Shlohavot, or, The burning of London in the year 1666 commemorated and improved in a CX discourses, meditations, and contemplations, divided into four parts treating of I. The sins, or spiritual causes procuring that judgment, II. The natural causes of fire, morally applied, III. The most remarkable passages and circumstances of that dreadful fire, IV. Counsels and comfort unto such as are sufferers by the said judgment / by Samuel Rolle ...

MEDITATION III. Upon the Discourses occasioned by the late Fire, both th••n and since.

SOme came to London in the time of the Fire, having heard of it (but not seen it) and pro∣bably their first question was, Is the Fire out? Alas! no, would they say that answered them, It is so far from being out, that it rageth more and more. They that heard it was not out would be asking how far it was gotten, whereabouts it was: Then would men begin to reckon up the Streets and Churches that were burnt down already, Thames street is gone, and Fish street is gone, and Gracious Street is down, and now it is at such a place, and such a place, and so they would pro∣ceed. Is the Fire abated would others say? Is there any hope of extinguishing it? We see little sign of it would some reply, It is seared it will con∣sume the whole City and Suburbs too. Why do

they not play their Engines would some cry? A∣las they are broken and out of Kelter, we little expecting such a sad time as this. Some it may be would say, Why do so many people stand ga∣zing on, and not run to help? The Fire hath now got such head and is so fierce would they say that there is no coming near it: But why do they not pull down houses at a distance? that is long work would some reply, and seeing they can∣not carry away the timber, when they have done, it will do but little good. Do not the Magi∣strates, would some say, bestir themselves to put a stop to it? It is like they do what they can, but they are even at their wits ends, or like men a∣stonished. They that stood and look't on would cry out, See how it burns East and West at the same time, not onely with the wind, but against it. Hear how it crackles like a Fire in thorns: Hear what a rattling noise there is with the crack∣ling and falling of timber. Look you there saith another just now the Fire hath taken this or that Church, which alas is full of goods, now it is just come to the Royall Exchange; by and by would they say, See how presently such a stately house was gone, it was but even now, that it be∣gan to fire, and it is consumed already: Oh what a wind is here, See how it is as bellows to the Fire, or as the breath of the Almighty blowing it up. You would wonder to see how far the sparks and coles doe sly. It is strange they do not fire all the houses on the other side of the wa∣ter, where abundance of them do light. I can think of nothing, saith one, but of Sodom and Go∣morral, when I see this sight. Alas, Alas! cries one, now do I see such a good friends house to

take fire, and, by and by, now do I see the house of another good friend of mine on fire; in that house, that you see now burning dwelt a Brother or S••ster of mine, or some other near Relation. O∣thers would come dropping in and say, They had staid so long as to see their own houses on fire and then they came away and left them, Such a•• dwell near to London and to the Road would cry as they lay in their beds, we hear the Carts rumbling and posting by continually. Those that were within the City, at that time, would ever and anon say to one another, Did you hear that noise. There was a house blown up, and by and by there was another house blown up. Others would cry, The fire is now come near the Tower, and if the powder be not removed, God knowes, what mischief will be done with that: One while the people would take an Alarm of Treachery, and cry out that the French were coming to cut their throats.

Such whose houses the Fire had not yet seized, but was hast••ing towards them, you must sup∣pose to have made this their discourse, What shall we do for Carts to carry away our goods, we have offered three, four pounds a load for Carts to carry them but two or three miles off, and cannot have them. One while they cry there is an order to prevent the coming in of more Carts, it being thought that whilst we mind the saving of our goods, we neglect the put∣ting out the fire, and now will our houses and goods burn together, and so we shall loose all. Such as had the opportunity to convey their goods, as far as the fields and no farther. How did they discourse of the hardship they must un∣dergoe,

if they should leave their goods, they would be stollen, if they should look to them themselves (as many had no body else to do it for them) they must have but little sleep, and a cold open lodging, and what if it should rain? And some we may imagine were discour∣sing, what they and theirs should do, their hou∣ses and goods being burnt, where they should put their heads as having neither money nor friends, at leastwise so near that they knew how to get to them. These were but some of those dreadfull stories that men and women talkt of: I could tell you how women with child would say, They had but a month or a week to reckon, and this had frighted them almost out of their wits, so that they found it would go very hard with them. Others again would say, They were but so many weekes gone, but were so disturbed, that they did never look to go out their full time: Others, it is like, would say, They were so ill with the fright they had taken, that they thought verily it would kill them, or that they should never come to themselves whilst they lived. Would not o∣thers again report of some here and there, who by venturing too much in the Fire, or staying too long to bring away their goods, had lost their lives and perished in the flames?

Neither were all sad discourses exstinguished with the fire: For since that time it hath been the manner of Friends, as they met to ask some ac∣compt of the losses each of other. Pray what lost you, saith one, by the Fire? I lost the house I lived in, saith one, which was my own, or as good as my own by virtue of a long Lease and a great Fine. I lost my houses and goods, saith another.

I lost to the value of two thousand pounds, saith one, I four: I, six, saith another. I have lost the one half of what I had saith one: I have lost all saith another, I am burnt to my very shirt. I have lost more than all, saith a third, for I by this meanes am left in a great deal of debt, that I shall never be able to pay, I had many things belong∣ing to other men committed to me, which are swept away. Saith another I am not only undone my self, but so many of my Children and near Re∣lations, it may be all of them are undone by this Fire, as well as my self. But I need to say the less of this, because every dayes converse will or may tell us, what men talk since the dismall Fire of and concerning it. O Lord, I see thou who canst put a Song of deliverance into our mouths when thou pleasest, canst also sill us with complaints and lamentations when thou wilt, and make our own tongues, as it were to fall upon us, how thou canst make us out of the abundance of our hearts, to speak such things as will terrifie both ourselves and others, and cause both our own ears and theirs to tingle, how easily thou canst find us other discourse than to ask and tell what newes is stirring (for who regarded news whilst these things were in agitation) who seemed to mind what became of affairs either by Sea or Land? I see how easily thou canst imbitter our Converse one with another, and make us speak so as to break each others hearts, that use to delight and refresh each other by their pleasing conferences and communications, so that solitude may become lesse afflictive, than that good company, which was wont to be very ac∣ceptable. Would not our tongues rise up in

judgement against us, if we should ever forget the sad stories we have told of thy most heavy hand upon us? Seeing thou hast thus seasoned our communication, as it were with salt, and salted it, as it were with fire, shall that which is rotten and unsavoury proceed out of our mouths from henceforth? Let us remember, what we said to others, and what others said to us, that we may never be unmindfull of what thou hast done both to us and them, we have spoken with sad coun∣tenances and with aking hearts. Oh that by the sadnesse of our countenances our hearts might be made better.