The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 51
MEDITATION LI. On the Statue of Sir Thomas Greſham left ſtanding at the Old-Exchange.
HOw great and particular a reſpect did the Fire ſhew to the Eſſigies of that worthy Knight, the honourable Founder of that which was the Royal-Exchange, and doner of Greſham-Colledge, (which, for preſent, ſucceeds in the room of it;) I ſay, how great a reſpect, by the appointment of Divine Providence, (without which not a hair falleth from our heads) did that Fire ſhew to his Effigies in particular, which it left ſtanding and undefaced, whilſt mean time the Statues of all the Kings and Queens of England ſince the Conqueſt, were demoliſhed and thrown down by it. No man could have anſwered it, to have put more honour upon a fellow-Subject, than upon his lawful Prince, much leſſe upon one Subject than upon many that had ſwayed the Scepter within his native Soil (for certainly there is an honour which Kings, as Kings, may challenge from their own people, greater than is due to any of their Subjects): but God, who is the King of Kings, may do what he pleaſe, He may pull down the mighty from their ſeats, and exalt them of low degree, as it is, Luke 1.52. Men muſt have regard to political claimes and rights, in diſpenſing their reſpects, and give honour to whom honour is due upon that account: but moral conſiderations are thoſe which the Great God takes notice of, who is otherwiſe no reſpecter of perſons, yet hath promiſed to honour thoſe that horour him, and is alwayes obſervant, though not of mens ſecular dignities, yet of their real worth and deſerts. Now it muſt needs be confeſſed, that no perſon upon earth had deſerved ſo well of the Royal-Exchange, as that worſhipful Knight had done, who both made and maintained it. Indeed it was called the Burſe or … of the Kings and Queen: of England, and theirs it was by Sovereignty and ſuperintendency, by confirmation and countenance, but it was only his by coſt and charge, by creation and donation. They allowed it … an Exchange, and protected it as ſuch, but he only built and upheld it, for that uſe and purpoſe. They were, as I may ſay, the God-fathers to that Noble Structure, which put their own names upon it; but he the Father which gave Being to it. Now, which of thoſe two have moſt intereſt in a Child, is eaſy to judge; and that of the Poet may determine; Et quae … fecimus ipſi, Hand ea noſtro veco, Things are principally theirs who made them. Yet this muſt be acknowledged, though he made it an Edifice, yet they made it an Exchange, by their Royal Sanction and deſignation: but, to do the former, Hic labor, hoc opus erat. And is all that coſt and labour loſt, which that generous Knight did beſtow upon that noble Foundation? Surely no; For, beſides the great ſervice which that well-intended Structure did to the Nation for a hundred years together, ſuch, and ſo great was the fragrancy of that precious ointment, which by him was poured out upon the head of London and of it's Inhabitants, that the favour thereof will never be out of their noſtrils; nor ſhall they need the help of a ſtanding Exchange, to remember ſo worthy a Founder by. Three ſignal marks of honour did the late deſolating fire (or rather God, who is ſaid to divide the flames of fire (which may be meant of diſtributing them as he pleaſeth) put upon that renowned Benefactor. One was that I have been writing of, viz. the forbearance of his Effigies, and of his alone (as if the relation of a Founder and nobile Benefactor, had put a peculiar ſacredneſs into it.) You might have ſeen him (his Statue I mean) after the Fire ſafe and ſound, as Noah was after the flood, the one having eſcaped a Deluge of Fire (if I may ſo call it) as the other did a deluge of Water: Noah was preſerved by the viſible and probable means of an Ark, in which himſelf and his family were imbarqued; but, all the Ark, or means of preſervation which this worthy Knight had, was only the immediate Providence of God, which ſeemed to intend a particular reſpect, for and towards ſo great a Benefactor; reſerving him, as we hope, (in Effigie I mean,) to ſee another Exchange, as Noah was, (but he indeed in Perſon,) to ſee another World, after the deſtruction of the firſt; whom for that reaſon the ancient Poets are ſuppoſed to have meant by him, they call Janus, with two Faces, for that he had faced two Worlds. Another badg of Honour put upon him was, the preſervation of that other Famous-Building, known by the name of Greſham-Colledge, which that Noble Knight had long ſince given to a Publick-Uſe; intimating, that he wiſht no better Succeſſors than the Muſes in that Houſe, in which himſelf did ſometimes dwell. A third Honour which befel him at this time was, that his own Dwelling-Houſe (that was) ſhould, for the time being, and till the former can be built again, be made the Royall Exchange, as if no man could provide an Exchange fit to receive our Merchants, but their old Founder Sir Thomas Greſham: which thing is no ſmall acceſsion of dignity, to that place, which as a Colledge furniſhed with able Profeſſors, and good Lectures, well indowed, was very Honourable before. Thus was the worthy Knight thrice dubbed (if I may ſo call it) after the firſt time, and that by the fire. Where then is the man that hath an eſtate commenſurate with ſo great an undertakine, that when he conſiders theſe things would not be ambitious, to do as Sir Thomas Greſham had done before him; I mean to build an Exchange in Lieu of that which now lieth in aſhes? What better way could he think of, whereby to perpetuate his name to all Poſterity? or wherein could he better ſerve his Native-Countrey? Is there never a rich Batchelor devoted to a ſingle life? Nor yet any Childleſs (and almoſt kindred-leſs) Widower that hath Gold and Silver enough to compaſs ſuch a glorious work as that? thereby he may acquire to himſelf a name, and a memorial in the world better then that of ſons and daughters. How oft do great eſtates (even ſufficient for ſo great an enterprize as I am ſpeaking of) fall into the hands of men that neither know how to uſe them whilſt they live, nor yet how to diſpoſe them when they die, either for their own honour, or for a publick good. Is it not eaſier to find ten men with ſuch eſtates, as Sir Thomas Greſham had, than one man with ſo Noble and generous a Spirit? I wiſh ſome men do not bequeath their money to not much better purpoſes, than if they had purchaſed Coals with it to ſend to New-caſtle, or thrown it into the Sea, rather then imploy it to ſo good, and charitable a Uſe, as is rebuilding of the Royal Exchange. Brave ambition to leave a name juſtly renowned amongſt men, if it be any thing of a vice, is, in appearance, ſo generous, and ſo like a virtue that ſome low-ſpirited men were never capable of it, nor can ever be made to feel the ſharpeſt Spurrs of Honour, ſo as thereby to be ſtimulated and quickned to Heroical Enterprizes. I am amazed to think that ſome, but ordinary men, have parted with their very lives, only to tell the world they were no Cowards, or to leave a Name for valour behind them (which would be but nine days wonder) when others of better birth, and quality will not part ſo much as with their eſtates to good uſes (no not when they come to die) whereby to inform the world for ever, that they were lovers of their Countrey, as was ſaid of that Centurion; He hath loved our nation, and built in a Synagogue.