THE
Dismall Day, at the Black-Fryers.
Or, A deplorable Elegie, on the death of almost an Hundred Persons, who were lamentably
slaine by the fall of a House in the Blacke-Fryers, being all assembled there (after the manner of their
Devotions) to heare a Sermon on Sunday-Night, the 26. of October last past. An. 1623.
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From the vast Chaos of distempre'd Mindes
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My Muse doth flutter forth her moystned wings,
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Upheld with Gusts and Gales of sighing windes,
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In this sad* Swan-like Elegie she sings,
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For inbred griefes her heart so neerly stings,
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That from thee (gentle Reader) we must borrow
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Some Teares of pitty in such Threanes of sorrow.
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Oh grave Melpomine assist my Pen,
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Whilst I in dolefull manner doe recite
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The heavy death of neere an hundred men,
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Whose Tragicke ends my Soule doth much affright,
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With fearfull horror of that dismall Night.
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Ah, Fatall Vesper; whose like hath not beene
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Since the Sicilian Vespers ever seene.
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Though Gods great Mercies, (which so boundlesse are
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And infinite) his other workes transcend,
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Where he might strike he oftentimes doth spare,
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In expectation when we should amend;
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(Yea, though we daily, hourely, doe offend)
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Yet are his judgements likewise just and true,
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To give to Sinners their deserved due.
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Such is the might of our All-powerfull God,
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That those which dare his Greatnesse to resist,
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Shall feele his furious scourge and Iron Rod,
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His wrath can overtake them when he list,
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At whose Commands the Winds and Seas are whist.
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Let Christians all that his dread voyce shall heare,
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Serve him in faithfull heart and trembling feare.
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View here a Spectacle of mournfull ruth,
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Which (for our crimes) the Lord hath lately sent,
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London can witnesse well it was a Truth,
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A strange, untimely, fearfull Accident,
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Which well may make a stony heart relent;
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In the Black-Fryers, (blacke disasterous fate!)
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A heavy wofull Story to relate.
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That Sunday Night, led by their deepe Devotions,
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Three hundred Persons were assembled there,
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Of divers Sects, sundry Degrees and Nations,
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Some English, Scottish, Welch, and Irish were,
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Prepar'd (it seemes) a Sermon for to heare,
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Which there a Jesuite was to solemnize,
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One Drury fitted to that Exercise.
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And having Crost himselfe in publike view,
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He enters straight the Chayre and Preaching place,
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The people yeeld him reverence, as was due,
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And to his Sermon numbers flock'd apace,
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He being (with them) a Man of chiefest grace;
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Who there his Text did open and unfold,
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Shewing such doctrines as their Church did hold.
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A
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Catalogue
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OF THE
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Names of
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such persons
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as were slain
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at BLACK-
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FRIERS.
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MAister
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Drurie,
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the Priest.
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Maister Re-
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diate, Priest.
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Lady Webbe.
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Lady Black-
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stones daugh-
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ter. Tho: Web,
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her Man.
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William Ro-
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binson, Tailor
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Robert Smith
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an Apothe-
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caries Man.
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Mr. Davisons
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Daughter.
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Anthony Hall
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his man.
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Anne Hobdin.
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Mary Hob-
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din.
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Joh: Galoway.
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Mr. Peirson,
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his Wife &
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two Sonnes.
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Mistris Udal.
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Abigall, her
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Maide, and
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two more in
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her House.
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John Netlan.
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Nathaniell
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Coales.
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John Halifax
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Mris. Rugbie.
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John Worrals
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Sonne.
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Mr. Becket.
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Thomas Mer-
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sit, his Wife,
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Sonne and
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Maide.
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Mris. Summel
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Mary her
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Maide.
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Andr: Whites
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Daughter.
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Thus while he Preacht, delivering forth at large
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Such Points of strange Beliefe as they are taught,
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The Peoples waight the Chamber did surcharge,
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Which breaking downe their sad Confusion wrought
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When of this Accident they never thought:
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The Chamber full three Stories from the ground,
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Which brast in sunder with a hideous sound.
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And when the upper Floore that first did breake,
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Fals on the second, where they hop't to stay;
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Yet on the sudden ere a man could speake,
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They on the ground all bruiz'd and smothered lay,
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Some stifled up with Lome, Stones, Dust, and Clay:
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And some for helpe and succour loudly calling,
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All broken, bruizd, and mangled in their falling.
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The Husband cries out, Oh my loving wife,
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The Wife cries out, Oh save my Husband deare,
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The Father cries, Would I had lost my life,
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His Childrens woes doe touch his heart so neare,
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All things so rufull, dreadfull, doe appeare:
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Thus Tyrant death with his all-peircing dart,
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Acts many a fatall Scoene, and bloudy part.
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The Brother bids the Sister quite adue,
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The Sister cries, Farewell my loving Brother,
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The Infants losse doth make the mother rue,
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The Child cries out, Oh where's my carefull Mother?
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All these (alas) stones, lyme, and timber smother,
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Yea many there which on their friends had gazed,
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Yet knew them not, they were so much amazed.
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The Servant cries, Oh I have lost my Master,
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The Master for his Servant doth complaine,
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The faithfull Friend laments his Friends disaster,
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Wishing that for his sake himselfe were slaine:
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Thus teares gush out on every side amaine.
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Some swound with feare, unable for to speake,
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Which might a Christians heart with sorrow break.
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Thus some were buried up alive in dust,
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Some mangled, bruized, wounded with the fall,
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Some brain'd with Timber, some in pieces crusht,
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Of those that scap'd the number was but small;
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A fearfull Doome and Summons to us All:
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Calling us to repentance many wayes,
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Considering well the shortnesse of our dayes.
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O Lord defend thy Church and Common-weale,
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Maintaine thy Gospell free in this our Land,
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And since to us thy Truth thou dost reveale,
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In zeale unto it let us ever stand:
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Protect our King still from his Enemies hand:
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And when we must resigne our vitall breath,
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Save us (O Lord) from strange and sudden Death.
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Mr. Stakers.
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Elizabeth
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Sumpner.
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M. Westwood.
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Judith Bel-
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lowes.
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S. Lewis Pem
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bertons Man.
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Elizabeth
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Moore.
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John James.
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Morris Beu-
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cresse.
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Davy Vaugh-
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han.
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Anne Field
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Mr. Ployden
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Robert Hei-
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sime.
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One Medalf.
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M. Maufield.
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M. Simons.
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Dorothy
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Simons.
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Thomas Si-
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mons.
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Robert Pau-
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verkes.
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Mistris Mor-
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ton and her
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Maid.
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Francis
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Downes.
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Edmund
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Shey.
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Josuna Perry
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Job Tullye.
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Robert
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Drury.
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Thomas
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Draper.
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John Staiggs.
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Thomas Elis.
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Michael
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Butler.
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Edmund
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Rivals.
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Edm: Welsh.
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Bartholomew
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Bavin.
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Davy.
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Rich: Price.
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Tho: Wood.
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Christo: Hobs
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John Butler.
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Joh: Brabant.
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And M. Buc-
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kets man. etc.
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