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Now the fire gets into Blackfriars, and so continues its course by the water, and makes up towards Paul's Church, on that side, and Cheapside fire besets the great building on this side, and the Church, though all of stone outward, though naked of houses about it, and though so high above all buildings in the city, yet, within a while, doth yield to the violent assaults of the conquering flames, and strangely takes fire at the top now the lead melts and runs down, as if it had been snow before the sun; and the great beams and massy stones with a great noise fall on the pavement, and break through into Faith-church underneath; now great flakes of stone scale and peel off strangely from the side of the walls; the conqueror having got this high fort, darts its flames round. about. Now Paternoster-row, Newgate-market, the Old Bailey, and Ludgate-hill, have submitted themselves to the devouring fire, which with wonderful speed rusheth down the hill into Fleet-street. Now Cheapside fire marcheth along Ironmonger-lane, Old Jewry, Lawrence-lane, Milk-street, Wood-street, Gutter-lane, Foster-lane. Now it runs along Lothbury, Cateaton-street, &c. From Newgate-market, it assaults Christ-church, and conquers that great building, and burns through Martin's-lane towards Aldersgate, and all about so furiously, as if it would not leave a house standing upon the ground.

Now horrible flakes of fire mount up the sky, and the yellow smoke of London ascendeth up towards heaven, like the smoke of a great furnace; a smoke so great, as darkened the sun at noonday (if at any time the sun peeped forth, it looked red like blood): the cloud of smoke was so great, that travellers did ride at noonday, some miles together, in the shadow thereof, though there were no other cloud beside to be seen in the sky.

And if Monday night was dreadful, Tuesday night was more dreadful, when far the greatest part of the city was consumed: many thousands who on Satur

day had houses convenient in the city, both for themselves, and to entertain others, now have not where to lay their head; and the fields are the only receptacle which they can find for themselves and their goods; most of the late inhabitants of London lie all night in the open air, with no other canopy over them. but that of the heavens: the fire is still making towards them, and threateneth the suburbs; it was amazing to see how it had spread itself several times. in compass; and amongst other things that night, the sight of Guildhall was a fearful spectacle, which stood the whole body of it together in view, for several hours together, after the fire had taken it, without flames (I suppose because the timber was such solid oak) in a bright shining coal, as if it had been a palace of gold, or a great building of burnished brass.

On Wednesday morning, when people expected that the suburbs would be burnt, as well as the city, and with speed were preparing their flight, as well as they could, with their luggage into the countries, and neighbouring villages, then the Lord hath pity on poor London; his bowels began to relent; his heart is turned within him, and he stays his rough wind in the day of the east wind; his fury begins to be allayed; he hath a remnant of people in London, and there shall a remnant of houses escape: the wind now is husht; the commission of the fire is withdrawing, and it burns so gently, even where it meets with no opposition, that it was not hard to be quenched, in many places, with a few hands: now the citizens be gin to gather a little heart, and encouragement in their endeavours to quench the fire. A check it had at Leadenhall by that great building; a stop it had in Bishopsgate-street, Fenchurch-street, Lime-street, Mark-lane, and towards the Tower; one means, under God, was the blowing up of houses with gunpowder. Now it is stayed in Lothbury, Broad-street, Coleman-street; towards the gates it burnt, but not with any great violence; at the Temple also it is

stayed, and in Holborn, where it had got no great footing; and when once the fire was got under, it was kept under, and on Thursday the flames were extinguished.

'But on Wednesday night, when the people late of London, now of the fields, hoped to get a little rest on the ground, where they had spread their beds, a more dreadful fear falls upon them than they had before, through a rumour that the French were coming armed against them to cut their throats, and spoil them of what they had saved out of the fire: they were now naked and weak, and in ill condition to defend themselves, and the hearts, especially of the females, do quake and tremble, and are ready to die within them; yet many citizens having lost their houses, and almost all that they had, are fired with rage and fury and they begin to stir up themselves like lions, or like bears bereaved of their whelps, and now Arm! Arm! doth resound the fields and suburbs with a dreadful voice. We may guess at the distress and perplexity of the people this night, which was something alleviated when the falseness of the alarm was perceived.'

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The ruins of the city were 396 acres [viz. 333 acres within the walls, and 63 in the liberties of the city]; of the six and twenty wards, it utterly destroyed fifteen, and left eight others shattered, and half burnt; and it consumed 400 streets, 13,200 dwelling-houses, eighty-nine churches [besides chapels; four of]; the city gates, Guildhall, many public structures, hospitals, schools, libraries, and a vast number of stately edifices.' The immense property destroyed in this dreadful time cannot be estimated at less than ten millions sterling.

*4. 1402.-JOHN GALEAS DIED.

John Galeas, Duke of Milan, was a great encourager of the arts. The Cathedral of Milan and the citadel and chartreuse of Pavia are some of his works. He caused his subjects strictly to obey the laws, though he made no scruple of violating them himself.

I wish,' said he, to be the only robber in my estates.'

7.--SAINT EUNERCHUS.

Eunerchus, or Evortius, was bishop of Orleans, and present at the council of Valentia, A.D. 375. The circumstances of his election to this see were considered as miraculous, and principally ascribed to a dove which alighted upon his head in consequence of the prayers of the electors.

8.-NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY.

A concert of angels having been heard in the air to solemnize this important event, the festival was appointed by Pope Servius about the year 695. Innocent IV honoured this feast with an octave in 1244, and Gregory XI, about the year 1370, with a vigil.

*8. 70.-JERUSALEM TAKEN BY TITUS.

The city of Jerusalem was rased to the centre, with the exception of two towers; and a million of Jews perished on this occasion, by intestine divisions and the sword of the enemy. No Jew will, even now, pass under the triumphal arch of Titus at Rome; so fresh is the memory of their dreadful sufferings at this memorable siege.

*11. 1709.-BATTLE OF MALPLAQUET. This was a victory gained over the French by Prince Eugene, and the great Duke of Marlborough. To the latter the British nation gave the magnificent palace of Blenheim, and its fine domains, as a mark of their gratitude for his splendid services. When shall we see a similar monument to the memory of → the greatest naval commander that ever traversed the ocean, the invincible NELSON ?

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14. HOLY CROSS.

This festival was first observed in the year 615, on the following occasion: Cosroes, King of Persia, having plundered Jerusalem, carried away large pieces of the cross which had been left there by the Empress Helena. Heraclius, the emperor,

soon afterwards engaged and defeated him, and recovered the cross; but, bringing it back in triumph to Jerusalem, he found the gates shut against him, and heard a voice from heaven, saying, that the King of Kings did not enter into that city in so stately a manner, but meek and lowly, and riding upon an ass. The emperor then immediately dismounted from his horse, and walked through the city barefooted, carrying the cross himself.

*14. 1544.-BOULOGNE TAKEN BY HENRY VIII. 17.-SAINT LAMBERT.

Lambert was Bishop of Utrecht, in the time of King Pepin I; but, reproving the king's grandson for his irregularities, he was cruelly murdered at the instigation of an abandoned woman. Being canonized, he obtained, at first, only a simple commemoration in the calendar; but Robert, Bishop of Leeds, in a general chapter of the Cistercian order, procured a solemn feast to his honour in the church in 1240.

21.-SAINT MATTHEW.

In the year 64 or 65 Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew, which was afterwards translated into Greek. After many labours and miracles, he closed his life at Nadabar in Ethiopia, probably by martyrdom.

The Jews observe this day as a kind of festival, on account of the death of the Spies that brought an evil report of the Holy Land; the history of which is to be found in Numbers, chap. xiii.

*22. 1604.-SURRENDER of ostend.

On this day Ostend, now become so familiar to Englishmen, surrendered to the Spanish arms, after a tremendous siege. Loss of the English and Dutch, 50,000; of the Spaniards, 80,000.

22.-CORONATION OF KING GEORGE III.

His present Majesty was crowned on the 22d of September, 1761. The form of the oath, and the inanner of taking it, may be seen in T. T. for 1814, p. 228-230.

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