Note 103 — ACT V., SCENE I.
Reading edition
This speech is not appropriated in the original, although divided from the wife's: neither are the words between brackets altogether an insertion of my own. The speech appears thus in the original:—
'Tis fairely given. Thy soule on prisoners prayers shall mount to heaven: The Plummers and the Workemen have survey'd the ground From Paddington; from whence I'l have laid pipes Long to London to convey sweet water into Ludgate; From fresh Springs: when charity tunes the pipe, the Poore man sings. Enter Keeper. How now, Keeper.
As I had occasion to give a note here, I thought one sample of the original might gratify the reader's curiosity, and he has a miniature of the whole work. The poet, who is here very minute in the description of Stephen's charity, is justified by the inscription on the wall quoted by Stow. On this subject, however, Strype observes, "The water I find not to be altogether his gift; for that I perused lately a book, wherein I found a memorandum, that Sir Robert Knowles [Lord Mayor in 1400] gave maintenance for the supply of the prisoners of Ludgate and Newgate for ever" ("Appendix," p. 26). There can be little doubt, however, that this excellent man did something for the benefit of the prisoners, in regard to the supplying them with water.—Dilke.