Newes from France. Or A relation of a maruellous and fearfull accident of a disaster which happened at Paris the seuenth day of March, this present yeare 1618. where by meanes of a terrible fire, all the pallace was burnt and consumed. Together with a narration of the losse and ruine of many tradesmen, who had all their goods consumed by the said fire. As also an iniunction of the Court of Parliament concerning the restoring backe and deliuering of all bags of papers, processes, peeces and records which were taken vp being cast out of the pallace during the said fire. / Truly translated according to the French copie: and set forth by authoritie..

1618

Newes from France.

OR A relation of a maruellous and fearfull accident of a disaster, which happened at PARIS the seuenth day of March, this present yeare 1618. where by meanes of a terrible fire, all the Pallace was burnt and consumed.

Together with a narration of the losse and ruine of many Tradesmen, who had all their goods consumed by the said fire.

As also an Iniunction of the Court of Parliament concerning the restoring backe and deliuering of all bags of papers, Processes, peeces and Records which were taken vp being cast out of the Pallace during the said fire.

Truly translated according to the French Copie: and set forth by authoritie.

LONDON, Printed by William Iones, for Nathaniell Browne, and are to be solde, at the next shoppe to the great North doore of saint Paules Church. 1618.

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NEWES FROM France. Or a Relation of the maruelous and fearfeull accident of a disaster, which happened at Paris the seuenth day of March this present yeare. 1618. Where by meanes of a terrible fire all the Palace was burnt and consumed. TOGETHER WITH A NARRAtion of the losse and ruine of many tradesmen who had all their goods consumed by the said fier. AS ALSO AN INIVNCTION OF THE Court of Parliament concerning the restoring and deleuiring backe of all bagges of papers &c.

WOrthie Reader, the Authour being curious to giue you to vnderstand a matter prodigious and feaerfull, which is altogeather worthie of memorie, and remarked of many men of qualitie as well spirituall as temporall seeing an accident to happen in the best peece of the famous Citie of Paris, being a [Page] place where true and vpright iustice ought without delay to be done, named the Palace of the Kinges of France and the most renowned in the world by Reason of a Chappell named the Holie, the which Almightie God hath preserued from the gulfe of an horrible & vnquenchable fier, which descended from Heauen, about midnight in the forme and fashion of a terrible great flaming starre, being for the bignes one cubite in length and of one foote in breadth, the which consuming fier did burne and waste the full space of a day and an a halfe within the great Hall of the Palace of Paris, without being able to be staied or quenched by any meanes, as shewinge that this fier would demonstrate the Iustice of God and the anger and wrath of the moste holie Trinitie declaring vnto sinners that they should be conuerted and haue God alwaias before their eyes without musing and troublinge themselues in heaping vp worldly good; and transitorie riches, and leauing the meanes to come to the kingdome of God vnsought for. In such sort began the fier the seuenth day of March, about an hower after midnight that with the force thereof it burned and consumed all the auncient Antiquities and Records of this Realme of France hauing made in one night a greater deluge and destruction, then a hundred men are able to restore and build vp in a yeare.

It is almost impossible for any man to haue euer [Page] seene a fire so vehement and cruell as that was. For twenty thousand persons could not with all their forces, nor by the force of water quench the great fury of these mercilesse flames.

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First the Chappell where they did vse to celebrate the Masse within the great Hall of the Pallace was vtterly consumed, as likewise the Kings Effigies & Statues which were set of carued stōe were also vtterly consumed. The Valte or Arch of the great Hall did flame in that māner as if the stone thereof had bin of sulpher or brimstone, all the shoppes of tradesmen aswell at the entrie as within the Hall were wholie burnt and consumed, in such manner that the losse caused by this fier is the occasion of the vtter ouerthrowe and vndoing of many poore tradesmen who had all their meanes, and goodes within their [Page] shoppes. Afterwards this fier cast it selfe vpon the backward parts on the side towards the Riuer, and began to get in to the prison of the Consergerie & shewed its force in greate flames, by reason of the winde, as also in regard of the greate drynes of the woode, which was anciently seruing to the saide Prison, so as that from four of the Clocke in the morning vntill eight of the Clocke, a man might see this fier flame a league off round about Paris, which continued consuming more then twenty howers: during which time the forces of thousands of people could not quench it neither by water, nor by any Arte or industry, nor could the labour of the poore Prisoners doe any good, who did indure very much paine and toyle by occasion of the fury of this fire. So as all the best part of the Pallace was burnt, except the Gallery of the Prisoners, which was saued aswell by the tradesmen which had ēterest therein, as also by those which came to helpe and succour them: soe as at the last, there was such good order taken, that by little and little they found the meanes to extinguish and stope the fier after an infinite losse, and very great trauell and paines of more then two thousand persons which laboured therein.

But God hath preserued the Chappell called the Holy shewing to his people that he desires to be honored and glorified.

We may well know that this fier signifieth [Page] vnto vs a beginning of the wrath of God and that he is angry against vs, for this fier puts vs in mind of the ende of the world, and should stirre vs vp to the firme beliefe which we ought to haue in the spirituall merrcy of God, and to hold our selues alwaéyes ready to fight against the enimie of our soules, and to embrace the true God and Sauiour. And namely in this holie time of Lent we ought to reconcile our selues vnto God and to demande pardon and mercy of him for all our finnes, that thereby we may come to the hiretage which he hath purchased by his death and passion, beseeching him to haue pitty vpon vs, and to preserue vs henceforth from such accidents.

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The Arrest or Decree of the Court of Parliament of PARIS touching the restoring of the papers and registers which were cast by during the said fier.

THe Court vpon the complaint made thereunto, by the Attourney generall of the King touching the diuerting and casting aside of the bagges, proces, papers, parchments and registers made in the Pallace during the time of the fier hath enioyned and doth enioyne, all persons of what qualitie estate and condition soeuer they be, which haue taken or caried away founde by accident or by what meanes soeuer there be come into their hands, any of the said bagges processe, peeces, titles, Regester minutes and other papers, that they doe speedyly, and readily cary and put them into the hands of Maister Iohn Du Tillet Regester or [Page] Greffier of the said Court, or into the hands of his Deputy in his house scitu [...]te in the street Debu [...]si in this Citty of Paris, without retaining or keeping backe any of them by guile fraud or otherwise, vpon paine of exemplary punishment. Of which bagges, Registers papers, and letters, the said Greffier or his Deputy shall keepe a Regester of the names, surnames and dwelling places of those which shall so bring them, for which he shall giue them a full discharge, that afterwards the said bagges and writtinges may be restored to the Pronotares Ciuill and Criminill, to whom the same shall belong.

Inhibiting and forbidding vpon the same paines all Tradesmen, Apothecaryes, sellers of paper, Lardmakers, Mercers, Grosers and any others to buy directly or inderectly either by themselues or meanes of any other persons any Parchments, Papers, writ [...]en in minute, or in bundles, nor to imploy them about their packetts and trade: but if any shall be brought and offered vnto them they are enioyned to [...]etaine them, and shew them to the Iustices & to the end none may pretende cause of ignorance this present Arest and Decree shall be read and publishe [...] as well by the sound of the Trumpet and the publicke cry, as also by the Priests of the Churches of the Parishes in the time [Page] of seruice, and it is ordained that the Attourney generall of the King shall haue a Commission to informe hunselfe of the retention and concealment, and permitt [...]h him to giue monition and warning that notice and reuelation may be the better had. Giuen in the Parlament the eight day of March 1618.

Signed Voysin.

‘IN DOMINO CONFIDO’

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