A true and full narrative of those two never to be forgotten deliverances one from the Spanish Invasion in 88, the other from the hellish Powder Plot, November 5, 1605 : whereunto is added the like narrative of that signal judgment of God upon the papists, by the fall of the House in Black-Friers, London, upon their fifth of November, 1623 / collected for the information and benefit of each family, by Sam. Clark ...

A Narrative of the visible hand of God upon the Papists by the Downfall in Black-Friers London. Anno Christi, 1623.

ON the Lords day, October the twenty sixth according to the English▪ ac∣count: but November the fifth according to the Popish account▪ a common report went far and near, that one Drurie, a Ro∣mish Priest (a man of parts, and eminent gifts) would preach that day in the after∣noon in a fair house in Black-Friers London, whither all that would might freely come to hear him.

Upon this report very many, Protestants as well as Papists, Scholars as well as others, assembled thither about three a clock in the afternoon; That mansion house was now inhabited by the French Ambassador: and the Sermon was to be in a Garret, into

which there were two passages: One out of the Ambassadorus with-drawing Room which was private, the other more common without the great Gate of the said Mansion House.

Under this Garret was another large Chamber which one Redyate, another Ro∣mish Priest, had hired for himself: Unto whom Papists frequently repaired to hear Mass, and make confessions. Under this room was the aforesaid withdrawing cham∣ber of the Ambassador: supported with strong Arches of stone being immediately over the entrance into the great House: And at the South end of the Garret and on the West side thereof, there were Bed-chambers and Closets which other Priests had hired for themselves: The Bed-chamber at the South end was severed from the Garret on∣ly by a partition of Wanscote which was taken down for the Sermon time: The length of the Garret from North to South was almost sorry foot, the breadth about sixteen foot: The two aforesaid passages met on one pair of stairs leading to the Gar∣ret which had only that one door leading into it.

More came to this place then possibly it could hold, so that many for want of room

returned back again; Others went into the aforesaid Redyates Chamber, and tarried with him. The whole Garret, Rooms ad∣joyning, door, and top of the stairs were as full as they could hold. In the Garret were set chairs and stools for the better sort: most of the women sate on the floor, but most of the men stood thronged together: In all, about two hundred were there as∣sembled. In the midst was a table and a chair for the Preacher.

All things thus prepared, and the mul∣titude assembled, about three of the clock the expected Preacher, having on a Sur∣plice, girt about his middle with a linnen girdle, and a tippet of Scarlet on both his shoulders, came in, being attended by a man that brought after him his book and hour-glass.

As soon as he came to the table, he kneeled down with shew of private de∣votion for a little while; then rising up, and turning himself to the people, he crossed himself, took the book (which was said to be a Rhemish Testament) out of his mans hands, and the hour-glass being set on the table, he opened the book, read the Gospel appointed by the Remish Calendar for that day, being the

twenty first Sunday after Pentecost: The Gospel was in Matthew 18, 23, &c. The Text being read, he sate down, put on a red cap over a white linnen one turned up about the brims: He made no audible Prayer, but having read his Text, which was the Parable of forgiving debts, he spake something of the occasion of it, and then propounded these three special points to be handled

• 1. The debt we owe to God.
• 2. The mercy of God in forgiving it.
• 3. Mans unmercifulness to his Bro∣ther.

Having insisted some while of the mise∣ry of man by reason of the debt wherein he stands bound to God, he passed on to declare the rich mercy of God, and the means which God hath afforded to his Church, for partaking thereof: Amongst which he reckoned up the Sacaments, and especially pressed the Sacrament of Penance, as they call it.

When he had discoursed on these points about half an hour, on a sudden the floor whereon the Preacher and the greatest part of his Auditory were, fell down with such violence, as therewith the floor of the Chamber under it, where

Redyate and his company were, was bro∣ken down with it, so that both the floors, with the beams, girders, joyces, boords and feelings, with all the people on them, fell down together upon the third floor, which was the floor of the French Ambassadors withdrawing Chamber, supported with strong arches as aforesad.

There being a partition on the South side of the middle Chamber which reached up to the floor of the Garret and sup∣ported it, that part of the Garret which was beyond the partition Southward, fell not, so as all the people thereon were safe, only they had no way to get forth: for there was but one entrance into the Garret, which was at the North-West corner. Here∣upon some through amazement, would have leaped out at a window almost for∣ty foot from the ground: but the people without, telling them of the certain dan∣ger if they leaped down, kept them from that desperate attempt: At length by breaking a wall on the West-side they dis∣cerned Chambers adjoyning thereto, and so by creeping through that hole into the Chambers, they were saved: So were all they that stood on the stair-head at the door leading into the Garret: For the

stairs were without the Room, and no∣thing fell but the floors, neither walls nor roof.

Also amongst those that fell, many escaped; for some of the timber rested with one end on the walls, and with the o∣ther on the third floor that yielded not, and so both such as abode on those pieces, and such as were directly under them, were thereby preserved. Amongst the multidude that fell, there was a Minister who (through Gods Providence) fell so between two pieces of timber, as that the timber kept his upper parts from crushing, and holped him by his clasping about the timber to pull out his feet from amongst the dead corpses.

Amongst others, the present preservation and future destruction of one Parker was very remarkable. This Pa••ker was a factor for the English Seminaries, and Nunnes be∣yond Sea, especially at Cambre; and he had so dealt with two of his brothers here, that he had got from one of them a son, and from the other a daughter to send them to religi∣ous houses (as they call them) beyond Sea. This Parker at this time took his Nephew, a youth of about sixteen years old to the aforementioned fatal conventi∣cle,

where Drury preached: and both Par∣ker and his Nephew fell with the rest: The youth there lost his life, but Parker himself escaped with a bruised body, being a corpulent man: yet so far was he from making a good use of his deliverance, that with much discontent he wished that he had dyed for his Nephew, saying, That God saw him not fit to dye amongst such Martyrs: Such are Romes Martyrs. But the preservation of the wicked, is but a reser∣vation to future judgment: For about ten days after, as this Parker was shooting London-Bridge, with his aforesaid Neece, whom he was conveying beyond Sea, they were both cast away and drowned in the Thames. Judge by this (O Parents!) whe∣ther God is well pleased with disposing your Children to Popish Education.

Others there were that were pulled out alive, but so bruised, or so spent for want of breath, that some lived not many hours, others dyed not many days after.

The floor of the Chamber immediately over this where the Corps lay, being fallen, there was no entrance into it but through the Ambassadours Bed-chamber, the door whereof was closed up with the Timber of the floors that fell down, and the walls

of this room were of stone, only there was one window in it with extraordinary strong cross barrs of iron, so that though Smiths, and other workmen were immedi∣ately sent for, yet it was more than an hour before succour could be afforded to them that were faln down.

Passage at length being made, I had ac∣cess into the room (saith Doctor Gouge the relater of this story) and viewing the Bo∣dies, observed some (yet but few) to be mortally wounded, or crushed by the tim∣ber: Others to be apparently stifled, part∣ly with their thick lying one upon another, and partly with the dust that came from the cieling which fell down.

On the Lords day at night when they fell they were numbered ninety one dead bodies; but many of them were secretly conveyed away in the night, there being a pair of water-stairs, leading from the garden apper∣taining to the house, into the Thames. On the morrow the Coroner and his Inquest coming to view the bodies, found remaining but sixty three.

Of those that were carried away, some were buried in a Burying place within the Spanish Ambassadours House in Holborn, amongst whom the Lady Web was one,

the Lady Blackstones daughter another, and one Mistress Udal a third: Master Stoker, and Master Bartholomew Bavin were buri∣ed in St.Brides Parish. Robert Sutton, John Loccham, and Abigail Holford in St.An∣drews Holborn. Captain Summers wife in the Vault under Black Friers Church, and her woman in the Church-yard. For the Corps remaining, two great pits were dig∣ged, one in the fore Court of the said French Ambassadors house, eighteen foot long, and twelve foot broad; the other in the garden behind his house, twelve foot long, and eight foot broad. In the former pit were laid forty four Corps, whereof the bodies of the aforesaid Drury and Redyate were two: These two wound up in sheets, were first laid into the pit, with a parti∣tion of loose earth to fever them from the rest. Then were others brought, some in somewhat a decent manner wound up in sheets, but the most in a most lamentable plight, the shirts onely of the men tyed under the twists, and some linnen tyed about the middle of the women, the rest of their bodies naked, and one poor man or woman taking a Corps by the head, another by the feet tumbled them in, and so piled them up almost to the top of the pit.

The rest were put into the other pit in the garden.

Their manner of burial seemed almost as dismal, as the heap of them, when they lay upon the floor where they last fell. No obsequies of funeral Rites were used at their burial. Only the day after, a black Cross of wood was set upon each grave, but was soon by Authority commanded to be taken down.

When they were thus interred, tho∣rough search was made about the cause of the falling of the timber: The timber of each floor was laid together, and the mea∣sure of the Summers that brake was taken. The main Summer which crossed the Gar∣ret was ten inches square: Two girders were by tenents, and mortaises let into the middest of it, one just against another: the Summer was knotty where the mortaises were made, whereupon being over-burden∣ed, it knapped suddenly asunder in the mid∣dest.

The main Summer of the other floor that fell was much stronger, being thir∣teen inches square, strong and found e∣very where, neither did the girders meet so just one against another; yet that also failed, not in the middest as the upper∣most,

but within five foot of one end, and that more shiveringly, and with a longer rent in the timber then the other. For this Chamber was almost full with such persons as coming too late, went into Redyates Chamber: Besides, it did not only bear the weight which lay on the upper floor, but received it with a sudden knock, and so the massie timber shivered in two, and the people were irrecoverably before they could tear any such thing, beaten down into the third floor which was above twenty foot from the first.

It's true, we must not be rash in censu∣ring, yet when we see judgements executed on sinners in the act of their sin, when they are impudent, and presumptuous therein, not to acknowledge such to be judged by the Lord, is to wink against clear light, Psal. 9. 16.God is known by the judgements which he executeth. Shall Nebuchadnezzar, while he is vaunting of his great Babylon, be berest of his wits?

Shall Herod, whilest he is priding himself in the flattering applanse of the people, be eaten of worms? Shall Haman, whilest he practising to destroy all the people of God, be hanged on a Gallows fifty foot high, which he had prepared for Mordecai?

Shall the House where the Philistins met together to sport with Sampson, fall upon their heads? Shall these and such like judg∣ments overtake men in the very act of their sin, and yet be accounted no judgements, no evidences of Gods revenging Justice, or signes of his indignation? Truly then we may deny all Providence, and attribute all to chance: But add hereto, that this fell out upon their fifth of November, and it will be as clear as if written with a Sun-beam, that the pit which they digged for others, they themselves fell into it.

Doctor Gouge, who relates this Story in his Extent of Gods Providence, thus writeth.

I do the more confidently publish this History, because I was an eye-witness of many of the things therein related, and heard from the mouths of such as were pre∣sent at the Sermon, the rest. For upon the first hearing of the destruction of so many persons as by that Dowosal lost their lives, our Constables presently caused the Gates of our precinct (it being surrounded with walls and Gates) to be shut, and raised a strong Guard from amongst the inhabitants to keep the house where this accident fell out, and to prevent tumult about it. Thus through the favour of the Constables, and

Watch, who were all my neighbours, I had the more free and quiet access to view the dead bodies, and to inform my self of all the material circumstances about that acci∣dent: which I did the rather, because the Bishop of London that then was, sent to me to inform my self throughly of all the bu∣siness, and to send him a narration thereof under my hand; whereupon I did not only view matters my self, but caused Carpenters to search the timber, to take the measures both of the timber and the rooms. I was also present with the Coroner and his In∣quest at their examining of all circumstan∣ces about the business. And the Arch-Bi∣shop of Camerbury sending to me to come to him, and to bring with me the best evi∣dence I could, I got the foreman and others of the Jury, and four persons that were pre∣sent at the Sermon, and fell down with the rest, but by Gods providence escaped death, and one that stood without the door, with∣in hearing, but fell not, all these I got to go along with me to Lambeth, where I heard the witness which they gave to the Arch∣Bishop about this matter. One that fell with the rest, and escaped death, was Ma∣ster Gee a Preacher in Lancashire: two others were a son and servant to a Citizen

in Pater noster Row: The rest were men of good understanding; able to apprehend what they saw and heard, and to relate what they conceived.

FINIS.