Chapter IV: Sanctuary

There is a somewhat dreary allegory of a voyage called “The Floating Island, or a New Discovery relating the Strange Adventure on a late Voyage from Lambethana to Villa Franca, _alias_ Ramallia, to the eastward of Terra del Templo.”

It was published in the year 1673, and it contains an account of certain parts of London which give it some interest. The humour of the piece is that places described are mentioned as new discoveries lying at the distance of many days’ voyage from one to the other. Thus, to take a single example, the following is the description of the Savoy. The sanctuary of this quarter is, of course, Alsatia:—

“The Palace is a very stately Fabrick, and hath been formerly
employed for charitable uses, and still serves as an excellent
Refuge and Sanctuary for such who are either forced by banishment,
or voluntary Exile, to desert their native or long lov’d
habitations, where they may live obscurely, and yet take their
pleasure abroad in the Countries round about, by the means of those
several convenient Avenues belonging thereunto, viz. for sporting
on a brave River, the Stairs; for the Land, the Great Gate butting
Norwards and separated but by a very small channel from Excestria.
To the eastward there is an outlet which leadeth two ways, the one
on the left into the Dutchy, the other turning a little on the
right, into Somersetania; by the first you have a conveyance into
the Country called Maypolia, and so have the whole Country before
you to make choice of; by the last a safe passage by water, or a
conduct short and commodious through the Provinces of White-Hart
into Hortensia (vulgarly called Covent Garden), from whence you may
travail through the whole kingdom.

The Slavonian women supplied us with Fish and fruits of all sort,
which they bring down in abundance from the Upland Countries;
insomuch that we could not fear want of Provision so long as we had
Money; nor question our security, whilst we did put ourselves under
the Protection of this place or of the Dutchy Liberty.”

The sanctuary was for debtors, but not for felons or traitors, and bailiffs occasionally effected an entrance by pretending to have a warrant for the arrest of the latter. But on the cry of “Arrest, Arrest,” the whole of the residents flew to arms and drove out the offenders, perhaps with the loss of their ears. There were punishments inflicted on those who invaded the rights of sanctuary.

Not far from the Savoy the adventurous voyagers discover a floating island, called the Summer Island, or Scoti Moria, viz. “There were two Ports or landing Places, one guarded by ‘Knights of the Blue Aprons,’” _i.e._ waiters, who wore aprons of that colour; and the other by a woman with a white apron. They landed; they found, to leave the allegory, a company assembled playing skittles on the deck and down below drinking bad wine in worse company. The whole of the vessel was filled with bottles; and for commodities for sale or exchange there were none except “what were wrapped in silken Petticoats, and like a Pig in a Poke you must buy, or not at all.” There was also a billiard table on the ship, and tobacco was their only “breath and breathing while.” The next land they touch is the Island of Ursina, or the Bearbaiting, on which it appears that the charge of five shillings covered a ticket for drink as well as entrance. The description of the sport, which follows, affords nothing new. Sailing from Ursina, they arrive at the _Ne plus ultra_, where they are deafened by the “great fall and hideous noise of the waters”—in other words, at London Bridge. Not far from this place they discovered mermaids, both male and female; but the latter only swam at night, being shy. I do not understand this allusion.

The author is pleased to represent Terra del Templo, or the Temple, as a place occupied chiefly by a people constantly engaged in defending themselves against an enemy.

“In the Description of this Ramallia, I must look into Terra del
Templo, but shall not pry into its Court, nor any of the standing
houses, the Housekeeper’s lodging, nor into the menial precincts of
the Inns of Court, farther, than they stand for Refuge and Relief
of the neighbouring Privileges about them. And indeed (since the
general purgation by fire) the first, and chiefest of all, which
for advantage of ground, for fortifications, for Water Works,
Posterns, Passages, Supplies, and provisions by land, or otherwise,
is that so far famed and so fitly named Ramallia; in it are several
Garrisons of old Soldiers, every one of the which is able to lead a
whole Army of Younger Debtors.

They call their Muster rôle in the Round Church, which might more
properly be called their Corps du Guard; then they draw them out
into the Cloysters, and either exercise them there, or in the
Garden, which is an excellent Military Spot for that purpose; but
under the Blowers in the Rum Stampers (called the King’s Bench
walk) they pitch their set Battles, where every evening that ground
(which was lifted in and level’d for their use) is fil’d with men
of desperate and undaunted resolution.

The first work in Ramallia is rais’d and contrived in the form of
a Ram; there is no other reason I can render for it, but that Rams
were of great use in the Jewish Discipline, for Batteries, as you
may read in Josephus his History more at large. This work is of
reasonable strength; in former times it had a watch Tower in the
similitude of a Coblers shop adjoyning, from whence all the forces
about are called together, upon the least approach of the Enemy.
There is another, called the Maidenhead, and is impregnable, where
the Enemy dares not come within shot, and in the nearest to the
confines of Terra del Templo. There are other pretty contrived
Platforms, as Teste Royal, the Falcon, Mitre, etc., and these in
the fashion and form of Cookshops; where if a Setter or Spy chance
to peep in at them (though very dark) they will make him pay for
the roast before he depart. To this Ramallia, or Ramykins, belongs
a very great Fleet, consisting of many Sail, well man’d, and are a
great preservation to the Ramykins.

This place, according to the late Geographical Map, as well as
the report of ancient Writers, cannot possibly be so besieged but
that they within may go in and out at their pleasure, without
impeachment; for at the Middle Temple Gate they issue in spight of
the Devil; at the Inner Temple Gate they fear no colours in the
Rainbow; and at the Postern of the Ramykins, in case they cannot
make over to Fetter Lane, but discover Ambuscado’s, they need only
draw their bodies within guard of Pike, turn faces about, and
retreat through the Mitre.

Now admit they stand for Rio del Plata (commonly called Fleet
Street) and be so intercepted that they cannot recover the
Ramykins, all that is required in that case is but to mend their
March; fall downwards, as if they gave way, suddenly discharge
their right-hand file, and fall easily into Sergeants Inn; where by
ancient Treaty had between this famous place and Terra del Templo,
it was agreed that the parties in such distress might (paying a
small Fee) have convoy and conveyance without the re-hazzard of any
of their persons.

If at any time they had a mind to Forrage, they are no sooner out
of the Middle Temple Gate, but there is a threefold way to defend
them; the Bell Inn, the Bar Gate, and Shire Lane. The passage under
the Blowers is a most excellent safe way for close contriving
and retriving; neither is the Gardners Wharfage (as the Tide may
serve) anyways inconsiderable. To speak the truth, the nature of
Ramallia is much alter’d in few years, neither is the place so much
frequented as formerly by Forreigners in Refuge, the inhabitants
slighting or being careless in the preservation of their ancient
privileges.”

ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S

From the Crace Collection in the British Museum.]

The author tells us, further, that there were formerly many other places which were considered sanctuaries for debtors, _i.e._ places where writs could not be served. These were (1) Milford Lane, at first occupied and defended by indigent officers, who held it, so to speak, by the sword:—

“And notwithstanding their title hath been much disputed
heretofore, yet they have now commuted the matter, prov’d
Plantation, and have withal reduced it to a most absolute Hance and
free Town of itself, without dependency.”

(2) Fulwoods Rents in Holborn, a place which remained to this century of bad reputation, though it contained several good houses.[7]

(3) Baldwin’s Gardens was another sanctuary:—

“The Back-gate into Graies-Inn Lane, with the benefit of Bauldwins
Gardens, is of excellent use; but the passiges through certain
Inns on the Field-side are not attempted without hazard, by reason
of the straggling Troops of the Enemy, who lie Purdue in every
ale-house thereabouts. The safest way of Sally is that through the
Walks, from whence the Red Lyon in Graies-Inn Lane receives them
with good quartering, and passes them through the back way into the
Main Land.”

(4) Another was Great St. Bartholomew’s:—

“Upon whose platform a whole Army of Borrowers and Book-men might
have been mustred and drawn out in length, or into what form or
figure it had pleased them to cast themselves. What works, yea what
variety of Art and Workmanship was within it; What an excellent
half-Moon was there cast up without it, for defence to the
Eastward; What excellent Sconces, in the fashion of Tobacco-shops
and Ale houses in all parts of it.

But alas these are demolisht, for the most part, the old Soldiers
discharg’d, and all delivered up into the hand of the Enemy upon
composition.”

The precinct of St. John of Jerusalem was also formerly held as a sanctuary, but had lost its privileges. In the precinct of Blackfriars privileges were granted to some of the oldest trades, those, probably, which were carried on in the few houses belonging to the Friars. These were feathermakers, Scotch tailors, and French shoemakers. Another is Montagu Close, on the west side of St. Mary Overies, the sanctuary of the Borough. In later years it was removed further south to the place called the Mint.

On the north side of Blackfriars is the place which the residents of all these sanctuaries are continually trying to escape. The author calls it a very strong and formidable citadel belonging to the enemy. This is Ludgate Prison.

“It is much like the apples of Sodom, better for fight without
than in. Its whole prospect from within are iron grates, where,
through every Transom, the forlorn Captives may take a view of
the Iron Age; there is one single entrance, which, like Hell’s
Gate, lets many in, but few out, turn once the Ward—Et vestigia
nulla retrorsum. The Cimmerians in their dwellings resemble these
in their lodgings, only their lights are different; those receive
some scattered beamings by their Mountain Crannies; these by their
disconsolate loopholes.

Yet from above, the Inhabitants may take a view of all those places
which club’d to their restrain; and be reminded of the loss of time
which brought them thither. The Governour hereof is careless whence
they come, but infinitely cautious how they go away; and if they go
away without his favour, they are in great danger to break their
necks for their labour.”

The rest of the little book is made up of a Rabelaisian description of the people in sanctuary—the Ram Alley folk, with certain “special cases.”

“In case of Linnen, it hath been adjudged, that if three good
fellows and constant Companions have but one shirt between them,
and that these three (seeing none of their other shifts will do
them any good) jointly consent this shirt shall be sold, it shall
be lawful for them to expose it to sale, vended and condemned for
the common good of three, and that forthwith the money be spent
in the cherishing that blood that retired from the extream parts,
being chil’d with the fright of parting with so dear and near a
friend.”