They did so; but let such things pass—
His men were fools, himself an ass."
The inscription finally removed, 1830.
On the accession of James II the obnoxious inscription was removed, but the feeling against Papists had obtained so strong a hold over the popular mind, that it was again set up as soon as William III came to the throne.[1317] There it remained[pg 420] until 1830, when, wisdom having come with years, it was finally removed by order of the Common Council (6 Dec.).[1318] No longer is it true, in the words of Pope, that
"... London's column pointing at the skies
Like a tall bully lifts the head and lies."
Provisions ordered for the city, 5 & 6 Sept., 1666.
As soon as the fire began to abate measures were taken to provide food for the houseless poor. A detachment of 200 soldiers was ordered to London from Hertfordshire with carts laden with pickaxes, ropes, buckets, etc., to prevent any further outbreak, whilst the justices of the peace and deputy lieutenants were instructed to forward provisions to the city, especially bread and cheese, lest the much suffering inhabitants should perish from starvation.[1319]
Letter of condolence and assistance from York, 17 Sept., 1666.
The City received much sympathy and no little assistance from other cities, both in England and Ireland. The city of York not only despatched its town clerk to London to express its condolences with the Londoners in their great loss, but the lord mayor of York wrote (17 Sept.) to the lord mayor of London to tell him that a small sum of money—"as much as this poore decayed citty could furnish us with"—was on its way to London for the relief of the most necessitous and distressed.[1320]