i dedicate my work to the former patients of Bedlam.
Bedlam.
HEere liue many, that are cal'd men, but sel∣dome at home, for they are gone out of themselues: Nature hath bin a Steppe∣mother to some, and mise∣ry and crosses haue caused this strange change in o∣thers: they seeme to liue here, eyther to rectifie Na∣ture, or forget Miseries: they are put to Learne that Lesson which many, nay all that will be happy, must learne to know, and be ac∣quainted with themselues: this House would bee too little, if all that are beside themselues should be put in here: it seemes strange that any one shold recouer here, the cryings, screechings, roarings, brawlings, shaking of chaines, swearings, fret∣tings, chaffings, are so ma∣ny, so hideous, so great, that they are more able to driue a man that hath his witts, rather out of them, then to helpe one that ne∣uer had them, or hath lost them, to finde them againe.
A Drunkard is madde for the present, but a Madde man is drunke alwayes. You shall scarce finde a place that hath so many men & woemen so strange∣ly altered either from what they once were, or should haue beene: The men are al like a Shippe that either wants a Sterne, or a Steres∣man, or Ballast; they are all Heteroclites from Na∣ture, either hauing too much Wildnesse, or be∣ing defectiue in Iudgment. Here Art striues to mend or cure Natures imper∣fections and defects. Cer∣tainely, hee that keepes the House may be sayd to liue among wilde Creatures: It's thought many are kept here, not so much in hope of recouery, as to keepe them from further and more desperate Inconue∣niences.
Their Facul∣ties and Powers of their Soules and Bodies be∣ing by an ill cause vitia∣ted and depraued, or de∣fectiue. The men may be said to be faire Instruments of Musicke, but either they want strings, or else though beeing strung are out of tune, or otherwise want an expert Artist to order them: Many liue here that know not where they are, or how they got in, ne∣uer thinke of getting out: there's many that are so well or ill in their wits, that they can say they haue bin out of them, & gaine much by dissembling in this kind: desperate 〈◊〉〈◊〉that dare make a mocke of iudgment: well, if the Diuell was not so strong to delude, & men so easily to be drawne, this house would stand empty, and for my part, I am sorry it hath any in it.
(This is what Daniel Lupton wrote in 1632 about Bedlam in his London and the countrey carbonadoed and quartred into seuerall characters. His book is a poetic guide to London, written by someone who is really familiar with its insides. The book itself consists of a series of descriptions of different parts and sights of London, as well as characters ('Fisher-woemen' and 'Constables') and institutions ('Ale-houses' and 'Dancing-schooles'). The fact that we can find Bedlam amongst 'Paris-Garden' and 'The Tower' already shows us what a significant role this institution must have played in Early Modern England.)
