The anniversaries of the consecration and canonization, were celebrated at the public expence: but there were other anniversaries of a private nature, provided for by particular endowments, as that of Sir John Poultney, Knt. who had been four times Lord Mayor of London, and assigned annual salaries to all who bore office about the church, together with an allowance of 6_s._ 8_d._ to the Lord Mayor, 5_s._ to the Recorder; 6_s._ 8_d._ to the two Sheriffs; 3_s._ 4_d._ to the Common Crier; 6_s._ 8_d._ to the Lord Mayor’s serjeants, and 6_s._ 8_d._ to the Master of the college of St. Laurence Poultney, provided they were present at his anniversary; but if any were absent, their share were to be distributed to the poor. There were many other anniversaries of the same kind. The chauntries founded by men of condition for the maintenance of one or two priests, to celebrate divine service daily, for the release from purgatory of their souls, the souls of their dearest friends and relations, and of all the faithful deceased; but these were in a short time increased to such a degree, and the endowments were so slender, that so early as the reign of Richard II. Bishop Baybroke caused forty-four of them to be united into one solemn service. Having thus taken a transient survey of this magnificent edifice, in its flourishing state, with all its appendages, we shall now view its decline, and trace this venerable Gothic structure to its final destruction. The first remarkable misfortune that befel it was in 1444, when about two o’clock in the afternoon, its lofty wooden spire was fired by lightning; but by the assiduity of the citizens, it was soon seemingly extinguished: however to their great surprise and terror it broke out again with redoubled fury at about nine o’clock at night; but by the indefatigable pains of the Lord Mayor and citizens, it was at last effectually extinguished. The damage was not however fully repaired till the year 1462, when the spire was compleated, and a beautiful fane of gilt copper in the form of an eagle was placed upon it. About an hundred years after this accident, another of the same kind happened to it, generally attributed to the same cause, but much more fatal in its consequences; the fire consuming not only the fine spire, but the upper roof of the church, and that of the aisles for in the space of four hours it burnt all the rafters, and every thing else that was combustible: but though it was universally believed that this fire was occasioned by lightning, yet, Dr. Heylin says, that an ancient plumber confessed at his death, that it was occasioned through his negligence in carelessly leaving a pan of coals in the steeple, while he went to dinner, which taking hold of the dry timber in the spire, was got to such a height at his return, that he judged it impossible to quench it, and therefore concluded it would be more consistent with his safety, not to contradict the common report.