THe Cittie of Corke hath his beginning vpon the side of an Hill , which discendeth easily into one wide and long streete ; The onely principall and chiefe streete of the Cittie . At the first entrance there is a Castle , called Shandon Castle . And almost over against it , a Church built of Stone , as the Castle is a kinde of Marble , of which that Country yeeldeth store . The Cittie hath many houses built of the same stone , and covered with Slate . But the greatest number of houses are built with Tymber , or Mudde walles , and covered with Thatch .

This last of May , being the most pleasant and delightfull moneth of the yeare ; To take his farewell , gaue it in the most ruefull and terrible manner , the like seldome heard of , or seene in any Country , or heard of in any Age , since the beginning of the World . The Citties of Sodome and Gomorrah were not more suddainely , or more horribly consumed with fire from heaven , then this Cittie of Corke was this last of May : Albeit I compare this Cittie with Sodome and Gomorrah , it is not in respect of the sinnes , but in respect of the heavy hand of God shewed in like degree . To consume by fire from Heaven eyther of them , the sinnes of Sodome are by the Scriptures made knowne , which are , and ever will be knowne , by the names of the sinnes of Sodome . No question but this Cittie of Corke had her sinnes : Otherwise the hand of God had not falne so heavily vpon her , but they are not made so apparant as the sinnes of Sodome . But if Vox Populi , be Vox Dei , If the people of the Country adioyning round about them , may be taken for witnesses , for sufficient proofe of their sinnes , which might provoke the wrath of God vpon them : The Citizens , and Inhabitants of Corke , haue beene taxed and noted for Vsury , ( the chiefest Daughter of Covetousnesse ) to exceed any Cittie in the Kings Dominions , except some Citties in England , which as they are farre greater in quantitie , so I feare they doe as much exceed in qualitie of the same sinne . But of this more hereafter , when I shall haue passed over this lamentable Narration of Corke . This last of May , being Fryday , betwixt eleven and twelue of the Clocke , the Cloudes over the Cittie began to gather thicke , which caused such a darknes in their houses , that they were amazed to behold so sodaine a darkenes . These darke Cloudes seemed to Muster together , and to descend by degrees nearer to the Cittie . Whilest the Inhabitants stood thus wondering at the extraordinary darkenes , suddenly they heard a terrible clappe of thunder ; And at the same instant they saw a dreadfull lightning , with flames of fire breake out of the Cloudes , and fall vpon the Cittie at the same instant , at the East end , and the highest part of the Cittie . At that very place where the Stares beganne their Battell , and where they first fell downe , being killed in the fight ; There the fire first began with horrible flames : which the Inhabitants of the West and lower part of the Cittie beholding , they began hastily to run towardes the East part where the fire began . They were not runne halfe the way , when as they heard a woefull cry of fire behinde them , for the West part was also set on fire . Betwixt two fires , being amazed and confounded , not knowing what to doe , the flames of fire raged also extreamely in the middest of the houses on both sides of the streete . Albeit , they had great aboundance of water neare at hand , there was no meanes to be had , nor any endevour to be vsed to quench the flames . For the fire was so sodaine , the flames so hot , and raging , that there was no possibilitie to come neare them . For the fire which falleth from Heaven is vnquencheable , and rageth with that violent heate , as may not be endured . So that the Inhabitants seeing all their labours and indevours to be spent in vaine , and many consumed which adventured too neare , to saue their goods , their wiues or children ; then they resolue to saue themselues by running and flying out of the Citie into the fields , and to an Iland adioyning neare vnto the Cittie . Some were saved by this meanes : But those who were in the Cittie were so enclosed vpon bothsides with fire , that they were brought into miserable extreamities . These had no other meanes to saue themselues , but to fly for refuge into the Churches . There were in this Cittie three Churches , all which were filled with people tormented with woe and terrour . For albeit they were in the Churches covered with Slate , and built otherwise with thicke stone walles , yet this was no securitie vnto them , when as they had nothing to hope for , but a dreadfull expectation every minute of an houre , when the Churches would be fired also . For they could not goe out of the Churches , the fire raged so on all sides . And in the Churches they heard nothing but clamors and out-cries . Every mans feare was a torment , not onely to himselfe , but to others generally . For the houses round about the Churches flaming , vpon every glimce of fire , the cry was raysed , the Church is now on fire ; now we shall all be consumed . This was the miserable and woefull case of those who fled to the Churches . Now for those who remained in the streets ( as all people whose weaknesse might not shift for themselues ) or yong children , whose want of discretion could not foresee how to avoyd the danger ; or such persons who loued their wiues , children , & goods more then themselues , many hundreds of these people were consumed by the fire . Now concerning those who to saue their liues fled into the Ilands and fields adjoyning , in what a woefull and miserable affliction were they ? These were beholding their Cittie in a lamentable Combustion . They were turning their eyes this way and that way , where sometimes their habitations were : where they had goods , wiues , and children , brothers and sisters ; fathers and mothers , cosens and friends ; And all either consumed , or in danger to be consumed with fire . And to aggravate the bitternes of their heauie afflictions more , they heard out of the Cittie , hydeous and rufull cryes and clamors , which made them imagine all were vtterly perished and consumed . Thus what the battell and fight of the birds did presage and prognosticate , fell out too true and dolefull , in the vtter ruine & consumption of a rich and wealthie Cittie . Vpon this so grievous an accident , it is absolutely necessary , that all the Citties and Townes of England and Ireland , should make speedie Vse of so dreadfull an example . For they must consider , the Saviour of Mankinde in the xiij . of S. Luke , when he was told of the bloudy execution of the Galileans by Herod : Thinke you ( sayth Iesus ) that these Galileans were sinners , more then all the Galileans , that they suffered such things ? No , But I say to you , vnlesse you repent , you shall all likewise perish . As those xviij . vpon whom the Tower fell in Siloe , and slew them : Thinke you they were sinners aboue all the men that dwell in Ierusalem ? No , I say to you , but except you repent , you shall all likewise perish . By this our Saviour doth make it manifest , that some sinners are punished for examples sake , that other who are guiltie of like sinnes , may by speedie Repentance pacifie the wrath of God , that he may spare his rod of Iustice . These inhabitants of the Cittie of Corke , were not the onely and greatest sinners , aboue all other Citties of England or Ireland , but that other Citties are as grievous sinners as they : But that God hath made an especiall example in them , that others may be moved to Repentance , thereby to escape the heavic Iudgements of God vpon them for the like sinnes . God is mercifull and long suffering , but if the offer of his mercy be not taken in due time , his Iustice falleth heavie where the offer of mercy is refused . The Battell of Birds over the Cittie being so strange and wonderfull an accident , might haue moved them to considerations of Repentance , but they sleighted it over ; And now they find ( which others may feare ) it is good to lay hold on Mercy whilest it is offered . ⸫