with a definite duty--to pray for the souls of two
children; it had no other charitable objects than belong to any
religious foundation--viz., the giving of alms to the poor, nor was it
intended as a church for the people; in those days there were no
people outside the Tower, save the inhabitants of a few scattered
cottages along the river Wall, and the farmhouses of Steban Heath. It
was simply founded for the benefit of two little princes' souls. One
refrains from asking what was done for the little paupers' souls in
those days.
The Prior and Canons of Holy Trinity without Aldgate continued to
exercise some authority over the Hospital, but apparently--the subject
only interests the ecclesiastical historian--against the protests and
grumblings of the St. Katherine's Society. It was, however, formally
handed over to them, a hundred and forty years later, by Henry the
Third. After his death, Queen Eleanor, for some reason, now dimly
intelligible, wanted to get the Hospital into her own hands. The
Bishop of London took it away from the Priory and transferred it to
her. Then, perhaps with the view of preventing any subsequent claim by
the Priory, she declared the Hospital dissolved.
Here ends the first chapter in the history of the Hospital. The
foundation for the souls of the two princes existed no longer--the
children, no doubt, having been long since sung out of Purgatory.
Queen Eleanor, however, immediately refounded it. The Hospital was, as
before, to consist of a Master, three Brothers, three Sisters, and
bedeswomen. It was also provided that six poor scholars were to be fed
and clothed--not educated, The Queen further provided that on November
the 16th of every year twelve pence each should be given to the poor
scholars, and the same amount to twenty-four poor persons; and that on
November the 20th, the anniversary of the King's death, one thousand
poor men should receive one halfpenny each. Here is the first
introduction of a charity. The Hospital is no longer an ecclesiastical
foundation only; it maintains scholars and gives substantial alms. Who
received these alms? Of course the people in the neighbourhood--if
there were no inhabitants in the Precinct, the poor of Portsoken Ward.
In either case the charity would be local--a point of the greatest
importance. Queen Eleanor also continued her predecessor's rule that
the patronage of the Hospital should remain in the hands of the Queens
of England for ever; when
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