Had you been next,

When Master Spin-text

Began to hold forth to the people,

You'd have swore that the jar

Had been louder by far

Than that 'twixt the 'Change and Bow-steepler

And then for the sound,

When they put her i' th' ground,

What mortal was able to bear it?
For my part, I confess,

I got out of the press,

And left those, that lik'd it, to hear it.

But now, to conclude,

I think, 'twou'd be rude,

Without saying something o'th' dame;
In short, we shall miss her,

But you know how 'tis, sir,

And let those that deserve't have the blame.

A FULL AND TRUE ACCOUNT*

OF A

MOST DREADFUL AND ASTONISHING FIRE WHICH HAPPENED AT WHITEHALL,

And begun in Col. Stanley's Lodgings, on Tuesday last, about Four of the Clock in the Afternoon, continuing with great Violence till about Nine O'Clock the next Morning, burning down and consuming the King's Chapel, the Guard-Chamber, the Long Gallery, &c. together with near 150 Houses. An Account also how several Persons were killed, with the blowing up twenty Houses, &c. Licensed according to Order. London, Printed by J. Bradford in Little Britain, 1698. Folio, containing two Pages.

MANY

ANY and various have been the relations concerning this dreadful and surprising accident, some affirming it had its beginning in one place, and some in another, and yet all or most of them remote from truth; therefore, for satisfaction of all such who desire to be truly informed in those unhappy and amazing particulars, I have published this following account, viz.

• Vide the 513th article in the catalogue of pamphlets in the Harleian library.

On Tuesday last, being the fourth of this instant January 1698, betwixt the hours of three and four of the clock in the afternoon, a Dutch woman who belonged to Col. Stanley's lodgings (which were near adjoining to the Earl of Portland's house at Whitehall) having sudden occasion to dry some linnen in an upper room, (for expedition sake) lighted a good quantity of charcoal, and carelesly left the linnen hanging round about it, which took fire in her absence to such a degree, that it not only consumed the linnen, but had seized the hangings, wainscots, beds, and what not, and flamed and smoaked in such a violent manner, that it put all the inhabitants thereabouts into consternation, as well as confusion, not knowing from whence it proceeded, insomuch that the unhappy Dutch woman could not return; so that in an instant (as it were) the merciless and devouring flames got such advantage, that, notwithstanding the great endeavours used by the water engines, numerous assistance, and blowing up houses to the number of about twenty, it still increased with great fury and violence all night, till about eight of the clock next morning, at which time it was extinguished, after it had burnt down and consumed (according to modest computation) about 150 houses, most of which were the lodgings and habitations of the chief of the nobility.

Such was the fury and violence of this dreadful and dismal conflagration, that its flames reduced to ashes all that stood in its way, from the Privy-Stairs to the Banqueting-House, and from the Privy-Garden to Scotland-Yard all on that side, except the earl of Portland's house, and the Banqueting-House, which were preserved, though much damnified and shattered. The fire proceeded close to the gate by the duke of Ormond's lodgings, before it could be extinguished. The most remarkable houses, which were consumed by these astonishing flames, are the Guard-Chamber, Council-Chamber, Secretary's Office, the King's Chapel, the Long Gallery to the gate, the Queen's Lodgings, Duke of Devonshire's, &c. but not the Earl of Portland's, as has been impudently affirmed in a late scandalous and ridiculous pamphlet. The danger, done by this fiery disaster, is at present unaccountable, considering the vast riches that were contained among those noble families; therefore consequently their loss must be very great, and might have been much greater, had not the officers of the guards taken care to stop the numerous crouds from pressing forward into houses where goods were removing.

It was confidently affirmed, that twenty or thirty persons were killed, but, blessed be God, upon a strict enquiry, I cannot learn that above twelve persons perished, among whom were two grenadiers, a water-man, and a painter; who endeavouring to reach out some goods at a window while the house was on fire, a piece of iron fell upon his head and beat out his brains. The like fate had a gardener, by the blowing up of a house: yet it is certain many more are dangerously wounded.

The Banqueting-House, though not much injured by the fire, except that part next Westminster, yet all parts of that renowned

and ancient building are so much shattered and disordered, that it little resembles what it was the day before; as are also most houses thereabouts, whose inhabitants were under the apprehension of danger, particularly the duke of Ormond's at the gate, which is not only cleared of all its rich furniture, but of all hangings whatsoever, that could possibly be got out, during the fury of the fire.

To conclude, it is a dismal sight to behold such a glorious, famous, and much renowned palace, reduced to a heap of rubbish and ashes, which the day before might justly contend with any palace in the world, for riches, nobility, honour, and grandeur.

God save king William.

Note, There is a scandalous, lying, and ridiculous pamphlet published, which asserts, that the Earl of Portland's and Duke of Shrewsbury's houses are burnt; which is notoriously false, they being both standing, having received no damage by the fire; with many other impertinencies, which the printer is ashamed to set his name to, or the place where he lives, only a counterfeit one like his pamphlet.

A LETTER TO A COUNTRY GENTLEMAN*: SETTING FORTH THE CAUSE OF THE DECAY AND RUIN OF TRADE.

To which is annexed a List of the Names of some Gentlemen who were Members of the Last Parliament, and now are (or lately were) in Publick Employments. London; printed in 1698. Quarto, containing twenty-four Pages.

SIR,

YOURS

YOURS I received, bearing date the third of the last month, by which I find you seem to be much afflicted to see the trade of the nation ruined, and your native country brought into so great calamity as now it is; and desire me to give you some account, if possible, how, and by what means, all these evils have been brought upon the whole kingdom? Which I shall endeavour to do, in as brief a manner as I can, and, in order to it, shall relate to you some publick transactions in relation to the late war, and then leave you and all rational men to judge, who it is have been the grand instruments of bringing all these evils upon us.

For the situation of our country and the constitution of our government, we have always been esteemed the happiest nation in Europe: and no people in the universe ever enjoyed a longer series of peace and plenty than we have done. Yet, during the time of

Vide the 514th article in the catalogue of pamphlets.

the late war, we have seen the trade of the nation, some ages a raising, almost totally ruined; and a general poverty and distress brought upon the whole kingdom, and that in the reign even of the best of princes.

Trade has ever been the universal mistress of mankind, courted and caressed by all civilized nations, many bloody wars having been carried on by those that have been rivals for her favour; for she never fails to bestow invaluable blessings upon her admirers, being always attended with riches, honour, power, and all other earthly blessings.

Those nations that obtained her favour, and have not had the wisdom and prudence to retain her, we see have grown weak and despiseable, and lain exposed a prey to other nations, which appears to be the present case of Spain.

Our forefathers enjoyed a large share of her favour, which they carefully handed down to us; but we, like unthrifty and undutiful children, have been so far from following their footsteps, that we have been, as appears by our actions, great enemies to trade, and used all manner of violence to make her fly the nation, wherein she had long cohabited with us, and seemed unwilling to depart, till our continual acts of violence were such as they grew insupportable; so that she has now taken her flight into the neighbouring nations, viz. Holland* and Ireland, by whom she is highly caressed, and not like to return in haste; and, unless she do return, we can expect no other than to be a miserable people, land itself having a dependence upon trade, and rises or falls as that ebbs or flows.

But, before we can expect that, it is necessary to be known what way and means it was we took to make her desert us. Unless we do so, we can never expect her return; for she is coy and nice, and will not bear the least affront, but cleave to those who treat her best.

The first ill usage, trade appears to have met withal from us, was at the breaking out of the late war. Ever since, all manner of persons, things, or matters, that have had relation to, or were interested in trade, have been evil treated by those whose immediate duty it was to have encouraged and protected them.

It is well known our ships (under God) are our greatest security, and the glory of our isle, and the sailors our myrmidons, whom we ought to cherish as the apple of our eye; yet, all the time of the late war, they were most barbarously treated, even as if they had not been of the race of mankind, but a sort of vermin fit to be rooted out; for, what by their evil treatment on board ship, and frequent turning over without pay, the unjust pricking them run, and being barrassed with the uncertainty of payments, many thousands of these poor wretches and their families have been destroyed,

The Dutch having grown rich by the late war, and improved themselves eight millions; they are a wise people, and, among themselves, strict observers of justice, never suffering any to grow great out of the ruins of the publick; as sir William Temple well observes in his memoirs, and which is the true cause of the flourishing condition of their state.

and great numbers constrained to leave their native country, and betake themselves to foreign service, or, which is worse, turn pyrates.

This evil treatment of the poor sailors, though in itself highly wicked, seems to have been one of the least of the crimes committed in the government, tending to the destruction of trade *; for it appears, there were articles brought into the House of Peers (the highest court of judicature in the nation) against the lords of the Admiralty, the commissioners of the navy, and the commis sioners for the sick and wounded seamen, by one Mr. Crosfield, in the year 1694.

Upon which, their lordships examined divers witnesses at the bar of the house, and were very zealous in the matter; but it seems the articles were drawn out of the house, by the commissioners for stating the publick accounts, who never proceeded therein, though their lordships issued out two successive orders for them so to do; but for your better satisfaction, and that posterity may see the wickedness of the age, I here give you a true copy of those articles, and which are as followeth :

Article 1. That the present commissioners for sick and wounded seamen, and exchanging prisoners at war (depending on the Admiralty) not regarding instructions, or the good of the government, have committed gross enormities; as holding or conniving at an unlawful correspondence with the French, and wronging both the king and subject in their accounts, with other great miscarriages: all which has been, about a year since, laid in writing, before the secretary of state, by one Mr. Baston, and, by the king's command, examined before the lords of the Admiralty, &c. And it will appear, that the said commission has been very injurious to the poor sailors in particular, and very detrimental to the government in general.

Artic. 2. That the lords of the Admiralty and commissioners of the navy have acted contrary to the publick good, by countenancing, supporting, and preferring criminals; and on the contrary, persecuting the discoverers, and turning just men out of their offices.

Artic. 3. That their lordships have had great discoveries laid before them of embezzlements, and other great frauds committed in the king's yards, attended with forgery and perjury.

Artic. 4. That it is manifest, some of the commissioners of the navy have, in that office, advanced themselves from salaries of thirty pounds per annum, to vast estates, having passed great

• For the first five years of the war, it appears, we were seldom free from an embargo upon shipping; few or no ships were allowed to sail, till they got protections or permits, to the great charge of the merchants, and damage to trade in general, as little care was taken to protect our shipping, not any one person having been so much as appointed to examine sea commanders journals, all the time of the late war; but they were left to their own genius, to act and do as they pleased: and thus, by the lords of the Admiralty's, and commissioners of the navy's wise conduct, and prudent management of affairs, we lost above a hundred ships of war, with many hundreds of merchantmen, to the great honour of the nation.