Upon Sight of LONDON'S Stately New Buildings, Anno Domini, M DC LXXII.  

The FIRST PART, Admiring it as a WONDER.  

1.  
O Thrice Illustrious Famous City LONDON,  
What Tongue can say that e'er thou yet wert undone!  
Or who can think thou ever so shalt be,  
Since Fire, which All Consumes, Increaseth Thee.   

2.  
Inferior unto None, before thou wert,  
But now the Glory of the World thou art:  
Thou far transcends that Phoenix which of old  
In Ancient Stories to us have been told.   

3.  
Who when the Revolution of her time  
Is come, She Burns to Ashes: But in Prime  
Again to Admiration she Revives,  
And in her wont State again she Lives.   

4.  
Which seems a Miracle unto the Eyes  
Of all the Studious, Learned, and the Wise:  
And unto those who oft have heard 'tis so,  
Yet know not whether it be True or No.   

5.  
But this strange wonder which thou show'st is such  
As cannot well be wondered at too much:  
I for my part, so often as I view  
Thy vast incomparable Buildings New,   

6.  
Do stand aghast to think thereon, and say,  
To work thy Ruin, sure Fire's not the way:  
Fire only as with Gold it works with Thee,  
In purging forth thy Dross doth Clarify.    

An Advertisement to the Reader, or rather Singer.  
Who is desired to take notice, That the MUSIC Air (for Quantities and Humour is chiefly naturalised to Accord with the First Staff of the Ballad; yet so considered upon in the Formality, that it may tolerably well suit with the whole: However, it begs the favour of the understanding Performer to help it a little in certain places; viz the First Note of the Treble would sometimes be made a Quaver as in the beginning of the Second Staff, Thus, Inferior, etc.  
Likewise the Last Note and Word of the Fifth Staff would be made a Quaver, and so suddenly proceed to the Sixth Staff with a Quaver again: Also the First Staff of the Second Part would be altered thus with an odd Note, Behold ye im-pious, etc.  
As by good consideration will be thought very necessary: For 'tis impossible that an Air should be so contrived, as to agree exactly in proper Life and Humour to every word of so many several Staves as here are. Let this little hint suffice for all, only, pray Sing the whole Song over very slowly, and make your Pauses properly in all places; And because there are added two Feet to the Last Line of the Ballad, alter the conclusion, Thus, Yet still Rich London cries, Veil Bonnet un— to me.   

The SECOND PART, Supposing it might be Fired by TREACHERY.  

1.  
BEhold ye impious Fiery Brands of Hell,  
Who with your Grand-fire Lucifer do dwell,  
And put in practice his Foul Hellish Trade  
By Fier-Plots! With Fire you'll All be paid.   

2.  
Though little you do dream of such a thing,  
Your Sin's a Crying Sin, and will it bring,  
In th' end assuredly, to your Dire Cost;  
Behold, I say, how all your Labour's lost!   

3.  
What you intended for our woe to be,  
Is turned otherwise, (our Joy) you see:  
Our Glory, and out great Renown is seen,  
Which otherwise perhaps had not yet been.   

4.  
Go, go ye Envious Dolts; go learn more Wit,  
Improve your Folly; make some use of it:  
(Who of necessity a Virtue makes,  
Deserves due Praise, for that good course he takes.)   

5.  
I'll put you in a way what you shall do,  
Go set a Fire on ROME and PARIS too;  
And all your old Built Towns; go Burn them down,  
That they may be Rebuilt like LONDON Town.   

6.  
If all your Wit, and Skill, and Art can do it,  
(And I believe you'll stretch your Brains unto 't:)  
O then brave Boys, perchance you'll seem to be!  
Yet still 
 Rich LONDON cries, Veil Bonnet unto Me.    

The Air with its Thorough-Bass.  
O Thrice Illustrious Famous Ci— tie LONDON, what Tongue can say that e'er thou yet wert undone! Or who can think thou ever so shalt be, since Fire which All Consumes, Increaseth Thee?  
CHORUS. London's the Town of Chief Renown, let En— vy do her worst, shall wear the Crown.    

LONDON, Printed by William Godbid, for the Author, 1672.