The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 9
MEDITATION IX. Upon the burning of the Royall Exchange.
IT is but a few moneths ago, that one, who had never ſeen the Royall Exchange before, would have beheld the glory of it with admiration; as one, or more of the Diſciples of Chriſt, did the Temple of Jeruſalem, Matth. 13.1. ſaying, See what manner of ſtones and what manner of buildings are here: But, behold, that which Chriſt ſpake of the Temple, ſaying, Seeſt thou theſe great buildings! There ſhall not be left one ſtone upon another, that ſhall not be thrown down, is already almoſt fulfilled in, and upon that ſtately Pile, the deſtruction whereof, we little dream't to have been ſo near at hand. Some ſtones there are yet ſtanding one upon another, but ſo, as that they muſt be taken down, and had they fallen, without breaking themſelves, it had but ſaved a labour: What a princely ſoundation was that Royal Exchange? and of how great uſe? Was not that the Center in which thoſe lines met, that were drawn from all parts of Europe? rich Merchants, I mean, and other eminent Tradeſ-men and great Dealers, not onelyonly Engliſh, but Spaniſh, French, Dutch, Portugueze, Danes, Swedes. Was not the place a little Epitomie, or rather Repreſentative of all …urope (if not of the greateſt part of the trading World) renewed every day at ſuch a time, and for ſo many hours? As London was the glory of England, ſo was that Royal Exchange one of the greateſt Glories and Ornaments of London. There were the Statues of the Kings and Queens of England ſet up, as in the moſt conſpicuous and honourable place (as well receiving luſtre from the place where they ſtood, as giving luſtre to it.)
How full of Riches was that Royall Exchange? Rich men in the midſt of it, rich goods both above and beneath. There men walk't upon the top of a Wealthy Mine; conſidering, what Eaſtern Treaſures, coſtly ſpices, and ſuch like things were laid up in the bowels (I mean the Cellars) of that Place. As for the upper part of it, Was it not the great Storehouſe, whence the Nobility and Gentry of England were furniſhed with moſt of thoſe coſtly things, wherewith they did adorn either their Cloſets or themſelves? Here, if any where, might a man have ſeen the glory of the world in a moment, as the Devil ſhewed it to Chriſt from a high mountain; What artificiall thing could entertain the ſenſes and fantaſies of men, that was not there to be had? Such was the delight that many Gallants took in that Magazine of all curious varieties, that they could almoſt have dwelt there (going from Shop to Shop, like Bees from flower to flower) If they had but had a Fountain of Money that could not have been drawn dry. I doubt not but a Mahometan (who never expects other than ſenſible delights) would gladly have accepted of that place, and the treaſures of it for his heaven, and have thought there were none like it. About the ſpace of ni…neteen months was that Royall Exchange in building, viz. from June 7th. til November in the year following: So that the Sunne had finiſhed his annual courſe once, and almoſt a ſecond time, ere that work was finiſhed: but was it ſo many hours in burning, as it was months in building?
How obnoxious are all earthly things to deſtruction? How eaſily are the works of our hands brought to nought? How little a time will ſerve to ruine thoſe things, that did require a long time to raiſe them? I finde this noble Structure had ſtood about a hundred years before Deſtruction overtook it: for it is ſaid to have been erected in the year 1566, and the time of its conflagration, we know too well, to have been 1666. One ſixty ſix built it, another ſixty ſix burnt it; ſo one Philip founded the Macedonian Empire, another Philip ruined it; one Conſtantine built Conſtantinople, and another of that Name loſt it; an Auguſtus was the firſt eſtabliſhed Emperor of Rome, and another Auguſtus the laſt. So many times the World goes round like a Circle, where it begins, there it ends. Did that Structure come down in a day or leſſe, which had continued a hundred years, and might in all probability have laſted one Century more? I ſee then there may be more in the womb of one day or night, than was in the womb of a hundred years before, and the law of providence may, in a few hours over-rule the preſcription of a whole Age. Though the deſtruction of Places, and ſo of Perſons ſet out late, yet, when it once ſets out, it may ride poſt, and come, as upon the wings of the wind. He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed,, Prov. 29.1. The ſins of that place had deſerv'd this judgment ſooner: but he that bore with the old World, one hundred and twenty years, after warning given, bore with it towards an hundred, though the provocations thereof were great. As nature hath placed the weightieſt things below, and lighter things above them (as Air above Earth); ſo the more ſolid perſons and parlyes (as well as the more bulky Commodities) had wont to be in the lower Rooms of that Exchange, where Merchants met to diſcourſe their affairs. The ſins of that lower part, we may ſuſpect, to have been craft and covetouſneſſe, over-reaching and going beyond one another. Many did not ſo becauſe of the fear of the Lord; (as Nehemiah ſaid of himſelf, Neh. 9.5. So did not I, becauſe of the fear of God) but others did. And were there not other kinds of ſin, which did abound in the upper Region of that Exchange, which, like ſo many Comets or blazing Stars, did portend or threaten the deſtruction of it. Oh the pride and prodigality that was there to be ſeen? How few could be charitable, that were ſo expenſive as many were in that place? And how much of that which was there expended, might well have been put to charitable uſes? How unlikely was it, that they ſhould be humble, who were ſo curious and phantaſtical, as the things that were there bought, ſhewed them to be? They that wrought to that place, had need of as good a phantaſie for Metamorphoſis in Habits, as Ovid had in other Things, that they might pleaſe cuſtomers ſo inſatiable after novelties.
So fell that noble ſtructure, undermined by craft and covetouſneſſe, and over-laden with pride and prodigality above, and great was the fall thereof. Though there was in that place an Inſſurance-Office, which undertook for thoſe Ships and Goods that were hazarded at Sea, either by boiſterous winds or dangerous enemies: yet could it not ſecure it ſelf, when ſin, like Sampſon, took hold of the pillars of it, and went about to pull it down. What quick work can ſin and fire make? How did that ſtrong Building vaniſh of a ſudden, as if it had been but an Apparition? How quickly was it taken down, as if it had been but a ſleight Tent, the Cords whereof are preſently looſened, and the Stakes ſoon removed? Oh that ſome Jonas might have been ſent, to tell us, that within ſo many days that Exchange ſhould be burnt down, if we repented not. Oh that howſoever, a timely repentance might have prevented thoſe ruins; that we had commuted for our Exchange, by parting with our ſin…. But ſince it lies in aſhes, and there is no prevention of it, oh that we may not ſo much lament the burning of our Exchange, as the ſins that burnt it. May the minds of men, by this ſad Providence, be diſpoſed to uſe another Exchange, for onelyonly honeſt Merchandiſe; and the minds, both of men and women, to uſe the upper part of it no more as a Nurſery of pride, but, in order to putting them and theirs, into a decent equipage, befitting their reſpective qualities; and then may they live to ſee another Structure in the ſame place, not inferiour to the firſt, and that Royal Burſe, or Purſe (which is now a meer Vacuum) as well filled as ever it was before; and after that, if the Will of God be ſo, may it never periſh (at leaſt wiſe by fire) more, till the Conſlagration of all things.