This convent and its church were surrendered to Henry VIII. in the thirtieth year of his reign, when they were valued at no more than 26l. 7s. 3d. and being soon after pulled down, other houses were built in their room. Maitland.
In the year 1608, the inhabitants obtained several liberties, privileges and exemptions by a charter granted them by King James I. and this rendered the place an asylum for insolvent debtors, cheats, and gamesters, who gave to this district the name of Alsatia: but the inconveniences the city suffered from this place of refuge, and the riotous proceedings carried on there, at length induced the legislature to interpose; and to deprive them of privileges so pernicious to the community.
White Friars dock, White Friars.
White Friars stairs, White Friars.
Whitehall, a palace originally built by Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, who in the year 1243, bequeathed it to the Black Friars in Chancery lane, Holbourn, in whose church he was interred. But in 1248, these friars having disposed of it to Walter de Grey, Archbishop of York, he left it to his successors, the Archbishops of that see, for their city mansion, and hence it obtained the name of York place. However, the royal palace at Westminster suffering greatly by fire in the reign of Henry VIII. and that Prince having a great inclination for York place, purchased it of Cardinal Wolsey, in the year 1530.
Henry had no sooner obtained the possession of this palace than he enclosed the park for the accommodation of both palaces, and built the beautiful gate opposite the banqueting house (which has been lately pulled down) to which he added a magnificent gallery, for the accommodation of the Royal Family, the nobility and great officers of state; for there they sat to see the tournaments performed in the tiltyard; and soon after the King, who had a greater taste for pleasure, than for elegance of building, ordered a tennis-court, a cock-pit, and bowling greens to be formed, with other places for different kinds of diversion.
From this time Whitehall continued the royal residence of the Sovereigns of England; and Hentzner in his Itinerarium says it was a structure truly royal: and it was furnished in a peculiar manner.
“Near this palace, says he, are seen an immense number of swans, who wander up and down the river for some miles, in great security; no body daring to molest, much less to kill any of them, under the penalty of a considerable fine.
In the palace is a library, well stored with Greek, Latin, Italian and French books; and among the rest, a small one in French, upon parchment, in the hand writing of the present Queen Elizabeth thus inscribed:
A tres haut & tres puissant & redoubtè Prince Henry VIII. de ce nom, Roy d’Angleterre, de France, & d’Irelande, defenseur de la foy:
Elisabeth sa tres humble fille rend salut & obedience.
In English thus:
To the most high, puissant, and redoubted Prince, Henry VIII. of the name, King of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith:
Elizabeth, his most humble daughter, health and obedience.
All these books are bound in velvet of different colours, though chiefly red, with clasps of gold and silver; some have pearls, and precious stones, set in their bindings.
II. Two little silver cabinets of exquisite work, in which the Queen keeps her paper, and which she uses for writing boxes.
III. The Queen’s bed; ingeniously composed of woods of different colours, with quilts of silk, velvet, gold, silver, and embroidery.
IV. A little chest ornamented all over with pearls, in which the Queen keeps her bracelets, ear-rings, and other things of extraordinary value.
V. Christ’s passion in painted glass.
VI. Portraits: among which are Queen Elizabeth at sixteen years of age. Henry, Richard, Edward, Kings of England; Rosamond, Lucrece, a Grecian bride, in her nuptial habit; the genealogy of the Kings of England; a picture of King Edward VI. representing at first sight something quite deformed, till by looking through a small hole in the cover, which is put over it, you see it in its true proportions; the Emperor Charles V. Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy, and Catharine of Spain, his wife; Ferdinand Duke of Florence, with his daughters; one of Philip King of Spain, when he came into England, and married Mary; Henry VII. Henry VIII. and his mother; besides many more of illustrious men and women; and a picture of the siege of Malta.
VII. A small hermitage, half hid in a rock, finely carved in wood.
VIII. Variety of emblems, on paper, cut in the shape of shields, with mottoes used by the nobility at tilts and tournaments, hung up here for a memorial.
IX. Different instruments of music, upon one of which two persons may perform at the same time.
X. A piece of clock-work, an Æthiop riding upon a rhinoceros, with four attendants, who all make their obeisance, when it strikes the hour; these are all put into motion by winding up the machine.”
In short, at the entrance into the park, from Whitehall, was this romantic inscription, which the honourable Horatio Walpole supposes might allude to Philip II. who wooed the Queen after her sister’s death, and to the destruction of his armada.
Ictus piscator tandem sapit,
Sed infelix Actæon semper præceps.
Casta virgo facilè miseretur;
Sed potens Dea scelus ulciscitur.
Præda canibus, exemplum juvenibus,
Suis dedecus, pereat Actæon.
Cura cœlitibus, chara mortatibus, suis securitas,
Vivat Diana.
Thus englished: