broomes with helpe enough; but it was the will of God it should not preuaile. And the hand of God was the more seene in this, in as much as no meanes would prosper. For the 3 Engines, which are such excellent things, that nothing that euer was deuised could do so much good, yet none of these did prosper, for they were all broken, and the tide was verie low that they could get no watter; and the pipes that were cutt yeilded but littel watter. Some ladders were broke to the hurt of many, for some had their legges broke, some had their armes, and some their ribbes broken, and many lost their liues. This fire burnt fiercely all night, and part of the next day (for my man was there about twelue a cloke, and he said he did see the fardest house on fire) till all was burnt and pulled downe to the ground. Yet the timber, and wood, and coales in the sellers, could not be quenched all that weeke, till the Tuesday following, in the afternoon, the xix of February, for I was there then my selfe, and had a liue cole of fire in my hand, and burnt my finger with it. Notwithstanding there were as many night and day as could labour one by another to carry away timber, and brickes, and tiles, and rubbish cast downe into the liters. So that on Wensday the Bridge was cleared that passengers might goe ouer.' "At the beginning of this fire, as I lay in my bed and heard ye sweeping of the channels and crying for water, water, I arose about one of the cloke, and looked downe Fish-street-hill, and did behold such a fearfull and dreadfull fire vaunting it selfe ouer the tops of houses, like a Captaine florishing and displaying his banner; and seeing so much meanes and so little good, it did make me thinke of that fire which the Lord threateneth against Ierusalem, for the breach of his Sabbath day. He saith thus: But if ye will not here me to sanctifie the Sabbath day, and to beare no burden, nor to go through ye gates of Ierusalem in the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in ye gates there, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem, and it shall not be quenched.' Iere. xvii. 27. "I did heere that on the other side of ye Bridge, the Bruers brought abundance of watter in vessells on their draies, which did, with the blissing of God, much good; and this mircie of God I thought on, that there was but littel wind; for had ye wind bin as high as it was a weeke before, I thinke it would have indangered ye most part of the Citie; for in Thames Street there is much pitch, tarre, rosen, and oyle, in their houses: Therefore, as God remembers mercy in iustice, let us remember thankefullnes in sorrow. Therefore will I praise the Lord with my whole heart, and I will speake of all thy marvellous workes;' for it is of the Lord's mercy that wee are not consumed,' Lament. iii. 22. The Names, and Trades, and number of the Houses burnt vpon the Bridg, heere you may see vnder nethe.— 1 "1. Mr. William Vyner,-Haberdasher of smal Wares. 2. Mr. Iohn Broome,-Hosier. 3. Mr. Arther Lee,-Haberdasher of smal Wares. 4. Mris. Iohane Broome,-Hosier. 5. Mr. Ralph Panne,-Shewmaker. 6. Mr. Abraham Marten,Haberdasher of Hattes. 7. Mr. Ieremiah Champney,-Hosier. 8. Mr. John Terrill,-Silke man. 9. Mr. Ellis Midmore,Milliner. 10. Mr. Francis Finch,--Hosier. 11. Mr. Andrewe Bouth,-Haberdasher of small Wares. 12. Mr. Samuel Petty, -Glouer. 13. Mr. Valentin Beale,-Mercer. 14. Mris. Chambers, Senior. 15. Mr. Ieremiah Chamley,-Silke man. 16. The Blew Bore,-empti. 17. Mr. Iohn Gouer,-Stiller of Strong Waters. 18. Mr. Iohn Wilding, Iunior,—Girdler. 19. Mr. Daniel Conney,-Silke man. 20. Mr. Stephen Beale, -Lyning Draper. 21. Mris. Iane Langham,-Mercer. 22. Mr. James Dunkin,- Wolling Draper. 23, Mr. Matthew Harding,-Salter. 24. Mr. Abraham Chambers,-Haberdasher of smal Wares. 25 and 26,-Mr. Lyue Daniel,-Haberdasher of Hattes, a double house. 27. Mris. Brookes,-Glouer. 28. Mr. · Couerley,-Hosier. 29. Mr. Iohn Dransfielde,— -at S. Magnus Cloyster.' 37. Mr. John Hewlett, the Clarke, "This narrative has, however, already appeared in print in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for November, 1824, pp. 387, 388; the extract having been furnished by the possessor of the volume, Mr. William Upcott, of the London Institution. Of the ground-plot of London Bridge, after the damage done by this fire, there is yet extant a very curious survey, preserved under the care of Mr. Smith, in the British Museum. It consists of an unpublished drawing on parchment, measuring four feet five inches in length, by ten inches in breadth; and it, perhaps, be longed to Sir Hans Sloane, as it is kept with some other ᏐᎢ 12 13 2 fragmenta of his property. In this drawing the piers are represented in a tint of yellow, placed upon sterlings of Indian ink; and it was executed, as I suppose, soon after this fatal conflagration, since there is a note written in an ancient hand attached to the seventh pier from the city end, stating that the Fire burnt to the prickt line," which is drawn from it; and which accords with all the subsequent views taken of the platform, and houses on the Bridge. "I am next to speak," continued my unwearied Historian, "of the manner in which this terrible destruction of London Bridge was repaired: and concerning this we are informed by Richard Bloome, a Continuator of Stow, who tells us in his Survey,' vol. i. p. 61, that after the fire, this North End of the Bridge lay unbuilt for many years, only deal boards were set up on both sides, to prevent people's falling into the Thames, many of which deals were, by high winds, oft blown down, which made it very dangerous in 6 the nights, although there were lanthorns and candles hung upon all the cross-beams that held the pales together.' We have two views of London Bridge, in which the Northern end of it appears in this state, but in each of them the temporary erection is ɑ of a different nature; and it is somewhat singulaat the writer whom I last cited should positively eak as follows, concerning the early restoration of the destroyed houses, when there seems no real authority to support his assertions. For about the year 1645,'-says he,— 'the North end of this part last burned began to be rebuilt; and in the year 1646 was finished: the building was of timber, very substantial and beautiful, for the houses were three stories high, besides the cellars, which were within and between the piers. And over the houses were stately platforms leaded, with rails and ballusters about them, very commodious and pleasant for walking, and enjoying so fine a prospect up and down the River; and some had pretty little gardens with arbours. This half being finished, the other half was intended to be rebuilt answerable to this, which would have been a great glory to the Bridge and honour to the City, the street, or passage, being twenty feet broad; whereas the other part, at the South end, was not above fourteen, and, in some places, but twelve.' "Now, notwithstanding this particular description of these new buildings, neither of the engravings which I have alluded to have any indications of them; although one of them was published in 1647, and the other in 1666. The first of these represents the North end of London Bridge, from St. Magnus' Church to the houses beyond the first opening, as occupied by a covered passage formed of planks, leaving recesses standing out from the main erection, which was supported by buttresses of wood fastened to platforms on the outside of the Bridge. "We derive this view of the dilapidations of London Bridge from a very rare and magnificent print, well known to collectors and antiquaries, by the name of the · Long Antwerp view of London; for which, Mr. Geoffrey Barbican, if you ever meet with it, you may consider twenty guineas as a very moderate price. This famous graving is an etching by the matchless Wenceslaus Hollar; it is in seven sheets, measuring two yards and a half in length, by 17 inches in height: it bears a dedication to Queen Henrietta Maria, and William Prince of Orange, with a copy of Latin verses written by Edward Benlowes, Esq.; and, though it was sold in London, the following publication line appears on one side, written in Latin: Sold at Amsterdam by Cornelius Danckers, in Calf Street, at the sign of the Image of Gratitude, in the year 1647.' There is, by the way, a pretty fair, but smaller, copy of this view of London and Westminster in two sheets, in a series of prints commonly called 'Boydell's Perspectives,' measuring 37 inches, by 10 inches, signed R. Benning, del. et sculp.,' and entitled 'A View of London as it was in the year 1647.' The publication line is, 'Sold by J. Boydell, Engraver, at the Unicorn in Cheapside, London, 1756.' You will find both the original, and the copy, in the xiiith and xivth volumes of Mr. Crowle's Illustrated Pennant, which I have already cited to you; and the view takes in from above the Parliament House at Westminster to beyond St. Catherine's; but the Bridge is the keimelion of the plate, for that noble edifice is represented with all its buildings, from St. Magnus' Church, down to the Southwark Tower, |