THE CITIZENS JOY For the Rebuilding OF LONDON.
LONDON lies Grovelling on the
Earth yet beggs
Her
God again to raise her on her leggs.
She now confesseth (thereby warning all)
That
Pride doth ever go before a fall.
Stript now of all her Ornaments she lies
In dust and ashes low; and ever cries,
Help, help, great
King of Kings, O don't deny;
Pour in my wounds thy
Balsom, else I dye.
Her humble prayers were heard:
Heaven did decree'
She should again injoy prosperity.
Physitians too were sent to search her grief;
Thus wants not
mortal nor
divine releife.
A
God-consuming punisht
Her with
Fire,
And laid her
low to raise her up the
higher.
He onely purg'd
Her from her
dross that
She
Refin'd might shine in greater purity.
The
Basis now is laid; and
God commands,
That
English men should lend their helping hands.
His
Vice-roy, our dread
Sov'raigne first obey'd,
And the first Stone of this great structure lay'd.
'Tis
He that will this
City now restore,
To greater glory than it had before.
For which brave deeds perpetually lets sing,
Glory to
God and
Honour to our
King.
Neither pure gold, nor incense let us bring,
Yet far as rich and sweet an offering.
And such as both those pretious things express,
Which is out hearts full fraught with thankfulness.
By which is fully paid the
All we ovve
To
God above or Mortal Men below.
The City-building Bill, is now an act,
Blest be our Soveraigne for that gracious fact.
Nay more — now do I want an Epithite,
As bright as the
Conveyor of our light.
An
Act; O blessed
Act! yet that's too weak.
And not so splendid as my heart would speak.
An
Act; of
Acts, which plainly doth impart
Conformity of
Building, and of
Heart:
Its
influence hath quite dispell'd those clowds,
Of
Jealousies and
Fears which throng'd in crowds,
And did o'respread our Gloomy Hemispheare,
Are dissipated, and no where appear.
Our
Winter's now e'ne gone, the Earth hath lost
Her Snow-white Robes, and Mantles made of Frost.
Now the warm
Sun thavvs the benummed Earth,
And
She now teeming well bring forth a
birth
The which all Nations shall with fear admire,
Guarded by
Angels from the rage of
Fire.
Now do a Quire of Chirping Minstrells bring
In triumph to the World the
Touthful Spring.
The
Spring comes on with more than usual speed,
To see the sowing of
immortal seed;
Houses I mean, which shall supply the place
Of such, which did before the place disgrace.
Now shall each place prid in her structures, and
Those structures ne're contended for th'
upperhand.
The streets shall be dilated, and our wealth;
More room to breath; better injoy our health.
Old things shall be converted into
new,
Antiquity shall bid the World
adieu.
Nothing shall now obstruct the
Cities weale
We must have fewer
Churches, but more
Zeal.
Before we had so many, one in ten
Could scarce on
Sundays count so many men.
From hence we see the Judgments just, which took
Away the Churches basely we forsook.
Old drooping
Paul ere long shall have a quire,
Whose Heavenly Musick shall our souls inspire.
All things will so concur, in all agree,
No discords now, but all sweet harmony,
No discontent, but all replete with Joy;
London's rebuilding now,
Vice le Roy.
With Allowance.
LONDON, Printed by P. Lillicrap for Richard Head, at the Heart in Bible in Little- Brittain. Where you may have Mr. Matthews his approved and Universal Pill for all diseases 1667.