sent Deaths Bayliffe to arrest the house for Rent And turn the dwellers out and sure I am But few could live long there after he came Now Knells of death continually do ring And that same doleful sound of Buryers bring Your dead out mortal Ears with terror pierce And now a Cart becomes the only Hearse To bear a heap of bodies to their Grave Which neither Obsequies nor Rites can have Of Christian burial the best of all Have now no Friends attend their Funeral No cost of Heirs no Mourners to be seen But driven in a Cart as they had been From hanging carry'd thrown into a pit No Priest to say Earth to Earth I commit Now might you see all faces blackness gather The Son lamenting for his dying Father The Wife for her deceased Husband crying And Parents mourning for their Children dying Now might you hear some from their windows cry Bread for the Lords sake or we starved die Groaning at once under two dismal woes The Plague and Famine both their deadly foes Now Friends and Neighbours keep at distance fear T' approach their nearest Kindred for life's dear The Father dreads to see his only Son The Son to see his Father too doth shun The Husband dreads his Wife whom he with dear Embraces us'd to hold durst not draw near The Wife 's afraid her Husband to behold Whom in kind Arms she used to infold Now such as yet do dwell in health and ease Know not how soon the Plague on them may seise Where lately by our Kings happy return All joy and triumph was and then to mourn It was piacular behold and see How sad now there and mournful all things be And now it were ridiculous to laugh Yet some bold sinners now game sing and quaffe Nay as 't is told some by dead Corps do play Away the remnant of their lives short day Poor London this thy sad condition is Yet who bemoans thee and who weeps for this Thou sit'st disconsolate of joys bereft In thy distress by friends and lovers left Such as to satisfie their Pride and Lust Spend here their wanton Summers yearly must When they have helpt to bring the Plague upon thee Now in thy woe and misery fly from thee But let them go if they mend not no doubt Gods Judgments in due time will find them out Though it begins with thee and you must bear The Almighty's wrath for that you sinful were A wrath so killing that your dead do come Unto nine Thousand in the Weekly sum And 't is reported though Bills speak no more Fourteen might be some weeks upon the score Hath God forgotten to be gracious Is His mercy gone for ever and your bliss O spare thy people Lord thy people spare Who with thy precious Bloud redeemed are Will God his anger evermore retain Will he still frown and never smile again No he is gracious and his mercies sure His pity doth from age to age endure Humble thy self and hope well London for God will not cast off his for ever nor Be always wrath slouds at the highest fall So now his over-flowing Judgments shall He will consult his bowels and have pity For mercy sake upon an humbled City And ere the year went round the Plague was so Abated folk a pace did thither go Theirs ended now began the Countrey 's woe And as provoking Sin its course hath run Avenging Judgment after that hath gone As London like the Fountain sent forth streams Of evil through the Land so now the gleams Of wrath dart thence the Plague abroad and thus Sent Death into the Countrey among us Colchester for two years her Thousands paid For tribute unto Death poor Braintry's made To give her Hundreds Chelmford scapes not free And Mousham long hath worn Deaths Liverie In Easterford Kelv'don upon the way Death took into an Inne and made some stay But blessed be the God of Heav'n slaughter Was here no dweller but a sojourner As once the year before he here was sent Into a Cottage but no further went But in most Market-Towns about us slays And by his terror puts down Market-days Whereby the Poor want work the Farmer vent For his Commodities his Landlord Rent And such whom God doth in their persons spare Deep in their Purses now afflicted are Money is dead as well as People Trade Is low yet Payments high must needs be made For Sickness and the War do both require Though things we sell are low our Rates be higher This is our woe this is our great distress The more 's our sorrow Is our sin the less 'T were well if so our loss would be our gain Nor would I doubt to see good days remain But this I cannot see and therefore fear No end of these but a third woe is near Gods knows what will be next but sure unless We better prove for these God will not cease To punish us he hath more Plagues in store And can for sin afflict us seven times more Since both the War and Sickness still endure And once to know the Cause is half the Cure Let us reflect on that and throughly try To search the Cause and find a Remedy For these Calamities which make so long Have mercy Lord the burthen of our Song Let 's see what hinders mercy and what sure Course we must take his mercy to procure But while I was about to think on this Another woe befell The City is All on a flame the Countrey in a fright Our thoughts distracted business put to flight All stand i' th' way to hear what news from thence As men astonisht even bereft of sense But when my Muse her self could recollect On this third Woe began she to reflect Resolv'd at last by light of th' Fire to see The cause of all these woes and remedie On the BVRNING OF LONDON JER 18.7 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them c. THe War still slaughters the Plague destroys And England mournful sits berest of joys Abandoned to sorrow yet Gods Hand Is stretched out against this sinful Land And as the City London still hath been The Spring and Fountain of the Nations sin Another wrathful Vial God doth spill On them and thence the Land with terror fill Heav'n from the former with provoked ire Shed death among them but from this a Fire A wasting fire scarce had that Vial done Dropping down sickness ere this woe begun And all at once in flaming fury thrown On this great City quickly burnt it down God seem'd to slack his wrath the Pestilence Was in a manner quite removed thence And having swept the City thence did come And all about the Countrey strangely roame And those who hither fled for safety fly For danger hence and
Where sometimes famous Christian Churches were Now Turkish Mosques do stand men adore The Imposture Mahomet where Christ before And those who yet retain a Christian name Have little else of Christ beside the same Their low estate allows no means to gain Such knowledge as is needful to retain Religion pure and perfect Besides must they To this great Turk the tenth child yearly pay The tenth is due O God! to thee alone And must an Infidel thy tribute owne This woe of all their woes is worst to see Their dearest children educated be In blinder Turcism made his Janizars Chief Souldiers against Christians in his Wars When cruel Herod mockt of the Wisemen slew So many Infants he did kindness shew Compared to this Turkish Tyranny For 't is a greater priviledge to die Innocent Martyrs and go hence to glory Than to be train'd up in the cosening story Of Mahomet Poor babes at once must you Be from Christs bosome and your Parents too By Tyrants-force thus miserably torn Better it were you never had been born Let us reflect and think did we now hear The approaching feet of Turkish Officer Entring to take away our darling child Oh what a plight should we be in how wild And quite beside themselves would surely be The tender Mothers of the Infantry Who that their senses have would not desire To see their tender Infants soul expire His brains dasht on the wall before his eyes And how the sprawling Corpse convulsing dies Rather than such should us of them bereave In thraldom and Idolatry to live But who do think on this with pity and Deplores not the sad state of Grecian Land Now then it were a noble enterprise If Christian Princes hearts and Arms would rise To pull down this proud Sultan and restore The Christian Faith where 't flourished before And free afflicted Greece once the Worlds eye From Turkish thraldom and Idolatry And all those Christian souls which yearly come Tribute and Captives from poor Christendome If th' English and Dutch Fleer would both combine T' assist the bold Venetian Worthy of Christian Valour they would make a designe The Vaunting Seigniour with his Gallies quake If throughout all Christendom were more Like those brave Knights of Malta who have swore Destruction to the Turks that would combine Quite to raze out the bloody Ottoman line Then Christendome might flourish and be free From Devastation and Captivitie God grant us Peace at home and send Us Victory abroad and end All Wars 'mong Christian men and cease The Plague his War with men In peace And health grant us to live that we Might still a happy Kingdom be But though the Lord in War on our side stood And gave us Victory for the price of blood Allaying this sore Judgment by success Which in the loss of lives makes grief go less Yet the Plague raging far and nigh destroyes With sweeping slaughter and doth damp our joys This casts my soul into a sad Reflection On the just Vengeance of such dire Infection REFLECTIONS ON THE PESTILENCE JER 9.9 Shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this WHen the just God did visit London first Our danger less our fears were at the worst In every place men stood upon their guard And against Citizens kept Watch and Ward Had we done so against our sins before Less had our danger been our safety more But when this dire Destruction still doth last And round about us fearfully doth wast Harden'd by custom we do nothing fear Our dangers greater but who sheds a tear Our hearts are stone were they of marble kind 'T were well marble sometimes we weeping find On the great City of this sinful Land London with wealth and folk abounding and With sin the cause of woe too God first pour'd The brimful Vial of his wrath and showr'd His ireful Judgments There his Angel drew The Sword of Vengeance and that people slew At first by Tens which soon to Hundreds come Then Thousands weekly sent to their long-home The frighted Citizens begin to fly From House and Habitation lest they die They leave their livelyhood to save their life And where they come their coming makes a strife Lest they bring death with them Towns are in arms To keep out Citizens as mortal harms Waggons and Coaches still in every Road Are met with which they and their Goods do load Where they shall shelter find they scarce do know Yet durst not stay at home where e're they go Some who did thure in stately Houses dwell Now gladly creep into a Countrey-cell And others wandering up and down the Fields No Town or Village them admittance yields Thus from the Rod of God poor Sinners fly Not from their Crimes for which they smart die Alas what boots it from the Plague to start And bear with you a worse Plague in your heart Running will not secure you you 're undone Unless you know how from your selves to run Had you your selves forsaken when at home You need not thus about the Countrey roame Had you fled from your Sins before as fast You need not from the Plague have made such hast Had you been just and honest in your Trade To deal uprightly had a Conscience made False weights and measures and deceitful wares the snares False oaths equivocations lies For simple buyers had you never us'd Nor with great prizes Customers amus'd For which i' th' Countrey you a Proverb are You ask say they just like a Londoner Had not your Shops been Dens of such as theive And lie in wait cunningly to deceive Nay oftentimes your cosening with a shew Of honesty and goodness cloaked too No Plague had likely nigh your dwellings come You might securely still have staid at home Had you but kept your Conscience so you might Your Shops with comfort free from deadly fright But when you turn out Conscience first no doubt Gods Judgments after 't justly turn you out And if you e're get home again beware More Plagues in store for Sinners still there are But for a while here they resolve to be Till London shall be from Contagion free But there Contagion is from which I fear You 'le never find the sinful City clean But now le ts think on those who stay behind Distrest in Body and Estate and Mind Who know not where to sly and fear to stay But yet must bear the burthen of the day A wrathful day a dismal time wherein Thousands receive the wages of their sin Some have no Friends to go to nor yet Coin To make them any some the Laws enjoyn To stay and do their Office some presume And others trust no Plague shall them consume But it increases spreads destroyes doth make Such as remain for fear of death to quake Now might you see red Crosses there great store And Lord have mercy upon many a doore The Wardsman standing as if he were
gladly homewards hye London is quickly fill'd Trading returns No miss or thought of those are in their urns And with the People sin returned too Unmortified by all the Plague could do This foster'd in their flight brought home again In their return bred their ensuing bane They come the same men home take the old course Whom judgments do not mend they oft make worse The Beasts God sav'd in Noah's Ark came out Beasts as they went in and some Men no doubt Have no more sense of mercy when they live While God doth others to destruction give C ham scapt among the eight in Noah's flood Yet this deliverance did not make him good He 's sav'd the World destroy'd yet when all 's done Wicked comes forth and proves a cursed son So when the Plague like to a deluge swept In London and God there a remnant kept Alive and such as to the Countrey fled A life in mercy here in safety led London replenisht once the Plagues forgot And God that sent it too the folk no jot Amended by it but the Plague is still Most in their Hearts when lest 't is in their Bill Therefore as when the Plague of Leprosie Among the Jews could no way purged be Out of their houses Gods Law did require Such houses should be burned down with fire So when the Plague of Sin could not be purg'd From out that sinful City sharply scourg'd By that of Sickness God himself in ire Burnt down their Houses with consuming fire Upon September's second day i' th' year Much talkt of Sixty six did there appear By two i' th' morning these consuming Flames Which did break out first in the Street of Thames And then blown on by a strong wind into The City what e're Art or strength could do Of men to stop or slack its fury by The Friday morning did in ruines lie The greatest part of that within the Wall And much beside of that we Suburbs call For it broke thorough Newgate and went on To Holborn-bridge and had through Ludgate gone Up Fleetstreet unto Temple-bar before Its fury stopt and did burn down no more If what without the Walls is burnt you count For that which stands within as tant'amount Even the whole City in a manner lies A ruinous heap to all spectators eyes To quench this fire men labour'd all in vain It wasting run like wild-fire in a train Then you might hear at first the doleful sound Fire fire cryed all about the City round And there you might behold with weeping eye By fire a whole Street quickly ruin'd lye Th' increasing flame mounting its spire to Heav'n Laid th' aspiring buildings with earth even There might you see the Water-Engines ply'd With toilsome hands but God success denyed They quickly broke and peoples hearts while they Behold their Houses to the flames a prey Thousands did strive to quench the fire but all Labour'd in vain the stately Structures fall Before its fury Some do water bear Others pull down such houses as are near To stop its progress but aloft it flies O're th' interval and makes a Sacrifice Of the next Mansion thence again doth hast The rest with sweeping Vengeance to lay wast No Church no Hall no House no Hospitall Can stand before it but it ruines all What will not burn it breaks with piercing heat And tumbling down with rubbish fills the street As when a field of stubble's fired and It runs like flowing billows cross the Land Blown with the wind or as when torrents fall From some steep Hills they bear before them all Stands in their way E'ven so this fire runs on And in a little time a mile hath gone Buildings of all materials you can name As stubble were before the spreading flame Which like a falling torrent swiftly flows Through London streets it comes and down all goes Which while the tired people do behold With deep astonishment their hearts grow cold Within them by this fire when thus they view The fate of old Troy light upon the new Now might you poor distressed people meet With streams of tears lamenting in each Street Were these for sin they 'd sooner quench the flames Than all the water of the River Thames Some you might see there with extreamest passion Bewail their loss as nigh to desperation Now might you see our Soveraign Lord the King Water himself unto this fire to bring I mean in mournful eyes weeping to see His Cities ruines Subjects miserie Whose sorrow was their solace as compassion To those in woe 's a kind of Consolation Nor did his tears speak pity only but By comfortable words he solace put Into distressed hearts and night and day Rode up and down from place to place to stay By all means possible the running Flame Giving forth orders look't to see the same Effectually performed ventring where Inferior persons dar'd not to come near And with his hands to labour did not spare 'T is said and to expose his life through care To save the City for a rumor slew Abroad of treachery if that be true To think I tremble in what peril then Our Soveraign was among the rout of men When any foe had opportunitie To act a not to be thought of Tragedie But praised be the King of Kings alone No hand or tongue was mov'd by anyone Against our King all joy'd and blest him when They saw his care his grief his labour then But nothing would asswage this furious fire Which all attempts to quench did raise but higher As the Smiths forge by water grows more hot When fire of water mastery hath got All limbs and spirits tired were but yet Their hopes grew lesser and the Flames more great Now faint and weary and despairing quite E're to put out the fire all in a fright Giving o're the whole City to the will Of God and fury of the Flames which still Rage more and more too soon perhaps disperse Their several wayes to save stuffe and purse As when a Town 's besieged ta'ne and sackt Their Goods away like Plunder now are packt But many whom the Flame surpris'd before Out of their Houses they remov'd their store Lost all their Goods and in one hour were some Wealthy before mere beggars now become And those who most did save and bear away Much of their Goods left to the Flames a prey Th' excessive rates of Carrs made much not worth Removal though they safe could get it forth Some hurrying what they snatcht out of the fire To the first friends they thought of when that nigher Approacht those places now with speed they were Compell'd their things away from thence to bear And the fire still pursuing them as fast Forc't them soon to a third remove in hast Thus some to shift their place were oft compell'd Who still in hopes the fire would be quell'd Would not quite leave the Town until at last All thinking the whole City it would wast No other refuge sought but
their service paid 63. What ruffling France for Holland means to do Two Summers hence they possibly shall know The last they complemented to and fro This their fine Fleet abroad shall fairly show The third he may to show his horns begin But if a storm comes wisely draw them in 64. Yet proud France blusters with his Men and Arms As if he 'd win the world and great plots laies For some Invasion but no Land he harms His mind on Holland not on England preys The Sea 's an Hill his Forty Thousand men May bravely sail up and goe down agen 65. Le Roche can tell 't is a design more meet For Courtly French to man a Lady home Than warlike English on the Seas to greet From whose salute doth greater mischief come If first he had not carried home their Queen France's tall ships Portugal ne're had seen 66. Yet he with promises doth Holland feed Of great assistance which he still delays Those haughtiness in Belgian spirits breed But this their expectation still betrays The greatest kindness he hath done them yet Was by the show he made to part our Fleet. 67. Unhappy parting when Prince Rupert went To seek the French nois'd to be put to Sea Their joyning with the Belgians to prevent Which the Dutch hearing came out presentlie Whom Albemarle's great Duke engag'd alone Though they in numbers were near three to one 68. Their numerous Navy he no sooner spies Which on the Ocean like a City shows But he with Canvase wings to battel flies Whose Fleet looks like an Hamlet to his foes More great in mind in pow'r less by far He hurls himself into unequal war 69. His Captains all bear bravely up and fear No perils where this Gen'ral leads them on Dangers with him like shadows do appear Which where bright Phoebus sheds his rays are gone The name of Monk was dreadful still among Remembring Dutch his Name 's a Squadron strong 70. The Fleets engage and they in numbers bold And ours in spirit now the fight grows warm Our snugging Frigates do their sides unfold And their 's more lofty built our rigging harm We ply'd them thick made their fleet more thin Each Ship its own way open'd to get in 71 Among their multitude unseen ours lie Like stragling Hunters beating in a spring Until the hollowing Guns do signifie To partner Ships their place these answering Then through the Dutch they cut their passage free And let in light thus one another see 72. Long time our few their many counterpoise The English Valour holds the balance even If either the Dutch scale did seem to rise And the advantage to our side was given But envious night her sable mantle spread And from our force glad Belgians covered 73. The weary Seamen lay them down to rest To fresh their spirits for a fiercer fight Victorious dreams the English minds possest And black Ideas did the Dutch affright Those dream of flying Dutch start up and shout These startle up to run as put to rout 74. Aurora drew her curtains and did peep Forth from her Eastern bed and scatter light Our eager Souldiers shook of idle sleep And theirs arose with early minds for flight With wishing heart each homewards casts his eye And Vessels coming from their Coast doth spy 75. Which brought a fresh supply of sixteen Sail These rais'd their fal'n spirits up anew Ours heard their shout and saw their hearts might fail If ought the English Spirit could subdue Whose strength 's their courage doubling this they vie Th' increasing number of their foes supply 76. Our little Fleet was lesser grown by war A little from a little 's quickly mist Their multitude did many better spare Yet all discouragements our still resist With such a General they scorn to fear Who doth the prize of conquer'd Nations wear 77. The Noble Duke what e're his heart revolves With smiling aspect chears his pensive men And fills their anxious hearts with brave resolves To new assault he fiercely leads them then Long time with even success the fight maintain'd No Conquest ever greater honour gain'd 78. Another new supply augments their store And so the strongest strength increasing get While our disabled Ships sent off to shore Unto the weaker adds more weakness yet But Day these conflicts weary to behold Gave leave to Night her Sables to unfold 78. The careful Duke commands his men to rest Himself on reeling Deck doth watchful stand A thousand thoughts perplex his anxious brest No gale of hopes his fervent spirit fann'd Yet he resolves no English shore to touch Unless he 's Victor o're the vaunting Dutch 80. The rising Sun now gilds the Eastern skie Both Fleets prepare the quarrel to decide Victory thus far evenly pois'd did lie But now inclined to their stronger side Yet are not ours o'recome when they pursue But to the flying still the honour's due 81. Opprest with number mightiest Spirits yield When Force and Ammunition both do fail The truest Valour wisely quits the Field Thus wants and weakness not the Dutch prevail Make our unwilling General retreat Who yet in this doth still his foes defeat 82. In such triumphant order he retires As above former Victories doth raise His great renown big Frigates he requires To keep the reer the less securely lays Under the shelter of the greaters wing And thus his shatter'd Navy off doth bring 83. Our greatest Frigates keep the Dutch in awe If their advancing Vessels drew too near They turn'd and by a broadside give them law For distance one was sunk the other fear And follow as if awfully they come To see our batter'd Navy safely home 84. Only the Prince a gallant Ship did strand Whose presence boldest Dutch could never brook Nor durst approach while upright she could stand But falling fowl her helpless men they took Her self expir'd in flames much better so Than to be prize to the insulting foe 85. At last the Prince whose heart was in his ear E're since he heard the Guns steer'd by their Sound With flying Colours doth far off appear But French they were which first did ours confound And the glad Dutch bore up their friends to meet And him with warlike welcome kindly greet 86. Approaching he red Crosses soon displays Which husht their joy heav'd English hearts and hands De Ruyter sneaking back with shame now lays With craft his bragging Ships behind the Sands Who with a braving shew now hover there To tempt the eager Prince into the snare 87. Fierce as a Lyon he to combate slyes To check the boldness of this vaunting foe But the Dukes wibfe upon his Jack-slag spyes The signal that he should not forwards go But first consult then with a slighting tack He waves the Dutch and to our Fleet comes back 88. With leaping hearts the Prince and Duke embrace The Prince doubts no success the Duke alive The Duke sees Victory in the Prince's face Both joy and