_On a Good Woman._ A wise man poor is like a Sacred Book that's never read. To himself he lives, though to the World seems dead: Yet this Age counts more of a golden fool Than of a thread-bare Saint, nursed up in Wisdom's School. FINIS. The True Report of the burning of the Steeple and Church of Paul's in London. _Jeremiah_ xviii. [7, 8.] I will speak suddenly against a Nation, or against a Kingdom, to pluck it up, and to root it out, and destroy it. But if that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their wickedness; I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring upon them. Imprinted at London, at the West end of Paul's Church, at the sign of the _Hedgehog_, by William Seres. _Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. Anno 1561, the 10th of June._ [Illustration] _The True Report of the burning of the Steeple and Church of Paul's in London._ ON Wednesday, being the 4th day of June in the year of our Lord 1561 (and in the 3rd year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady ELIZABETH, by the Grace of God, Queen of England France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.), between one and two of the clock at afternoon, was seen a marvellous great fiery lightning; and immediately ensued a most terrible hideous crack of thunder, such as seldom hath been heard; and that, by estimation of sense, directly over the city of London. At which instant, the corner of a turret of the Steeple of St Martin's Church within Lud Gate was torn; and divers great stones casten down; and a hole broken through the roof and timber of the said Church by the fall of the same stones. For divers persons (in time of the said tempest, being on the river of Thames; and others being in the fields near adjoining to the city) affirmed that they saw a long and spear-pointed flame of fire, as it were, run through the top of the broche [_or spire_] or shaft of Paul's Steeple; from the East, westward. And some of the parish of St Martin's, then being in the street, did feel a marvellous strong air or whirlwind, with a smell like brimstone, coming from Paul's Church; and withal heard a rush of the stones which fell from their Steeple into the Church. Between four and five of the clock, a smoke was espied by divers to break out under the bowl of the said shaft of Paul's; and namely [_particularly_] by PETER JOHNSON, Principal Registrar to the Bishop of LONDON; who immediately brought word to the Bishop's House. But, suddenly after, as it were in a moment, the flame brake forth in a circle, like a garland, round about the broche, about two yards, to the estimation of sight, under the bowl of the said shaft; and increased in such wise that, within a quarter of an hour, or little more, the Cross and the Eagle on the top fell down upon the South cross Ile [_Aisle_]. * * * * *