WATTS'S CHARITY-SINGULAR PROVISO.

In the Town Hall a characteristic portrait of Sir Cloudesley Shovel may be seen, together with portraits of various other personages who have been connected, from time to time, with this ancient city; the most interesting among them being, perhaps, those of Richard Watts and Sir Joseph Williamson. The Hospital, founded by the former, and distant not a stone's throw from where we are now standing, is on the north side of the High Street, and will be easily recognised by the tablet above the doorway, setting forth that

"RICHARD WATTS, Esq., by his will, dated 22nd August, 1579, founded this charity, for six poor travellers, who, not being Rogues or Proctors, may receive gratis, for one Night, Lodging, Entertainment, and fourpence each. In testimony of his Munificence, in honour of his Memory, and inducement to his Example, NATHANIEL HOOD, Esq., the present Mayor, has caused this stone, gratefully to be renewed, and inscribed, A.D., 1771.

The singular exception of those respectable gentlemen called proctors (whom we become acquainted with under the delicate circumstances of a marriage licence, and who receive us so blandly, and question us so mildly, showing a kind consideration of Our bashful confusion) has caused more than one literary controversy as to the reason of it. The vulgar belief is, that the founder, when abroad, was once afflicted with a

severe illness, when he employed a knave of a proctor to make his will, and that on his unexpected recovery he found the rascal, instead of carrying out his instructions, had assigned the whole of the property over to himself. That this is only an idle tradition is apparent on the face of it. The truth is, the exception was not directed against the legal profession at all, but against those itinerant priests

SATIS HOUSE-AN ANECDOTE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.

*

called procurators, or proctors, who, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, had dispensations from the Pope, to absolve her subjects from their allegiance, and who lived a lazy, vagabondizing sort of life, wandering about from place to place, and picking up the pence wherever any opportunity presented itself. The founder, foreseeing that these gentlemen would very likely avail themselves of his bequest, and feeling, doubtless, a sort of loyal hatred for the fraternity, put this prohibition in force against them. On inquiry, we find that the charity is still administered according to the directions of the founder, and that twelve persons now receive a lodging nightly, and a groat at their departure; but how the remainder of the very large fund, arising from the increased value of the property, is appropriated, we could not gain any information. Satis house, the re

sidence of Mr. Watts, took its name from the reply made by Queen Elizabeth, when taking leave of this loyal subject of hers, after having sojourned for a day or two at his mansion, during one of her Kentish progresses. At her departure her host was ready, with a mouthful of apologies, for the indifferent accommodation his house had afforded her; but the imperious Elizabeth silenced him, and at the same time expressed her dignified acknow

ledgments by a single word-"Satis" was all she replied; and By Statute 22, Henry VIII., cap. 12, it appears that all proctors, or pardoners, going about without sufficient authority, were to be treated as vagabonds.

THE FREE SCHOOL-ROCHESTER INNS-THE TOWN WALLS.

from that moment the name of Satis was given to the house of her entertainer. The mansion stands on Bully Hill, a short distance southward of the Castle; but few, if any traces of the old building are now in existence; the present Satis House being either a modernized version of the original, or else an entirely fresh erection, standing merely on the same site.

The Free School, founded by Sir Joseph Williamson, is situated on the left-hand side of the High Street, on the road to Chatham. One fact connected with it may be recorded, namely, that here the celebrated David Garrick was sent to study, under the mathematician, Colson, shortly after his arrival in London, with his former preceptor, the great Dr. Johnson, whom he had induced to leave Lichfield, and accompany him on a speculative journey to the metropolis, which they reached, with something like three-halfpence in their pockets between them.

In the High Street of Rochester many picturesque old houses are still standing, together with three or four pointed gateways, leading to as many ancient inns, which the artist and archæologist, and even the man of taste, will hardly pass by with indifference. The reader of Shakspere will call to mind that famous scene preceding the one quoted at the commencement of our excursion, and imagine it to have transpired in one of the very inn yards attached to one or the other of these old hostelries.

Some considerable remains of the ancient town walls may still be seen in various parts of the outskirts of the City; and at the

picturesque, ancient, red brick building, known as the Temple Farm, raised upon the original foundations of a mansion belonging to the Knights Templars of the Teutonic Order. On the dispersion of the body, by Edward the Second, it was granted, by the Pope, to the Knights Hospitallers, and eventually became a Nun

TEMPLE FARM-CHARLES THE SECOND'S ENTRY INTO ROCHESTER.

nery.

Sharing the same fate as other religious houses, at the time of the Reformation, it was sold to Lord Cobham, and forfeited by his grandson, for his treason against James the First. Only a small part of the building is now standing. One large chamber, on the first floor, overlooking the flowing river, appears of no earlier date than the time of Elizabeth; but the most interesting portions of the edifice are the vaults beneath, built of stone, on a solid foundation of chalk, and, doubtless, many centuries old.

There still remain to be noticed two incidents connected with the return of the Stuart family, and their final expulsion from these shores. Charles the Second, after landing at Dovor, passed through Rochester on his way to the metropolis, amidst the acclamations of his subjects, tarrying only a sufficient time to shower down honours and rewards amongst those who put themselves forward to receive him. As a contrast to this scene, we have James the Second, after his flight, concealing himself at Rochester, in the house of Sir Richard Head, whence he is smuggled by the back door, at three o'clock in the morning, on board a small boat, bound for France, he having previously begged for, and obtained, a passport for "a gentleman and two servants without name." But this affair, as detailed by an eye-witness, is so interesting that we quote it at length :

"The Faversham sailors observing a vessel of about thirty tons lying at Shellness to take in ballast, resolved forthwith to go and board her: they went in the evening, with three smaks and about forty men, and three files of musqueteers of Faversham band, all well appointed, of which they made William Amis, some time master of a vessel, their Captain. In the cabin of the vessel they seized three persons of quality, of which they knew only Sir Edward Hales, from which three persons they took three hundred guineas, and brought them afterwards on shore beyond Oure (Ore), at a place called the Shoal, on Wednesday, December the 12th, about ten o'clock in the morning, where met them, Sir Thomas Jenner's coach, with about twenty gentlemen of the town on horseback, and brought them into the Queen's Arms, in Faversham. I, standing by the coach, seeing the King come out, whom I knew very well, was astonished, and said, 'Gentlemen, you have taken the King a prisoner,' which wrought great amazement among them all. Then the gentlemen owned him as their Sovereign.-Then the King expressed himself in this manner to one of the clergy: 'I see the rabble is up, and I must say, with the Psalmist, that God alone can still the rage of the sea, and the madness of the people, for I cannot do it, therefore am I forced to fly.' Then the King ordered the money that was taken from them, to be divided amongst them that took him. The King wrote a letter to the

JAMES THE SECOND'S EXTRAORDINARY FLIGHT.

Earl of Winchelsea to come to him, and let him know that he was at Faversham in the midst of his enemies; at which my Lord came from Canterbury that night, which much gladded the King, that he had now one with him that knew how to respect the person of a king, and awe the rabble; for those brutish unmannerly sailors had carried themselves very indecently towards him. The King desired much of the gentlemen to convey him away at night in the Custom-house boat, and pressed it upon their consciences, and told them, that if the Prince of Orange should take away his life, his blood would be required at their hands; and that now it was in their power to release him; but that shortly it would be out of their power to do him good. The gentlemen would by no means admit of it; saying, they must be accountable for him to the Prince of Orange, and it would be a mean of laying the nation in blood. He was then carried from the Queen's Arms to the Mayor's House, where he continued, under a strong guard of soldiers and sailors, until Saturday morning following, ten o'clock.

"The King sent to the Lords of the Council, to let them know that the mob had possessed themselves of his money and necessaries, and desired them to send new supplies to him. They forthwith dispatched the Earls of Faversham, Hilsborough, Middleton, and Yarmouth, with about 120 horse guards, besides sumpter horses, paddnags, and coaches, whose orders were, to prevail with the King, if it were possible, to return to Whitehall; but not to put any restraint upon his person, if his resolution continued to go beyond the seas. The Lords came to Sittingbourne on Friday evening, but were met by Sir Basil Dixwell, who commanded the horse guards in the town under the Earl of Winchelsea, with some other persons of quality, and persuaded the Lords to leave the guards at Sittingbourn, and they would conduct his Majesty thither next morning; which was done with much order, peace, and satisfaction, both to the King and people.

"The King lay that night at Rochester, and went next day to Whitehall, intending to avoid the City, and to go over at Lambeth; but when he drew nigh the City, he was informed that the City would receive him with acclamations of joy: then he went through the City, and visited the Queen Dowager by the way; and the general discourse of the people was, 'though we hate his religion, yet we honour his person.' The King sent a letter by the Earl of Faversham to the Prince of Orange at Windsor; but the Prince secured the Earl prisoner in the said Castle, alledging that he was guilty of treason, for disbanding the army without order. The Prince sent to the King at Whitehall, that he thought it not safe, in this present juncture of affairs, for his Majesty to remain there, by reason of the resort of Papists, so he ordered his removal to Ham; but the King rather desired his removal to Rochester, which was granted, and the Prince sent some of his guards with him thither. Then the King desired a pass for France, for a gentleman and two servants without name, which was also granted. The King, with his natural son, the Duke of Berwick, went out of Sir Richard Head's house (at Rochester) by a back door, on Sunday, about three o'clock in the morning, and was carried from thence, in a barge, to Shellness, where lay a small vessel: the Master thereof carried and landed them between Calais and Bouloign, in France, on Tuesday, December the 25th, where they had guards to conduct them to Paris, where his Queen was gone before."