The Downfall of Dagon, or the taking down of Cheapside Cross this second of May, 1643. wherein is contained these principals following, viz. 
 First, Cheapside Cross sick at the heart. Secondly, his Death and Funeral. Thirdly, his Will, Legacies▪ Inventory and Epitaph. Fourthly, the Reason why it was taken down, and the authority for it. Fiftly, the benefit and profit that is made of the materials of it, and the several sums of money which is offered for it; likewise the satisfaction it will give to thousands of people. Sixtly, notes worthy of the Readers observation, that the Cross should just happen to be taken down on that day which Crosses were first invented and set up.   depiction of the Cheapside Cross 
Printed for Thomas Wilson. 1643. May .3.   

The Downfall of Dagon, or the taking down of Cheapside Cross, etc.  
IT is an easier task to reckon up all the species and several kinds of nature, than to describe all the Sects, Divisions, and opinions in Religion that is now in and about this Kingdom and City of London; so that whereas there is but one Truth and one way guiding thereunto; the people of our Land cannot agree about this one way: but Error and Schism being multiplied manifold they, can all find out those ways to a hai●e; so that the times remain still as corrupt in manners as ever any age heretofore ever did, I will leave all particular vices which are too common and frequent amongst us in these our days, and come to the subject in hand namely, the complaint of Cheapside Cross, wh●ch it makes in his own defence before it suffers its d●cay or ruin●, hea●ing that it must be pulled down. And now to see the misery of a high fortune, I that was so stout and glorious, and did not look● fo● a fall, am now become the hateful Idol of the City: I cannot speak much being of Stone, but I will give you a brief expression of my antiquity; King Edward was the first that built me, and many more Crosses in several Town at the death of good Queen Elinor, and in Anno 1441. I was repaired in beautiful manner, than six thousand pound was given to my new erecting, and have been so often gelded at many times that I am sorry to think that all my glory should now be laid in the dust, but I am not the greatest that have fallen; but now it is no time for me to babble out my griefs, Time with all his hours and years shall lament me and my violent undoing.  
But give me leave in my anger to express my mind. 'Tis some body was my enemy, and I cannot tell who it was; but I can guess well, down I must; and go even flat the Earth, and then I am sure they will not remember me, I was glorious in many King's reigns and esteemed well in Queen Elizabeth's days, beautified at King james his coming into England, and again at King Charles ●is coming to the Crown. And I am now accounted for a Papist, all my antiquity is lost from time to time, which if I should m●ntion would w●ary you wi●h the relation. I am esteemed and held not fit to have my abiding in the City, I am called by the name of the City Idol, the Brownists spit at me and throw stones at me as they come along the street, the Famalists hid their eyes with their fingers, the Annabaptists wish me to be knocked in pieces, as I am like to be this day, the sisters of the Fraternity will not come near me, but go about by Watling street, and come in again by Soaper-lane to buy their provisions of the Marketfolks. Oh these and the like occasions have grieved and tormented my whole Fabric, I guess the cause, that I am now to be ruinated and quite pulled down. It is the Cross that stands upon my head which is a moat in their eyes. Nay, they do not only say that I am an Idol, but that I am a supporter of Idols, because divers Images are placed about me, but I feel myself now sick, nay sick at heart, and I groan under the burden of my own fabric, for I hear and am certainly told that I am to be pulled down and defaced this morning. Oh I feel the pangs of death come upon me, I shall never see the end of the merry month of May, my breath is at a period, my life is gone, for I feel myself dying downwards, my head being the first part that doth lose the sense, my tongue rattles in my throat, and just as the Cross had so said, he presently died; whereupon his Executors hearing of it, came in; and would have him embalmed; and they first struck off his head, and so by degrees descended to other parts of the body, and left him like a Sceleton or an Anatomy of his body or corpses by ten or eleven a clock at noon, with that his Executors looking about, found his Will which he had got, being written in this manner.  

jespar Cross his last Will.  
IN primis, I desire to be taken down in a decent round manner, and that no spoil be made of my fabric; for some parts of me worth money.  
Item, I pray my Executors to be civil, and that they have a care that no hurt be done at my demolishing.  
Item, The Gold which I am gilded withal I appoint to be ●●●ed and taken off by those persons which will give most money for me.  
Item, I give to the Red-coate Soldiers all the Lead which is about me to make bullets if occasion be; if not I give it to the company of Plumbers to make Cesternes and Pumps with, or else jack weiAhts.  
Item, I give my Iron-worke to those people which make good Swords at Hou●st●w, for I am all Spanish Iron, and Steel to the back.  
Item, I give my Body and Stones to those Masons and Workmen that cannot tell how to frame the like again, to keep by them for a pattern; for in time there will be more Crosses in London then ever there was yet, etc.  
Item, I give my ground whereon I stood to be a free Marketplace, hoping that no more people will go round as they have used to do about me; but will be content to speak well of me hereafter, because I suffer so roundly and so patiently for my errors:  
 
Vera copia tesamenta Iasperi Crosseribus,   

Cheap side Cross his Epitaph.  

I Look for no praise when I am dead,  
For going the right way I never did tread,  
I was as hard as an Alderman's door,  
That's shut, and stony hearted to the poor.  
I never gave Alms, nor did any thing  
Was good▪ nor e'er said, God save the King:  
I stood like a stock that was made of wood,  
And yet the people would not say, I was good:  
And if I tell them plain they are like to me,  
Like stone to all goodness, but now Reader see  
Me in the dust, for Crosses must not stand  
There is too much Crosse-tricks within the Land;  
And having so done never any good,  
I leave my praise for to be understood;  
For many women after this my loss.  
Will remember me and still will be cross.  
Cross tricks, Cross ways, and Cross vanities,  
Believe the Cross speaks truth, for here he lies.    
This Cross in Cheapside was first erected as I have said by Edward the first, in commemoration of his Queen whose name was Ell●nor; Secondly it w●s then builded for an Ornament to the City, being placed in the chiefest place or street of the laid City, and therefore was thought & held at that time for a glorious Fabric, and would continue there for antiquity sake, rather than to give an occasion of offence to any; It hath now stood near upon 400. or five hundred years, still repaired and beautified, but never suffered martyrdom till now; it hath been twelve several times adorned and decored in all ages; and was ever held a graceful Fabric to London, till of late years; until indeed many superstitious and foolish people have publicly adored it and worshipped it as they have gone by it; which offence is the main cause of its pulling down and defacing.  

The reason why Cheapside Cross was pulled down.  
BEcause it is in its own structure a monument of Idolatry, and may better suit well with an Idolatrous place, as Rome and such like places, than for this civil City, wherein so much preaching and teaching of God's word is used; Again, that many people by nature desire a visible God, rather than an invisible God; Also that it occasions many from coming to look for Christ in an invisible way, so long as they can fee him visible. Besides, divers ignorant people who have been misled and misinformed in the Protestant Rligion, have by such like Images been seduced and made believe that praying to several Saints, desiring them and instigating them, that they would solicit and speak to our Saviour in their behalf, that our Saviour would make intercession to his father for the mitigation, and for the forgiveness of their sins; This opinion of theirs is very vain, idle and ridiculous; and a great sin committed against God himself; robbing and taking away his honour due unto him; and giving it creatures; as to the Saints and Angels, in worshipping pictures crucifixes, and such like traditions and inventions of men; So this Cross hath been a great means to cause superstition and idolatry from time to time in worshipping and adoring it, as many people have done as they pass by it; for divers people both men & women hath been seen by several honest, ancient, and good Inhabitants dwelling near the place, that sundry sorts of people have by three a clock in the morning come barefoot to the Cross, and have kneeled down, and said something to themselves, crossed their forehead and their breast, and so risen and making obeisance, went away, which punishment was enjoined upon them as a penance for som● sins they had committed: Likewise that hundreds of people have been publicly seen and in the midst of the day, b●nd their bodies to it, and put off their hats, and cross themselves: Not only as they have gone on foot by it, but divers that have rid on horseback▪ and in Coaches have put out their heads and pulled off their hats and d●ne reverence to it; this hath been done for these many years together, and it hath been offensive to many good Christians to behold such such Idolatrous worship given to a Cross, and to images, and pictures, in so much that it hath been often complained on by divers godly Ministers. not only in their public Sermons, but also in their printed books; showing the unlawfulness of it, and how it hath from time to time increased and encouraged people to Popery: therefore seeing no redress or helpe●●●r the suppression of it; the Common Counsel of London did Petition to the honourable Houses of Parliament for release in this case, which was soon granted, and had a warrant to take it down, by all the fair means they could devise, calling to their aid the Trained bands of the City for their defence, because no uproar might arise thereby, and that no blood might be spilt; because divers people had given out they would rather lose their lives than it should down▪ down it must, and it is so ordered to be taken down that the materials may be made useful other way, and that they should be sold for a valuable consideration; the materials being most lead, iron, and stone; some report divers of the Crowns and Sceptres are silver; besides the rich gold that it is guilded with which as it is reported, may be filled & taken off, and yield a good value; so that divers which have offered some 400. l. some 500 l. but they that bid must offer 1000 l. for it; and so this Tuesday it is a taking down with a great deal of judgement and discretion, and four Companies of the Trane Bands of the City to guard and defend those that are about the work, & to keep others from domineering, and so I leave it to be made level with the ground this second day of May 1643. And pray good Reader take notice by the Almanac▪ for the sign falls just at this time to b●e in the feet, to show that the Cross must be laid equal with the ground for our feet to tr●ad on, and what day it was demolished; that is on the day when Crosses were first invented and set up, and so I leave the rest to your consideration.    
FINIS.