Rare broadsheet illustrating St Paul’s Cathedral before the Great Fire.

To the upper part of the sheet are three views of St Paul’s: from the north, before the spire collapsed in 1561, and the view from the south. Below is a paean to St Paul’s in English and Latin by Edward Benlowes, flanked by views of the west end and east end of the cathedral, a floor plan of the east end including the quire, and an interior view of the east end. Below the poem is a brief history of St Paul’s, a dedication by Daniel King to presumably Edward Benlowes, a floor plan of the cathedral, and interior views of: the quire; from the west end to the quire; and the church of St Faith under St Paul’s. Below this is a prospect of London from Southwark by a Loggan flanked by a key, and a brief history of the city.

The work was engraved and drawn by Daniel King (fl. 1656-1661). King was born in Chester around 1615, he was apprenticed to Randle Holme of the Chester Painters’ Company in 1630, and was accepted into the Company in 1639. In around 1656 he moved to London but records show that he had returned to Chester by 1659, were he died in around 1661. He is known to have worked with Wenceslaus Hollar on ‘The Ground-Plott of Chester…’ and the ‘The Isle of Man exactly described…’, both published in 1656. However, he is best remember for his views and plans of cathedrals and churches, published in ‘The cathedrall and conventuall churches of England and Wales’ (1656).

The poem in both English and Latin is signed by one Benevolus, this is believed to be Edward Benlowes (1603-1676) a gentleman poet and patron of the art. Although born into significant wealth Benlowes would die in relative poverty due to this openhanded generosity to his friends and relations.

The print was later reissued by John Overton bearing his imprint “at the White Horse without Newgate”. Overton resided at this address between 1669-1707.

Rare we are only able to trace two institutional examples of the first state, those in the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Huntington Library.