that is, ‘Bethlehem,’ subs. (old).—The ancient priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem, founded in 1247, mentioned (MURRAY) in 1330 as ‘an hospital’, and in 1402 as ‘a hospital for lunatics’, and incorporated as a royal foundation in 1547. Hence as subs. (1)—a lunatic asylum, a madhouse; (2) = madness, frenzy; (3)—an uproar, scene of mad confusion; (4) a inmate of Bethlehem hospital, but spec. a discharged patient, half-cured, wearing a tin plate on the left arm licensing him to beg: also called BEDLAM-BEGGAR, ABRAM-MAN (q.v.), BEDLAMER, BEDLAMITE, TOM (or JACK) OF BEDLAM, etc.; (5) = generic for a fool, or one fit for Bedlam. Whence BEDLAM-MADNESS = anger, fury, folly, wantonness; with obvious derivatives such as BEDLAM-RIPE (-MAD, or -WITTED), etc. (B. E., GROSE).
1522–3. SKELTON, Why come ye nat to Courte? 652.
| Such a madde BEDLEME | |
| For to rewle this reame. |
1525. TYNDALE, New Testament, Prol. No man had bene … so Bedlem mad to affirme that good is yt naturall cause of euill. Ibid. (1528), Obedience of a Christian Man (1848), 184. Thynges whiche they of BEDLEM may see, that they are but madnes.
c. 1535. MORE [Works (1557), 16]. The rauing of BETHLEM PEOPLE.
1541. BARNES [Works (1573), 294. 2]. A scorge to tame those BEDLAMES with.
1553–87. FOXE, Acts and Monuments, 996. 1. To speake as undiscreetlie and BEDLEMLY, as ye doe.
1562. HEYWOOD, Proverbs and Epigrams (1867), 107. Lyke IACKE OF BEDLEM in and out whipping.
1581. B. RICH, Farewell to Militarie Profession. But his wife (as he had attired her) seemed (in deede) not to be well in her wittes, but seyng her housbandes maners, shewed her self in her conditions to bee a right BEDLEM.
1585. FLEMING, The Nomenclator, 424a. Furor … Outrage; furie; BEDLEM MADNESSE.
1593. SHAKESPEARE, 2 Henry VI., v. 1.
| Clif. … To BEDLAM with him! Is the man grown mad? | |
| K. Hen. Ay, Clifford; a BEDLAM and ambitious humor | |
| Makes him oppose himself against his king. | |
| Ibid. (1605), King Lear, ii. 3. | |
| The country gives me proof and precedent | |
| Of BEDLAM BEGGARS, who, with roaring voices, | |
| Strike in their numb’d and mortified bare arms | |
| Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary … | |
| Enforce their charity. |
1598. MARSTON, Satyres, iii. 149.
| BEDLAME, Frenzie, Madnes, Lunacie, | |
| I challenge all your moody empery. |
1621. BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II. IV. i. 5. Such raging BEDLAMITES as are tied in chains.
16[?]. AUBREY, The Natural History of Wiltshire [Royal Society MS. 259. Note]. “Till the breaking out of the civill warres Tom ô Bedlams did travell about the countrey; they had been poore distracted men that had been putt into Bedlam, where recovering to some sobernesse, they were licentiated to goe a begging, e.g., they had on their left arm an armilla of tinn printed in some workes, about four inches long; they could not gett it off. They wore about their necks a great horn of an oxe in a string or bawdrie, which when they came to an house for almes, they did wind; and they did putt the drink given them into this horn, whereto they did putt a stopple. Since the warres I doe not remember to have seen any one of them.” [In a later hand is added, “I have seen them in Worcestershire within these thirty years, 1756.”]
1645. G. DANIEL, To: D: i: 1637 [Works (1878), I. 60]. All BEDLAM-WITTED, walke in Bedlem wise.
1663. Aron-bimnucha, 32. The BEDLAM … the skrewes … are the best instances of our Kindness.
1665. Homer à la Mode.
| Thus like a BEDLAM to and fro | |
| She frisk’d, and egg’d ’em on to goe. |
d. 1667. A. COWLEY, On the Government of Oliver Cromwell [Works (1710), II, 627].
| Thou dost a Chaos, and Confusion, now, | |
| A Babel, and a BEDLAM, grow. |
c. 1675. W. BLUNDELL, Crogsby Records, 137. A gentleman who passed as a BEDLAMER.
1678. BUNYAN, Pilgrim’s Progress, I, 123. Some [averred] they were BEDLAMS.
1678. EVELYN, Diary (1857), II, 156, 18 April. I went to see New BEDLAM HOSPITAL, magnificently built, and most sweetly placed in Moorfields, since the dreadful fire in London. [Orig. in Bishopsgate, rebuilt (1676) in Moorfields near London Wall, and 1815 in Lambeth, its present site. Eds.].
1701. SWIFT, Mrs. Harris’s Petition [Works (1755), III, ii, 61]. She roar’d like a BEDLAM.
1742–4. R. NORTH, The Life of Lord Guildford, i. 271. This country [the Border] was then much troubled with BEDLAMERS.
d. 1743. HERVEY, The Beauties of English Poetry (1804), I, 106.
| And says those virgins act a wiser part, | |
| Who hospitals and BEDLAMS would explore. |
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, lxix. Lord B(erkeley) raved like a BEDLAMITE.
1788. COWPER, Table-talk, 609.
| Anacreon, Horace, played in Greece and Rome | |
| This BEDLAM PART; and, others nearer home. |
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, liii. The devil take the BEDLAMITE old woman.
1837. CARLYLE, The French Revolution, III, VI, vii, 346. Hardly audible amid the BEDLAM-STORM. Ibid. (1850), Latter-day Pamphlets, viii, (1872), 276. That all this was a Donnybrook BEDLAM.
