Portland-stone in Paules-Church-yard Their birth, their mirth, their thankefulnesse, their aduertisement. Written by Hen: Farley, a free-man of London: who hath done as freely for free-stone, within these eight yeares, as most men, and knowes as much of their mindes as any man. Buy, or goe by.

PORTLAND STONE IN Pauls Church-yard . E'Re since the Architect of Heauens faire frame , Did make the World , and Man to vse the same ; In Earths wide wombe , as in our nat'rall bed , We haue beene hid , conceal'd , and couered , Where many thousand ships , haue sailed by , But knew vs not , and therefore let vs lye . Till at the last , and very lately too , ( Some Builders hauing building worke to doe , And time be'ing come we could no longer tarry , But must be borne from out our earthly quarry ) We were discouer'd , and to London sent , And by good Artists tryde incontinent : Who ( finding vs in all things firme & sound , Fairer and greater then else-where are found ; Fitter for cariage , and more sure for weather , Then Oxford , Ancaster , or Beerstone eyther , Did well approue our worth aboue them All , Vnto the King for seruice at White-hall : Where being quickly come , as quickly we , Had welcome to his Sacred Maiesty , And ( for our humblenesse full many a day ) Were still exalted highest euery way , In workes of most perspicuous Eminence , Which in all buildings haue preheminence : As Columnes , Cornish , Capitals , and Basis , In Fillets , Frise , in Ornaments and Facis , In Architraues , in Pedistals , and Pillars . And ( as the onely best of our well-willers ) Hi● Highnesse now our seruice doth preferre Vnto the Church , to ioyne and dwell with Her : So that from one good Montaigne to another , And from our Mother-earth , to this Church-mother We come apace , and are preparing aye , To cure her euils , and her great decay ; To be her front , her bulwarke , and defence , And: also to renue her excellence , Where Hymnes and Haleluiahs shall be sung , With praises to the Lord by old and young , From day to day , and so from yeare to yeare , Till Christ his second comming doth appeare . O happy age , wherein such things are done , Thrice happy we that now may see the Sunne , And be vnited to this sacred place , ( A grace to vs beyond all other grace ) For thus wee know the truth of truest story , All that God made , he made for his owne glory ; And at one time or other come to light , To doe man seruice , and their Maker right ; That very senslesse things may him adore , And magnifie his holy Name therefore . O Blessed God preserue our Royall Iames , honor his name among the honor'd names Of best precedent Kings that euer stood , Renown'd for Wisedome , and for doing good : Make him a second Salomon , a peerlesse Iemme , In these his Kingdomes , this his Ierusalem : Lengthen his dayes , his treasure still increase , And let him liue , and dye , a King of peace . So blesse , O Lord , our high & mighty Charles , And then the names of Barons , Peers and Earles ▪ The worthy Knights , and Gentry of this Land , That to this Worke doe set their helping hand . The Bishops , Clergy , Citie , Country , All , ( And as our duties binde in speciall ) This Reu'rend Bishop for his loue to vs , Let him be famous as MAVRITIVS ,

Anno 1087. This Church of Saint Paul was much wasted by fire ; and worthy Mauritius here mentioned ( then Bishop of London , ) beganne a new foundation thereof , in manner as now it is , vpon Arches and Vaults of stone , for defence of fire . In which worke he continued a constant and a bountifull Benefactor for 20 yeares together , and then dyed After him ( viz ) Anno 1107 succeeded Bishop ●eaumer , who wonderfully encreased the same Church for 20 yeares more , purchasing at his owne costs the large Streets and Lanes round about it , which he beganne to compasse about with a strong wall of stone , and Gates .

Long liu'd as Nestor , and in euery way Happy and prosperous till his dying day ; That still he may this famous Church aduance , In gaining her both Coine and Countenance , Till such a noble Register be seene Of Benefactors , as hath neuer beene In any age or any worke before , And till he say , Enough , there needs no more . And cause no mourning in our streets may be , With such as feare demolishment to see . Lord for thy Names sake , let it be thy pleasure , The rather to encrease that pious Treasure , That euery one may haue some satisfaction , To gaine their prayers in so good an action , And that two Noble workes together may Be brauely done , to all true Subiects ioy ; And through the world this fame may euer ring , Pitty did raigne in Bishop , Lord , and King ; Mercy and Iustice were so met in one , That Iustice ( scarce ) from Mercy could be knowne . So , for a Nation pittifull and loyall , Great Britaine shall winne praise past all deniall . No man shall need to grieue , or to lament , For 's place of Custome , or Demolishment : And blessings many will the Worke attend , From the beginning to the very end . But yet , though pitty here we doe request , That none may thinke themselues too much opprest Let such as must depart their houses know No winde so calme or warme did euer blow , Nor euer was a Worke so good as this , But that with some it blew or went amisse . Then sith herein the wind blowes somwhat ill For such as ioyne to Pauls against her will ; That haue impair'd her strength by vaults & cellars To make more roome for Buyers and for Sellers ; Let them with patience endure some losse , And for the Worke sake beare a little crosse ; Not grudgingly , or by pronouncing wrong , Cause ther 's their Custom , there they liued long ●or though desire of gaine 's a grieuous Tempter There is a Prouerb bids them Caueat Emptor . And ne'rethelesse their Custome and their trade , This House of God must new againe be made . Was it not example scurrilous and rude , At first to grant that trades should there intrudel Nay are they not accursed , that did yeeld To make Gods Courts a merchandizing field ? May we not call them beasts , euen to their faces , That like bruit beasts defile such sacred places ? Things consecrated vnto P●ous vses , Is 't fit that they should suffer foule abuses ? Is there no ciuill difference or ods , Twixt cleane and vnclean things , mans house & Gods ? Shold Christians bones be dig'd out of their graues And laid with dogs bones in the fields by knaues , That so more roome vnder the Church foundation , May be for A-iaxe in a beastly fashion ? No easment but against the Temple-wals ? No other place to pisse , or make Laystals ? No way to passe with burthens , but throgh Pauls wher burthend consciences shold ease their soules ? And 'cause she is materiall , as men tearme her , Is it materiall therefore they should harme her ? Looke well about thee Reader , and then see Whether such things as these ought so to be : And after due consideration had , then tell If therewithall God can be pleased well : Or if there doe belong no curse or woe , To such as first gaue way to wrong her so : Or if it were a credit to our Nation , At all to grant so base a toleration : For we doe know thou wilt agree with vs , To hold it vile and sacrilegious : And all good men that after looke vpon her , Will say , 't is to this Land a great dishonor . O that we had such gifts of tongue and pen , As there is giuen to some sonnes of Men ; That by perswasiue reasons we might winne Th' abusers of Gods house to know their sinne : That with their Soules they might no longer flatter But vnderstand it is a haynous matter ; And will be punished before mens eyes , When all things wronged shall in iudgment rise : But we are blockish yet , not past our letters , And ( being diuine ) we leaue it to our Betters . SO now you Workmen , listen what we say , You are so call'd by work , and not by play ) If euer you were Masters of your Trade , Make this best Master-peece that ere you made . 'T is for the Church , and therefore doe not spare Your best aduice , skill , diligence and care : And as ( some wayes ) you stand on reputation , So labour now to get the commendation : Not for precedency , lest then you erre , For all 〈◊〉 s one here , both Free and Forreyner ; And as she doth receiue all sorts to prayer , So any Worke-man , any good Surueyor , She may retaine to gaine her Reparation , As for the Church is vs'd in euery Nation . And yet we hold it were both sinne and pitty Sith Work-men liue in this renowned Citie , Good Artists , honest , paying scot and lot , If more then others they should be forgot ; But rather be preferr'd in some degree Before a Stranger , whatsoe're he be . And 'cause our Writer a poore Free-man is , We hope these words no man can take amisse ; For what he write's according to his oath , Which to infringe we know he will be loath ; That is , the Cities honor to maintaine , And also to aduance Her honest gaine . So once againe we doe reuiue our Muse , And to all workmen doe more counsell vse ; Learne by the Scriptures what you ought to doe Let them direct your hands and conscience to ; Ezra , Ne'miah , Chronicles and Kings , And Haggai will shew you many things : How iustly men did worke about the Temple , Which there is Registred for your example ; And with what ioy and loue they did proceed , The Booke of God will shew you if you reade ; For happy was that man that could deuise Most curious worke to grace that Edifice : Or hee whose purse or person could present Ought that might help to make Her excellent . Lead , timber , stone , brasse , iron , some men gaue ; Some lyme , some sand , some glasse , to make her braue ▪ And Laborers , like Bees , did labor truly , Obseruing all their times and houres most duly . Then if your owne gaine you doe only plod , You are vnworthy for the House of God ; For if you worke by taske-worke , or by day , Your pay shall be as iust as ere was pay ; And therefore 't is expected you should bee Not sparing in your worke , but francke and free . Some men there are will maintain to ones face , ( But such we hold both lewd and very base ) That in a worke for King or Church they may Trifle the time by loytring and delay . Some will be working hard , but when d' ee thinke ? Iust when they haue no come , or trust for drinke ; Or when the Clocke is neare the stroke eleuen , And say they haue so wrought e're since 't was seauen , Or when some Officer they doe espie , That otherwise cashiers them presently . Some with their Rules do fidle vp and downe , As if they did more worke then all the towne : But mark them wel , & giue them their due check For one weeks work , almost three daies they lack Some spend much time in finding fault , and so To picke a thanke will nimbly runne or goe , Till at the last , the seed which they haue sowne , Brings forth a fruit more fit to be their owne . Some haue the gift of working more then some , Vntill a holiday , or Sunday come . But then what they haue got sixe dayes before , They will consume it , if'twere ten times more : Mean while poor wines & children liue ful bare Hoping when husbands come of better fare , And they returne when all the worke is done As poore as Iob , or as the Vnthrist Sonne . Some haue their jobs to doe in other places , And so they worke like Ianus with two faces ; And from that taske that longest will remaine , They oftentimes an houre or two will gaine . But hee that in this worke proues such a lobber , Is but a kinde of Sacrilegious Robber . Others , at euery one that by them walke , Will to their fellowes haue some thing to talke : & while their tongues are tatling , 't is their course To hold their hands , and that is ten times worse . So there are other some ▪ that for a need , When hempe is scarce , will onely buy gape-seed , And looke about as if nought were their taske , But for to answer all that men will aske , And thinke it is a colour fit t' excuse The precious time they wrongfully abuse . These , like some Schollers that are sent to schools Haue a good conscience , though not little fooles ; And make Pauls-worke , the Prouerb true doth stand , Of euery little thing they take in hand : With whom to liue a faithfull Clarke a th' works , As good goe dwell with Saracens and Turkes . But now we thinke no man will be so rude . And thus in charitie wee doe conclude . FINIS .