formerly received, viz. heretofore many have given monies privateley, others very bountifull at their deaths. And several parishes in London have sent in large contributions and now but one that sends anything at all[648]." The Civil War had reduced many of the richer classes to poverty, and probably most institutions which were maintained by private contributions would suffer in the same manner as Christ's Hospital in London. [645] The Reports of the Four Royal Hospitals for 1641 and 1647. _King's Pamphlets_, Brit. Mus. 669, f. 4, No. 5, and f. 11, No. 5. In 1641 there had been 1002 patients in St Bartholomew's, and 711 vagrants in Bridewell. In 1647 there had been 901 in St Bartholomew's and 575 vagrants in Bridewell. [646] Report of the Four Royal Hospitals for 1645. _King's Pamphlets_, British Museum, 669, f. 10, No. 26. Similar reasons are also alleged in the report of 1644. _Ib._, No. 2. [647] _Ib._, 1649, 669, f. 14, No. 11. [648] _King's Pamphlets_, 1653, 669, f. 16, No. 94. [Sidenote: 1 _b._ Neglect in execution of ordinary law.] There are also complaints and instances of the bad administration of the ordinary law. One of these is contained in the ordinance of the Lords of 1646/7. The Lord Mayor in the City and the justices and judges in the country are to put in execution the laws concerning the poor and rogues, because "by reason of the unhappy distractions of these times the putting of the Lawes into execution have been altogether neglected[649]."