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« not any Excellency that we might not have hoped to obtain; Britain" had a reasonable Prospect to rival Italy, and foil every Nation in Europe« beside. But in the midst of these sanguine Expectations, the fatal Civil-" war commenc’d, and all the Arts and Sciences were immediately laid aside," as no Way concern’d in the Quarrel. What follow’d was all Darkness and" Obscurity, and ’tis even a Wonder they left us a Monument of the Beauty,“ 'twas so agreeable to their Natures to destroy.

“ Wren was the next Genius that arose, to awake the Spirit of Science, and" kindle in his Country a Dove for that Science which had been so long" neglected: during his Time a most melancholly Opportunity offer’d for“ Art to exert itself, in the most extraordinary Manner; but the Calamities" of the present Circumstance were so great and numerous, that the Pleas“ of Elegancy and Beauty could not be heard; and Necessity and Con-" veniency took Place of Harmony and Magnificence.

“ What I mean is this; The Fire of London, furnifh’d the most perfect" Occasion that can ever happen in any City, to rebuild it with Pomp and" Regularity: this, Wren foresaw, and, as we are told, offer’d a Scheme" for that Purpose, which would have made it the Wonder of the World.“ He propos’d to have laid out one large Street from Aldgate to Temple-bar,“ in the Middle of which was to have been a large Square, capable of con-" taining the new Church of St. Paul’s, with a proper Distance for the“ View all round it; whereby that huge Building would not have been“ cooped up, as it is at present, in such a Manner, as no where to be“ seen to Advantage at all; but would have had a long and ample Vista at“ each End, to have reconcil’d it to a proper Point of View, and gave it

one great Benefit, which, in all probability, it must now want for ever.* 1 He further propos’d to rebuild all the Parish Churches in such a MaN-“ ner as to be seen at the End of every Vista of Houses, and dispersed in" such Distances from each other, as to appear neither too thick, nor thin" in Prospect; but give a proper heightening to the whole Bulk of the" City, as it fill’d the Landscape. Lastly, he propos’d to build all the“ Houses uniform, and supported on a Piazza, like that of Covent-Garden •*" And, by the Water-side, from the Bridge to the ‘Temple, he had plan’d" a long and broad Wharf, or Key, where he design’d to have rang’d all" the Halls that belong to the several Companies of the City , with proper" Ware-houses for Merchants between, to vary the Edifices, and make it at*• once one of the most beautiful, and most useful Ranges of Structure i^“ the World.—But the Hurry of Rebuilding, and the Disputes about Pro '“ perty, prevented this glorious Scheme from taking Place.”

There is scarce any Instance in History and Antiquity, of a Conflagrationcomparable in its Celerity and Extent, to the fatal Fire of the City of Jjfi'don. What seems to come nearest, and to be almost a parallel Cafe,the Burning of Lyons in Gaul, thus describ’d by Seneca.

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" Lugdunensis colonia exufla est. Hoc tarn inopinatum malum, & p e ne ifmidi turn, non mir or st fine metu suit, cum efl'et fine exemplo. Mult as etd fncivitates incendium vexavit, nullam abfiulit, Nam etiam ubi hojlili niafin tebla ignis immiflus est, multis locis deficit ; & quamvis fubinde e* ci 'tetur, raro tamenjic cunSla depafeitur, ut nihil ferro relinquat. TerrarU$quoque vix unquam tarn gravis & perniciofus suit motus, ut tota oppifleverteret. Nunquam denique tarn infestum ulli exarstt incendium, ut nst 1alterisupereffet incendio. Lot pulcherrima opera, queestngula illuftrarestngwst

urbes pojfent, una nox stravit, & in tanta pace , quantum de bello quidem tinst*

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