in his remaining twenty or one and twenty years Had not his ingenit Liberality great Mind and Zeal of serving the Divine Majesty turned his endeavours a contrary way to support and to raise others while he lessened and impaired himself For this year he erected his Warehouse in Little Britain for the imployment of the Poor in the Linen Manufacture Let us hear what Archbishop Tillotson then but Dean Tillotson says of this Design of Mr. Firmin in his Funeral Sermon on Mr. Gouge Anno 1681. He Mr. Gouge set the Poor of St. Sepulchres Parish where he was Minister to work at his own charge He bought Flax and Hemp for them to spin when spun he paid them for their Work and caused it to be wrought into Cloth which he sold as he could himself bearing the whole loss This was a very wise and well-chosen way of Charity and in the good effect of it a much greater Charity than if he had given to those very persons freely and for nothing so much as he made them to earn by their work because by this means he rescued 'em from two most dangerous Temptations Idleness and Poverty This course so happily devised and begun by Mr. Gouge gave it may be the first hint to that useful and worthy Citizen Mr. Tho. Firmin of a much larger Design which has been managed by him some years in this City with that vigour and good success that many hundreds of poor Children and others who lived idle before unprofitable both to themselves and the Public now maintain themselves and are also some advantage to the Community By the Assistance and Charity of many excellent and well-disposed persons Mr. Firmin is enabled to bear the unavoidable loss and charge of so vast an Undertaking and by his own forward inclination to Charity and unwearied diligence and activity is fitted to sustain and go through the incredible pains of it Serm. on Mr. Gouge p. 62 63 64. 'T is of this Project and Warehouse that Mr. Firmin himself speaks in a Book of his entituled Proposals for the employment of the Poor in these words 'T is now above four years since I set up my Workhouse in Little Britain for the imployment of the Poor in the Linen Manufacture which hath afforded so great help and Relief to many hundreds of poor Families that I never did and I fear never shall do an Action more to my own satisfaction or to the good and benefit of the Poor He employed in this Manufacture some times 1600 some times 1700 Spinners besides Dressers of Flax Weavers and others Because he found that his Poor must work sixteen hours in the day to earn sixpence and thought that their necessities and labour were not sufficiently supplied or recompensed by those earnings therefore he was wont to distribute Charity among them as he saw their need especially at Christmas and in hard weather Without which Charity some of them had perished for want when either they or their Children fell ill He used also to lay in vast quantities of Coals which he gave out by a Peck at a time whoever of the Spinners brought in two pound of Yarn might take away with 'em a Peck of Coals besides what Coals were given to such as were antient had many Children or any sick in their Family But because they soiled themselves by carrying away Coals in their Aprons or Skirts to obviate that inconvenience and damage to 'em he gave 'em Canvass Bags Cleanliness contributing much to health he distributed among 'em Shifting made of the coarser and stronger sort of Cloth that had been spun by themselves and of the same among their Children Much of this Shifting he begged for them for he found among his Acquaintance and Friends divers charitable persons who would rather buy the Cloth that had been wrought by our Home-Poor than purchase it tho at somewhat cheaper rates from Merchants or Shops that sell scarce any but foreign Cloth By the assistance and order of his Friends he gave to Men Women and Children sometime 3000 Shirts and Shifts in two years But still further to encourage and help his Poor he would invite persons of Ability to come to his Workhouse on days the Spinners brought their Yarn that seeing their Poverty and Diligence he might the more easily persuade 'em to give or subscribe something for their relief Some would work but knew not the art of Spinning or were not able to purchase Wheels and Reels for these he hired Teachers and freely gave 'em their Reels and Wheels He often took up poor Children as they were begging in the Streets whom he caused to be taught at his own charge and provided for 'em their Reels and Wheels which were never deducted out of their Work In his Book of Proposals he takes notice that In above 4000 l. laid out the last Year reckning House-rent Servants wages Loss by Learners with the Interest of the Mony there was not above 200 l. lost One chief reason of which was the Kindness of several Persons who took off good Quantities of Commodities at the Price they cost me to spin and weave And in particular the East-India and Guinea Companies gave me Encouragement to make their Allabas Cloths and coarse Canvas for Pepper Bags which before they bought from foreign Countries He published that Book of Proposals to engage others to set the Poor on work at a Publick Charge or at least to assist him and two or three Friends in what he had now carried on for above Five Years at the loss of above One Thousand Pounds But finding that my Lord Mayor and the Aldermen were not persuaded by what he had offered in his Book and by Discourse with them and other Wealthy Citizens he began to lessen the Spinning Trade For I find that in the Year 1682 the whole Disbursment was only 2337 l. 3 s. and yet the Loss thereby that Year was 214 l. It should seem he met not so many Charitable Persons who would buy his Manufacture at the Price it cost him as in some former Years Nay from this time the Loss increased yearly upon him For seven or eight Years together he lost two Pence in the Shilling by all the Work of his Poor but he was content for he would say Two Pence given them by Loss in their Work was twice so much saved to the Publick in that it took them off from Beggary or Theft But his Loss some Years was extraordinary In the Year 83. the Trade encreasing again his own Disbursments beside his Friends were not less than 2000 l. the Loss for that Year was 400 l. Continuing thus in the Year 84. the Balance of Loss not then received amounted to 763 l. And in the Year 85. it encreased to 900 11 3. toward which Loss an eminent Citizen who had 500 l. in that Stock quitted the whole Principal and required no Interest In the Years 86 87 88 and 89 the Trade declined for want of more
and was one of the first that subscribed the Composition but withal sent her a Letter wherein he remitted his whole Debt and desired to see her when her Affair was cleared and she at quiet When she came to him he said He had missed in his aim in what he design'd to procure for her but he would do something himself Shortly after he sent her a good Norwich Stuff that very well clothed her and her Four Children She told me this with many Tears to which I had the more regard because I had long known her to be a Virtuous and very Prudent Woman As Mr. Firmin's Pains and Care in giving forth these Charities were not small so neither were they little in procuring them Not only because many Persons are hardly perswaded to give the Bread of themselves and Families to others but because 't is much more difficult to beg for others than to give ones self He that begs for others must be Master of a great deal of Prudence as well as Wit and Address He must know how to choose the Mollia tempora fandi the fittest opportunity of speaking and when he speaks he must apply himself to those passions of the Person by which only he can be wrought on I remember Mr. Firmin told me of his applying to a Citizen of the highest rank for his Charity in rebuilding St. Thomas's Hospital Of whom he demanded no less than 100 l. The Person had been some way disobliged by the Governours of that Hospital so he refused to subscribe any thing But our Friend seeing him one day among some Friends whom he respected and by whom he was willing to be respected and that also he was in a very good Humour he push'd on his Request for the Hospital and prevailed with him so far as to subscribe the whole 100 l. But to his personal Solicitations he was forced sometimes to add Letters and sometimes succeeded by the Arguments in his Letters better than by the Authority of his personal Mediation I find in one of his Books in the Year 1679. the Sum of 520 l. 6 s. received of seventy two Persons in a Book of the Year 1681. the Sum of 531 l. 19 s. 6 d. received of forty three Persons All these were to be treated with privately and opportunely which required much Time Caution Industry and Discretion which laid out on his own Business what great Effects would it have produced Mr. Firmin might much more easily have been one of the great Men of the World than Almoner General for the Poor and the Hospitals I observe in the same Book of 1681. that the Disbursments against the Sum 531 l. 19 s. 6 d. do amount to 594 15 11. the Balance over paid is 62 15 5. which over-paid Balance is to be found in many of his Accounts and I believe it came out of his own Purse I must note also that the Sums were not given for the Poor alone or for the Spinners alone but of 50 l. given 30 of it is for the Spinners and 20 for the Poor sometimes 20 for the Spinners and 30 for the Poor Elsewhere 100 l. is given 50 for the Poor and 50 for Spinners Another gives 50 l. for Cloth to be divided to the Poor Another 100 l. for the same use Mr. Firmin having set his heart so much on Charity could not but esteem and love Mr. Gouge a Man of the same Spirit whom while he was in London he got to table with him 'T is not to be doubted that 't was the intimate Friendship of these two Persons that gave occasion to that remarkable passage in Dr. Tillotson's Funeral Sermon on Mr. Gouge p. 82. Mr. Gouge was of a disposition ready to imbrace and oblige all Men allowing others to differ from him even in Opinions that were very Dear to him Provided Men did but fear God and work Righteousness he loved them heartily how distant soever from him in Judgment about less Necessary things in which he is worthy to be propounded as an Example to Men of all Persuasions And till the Example is followed the World will never have Peace That great Preacher has given us an account of Mr. Gouges Religious Charity in printing divers good Books in the Welch and English Tongues to be given to those that were Poor and sold to such as could buy them the Chief of those Prints and the most Expensive was an Edition of the Bible and Liturgie in the Welch Tongue no fewer than Eight Thousand Copies of this Work were printed together One cannot question that Mr. Firmin contributed to and procured divers Sums for this excellent Undertaking of his Friend tho' all is attributed to Mr. Gouge who was Chief in that great and good Work After Mr. Gouge's Death I find the Sum of 419 l. 9 s. given to buy a Number of those Bibles whereof Dr. Tillotson then Dean of St. Paul's gave 50 l. Mr. Morrice 67 l. other Persons the rest but there wants in the Receipts 26 l. 13 s. to balance the Disbursment and that I judg was Mr. Firmin's mony Now that we are speaking of Books I ought not to forget that Mr. Firmin often printed Ten thousand Copies of the Scripture-Catechism which some think was written by Dr. Worthington But I have cause to believe that the Author was Dr. Fowler now Bishop of Glocester who in compiling it followed the Method of Dr. Worthington These Mr. Firmin gave to his Spinners and their Children and to the Children of the Hospital engaging them to get it by heart and giving something to those that did He lodged also great Numbers of them with Booksellers at cheaper rates than they were printed that they might be sold also cheaper and thereby be dispersed all over England His Acquaintance might at all times have of them what Numbers they would gratis He valued this Catechism because 't is wholly in the Words of Scripture favours no particular Party or Persuasion and therefore is of general Use the Aim of the Judicious Author being to instruct the Youth and the Ignorant in what all Parties agree is necessary to be believ'd and done leaving it to others to engage 'em in Controversies and Debates In the Year 1680. and 1681. came over the French Protestants new work for Mr. Firmin's Charity and Zeal for of all the Objects of Charity he thought those the most Deserving who were undone for Conscience toward God whether such Conscience be a well-inform'd Conscience or an erroneous and mistaken 'T is not the truth or falshood of the Opinion but the Zeal for God and the sincerity to the dictates of Conscience that makes the Martyr Therefore now our Elemosinary General had to beg not only for the Spinners the Poor of the out-Parishes of London the Redemption of Debtors from Prison for Coals and Shirting but for a vast number of Religious Refugees whose Wants required not only a great but an immediate Succour The first and one of the most
concur with the other Polanders in rebelling against him they consiered the Swedish King as a fair Conqueror and a Protestant Prince and themselves as tied to him by Oath therefore they even opposed in some places the revolt from him This was interpreted a desertion of their natural Prince and native Country and tho all the Part-takers with the Swedish King were included in the Peace made with him was avenged in the very next Diet after the Peace by a Decree and Edict the sum of which was as follows The Toleration granted by the Laws and Coronation-Oaths of the Kings to Dissenters from the Church does not legally extend to the Vnitarians whom they called Arians or Anabaptists this being a new Heresie since the granting that Indulgence or Toleration therefore all Vnitarians who within such a limited time will not embrace the Roman-Catholic Religion shall be banisht out of Poland allowing however two years in effect but one to sell their Estates whether real or personal Hereupon the Vnitarians left Poland and setled some in Transilvania where divers Provinces and Cities are Vnitarian some in Ducal Prussia and Brandenburg where they enjoy like Privileges with his Electoral Highnesses other Subjects some few in Holland These Vnitarians were in my opinion unhappy that they had not a man among them who could discern it and shew 'em that neither in the Article of the Trinity nor of the Divinity of our Saviour they had any real difference with the Catholic Church and that the Terms used by the Church imply nothing that is contrary to the Unity of God as 't is held by the learned men Their Confession which they publisht upon their Banishment ascribes as much to our Saviour as is intended by the Catholic-terms Incarnation God-man God the Son Hypostatical or personal Union and the rest therefore seeing the Church will not dismiss those unscriptural Terms but for certain reasons contents her self to interpret them to a sound sense it had been well if the Polish Vnitarians had been so dextrous as to distinguish between an unsound Sense and improper Terms disclaiming only the former and submitting to the latter The Vnitarian Congregations in Poland had many poor persons therefore the Nobility and Gentry prayed a Contribution for them from all Vnitarian Churches of foreign parts and tho they knew there were but few Vnitarian Families in England they sent a Letter to us to entreat our help Mr. Firmin procured for 'em some assistances from private persons and tho without a Brief some collections in Churches both these in the Year 1662. But I mention this for the sake of what hapned Anno 1681. for then King Charles granted a Brief for another sort of Polonian Sufferers Protestants also these were they who had suffered the Vnitarians to be banisht about twenty years before when it was in their power to have prevented it if so much as one of their Deputies had protested against it in the Diet. They willingly permitted nay they promoted the Violation of the Liberty of Dissenters not twenty years before and now weakned by the loss of the whole Vnitarian Interest it came to their own turns to be the Sufferers they had never lost either Country or Liberty if they had not voted themselves out of both by their former Votes against the Vnitarians A Toleration or Liberty of Religion once tapped will soon run all out for break it but in one Instance or Party and you have disannulled the whole Reason of it and all the Pleas for it The malice of any whomsoever against the English Vnitarians comes now too late they less dissent from the Church if they are at all Dissenters than any other denomination of Dissenters therefore let those Dissenters look to it who have promoted a Bill in name and pretext against Immorality and Blasphemy in truth and real design against the Vnitarians I said King Charles granted a Brief for the Polonian Protestants who had assisted in banishing the Polonian Vnitarians this Brief Mr. Firmin promoted as much as in him lay I find he received of Nine Dissenting Congregations 110 l. 16 s. 10 d. And in another Book I find the sum of 568 l. 16 s. o ¾ collected on the same account We are now come to another part of Mr. Firmin's Life his second Marriage in the Year 1664. he married to a Daughter of a Justice of Peace in the County of Essex and had with her besides all the qualifications of a good Wife a considerable Portion God was pleased to lend to 'em several Children but one Son Giles Firmin lived to man's estate He was like to be an eminent Merchant his Father giving him the whole Portion he had received with his Mother and the young Gentleman going into Portugal to manage there his own business he was called by the Heavenly Father to Eternal Mercies In the Year 1665. was a great Plague of which there died in that one year in London only near One hundred thousand persons most of the wealthier Citizens removed themselves and Children into the Country so did Mr. Firmin but left a Kinsman in his House with order to relieve some Poor weekly and to give out Stuff to employ them in making such Commodities as they were wont He foresaw that he should be hard put to it to dispose of such an abundance of Commodities as these poor people would work off in so long time for him only but when he returned to London a wealthy Chapman who was greatly pleased with his adventurous Charity bought an extraordinary quantity of those Goods so that he incurred no loss at that time by employing the Poor The year after the Sickness came the Fire by which the City of London sustained the damage of Ten millions of Pounds sterling Mr. Firmin with his Neighbours suffered the loss of his House in Lombard-street and took thereupon a House and Warehouse in Leaden-hall-street But now his fine Spirit and generous way of Trading were so well known that in a few years he so improved his Stock that he rebuilt his House and built also the whole Court excepting two or three Houses in which he lived And having now provided sufficiently for himself and Family he began to consider the Poor His first service to them or rather to God in their persons was the building a Warehouse by the Water-side for the laying up Corn and Coals to be sold to the Poor in scarce and dear times at moderate and reasonable rates at the rates they had been purchased allowing only for loss if any should happen by damage of the Goods while kept He went on with his Trade in Lombard-street till the Year 1676. at which time I estimate he was worth about Nine thousand Pounds If we consider that this Estate was raised from a beginning of about One hundred Pounds in an ordinary way of Trade and in about twenty years time to what a mighty wealth would it have grown in the hands of such a Manager
such Benefactors The Loss now remaining being 413 11 3. the value of the Goods then in hand and Debts standing out computed at 372 l. 3. s. 1. d. I find of the whole no more receiv'd than 279 0 1. which falling short 93 3 0. added to the former Loss of 413 11 3. makes 506 14 3. This whole Sum I find not any way made good but stands still as due to Mr. Firmin tho' never reckon'd by him as any part of his Estate Anno 1690. The Design was taken up by the Patentees of the Linen Manufacture who made the Poor and others whom they employed to work cheaper yet that was not sufficient to encourage them to continue the Manufacture The Patentees agreed with Mr. Firmin to give him 100 l. a Year to Oversee and Govern their Manufacture But seeing their Undertaking had not answer'd their or his Expectations he never received the promised Salary nor discounted it to 'em and if he had he would certainly have given it in Mony Linen and Coals among the Spinners Which I the rather adventure to say because when he drew some Prizes in one of Mr. Neal's Lotteries to the Value of 180 l. he reserved to himself only the Mony he had adventured The Mony gained he gave partly to some Relations and partly to the Poor But the poor Spinners being thus deserted Mr. Firmin returned to 'em again and managed that Trade as he was wont But so that he made it bear almost its own Charges But that their smaller Wages might be comfortable to them he was more Charitable to 'em in his distributions than in any former Years and begged for 'em of almost all Persons of Rank with whom he had intimacy or so much as Friendship He would also carry his Cloth to divers with whom he scarce had any Acquaintance telling 'em it was the Poor's Cloth which in conscience they ought to buy at the Price it could be afforded If the Buyers were very Wealthy they must also give some of the Cloth they had bought in Shirting and he would quickly send for the Mony that was due for the Cloth But without these Ways it had been impossible for him to imploy such a multitude of People who could not stay a minute for their Mony This continued to be his chief business and care to the day of his Death Saving that about Two Years since when the calling in the Clipped Mony occasioned such a Scarcity of Current Coin that it was hard with many Rich to get Mony enough to go to Market he was forced to dismiss some of his Spinners for mere want of Mony to pay ' em I heard his Partner and Kinsman Mr. James tell him He had taken about 700 l. out of their Cash already for the Spinners And that he should take out no more as yet Not that Mr. James was not always an Encourager and Promoter of the Work-House Charity for he never took any Interest-mony for his Share in that Stock but their whole common Trade going thro' the hands of Mr. James and being managed by him he was more sensible than Mr. Firmin that more ready Mony could not be spared to that use without great Disadvantage to their Trade Flax and Tow being Goods very combustible Mr. Firmin was always a little uneasy lest by some Accident the Work-house being in the keeping only of Servants should take fire And I remember the Boys in one of their licentious times of throwing Squibs flung one into the Work-house Cellar where the Tow and Flax was stowed but Providence did not permit it should do any hurt Before I dismiss this Work-house I must take notice that at his death our Friend told Dr. L. that he did not regret his Dying only he could have been willing had God so pleased to have continued two Months longer to put his Work-house and Spinners into another Method That Method is now settled by Mr. James and the poor Spinners imploy'd as formerly Concerning this Work-house and the Spinners Mr. Firmin would often say that To pay the Spinners to relieve 'em with Mony begged for 'em with Coals and Shirting was to him such a Pleasure as magnificent Buildings pleasant Walks well cultivated Orchards and Gardens the Jollity of Musick and Wine or the Charms of Love or Study are to others I am persuaded he said no more than the Truth for Mr. James who was his Apprentice Journey-man and Partner upwards of thirty Years gives this Account of his Uncle's Expence on this and other Charities Comparing and balancing his Expences and Losses with his Gains he might have left an Estate behind him of at least 20000 l. if he had not given and spent it in publick and private Charities Buildings and other good Works whereas now his Estate amounts to no more than a sixth part of that Sum. But it was his settled Resolution not to be Richer He told me but little before he died that were he now worth Forty Thousand Pounds he would die but very little richer than he then was I incline to think he would have died much Poorer For such a Sum would have engaged him in such vast Designs for his Province the Poor that probably he would have gone beyond the Expence he intended at first for them I have heard his Physician blame him sometimes that he did not allow himself competent time for his Dinner but hasten'd to Garraway's Coffee-House about his Affairs But those Affairs were seldom if ever his own he was to sollicit for the Poor or in the business of some Friend who wanted Mr. Firmin's Interest Or he was to meet on some design relating to the Publick Good In these matters his Friends that were not quick in their Dispatches had reason oftentimes to complain of him as not giving them sufficient time to dispatch Business with him For he was nimble above most Men in Apprehension in Speech Judgment Resolution and Action He was persuaded by some to make trial of the Woolen Manufacture because at this the Poor might make better Wages than at Linen-Work For this he took a House in Artillery-Lane But the Price of Wool advancing very much and the London-Spinsters being almost wholly unskilful at Drawing a Woolen-Thread after a considerable Loss by 'em and 29 Months trial he gave off the Project He labour'd with a particular Zeal and Activity in redeeming poor Debtors out of Prison not only as it was Charity to the Persons but out of regard to their in the mean time distressed and starved Families He would say The Release of one Man out of Prison is a Relief bestowed on his whole Family I have sure grounds to believe that it was himself of whom he spake in his Book of Proposals p. 83. I know one Man who in a few Years last past with the Charity of some Worthy Persons has delivered some Hundreds of poor People out of Prison who lay there either only for Jailors Fees or for very small Debts I have
difficult Cares for them was how to provide Lodgings for such multitudes in a City where Lodgings are as costly as Diet But Mr. Firmin bethought him of the Pest-House then empty of Patients the Motion was approv'd by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen and some Hundreds of these Strangers were accommodated in that spatious and convenient Place As for Relief in Mony they made their first application to the French Church therefore I find in Mr. Firmin's Books Delivered to the Deacons of the French Church 50 l. to J. S. 10 l. to an old Man at Ipswich 20 l. This was immediately upon their coming over In 1681 and 1682 I find the Sum of 2363 l. 10 s. 1 d. issued forth for the use of the French thro' his hands and in 1683 for the French Children at Ware 443 l. 18 s. 9 d. For their Meeting-House at Rye 20 l. I find upon his Books these following Sums before a Brief was granted to them 100 l. then 155 l. in the next page 70 l. 15 s. To answer these Receipts the Books say Sept. 15. Delivered to Mr. Carbonel c. in 16 pieces of Cloth 50 l. Sept. 24. To the Deacons at the Savoy in Cloth 20 l. Oct. 7. To Carbon c. in 32 pieces of Cloth 100 l. 14 s. The balance is 27 l. 8 s. which 't is likely was his own mony In the Year 1682. he set up a Linen Manufacture for the French at Ipswich to which himself gave 100 l. which was all sunk in their Service saving that at last he received 8 l. 2 s. 6 d. He paid also for their Meeting-House at Ipswich 13 l. In the same Year also he disbursed for them for Coals 60 l. 10 s. whereof he received only 20 l. 10 s. There have been Four Briefs granted to the French one by K. Charles in 1681. a second by K. James in 1686. another by K. James in 1687. the fourth by K. William in 1693. Besides which K. William gave to 'em 1000 l. per Month for 39 Months It was Mr. Firmin that was chiefly concerned in the distribution of all this Mony especially of the Thirty Nine Thousand Pounds which was committed to two Bishops two Knights and a Gentleman but almost the whole Distribution was left to Mr. Firmin sometimes with but more commonly without their Inspection I see I have omitted before I was aware the following Sums paid to the French Protestants at Ipswich before their Brief was collected 45 l. 10 s. and 42 l. and 45 l. 9 s. another 42 l. to 21 Families at Ipswich He had a principal hand in the special Collections that are now made every Winter about Christmas time in Churches for the Poor in and about London He was the man that solicited the King's Letter for making those Collections he took care of printing and distributing the King's and Bishop of London's Letters to the several Rectors and other Ministers of Churches in London to be by them read in their respective Churches He waited on the Lords of the Treasury for the King's part of that Charity And when the Mony as well of the King as the Parishes was collected and paid into the Chamber of London and was then to be divided among the Poor of the several Parishes by my Lords the Bishop and Mayor of London no man could so well proportion their Dividends as Mr. Firmin This was well known to their Lordships who therefore seldom made any alteration in his Distributions In these matters all the Church-Wardens made their applications to Mr. Firmin and when the Dividend was settled received their Warrants from him For which purpose the Bishop of London would many times entrust him with Blanks and my Lord Mayor was always ready to give his Hand The whole of this Charity was so constantly and so many years managed by Mr. Firmin that he dying some days before Christmas last the King's Letter for the Collection was not given till the 12th of January And when the Collection was brought in from the several Parishes they were at a loss for the Distribution and were glad to take direction from Mr. Firmin's Pattern There hath been occasion in my last Section to mention the Bishop of London Dr. Henry Compton I ought not to omit that Mr. Firmin could never speak of this Bishop without a particular respect and deference He admired the Candor Moderation Wisdom and Dexterity accompanied and tempered by Caution and Vigor which said he often are so eminent in his Lordship and so constantly appear upon all occasions proper to any of those Virtues that I wish it were as easy to be like as 't is impossible not to esteem him I return to Mr. Firmin During the last 23 or 24 years of his Life he was one of the Governours of Christ-Church Hospital in London 'T is known to every body almost in London that Mr. Firmin procured a great number and very considerable Donations to this Hospital but I cannot specifie many particulars because he kept not exact accounts of 'em but those that have come to my knowledg are remarkable of one of which give me leave to give the Reader this account The Honourable Sir Robert Clayton having had it in his thoughts to make a provision for a Mathematical Master in that Hospital became the hapy Proposer and by his interest in the then Lord Treasurer Clifford and Sir Robert Howard the successful Procurer of the establishment of a Mathematical School in that Hospital for the constant breeding of the number of 40 Boys skill'd in the Latin Tongue to a perfect knowledg in the Art of Navigation The occasion thus There was 7000 l. given to this Hospital by a Citizen payable out of Weavers-Hall for the maintenance of 40 Boys Upon the Restoration the Fund out of which this issued reverting to the Crown King Charles the 2d upon the said Proposal and Petition to that purpose was graciously pleased to grant to the Hospital the said 7000 l. to be paid them by 1000 l. per Annum for 7 years upon which the Hospital was obliged to maintain the said 40 Boys successively to be so educated for ever Sir Robert Clayton being greatly pleas'd that he had been an Instrument in so charitable and beneficial a Constitution did afterwards meditate a Donation from himself to this Hospital and so to take it into his special Care and Beneficence And that which instigated him to these thoughts was he had laboured under a very grievous sickness even to despair of recovery but it pleased the Almighty Governour that he did recover and Mr. Firmin was very instrumental in it both by his personal ministry and giving quick notices to Physicians of several symptoms Hereupon Sir Robert adviseth with Mr. Firmin about the building and adding a Ward for Girls to this Hospital as a testimony of his gratitude to God and determined that Mr. Firmin should have the management of that Affair Accordingly he went about it you may be
sure with great Alacrity and Diligence but at whose charge he erected this large Building was a secret not known to any of the Family but John Morris Esq Sir Robert's Partner in this Work also and perhaps to my Lady In this was laid out near 4000 l. but it was not yet finisht when upon occasion of the unhappy Difference between the Passive-Obedience Men and the Law-Obedience Men the former having the power on their side turn'd out the latter both out of the Government of the City and of that Hospital among whom Sir Robert tho' eminent was ejected together with his faithful Agent and Friend Mr. Firmin another Governour as I have said Then it was that Mr. Firmin broke silence and upbraided those excluding Governours with depriving the Hospital of such a Benefactor as the Builder of that Ward For Sir Robert was now alone Mr. Morris being deceased and having left him the residue of his Estate Mr. Firmin also built a Ward for the Sick to prevent infecting the Healthy and Sound if the small Pox or other contagious distemper should happen among the Children as it often doth This Ward cost 426 l. 4 s. besides 6 l. 5 s. for a Press but the Gentleman that gave the mony for both would not then be known and continues still of the same mind I find however an account in Mr. Firmin's Books of 1537 l. the Sick Ward included received and laid out by Mr. Firmin And another account of 704 l. 10 d. received with the names of the Persons who gave it and the uses for which it was given In the Year of our Lord 1675 our Friend built two Houses for the two Beadles or other Officers of the Hospital at his own charge of which I have a Certificate under the Clerk's hand in these words At his own proper cost and charges Mr. Firmin set up a Clock and Dial for the use of the Hospital at the top of the North-end of the great Hall The said Mr. Firmin built two new brick Houses in the Town-ditch one at the South-West end the other at the North-East to be disposed to such Officers as the Government of the Hospital should think fit Farther at his own cost and charge a Shed or little Room at the East-end of the late Bowling-Ally and a new brick Wall he repaired all the Walls and levelled the Ground At the charge of a Friend of his a Citizen he laid Leaden Pipes to convey the Water to the several Offices of the Hospital and bought them a large Cistern which in all cost about 200 l. these were great Conveniences to the House and the Orphans who before fetched up the water they used on their backs which agreed not well with their strength kept the House foul and prejudiced their Clothes Out of Town he built a School with all conveniences to it for the Hospital Children this he set up at Hartford where many of the Hospital Children are Boarded the School cost 544 l. 13 s. of which he received by the Charity of ten persons the sum of 488 l. the balance is 56 l. 13 s. which lies upon himself for any thing that appears He was wont every Lord's-day at five in the evening to see the Orphans of the Hospital at their Evening service at what time they prayed and sung an Anthem by select Voices the Chorus by all the Boys After this they sate down to Supper at the several Tables under the care of their Matrons here Mr. Firmin viewed them in their Provisions and in the Behaviour both of them and their Officers and Attendents commending or admonishing as there was occasion To this Sight he invited one time or other all his Friends whether of the Town or Country and at last led 'em to the Orphans Box into which they would put somewhat more or less as they were charitably disposed A Country-man was very remarkable for having seen the Order and Methods of the Hospital when he came home he made his Will and gave very considerably to the place I was once with our Friend at the Hospital when looking over the Childrens Supper which was Pudding-pies he took notice of a Pye that seemed not of due bigness he took it immediately into the Kitchin and weighed it himself but it proved down-weight These Cares did not so wholly imploy this active man but that he was also a great and good Common-wealths-man He was always mindful of those who suffered for Conscience or for Asserting the Rights and Liberties of the Nation And he printed a great many Sheets and some Books of that tendency and nature great numbers of which he himself dispersed When King James commanded the reading his Declaration for Toleration and Indulgence in Religion in the Churches a great number of well-wrote Pamphlets were printed and dispersed to convince people of the bad design of that specious Declaration Mr. Firmin was a principal encourager and promoter of those Prints which cost him considerable sums as well for their publication as otherways He furthered as much as in him lay the Heroical Attempt of the Prince of Orange to rescue this Nation from Slavery and Popery And since His Majesty has been seated on the Throne our Friend has been particularly diligent in promoting the Manufacture of the Lustring Company because it is highly Beneficial to this Nation and as Prejudicial to our then Enemy He had the greatest hand and used the most effectual endeavours for procuring Acts of Parliament and Rules of Court in that behalf He and Mr. Renew took great pains and were at much expence to prevent Correspondence with France and the Importation of Silks and other Commodities from thence For this they ran the hazard of their lives from the revenge of Merchants and others whom they prosecuted to Execution A Merchant was so desperately angry at his Detection and the great Damage he should unavoidably sustain thereby that he went into a room alone in a Tavern and ended his Life by shooting himself into the head The Agents of Mr. Renew and Mr. Firmin gave either the first or very early intelligence of the French Invasion which was to have followed the Assassination of the King But he was not more a Friend to the Liberties of the Nation and to the present Establishment than he was an Enemy to Licentiousness He was from the first a Member of the Society for the Reformation of Manners he contributed to it by his Advice Assistance Solicitations as much as his leisure from the cares and endeavours before mentioned and exemplified would permit him but his Purse was always with them He had such a zeal against needless Swearing whereby the Religion of an Oath grows vile and contemptible and False-swearing becomes almost as common as idle and unnecessary Swearing to the indelible scandal of the Christian name and the great danger even as far as Life and Estate of particular persons I say his Zeal against common needless Swearing in what form soever