The morning call., 1893-07-02
FOUNDED BY A JESTER.
The Romantic Story of Prominent
London Church.


The further installment of restoration
which St. Bartholomew Church, Smith
field, has undergone. and which will be
formally inaugurated On Monday by the
Prince of Wales. is an interesting feature
in the history of one of the oldest and most
curious churches in London.
1t marks the removal of the last escular
encroachment upon the old ecclesiastical
building, which formed part of the an
clent priory of st. Bartholomew, founded
under the most romantic circumstances by
Rahere, the Kings minstrel, who had been
companion of Hereward. the last of the
Sax0ns. The church Is almost unique, as
having been preserved from its erection in
tho reign Of Henry | to the present day.
The entrance is still through the pointed
arch of the early English period, with
dog-tooth ornaments and four gracefully
nodded orders, under which the monks
passed when the church was surrounded
by cloister, chapter-house, refectory. great
and little close and all the other appur-
tepances of monastic community. All
the pilasters except one have disappeared.
but the capitals remain, and the noble
gateway, though much crumbled with age.
has stood here since the days when 1t led
to the monastic Enclosure.
Seven hundred and seventy years have
and vet so much remains still to show
what it was when seen by its founder. IL
the church has had strange history its
origin was stranger still. 1t borders. in
fact, on the grOiesque. Henry / had a
lester named Rahere, curious fellow.
who lived hard and with no thought Of
hereafter. But while still a young man he
had sudden awakening. and to still his
conscience went on pilgrimage to Rome.
This was the initial incident which led 10
the founding Of the church..
At Rome Rahere fell ILL.,, and being in
fear of death made vow that if he recOv-
cred he would found hospital for poor
men,. He did recover and journeyed home
still intent on carrying out his purpose. an
intention that was confirmed by vision
from st. Bartholomew. who pointed out
Smithfield to him as the place where he
was to build 1t. Smithfield then was an
I.unproniising spot for the purpose-a place
outside the city walls. little better than a
marsh. celebrated mostly as place of exc
cution, as. indeed. it was for centuries
afterWard.
Rahere. however, was a man Of his
word. He got. a grant of the land from
Henry, drained the m srsh. built the
church and a priory round it, and himself
became the prior. With little money to
build the place, he had rpSorted to a trick
to get a great deal OF the work done
DOMINIC, INTERNATIONALLY. his cap and
bells, and starting men: carrying stones as
jest until the con tagion. spread. and vast
NUN bers entered into the huge joke OF
building the place. ~. -
:. this way was the place built at min
imum If cost, yet so satisfactorily that the
part remaining intact Is. still substantial
and durable. The London of to-day has
practically grown up around it, and in the
nearly eight centuries OF its existence
strange scenes have been enacted. Men.
ton cannot be made of st. Bartholomew &
without calling TO mind the fair, which
was: originally started for the purpose Of
procuring funds for the abbey. :
The dispersal Of the monks, the degsn.
Grafton Of the fair, the gradual decay and
removal of the old abbey buildings until
only the church remains, and the spread.
ing of dense populations for miles around
is as much the history Of London as it j:
of st. Bartholomew's; but on the occasion
of the dedication of the. restored building
it will be recalled 10. mind and form 3
prominent part. in the .congratulat0ry
speeches that are to.be expected:
The greatest uniyersjtysis Oxford. It hal
kWaptv-ODa collaUoe and fi1a no lie