Although these disjunctives seem at first sight to carry no great sense, nevertheless, when they shall be thoroughly examined, it will be found, that they do contain all that can be said upon a sub. ject, and that out of them, as out of so many living springs, may be drawn all that is necessary for the clearing of a propounded question; and we will not be ashamed in this to follow the method of the schools and the authority of the learned, knowing that whatsoever fault shall be found in it, will rather be imputed to our incapacity, than to the foundation we have built upon. Therefore to begin,

Quis? Who hath done it?'

SECT. I.

FOR the clearing of the darkness wherein the human understand. ing is naturally wrapped up, in distinguishing the several accidents and events that happen daily in this sublunary world: The philosophers have established two principal causes, whereunto every one may have recourse for his satisfaction and the securing of himself, that nothing happeneth by chance, which is the opinion of desperate and atheistical persons. The first and universal cause is God Almighty, who, as he alone hath created the world, so hath he also reserved to himself alone the government thereof, insomuch that the least accidents that befal, dépend merely from his providence, neither is there any thing hidden to him with whom we have to do; it is he without whose leave and knowledge not a hair falleth from our heads, and who telleth us by his prophet that, There is no evil in the city but he hath done it.' This is that First Cause which ought to captivate our understandings under its will, to make us admit all events with an equal mind, and submit our patience to his dispensations, saying with David, I did hold my peace because, 'thou didst it, Psal. I. Verse 21.' The other causes are called second causes, because most commonly God maketh use of them for the accomplishing of his will, and these are divided into as many branches as there are individual creatures in the world. By these a man liveth, being begotten by the seed of his parents; dieth being suffocated, falleth being drunk, is drowned in making shipwreck, &c. Where it is to be observed that several second causes may concur together to the production of one and the same effect; as in this sad and lamentable accident we see the carelessness of a baker, the solitariness and darkness of the night, the disposition of old and ruinous buildings, the narrowness of the streets, the abundance of combustible and bituminous matter, the foregoing summer extraordinary hot and dry, a violent easterly wind, and the want of engines and water, concur as it were unanimously to the production of this wonderful conflagration, and to do in four days what four armies of enemies (not opposed) could scarce have done in eight. The astrologers, whose science is as abstruse as uncertain, would fain introduce another cause between the first and the

second, to wit, the position and influence of the celestial bodies; but this accident will contribute much to stop their mouths; for either they could not foresee it, or else, having foreseen it, they should have given us precaution of it, as they do of many other more frivolous things, and of less consequence than this; and which are never true but by a supposition that, if they do not happen in our country, they may happen in another, which is called to whiten black. Let us therefore conclude, that the two causes above-mentioned, that is, first and second, are sufficient to move us to humble ourselves in the sight of God, who, having the year before destroyed in the space of six months about an hundredthousand people; and seeing our impenitent hearts and seared consciences return again to our first vomiting, of pride, drunkenness, swearing, false dealings, whoring, treachery, and other vices; after he hath taken away the health of some, he taketh away the wealth of others, and threateneth the rest with an impendent famine, by the last excessive rains he did send, and may send again in this sowing-time; and it will avail nothing here to say, as I have heard many, that other countries, as France and Italy, are guilty of as many, if not greater crimes than we are, seeing that God chastiseth every son he loveth, and that he beginneth his judgments by his own houshold, and this nation having received more prosperities and blessings from his hands than any other, and accordingly more peculiarly bound to serve and obey him than all the rest, whom he will find well enough, when he seeth his due appointed time: For 'that servant that knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, 'neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes: For unto whom much ' is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have 'committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke xii. '47, 48.'

Quid?

What hath he done?

SECT. II.

THE answer is easy. An incendy, a conflagration, a ruin and devastation by fire, such (as I believe) did never happen by any natural and ordinary means; for that of Sodom and Gomorrah was supernatural and miraculous, the like being never heard before nor after, that it should rain fire and brimstone suddenly, and in such a quantity in fair weather; for the scripture mentioneth that the sun was risen upon the earth. Besides, that, instead of calcining the said towns into powder, as fire and brimstone will do all solid bodies, it not only turned them, but also the ground on which they stood, into a bottomless bituminous lake, which to this day remaineth before our eyes for a fearful example of the heinousness of sin, and of the severity of God's justice. Concerning the con

VOL. VII.

flagration of Troy, and that of Rome: The first may be fabulous, or exaggerated by the familiar hyperboles of poets, to whose relation chiefly we owe our belief in that point. As for that of Rome, it is to be believed, that those heaps of stones and marbles, of which she was then built, gave a great check, if not a stop, to the raging of the fire, and stood in the way of the tyrant's pleasure. Concerning others, as that of Constantinople, Cracow, Venice, Vienna in Austria, § Delft in Holland, ** Malines and Antwerp, they came nothing near this, which in three days and three nights, of about four-hundred and sixty acres of ground upon which the City of London stood, hath swept away about three-hundred and fifty, which is at the rate of four parts in five, having destroyed about twelve-thousand houses, eighty-seven parochial churches, besides six or seven consecrated chapels, and the magnificent and stately cathedral church of St. Paul, the publick and most excellent buildings of the Exchange, Guild-hall, Customhouse, and all, or very near, the halls belonging to every private company, besides an innumerable quantity of goods of all sorts, this city being the best magazine not only of England, but also of all Europe; but, amongst the rest, it was a treasure unspeakable of four commodities, which, for their luggage and cumbersomeness, could not be rescued from the jaws of that unmerciful element, that is, wine, tobacco, spices, and books. As for books, the booksellers, who dwelled for the most part round about the cathedral church, had sheltered their books in a subterraneal church under the cathedral, called St. Faith's, which was propped up with so strong an arch and massy pillars, that it seemed impossible the fire could do any harm to it; but, the fire having crept into it through the windows, it seized upon the pews, and did so try and examine the arch and pillars, by sucking the moisture of the mortar that bound the stones together, that it was calcined into sand: So that, when the top of the cathedral fell upon it, it beat it flat, and set all things in an irremediable flame. I have heard judicious men of that trade affirm, that the only loss of books in that place, and Stationers-hall, publick libraries, and private persons houses, could amount to no less than 150,000 pounds. I have seen bells and iron wares melted, glass and earthen-pots melted together, as it had been by a fire of fusion; the most big and solid stones (as those of the cathedral) slit, scaled, and in some parts calcined to powder by the violence of the flames. Nevertheless, as God's mercy is above all his works, and he remembereth it always amongst his judgments, I could not learn of above half a dozen people that did perish by that woeful conflagration; one of them was of my acquaintance, and a watch-maker living in Shoe-lane, behind the Globe-tavern; his name was Paul Lawell, born in Strasbourg, who, being about eighty years of age, and dull of hearing, was also deaf to the good admonitions of his son and

Turkish History.

†M. Cromen.

Cuspinian in Vita Imp.

Adr. Junius.

Paulus Jovius, 12 Book. Guicciardin, 19 Book.

friends, and would never desert the house till it fell upon him, and sunk him with the ruins in the cellar, where afterwards his bones, together with his keys, were found.

Although the loss of so famous a city, and of the riches contained within its precinct, be inestimable, nevertheless, to satisfy the curiosity of the reader, and that of posterity, as also, to give some light unto those, who, with a more mature deliberation, shall attempt the full history of it; we will set down the chiefest heads by which it is valued, leaving the liberty to the judicious reader, to add to, or subtract from, as he shall think fit; for we do not pretend here to give an exact account of all the losses, which, we hope, some better wits, and that are more at leisure, will undertake hereafter: But only to invite them, by this, to a more curious and earnest inquiry of the truth, and so transmit to posterity a fearful example of God's judgment, that they may, in avoiding sin, also avoid the like, to the glory and praise of his most holy

name.

Let it, therefore, be said again, that, by the computation of the best Geometricians, the City of London, within the walls, was seated upon about four hundred and sixty acres of ground; wherein were built about fifteen thousand houses, besides churches, chapels, schools, halls, and publick buildings; out of this quantity of houses, twelve thousand are thought to be burnt, which is four parts of five, each house being valued, one with another, at twenty-five pounds a year's rent, which, at twelve years purchase, maketh three-hundred pounds, the whole amounting to three millions six-hundred thousand pounds.

Fourscore and seven parochial churches, besides that of "St. Paul's the cathedral, and six consecrated chapels, the Exchange, Guildhall, Custom-House, the halls of companies, and other pub. lick buildings, amounting to half as much, i. e. one million eighthundred thousand pounds.

The goods that every private man lost, one with another, valued at half the value of the houses, i. e. one million eight-hundred thousand pounds.

About twenty wharfs of coals and wood, valued at a thousand pounds a piece, i. e. twenty thousand pounds.

About one-hundred thousand boats and barges, one thousand cart-loads, with porters to remove the goods to and fro, as well for the houses that were a burning, as for those that stood in fear of it, at twenty shillings a load, i. e. one-hundred and fifty thousand pounds.

In all seven millions three-hundred thirty-five thousand pounds. This being reduced to the account of French money, taking one pound sterling for thirteen livres, amounteth to ten-thousand five hundred and sixty-nine millions, six-hundred and seventy-five thousand livres.

Now, O London! it may well be said of thee, 'How doth the City sit solitary, that was full of people; how is she become as a widow; she that was great among the nations, and princess among

the provinces?' Jerem. Lam. chap. i. 1. But courage, O thou that art now my country, thou art fallen into the hands of God, and not of men; he that chastiseth thee is thy father, and, if he hath a rod to punish thee, he hath also a staff to comfort thee; turn to him, and he will turn to thee, for he is merciful and long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance; therefore, be not overwhelmed with sorrow, nothing hath befallen thee, but hath happened to others before thee; and, if it be true, that the likeness, and participation of afflictions, doth mitigate the sense of them, that I may something allay thy present I will relate thee a story that hath much parallel with thine, to shew thou hast not been the only miserable: It is a true one, written and testified by an honourable Dutch merchant, who was an eye-witness to it; and, although it hath been once printed, yet, because the book is scarce, and the language foreign, I thought thou wouldst not take it ill, if I should impart it unto thee.

sorrow,

Moscow, the chief city of all the countries of the Emperor of Russia, is a very great city, but not well compacted; it hath, in compass, with the suburbs, well inhabited, and as full of people as the town, about three German leagues and a half, which maketh about fourteen English miles; the compass of the town, within the walls, is about three English miles; the streets and path-ways are of great trees set close together, and some boards by the houses side; and it is so dirty in rainy weather, that it is impossible to go through the city, otherwise than on horse-back; according to the custom of the country, where horses are of small value, and of little expence, never being shod for any journey whatsoever, unless it be during the ice. The houses are but one story high, or two at the most, all built with wood, set up at the top one of another: There are, in the city, suburbs, and castle, about five-thousand five-hundred churches, built, for the most part, like chapels, most of them with great trees set one upon another. The great duke's lodging is also built of wood, which he thinketh wholsomer than stone; the castle is pretty well fortified with walls and broad ditches; it occupieth as much room as all the rest of the city. On one side of it dwell the Sins, on the other the Optisins, who are as the treasurers of the great duke, in whose hands, as soon as you come, you must put in all your merchandises. Being departed from Nerva, about the tenth of July, 1570, we came, on the beginning of August, to Moscow, where I found the Great Duke*, and his officers, busy in secking out about thirty persons, who fell all under the sword of the common hangman, except one who was cast alive into boiling water; and this, because they had taken bribes: most of them were great lords, and familiars with the great duke; others were merchants of Novogrod, with their wives, children, and families, accused of treason in the behalf of the king of Poland. Few days after, a horrid plague invaded the town of Moscow, and the places about it, with such violence, that, in four

❤ This great duke was John Basilides, the famous tyrant.