The dismall day at the Black-Fryers, or, A deplorable elegie on the death of almost an hundred persons, who were lamentably slaine by the fall of a house in the Blacke-Fryers being all assembled there (after the manner of their deuotions) to heare a sermon on Sunday night, the 26 of October last past, An. 1623.

THE Dismall Day , at the Black-Fryers . Or , A deplorable Elegie , on the death of almost an Hundred Persons , who were lamentably slaine by the fall of a House in the Blacke-Fryers , being all assembled there ( after the manner of their Deuotions ) to heare a Sermon on Sunday-Night , the 26. of October last past . An. 1623.

Figures of Time, Death and? the wheel of fortune

FRom the vast Chaos of distempre'd Mindes My Muse doth flutter forth her moystned wings , Vpheld with Gusts and Gales of sighing windes , In this sad * Swan-like Elegie she sings , For inbred griefes her heart so neerly stings , That from thee ( gentle Reader ) we must borrow Some Teares of pitty in such Threanes of sorrow . Oh graue Melpomine assist my Pen , Whilst I in dolefull manner doe recite The heauy death of neere an hundred men , Whose Tragicke ends my Soule doth much affright , With fearfull horror of that dismall Night . Ah , Fatall Vesper ; whose like hath not beene Since the Sicilian Vespers euer seene . Though Gods great Mercies , ( which so boundlesse are And infinite ) his other workes transcend , Where he might strike he oftentimes doth spare , In expectation when we should amend ; ( Yea , though we daily , hourely , doe offend ) Yet are his iudgements likewise iust and true , To giue to Sinners their deserued due . Such is the might of our All-powerfull God , That those which dare his Greatnesse to resist , Shall feele his furious scourge and Iron Rod , His wrath can ouertake them when he list , At whose Commands the Winds and Seas are whist . Let Christians all that his dread voyce shall heare , Serue him in faithfull heart and trembling feare . View here a Spectacle of mournfull ruth , Which ( for our crimes ) the Lord hath lately sent , London can witnesse well it was a Truth , A strange , vntimely , fearfull Accident , Which well may make a stony heart relent ; In the Black-Fryers , ( blacke disasterous fate ! ) A heauy wofull Story to relate . That Sunday Night , led by their deepe Deuotions , Three hundred Persons were assembled there , Of diuers Sects , sundry Degrees and Nations , Some English , Scottish , Welch , and Irish were , Prepar'd ( it seemes ) a Sermon for to heare , Which there a Iesuite was to solemnize , One Drury fitted to that Exercise . And hauing Crost himselfe in publike view , He enters straight the Chayre and Preaching-place , The people yeeld him reuerence , as was due , And to his Sermon numbers flock'd apace , He being ( with them ) a Man of chiefest grace ; Who there his Text did open and vnfold , Shewing such doctrines as their Church did hold . Thus while he Preacht , deliuering forth at large Such Points of strange Beliefe as they are taught , The Peoples waight the Chamber did surcharge , Which breaking downe their sad Confusion wrought When of this Accident they neuer thought : The Chamber full three Stories from the ground , Which brast in sunder with a hideous sound . And when the vpper Floore that first did breake , Fals on the second , where they hop't to stay ; Yet on the sudden ere a man could speake , They on the ground all bruiz'd and smothered lay , Some stifled vp with Lome , Stones , Dust , and Clay : And some for helpe and succour loudly calling , All broken , bruizd , and mangled in their falling . The Husband cries out , Oh my louing wife , The Wife cries out , Oh saue my Husband deare , The Father cries , Would I had lost my life , His Childrens woes doe touch his heart so neare , All things so rufull , dreadfull , doe appeare : Thus Tyrant death with his all-peircing dart , Acts many a fatall Scoene , and bloudy part . The Brother bids the Sister quite adue , The Sister cries , Farewell my louing Brother , The Infants losse doth make the mother rue , The Child cries out , Oh where 's my carefull Mother ? All these ( alas ) stones , lyme , and timber smother . Yea many there which on their friends had gazed , Yet knew them not , they were so much amazed . The Seruant cries , Oh I haue lost my Master , The Master for his Seruant doth complaine , The faithfull Friend laments his Friends disaster , Wishing that for his sake himselfe were slaine : Thus teares gush out on euery side amaine . Some swound with feare , vnable for to speake , Which might a Christians heart with sorrow break . Thus some were buried vp aliue in dust , Some mangled , bruized , wounded with the fall , Some brain'd with Timber , some in pieces crusht , Of those that scap'd the number was but small ; A fearfull Doome and Summons to vs All : Calling vs to repentance many wayes , Considering well the shortnesse of our dayes . O Lord defend thy Church and Common-weale , Maintaine thy Gospell free in this our Land , And since to vs thy Truth thou dost reueale , In zeale vnto it let vs euer stand : Protect our King still from his Enemies hand : And when we must resigne our vitall breath , Saue vs ( O Lord ) from strange and sudden Death . Math. Rhodes . FINIS .