“As soon as we had reached the orchestra, the singer curtsied to us, for we were the only persons in the gardens. ‘This is sad work,’ said he, ‘but the woman must sing, according to our contract.’ I recollect that the singer was handsome, most dashingly dressed, immensely plumed, and villainously rouged; she smiled as she sang, but it was not the bewitching smile of Mrs. Wrighten, then applauded by thousands at Vauxhall Gardens. As soon as the Spa lady had ended her song, Keyse, after joining me in applause, apologised for doing so, by observing that as he never suffered his servants to applaud, and as the people in the road (whose ears were close to the cracks in the paling to hear the song) would make a bad report if they had not heard more than the clapping of one pair of hands, he had in this instance expressed his reluctant feelings. As the lady retired from the front of the orchestra, she, to keep herself in practice, curtsied to me with as much respect as she would had Colonel Topham been the patron of a gala-night. ‘This is too bad,’ again observed Mr. Keyse, ‘and I am sure you cannot expect fireworks!’ However, he politely asked me to partake of a bottle of Lisbon, which upon my refusing, he pressed me to accept of a catalogue of his pictures.” Keyse died in his house at the Gardens on 8 February, 1800[260] and his pictures were subsequently sold by auction. His successors in the management of the Bermondsey Spa failed to make it pay,[261] and it was closed about 1804.[262] The Site, now in Spa Road, was afterwards built upon. [Lysons’s _Environs_, vol. i. (1792), p. 558; Smith’s _Book for a Rainy Day_, p. 135, ff. under “1795”; G. W. Phillips’s _History and Antiquities of Bermondsey_, 1841, pp. 84, 85; _Dict. Nat. Biog._ art. “Keyse”; Walford, vi. 128, 129; _Histories of Surrey_; E. L. Blanchard in the _Era Almanack_ for 1870, p. 18; Rendle and Norman’s _Inns of Old Southwark_, pp. 394–396; _A Modern Sabbath_ (1797), chap. ix.; Kearsley’s _Strangers’ Guide to London_ (1793?); Fores’s _New Guide_ (1789), preface, p. vi.; _Picture of London_, 1802, p. 370, where “the pictures of the late Mr. Keys” are mentioned; “Public Gardens” Coll. in Guildhall Library, London; _Description of some of the Paintings in the Perpetual Exhibition at Bermondsey Spa_, Horselydown (_circ._ 1785?) 8vo. (W. Coll.). Song-books (words only) of Bermondsey Spa, W. Coll.] VIEWS. A pen and ink sketch of Bermondsey Spa and a portrait of Keyse were in J. H. Burn’s Collection, and at his sale at Puttick’s were bought by Mr. Gardner (_Notes and Queries_, 6th ser. i. 506). ST. HELENA GARDENS, ROTHERHITHE