Great BRITAIN'S Beauty; OR, LONDON'S Delight.  
Being a POEM, in the Commendation of the Famous Incomparable CITY of LONDON, and the Royal Exchange, as they now stand Rebuilt, in most Magnificent Splendour and Beauty, to our Nation's Honour, and to the exceeding Joy and Comfort of King, Kingdom and City.  Written by GEORGE ELIOTT, Gent. 
Great Britain smiles, to see Fair London Rise,  
With Famous Buildings mounted to the Skies.  

GO View Earth's Globe, take Eagles wings and fly,  
Search every Kingdom underneath the Sky;  
The great Imperial Seats of this vast round,  
Whether above or underneath the ground;  
Survey each City on Earth's mighty Ball,  
Her Metropolitans, yea, view them all.  
Ascend the Clouds, ride on the wings o'th' Wind;  
Search every Corner of the World to find  
A City standing on the Ground, which can  
Compare with Britain's Metropolitan.  
Europe's amazed, 
All Christendsme admires as London.  the Whole World doth admire,  
That LONDON which so late was burnt with Fire,  
In so short space, should with such splendour rise,  
As all the Cities underneath the Skies  
Are quite eclipsed; Their Glory and Renown,  
Now London's risen, quite doth tumble down.  
Go view each Street, and stand amazed to see,  
With what fair Fabrics they adorned be;  
Each House a Palace, and may entertain  
A KING in State, with all his Noble Train.  
Her stately Structures causeth admiration  
To every Empire, Kingdom, I'll, and Nation  
Under the Cope of Heaven; Every Land  
Rings forth thy praise, and doth amazed stand,  
To see that LONDON, which so late was hurled  
Into a Chaos of the Western World,  
Should be Metropolis: Great Britain's Isle  
Standeth on Tiptoes with a pleasant smile,  
To see fair London (Phoenix like) to rise  
Out of her Ashes, up into the Skies.  
The stateliest Structure, 
The Royal Exchange.  and the goodliest round  
That e'er was built, or stood upon the ground,  
Within the Bowels of fair London stands;  
A Mighty KING did with his Sacred Hands 
The King laid the first Cornerstone.   
Lay the Chief Cornerstone; His Royal Brother  
With his Own Hands did also lay another.  
French, Spanish, Dutch, the Noble Tuscanite,  
The Portugal, the Mighty Muscovite,  
The Swede, the Dane, and from all Christendom  
Which from beyond Sea to our CITY come,  
Stands gazing on it with delighted Eyes,  
Says, 'Tis the stateliest Structure under Skies;  
Takes Pen in hand, writes in the Commendation  
Of England's KING, the CITY, and the NATION.  
So sweet a Soil, 
London's Pleasant Situation.  and pleasant Plot of ground,  
In all this Mighty Isle cannot be found,  
To build so great a City on; The Nile,  
If that it ran through Britain's famous Isle,  
'Twould not be valued. Such a Stream doth run  
By Lovely London, 
Thames a Famous River.  as under the Sun  
There's not the like: For on that River floats,  
Upon account, at least Seven Thousand Boats.  
Gold, Silver, Pearl, Wine, Oil, and what we lack,  
Comes to our CITY swimming on its Back.  
But that which makes her Name through Earth to Ring, 
London the King's Chamber, so called by Ontlandish Writers.   
She is the Chamber to our Sovereign KING:  
The Place in which the Parliament doth sir,  
For to determine things most requisite;  
In it all Causes at the Law are tried,  
In it the Nobles of the Land abide. 
The Terms.   
The World's Chief Mart, Rich Christendoms Rare Inn,  
Which from all Cities doth the Garland win:  
She now hath stood almost Three Thousand Years, 
London an ancient City.   
As by the best Chronologers appears.  
But now, Good Reader, I will give account,  
To what vast Number all those Souls amount, 
See Howell in his Description of London.   
That breath therein, Mr. James Howell says,  
Thirty years since, in good King Charles his days,  
The King commands a Scrutiny to make,  
And that the Mayor a strict account should take 
They took an occasion thereby to count all under the Mayor's Command.   
Of all the Catholics: that he might know  
How to suppress them, fore they headstrong grow;  
And thereupon they took a just account  
Of all in general, there did surmount,  
Seven hundred Thousand, But what are those,  
To that vast Number now she doth enclose 
700000 under the Mayor's Command.   
In her wide Womb? For she doth comprehend  
Full Fifteen hundred Thousand, which do spend  
Their days therein. But for her Situation,  
Her wholesome Air, her fast and firm foundation, 
London doth contain in her 1500000.   
Her Temples, Schools, her Colleges and Halls,  
Her Inns of Courts, and her Hospitals,  
Her Laws, her Manners, and her Fabrics Fair,  
Her Sober Senators, and prudent Mayor:  
Her wise Inhabitants, her Grave Divines;  
There's not a City on which Sun now shines;  
No not in Europe, one that I can tell,  
May with our City stand in parallel.  
Nor on Earth's Globe, is there a City can  
Compare to Britain's Metropolitan.  
And now, O London, I have let thee see,  
There's not a City can compare to thee  
On Earth's Circumference: Give God the praise,  
And to his Glory ever spend thy days;  
Honour thy KING, and humbly him obey, 
A Caution to the City.   
And to the GOD of Heaven ever pray,  
That on his Head the Royal Crown may stand,  
And the Great Sceptre of this Famous Land  
May still be swayed by Him that now doth Reign,  
And by his Seed, till Shilo come again.  
Forsake all Sin, and to God's Glory spend  
Thy precious Time; That Heaven may not send  
Such Dreadful Judgements, but Thee ever bless  
Above all Cities on Earth's Universe.  
Then let thy Foes say what they will or can,  
Thou'lt be the. World's Chief Metropolitan.    

With Allowance.   

London, Printed for E. Horton, 1671.