diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 37489-8.txt | 2203 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 37489-8.zip | bin | 0 -> 45193 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 37489-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 48263 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 37489-h/37489-h.htm | 2332 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 37489.txt | 2203 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 37489.zip | bin | 0 -> 45195 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
9 files changed, 6754 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/37489-8.txt b/37489-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a764555 --- /dev/null +++ b/37489-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2203 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, An Historical Narrative of the Great and +Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666, by Gideon Harvey + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: An Historical Narrative of the Great and Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666 + + +Author: Gideon Harvey + + + +Release Date: September 20, 2011 [eBook #37489] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE +GREAT AND TERRIBLE FIRE OF LONDON, SEPT. 2ND 1666*** + + +E-text prepared by Steven Gibbs, Linda Cantoni, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Transcriber's note: + + This e-book, a pamphlet by Gideon Harvey, was originally + published in 1769, and was prepared from a reprint in _The + Novels and Miscellaneous Works of Daniel De Foe_, vol. 5 + (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1855), in which it complemented a + reprint of Defoe's _A Journal of the Plague Year_. + + Archaic spellings have been retained as they appear in the + original, and obvious printer's errors have been corrected + without note. + + + + + +AN + +HISTORICAL NARRATIVE + +OF THE + +GREAT and TERRIBLE + +FIRE of LONDON, + +Sept. 2nd 1666 + + + + +HISTORICAL NARRATIVE + +OF + +THE FIRE OF LONDON. + + +No sooner was the plague so abated in London that the inhabitants +began to return to their habitations, than a most dreadful fire broke +out in the city, and raged as if it had commission to devour +everything that was in its way. On the second of September, 1666, this +dismal fire broke out at a baker's shop in Pudding-lane by +Fish-street, in the lower part of the city, near Thames-street, (among +rotten wooden houses ready to take fire, and full of combustible +goods) in Billingsgate-ward; which ward in a few hours was laid in +ashes. It began in the dead of the night, and the darkness very much +increased the confusion and horror of the surprising calamity: when it +had made havoc of some houses, it rushed down the hill towards the +bridge; crossed Thames-street, invaded St. Magnus church at the bridge +foot, and though that church was so great, yet it was not a sufficient +barricado against this merciless conqueror; but having scaled and +taken this fort, it shot flames with so much the greater advantage +into all places round about, and a great building of houses upon the +bridge is quickly thrown down to the ground; there, being stayed in +its course at the bridge, the fire marched back through the city +again, and ran along, with great noise and violence, through +Thames-street, westward, where, having such combustible matter to feed +on, and such a fierce wind upon its back, it prevailed with little +resistance, unto the astonishment of the beholders. The fire is soon +taken notice of, though in the midst of the night: _Fire! Fire! Fire!_ +doth resound through the streets; many start out of their sleep, look +out of their windows; some dress themselves, and run to the place. The +citizens affrighted and amazed, delayed the use of timely remedies; +and what added to the misfortune, was, the people neglecting their +houses, and being so fatally set on the hasty removing of their goods, +which were, notwithstanding, devoured by the nimble increase of the +flames. A raging east wind fomented it to an incredible degree, and in +a moment raised the fire from the bottoms to the tops of the houses, +and scattered prodigious flakes in all places, which were mounted so +vastly high in the air, as if heaven and earth were threatened with +the same conflagration. The fury soon became insuperable against the +arts of men and power of engines; and beside the dismal scenes of +flames, ruin and desolation, there appeared the most killing sight in +the distracted looks of the citizens, the wailings of miserable women, +the cries of poor children, and decripid old people; with all the +marks of confusion and despair. No man that had the sense of human +miseries could unconcernedly behold the dismal ravage and destruction +made in one of the noblest cities in the world. + +The lord mayor of the city comes with his officers; what a confusion +there is!--counsel is taken away; and London, so famous for wisdom and +dexterity, can now find neither brains nor hands to prevent its ruin: +the decree was gone forth, London must now fall: and who can prevent +it? No wonder, when so many pillars are removed, the building tumbles. +The fire gets the mastery, and burns dreadfully, by the force of the +wind; it spreads quickly; and goes on with such force and rage, +overturning all so furiously, that the whole city is brought into +jeopardy and desolation. + + ----Fire commission'd by the winds, + Begins on sheds, but, rolling in a round, + On palaces returns. + + DRYDEN. + +That night most of the Londoners had taken their last sleep in their +houses; they little thought it would be so when they went into their +beds: they did not in the least expect, that when the doors of their +ears were unlocked, and the casements of their eyes were opened in the +morning, to hear of such an enemy invading the city, and that they +should see him with such fury enter the doors of their houses, break +into every room, and look out at their windows with such a threatening +countenance. + +That which made the ruin more dismal was, that it began on the Lord's +Day morning; never was there the like Sabbath in London; some churches +were in flames that day; God seemed to come down and preach himself in +them, as he did in Sinai when the mount burned with fire; such warm +preaching those churches never had: in other churches ministers were +preaching their farewell sermons; and people were hearing with quaking +and astonishment: instead of a holy rest which Christians had taken +that day, there was a tumultuous hurrying about the streets towards +the place that burned, and more tumultuous hurrying upon the spirits +of those that sat still, and had only the notice of the ear, of the +strange and quick spreading of the fire. + +Now the trained bands are up in arms, watching at every quarter for +outlandishmen, because of the general fears and rumours that +fire-balls were thrown into houses by several of them, to help on and +provoke the too furious flames. Now goods are moved hastily from the +lower parts of the city, and the body of the people begins to retire +and draw upward. Yet some hopes were retained on the Sunday that the +fire would be extinguished, especially by those who lived in remote +parts; they could scarce imagine that the fire a mile off could reach +their houses. All means to stop it proved ineffectual; the wind was so +high, that flakes of fire and burning matter were carried across +several streets, and spread the conflagration everywhere. + +But the evening draws on, and now the fire is more visible and +dreadful; instead of the black curtains of the night which used to +spread over the city, now the curtains are yellow; the smoke that +arose from the burning part seemed like so much flame in the night, +which being blown upon the other parts by the wind, the whole city, at +some distance, seemed to be on fire. Now hopes begin to sink, and a +general consternation seizeth upon the spirits of the people: little +sleep is taken in London this night; some are at work to quench the +fire, others endeavour to stop its course, by pulling down houses; but +all to no purpose; if it be a little allayed, or put to a stand, in +some places, it quickly recruits, and recovers its force: it leaps, +and mounts, and makes the more furious onset, drives back all +opposers, snatches the weapons out of their hands, seizes upon the +water-houses and engines, and makes them unfit for service. Some are +upon their knees in the night, pouring out tears before the Lord, +interceding for poor London in the day of its calamity; yet none can +prevail to reverse that doom, which is gone forth against the city, +the fire hath received its commission, and all attempts to hinder it +are in vain. + +Sunday night the fire had got as far as Garlick-hithe in +Thames-street, and had crept up into Cannon-street, and levelled it +with the ground, and still is making forward by the waterside, and +upward to the brow of the hill on which the city was built. + +On Monday, Gracechurch-street is all in flames, with Lombard street on +the left, and part of Fenchurch-street on the right, the fire working +(though not so fast) against the wind that way: before it, were +pleasant and stately houses; behind it, ruinous and desolate heaps. +The burning then was in fashion of a bow; a dreadful bow it was! such +as few eyes had ever seen before! + +Now the flames break in upon Cornhill, that large and spacious street, +and quickly cross the way by the train of wood that lay in the streets +untaken away, which had been pulled down from houses to prevent its +spreading, and so they lick the whole streets as they go; they mount +up to the tops of the highest houses, they descend down to the bottom +of the lowest cellars; they march along both sides of the way, with +such a roaring noise as never was heard in the city of London; no +stately buildings so great as to resist their fury: the Royal Exchange +itself, the glory of the merchants, is now invaded, and when once the +fire was entered, how quickly did it run through the galleries, +filling them with flames; then descending the stairs, compasseth the +walks, giveth forth flaming vollies, and filleth the court with fire: +by and bye down fall all the kings upon their faces, and the greatest +part of the building upon them, (the founder's statue only remaining) +with such a noise as was dreadful and astonishing. + +September the third, the Exchange was burnt, and in three days almost +all the city within the walls: the people having none to conduct them +right, could do nothing to resist it, but stand and see their houses +burn without remedy; the engines being presently out of order and +useless! + +Then! then! the city did shake indeed! and the inhabitants did +tremble! they flew away in great amazement from their houses, lest the +flames should devour them. Rattle! rattle! rattle! was the noise which +the fire struck upon the ear round about, as if there had been a +thousand iron chariots beating upon the stones; and if you turned your +eyes to the opening of the streets where the fire was come, you might +see in some places whole streets at once in flames, that issued forth +as if they had been so many forges from the opposite windows, and +which folding together united into one great volume throughout the +whole street; and then you might see the houses tumble, tumble, +tumble, from one end of the street to the other, with a great crash! +leaving the foundations open to the view of the heavens. + +Now fearfulness and terror doth surprise all the citizens of London; +men were in a miserable hurry, full of distraction and confusions; +they had not the command of their own thoughts, to reflect and enquire +what was fit and proper to be done. It would have grieved the heart of +an unconcerned person, to see the rueful looks, the pale cheeks, the +tears trickling down from the eyes (where the greatness of sorrow and +amazement could give leave for such a vent) the smiting of the breast, +the wringing of the hands; to hear the sighs and groans, the doleful +and weeping speeches of the distressed citizens, when they were +bringing forth their wives (some from their child-bed) and their +little ones (some from their sick beds) out of their houses, and +sending them into the fields, with their goods.--Now the hope of +London is gone; their heart is sunk: Now there is a general remove in +the city, and that in a greater hurry than before the plague; their +goods being in greater danger by the fire, than their persons were by +the pestilence. Scarcely are some returned, but they must remove +again; and not as before; now, without any more hopes of ever +returning and living in those houses any more. The streets were +crowded with people and carts, to carry what goods they could get out; +they who were most active and had most money to pay carriage at +exorbitant prices, saved much, the rest lost almost all. Carts, drays, +coaches, and horses, as many as could have entrance into the city were +laden, and any money is given for help; five, ten, twenty, thirty +pounds for a cart, to bear forth to the fields some choice things +which were ready to be consumed; and some of the countrymen had the +conscience to accept the prices which the citizens did offer in their +extremity. Now casks of wine and oil, and other commodities, tumbled +along, and the owners shove as much as they can toward the gates: +every one became a porter to himself and scarcely a back, either of +man or woman, but had a burden on it in the streets. It was very +melancholy to see such throngs of poor citizens coming in and going +forth from the unburnt parts, heavy loaden, with pieces of their +goods, but more heavy loaden with grief and sorrow of heart; so that +it is wonderful they did not quite sink down under their burdens. + +Monday night was a dreadful night! When the wings of the night had +shadowed the light of the heavenly bodies, there was no darkness of +night in London, for the fire shines now about with a fearful blaze, +which yielded such light in the streets as it had been the sun at +noon-day. The fire having wrought backward strangely against the wind +to Billingsgate, &c., along Thames-street, eastward, runs up the hill +to Tower-street; and having marched on from Gracechurch-street, maketh +farther progress in Fenchurch-street; and having spread its rage +beyond Queen-hithe in Thames-street, westward, mounts up from the +waterside through Dowgate and Old Fish-street into Watling-street; but +the great fury was in the broader streets; in the midst of the night +it came into Cornhill, and laid it in the dust, and running along by +the Stocks, there meets with another fire which came down +Threadneedle-street, a little farther with another which came up +Walbrook; a little farther with another which comes up Bucklersbury; +and all these four meeting together, break into one of the corners of +Cheapside, with such a dazzling glare, burning heat, and roaring +noise, by the falling of so many houses together, that was very +amazing! and though it was somewhat stopped in its swift course at +Mercer's chapel, yet with great force, in a while it burns through it, +and then with great rage proceedeth forward in Cheapside. + +On Tuesday, was the fire burning up the very bowels of London; +Cheapside is all in a light fire in a few hours' time; many fires +meeting there as in centre; from a Soper-lane, Bow-lane, Bread-street, +Friday-street, and Old Change, the fire comes up almost together, and +breaks furiously into the broad street, and most of that side the way +was together in flames: a dreadful spectacle! and then, partly by the +fire which came down from Mercer's chapel, partly by the fall of the +houses cross the way, the other side is quickly kindled, and doth not +stand long after it. + +Now the fire gets into Blackfriars, and so continues its course by the +water, and makes up toward St. Paul's church on that side, and +Cheapside fire besets the great building on this side; and the church, +though all of stone outward, though naked of houses about it, and +though so high above all buildings in the city, yet within awhile doth +yield to the violent assaults of the all-conquering flames, and +strangely takes fire at the top: now the lead melts and runs down, as +if it had been snow before the sun; and the great beams and massy +stones, with a hideous noise, fell on the pavement, and break through +into Faith church underneath; and great flakes of stone scale and peel +off strangely from the side of the walls: the conqueror having got +this high fort, darts its flames round about; now Paternoster-row, +Newgate-street, the Old Bailey, and Ludgate-hill, have submitted +themselves to the devouring fire, which, with wonderful speed rush +down the hill, into Fleet-street. Now Cheapside, fire marcheth along +Ironmonger-lane, Old-jury, Laurence-lane, Milk-street, Wood-street, +Gutter-lane, Foster-lane; now it comes along Lothbury, Cateaton-street, +&c. From Newgate-street it assaults Christ church, conquers that great +building, and burns through St. Martins-le-grand toward Aldersgate; +and all so furiously as it would not leave a house standing. + +Terrible flakes of fire mount up to the sky, and the yellow smoke of +London ascendeth up towards heaven like the smoke of a great furnace; +a smoke so great as darkeneth the sun at noon-day; if at any time the +sun peeped forth it looked red like blood: the cloud of smoke was so +great, that travellers did ride at noon-day some miles together in the +shadow thereof, though there were no other clouds beside to be seen in +the sky. + +If Monday night was dreadful, Tuesday night was much more so, when far +the greatest part of the city was consumed: many thousands, who, on +Saturday had houses convenient in the city, both for themselves and to +entertain others, have not where to lay their heads; and the fields +are the only receptacle they can find for themselves and their few +remaining goods: most of the late inhabitants lie all night in the +open air, with no other canopy over them but that of the heavens. The +fire is still making toward them, and threatening the suburbs. It was +amazing to see how it had spread itself several miles in compass: +among other things that night, the sight of Guildhall was a fearful +spectacle, which stood the whole body of it together in view, for +several hours after the fire had taken it, without flames (possibly +because the timber was such solid oak) in a bright shining coal, as if +it had been a palace of gold, or a great building of burnished brass. + +On Wednesday morning, when people expected the suburbs would be burnt +as well as the city, and with speed were preparing their flight, as +well as they could with their luggage, into the countries and +neighbouring villages; then the Lord had pity upon poor London: the +wind is hushed; the commission of the fire is withdrawing, and it +burns so gently, even when it meets with no opposition, that it was +not hard to be quenched, in many places, with a few hands; an angel +came which had power over fire.[1] The citizens began to gather a +little heart and encouragement in their endeavours to quench the fire. +A check it had in Leadenhall by that great building: it had a stop in +Bishopsgate-street, Fenchurch-street, Lime-street, Mark-lane, and +toward the Tower; one means (under God) was the blowing up houses with +gunpowder. It is stayed in Lothbury, Broad-street, and Coleman-street; +toward the gates it burnt, but not with any great violence; at the +Temple also it staid, and in Holborn, where it had got no great +footing; and when once the fire was got under, it was kept under: and +on Thursday, the flames were extinguished. + +[Footnote 1: Rev. xiv. 18.] + +Few could take much sleep for divers nights together, when the fire +was burning in the streets, and burning down the houses, lest their +persons should have been consumed with their substance and +habitations. But on Wednesday night, when the people, late of London, +now of the fields, hoped to get a little rest on the ground where they +had spread their beds, a more dreadful fear falls upon them than they +had before, through a rumour that the French were coming armed against +them to cut their throats, and spoil them of what they had saved out +of the fire: they were now naked, weak, and in ill condition to defend +themselves; and the hearts, especially of the females, do quake and +tremble, and are ready to die within them; yet many citizens having +lost their houses, and almost all they had, are fired with rage and +fury; and they began to stir up themselves like lions, or bears +bereaved of their whelps. Now, arm! arm! arm! doth resound through the +fields and suburbs with a great noise. We may guess the distress and +perplexity of the people this night; but it was somewhat alleviated +when the falseness of the alarm was discovered. + +Thus fell great London, that ancient and populous city! London! which +was the queen city of the land; and as famous as most cities in the +world! and yet how is London departed like smoke, and her glory laid +in the dust! How is her destruction come, which no man thought of, and +her desolation in a moment! How do the nations about gaze and wonder! +How doth the whole land tremble at her fall! How do her citizens droop +and hang down their heads, her women and virgins weep, and sit in the +dust! Oh! the paleness that now sits upon the cheeks! the astonishment +and confusion that covers the face, the dismal apprehensions that +arise in the minds of most, concerning the dreadful consequences which +are likely to be of this fall of London! How is the pride of London +stained, her beauty spoiled; her arm broken, and her strength +departed! her riches almost gone, and her treasures so much +consumed!--every one is sensible of the stroke. Never was England in +greater danger of being made a prey to a foreign power, than after +the firing and fall of the city, which had the strength and treasure +of the nation in it. How is London ceased, that rich, that joyous +city! One corner, indeed, is left; but more than as many houses as +were within the walls, are turned into ashes. + +The merchants now have left the Royal Exchange; the buyers and sellers +have now forsaken the streets: Gracechurch-street, Cornhill, +Cheapside, Newgate-market, and the like places, which used to have +throngs of traffickers, now are become empty of inhabitants; and +instead of the stately houses which stood there last summer, they lie +this winter in ruinous heaps. The glory of London is fled away like a +bird; the trade of London is shattered and broken to pieces: her +delights also are vanished, and pleasant things laid waste: now there +is no chanting to the sound of the viol, nor dancing to the sweet +music of instruments; no drinking wine in bowls, and stretching upon +beds of lust; no excess of wine and banqueting; no feasts in halls; no +amorous looks and wanton dalliances; no rustling silks and costly +dresses; these things at that place are at an end. The houses for +God's worship (which formerly were bulwarks against fire, partly +through the walls about them, partly through the fervent prayers +within them) now are devoured by the flames; the habitations of many +who truly feared God have not escaped: the fire makes no +discrimination between the houses of the godly and the houses of the +ungodly; they are all made of the same combustible matter, and are +kindled, as bodies are infected, by one another. + +London was laid in ashes, and made a ruinous heap: it was a byword and +a proverb, a gazing stock and an hissing and astonishment to all that +passed by; it caused the ears of all to tingle that heard the rumour +and report of what the righteous hand of God had brought upon her. A +mighty city turned into ashes and rubbish, comparatively in a few +hours; made a place fit for Zim and Okim to take up their abode in; +the merciless element where it raged scarcely leaving a lintel for a +cormorant or bittern to lodge in, or the remainder of a scorched +window to sing in. A sad and terrible face was there in the ruinous +parts of London: in the places where God had been served, nettles +growing, owls screeching, thieves and cut-throats lurking. The voice +of the Lord hath been crying, yea, roaring, in the city, of the +dreadful judgments of plague and fire. + +There was suddenly and unexpectedly seen, a glorious city laid waste; +the habitations turned into rubbish; estates destroyed; the produce +and incomes of many years hard labour and careful industry all in a +few moments swept away and consumed by devouring flames.--To have seen +dear relations, faithful servants, even yourselves and families, +reduced from plentiful, affluent, comfortable trade and fortune, +over-night, to the extremest misery next morning! without an house to +shelter, goods to accommodate, or settled course of trade to support. +Many forced, in old age, to begin the world anew; and exposed to all +the hardships and inconveniences of want and poverty. + +Should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my +father's sepulchre, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed +with fire? + +While the terrors occasioned by the conflagration remained in the +minds of men, many eminent, learned, pious divines of the Church of +England were more than ordinary diligent in the discharge of their +holy function in this calamitous time; and many ministers who had not +conformed, preached in the midst of the burning ruins, to a willing +and attentive people: conventicles abounded in every part; it was +thought hard to hinder men from worshipping God in any way they would, +when there were no churches, nor ministers to look after them. +Tabernacles, with all possible expedition, were everywhere raised for +public worship till churches could be built. Among the established +clergy were Dr. Tillotson, Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Whitcot, Dr. Horton, +Dr. Patrick, Mr. White, Dr. Outram, Mr. Giffard, Mr. Nest, Mr. +Meriton, and many others: divines of equal merit and moderation, +ornaments of their sacred profession and the Established Church. Among +the Presbyterians were Dr. Manton, Mr. Thomas Vincent, Mr. Wadsworth, +Mr. Janeway, Mr. Thomas Doolittle, Mr. Annesley, Mr. Chester, Mr. +Franklin, Mr. Grimes, Mr. Watson, Dr. Jacomb, Mr. Nathaniel Vincent, +Mr. Turner, Mr. Griffiths, Mr. Brooks, Dr. Owen, Mr. Nye, Mr. Caryl, +Dr. Goodwin, and Mr. Barker. + +The loss in goods and houses is scarcely to be valued, or even +conceived. The loss of books was an exceeding great detriment, not to +the owners only, but to learning in general. The library at +Sion-college, and most private libraries in London, were burnt. + +The fire of London most of all endamaged the Company of Printers and +Stationers, most of whose habitations, storehouses, shops, stocks, and +books, were not only consumed, but their ashes and scorched leaves +conveyed aloft, and dispersed by the winds to places above sixteen +miles distant, to the great admiration of beholders! + +Notwithstanding the great losses by the fire, the devouring pestilence +in the city the year preceding, and the chargeable war with the Dutch +at that time depending, yet by the king's grace, the wisdom of the +Parliament then sitting at Westminster, the diligence and activity of +the lord mayor, aldermen, and commoners of the city, (who were +likewise themselves the most considerable losers by the fatal +accident) it was in the space of four or five years well nigh rebuilt. +Divers churches, the stately Guildhall, many halls of companies, and +other public edifices; all infinitely more uniform, more solid, and +more magnificent than before; so that no city in Europe (scarcely in +the universe) can stand in competition with it in many particulars.[2] + +[Footnote 2: Seymour's Survey, i. 70.] + +The fire of London ending at the east end of Tower-street, the extent +of which came just to the dock on the west side of the Tower, there +was nothing between the Tower-walls and it but the breadth of the +dock, and a great many old timber houses which were built upon the +banks of the dock, and in the outward bulwark of the Tower and +Tower-ditch (which then was very foul) to the very wall of the Tower +itself. Which old houses, if the fire had taken hold of, the Tower +itself, and all the buildings within it, had in all probability been +destroyed. But such was the lieutenant's care of the great charge +committed to him, that to prevent future damage, a few weeks after, he +caused all these old houses which stood between the Tower-dock and the +Tower-wall, to be pulled down: and not only them, but all those which +were built upon or near the Tower-ditch, from the bulwark-gate along +both the Tower-hills, and so to the Iron-gate; and caused strong rails +of oak to be set up upon the wharf where those houses stood which were +about four hundred: so that by these means, not only the White-tower +but the whole outward Tower-wall and the ditch round about the same, +are all visible to passengers, and afford a very fine prospect. + +During the whole continuance of this unparalleled calamity, the king +himself, roused from his pleasures, commiserated the care of the +distressed, and acted like a true father of his people. In a +manuscript from the secretary's office, we find these words, "All own +the immediate hand of God, and bless the goodness and tender care of +the king, who made the round of the fire usually twice every day, and, +for many hours together, on horseback and on foot; gave orders for +pursuing the work, by commands, threatenings, desires, example, and +good store of money, which he himself distributed to the workers, out +of an hundred pound bag which he carried with him for that purpose." +At the same time, his royal highness, the Duke of York also, and many +of the nobility, were as diligent as possible; they commended and +encouraged the forward, assisted the miserable sufferers, and gave a +most generous example to all, by the vigorous opposition they made +against the devouring flames. + +The king and the duke, with the guards, were almost all the day on +horseback, seeing to all that could be done, either for quenching the +fire, or for carrying off persons or goods to the fields. The king was +never observed to be so much struck with anything in his whole life. + +In the dreadful fire of London, the king and the duke did their utmost +in person to extinguish it; and after it had been once mastered, and +broke out again in the Temple, the duke watching there all night, put +an effectual stop to it by blowing up houses. + +Afterward, when the multitudes of poor people were forced to lodge in +the fields, or crowd themselves into poor huts and booths built with +deal boards, his majesty was frequent in consulting all ways to +relieve these wretches, as well by proclamations, as by his orders to +the justices of the peace, to send provisions into Moorfields and +other places; and moreover he sent them out of the Tower the warlike +provisions which were there deposited for the seamen and soldiers, to +keep them from starving in this extremity. + +At the same time he proclaimed a fast throughout England and Wales; +and ordered that the distressed condition of the sufferers should be +recommended to the charity of all well-disposed persons, upon that +day, to be afterwards distributed by the hands of the lord mayor of +London. Lastly, to shew his special care for the city's restoration, +in council, wherein he first prohibited the hasty building any houses +till care should be taken for its re-edification, so as might best +secure it from the like fatal accident; for the encouragement of +others, he promised to rebuild his Custom-house, and to enlarge it, +for the benefit of the merchants and trade; which he performed at his +own particular charge, and at the expense of ten thousand pounds. + +At the news of the fire of London all the good subjects of Ireland +were seized with the utmost consternation upon that deplorable +accident in compassion to the sufferers, the lord-lieutenant (the Duke +of Ormond) set on foot a subscription for their relief, which rose to +a higher value than could be expected in so distressed a country, +where there was not money to circulate for the common necessities of +the people, or to pay the public taxes: therefore, the subscription +was made in beeves, thirty thousand of which were sent to London.[3] + +[Footnote 3: Carte Ormd. i. 329.] + + * * * * * + +_Extract from the Speech of Sir Edward Turner, Speaker of the +Honourable House of Commons, at the Prorogation of the Parliament, +February, 8, 1667._ + +We must for ever with humility acknowledge the justice of God in +punishing the whole nation in the late conflagration in London. We +know they were not the greatest sinners on whom the tower of Siloam +fell; and doubtless all our sins did contribute to the filling up that +measure, which being full, drew down the wrath of God upon our city; +but it very much reviveth us to behold the miraculous blessing of God +upon your Majesty's endeavours for the preservation of that part of +the city which is left. We hope God will direct your royal heart, and +this fortunate island, in a few days to lay a foundation-stone in the +rebuilding of that royal city; the beauty and praise whereof shall +fill the whole earth. For the encouragement of this noble work we have +prepared several bills; one for the establishing a judicatory for the +speedy determining all actions and causes of action that may arise +between landlords and tenants upon this sad accident. Though I +persuade myself no Englishman would be exempted from making some +offering to carry on the pious undertaking, yet the exemplary charity +of your majesty's twelve reverend judges is fit with honour to be +mentioned before your majesty: they are willing to spend all their +sand that doth not run out in your majesty's immediate service, in +dispensing justice in their several courts to your people, in hearing +and determining the controversies that may arise upon old agreements, +and making new rules between owners and tenants, for their mutual +agreement in this glorious action. We have likewise prepared a bill +for the regularity of the new buildings, that they may be raised with +more conveniency, beauty, and security than they had before: some +streets we have ordered to be opened and enlarged, and many +obstructions to be removed; but all with your majesty's approbation. +This, we conceive, cannot be done with justice, unless a compensation +be given to those that shall be losers; we have, therefore laid an +imposition of twelve pence upon every chaldron, and every ton of coals +that shall be brought into the port of London for ten years, the +better to enable the Lord Mayor and aldermen to recompense those +persons whose ground shall be taken from them. + +Rome was not built in a day: nor can we in the close of this session +finish the rules for the dividing the parishes, rebuilding of the +churches, and the ornamental parts of the city, that we intended; +these things must rest till another session: but we know your majesty +in the meantime will take them into your princely consideration, and +make it your care that the houses of God, and your royal chamber, be +decently and conveniently restored. + +The fire of London had exercised the wits and inventions of many +heads, and especially put several ingenious persons on contriving and +setting up offices for insuring of houses from fire; since which many +of those offices are framed. + +All persons were indefatigably industrious in the great work of +rebuilding; and when all provisions were made for the city's +resurrection, the famous Sir Jonas Moore first of all produced the +beautiful Fleet-street, according to the appointed model; and from +that beginning the city grew so hastily toward a general perfection, +that within the compass of a few years it far transcended its former +splendour. + +In the meantime, Gresham College was converted into an exchange, and +in the apartments the public business of the city was transacted, +instead of Guildhall. + +To the same place, Alderman Backwell, a noted banker, removed from +Lombard-street. Alderman Meynell, and divers other bankers of +Lombard-street were preserved in their estates, and settled in and +about Broad-street. + +The Royal Society being driven out from Gresham College, Henry Howard, +brother to the Duke of Norfolk, late Earl Marshal of England, invited +that noble body to hold their meetings at Arundel House, where he +assigned them very convenient rooms, and, on New Year's day, being +himself a member of that society, he very generously presented them +and their successors with a fair library of books; being the whole +Norfolkian library, with permission of changing such books as were not +proper for their collection. + +Sir Robert Viner, a very great banker, providentially removed all his +concerns twenty-four hours before the furious fire entered +Lombard-street, and settled in the African-house, which was then kept +near the middle of Broad-street, till such time as he built that noble +structure in Lombard-street, now used for the General Post Office, +which was purchased by King Charles the Second for that purpose. The +neatly wrought conduit in the Stocks market-place, at the west end of +Lombard-street (the spot on which the Lord Mayor's Mansion House is +since erected) whereon was placed a large statue of King Charles the +Second on horseback, trampling upon an enemy, was set up at the sole +cost and charges of that worthy citizen and alderman, Sir Robert +Viner, knight and baronet.[4] + +[Footnote 4: Of this clumsy piece of sculpture we have the following +account from Maitland's Survey, page 1,049:--"It is impossible to quit +this place without taking notice of the equestrian statue raised here +in honour of Charles II.; a thing in itself so exceedingly ridiculous +and absurd, that it is in no one's power to look upon it without +reflecting on the tastes of those who set it up. But when we enquire +into the history of it, the farce improves upon our hands, and what +was before contemptible, grows entertaining. This statue was +originally made for John Sobieski, King of Poland, but, by some +accident was left upon the workman's hands. About the same time the +city was loyal enough to pay their devoirs to King Charles immediately +upon his restoration; and finding this statue ready made to their +hands, resolved to do it in the cheapest way, and convert the Polander +into a Briton, and the Turk underneath into Oliver Cromwell, to make +their compliment complete: and the turban upon the last mentioned +figure is an undeniable proof of the truth of the story."] + +The excise office was kept in Southampton-fields, near Southampton +(now Bedford House.) + +The General Post Office was moved to the Two Black Pillars, in +Bridges-street, Covent Garden. + +The affairs of the Custom House were transacted in Mark-lane, at a +house called Lord Bayning's, till the Custom House was rebuilt in a +much more magnificent, uniform, and commodious manner, by King Charles +the Second, which cost him £10,000. + +The office for hearth money was kept near Billeter-lane, in +Leadenhall-street. + +The king's great wardrobe, together with the fair dwelling houses of +the master and officers, near Puddle Wharf, being consumed, that +office has since been kept in York House-buildings. + +The buildings of Doctor's Commons, in the Parish of St. Bennet, Paul's +Wharf, near St. Paul's, being entirely consumed by the dreadful fire, +their offices were held at Exeter House, in the Strand, until the year +1672, when they returned to their former place, rebuilt in a very +splendid and convenient manner, at the proper cost and charges of the +said doctors. + +The college of physicians had purchased a house and ground at the end +of Amen-street, whereon the famous Dr. Harvey, at his proper charge, +did erect a magnificent structure, both for a library, and a public +hall; this goodly edifice could not escape the fury of the dreadful +fire; and the ground being but a lease-hold, the fellows purchased a +fair piece of ground in Warwick-lane, whereon they have erected a very +magnificent edifice, with a noble apartment for the containing an +excellent library, given them partly by the Marquis of Dorchester, but +chiefly by that eminent professor, Sir Theodore Mayerne, knight. + +The former burse (or Royal Exchange) began to be erected in the year +1566, just one hundred years before it was burnt, at the cost and +charge of that noble merchant, Sir Thomas Gresham. It was built of +brick, and yet was the most splendid burse then in Europe. + +It is now rebuilt within and without, of excellent stone, with such +curious and admirable architecture, especially for a front, a high +turret or steeple, wherein are an harmonious chime of twelve bells, +and for arch-work, that it surpasses all other burses. It is built +quadrangular, with a large court wherein the merchants may assemble, +and the greatest part, in case of rain or hot sunshine, may be +sheltered in side galleries or porticos. The whole fabric cost fifty +thousand pounds, whereof one-half was disbursed by the Chamber of +London, or corporation of the city, and the other half by the Company +of Mercers. + +Before the dreadful fire, there were all around the quadrangle of this +Royal Exchange the statues of the sovereign princes, since what was +called the Norman Conquest, and by the care and cost of the city +companies most of those niches were again filled with the like curious +statues, in marble or alabaster. + +St. Paul's Cathedral was new building at the time of the fire, the +stone work almost finished; but, it is now rebuilt with greater +solidity, magnificence and splendour, by the most renowned architect, +Sir Christopher Wren. + +Not far from the college of Doctor's Commons stood the College of +Heralds, in an ancient house called Derby House, being built by Thomas +Stanly, Earl of Derby, who married Margaret, Countess of Richmond, +mother of King Henry the Seventh, where their records were preserved. +This college was burnt down, but the books and records were preserved, +and placed, by the king's appointment, at the lower end of the Court +of Requests. + +Since the late dreadful fire this college has been handsomely rebuilt, +upon St. Bennet's-hill, near Doctor's Commons, where their library is +now kept. The house of St. Bartholomew's Hospital escaped the fury of +the great fire, but most of the estates belonging to it were consumed. + +The companies' halls were rebuilt, all at the charges of each +fraternity, with great magnificence; being so many noble structures or +palaces, with gallant frontispieces, stately courts, spacious rooms. +The halls, especially, from which the whole are named, are not only +ample enough to feast all the livery in each company, some to the +number of three or four hundred, but many of them are fit to receive a +crowned head with all its nobles--those of each of the twelve +companies especially. The Company of Mercers, beside their hall, have +a sumptuous and spacious chapel for divine service. + +Those city gates which were burnt down, as Ludgate and Newgate, were +rebuilt with great solidity and magnificence. + +The attempt to make Fleet brook or ditch navigable to Holborn Bridge, +was a mighty chargeable and beautiful work, and though it did not +fully answer the designed purpose, it was remarkable for the curious +stone bridges over it, and the many huge vaults on each side thereof, +to treasure up Newcastle coals for the use of the poor. + +The whole damage sustained by the fire is almost inconceivable and +incredible; but the following method of computation hath been taken, +to form some sort of gross estimate; and at the time was accounted +very moderate:-- + + Thirteen thousand two hundred houses, one with } + another, at twenty-five pounds rent, at the low } 3,960,000 + rate of twelve years' purchase } + + Eighty-seven parish churches, at eight thousand } 696,000 + pounds each[5] } + + Six consecrated chapels, at two thousand } 12,000 + pounds each } + + The Royal Exchange 50,000 + + The Custom House 10,000 + + Fifty-two halls of companies, most of which were } + magnificent structures and palaces, at fifteen } 78,000 + hundred pounds each } + + Three city gates, at three thousand pounds each 9,000 + + Jail of Newgate 15,000 + + Four stone bridges 6,000 + + Sessions House 7,000 + + Guildhall, with the courts and offices belonging to it 40,000 + + Blackwell Hall 3,000 + + Bridewell 5,000 + + Poultry Compter 5,000 + + Wood Street Compter 3,000 + + Toward rebuilding St. Paul's Church, which, at } + that time, was new building; the stonework being } 2,000,000 + almost finished } + + Wares, household stuff, monies, and moveable goods } 2,000,000 + lost and spoiled } + + Hire of porters, carts, waggons, barges, boats, &c.,} + for removing wares, household stuff, &c., during } 200,000 + the fire, and some small time after } + + Printed books and papers in shops and warehouses 150,000 + + Wine, tobacco, sugar, plums, &c., of which the city } 1,500,000 + was at that time very full } + + Cutting a navigable river to Holborn Bridge 27,000 + + The Monument 14,500 + __________ + + £10,730,500 + +[Footnote 5: The certificate says, eighty-nine parish Churches; but +see the Act of Parliament and inscription on the monument.] + +Besides melioration money paid to several proprietors who had their +ground taken away, for the making of wharves, enlarging the old, or +making new streets, market places, &c. + +The fire spread itself, beside breadth, from almost Tower-hill, to St. +Dunstan's church in Fleet-street. After it had burnt almost three days +and three nights, some seamen taught the people to blow up some of the +next houses with gunpowder; which stopped the fire: so that, contrary +to the inscription on the Monument, there were human counsels in the +stopping of the fire. It stopped at Holborn Bridge, at St. Sepulchre's +church, when the church was burnt, in Aldgate and Cripplegate, and +other places on the wall; in Austin Friars, the Dutch church stopped +it, and escaped. It stopped in Bishopsgate-street, in Leadenhall-street, +in the midst of Fenchurch-street, and near the Tower. Alderman +Jefferies lost tobacco to the value of twenty thousand pounds. + + +_Extract from the certificates of the Surveyors appointed to survey +the ruins._ + +The fire began September 2nd, 1666, at Mr. Farryner's, a baker, in +Pudding-lane, between one and two in the morning, and continued +burning till the 6th; did overrun three hundred and seventy-three +acres, within the walls. Eighty-nine parish churches, besides chapels +burnt. Eleven parishes, within the walls standing. Houses burnt, +thirteen thousand and two hundred. + + JONAS MOORE, } + RALPH GATRIX, } Surveyors. + + * * * * * + +The superstition and zeal of those times made canonization much +cheaper in a Protestant than a Popish Church. A vehement preacher was +a chief saint among the godly, and a few warm expressions were +esteemed little less than prophecies. + +In the dedication to the Rev. Mr. Reeves's sermon, preached 1655, are +the following queries:-- + +"Can sin and the city's safety, can impenitency and impunity stand +long together? Fear you not some plague? Some coal blown with the +breath of the Almighty, that may sparkle and kindle, and burn you to +such cinders, that not a wall or pillar may be left to testify the +rememberance of a city?" + +The same gentleman says:[6] "Your looking-glasses will be snatched +away, your mirrors cracked, your diamonds shivered in pieces; this +goodly city all in shreds. Ye may seek for a pillar or threshold of +your ancient dwellings, but not find one. All your spacious mansions +and sumptuous monuments are then gone. Not a porch, pavement, ceiling, +staircase, turret, lantern, bench, screen, pane of a window, post, +nail, stone, or dust of your former houses to be seen. No, with +wringing hands you may ask, where are those sweet places where we +traded, feasted, slept? where we lived like masters, and shone like +morning stars? No, the houses are fallen, and the householders dropped +with them. We have nothing but naked streets, naked fields for +shelter; not so much as a chamber to couch down our children or +repose our own members, when we are spent or afflicted with sickness. +Woe unto us! our sins have pulled down our houses, shaken down our +city. We are the most harbourless people in the world; like foreigners +rather than natives; yea, rather like beasts than men. Foxes have +holes and fowls have nests, but we have neither holes or nests: our +sins have deprived us of couch and covert. We should be glad if an +hospital would receive us, dens or caves shelter us. The bleak air and +cold ground are our only shades and refuges. But, alas! this is but +the misery of the stonework, of arches, roofs, &c." + +[Footnote 6: London's Remembrancer, page 33,--ten years before the +fire.] + +The following paragraph is taken from Mr. Rosewell's causes and cures +of the pestilence, printed at London, in the year of the great plague +1665--a year before the fire of London. + +"Is it not of the Lord that the people shall labour in the very fire, +and weary themselves for vanity? It is of the Lord, surely! It comes +to pass, by the secret counsel of God, that these houses and cities +which they build, shall either come to be consumed by fire; or else, +the people shall weary themselves in vain, for vanity to no purpose; +seeing it comes so soon to be destroyed and ruinated, what they +build." + + + + +SECTION II. + +ACCOUNT OF THE FIRE OF LONDON, PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY, FROM THE +"LONDON GAZETTE." + + +Sept. 2.--About two o'clock this morning, a sudden and lamentable fire +broke out in this city; beginning not far from Thames-street, near +London Bridge, which continues still with great violence, and hath +already burnt down to the ground many houses thereabouts: which said +accident affected his Majesty with that tenderness and compassion, +that he was pleased to go himself in person, with his royal highness, +to give orders that all possible means should be used for quenching +the fire, or stopping its further spreading: in which care the right +honourable the Earl of Craven was sent by his Majesty, to be more +particularly assisting to the Lord Mayor and magistrates; and several +companies of his guards sent into the city, to be helpful in what +means they could in so great a calamity. + +Whitehall, Sept. 8.--The ordinary course of this paper being +interrupted by a sad and lamentable accident of fire, lately happened +in the city of London, it hath been thought fit to satisfy the minds +of so many of his Majesty's good subjects who must needs be concerned +for the issue of so great an accident, to give this short but true +account of it. + +On the 2nd inst., at one o'clock in the morning, there happened to +break out a sad and deplorable fire in Pudding-lane, New Fish-street, +which falling out at that hour of the night and, in a quarter of the +town so close built with wooden pitched houses, spread itself so far +before day, and with such distraction to the inhabitants and +neighbours, that care was not taken for the timely preventing the +further diffusion of it, by pulling down houses, as ought to have +been; so that the lamentable fire in a short time became too big to be +mastered by any engines, or working near it. It fell out most +unhappily too, that a violent easterly wind fomented it, and kept it +burning all that day, and the night following, spreading itself up to +Gracechurch-street, and downward from Cannon-street to the water side, +as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintry. + +The people in all parts about it were distracted by the vastness of +it, and their particular care was to carry away their goods. Many +attempts were made to prevent the spreading of it by pulling down +houses, and making great intervals; but all in vain, the fire seizing +upon the timber and rubbish, and so continuing itself, even through +those places, and raging in a bright flame all Monday and Tuesday, +notwithstanding his Majesty's own, and his royal highness's +indefatigable and personal pains to apply all possible means to +prevent it; calling upon and helping the people with their guards, and +a great number of nobility and gentry unweariedly assisting therein, +for which they were requited with a thousand blessings from the poor +distressed people. By the favour of God the wind slackened a little on +Tuesday night, and the flames meeting with brick buildings at the +Temple, by little and little it was observed to lose its force on that +side, so that on Wednesday morning we began to hope well, and his +royal highness never departing nor slackening his personal care, +wrought so well that day, assisted in some parts by the lords of the +council before and behind it, that a stop was put to it at the Temple +Church; near Holborn Bridge; Pye Corner; Aldersgate; Cripplegate; near +the lower end of Coleman-street; at the end of Basinghall-street; +by the Postern at the upper end of Bishopsgate-street; and +Leadenhall-street; at the Standard, in Cornhill; at the church in +Fenchurch-street; near Clothworkers' Hall in Mincing-lane; in the +middle of Mark-lane; and at the Tower-dock. + +On Thursday, by the blessing of God, it was wholly beat down and +extinguished. But so as that evening it burst out afresh at the +Temple, by the falling of some sparks (as is supposed, upon a pile of +wooden buildings); but his royal highness, who watched there the whole +night in person, by the great labour and diligence used, and +especially by applying powder to blow up the houses about it, before +day, happily mastered it. + +Divers strangers, Dutch and French, were, during the fire, +apprehended, upon suspicion that they contributed maliciously to it, +who are all imprisoned, and informations prepared to make severe +inquisition hereupon by my Lord Chief Justice Keeling, assisted by +some of the Lords of the privy council, and some principal members of +the city: notwithstanding which suspicions, the manner of the burning +all along in a train, and so blown forward in all its ways by strong +winds, makes us conclude the whole was an effect of an unhappy chance, +or to speak better, the heavy hand of God upon us, for our sins, +shewing us the terror of his judgment, in thus raising the fire, and +immediately after, his miraculous and never enough to be acknowledged +mercy, in putting a stop to it when we were in the last despair, and +that all attempts for the quenching it, however industriously pursued, +seemed insufficient. His Majesty then sat hourly in council, and ever +since hath continued making rounds about the city, in all parts of it +where the danger and mischief was greatest, till this morning that he +hath sent his Grace the Duke of Albemarle, whom he hath called for to +assist him in this great occasion: to put his happy and successful +hand to the finishing this memorable deliverance. + +About the Tower, the seasonable orders given for pulling down houses +to secure the magazines of powder, was most especially successful, +that part being up the wind; notwithstanding which, it came almost to +the very gates of it, so as, by the early provision, the several +stores of war lodged in the Tower were entirely saved; and we have +hitherto this infinite cause particularly to give God thanks that the +fire did not happen in any of those places where his Majesty's naval +stores are kept; so as though it hath pleased God to visit us with his +own hand, he hath not, by disfurnishing us with the means of carrying +on the war, subjected us to our enemies. + +It must be observed, that this fire happened at a part of the town, +where, though the commodities were not very rich, yet they were so +bulky that they could not be removed, so that the inhabitants of that +part where it first began, have sustained very great loss; but, by the +best inquiry we can make, the other parts of the town, where the +commodities were of greater value, took the alarm so early, that they +saved most of their goods of value, which possibly may have diminished +the loss; though some think, that if the whole industry of the +inhabitants had been applied to the stopping of the fire, and not to +the saving their particular goods, the success might have been much +better; not only to the public, but to many of them in their own +particulars. + +Through this sad accident it is easy to be imagined how many persons +were necessitated to remove themselves and goods into the open fields, +where they were forced to continue some time, which could not but work +compassion in the beholders; but his Majesty's care was most signal on +this occasion, who, besides his personal pains, was frequent in +consulting all ways for relieving those distressed persons, which +produced so good effect, as well by his Majesty's proclamations and +orders issued to the neighbouring justices of the peace, to encourage +the sending provisions into the markets, which are publicly known, as +by other directions, that when his Majesty, fearing lest other orders +might not yet have been sufficient, had commanded the victualler of +his navy to send bread into Moorfields for the relief of the poor, +which, for the more speedy supply, he sent in biscuit out of the sea +stores; it was found that the market had been already so well supplied +that the people, being unaccustomed to that kind of bread, declined +it, and so it was returned in great part to his Majesty's stores +again, without any use made of it. + +And we cannot but observe, to the confusion of all his Majesty's +enemies, who endeavoured to persuade the world abroad of great parties +and disaffection at home, against his Majesty's government, that a +greater instance of the affections of this city could never be given, +than hath now been given in this sad and most deplorable accident, +when, if at any time, disorder might have been expected, from the +losses, distractions, and almost desperation of some persons in their +private fortunes--thousands of people not having habitations to cover +them. And yet all this time it hath been so far from any appearance of +designs or attempts against his Majesty's government, that his Majesty +and his royal brother, out of their care to stop and prevent the fire, +exposing frequently their persons, with very small attendants, in all +parts of the town, sometimes even to be intermixed with those who +laboured in the business; yet, nevertheless, there hath not been +observed so much as a murmuring word to fall from any; but, on the +contrary, even those persons whose losses render their conditions most +desperate, and to be fit objects of others' prayers, beholding those +frequent instances of his Majesty's care of his people, forgot their +own misery, and filled the streets with their prayers for his Majesty, +whose trouble they seemed to compassionate before their own. + +Whitehall, Sept. 12.--His Majesty, in a religious sense of God's heavy +hand upon this kingdom, in the late dreadful fire happened in the city +of London, hath been pleased to order that the tenth of October next, +be observed as a general and solemn fast throughout England, Wales, +&c.; and that the distresses of those who have more particularly +suffered in that calamity be on that day most effectually recommended +to the charity of all well-disposed Christians, in the respective +churches and chapels of this kingdom, to be afterward, by the hands of +the Lord Mayor of the city of London, distributed for the relief of +such as shall be found most to need it. + +Whitehall, Sept. 15.--His Majesty pursuing, with a gracious +impatience, his pious care for the speedy restoration of his city of +London, was pleased to pass, the twelfth instant, his declaration, in +council to his city of London upon that subject, full of that princely +tenderness and affection which he is pleased on all occasions to +express for that, his beloved city. + +In the first place, upon the desires of the lord mayor and court of +aldermen, he is pleased to prohibit the hasty building of any edifice, +till such speedy care be taken for the re-edification of the city as +may best secure it from the like accidents, and raise it to a greater +beauty and comeliness than formerly it had; the lord mayor and +aldermen being required to pull down what shall, contrary to this +prohibition be erected, and return the names of such refractory +persons to his Majesty and his council, to be proceeded against +according to their deserts. + +That any considerable number of men addressing themselves to the court +of aldermen, and manifesting in what places their ground lies upon +which they intend to build, shall in short time receive such order and +direction that they shall have no cause to complain. + +That no person erect any house or building, but of brick or stone, +that they be encouraged to practise the good husbandry of strongly +arching their cellars, by which divers persons have received notable +benefit in the late fire. + +That Fleet-street, Cheapside, Cornhill, and all other eminent streets, +be of a breadth to prevent the mischief one side may receive from the +other by fire; that no streets, especially near the water be so narrow +as to make the passages uneasy or inconvenient; nor any allies or +lanes erected, but upon necessity, for which there shall be published +rules and particular orders. + +That a fair quay and wharf be left on all the river side, no houses to +be erected, but at a distance declared by the rules. That none of +those houses next the river be inhabited by brewers, dyers, or +sugar-bakers, who by their continual smokes contribute much to the +unhealthiness of the adjacent places; but that such places be allotted +them by the lord mayor and court of aldermen, as may be convenient for +them, without prejudice of the neighbourhood. + +That the lord mayor and court of aldermen cause an exact survey to be +made of the ruins, that it may appear to whom the houses and ground +did belong, what term the occupiers were possessed of, what rents were +paid, and to whom the reversions and inheritances did appertain, for +the satisfying all interests, that no man's right be sacrificed to the +public convenience. After which a plot and model shall be framed of +the whole building, which no doubt may so well please all persons, as +to induce them willingly to conform to such rules and orders as shall +be agreed to. + +His majesty likewise recommends the speedy building some of those many +churches which have been burnt, to the charity and magnanimity of +well-disposed persons, whom he will direct and assist in the model, +and by his bounty encourage all other ways that shall be desired. + +And to encourage the work by his example, his majesty will use all +expedition to rebuild the Custom House, and enlarge it for the more +convenience of the merchants, in the place where it formerly stood: +and upon all his own lands, will part with any thing of his own right +and benefit, for the advancement of the public benefit and beauty of +the city; and remit to all persons who shall erect any new buildings, +according to this his gracious declaration, all duties arising from +hearth-money for the space of seven years; as by the declaration +itself more at large appears. + +Whitehall, Sep. 18. This day was presented to his Majesty, by his +highness the Duke of York, Edmundbury Godfrey, Esq.; one of his +Majesty's justices of the peace for the county of Middlesex, and city +and liberty of Westminster, who, after the public thanks and +acknowledgment of his eminent services done in helping to suppress the +late fire in the city and liberty of London, received the honour of +knighthood. + +Whitehall, Sep. 29. This day, by warrant from his Majesty's principal +secretaries of state, the person of Valentine Knight was committed to +the custody of one of his Majesty's messengers in ordinary, for having +presumed to publish in print certain propositions for rebuilding the +city of London, with considerable advantages to his Majesty's revenue +by it, as if his Majesty would draw a benefit to himself from so +public a calamity of his people of which his Majesty is known to have +so deep sense, that he is pleased to seek rather by all means to give +them ease under it. + +Westminster, Sep. 28. This day the House of Commons resolved, that the +humble thanks of the house should be given his Majesty for his great +care and endeavour to prevent the burning of the city. + +Leghorn, Oct. 18. The merchants here, in consideration of the losses +sustained in London, by the late fire, have out of their charity, +raised near 300_l._ towards their relief, which they intend speedily +to return, to be distributed as his Majesty pleases. + +London, Oct. 29. This day Sir William Bolton, lord mayor for the year +ensuing, went in his coach to Westminster, attended by his brethren +the aldermen, the sheriffs, and other eminent citizens in their +coaches, where he was sworn with the usual ceremonies. + +Whitehall, Oct. 30. Sir Jonas Moore, with some other proprietors of +houses lately demolished by the fire, in Fleet-street, having prayed +liberty to rebuild the same, according to such model, form and +scantling as should be set them by the committee appointed by his +Majesty for the advancement of that great work, (to which they offered +with all willingness to submit and conform themselves); it was this +day ordered by his Majesty in council, that the said proprietors shall +have their liberty to re-edify their buildings accordingly. + +By Stat. 19 and 20 Car. 2, any three or more of the judges were +authorised to hear and determine all differences between landlords and +tenants, or occupiers of buildings or other things by the fire +demolished. They were, without the formalities of courts of law or +equity, upon the inquisition or verdict of jurors, testimonies of +witnesses upon oath, examination of persons interested, or otherwise, +to determine all differences: they were, in complaints, to issue out +notes of time and place for the parties' attendance, and proceed to +make orders: their determinations were final, without appeal, writ of +error, or reversal. Their orders were to be obeyed by all persons, and +binding to representatives for ever. The judgments and determinations +were recorded in a book by them signed: which book is placed and +intrusted in the custody of the lord mayor and aldermen for the time +being, to remain as a perpetual and lasting record. The judges were +not to take any fee or reward, directly or indirectly, for any thing +they did by virtue of that act. All differences not being determined, +the act was continued in force till Sept. 29, 1672. + +In gratitude to the memory of these judges, the city caused their +pictures, in full proportion in their scarlet robes, to be set up in +the Guildhall, with their names underneath, viz. + + Sir Heneage Finch, + Sir Orlando Bridgman, + Sir Matthew Hale, + Sir Richard Rainsford, + Sir Edward Turner, + Sir Thomas Tyrril, + Sir John Archer, + Sir William Morton, + Sir Robert Atkins, + Sir Samuel Brown, + Sir Edward Atkins, + Sir John Vaughan, + Sir John North, + Sir Thomas Twisden, + Sir Christopher Turner, + Sir William Wyld, + Sir Hugh Windham, + Sir William Ellys, + Sir Edward Thurland, + Sir Timothy Lyttleton, + Sir John Kelynge, + Sir William Windham. + +The city rose out of its ashes after the dreadful fire, as it was +first built, not presently, by building continued streets, in any one +part, but first here a house and there a house, to which others by +degrees were joined; till, at last, single houses were united into +whole streets; whole streets into one beautiful city; not merely, as +before, a great and magnificent city, for in a short time it not only +excelled itself, but any other city in the whole world that comes near +it, either in largeness, or number of inhabitants. + +The beginning of the year 1670, the city of London was rebuilt, with +more space and splendour than had been before seen in England. The +act for rebuilding it was drawn by Sir Matthew Hale, with so true +judgment and foresight, that the whole city was raised out of its +ashes without any suits of law; which if that bill had not prevented +them, would have brought a second charge on the city, not much less +than the fire itself had been. And upon that, to the amazement of all +Europe, London was, in four years' time, rebuilt with so much beauty +and magnificence, that they who saw it in both states, before and +after the fire, could not reflect on it, without wondering where the +wealth could be found to bear so vast a loss as was made by the fire, +and so prodigious an expense as was laid out in the rebuilding. This +good and great work was very much forwarded by Sir William Turner, +lord mayor, 1669. He was so much honoured and beloved, that at the end +of the year they chose him again; but he refused it, as being an +unusual thing. + +Whatever the unfortunate citizens of London suffered by this dreadful +fire, it is manifest, that a greater blessing could not have happened +for the good of posterity; for, instead of very narrow, crooked, and +incommodious streets, dark, irregular and ill-contrived wooden houses, +with their several stories jutting out, or hanging over each other, +whereby the circulation of the air was obstructed, noisome vapours +harboured, and verminious, pestilential atoms nourished, as is +manifest, by the city not being clear of the plague for twenty-five +years before, and only free from contagion three years in above +seventy; enlarging of the streets, and modern way of building, there +is such a free circulation of sweet air through the streets, that +offensive vapours are expelled, and the city freed from pestilential +symptoms: so that it may now justly be averred that there is no place +in the kingdom where the inhabitants enjoy a better state of health, +or live to a greater age, than the citizens of London. + + + + +SECTION III. + +VARIOUS OPINIONS CONCERNING THE CAUSES OF THE GREAT FIRE. + + +Whether the fire came casually, or on design, remains still a secret: +though the general opinion might be that it was casual, yet there were +presumptions on the other side of a very odd nature. Great calamities +naturally produce various conjectures; men seldom considering, that +the most stupendous effects often proceed from the most minute causes, +or most remote accidents. People failed not to give a scope to their +imagination, and to form guesses concerning the causes and authors of +this afflicting and astonishing misfortune. + +The king in his speech calls it "God's judgment;" the pious and +religious, and at first all other men, generally and naturally +ascribed it to the just vengeance of Heaven, on a city where vice and +immorality reigned so openly and shamefully, and which had not been +sufficiently humbled by the raging pestilence of the foregoing year. + +Sir Edward Turner, speaker of the House of Commons, at presenting +bills for the royal assent, says, "We must for ever with humility, +acknowledge the justice of God in punishing this whole nation by the +late dreadful conflagration of London." + +The act of common-council for rebuilding, says, "The fire was by all +justly resented as a most sad and dismal judgment of Heaven." + +But time soon produced abundance of suspicions and variety of opinions +concerning the means and instruments made use of. + +There were some so bold as even to suspect the king. Those reports, +and Oates's and Bedloe's narratives, are suppositions too monstrous, +and the evidence too wretchedly mean to deserve consideration. + +The citizens were not well satisfied with the Duke of York's +behaviour: they thought him a little too gay and negligent for such an +occasion; that his look and air discovered the pleasure he took in +that dreadful spectacle; on which account, a jealousy that he was +concerned in it was spread with great industry, but with very little +appearance of truth. + +Some suspected it was an insidious way of the Dutch and French making +war upon the English; their two fleets being then nearest to a +conjunction. What increased the suspicion was, that some criminals +that suffered were said to be under the direction of a committee at +London, and received orders from another council in Holland. + +Not long before the fire, the French sent the governor of Chousey in a +small boat with a letter to Major-General Lambert, then prisoner in +Guernsey, to offer him terms to contrive the delivery of that island +to them. + +Divers strangers, both French and Dutch, were apprehended, upon +suspicion, imprisoned, and strictly examined. It was said, a Dutch boy +of ten years old, confessed, that his father, his uncle, and himself, +had thrown fire-balls into the house where the fire began, through a +window which stood open. + +The English fleet had some time before landed on the Vly, an island +near the Texel, and burnt it; upon which some came to De Wit, and +offered, in revenge, if they were but assisted, to set London on fire; +but he rejected the [villanous] proposal; and thought no more on it +till he heard the city was burnt. + +The fire which laid so great part of London in ashes, gave a fresh +occasion to the enemies of the republicans to charge them with being +the malicious authors thereof; because the fire happened to break out +the third of September, a day esteemed fortunate to the republicans, +on account of the victories of Dunbar and Worcester, obtained by +Oliver Cromwell, when general of the armies of the commonwealth of +England. + +In the April before, some commonwealth men were found in a plot, and +hanged; and at their execution confessed, that they had been +requested, to assist in a design of firing London on the second of +September. + +At the trial of the conspirators at the Old Bailey, it appeared, a +design was laid to surprise the town and fire the city; the third of +September was pitched on for the attempt, as being found by Lilly's +almanack, and a scheme erected for that purpose, to be a lucky day. +The third of September was a day auspicious and full of expectation +from one party, but at this time ominous and direful to the nation. +The city was burnt at the time projected and prognosticated, which +gave a strong suspicion, though not a proof, of the authors and +promoters of it. + +The Dutch were pressed by the commonwealth men to invade England, and +were assured of powerful assistance, and hopes of a general +insurrection, but they would not venture in so hazardous a design. + +Though several persons were imprisoned, it was not possible to +discover, or prove, that the house where this dreadful calamity began, +was fired on purpose. Whether it was wilful or accidental was a long +time a party dispute. + +The great talk at that time was, who were the burners of the city? +some said it was contrived and carried on by a conspiracy of the +Papists and Jesuits, which was afterward offered to be made appear in +the popish plot. And there came in so many testimonies to prove that +it was the plotted weapon of the papists, as caused the parliament to +appoint a committee to enquire into it, and receive informations. + +By the dreadful fire in 1666, multitudes of people lost their estates, +goods and merchandizes; and many families, once in flourishing +circumstances, were reduced to beggary. From the inscription on the +plinth of the lower pedestal of the Monument, it appears that the +Papists were the authors of this fire; the Parliament being of this +persuasion, addressed the king to issue a proclamation, requiring all +Popish Priests and Jesuits to depart the kingdom within a month; and +appointed a committee, who received evidence of some Papists, who were +seen throwing fire-balls into houses, and of others who had materials +for it in their pockets. This sad disaster produced some kind of +liberty to the Non-conformists. + +A sudden and dreadful massacre of the Protestants was feared; and the +suspicion confirmed by particular kinds of knives found after the fire +in barrels. + +Several evidences were given to the committee that men were seen in +several parts of the city casting fire-balls into houses; some that +were brought to the guard of soldiers, and to the Duke of York, but +were never heard of afterwards. Some weeks after, Sir Robert Brooks, +chairman of the committee, went to France, and as he was ferried over +a river, was drowned, with a kinsman of his, and the business drowned +with him.[7] + +[Footnote 7: Oldmison, i. 547.] + +Oates, in his narrative, says: The dreadful fire in 1666 was +principally managed by Strange, the provincial of the Jesuits, in +which the society employed eighty or eighty-six men, and spent seven +hundred fire balls; and over all their vast expense, they were +fourteen thousand pounds gainers by the plunder; among which was a box +of jewels consisting of a thousand carats of diamonds. He farther +learned, that the fire in Southwark, in 1676, was brought about by the +like means; and though in that they were at the expense of a thousand +pounds, they made shift to get two thousand clear into their own +pockets.[8] + +[Footnote 8: Rapin, ii. 690.] + +Mr. Echard was told by an eminent prelate, that Dr. Grant, a Papist, +was strongly suspected, who having a share in the waterworks, +contrived, as is believed, to stop up the pipes the night before the +fire broke out, so that it was many hours before any water could be +got after the usual manner. + +Dr. Lloyd, afterward bishop of Worcester, told Dr. Burnet, that one +Grant, a Papist, had sometime before applied himself to Lloyd, who had +great interest with the Countess of Clarendon, (who had a large estate +in the new river, which is brought from Ware to London) and said he +could raise that estate considerably if she would make him a trustee +for her. His schemes were probable, and he was made one of the board +that governed that matter; and by that he had a right to come as +often as he pleased to view their works at Islington. He went thither +the Saturday before the fire broke out, and called for the key of the +place where the heads of the pipes were, and turned all the cocks, +which were then open, and stopped the water, and went away, and +carried the keys with him. When the fire broke out next morning, they +opened the pipes in the streets to find water, but there was none. +Some hours were lost in sending to Islington, where the doors were to +be broke open, and the cocks turned; and it was long before the water +got from Islington. Grant denied that he turned the cocks; but the +officer of the works affirmed that he had, according to order, set +them all a-running, and that no person had got the keys from him but +Grant; who confessed he had carried away the keys, but did it without +design. + +When we consider, several depositions were made after the fire, of its +breaking out in several different places at the same time, and that +one man confessed his setting fire to the houses where it began, when +he was executed for it: when we remember Bishop Lloyd's testimony +concerning Grant, we cannot easily be convinced that it was entirely +accidental. + +Bishop Kennet gives the following account: There was but one man tried +at the Old Bailey for being the incendiary, who was convicted by his +own confession, and executed for it. His name was Roger[9] Hubert, a +French Huguenot[10] of Rohan, in Normandy. Some people shammed away +this confession, and said he was _non compos mentis_; and had a mind, +it seems, to assume the glory of being hanged for the greatest +villain. Others say he was sober and penitent; and being, after +conviction, carried through the ruins to shew where he put fire, he +himself directed through the ashes and rubbish, and pointed at the +spot where the first burning house stood. + +[Footnote 9: Robert, according to Rapin.] + +[Footnote 10: Bishop Burnet and some others say he was a Papist.] + +The fire was generally charged on the Papists; one Hubert, a a +Frenchman, who was seized in Essex as he was flying to France, +confessed he had begun the conflagration. He was blindfolded, and +purposely conducted to wrong places, where he told them it was not the +spot where he began the flames; but when he was brought to the right, +he confessed that was the place where he threw the fire-ball into the +baker's house, the place where the fatal fire began, which he +persisted in to the last moments of his execution. He was hanged upon +no other evidence: though his broken account made some believe him +melancholy mad.[11] + +[Footnote 11: Burnet, Abr., 120.] + +But Oates several years afterwards informed the world the execrable +deed was performed by a knot of eighty jesuits, friars, and priests, +of several nations.[12] + +[Footnote 12: Howell, Impartial History of James II., i. 9.] + +After all examinations there was but one man tried for being the +incendiary, who confessing the fact, was executed for it: this was +Robert Hubert, a French Hugenot, of Rohan, in Normandy, a person +falsely said to be a Papist, but really a sort of lunatic, who by mere +accident was brought into England just before the breaking out of the +fire, but not landed till two days after, as appeared by the evidence +of Laurence Peterson, the master of the ship who had him on board.[13] + +[Footnote 13: Echard, i. 169.] + +It was soon after complained of, that Hubert was not sufficiently +examined who set him to work, and who joined with him. And Mr. Hawles, +in his remarks upon Fitzharris's trial is bold to say, that the +Commons resolving to examine Hubert upon that matter next day, Hubert +was hanged before the house sat, so could tell no farther tales. + +Lord Russell and Sir Henry Capel observed to the House of Commons +(1680) that those that were taken in carrying on that wicked act, were +generally discharged without trial. + +In 1679, the House of Commons were suddenly alarmed with an +information of a fresh design of the Papists to burn London a second +time. The house of one Bird, in Fetter-lane, being set on fire, his +servant Elizabeth Oxly, was suspected of firing it wilfully, and sent +to prison. She confessed the fact, and declared she had been employed +to do it by one Stubbs, a Papist, who had promised her five pounds. +Stubbs being taken up, confessed he persuaded her to do it, and that +Father Giffard, his confessor, put him upon it; telling him it was no +sin to burn all the houses of heretics. He added he had frequent +conferences on this affair with Giffard and two Irishmen. Stubbs and +the maid declared, the Papists were to make an insurrection, and +expected an army of sixty thousand men from France. It was generally +inferred from this incident, that it was not Giffard's fault (nor that +of his party), that the city of London was not burnt, as in the year +1666; and confirmed those in their opinion who thought that general +conflagration was the contrivance and work of the Papists. + +The hand of man was made use of in the beginning and carrying on of +this fire. The beginning of the fire at such a time when there had +been so much hot weather which had dried the houses, and made them the +more fit for fuel; the beginning of it in such a place, where there +were so many timber houses, and the shops filled with so much +combustible matter; and the beginning of it just when the wind did +blow so fiercely upon that corner toward the rest of the city, which +then was like tinder to the sparks; this doth smell of a popish +design, hatched in the same nest with the gunpowder plot. The world +sufficiently knows how correspondent this is to popish principles and +practices; they might, without any scruple of their kinds of +conscience, burn an heretical city, as they count it, into ashes: for +beside the dispensations they can have from his holiness (rather his +wickedness) it is not unlikely but they count such an action as this +meritorious. + +Lord Chancellor (Earl of Nottingham) in his speech in giving judgment +against Lord Viscount Stafford, said, "Who can doubt any longer that +London was burnt by Papists?" though there was not one word in the +whole trial relating to it. + +The inscription on the plinth of the lower pedestal of the Monument +has given an opportunity to the Reverend Mr. Crookshanks to say, it +appears that the Papists were the authors of the fire, and that the +Parliament being of the same persuasion, addressed the king. + +The inscription is in English: + +"This pillar was set up in perpetual remembrance of the most dreadful +burning of this protestant city, begun and carried on by the treachery +and malice of the popish faction, in the beginning of September, in +the year of our Lord 1666. In order to the carrying on their horrid +plot for extirpating the protestant religion and old English liberty, +and introducing popery and slavery."[14] + +[Footnote 14: Old. Hist. of the Church of Scotland, i. 207. +[Transcriber's Note: The marker for this footnote is missing in the +original; its location has been guessed.]] + +This inscription was erased by King James upon his succession to the +crown; but reinscribed presently after the revolution, in such deep +characters as are not easily to be blotted out. + +The latter part of the inscription on the north side (_Sed furor +papisticus, qui tam dira patravit, nondum restinguitur_) containing an +offensive truth, was erased at King James's accession, and reinscribed +soon after the revolution. + +Mr. Pope differs much in his opinion concerning these inscriptions, +when he says-- + + Where London's column, pointing at the skies, + Like a tall bully, rears its head, and lies. + +It seems wonderful (says the author of the Craftsman) that the plague +was not as peremptorily imputed to the Papists as the fire.[15] + +[Footnote 15: Seymour, i. 454. [Transcriber's Note: The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]] + +There was a general suspicion of incendiaries laying combustible stuff +in many places, having observed several houses to be on fire at the +same time: but we are told, God with his great bellows did blow upon +it, and made it spread quickly, and horrible flakes of fire mounted to +the skies. + +There was a strange concurrence of several natural causes which +occasioned the fire so vigorously to spread and increase. + +There was a great supineness and negligence in the people of the house +where it began: it began between one and two o'clock after midnight, +when all were in a dead sleep: on a Saturday night, when many of the +eminent citizens, merchants, and others, were retired into the +country, and left servants to look to their city houses: it happened +in the long vacation, at a time of year when many wealthy citizens are +wont to be in the country at fairs, or getting in debts, and making up +accounts with their chapmen. + +The houses where it began were mostly built of timber, and those very +old: the closeness and narrowness of the streets did much facilitate +the progress of the fire, and prevented the bringing in engines. The +wares and commodities stowed and vended in those parts were most +combustible of any other, as oil, pitch, tar, cordage, hemp, flax, +rosin, wax, butter, cheese, wine, brandy, sugar, and such like. + +The warmth of the preceding season had so dried the timber, that it +was never more apt to take fire; and an easterly wind (which is the +driest of all) had blown for several days together before, and at that +time very strongly. + +The unexpected failing of the water from the New River; the engine at +London-bridge called the Thames water-tower was out of order, and in a +few hours was itself burnt down, so that the pipes which conveyed the +water from thence through the streets, were soon empty. + +Beside, there was an unusual negligence at first, and a confidence of +easily quenching it, and of its stopping at several places afterward; +which at last turned into confusion, consternation, and despair; +people choosing rather by flight to save their goods, than by a +vigorous opposition to save their own houses and the whole city. + +Thus a small spark, from an unknown cause, for want of timely care, +increased to such a flame, that nothing could extinguish, which laid +waste the greatest part of the city in three days' time. + +The king in his speech to the parliament, says, "God be thanked for +our meeting together in this place: little time hath passed since we +were almost in despair of having this place left to meet in. You see +the dismal ruins the fire hath made: and nothing but a miracle of +God's mercy could have preserved what is left from the same +destruction." + +When the presumptions of the city's being burnt by design came to be +laid before a committee of the House of Commons, they were found of no +weight: and the many stories, published at that time with great +assurance, were declared void of credibility.[16] + +[Footnote 16: Echard, iii. 168. [Transcriber's Note: The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]] + +After all, it may perhaps be queried, whether the foregoing rumours +and examinations, though incongruous with each other, may not afford +some colour to a whisper, that the government itself was not without +some ground of suspicion of having been the secret cause of the +conflagration; to afford an opportunity of restoring the capital of +the nation, in a manner more secure from future contagion, more +generally wholesome for the inhabitants, more safe from fires, and +more beautiful on the whole, from the united effect of all these +salutary purposes. Such, however, has been the result of that +temporary disaster, whether accidental or not; and if intended, a more +pardonable instance of doing evil that good may come of it, cannot +perhaps be produced.[17] + +[Footnote 17: Burnet, Abr. 121. [Transcriber's Note: The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]] + + + + +SECTION IV. + +OF THE MONUMENT. + + +The Act of Parliament 19 and 20 Car. II., enacts, that--The better to +preserve the memory of this dreadful visitation, a column or pillar of +brass or stone be erected on, or as near unto the place where the fire +unhappily began, as conveniently may be; in perpetual remembrance +thereof: with such inscription thereon as the lord mayor and court of +aldermen shall direct. + +In obedience to which act, the fine piece of architecture, called The +Monument, was erected, at the expense of fourteen thousand five +hundred pounds; it is the design of the great Sir Christopher Wren, +and undoubtedly the finest modern column in the world, and in some +respects may vie with the most famous of antiquity, being twenty-four +feet higher than Trajan's pillar at Rome. It is of the Doric order, +fluted; its altitude, two hundred and two feet from the ground; +greatest diameter of the body fifteen feet; the ground bounded by the +plinth or lower part of the pedestal, twenty-eight feet square; and +the pedestal is in altitude forty feet; all of Portland stone. Within, +is a large staircase of black marble, containing three hundred and +forty-five steps, ten inches and a half broad, and six inches risers; +a balcony within thirty-two feet from the top, whereon is a spacious +and curious gilded flame, very suitable to the intent of the whole +column. + +On the front or west side of the die of the pedestal of this +magnificent column is finely carved a curious emblem of this tragical +scene, by the masterly hand of Mr. Gabriel Cibber. The eleven +principal figures are in alto, the rest in basso relievo. + +At the north end of the plain the city is represented in flames, and +the inhabitants in consternation, their arms extended upward, crying +for succour. A little nearer the horizon, the arms, cap of +maintenance, and other ensigns of the city's grandeur, partly buried +under the ruins. On the ruins, lies the figure of a woman crowned with +a castle, her breasts pregnant, and in her hand a sword; representing +the strong, plentiful, and well-governed city of London in distress. +The king is represented on a place ascended to by three steps, +providing by his power and prudence for the comfort of his citizens +and ornament of his city. On the steps stand three women: 1. Liberty, +having in her right hand a hat, wherein the word Liberty, denoting the +freedom or liberty given those who engaged three years in the work. 2. +Ichnographia, with rule and compasses in one hand, and a scroll in the +other; near her, the emblem of Industry, a beehive. 3. Imagination, +holding the emblem of Invention. All which intimate, that the speedy +re-erection of the city was principally owing to liberty, imagination, +contrivance, art, and industry. There is the figure of time raising +the woman in distress, and Providence with a winged hand containing an +eye, promising peace and plenty, by pointing to those two figures in +the clouds. Behind the king, the work is going forward. Under the +king's feet appears Envy enraged at the prospect of success, and +blowing flames out of his mouth. The figure of a lion, with one +fore-foot tied up, and the muzzle of a cannon, denote this deplorable +misfortune to have happened in time of war; and Mars, with a chaplet +in his hand, is an emblem of approaching peace. Round the cornice are +noble enrichments of trophy work, sword, the king's arms, cap of +maintenance, &c., at the angles, four very large dragons, the +supporters of the city arms. + +On this column of perpetual remembrance the lord mayor and court of +aldermen have ordered inscriptions to be cut in Latin: + +That on the north side, describes the desolation of the city in ashes; +and is thus translated: + +In the year of Christ 1666, the second day of September, eastward from +hence at the distance of two hundred and two feet, (the height of this +column) about midnight, a most terrible fire broke out, which, driven +by a high wind, not only wasted the adjacent parts, but also places +very remote, with incredible noise and fury: it consumed eighty-nine +churches, the city gates, Guildhall, many public structures, +hospitals, schools, libraries, a vast number of stately edifices, +thirteen thousand two hundred dwelling houses, four hundred streets; +of twenty-six wards, it entirely consumed fifteen, and left eight +others shattered and half burnt; the ruins of the city were four +hundred and thirty-six acres, from the Tower by the Thames side to the +Temple church, and from the north-east gate of the city wall to +Holborn-bridge: to the estates and fortunes of the citizens it was +merciless, but to their lives very favourable[18]; that it might in +all things resemble the last conflagration of the world. + +[Footnote 18: It was a very miraculous circumstance, amidst all this +destruction and public confusion, no person was known either to be +burnt, or trodden to death in the streets.] + +The destruction was sudden, for in a small space of time, the same +city, was seen most flourishing, and reduced to nothing. + +Three days after, when this fatal fire had baffled all human councils +and endeavours, in the opinions of all, as it were by the will of +heaven, it stopped, and on every side was extinguished. + +The south side describes the glorious restoration of the city, and has +been thus translated:-- + +Charles the Second, son of Charles the Martyr, King of Great Britain, +France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, a most gracious prince, +commiserating the deplorable state of things, while the ruins were +yet smoking, provided for the comfort of his citizens, and the +ornament of his city; remitted their taxes, and referred the petitions +of the magistrates and inhabitants to the parliament, who immediately +passed an act, that public buildings should be restored to greater +beauty with public money, to be raised by an imposition on coals; that +churches, and the cathedral of St. Paul's, should be rebuilt from +their foundations with all magnificence; that bridges, gates, and +prisons should be made new; the sewers cleansed; the streets made +straight and regular; such as were steep, levelled, and those too +narrow, made wider; markets and shambles removed to separate places. +They also enacted, that every house should be built with party walls, +and all in front raised of equal height, and those walls all of square +stone or brick; and that no man should delay beyond the space of seven +years. Moreover, care was taken by law to prevent all suits about +their bounds. Also, anniversary prayers were enjoined;[19] and to +perpetuate the memory hereof to posterity, they caused this column to +be erected. The work was carried on with diligence, and London is +restored; but whether with greater speed or beauty may be made a +question. Three years' time saw that finished which was supposed to be +the business of an age. + +[Footnote 19: By statute 19 and 20, Car. II., it is enacted, That the +citizens of London, and their successors for the time to come, may +retain the memory of so sad a desolation, and reflect seriously on the +manifold iniquities, which are the unhappy causes of such judgments: +be it therefore enacted, that the second day of September (unless the +same happen to be Sunday, and if so, then the next day following) be +yearly for ever hereafter observed as a day of fasting and humiliation +within the said city and liberties thereof, to implore the mercy of +Almighty God upon the said city; to make devout prayers and +supplications unto him, to divert the like calamity for the time to +come.] + +The east side, over the door, has an inscription, thus Englished: + +This pillar was begun, Sir Richard Ford, knight, being lord mayor of +London, in the year 1671: carried on in the mayoralties of Sir George +Waterman, knight; Sir Robert Hanson, knight; Sir William Hooker, +knight; Sir Robert Viner, knight; Sir Joseph Sheldon, knight; and +finished, Sir Thomas Davis, knight, being lord mayor, in the year +1677. + +The inscription on the plinth of the lower pedestal is in page 245. + +On a stone in front of the house built on the spot where the fire +began, there was (very lately) the following inscription: + +"Here, by the permission of Heaven, hell broke loose on this +protestant city, from the malicious hearts of barbarous Papists, by +the hand of their agent, Hubert, who confessed, and on the ruins of +this place declared his fact, for which he was hanged, viz.:--That he +here began the dreadful fire, which is described and perpetuated on +and by the neighbouring pillar. Erected 1680, in the mayorality of Sir +Patience Ward, knight." + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE GREAT +AND TERRIBLE FIRE OF LONDON, SEPT. 2ND 1666*** + + +******* This file should be named 37489-8.txt or 37489-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/7/4/8/37489 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://www.gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: +http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + diff --git a/37489-8.zip b/37489-8.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..18a10d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/37489-8.zip diff --git a/37489-h.zip b/37489-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ebdff99 --- /dev/null +++ b/37489-h.zip diff --git a/37489-h/37489-h.htm b/37489-h/37489-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9ea0c4d --- /dev/null +++ b/37489-h/37489-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2332 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of An Historical Narrative of the Great and Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666, by Gideon Harvey</title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 15%; + margin-right: 15%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 65%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +hr.med { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +hr.short { + width: 15%; + margin-top: 1.5em; + margin-bottom: 1.5em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +ul {list-style: none;} + + +/* Formatting */ +.bbox {border: solid black 1px; margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; width: 80%;} + +.right {text-align: right;} + +.rvab {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom} + +.tp {padding-top: 1em;} + + +/* Fonts */ +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.sm {font-size: 75%;} +.msm {font-size: 90%;} + +.super {vertical-align: baseline; + position: relative; bottom: 0.4em; + font-size: 80%;} + /* superscripts that don't disturb line spacing */ + +.gesperrt {letter-spacing: .2em;} + + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnote {margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} + +.footnote .label {vertical-align: baseline; + position: relative; bottom: 0.4em; + font-size: 80%; text-decoration: none;} + +.fnanchor {vertical-align: baseline; + position: relative; bottom: 0.4em; + font-size: 80%; text-decoration: none;} + + +/* Transcriber Notes */ +.notes {background-color: #eeeeee; color: #000; + padding-top: .5em; padding-bottom: .5em; + padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; + margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} + +.err {background-color: #eeeeee; color: #000;} + + hr.full { width: 100%; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 0em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + height: 4px; + border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ + border-style: solid; + border-color: #000000; + clear: both; } + pre {font-size: 85%;} + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, An Historical Narrative of the Great and +Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666, by Gideon Harvey</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: An Historical Narrative of the Great and Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666</p> +<p>Author: Gideon Harvey</p> +<p>Release Date: September 20, 2011 [eBook #37489]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE FIRE OF LONDON, SEPT. 2ND 1666***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Steven Gibbs, Linda Cantoni,<br /> + and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3> +<p> </p> +<div class="notes"> +<p><i>Transcriber's note:</i><br /> +<br /> +This e-book, a pamphlet by Gideon Harvey, was originally +published in 1769, and was prepared from a reprint in <i>The Novels and +Miscellaneous Works of Daniel De Foe</i>, vol. 5 (London: Henry G. Bohn, +1855), in which it complemented a reprint of Defoe's <i>A Journal of the +Plague Year</i>.<br /> +<br /> +Archaic spellings have been retained as they appear in +the original, and obvious printer's errors have been corrected without +note.</p> +</div> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<div class="bbox"> +<h1><span class="gesperrt"><span class="sm">AN</span><br /> +<br /> +HISTORICAL NARRATIVE<br /> +<br /> +<span class="sm">OF THE<br /> +<br /> +GREAT and TERRIBLE</span><br /> +<br /> +FIRE of LONDON,<br /> +<br /> +<span class="msm">Sept. 2<span class="super">nd</span> 1666</span></span></h1> +</div> + + + + +<hr /> +<h2><span class="msm">HISTORICAL NARRATIVE</span><br /> +<br /> +<span class="sm">OF</span><br /> +<br /> +<span class="gesperrt">THE FIRE OF LONDON.</span></h2> + +<hr class="short" /> + +<p><span class="smcap">No</span> sooner was the plague so abated in London that the inhabitants +began to return to their habitations, than a most dreadful fire broke +out in the city, and raged as if it had commission to devour +everything that was in its way. On the second of September, 1666, this +dismal fire broke out at a baker's shop in Pudding-lane by +Fish-street, in the lower part of the city, near Thames-street, (among +rotten wooden houses ready to take fire, and full of combustible +goods) in Billingsgate-ward; which ward in a few hours was laid in +ashes. It began in the dead of the night, and the darkness very much +increased the confusion and horror of the surprising calamity: when it +had made havoc of some houses, it rushed down the hill towards the +bridge; crossed Thames-street, invaded St. Magnus church at the bridge +foot, and though that church was so great, yet it was not a sufficient +barricado against this merciless conqueror; but having scaled and +taken this fort, it shot flames with so much the greater advantage +into all places round about, and a great building of houses upon the +bridge is quickly thrown down to the ground; there, being stayed in +its course at the bridge, the fire marched back through the city +again, and ran along, with great noise and violence, through +Thames-street, westward, where, having such combustible matter to feed +on, and such a fierce wind upon its back, it prevailed with little +resistance, unto the astonishment of the beholders. The fire is soon +taken notice of, though in the midst of the night: <i>Fire! Fire! Fire!</i> +doth resound through the streets; many start out of their sleep, look +out of their windows; some dress themselves, and run to the place. The +citizens affrighted and amazed, delayed the use of timely remedies; +and what added to the misfortune, was, the people neglecting their +houses, and being so fatally set on the hasty removing of their goods, +which were, notwithstanding, devoured by the nimble increase of the +flames. A raging east wind fomented it to an incredible degree, and in +a moment raised the fire from the bottoms to the tops of the houses, +and scattered prodigious flakes in all places, which were mounted so +vastly high in the air, as if heaven and earth were threatened with +the same conflagration. The fury soon became insuperable against the +arts of men and power of engines; and beside the dismal scenes of +flames, ruin and desolation, there appeared the most killing sight in +the distracted looks of the citizens, the wailings of miserable women, +the cries of poor children, and decripid old people; with all the +marks of confusion and despair. No man that had the sense of human +miseries could unconcernedly behold the dismal ravage and destruction +made in one of the noblest cities in the world.</p> + +<p>The lord mayor of the city comes with his officers; what a confusion +there is!—counsel is taken away; and London, so famous for wisdom and +dexterity, can now find neither brains nor hands to prevent its ruin: +the decree was gone forth, London must now fall: and who can prevent +it? No wonder, when so many pillars are removed, the building tumbles. +The fire gets the mastery, and burns dreadfully, by the force of the +wind; it spreads quickly; and goes on with such force and rage, +overturning all so furiously, that the whole city is brought into +jeopardy and desolation.</p> + +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="poem"> +<tr> +<td> +——Fire commission'd by the winds,<br /> +Begins on sheds, but, rolling in a round,<br /> +On palaces returns.<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 12em"><span class="smcap">Dryden</span>.</span> +</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p>That night most of the Londoners had taken their last sleep in their +houses; they little thought it would be so when they went into their +beds: they did not in the least expect, that when the doors of their +ears were unlocked, and the casements of their eyes were opened in the +morning, to hear of such an enemy invading the city, and that they +should see him with such fury enter the doors of their houses, break +into every room, and look out at their windows with such a threatening +countenance.</p> + +<p>That which made the ruin more dismal was, that it began on the Lord's +Day morning; never was there the like Sabbath in London; some churches +were in flames that day; God seemed to come down and preach himself in +them, as he did in Sinai when the mount burned with fire; such warm +preaching those churches never had: in other churches ministers were +preaching their farewell sermons; and people were hearing with quaking +and astonishment: instead of a holy rest which Christians had taken +that day, there was a tumultuous hurrying about the streets towards +the place that burned, and more tumultuous hurrying upon the spirits +of those that sat still, and had only the notice of the ear, of the +strange and quick spreading of the fire.</p> + +<p>Now the trained bands are up in arms, watching at every quarter for +outlandishmen, because of the general fears and rumours that +fire-balls were thrown into houses by several of them, to help on and +provoke the too furious flames. Now goods are moved hastily from the +lower parts of the city, and the body of the people begins to retire +and draw upward. Yet some hopes were retained on the Sunday that the +fire would be extinguished, especially by those who lived in remote +parts; they could scarce imagine that the fire a mile off could reach +their houses. All means to stop it proved ineffectual; the wind was so +high, that flakes of fire and burning matter were carried across +several streets, and spread the conflagration everywhere.</p> + +<p>But the evening draws on, and now the fire is more visible and +dreadful; instead of the black curtains of the night which used to +spread over the city, now the curtains are yellow; the smoke that +arose from the burning part seemed like so much flame in the night, +which being blown upon the other parts by the wind, the whole city, at +some distance, seemed to be on fire. Now hopes begin to sink, and a +general consternation seizeth upon the spirits of the people: little +sleep is taken in London this night; some are at work to quench the +fire, others endeavour to stop its course, by pulling down houses; but +all to no purpose; if it be a little allayed, or put to a stand, in +some places, it quickly recruits, and recovers its force: it leaps, +and mounts, and makes the more furious onset, drives back all +opposers, snatches the weapons out of their hands, seizes upon the +water-houses and engines, and makes them unfit for service. Some are +upon their knees in the night, pouring out tears before the Lord, +interceding for poor London in the day of its calamity; yet none can +prevail to reverse that doom, which is gone forth against the city, +the fire hath received its commission, and all attempts to hinder it +are in vain.</p> + +<p>Sunday night the fire had got as far as Garlick-hithe in +Thames-street, and had crept up into Cannon-street, and levelled it +with the ground, and still is making forward by the waterside, and +upward to the brow of the hill on which the city was built.</p> + +<p>On Monday, Gracechurch-street is all in flames, with Lombard street on +the left, and part of Fenchurch-street on the right, the fire working +(though not so fast) against the wind that way: before it, were +pleasant and stately houses; behind it, ruinous and desolate heaps. +The burning then was in fashion of a bow; a dreadful bow it was! such +as few eyes had ever seen before!</p> + +<p>Now the flames break in upon Cornhill, that large and spacious street, +and quickly cross the way by the train of wood that lay in the streets +untaken away, which had been pulled down from houses to prevent its +spreading, and so they lick the whole streets as they go; they mount +up to the tops of the highest houses, they descend down to the bottom +of the lowest cellars; they march along both sides of the way, with +such a roaring noise as never was heard in the city of London; no +stately buildings so great as to resist their fury: the Royal Exchange +itself, the glory of the merchants, is now invaded, and when once the +fire was entered, how quickly did it run through the galleries, +filling them with flames; then descending the stairs, compasseth the +walks, giveth forth flaming vollies, and filleth the court with fire: +by and bye down fall all the kings upon their faces, and the greatest +part of the building upon them, (the founder's statue only remaining) +with such a noise as was dreadful and astonishing.</p> + +<p>September the third, the Exchange was burnt, and in three days almost +all the city within the walls: the people having none to conduct them +right, could do nothing to resist it, but stand and see their houses +burn without remedy; the engines being presently out of order and +useless!</p> + +<p>Then! then! the city did shake indeed! and the inhabitants did +tremble! they flew away in great amazement from their houses, lest the +flames should devour them. Rattle! rattle! rattle! was the noise which +the fire struck upon the ear round about, as if there had been a +thousand iron chariots beating upon the stones; and if you turned your +eyes to the opening of the streets where the fire was come, you might +see in some places whole streets at once in flames, that issued forth +as if they had been so many forges from the opposite windows, and +which folding together united into one great volume throughout the +whole street; and then you might see the houses tumble, tumble, +tumble, from one end of the street to the other, with a great crash! +leaving the foundations open to the view of the heavens.</p> + +<p>Now fearfulness and terror doth surprise all the citizens of London; +men were in a miserable hurry, full of distraction and confusions; +they had not the command of their own thoughts, to reflect and enquire +what was fit and proper to be done. It would have grieved the heart of +an unconcerned person, to see the rueful looks, the pale cheeks, the +tears trickling down from the eyes (where the greatness of sorrow and +amazement could give leave for such a vent) the smiting of the breast, +the wringing of the hands; to hear the sighs and groans, the doleful +and weeping speeches of the distressed citizens, when they were +bringing forth their wives (some from their child-bed) and their +little ones (some from their sick beds) out of their houses, and +sending them into the fields, with their goods.—Now the hope of +London is gone; their heart is sunk: Now there is a general remove in +the city, and that in a greater hurry than before the plague; their +goods being in greater danger by the fire, than their persons were by +the pestilence. Scarcely are some returned, but they must remove +again; and not as before; now, without any more hopes of ever +returning and living in those houses any more. The streets were +crowded with people and carts, to carry what goods they could get out; +they who were most active and had most money to pay carriage at +exorbitant prices, saved much, the rest lost almost all. Carts, drays, +coaches, and horses, as many as could have entrance into the city were +laden, and any money is given for help; five, ten, twenty, thirty +pounds for a cart, to bear forth to the fields some choice things +which were ready to be consumed; and some of the countrymen had the +conscience to accept the prices which the citizens did offer in their +extremity. Now casks of wine and oil, and other commodities, tumbled +along, and the owners shove as much as they can toward the gates: +every one became a porter to himself and scarcely a back, either of +man or woman, but had a burden on it in the streets. It was very +melancholy to see such throngs of poor citizens coming in and going +forth from the unburnt parts, heavy loaden, with pieces of their +goods, but more heavy loaden with grief and sorrow of heart; so that +it is wonderful they did not quite sink down under their burdens.</p> + +<p>Monday night was a dreadful night! When the wings of the night had +shadowed the light of the heavenly bodies, there was no darkness of +night in London, for the fire shines now about with a fearful blaze, +which yielded such light in the streets as it had been the sun at +noon-day. The fire having wrought backward strangely against the wind +to Billingsgate, &c., along Thames-street, eastward, runs up the hill +to Tower-street; and having marched on from Gracechurch-street, maketh +farther progress in Fenchurch-street; and having spread its rage +beyond Queen-hithe in Thames-street, westward, mounts up from the +waterside through Dowgate and Old Fish-street into Watling-street; but +the great fury was in the broader streets; in the midst of the night +it came into Cornhill, and laid it in the dust, and running along by +the Stocks, there meets with another fire which came down +Threadneedle-street, a little farther with another which came up +Walbrook; a little farther with another which comes up Bucklersbury; +and all these four meeting together, break into one of the corners of +Cheapside, with such a dazzling glare, burning heat, and roaring +noise, by the falling of so many houses together, that was very +amazing! and though it was somewhat stopped in its swift course at +Mercer's chapel, yet with great force, in a while it burns through it, +and then with great rage proceedeth forward in Cheapside.</p> + +<p>On Tuesday, was the fire burning up the very bowels of London; +Cheapside is all in a light fire in a few hours' time; many fires +meeting there as in centre; from a Soper-lane, Bow-lane, Bread-street, +Friday-street, and Old Change, the fire comes up almost together, and +breaks furiously into the broad street, and most of that side the way +was together in flames: a dreadful spectacle! and then, partly by the +fire which came down from Mercer's chapel, partly by the fall of the +houses cross the way, the other side is quickly kindled, and doth not +stand long after it.</p> + +<p>Now the fire gets into Blackfriars, and so continues its course by the +water, and makes up toward St. Paul's church on that side, and +Cheapside fire besets the great building on this side; and the church, +though all of stone outward, though naked of houses about it, and +though so high above all buildings in the city, yet within awhile doth +yield to the violent assaults of the all-conquering flames, and +strangely takes fire at the top: now the lead melts and runs down, as +if it had been snow before the sun; and the great beams and massy +stones, with a hideous noise, fell on the pavement, and break through +into Faith church underneath; and great flakes of stone scale and peel +off strangely from the side of the walls: the conqueror having got +this high fort, darts its flames round about; now Paternoster-row, +Newgate-street, the Old Bailey, and Ludgate-hill, have submitted +themselves to the devouring fire, which, with wonderful speed rush +down the hill, into Fleet-street. Now Cheapside, fire marcheth along +Ironmonger-lane, Old-jury, Laurence-lane, Milk-street, Wood-street, +Gutter-lane, Foster-lane; now it comes along Lothbury, +Cateaton-street, &c. From Newgate-street it assaults Christ church, +conquers that great building, and burns through St. Martins-le-grand +toward Aldersgate; and all so furiously as it would not leave a house +standing.</p> + +<p>Terrible flakes of fire mount up to the sky, and the yellow smoke of +London ascendeth up towards heaven like the smoke of a great furnace; +a smoke so great as darkeneth the sun at noon-day; if at any time the +sun peeped forth it looked red like blood: the cloud of smoke was so +great, that travellers did ride at noon-day some miles together in the +shadow thereof, though there were no other clouds beside to be seen in +the sky.</p> + +<p>If Monday night was dreadful, Tuesday night was much more so, when far +the greatest part of the city was consumed: many thousands, who, on +Saturday had houses convenient in the city, both for themselves and to +entertain others, have not where to lay their heads; and the fields +are the only receptacle they can find for themselves and their few +remaining goods: most of the late inhabitants lie all night in the +open air, with no other canopy over them but that of the heavens. The +fire is still making toward them, and threatening the suburbs. It was +amazing to see how it had spread itself several miles in compass: +among other things that night, the sight of Guildhall was a fearful +spectacle, which stood the whole body of it together in view, for +several hours after the fire had taken it, without flames (possibly +because the timber was such solid oak) in a bright shining coal, as if +it had been a palace of gold, or a great building of burnished brass.</p> + +<p>On Wednesday morning, when people expected the suburbs would be burnt +as well as the city, and with speed were preparing their flight, as +well as they could with their luggage, into the countries and +neighbouring villages; then the Lord had pity upon poor London: the +wind is hushed; the commission of the fire is withdrawing, and it +burns so gently, even when it meets with no opposition, that it was +not hard to be quenched, in many places, with a few hands; an angel +came which had power over fire.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> The citizens began to gather a +little heart and encouragement in their endeavours to quench the fire. +A check it had in Leadenhall by that great building: it had a stop in +Bishopsgate-street, Fenchurch-street, Lime-street, Mark-lane, and +toward the Tower; one means (under God) was the blowing up houses with +gunpowder. It is stayed in Lothbury, Broad-street, and Coleman-street; +toward the gates it burnt, but not with any great violence; at the +Temple also it staid, and in Holborn, where it had got no great +footing; and when once the fire was got under, it was kept under: and +on Thursday, the flames were extinguished.</p> + +<p>Few could take much sleep for divers nights together, when the fire +was burning in the streets, and burning down the houses, lest their +persons should have been consumed with their substance and +habitations. But on Wednesday night, when the people, late of London, +now of the fields, hoped to get a little rest on the ground where they +had spread their beds, a more dreadful fear falls upon them than they +had before, through a rumour that the French were coming armed against +them to cut their throats, and spoil them of what they had saved out +of the fire: they were now naked, weak, and in ill condition to defend +themselves; and the hearts, especially of the females, do quake and +tremble, and are ready to die within them; yet many citizens having +lost their houses, and almost all they had, are fired with rage and +fury; and they began to stir up themselves like lions, or bears +bereaved of their whelps. Now, arm! arm! arm! doth resound through the +fields and suburbs with a great noise. We may guess the distress and +perplexity of the people this night; but it was somewhat alleviated +when the falseness of the alarm was discovered.</p> + +<p>Thus fell great London, that ancient and populous city! London! which +was the queen city of the land; and as famous as most cities in the +world! and yet how is London departed like smoke, and her glory laid +in the dust! How is her destruction come, which no man thought of, and +her desolation in a moment! How do the nations about gaze and wonder! +How doth the whole land tremble at her fall! How do her citizens droop +and hang down their heads, her women and virgins weep, and sit in the +dust! Oh! the paleness that now sits upon the cheeks! the astonishment +and confusion that covers the face, the dismal apprehensions that +arise in the minds of most, concerning the dreadful consequences which +are likely to be of this fall of London! How is the pride of London +stained, her beauty spoiled; her arm broken, and her strength +departed! her riches almost gone, and her treasures so much +consumed!—every one is sensible of the stroke. Never was England in +greater danger of being made a prey to a foreign power, than after +the firing and fall of the city, which had the strength and treasure +of the nation in it. How is London ceased, that rich, that joyous +city! One corner, indeed, is left; but more than as many houses as +were within the walls, are turned into ashes.</p> + +<p>The merchants now have left the Royal Exchange; the buyers and sellers +have now forsaken the streets: Gracechurch-street, Cornhill, +Cheapside, Newgate-market, and the like places, which used to have +throngs of traffickers, now are become empty of inhabitants; and +instead of the stately houses which stood there last summer, they lie +this winter in ruinous heaps. The glory of London is fled away like a +bird; the trade of London is shattered and broken to pieces: her +delights also are vanished, and pleasant things laid waste: now there +is no chanting to the sound of the viol, nor dancing to the sweet +music of instruments; no drinking wine in bowls, and stretching upon +beds of lust; no excess of wine and banqueting; no feasts in halls; no +amorous looks and wanton dalliances; no rustling silks and costly +dresses; these things at that place are at an end. The houses for +God's worship (which formerly were bulwarks against fire, partly +through the walls about them, partly through the fervent prayers +within them) now are devoured by the flames; the habitations of many +who truly feared God have not escaped: the fire makes no +discrimination between the houses of the godly and the houses of the +ungodly; they are all made of the same combustible matter, and are +kindled, as bodies are infected, by one another.</p> + +<p>London was laid in ashes, and made a ruinous heap: it was a byword and +a proverb, a gazing stock and an hissing and astonishment to all that +passed by; it caused the ears of all to tingle that heard the rumour +and report of what the righteous hand of God had brought upon her. A +mighty city turned into ashes and rubbish, comparatively in a few +hours; made a place fit for Zim and Okim to take up their abode in; +the merciless element where it raged scarcely leaving a lintel for a +cormorant or bittern to lodge in, or the remainder of a scorched +window to sing in. A sad and terrible face was there in the ruinous +parts of London: in the places where God had been served, nettles +growing, owls screeching, thieves and cut-throats lurking. The voice +of the Lord hath been crying, yea, roaring, in the city, of the +dreadful judgments of plague and fire.</p> + +<p>There was suddenly and unexpectedly seen, a glorious city laid waste; +the habitations turned into rubbish; estates destroyed; the produce +and incomes of many years hard labour and careful industry all in a +few moments swept away and consumed by devouring flames.—To have seen +dear relations, faithful servants, even yourselves and families, +reduced from plentiful, affluent, comfortable trade and fortune, +over-night, to the extremest misery next morning! without an house to +shelter, goods to accommodate, or settled course of trade to support. +Many forced, in old age, to begin the world anew; and exposed to all +the hardships and inconveniences of want and poverty.</p> + +<p>Should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my +father's sepulchre, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed +with fire?</p> + +<p>While the terrors occasioned by the conflagration remained in the +minds of men, many eminent, learned, pious divines of the Church of +England were more than ordinary diligent in the discharge of their +holy function in this calamitous time; and many ministers who had not +conformed, preached in the midst of the burning ruins, to a willing +and attentive people: conventicles abounded in every part; it was +thought hard to hinder men from worshipping God in any way they would, +when there were no churches, nor ministers to look after them. +Tabernacles, with all possible expedition, were everywhere raised for +public worship till churches could be built. Among the established +clergy were Dr. Tillotson, Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Whitcot, Dr. Horton, +Dr. Patrick, Mr. White, Dr. Outram, Mr. Giffard, Mr. Nest, Mr. +Meriton, and many others: divines of equal merit and moderation, +ornaments of their sacred profession and the Established Church. Among +the Presbyterians were Dr. Manton, Mr. Thomas Vincent, Mr. Wadsworth, +Mr. Janeway, Mr. Thomas Doolittle, Mr. Annesley, Mr. Chester, Mr. +Franklin, Mr. Grimes, Mr. Watson, Dr. Jacomb, Mr. Nathaniel Vincent, +Mr. Turner, Mr. Griffiths, Mr. Brooks, Dr. Owen, Mr. Nye, Mr. Caryl, +Dr. Goodwin, and Mr. Barker.</p> + +<p>The loss in goods and houses is scarcely to be valued, or even +conceived. The loss of books was an exceeding great detriment, not to +the owners only, but to learning in general. The library at +Sion-college, and most private libraries in London, were burnt.</p> + +<p>The fire of London most of all endamaged the Company of Printers and +Stationers, most of whose habitations, storehouses, shops, stocks, and +books, were not only consumed, but their ashes and scorched leaves +conveyed aloft, and dispersed by the winds to places above sixteen +miles distant, to the great admiration of beholders!</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding the great losses by the fire, the devouring pestilence +in the city the year preceding, and the chargeable war with the Dutch +at that time depending, yet by the king's grace, the wisdom of the +Parliament then sitting at Westminster, the diligence and activity of +the lord mayor, aldermen, and commoners of the city, (who were +likewise themselves the most considerable losers by the fatal +accident) it was in the space of four or five years well nigh rebuilt. +Divers churches, the stately Guildhall, many halls of companies, and +other public edifices; all infinitely more uniform, more solid, and +more magnificent than before; so that no city in Europe (scarcely in +the universe) can stand in competition with it in many particulars.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> + +<p>The fire of London ending at the east end of Tower-street, the extent +of which came just to the dock on the west side of the Tower, there +was nothing between the Tower-walls and it but the breadth of the +dock, and a great many old timber houses which were built upon the +banks of the dock, and in the outward bulwark of the Tower and +Tower-ditch (which then was very foul) to the very wall of the Tower +itself. Which old houses, if the fire had taken hold of, the Tower +itself, and all the buildings within it, had in all probability been +destroyed. But such was the lieutenant's care of the great charge +committed to him, that to prevent future damage, a few weeks after, he +caused all these old houses which stood between the Tower-dock and the +Tower-wall, to be pulled down: and not only them, but all those which +were built upon or near the Tower-ditch, from the bulwark-gate along +both the Tower-hills, and so to the Iron-gate; and caused strong rails +of oak to be set up upon the wharf where those houses stood which were +about four hundred: so that by these means, not only the White-tower +but the whole outward Tower-wall and the ditch round about the same, +are all visible to passengers, and afford a very fine prospect.</p> + +<p>During the whole continuance of this unparalleled calamity, the king +himself, roused from his pleasures, commiserated the care of the +distressed, and acted like a true father of his people. In a +manuscript from the secretary's office, we find these words, "All own +the immediate hand of God, and bless the goodness and tender care of +the king, who made the round of the fire usually twice every day, and, +for many hours together, on horseback and on foot; gave orders for +pursuing the work, by commands, threatenings, desires, example, and +good store of money, which he himself distributed to the workers, out +of an hundred pound bag which he carried with him for that purpose." +At the same time, his royal highness, the Duke of York also, and many +of the nobility, were as diligent as possible; they commended and +encouraged the forward, assisted the miserable sufferers, and gave a +most generous example to all, by the vigorous opposition they made +against the devouring flames.</p> + +<p>The king and the duke, with the guards, were almost all the day on +horseback, seeing to all that could be done, either for quenching the +fire, or for carrying off persons or goods to the fields. The king was +never observed to be so much struck with anything in his whole life.</p> + +<p>In the dreadful fire of London, the king and the duke did their utmost +in person to extinguish it; and after it had been once mastered, and +broke out again in the Temple, the duke watching there all night, put +an effectual stop to it by blowing up houses.</p> + +<p>Afterward, when the multitudes of poor people were forced to lodge in +the fields, or crowd themselves into poor huts and booths built with +deal boards, his majesty was frequent in consulting all ways to +relieve these wretches, as well by proclamations, as by his orders to +the justices of the peace, to send provisions into Moorfields and +other places; and moreover he sent them out of the Tower the warlike +provisions which were there deposited for the seamen and soldiers, to +keep them from starving in this extremity.</p> + +<p>At the same time he proclaimed a fast throughout England and Wales; +and ordered that the distressed condition of the sufferers should be +recommended to the charity of all well-disposed persons, upon that +day, to be afterwards distributed by the hands of the lord mayor of +London. Lastly, to shew his special care for the city's restoration, +in council, wherein he first prohibited the hasty building any houses +till care should be taken for its re-edification, so as might best +secure it from the like fatal accident; for the encouragement of +others, he promised to rebuild his Custom-house, and to enlarge it, +for the benefit of the merchants and trade; which he performed at his +own particular charge, and at the expense of ten thousand pounds.</p> + +<p>At the news of the fire of London all the good subjects of Ireland +were seized with the utmost consternation upon that deplorable +accident in compassion to the sufferers, the lord-lieutenant (the Duke +of Ormond) set on foot a subscription for their relief, which rose to +a higher value than could be expected in so distressed a country, +where there was not money to circulate for the common necessities of +the people, or to pay the public taxes: therefore, the subscription +was made in beeves, thirty thousand of which were sent to London.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p> + +<hr class="med" /> + +<h3><i>Extract from the Speech of Sir Edward Turner, Speaker of the +Honourable House of Commons, at the Prorogation of the Parliament, +February, 8, 1667.</i></h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">We</span> must for ever with humility acknowledge the justice of God in +punishing the whole nation in the late conflagration in London. We +know they were not the greatest sinners on whom the tower of Siloam +fell; and doubtless all our sins did contribute to the filling up that +measure, which being full, drew down the wrath of God upon our city; +but it very much reviveth us to behold the miraculous blessing of God +upon your Majesty's endeavours for the preservation of that part of +the city which is left. We hope God will direct your royal heart, and +this fortunate island, in a few days to lay a foundation-stone in the +rebuilding of that royal city; the beauty and praise whereof shall +fill the whole earth. For the encouragement of this noble work we have +prepared several bills; one for the establishing a judicatory for the +speedy determining all actions and causes of action that may arise +between landlords and tenants upon this sad accident. Though I +persuade myself no Englishman would be exempted from making some +offering to carry on the pious undertaking, yet the exemplary charity +of your majesty's twelve reverend judges is fit with honour to be +mentioned before your majesty: they are willing to spend all their +sand that doth not run out in your majesty's immediate service, in +dispensing justice in their several courts to your people, in hearing +and determining the controversies that may arise upon old agreements, +and making new rules between owners and tenants, for their mutual +agreement in this glorious action. We have likewise prepared a bill +for the regularity of the new buildings, that they may be raised with +more conveniency, beauty, and security than they had before: some +streets we have ordered to be opened and enlarged, and many +obstructions to be removed; but all with your majesty's approbation. +This, we conceive, cannot be done with justice, unless a compensation +be given to those that shall be losers; we have, therefore laid an +imposition of twelve pence upon every chaldron, and every ton of coals +that shall be brought into the port of London for ten years, the +better to enable the Lord Mayor and aldermen to recompense those +persons whose ground shall be taken from them.</p> + +<p>Rome was not built in a day: nor can we in the close of this session +finish the rules for the dividing the parishes, rebuilding of the +churches, and the ornamental parts of the city, that we intended; +these things must rest till another session: but we know your majesty +in the meantime will take them into your princely consideration, and +make it your care that the houses of God, and your royal chamber, be +decently and conveniently restored.</p> + +<p>The fire of London had exercised the wits and inventions of many +heads, and especially put several ingenious persons on contriving and +setting up offices for insuring of houses from fire; since which many +of those offices are framed.</p> + +<p>All persons were indefatigably industrious in the great work of +rebuilding; and when all provisions were made for the city's +resurrection, the famous Sir Jonas Moore first of all produced the +beautiful Fleet-street, according to the appointed model; and from +that beginning the city grew so hastily toward a general perfection, +that within the compass of a few years it far transcended its former +splendour.</p> + +<p>In the meantime, Gresham College was converted into an exchange, and +in the apartments the public business of the city was transacted, +instead of Guildhall.</p> + +<p>To the same place, Alderman Backwell, a noted banker, removed from +Lombard-street. Alderman Meynell, and divers other bankers of +Lombard-street were preserved in their estates, and settled in and +about Broad-street.</p> + +<p>The Royal Society being driven out from Gresham College, Henry Howard, +brother to the Duke of Norfolk, late Earl Marshal of England, invited +that noble body to hold their meetings at Arundel House, where he +assigned them very convenient rooms, and, on New Year's day, being +himself a member of that society, he very generously presented them +and their successors with a fair library of books; being the whole +Norfolkian library, with permission of changing such books as were not +proper for their collection.</p> + +<p>Sir Robert Viner, a very great banker, providentially removed all his +concerns twenty-four hours before the furious fire entered +Lombard-street, and settled in the African-house, which was then kept +near the middle of Broad-street, till such time as he built that noble +structure in Lombard-street, now used for the General Post Office, +which was purchased by King Charles the Second for that purpose. The +neatly wrought conduit in the Stocks market-place, at the west end of +Lombard-street (the spot on which the Lord Mayor's Mansion House is +since erected) whereon was placed a large statue of King Charles the +Second on horseback, trampling upon an enemy, was set up at the sole +cost and charges of that worthy citizen and alderman, Sir Robert +Viner, knight and baronet.<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p> + +<p>The excise office was kept in Southampton-fields, near Southampton +(now Bedford House.)</p> + +<p>The General Post Office was moved to the Two Black Pillars, in +Bridges-street, Covent Garden.</p> + +<p>The affairs of the Custom House were transacted in Mark-lane, at a +house called Lord Bayning's, till the Custom House was rebuilt in a +much more magnificent, uniform, and commodious manner, by King Charles +the Second, which cost him £10,000.</p> + +<p>The office for hearth money was kept near Billeter-lane, in +Leadenhall-street.</p> + +<p>The king's great wardrobe, together with the fair dwelling houses of +the master and officers, near Puddle Wharf, being consumed, that +office has since been kept in York House-buildings.</p> + +<p>The buildings of Doctor's Commons, in the Parish of St. Bennet, Paul's +Wharf, near St. Paul's, being entirely consumed by the dreadful fire, +their offices were held at Exeter House, in the Strand, until the year +1672, when they returned to their former place, rebuilt in a very +splendid and convenient manner, at the proper cost and charges of the +said doctors.</p> + +<p>The college of physicians had purchased a house and ground at the end +of Amen-street, whereon the famous Dr. Harvey, at his proper charge, +did erect a magnificent structure, both for a library, and a public +hall; this goodly edifice could not escape the fury of the dreadful +fire; and the ground being but a lease-hold, the fellows purchased a +fair piece of ground in Warwick-lane, whereon they have erected a very +magnificent edifice, with a noble apartment for the containing an +excellent library, given them partly by the Marquis of Dorchester, but +chiefly by that eminent professor, Sir Theodore Mayerne, knight.</p> + +<p>The former burse (or Royal Exchange) began to be erected in the year +1566, just one hundred years before it was burnt, at the cost and +charge of that noble merchant, Sir Thomas Gresham. It was built of +brick, and yet was the most splendid burse then in Europe.</p> + +<p>It is now rebuilt within and without, of excellent stone, with such +curious and admirable architecture, especially for a front, a high +turret or steeple, wherein are an harmonious chime of twelve bells, +and for arch-work, that it surpasses all other burses. It is built +quadrangular, with a large court wherein the merchants may assemble, +and the greatest part, in case of rain or hot sunshine, may be +sheltered in side galleries or porticos. The whole fabric cost fifty +thousand pounds, whereof one-half was disbursed by the Chamber of +London, or corporation of the city, and the other half by the Company +of Mercers.</p> + +<p>Before the dreadful fire, there were all around the quadrangle of this +Royal Exchange the statues of the sovereign princes, since what was +called the Norman Conquest, and by the care and cost of the city +companies most of those niches were again filled with the like curious +statues, in marble or alabaster.</p> + +<p>St. Paul's Cathedral was new building at the time of the fire, the +stone work almost finished; but, it is now rebuilt with greater +solidity, magnificence and splendour, by the most renowned architect, +Sir Christopher Wren.</p> + +<p>Not far from the college of Doctor's Commons stood the College of +Heralds, in an ancient house called Derby House, being built by Thomas +Stanly, Earl of Derby, who married Margaret, Countess of Richmond, +mother of King Henry the Seventh, where their records were preserved. +This college was burnt down, but the books and records were preserved, +and placed, by the king's appointment, at the lower end of the Court +of Requests.</p> + +<p>Since the late dreadful fire this college has been handsomely rebuilt, +upon St. Bennet's-hill, near Doctor's Commons, where their library is +now kept. The house of St. Bartholomew's Hospital escaped the fury of +the great fire, but most of the estates belonging to it were consumed.</p> + +<p>The companies' halls were rebuilt, all at the charges of each +fraternity, with great magnificence; being so many noble structures or +palaces, with gallant frontispieces, stately courts, spacious rooms. +The halls, especially, from which the whole are named, are not only +ample enough to feast all the livery in each company, some to the +number of three or four hundred, but many of them are fit to receive a +crowned head with all its nobles—those of each of the twelve +companies especially. The Company of Mercers, beside their hall, have +a sumptuous and spacious chapel for divine service.</p> + +<p>Those city gates which were burnt down, as Ludgate and Newgate, were +rebuilt with great solidity and magnificence.</p> + +<p>The attempt to make Fleet brook or ditch navigable to Holborn Bridge, +was a mighty chargeable and beautiful work, and though it did not +fully answer the designed purpose, it was remarkable for the curious +stone bridges over it, and the many huge vaults on each side thereof, +to treasure up Newcastle coals for the use of the poor.</p> + +<p>The whole damage sustained by the fire is almost inconceivable and +incredible; but the following method of computation hath been taken, +to form some sort of gross estimate; and at the time was accounted +very moderate:—</p> + +<table style="width: 90%" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="fire damage"> +<tr><td>Thirteen thousand two hundred houses, one with another, at twenty-five pounds rent, at the low rate of twelve years' purchase</td><td class="rvab">3,960,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Eighty-seven parish churches, at eight thousand pounds each<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a></td><td class="rvab">696,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Six consecrated chapels, at two thousand pounds each</td><td class="rvab">12,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>The Royal Exchange</td><td class="rvab">50,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>The Custom House</td><td class="rvab">10,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Fifty-two halls of companies, most of which were magnificent structures and palaces, at fifteen hundred pounds each</td><td class="rvab">78,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Three city gates, at three thousand pounds each</td><td class="rvab">9,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Jail of Newgate</td><td class="rvab">15,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Four stone bridges</td><td class="rvab">6,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Sessions House</td><td class="rvab">7,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Guildhall, with the courts and offices belonging to it</td><td class="rvab">40,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Blackwell Hall</td><td class="rvab">3,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Bridewell</td><td class="rvab">5,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Poultry Compter</td><td class="rvab">5,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Wood Street Compter</td><td class="rvab">3,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Toward rebuilding St. Paul's Church, which, at that time, was new building; the stonework being almost finished</td><td class="rvab">2,000,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Wares, household stuff, monies, and moveable goods lost and spoiled</td><td class="rvab">2,000,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Hire of porters, carts, waggons, barges, boats, &c., for removing wares, household stuff, &c., during the fire, and some small time after</td><td class="rvab">200,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Printed books and papers in shops and warehouses</td><td class="rvab">150,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Wine, tobacco, sugar, plums, &c., of which the city was at that time very full</td><td class="rvab">1,500,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>Cutting a navigable river to Holborn Bridge</td><td class="rvab">27,000</td></tr> +<tr><td>The Monument</td><td class="rvab">14,500</td></tr> +<tr><td> </td><td class="rvab" style="border-top: solid black 1px">£10,730,500</td></tr> +</table> + +<p>Besides melioration money paid to several proprietors who had their +ground taken away, for the making of wharves, enlarging the old, or +making new streets, market places, &c.</p> + +<p>The fire spread itself, beside breadth, from almost Tower-hill, to St. +Dunstan's church in Fleet-street. After it had burnt almost three days +and three nights, some seamen taught the people to blow up some of the +next houses with gunpowder; which stopped the fire: so that, contrary +to the inscription on the Monument, there were human counsels in the +stopping of the fire. It stopped at Holborn Bridge, at St. Sepulchre's +church, when the church was burnt, in Aldgate and Cripplegate, and +other places on the wall; in Austin Friars, the Dutch church stopped +it, and escaped. It stopped in Bishopsgate-street, in +Leadenhall-street, in the midst of Fenchurch-street, and near the +Tower. Alderman Jefferies lost tobacco to the value of twenty thousand +pounds.</p> + + +<h3><i>Extract from the certificates of the Surveyors appointed to survey +the ruins.</i></h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> fire began September 2nd, 1666, at Mr. Farryner's, a baker, in +Pudding-lane, between one and two in the morning, and continued +burning till the 6th; did overrun three hundred and seventy-three +acres, within the walls. Eighty-nine parish churches, besides chapels +burnt. Eleven parishes, within the walls standing. Houses burnt, +thirteen thousand and two hundred.</p> + +<p class="right"> +<span style="margin-right: 4.5em"><span class="smcap">Jonas Moore</span>, }</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">Ralph Gatrix,</span> } Surveyors. +</p> + +<hr class="med" /> + +<p>The superstition and zeal of those times made canonization much +cheaper in a Protestant than a Popish Church. A vehement preacher was +a chief saint among the godly, and a few warm expressions were +esteemed little less than prophecies.</p> + +<p>In the dedication to the Rev. Mr. Reeves's sermon, preached 1655, are +the following queries:—</p> + +<p>"Can sin and the city's safety, can impenitency and impunity stand +long together? Fear you not some plague? Some coal blown with the +breath of the Almighty, that may sparkle and kindle, and burn you to +such cinders, that not a wall or pillar may be left to testify the +rememberance of a city?"</p> + +<p>The same gentleman says:<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> "Your looking-glasses will be snatched +away, your mirrors cracked, your diamonds shivered in pieces; this +goodly city all in shreds. Ye may seek for a pillar or threshold of +your ancient dwellings, but not find one. All your spacious mansions +and sumptuous monuments are then gone. Not a porch, pavement, ceiling, +staircase, turret, lantern, bench, screen, pane of a window, post, +nail, stone, or dust of your former houses to be seen. No, with +wringing hands you may ask, where are those sweet places where we +traded, feasted, slept? where we lived like masters, and shone like +morning stars? No, the houses are fallen, and the householders dropped +with them. We have nothing but naked streets, naked fields for +shelter; not so much as a chamber to couch down our children or +repose our own members, when we are spent or afflicted with sickness. +Woe unto us! our sins have pulled down our houses, shaken down our +city. We are the most harbourless people in the world; like foreigners +rather than natives; yea, rather like beasts than men. Foxes have +holes and fowls have nests, but we have neither holes or nests: our +sins have deprived us of couch and covert. We should be glad if an +hospital would receive us, dens or caves shelter us. The bleak air and +cold ground are our only shades and refuges. But, alas! this is but +the misery of the stonework, of arches, roofs, &c."</p> + +<p>The following paragraph is taken from Mr. Rosewell's causes and cures +of the pestilence, printed at London, in the year of the great plague +1665—a year before the fire of London.</p> + +<p>"Is it not of the Lord that the people shall labour in the very fire, +and weary themselves for vanity? It is of the Lord, surely! It comes +to pass, by the secret counsel of God, that these houses and cities +which they build, shall either come to be consumed by fire; or else, +the people shall weary themselves in vain, for vanity to no purpose; +seeing it comes so soon to be destroyed and ruinated, what they +build."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2>SECTION II.</h2> + +<h3>ACCOUNT OF THE FIRE OF LONDON, PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY, FROM<br /> +THE “LONDON GAZETTE.”</h3> + + +<p class="tp"><span class="smcap">Sept</span>. 2.—About two o'clock this morning, a sudden and lamentable fire +broke out in this city; beginning not far from Thames-street, near +London Bridge, which continues still with great violence, and hath +already burnt down to the ground many houses thereabouts: which said +accident affected his Majesty with that tenderness and compassion, +that he was pleased to go himself in person, with his royal highness, +to give orders that all possible means should be used for quenching +the fire, or stopping its further spreading: in which care the right +honourable the Earl of Craven was sent by his Majesty, to be more +particularly assisting to the Lord Mayor and magistrates; and several +companies of his guards sent into the city, to be helpful in what +means they could in so great a calamity.</p> + +<p>Whitehall, Sept. 8.—The ordinary course of this paper being +interrupted by a sad and lamentable accident of fire, lately happened +in the city of London, it hath been thought fit to satisfy the minds +of so many of his Majesty's good subjects who must needs be concerned +for the issue of so great an accident, to give this short but true +account of it.</p> + +<p>On the 2nd inst., at one o'clock in the morning, there happened to +break out a sad and deplorable fire in Pudding-lane, New Fish-street, +which falling out at that hour of the night and, in a quarter of the +town so close built with wooden pitched houses, spread itself so far +before day, and with such distraction to the inhabitants and +neighbours, that care was not taken for the timely preventing the +further diffusion of it, by pulling down houses, as ought to have +been; so that the lamentable fire in a short time became too big to be +mastered by any engines, or working near it. It fell out most +unhappily too, that a violent easterly wind fomented it, and kept it +burning all that day, and the night following, spreading itself up to +Gracechurch-street, and downward from Cannon-street to the water side, +as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintry.</p> + +<p>The people in all parts about it were distracted by the vastness of +it, and their particular care was to carry away their goods. Many +attempts were made to prevent the spreading of it by pulling down +houses, and making great intervals; but all in vain, the fire seizing +upon the timber and rubbish, and so continuing itself, even through +those places, and raging in a bright flame all Monday and Tuesday, +notwithstanding his Majesty's own, and his royal highness's +indefatigable and personal pains to apply all possible means to +prevent it; calling upon and helping the people with their guards, and +a great number of nobility and gentry unweariedly assisting therein, +for which they were requited with a thousand blessings from the poor +distressed people. By the favour of God the wind slackened a little on +Tuesday night, and the flames meeting with brick buildings at the +Temple, by little and little it was observed to lose its force on that +side, so that on Wednesday morning we began to hope well, and his +royal highness never departing nor slackening his personal care, +wrought so well that day, assisted in some parts by the lords of the +council before and behind it, that a stop was put to it at the Temple +Church; near Holborn Bridge; Pye Corner; Aldersgate; Cripplegate; near +the lower end of Coleman-street; at the end of Basinghall-street; by +the Postern at the upper end of Bishopsgate-street; and +Leadenhall-street; at the Standard, in Cornhill; at the church in +Fenchurch-street; near Clothworkers' Hall in Mincing-lane; in the +middle of Mark-lane; and at the Tower-dock.</p> + +<p>On Thursday, by the blessing of God, it was wholly beat down and +extinguished. But so as that evening it burst out afresh at the +Temple, by the falling of some sparks (as is supposed, upon a pile of +wooden buildings); but his royal highness, who watched there the whole +night in person, by the great labour and diligence used, and +especially by applying powder to blow up the houses about it, before +day, happily mastered it.</p> + +<p>Divers strangers, Dutch and French, were, during the fire, +apprehended, upon suspicion that they contributed maliciously to it, +who are all imprisoned, and informations prepared to make severe +inquisition hereupon by my Lord Chief Justice Keeling, assisted by +some of the Lords of the privy council, and some principal members of +the city: notwithstanding which suspicions, the manner of the burning +all along in a train, and so blown forward in all its ways by strong +winds, makes us conclude the whole was an effect of an unhappy chance, +or to speak better, the heavy hand of God upon us, for our sins, +shewing us the terror of his judgment, in thus raising the fire, and +immediately after, his miraculous and never enough to be acknowledged +mercy, in putting a stop to it when we were in the last despair, and +that all attempts for the quenching it, however industriously pursued, +seemed insufficient. His Majesty then sat hourly in council, and ever +since hath continued making rounds about the city, in all parts of it +where the danger and mischief was greatest, till this morning that he +hath sent his Grace the Duke of Albemarle, whom he hath called for to +assist him in this great occasion: to put his happy and successful +hand to the finishing this memorable deliverance.</p> + +<p>About the Tower, the seasonable orders given for pulling down houses +to secure the magazines of powder, was most especially successful, +that part being up the wind; notwithstanding which, it came almost to +the very gates of it, so as, by the early provision, the several +stores of war lodged in the Tower were entirely saved; and we have +hitherto this infinite cause particularly to give God thanks that the +fire did not happen in any of those places where his Majesty's naval +stores are kept; so as though it hath pleased God to visit us with his +own hand, he hath not, by disfurnishing us with the means of carrying +on the war, subjected us to our enemies.</p> + +<p>It must be observed, that this fire happened at a part of the town, +where, though the commodities were not very rich, yet they were so +bulky that they could not be removed, so that the inhabitants of that +part where it first began, have sustained very great loss; but, by the +best inquiry we can make, the other parts of the town, where the +commodities were of greater value, took the alarm so early, that they +saved most of their goods of value, which possibly may have diminished +the loss; though some think, that if the whole industry of the +inhabitants had been applied to the stopping of the fire, and not to +the saving their particular goods, the success might have been much +better; not only to the public, but to many of them in their own +particulars.</p> + +<p>Through this sad accident it is easy to be imagined how many persons +were necessitated to remove themselves and goods into the open fields, +where they were forced to continue some time, which could not but work +compassion in the beholders; but his Majesty's care was most signal on +this occasion, who, besides his personal pains, was frequent in +consulting all ways for relieving those distressed persons, which +produced so good effect, as well by his Majesty's proclamations and +orders issued to the neighbouring justices of the peace, to encourage +the sending provisions into the markets, which are publicly known, as +by other directions, that when his Majesty, fearing lest other orders +might not yet have been sufficient, had commanded the victualler of +his navy to send bread into Moorfields for the relief of the poor, +which, for the more speedy supply, he sent in biscuit out of the sea +stores; it was found that the market had been already so well supplied +that the people, being unaccustomed to that kind of bread, declined +it, and so it was returned in great part to his Majesty's stores +again, without any use made of it.</p> + +<p>And we cannot but observe, to the confusion of all his Majesty's +enemies, who endeavoured to persuade the world abroad of great parties +and disaffection at home, against his Majesty's government, that a +greater instance of the affections of this city could never be given, +than hath now been given in this sad and most deplorable accident, +when, if at any time, disorder might have been expected, from the +losses, distractions, and almost desperation of some persons in their +private fortunes—thousands of people not having habitations to cover +them. And yet all this time it hath been so far from any appearance of +designs or attempts against his Majesty's government, that his Majesty +and his royal brother, out of their care to stop and prevent the fire, +exposing frequently their persons, with very small attendants, in all +parts of the town, sometimes even to be intermixed with those who +laboured in the business; yet, nevertheless, there hath not been +observed so much as a murmuring word to fall from any; but, on the +contrary, even those persons whose losses render their conditions most +desperate, and to be fit objects of others' prayers, beholding those +frequent instances of his Majesty's care of his people, forgot their +own misery, and filled the streets with their prayers for his Majesty, +whose trouble they seemed to compassionate before their own.</p> + +<p>Whitehall, Sept. 12.—His Majesty, in a religious sense of God's heavy +hand upon this kingdom, in the late dreadful fire happened in the city +of London, hath been pleased to order that the tenth of October next, +be observed as a general and solemn fast throughout England, Wales, +&c.; and that the distresses of those who have more particularly +suffered in that calamity be on that day most effectually recommended +to the charity of all well-disposed Christians, in the respective +churches and chapels of this kingdom, to be afterward, by the hands of +the Lord Mayor of the city of London, distributed for the relief of +such as shall be found most to need it.</p> + +<p>Whitehall, Sept. 15.—His Majesty pursuing, with a gracious +impatience, his pious care for the speedy restoration of his city of +London, was pleased to pass, the twelfth instant, his declaration, in +council to his city of London upon that subject, full of that princely +tenderness and affection which he is pleased on all occasions to +express for that, his beloved city.</p> + +<p>In the first place, upon the desires of the lord mayor and court of +aldermen, he is pleased to prohibit the hasty building of any edifice, +till such speedy care be taken for the re-edification of the city as +may best secure it from the like accidents, and raise it to a greater +beauty and comeliness than formerly it had; the lord mayor and +aldermen being required to pull down what shall, contrary to this +prohibition be erected, and return the names of such refractory +persons to his Majesty and his council, to be proceeded against +according to their deserts.</p> + +<p>That any considerable number of men addressing themselves to the court +of aldermen, and manifesting in what places their ground lies upon +which they intend to build, shall in short time receive such order and +direction that they shall have no cause to complain.</p> + +<p>That no person erect any house or building, but of brick or stone, +that they be encouraged to practise the good husbandry of strongly +arching their cellars, by which divers persons have received notable +benefit in the late fire.</p> + +<p>That Fleet-street, Cheapside, Cornhill, and all other eminent streets, +be of a breadth to prevent the mischief one side may receive from the +other by fire; that no streets, especially near the water be so narrow +as to make the passages uneasy or inconvenient; nor any allies or +lanes erected, but upon necessity, for which there shall be published +rules and particular orders.</p> + +<p>That a fair quay and wharf be left on all the river side, no houses to +be erected, but at a distance declared by the rules. That none of +those houses next the river be inhabited by brewers, dyers, or +sugar-bakers, who by their continual smokes contribute much to the +unhealthiness of the adjacent places; but that such places be allotted +them by the lord mayor and court of aldermen, as may be convenient for +them, without prejudice of the neighbourhood.</p> + +<p>That the lord mayor and court of aldermen cause an exact survey to be +made of the ruins, that it may appear to whom the houses and ground +did belong, what term the occupiers were possessed of, what rents were +paid, and to whom the reversions and inheritances did appertain, for +the satisfying all interests, that no man's right be sacrificed to the +public convenience. After which a plot and model shall be framed of +the whole building, which no doubt may so well please all persons, as +to induce them willingly to conform to such rules and orders as shall +be agreed to.</p> + +<p>His majesty likewise recommends the speedy building some of those many +churches which have been burnt, to the charity and magnanimity of +well-disposed persons, whom he will direct and assist in the model, +and by his bounty encourage all other ways that shall be desired.</p> + +<p>And to encourage the work by his example, his majesty will use all +expedition to rebuild the Custom House, and enlarge it for the more +convenience of the merchants, in the place where it formerly stood: +and upon all his own lands, will part with any thing of his own right +and benefit, for the advancement of the public benefit and beauty of +the city; and remit to all persons who shall erect any new buildings, +according to this his gracious declaration, all duties arising from +hearth-money for the space of seven years; as by the declaration +itself more at large appears.</p> + +<p>Whitehall, Sep. 18. This day was presented to his Majesty, by his +highness the Duke of York, Edmundbury Godfrey, Esq.; one of his +Majesty's justices of the peace for the county of Middlesex, and city +and liberty of Westminster, who, after the public thanks and +acknowledgment of his eminent services done in helping to suppress the +late fire in the city and liberty of London, received the honour of +knighthood.</p> + +<p>Whitehall, Sep. 29. This day, by warrant from his Majesty's principal +secretaries of state, the person of Valentine Knight was committed to +the custody of one of his Majesty's messengers in ordinary, for having +presumed to publish in print certain propositions for rebuilding the +city of London, with considerable advantages to his Majesty's revenue +by it, as if his Majesty would draw a benefit to himself from so +public a calamity of his people of which his Majesty is known to have +so deep sense, that he is pleased to seek rather by all means to give +them ease under it.</p> + +<p>Westminster, Sep. 28. This day the House of Commons resolved, that the +humble thanks of the house should be given his Majesty for his great +care and endeavour to prevent the burning of the city.</p> + +<p>Leghorn, Oct. 18. The merchants here, in consideration of the losses +sustained in London, by the late fire, have out of their charity, +raised near 300<i>l.</i> towards their relief, which they intend speedily +to return, to be distributed as his Majesty pleases.</p> + +<p>London, Oct. 29. This day Sir William Bolton, lord mayor for the year +ensuing, went in his coach to Westminster, attended by his brethren +the aldermen, the sheriffs, and other eminent citizens in their +coaches, where he was sworn with the usual ceremonies.</p> + +<p>Whitehall, Oct. 30. Sir Jonas Moore, with some other proprietors of +houses lately demolished by the fire, in Fleet-street, having prayed +liberty to rebuild the same, according to such model, form and +scantling as should be set them by the committee appointed by his +Majesty for the advancement of that great work, (to which they offered +with all willingness to submit and conform themselves); it was this +day ordered by his Majesty in council, that the said proprietors shall +have their liberty to re-edify their buildings accordingly.</p> + +<p>By Stat. 19 and 20 Car. 2, any three or more of the judges were +authorised to hear and determine all differences between landlords and +tenants, or occupiers of buildings or other things by the fire +demolished. They were, without the formalities of courts of law or +equity, upon the inquisition or verdict of jurors, testimonies of +witnesses upon oath, examination of persons interested, or otherwise, +to determine all differences: they were, in complaints, to issue out +notes of time and place for the parties' attendance, and proceed to +make orders: their determinations were final, without appeal, writ of +error, or reversal. Their orders were to be obeyed by all persons, and +binding to representatives for ever. The judgments and determinations +were recorded in a book by them signed: which book is placed and +intrusted in the custody of the lord mayor and aldermen for the time +being, to remain as a perpetual and lasting record. The judges were +not to take any fee or reward, directly or indirectly, for any thing +they did by virtue of that act. All differences not being determined, +the act was continued in force till Sept. 29, 1672.</p> + +<p>In gratitude to the memory of these judges, the city caused their +pictures, in full proportion in their scarlet robes, to be set up in +the Guildhall, with their names underneath, viz.</p> + +<ul> +<li>Sir Heneage Finch,</li> +<li>Sir Orlando Bridgman,</li> +<li>Sir Matthew Hale,</li> +<li>Sir Richard Rainsford,</li> +<li>Sir Edward Turner,</li> +<li>Sir Thomas Tyrril,</li> +<li>Sir John Archer,</li> +<li>Sir William Morton,</li> +<li>Sir Robert Atkins,</li> +<li>Sir Samuel Brown,</li> +<li>Sir Edward Atkins,</li> +<li>Sir John Vaughan,</li> +<li>Sir John North,</li> +<li>Sir Thomas Twisden,</li> +<li>Sir Christopher Turner,</li> +<li>Sir William Wyld,</li> +<li>Sir Hugh Windham,</li> +<li>Sir William Ellys,</li> +<li>Sir Edward Thurland,</li> +<li>Sir Timothy Lyttleton,</li> +<li>Sir John Kelynge,</li> +<li>Sir William Windham.</li> +</ul> + +<p>The city rose out of its ashes after the dreadful fire, as it was +first built, not presently, by building continued streets, in any one +part, but first here a house and there a house, to which others by +degrees were joined; till, at last, single houses were united into +whole streets; whole streets into one beautiful city; not merely, as +before, a great and magnificent city, for in a short time it not only +excelled itself, but any other city in the whole world that comes near +it, either in largeness, or number of inhabitants.</p> + +<p>The beginning of the year 1670, the city of London was rebuilt, with +more space and splendour than had been before seen in England. The +act for rebuilding it was drawn by Sir Matthew Hale, with so true +judgment and foresight, that the whole city was raised out of its +ashes without any suits of law; which if that bill had not prevented +them, would have brought a second charge on the city, not much less +than the fire itself had been. And upon that, to the amazement of all +Europe, London was, in four years' time, rebuilt with so much beauty +and magnificence, that they who saw it in both states, before and +after the fire, could not reflect on it, without wondering where the +wealth could be found to bear so vast a loss as was made by the fire, +and so prodigious an expense as was laid out in the rebuilding. This +good and great work was very much forwarded by Sir William Turner, +lord mayor, 1669. He was so much honoured and beloved, that at the end +of the year they chose him again; but he refused it, as being an +unusual thing.</p> + +<p>Whatever the unfortunate citizens of London suffered by this dreadful +fire, it is manifest, that a greater blessing could not have happened +for the good of posterity; for, instead of very narrow, crooked, and +incommodious streets, dark, irregular and ill-contrived wooden houses, +with their several stories jutting out, or hanging over each other, +whereby the circulation of the air was obstructed, noisome vapours +harboured, and verminious, pestilential atoms nourished, as is +manifest, by the city not being clear of the plague for twenty-five +years before, and only free from contagion three years in above +seventy; enlarging of the streets, and modern way of building, there +is such a free circulation of sweet air through the streets, that +offensive vapours are expelled, and the city freed from pestilential +symptoms: so that it may now justly be averred that there is no place +in the kingdom where the inhabitants enjoy a better state of health, +or live to a greater age, than the citizens of London.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2>SECTION III.</h2> + +<h3>VARIOUS OPINIONS CONCERNING THE CAUSES OF THE GREAT FIRE.</h3> + + +<p class="tp"><span class="smcap">Whether</span> the fire came casually, or on design, remains still a secret: +though the general opinion might be that it was casual, yet there were +presumptions on the other side of a very odd nature. Great calamities +naturally produce various conjectures; men seldom considering, that +the most stupendous effects often proceed from the most minute causes, +or most remote accidents. People failed not to give a scope to their +imagination, and to form guesses concerning the causes and authors of +this afflicting and astonishing misfortune.</p> + +<p>The king in his speech calls it "God's judgment;" the pious and +religious, and at first all other men, generally and naturally +ascribed it to the just vengeance of Heaven, on a city where vice and +immorality reigned so openly and shamefully, and which had not been +sufficiently humbled by the raging pestilence of the foregoing year.</p> + +<p>Sir Edward Turner, speaker of the House of Commons, at presenting +bills for the royal assent, says, "We must for ever with humility, +acknowledge the justice of God in punishing this whole nation by the +late dreadful conflagration of London."</p> + +<p>The act of common-council for rebuilding, says, "The fire was by all +justly resented as a most sad and dismal judgment of Heaven."</p> + +<p>But time soon produced abundance of suspicions and variety of opinions +concerning the means and instruments made use of.</p> + +<p>There were some so bold as even to suspect the king. Those reports, +and Oates's and Bedloe's narratives, are suppositions too monstrous, +and the evidence too wretchedly mean to deserve consideration.</p> + +<p>The citizens were not well satisfied with the Duke of York's +behaviour: they thought him a little too gay and negligent for such an +occasion; that his look and air discovered the pleasure he took in +that dreadful spectacle; on which account, a jealousy that he was +concerned in it was spread with great industry, but with very little +appearance of truth.</p> + +<p>Some suspected it was an insidious way of the Dutch and French making +war upon the English; their two fleets being then nearest to a +conjunction. What increased the suspicion was, that some criminals +that suffered were said to be under the direction of a committee at +London, and received orders from another council in Holland.</p> + +<p>Not long before the fire, the French sent the governor of Chousey in a +small boat with a letter to Major-General Lambert, then prisoner in +Guernsey, to offer him terms to contrive the delivery of that island +to them.</p> + +<p>Divers strangers, both French and Dutch, were apprehended, upon +suspicion, imprisoned, and strictly examined. It was said, a Dutch boy +of ten years old, confessed, that his father, his uncle, and himself, +had thrown fire-balls into the house where the fire began, through a +window which stood open.</p> + +<p>The English fleet had some time before landed on the Vly, an island +near the Texel, and burnt it; upon which some came to De Wit, and +offered, in revenge, if they were but assisted, to set London on fire; +but he rejected the [villanous] proposal; and thought no more on it +till he heard the city was burnt.</p> + +<p>The fire which laid so great part of London in ashes, gave a fresh +occasion to the enemies of the republicans to charge them with being +the malicious authors thereof; because the fire happened to break out +the third of September, a day esteemed fortunate to the republicans, +on account of the victories of Dunbar and Worcester, obtained by +Oliver Cromwell, when general of the armies of the commonwealth of +England.</p> + +<p>In the April before, some commonwealth men were found in a plot, and +hanged; and at their execution confessed, that they had been +requested, to assist in a design of firing London on the second of +September.</p> + +<p>At the trial of the conspirators at the Old Bailey, it appeared, a +design was laid to surprise the town and fire the city; the third of +September was pitched on for the attempt, as being found by Lilly's +almanack, and a scheme erected for that purpose, to be a lucky day. +The third of September was a day auspicious and full of expectation +from one party, but at this time ominous and direful to the nation. +The city was burnt at the time projected and prognosticated, which +gave a strong suspicion, though not a proof, of the authors and +promoters of it.</p> + +<p>The Dutch were pressed by the commonwealth men to invade England, and +were assured of powerful assistance, and hopes of a general +insurrection, but they would not venture in so hazardous a design.</p> + +<p>Though several persons were imprisoned, it was not possible to +discover, or prove, that the house where this dreadful calamity began, +was fired on purpose. Whether it was wilful or accidental was a long +time a party dispute.</p> + +<p>The great talk at that time was, who were the burners of the city? +some said it was contrived and carried on by a conspiracy of the +Papists and Jesuits, which was afterward offered to be made appear in +the popish plot. And there came in so many testimonies to prove that +it was the plotted weapon of the papists, as caused the parliament to +appoint a committee to enquire into it, and receive informations.</p> + +<p>By the dreadful fire in 1666, multitudes of people lost their estates, +goods and merchandizes; and many families, once in flourishing +circumstances, were reduced to beggary. From the inscription on the +plinth of the lower pedestal of the Monument, it appears that the +Papists were the authors of this fire; the Parliament being of this +persuasion, addressed the king to issue a proclamation, requiring all +Popish Priests and Jesuits to depart the kingdom within a month; and +appointed a committee, who received evidence of some Papists, who were +seen throwing fire-balls into houses, and of others who had materials +for it in their pockets. This sad disaster produced some kind of +liberty to the Non-conformists.</p> + +<p>A sudden and dreadful massacre of the Protestants was feared; and the +suspicion confirmed by particular kinds of knives found after the fire +in barrels.</p> + +<p>Several evidences were given to the committee that men were seen in +several parts of the city casting fire-balls into houses; some that +were brought to the guard of soldiers, and to the Duke of York, but +were never heard of afterwards. Some weeks after, Sir Robert Brooks, +chairman of the committee, went to France, and as he was ferried over +a river, was drowned, with a kinsman of his, and the business drowned +with him.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> + +<p>Oates, in his narrative, says: The dreadful fire in 1666 was +principally managed by Strange, the provincial of the Jesuits, in +which the society employed eighty or eighty-six men, and spent seven +hundred fire balls; and over all their vast expense, they were +fourteen thousand pounds gainers by the plunder; among which was a box +of jewels consisting of a thousand carats of diamonds. He farther +learned, that the fire in Southwark, in 1676, was brought about by the +like means; and though in that they were at the expense of a thousand +pounds, they made shift to get two thousand clear into their own +pockets.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p> + +<p>Mr. Echard was told by an eminent prelate, that Dr. Grant, a Papist, +was strongly suspected, who having a share in the waterworks, +contrived, as is believed, to stop up the pipes the night before the +fire broke out, so that it was many hours before any water could be +got after the usual manner.</p> + +<p>Dr. Lloyd, afterward bishop of Worcester, told Dr. Burnet, that one +Grant, a Papist, had sometime before applied himself to Lloyd, who had +great interest with the Countess of Clarendon, (who had a large estate +in the new river, which is brought from Ware to London) and said he +could raise that estate considerably if she would make him a trustee +for her. His schemes were probable, and he was made one of the board +that governed that matter; and by that he had a right to come as +often as he pleased to view their works at Islington. He went thither +the Saturday before the fire broke out, and called for the key of the +place where the heads of the pipes were, and turned all the cocks, +which were then open, and stopped the water, and went away, and +carried the keys with him. When the fire broke out next morning, they +opened the pipes in the streets to find water, but there was none. +Some hours were lost in sending to Islington, where the doors were to +be broke open, and the cocks turned; and it was long before the water +got from Islington. Grant denied that he turned the cocks; but the +officer of the works affirmed that he had, according to order, set +them all a-running, and that no person had got the keys from him but +Grant; who confessed he had carried away the keys, but did it without +design.</p> + +<p>When we consider, several depositions were made after the fire, of its +breaking out in several different places at the same time, and that +one man confessed his setting fire to the houses where it began, when +he was executed for it: when we remember Bishop Lloyd's testimony +concerning Grant, we cannot easily be convinced that it was entirely +accidental.</p> + +<p>Bishop Kennet gives the following account: There was but one man tried +at the Old Bailey for being the incendiary, who was convicted by his +own confession, and executed for it. His name was Roger<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> Hubert, a +French Huguenot<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> of Rohan, in Normandy. Some people shammed away +this confession, and said he was <i>non compos mentis</i>; and had a mind, +it seems, to assume the glory of being hanged for the greatest +villain. Others say he was sober and penitent; and being, after +conviction, carried through the ruins to shew where he put fire, he +himself directed through the ashes and rubbish, and pointed at the +spot where the first burning house stood.</p> + +<p>The fire was generally charged on the Papists; one Hubert, a a +Frenchman, who was seized in Essex as he was flying to France, +confessed he had begun the conflagration. He was blindfolded, and +purposely conducted to wrong places, where he told them it was not the +spot where he began the flames; but when he was brought to the right, +he confessed that was the place where he threw the fire-ball into the +baker's house, the place where the fatal fire began, which he +persisted in to the last moments of his execution. He was hanged upon +no other evidence: though his broken account made some believe him +melancholy mad.<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a></p> + +<p>But Oates several years afterwards informed the world the execrable +deed was performed by a knot of eighty jesuits, friars, and priests, +of several nations.<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a></p> + +<p>After all examinations there was but one man tried for being the +incendiary, who confessing the fact, was executed for it: this was +Robert Hubert, a French Hugenot, of Rohan, in Normandy, a person +falsely said to be a Papist, but really a sort of lunatic, who by mere +accident was brought into England just before the breaking out of the +fire, but not landed till two days after, as appeared by the evidence +of Laurence Peterson, the master of the ship who had him on board.<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a></p> + +<p>It was soon after complained of, that Hubert was not sufficiently +examined who set him to work, and who joined with him. And Mr. Hawles, +in his remarks upon Fitzharris's trial is bold to say, that the +Commons resolving to examine Hubert upon that matter next day, Hubert +was hanged before the house sat, so could tell no farther tales.</p> + +<p>Lord Russell and Sir Henry Capel observed to the House of Commons +(1680) that those that were taken in carrying on that wicked act, were +generally discharged without trial.</p> + +<p>In 1679, the House of Commons were suddenly alarmed with an +information of a fresh design of the Papists to burn London a second +time. The house of one Bird, in Fetter-lane, being set on fire, his +servant Elizabeth Oxly, was suspected of firing it wilfully, and sent +to prison. She confessed the fact, and declared she had been employed +to do it by one Stubbs, a Papist, who had promised her five pounds. +Stubbs being taken up, confessed he persuaded her to do it, and that +Father Giffard, his confessor, put him upon it; telling him it was no +sin to burn all the houses of heretics. He added he had frequent +conferences on this affair with Giffard and two Irishmen. Stubbs and +the maid declared, the Papists were to make an insurrection, and +expected an army of sixty thousand men from France. It was generally +inferred from this incident, that it was not Giffard's fault (nor that +of his party), that the city of London was not burnt, as in the year +1666; and confirmed those in their opinion who thought that general +conflagration was the contrivance and work of the Papists.</p> + +<p>The hand of man was made use of in the beginning and carrying on of +this fire. The beginning of the fire at such a time when there had +been so much hot weather which had dried the houses, and made them the +more fit for fuel; the beginning of it in such a place, where there +were so many timber houses, and the shops filled with so much +combustible matter; and the beginning of it just when the wind did +blow so fiercely upon that corner toward the rest of the city, which +then was like tinder to the sparks; this doth smell of a popish +design, hatched in the same nest with the gunpowder plot. The world +sufficiently knows how correspondent this is to popish principles and +practices; they might, without any scruple of their kinds of +conscience, burn an heretical city, as they count it, into ashes: for +beside the dispensations they can have from his holiness (rather his +wickedness) it is not unlikely but they count such an action as this +meritorious.</p> + +<p>Lord Chancellor (Earl of Nottingham) in his speech in giving judgment +against Lord Viscount Stafford, said, "Who can doubt any longer that +London was burnt by Papists?" though there was not one word in the +whole trial relating to it.</p> + +<p>The inscription on the plinth of the lower pedestal of the Monument +has given an opportunity to the Reverend Mr. Crookshanks to say, it +appears that the Papists were the authors of the fire, and that the +Parliament being of the same persuasion, addressed the king.</p> + +<p><a name="PLINTH" id="PLINTH"></a>The inscription is in English:</p> + +<p>"This pillar was set up in perpetual remembrance of the most dreadful +burning of this protestant city, begun and carried on by the treachery +and malice of the popish faction, in the beginning of September, in +the year of our Lord 1666. In order to the carrying on their horrid +plot for extirpating the protestant religion and old English liberty, +and introducing popery and slavery."<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a></p> + +<p>This inscription was erased by King James upon his succession to the +crown; but reinscribed presently after the revolution, in such deep +characters as are not easily to be blotted out.</p> + +<p>The latter part of the inscription on the north side (<i>Sed furor +papisticus, qui tam dira patravit, nondum restinguitur</i>) containing an +offensive truth, was erased at King James's accession, and reinscribed +soon after the revolution.</p> + +<p>Mr. Pope differs much in his opinion concerning these inscriptions, +when he says—</p> + +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="poem"> +<tr> +<td> +Where London's column, pointing at the skies,<br /> +Like a tall bully, rears its head, and lies. +</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p>It seems wonderful (says the author of the Craftsman) that the plague +was not as peremptorily imputed to the Papists as the fire.<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a></p> + +<p>There was a general suspicion of incendiaries laying combustible stuff +in many places, having observed several houses to be on fire at the +same time: but we are told, God with his great bellows did blow upon +it, and made it spread quickly, and horrible flakes of fire mounted to +the skies.</p> + +<p>There was a strange concurrence of several natural causes which +occasioned the fire so vigorously to spread and increase.</p> + +<p>There was a great supineness and negligence in the people of the house +where it began: it began between one and two o'clock after midnight, +when all were in a dead sleep: on a Saturday night, when many of the +eminent citizens, merchants, and others, were retired into the +country, and left servants to look to their city houses: it happened +in the long vacation, at a time of year when many wealthy citizens are +wont to be in the country at fairs, or getting in debts, and making up +accounts with their chapmen.</p> + +<p>The houses where it began were mostly built of timber, and those very +old: the closeness and narrowness of the streets did much facilitate +the progress of the fire, and prevented the bringing in engines. The +wares and commodities stowed and vended in those parts were most +combustible of any other, as oil, pitch, tar, cordage, hemp, flax, +rosin, wax, butter, cheese, wine, brandy, sugar, and such like.</p> + +<p>The warmth of the preceding season had so dried the timber, that it +was never more apt to take fire; and an easterly wind (which is the +driest of all) had blown for several days together before, and at that +time very strongly.</p> + +<p>The unexpected failing of the water from the New River; the engine at +London-bridge called the Thames water-tower was out of order, and in a +few hours was itself burnt down, so that the pipes which conveyed the +water from thence through the streets, were soon empty.</p> + +<p>Beside, there was an unusual negligence at first, and a confidence of +easily quenching it, and of its stopping at several places afterward; +which at last turned into confusion, consternation, and despair; +people choosing rather by flight to save their goods, than by a +vigorous opposition to save their own houses and the whole city.</p> + +<p>Thus a small spark, from an unknown cause, for want of timely care, +increased to such a flame, that nothing could extinguish, which laid +waste the greatest part of the city in three days' time.</p> + +<p>The king in his speech to the parliament, says, "God be thanked for +our meeting together in this place: little time hath passed since we +were almost in despair of having this place left to meet in. You see +the dismal ruins the fire hath made: and nothing but a miracle of +God's mercy could have preserved what is left from the same +destruction."</p> + +<p>When the presumptions of the city's being burnt by design came to be +laid before a committee of the House of Commons, they were found of no +weight: and the many stories, published at that time with great +assurance, were declared void of credibility.<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a></p> + +<p>After all, it may perhaps be queried, whether the foregoing rumours +and examinations, though incongruous with each other, may not afford +some colour to a whisper, that the government itself was not without +some ground of suspicion of having been the secret cause of the +conflagration; to afford an opportunity of restoring the capital of +the nation, in a manner more secure from future contagion, more +generally wholesome for the inhabitants, more safe from fires, and +more beautiful on the whole, from the united effect of all these +salutary purposes. Such, however, has been the result of that +temporary disaster, whether accidental or not; and if intended, a more +pardonable instance of doing evil that good may come of it, cannot +perhaps be produced.<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a></p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2>SECTION IV.</h2> + +<h3>OF THE MONUMENT.</h3> + + +<p class="tp"><span class="smcap">The</span> Act of Parliament 19 and 20 Car. II., enacts, that—The better to +preserve the memory of this dreadful visitation, a column or pillar of +brass or stone be erected on, or as near unto the place where the fire +unhappily began, as conveniently may be; in perpetual remembrance +thereof: with such inscription thereon as the lord mayor and court of +aldermen shall direct.</p> + +<p>In obedience to which act, the fine piece of architecture, called The +Monument, was erected, at the expense of fourteen thousand five +hundred pounds; it is the design of the great Sir Christopher Wren, +and undoubtedly the finest modern column in the world, and in some +respects may vie with the most famous of antiquity, being twenty-four +feet higher than Trajan's pillar at Rome. It is of the Doric order, +fluted; its altitude, two hundred and two feet from the ground; +greatest diameter of the body fifteen feet; the ground bounded by the +plinth or lower part of the pedestal, twenty-eight feet square; and +the pedestal is in altitude forty feet; all of Portland stone. Within, +is a large staircase of black marble, containing three hundred and +forty-five steps, ten inches and a half broad, and six inches risers; +a balcony within thirty-two feet from the top, whereon is a spacious +and curious gilded flame, very suitable to the intent of the whole +column.</p> + +<p>On the front or west side of the die of the pedestal of this +magnificent column is finely carved a curious emblem of this tragical +scene, by the masterly hand of Mr. Gabriel Cibber. The eleven +principal figures are in alto, the rest in basso relievo.</p> + +<p>At the north end of the plain the city is represented in flames, and +the inhabitants in consternation, their arms extended upward, crying +for succour. A little nearer the horizon, the arms, cap of +maintenance, and other ensigns of the city's grandeur, partly buried +under the ruins. On the ruins, lies the figure of a woman crowned with +a castle, her breasts pregnant, and in her hand a sword; representing +the strong, plentiful, and well-governed city of London in distress. +The king is represented on a place ascended to by three steps, +providing by his power and prudence for the comfort of his citizens +and ornament of his city. On the steps stand three women: 1. Liberty, +having in her right hand a hat, wherein the word Liberty, denoting the +freedom or liberty given those who engaged three years in the work. 2. +Ichnographia, with rule and compasses in one hand, and a scroll in the +other; near her, the emblem of Industry, a beehive. 3. Imagination, +holding the emblem of Invention. All which intimate, that the speedy +re-erection of the city was principally owing to liberty, imagination, +contrivance, art, and industry. There is the figure of time raising +the woman in distress, and Providence with a winged hand containing an +eye, promising peace and plenty, by pointing to those two figures in +the clouds. Behind the king, the work is going forward. Under the +king's feet appears Envy enraged at the prospect of success, and +blowing flames out of his mouth. The figure of a lion, with one +fore-foot tied up, and the muzzle of a cannon, denote this deplorable +misfortune to have happened in time of war; and Mars, with a chaplet +in his hand, is an emblem of approaching peace. Round the cornice are +noble enrichments of trophy work, sword, the king's arms, cap of +maintenance, &c., at the angles, four very large dragons, the +supporters of the city arms.</p> + +<p>On this column of perpetual remembrance the lord mayor and court of +aldermen have ordered inscriptions to be cut in Latin:</p> + +<p>That on the north side, describes the desolation of the city in ashes; +and is thus translated:</p> + +<p>In the year of Christ 1666, the second day of September, eastward from +hence at the distance of two hundred and two feet, (the height of this +column) about midnight, a most terrible fire broke out, which, driven +by a high wind, not only wasted the adjacent parts, but also places +very remote, with incredible noise and fury: it consumed eighty-nine +churches, the city gates, Guildhall, many public structures, +hospitals, schools, libraries, a vast number of stately edifices, +thirteen thousand two hundred dwelling houses, four hundred streets; +of twenty-six wards, it entirely consumed fifteen, and left eight +others shattered and half burnt; the ruins of the city were four +hundred and thirty-six acres, from the Tower by the Thames side to the +Temple church, and from the north-east gate of the city wall to +Holborn-bridge: to the estates and fortunes of the citizens it was +merciless, but to their lives very favourable<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a>; that it might in +all things resemble the last conflagration of the world.</p> + +<p>The destruction was sudden, for in a small space of time, the same +city, was seen most flourishing, and reduced to nothing.</p> + +<p>Three days after, when this fatal fire had baffled all human councils +and endeavours, in the opinions of all, as it were by the will of +heaven, it stopped, and on every side was extinguished.</p> + +<p>The south side describes the glorious restoration of the city, and has +been thus translated:—</p> + +<p>Charles the Second, son of Charles the Martyr, King of Great Britain, +France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, a most gracious prince, +commiserating the deplorable state of things, while the ruins were +yet smoking, provided for the comfort of his citizens, and the +ornament of his city; remitted their taxes, and referred the petitions +of the magistrates and inhabitants to the parliament, who immediately +passed an act, that public buildings should be restored to greater +beauty with public money, to be raised by an imposition on coals; that +churches, and the cathedral of St. Paul's, should be rebuilt from +their foundations with all magnificence; that bridges, gates, and +prisons should be made new; the sewers cleansed; the streets made +straight and regular; such as were steep, levelled, and those too +narrow, made wider; markets and shambles removed to separate places. +They also enacted, that every house should be built with party walls, +and all in front raised of equal height, and those walls all of square +stone or brick; and that no man should delay beyond the space of seven +years. Moreover, care was taken by law to prevent all suits about +their bounds. Also, anniversary prayers were enjoined;<a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> and to +perpetuate the memory hereof to posterity, they caused this column to +be erected. The work was carried on with diligence, and London is +restored; but whether with greater speed or beauty may be made a +question. Three years' time saw that finished which was supposed to be +the business of an age.</p> + +<p>The east side, over the door, has an inscription, thus Englished:</p> + +<p>This pillar was begun, Sir Richard Ford, knight, being lord mayor of +London, in the year 1671: carried on in the mayoralties of Sir George +Waterman, knight; Sir Robert Hanson, knight; Sir William Hooker, +knight; Sir Robert Viner, knight; Sir Joseph Sheldon, knight; and +finished, Sir Thomas Davis, knight, being lord mayor, in the year +1677.</p> + +<p>The inscription on the plinth of the lower pedestal is in <a href="#PLINTH">page 245</a>.</p> + +<p>On a stone in front of the house built on the spot where the fire +began, there was (very lately) the following inscription:</p> + +<p>"Here, by the permission of Heaven, hell broke loose on this +protestant city, from the malicious hearts of barbarous Papists, by +the hand of their agent, Hubert, who confessed, and on the ruins of +this place declared his fact, for which he was hanged, viz.:—That he +here began the dreadful fire, which is described and perpetuated on +and by the neighbouring pillar. Erected 1680, in the mayorality of Sir +Patience Ward, knight."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2>FOOTNOTES</h2> + + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Rev. xiv. 18.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Seymour's Survey, i. 70.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Carte Ormd. i. 329.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> Of this clumsy piece of sculpture we have the following +account from Maitland's Survey, page 1,049:—"It is impossible to quit +this place without taking notice of the equestrian statue raised here +in honour of Charles II.; a thing in itself so exceedingly ridiculous +and absurd, that it is in no one's power to look upon it without +reflecting on the tastes of those who set it up. But when we enquire +into the history of it, the farce improves upon our hands, and what +was before contemptible, grows entertaining. This statue was +originally made for John Sobieski, King of Poland, but, by some +accident was left upon the workman's hands. About the same time the +city was loyal enough to pay their devoirs to King Charles immediately +upon his restoration; and finding this statue ready made to their +hands, resolved to do it in the cheapest way, and convert the Polander +into a Briton, and the Turk underneath into Oliver Cromwell, to make +their compliment complete: and the turban upon the last mentioned +figure is an undeniable proof of the truth of the story."</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> The certificate says, eighty-nine parish Churches; but +see the Act of Parliament and inscription on the monument.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> London's Remembrancer, page 33,—ten years before the +fire.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Oldmison, i. 547.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> Rapin, ii. 690.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> Robert, according to Rapin.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> Bishop Burnet and some others say he was a Papist.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> Burnet, Abr., 120.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> Howell, Impartial History of James II., i. 9.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> Echard, i. 169.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> Old. Hist. of the Church of Scotland, i. 207. +<span class="err">[<i>Transcriber's Note:</i> The marker for this footnote is missing in the +original; its location has been guessed.]</span></p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> Seymour, i. 454. <span class="err">[<i>Transcriber's Note:</i> The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]</span></p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> Echard, iii. 168. <span class="err">[<i>Transcriber's Note:</i> The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]</span></p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> Burnet, Abr. 121. <span class="err">[<i>Transcriber's Note:</i> The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]</span></p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> It was a very miraculous circumstance, amidst all this +destruction and public confusion, no person was known either to be +burnt, or trodden to death in the streets.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> By statute 19 and 20, Car. II., it is enacted, That the +citizens of London, and their successors for the time to come, may +retain the memory of so sad a desolation, and reflect seriously on the +manifold iniquities, which are the unhappy causes of such judgments: +be it therefore enacted, that the second day of September (unless the +same happen to be Sunday, and if so, then the next day following) be +yearly for ever hereafter observed as a day of fasting and humiliation +within the said city and liberties thereof, to implore the mercy of +Almighty God upon the said city; to make devout prayers and +supplications unto him, to divert the like calamity for the time to +come.</p></div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE FIRE OF LONDON, SEPT. 2ND 1666***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 37489-h.txt or 37489-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/7/4/8/37489">http://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/4/8/37489</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution.</p> + + + +<pre> +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license)</a>. + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS,' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's +eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, +compressed (zipped), HTML and others. + +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over +the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed. +VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving +new filenames and etext numbers. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org">http://www.gutenberg.org</a> + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + +EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000, +are filed in directories based on their release date. If you want to +download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular +search system you may utilize the following addresses and just +download by the etext year. + +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/">http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/</a> + + (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99, + 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90) + +EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are +filed in a different way. The year of a release date is no longer part +of the directory path. The path is based on the etext number (which is +identical to the filename). The path to the file is made up of single +digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename. For +example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at: + +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/0/2/3/10234 + +or filename 24689 would be found at: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/6/8/24689 + +An alternative method of locating eBooks: +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL">http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL</a> + +*** END: FULL LICENSE *** +</pre> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/37489.txt b/37489.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b259a6f --- /dev/null +++ b/37489.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2203 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, An Historical Narrative of the Great and +Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666, by Gideon Harvey + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: An Historical Narrative of the Great and Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666 + + +Author: Gideon Harvey + + + +Release Date: September 20, 2011 [eBook #37489] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE +GREAT AND TERRIBLE FIRE OF LONDON, SEPT. 2ND 1666*** + + +E-text prepared by Steven Gibbs, Linda Cantoni, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Transcriber's note: + + This e-book, a pamphlet by Gideon Harvey, was originally + published in 1769, and was prepared from a reprint in _The + Novels and Miscellaneous Works of Daniel De Foe_, vol. 5 + (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1855), in which it complemented a + reprint of Defoe's _A Journal of the Plague Year_. + + Archaic spellings have been retained as they appear in the + original, and obvious printer's errors have been corrected + without note. + + + + + +AN + +HISTORICAL NARRATIVE + +OF THE + +GREAT and TERRIBLE + +FIRE of LONDON, + +Sept. 2nd 1666 + + + + +HISTORICAL NARRATIVE + +OF + +THE FIRE OF LONDON. + + +No sooner was the plague so abated in London that the inhabitants +began to return to their habitations, than a most dreadful fire broke +out in the city, and raged as if it had commission to devour +everything that was in its way. On the second of September, 1666, this +dismal fire broke out at a baker's shop in Pudding-lane by +Fish-street, in the lower part of the city, near Thames-street, (among +rotten wooden houses ready to take fire, and full of combustible +goods) in Billingsgate-ward; which ward in a few hours was laid in +ashes. It began in the dead of the night, and the darkness very much +increased the confusion and horror of the surprising calamity: when it +had made havoc of some houses, it rushed down the hill towards the +bridge; crossed Thames-street, invaded St. Magnus church at the bridge +foot, and though that church was so great, yet it was not a sufficient +barricado against this merciless conqueror; but having scaled and +taken this fort, it shot flames with so much the greater advantage +into all places round about, and a great building of houses upon the +bridge is quickly thrown down to the ground; there, being stayed in +its course at the bridge, the fire marched back through the city +again, and ran along, with great noise and violence, through +Thames-street, westward, where, having such combustible matter to feed +on, and such a fierce wind upon its back, it prevailed with little +resistance, unto the astonishment of the beholders. The fire is soon +taken notice of, though in the midst of the night: _Fire! Fire! Fire!_ +doth resound through the streets; many start out of their sleep, look +out of their windows; some dress themselves, and run to the place. The +citizens affrighted and amazed, delayed the use of timely remedies; +and what added to the misfortune, was, the people neglecting their +houses, and being so fatally set on the hasty removing of their goods, +which were, notwithstanding, devoured by the nimble increase of the +flames. A raging east wind fomented it to an incredible degree, and in +a moment raised the fire from the bottoms to the tops of the houses, +and scattered prodigious flakes in all places, which were mounted so +vastly high in the air, as if heaven and earth were threatened with +the same conflagration. The fury soon became insuperable against the +arts of men and power of engines; and beside the dismal scenes of +flames, ruin and desolation, there appeared the most killing sight in +the distracted looks of the citizens, the wailings of miserable women, +the cries of poor children, and decripid old people; with all the +marks of confusion and despair. No man that had the sense of human +miseries could unconcernedly behold the dismal ravage and destruction +made in one of the noblest cities in the world. + +The lord mayor of the city comes with his officers; what a confusion +there is!--counsel is taken away; and London, so famous for wisdom and +dexterity, can now find neither brains nor hands to prevent its ruin: +the decree was gone forth, London must now fall: and who can prevent +it? No wonder, when so many pillars are removed, the building tumbles. +The fire gets the mastery, and burns dreadfully, by the force of the +wind; it spreads quickly; and goes on with such force and rage, +overturning all so furiously, that the whole city is brought into +jeopardy and desolation. + + ----Fire commission'd by the winds, + Begins on sheds, but, rolling in a round, + On palaces returns. + + DRYDEN. + +That night most of the Londoners had taken their last sleep in their +houses; they little thought it would be so when they went into their +beds: they did not in the least expect, that when the doors of their +ears were unlocked, and the casements of their eyes were opened in the +morning, to hear of such an enemy invading the city, and that they +should see him with such fury enter the doors of their houses, break +into every room, and look out at their windows with such a threatening +countenance. + +That which made the ruin more dismal was, that it began on the Lord's +Day morning; never was there the like Sabbath in London; some churches +were in flames that day; God seemed to come down and preach himself in +them, as he did in Sinai when the mount burned with fire; such warm +preaching those churches never had: in other churches ministers were +preaching their farewell sermons; and people were hearing with quaking +and astonishment: instead of a holy rest which Christians had taken +that day, there was a tumultuous hurrying about the streets towards +the place that burned, and more tumultuous hurrying upon the spirits +of those that sat still, and had only the notice of the ear, of the +strange and quick spreading of the fire. + +Now the trained bands are up in arms, watching at every quarter for +outlandishmen, because of the general fears and rumours that +fire-balls were thrown into houses by several of them, to help on and +provoke the too furious flames. Now goods are moved hastily from the +lower parts of the city, and the body of the people begins to retire +and draw upward. Yet some hopes were retained on the Sunday that the +fire would be extinguished, especially by those who lived in remote +parts; they could scarce imagine that the fire a mile off could reach +their houses. All means to stop it proved ineffectual; the wind was so +high, that flakes of fire and burning matter were carried across +several streets, and spread the conflagration everywhere. + +But the evening draws on, and now the fire is more visible and +dreadful; instead of the black curtains of the night which used to +spread over the city, now the curtains are yellow; the smoke that +arose from the burning part seemed like so much flame in the night, +which being blown upon the other parts by the wind, the whole city, at +some distance, seemed to be on fire. Now hopes begin to sink, and a +general consternation seizeth upon the spirits of the people: little +sleep is taken in London this night; some are at work to quench the +fire, others endeavour to stop its course, by pulling down houses; but +all to no purpose; if it be a little allayed, or put to a stand, in +some places, it quickly recruits, and recovers its force: it leaps, +and mounts, and makes the more furious onset, drives back all +opposers, snatches the weapons out of their hands, seizes upon the +water-houses and engines, and makes them unfit for service. Some are +upon their knees in the night, pouring out tears before the Lord, +interceding for poor London in the day of its calamity; yet none can +prevail to reverse that doom, which is gone forth against the city, +the fire hath received its commission, and all attempts to hinder it +are in vain. + +Sunday night the fire had got as far as Garlick-hithe in +Thames-street, and had crept up into Cannon-street, and levelled it +with the ground, and still is making forward by the waterside, and +upward to the brow of the hill on which the city was built. + +On Monday, Gracechurch-street is all in flames, with Lombard street on +the left, and part of Fenchurch-street on the right, the fire working +(though not so fast) against the wind that way: before it, were +pleasant and stately houses; behind it, ruinous and desolate heaps. +The burning then was in fashion of a bow; a dreadful bow it was! such +as few eyes had ever seen before! + +Now the flames break in upon Cornhill, that large and spacious street, +and quickly cross the way by the train of wood that lay in the streets +untaken away, which had been pulled down from houses to prevent its +spreading, and so they lick the whole streets as they go; they mount +up to the tops of the highest houses, they descend down to the bottom +of the lowest cellars; they march along both sides of the way, with +such a roaring noise as never was heard in the city of London; no +stately buildings so great as to resist their fury: the Royal Exchange +itself, the glory of the merchants, is now invaded, and when once the +fire was entered, how quickly did it run through the galleries, +filling them with flames; then descending the stairs, compasseth the +walks, giveth forth flaming vollies, and filleth the court with fire: +by and bye down fall all the kings upon their faces, and the greatest +part of the building upon them, (the founder's statue only remaining) +with such a noise as was dreadful and astonishing. + +September the third, the Exchange was burnt, and in three days almost +all the city within the walls: the people having none to conduct them +right, could do nothing to resist it, but stand and see their houses +burn without remedy; the engines being presently out of order and +useless! + +Then! then! the city did shake indeed! and the inhabitants did +tremble! they flew away in great amazement from their houses, lest the +flames should devour them. Rattle! rattle! rattle! was the noise which +the fire struck upon the ear round about, as if there had been a +thousand iron chariots beating upon the stones; and if you turned your +eyes to the opening of the streets where the fire was come, you might +see in some places whole streets at once in flames, that issued forth +as if they had been so many forges from the opposite windows, and +which folding together united into one great volume throughout the +whole street; and then you might see the houses tumble, tumble, +tumble, from one end of the street to the other, with a great crash! +leaving the foundations open to the view of the heavens. + +Now fearfulness and terror doth surprise all the citizens of London; +men were in a miserable hurry, full of distraction and confusions; +they had not the command of their own thoughts, to reflect and enquire +what was fit and proper to be done. It would have grieved the heart of +an unconcerned person, to see the rueful looks, the pale cheeks, the +tears trickling down from the eyes (where the greatness of sorrow and +amazement could give leave for such a vent) the smiting of the breast, +the wringing of the hands; to hear the sighs and groans, the doleful +and weeping speeches of the distressed citizens, when they were +bringing forth their wives (some from their child-bed) and their +little ones (some from their sick beds) out of their houses, and +sending them into the fields, with their goods.--Now the hope of +London is gone; their heart is sunk: Now there is a general remove in +the city, and that in a greater hurry than before the plague; their +goods being in greater danger by the fire, than their persons were by +the pestilence. Scarcely are some returned, but they must remove +again; and not as before; now, without any more hopes of ever +returning and living in those houses any more. The streets were +crowded with people and carts, to carry what goods they could get out; +they who were most active and had most money to pay carriage at +exorbitant prices, saved much, the rest lost almost all. Carts, drays, +coaches, and horses, as many as could have entrance into the city were +laden, and any money is given for help; five, ten, twenty, thirty +pounds for a cart, to bear forth to the fields some choice things +which were ready to be consumed; and some of the countrymen had the +conscience to accept the prices which the citizens did offer in their +extremity. Now casks of wine and oil, and other commodities, tumbled +along, and the owners shove as much as they can toward the gates: +every one became a porter to himself and scarcely a back, either of +man or woman, but had a burden on it in the streets. It was very +melancholy to see such throngs of poor citizens coming in and going +forth from the unburnt parts, heavy loaden, with pieces of their +goods, but more heavy loaden with grief and sorrow of heart; so that +it is wonderful they did not quite sink down under their burdens. + +Monday night was a dreadful night! When the wings of the night had +shadowed the light of the heavenly bodies, there was no darkness of +night in London, for the fire shines now about with a fearful blaze, +which yielded such light in the streets as it had been the sun at +noon-day. The fire having wrought backward strangely against the wind +to Billingsgate, &c., along Thames-street, eastward, runs up the hill +to Tower-street; and having marched on from Gracechurch-street, maketh +farther progress in Fenchurch-street; and having spread its rage +beyond Queen-hithe in Thames-street, westward, mounts up from the +waterside through Dowgate and Old Fish-street into Watling-street; but +the great fury was in the broader streets; in the midst of the night +it came into Cornhill, and laid it in the dust, and running along by +the Stocks, there meets with another fire which came down +Threadneedle-street, a little farther with another which came up +Walbrook; a little farther with another which comes up Bucklersbury; +and all these four meeting together, break into one of the corners of +Cheapside, with such a dazzling glare, burning heat, and roaring +noise, by the falling of so many houses together, that was very +amazing! and though it was somewhat stopped in its swift course at +Mercer's chapel, yet with great force, in a while it burns through it, +and then with great rage proceedeth forward in Cheapside. + +On Tuesday, was the fire burning up the very bowels of London; +Cheapside is all in a light fire in a few hours' time; many fires +meeting there as in centre; from a Soper-lane, Bow-lane, Bread-street, +Friday-street, and Old Change, the fire comes up almost together, and +breaks furiously into the broad street, and most of that side the way +was together in flames: a dreadful spectacle! and then, partly by the +fire which came down from Mercer's chapel, partly by the fall of the +houses cross the way, the other side is quickly kindled, and doth not +stand long after it. + +Now the fire gets into Blackfriars, and so continues its course by the +water, and makes up toward St. Paul's church on that side, and +Cheapside fire besets the great building on this side; and the church, +though all of stone outward, though naked of houses about it, and +though so high above all buildings in the city, yet within awhile doth +yield to the violent assaults of the all-conquering flames, and +strangely takes fire at the top: now the lead melts and runs down, as +if it had been snow before the sun; and the great beams and massy +stones, with a hideous noise, fell on the pavement, and break through +into Faith church underneath; and great flakes of stone scale and peel +off strangely from the side of the walls: the conqueror having got +this high fort, darts its flames round about; now Paternoster-row, +Newgate-street, the Old Bailey, and Ludgate-hill, have submitted +themselves to the devouring fire, which, with wonderful speed rush +down the hill, into Fleet-street. Now Cheapside, fire marcheth along +Ironmonger-lane, Old-jury, Laurence-lane, Milk-street, Wood-street, +Gutter-lane, Foster-lane; now it comes along Lothbury, Cateaton-street, +&c. From Newgate-street it assaults Christ church, conquers that great +building, and burns through St. Martins-le-grand toward Aldersgate; +and all so furiously as it would not leave a house standing. + +Terrible flakes of fire mount up to the sky, and the yellow smoke of +London ascendeth up towards heaven like the smoke of a great furnace; +a smoke so great as darkeneth the sun at noon-day; if at any time the +sun peeped forth it looked red like blood: the cloud of smoke was so +great, that travellers did ride at noon-day some miles together in the +shadow thereof, though there were no other clouds beside to be seen in +the sky. + +If Monday night was dreadful, Tuesday night was much more so, when far +the greatest part of the city was consumed: many thousands, who, on +Saturday had houses convenient in the city, both for themselves and to +entertain others, have not where to lay their heads; and the fields +are the only receptacle they can find for themselves and their few +remaining goods: most of the late inhabitants lie all night in the +open air, with no other canopy over them but that of the heavens. The +fire is still making toward them, and threatening the suburbs. It was +amazing to see how it had spread itself several miles in compass: +among other things that night, the sight of Guildhall was a fearful +spectacle, which stood the whole body of it together in view, for +several hours after the fire had taken it, without flames (possibly +because the timber was such solid oak) in a bright shining coal, as if +it had been a palace of gold, or a great building of burnished brass. + +On Wednesday morning, when people expected the suburbs would be burnt +as well as the city, and with speed were preparing their flight, as +well as they could with their luggage, into the countries and +neighbouring villages; then the Lord had pity upon poor London: the +wind is hushed; the commission of the fire is withdrawing, and it +burns so gently, even when it meets with no opposition, that it was +not hard to be quenched, in many places, with a few hands; an angel +came which had power over fire.[1] The citizens began to gather a +little heart and encouragement in their endeavours to quench the fire. +A check it had in Leadenhall by that great building: it had a stop in +Bishopsgate-street, Fenchurch-street, Lime-street, Mark-lane, and +toward the Tower; one means (under God) was the blowing up houses with +gunpowder. It is stayed in Lothbury, Broad-street, and Coleman-street; +toward the gates it burnt, but not with any great violence; at the +Temple also it staid, and in Holborn, where it had got no great +footing; and when once the fire was got under, it was kept under: and +on Thursday, the flames were extinguished. + +[Footnote 1: Rev. xiv. 18.] + +Few could take much sleep for divers nights together, when the fire +was burning in the streets, and burning down the houses, lest their +persons should have been consumed with their substance and +habitations. But on Wednesday night, when the people, late of London, +now of the fields, hoped to get a little rest on the ground where they +had spread their beds, a more dreadful fear falls upon them than they +had before, through a rumour that the French were coming armed against +them to cut their throats, and spoil them of what they had saved out +of the fire: they were now naked, weak, and in ill condition to defend +themselves; and the hearts, especially of the females, do quake and +tremble, and are ready to die within them; yet many citizens having +lost their houses, and almost all they had, are fired with rage and +fury; and they began to stir up themselves like lions, or bears +bereaved of their whelps. Now, arm! arm! arm! doth resound through the +fields and suburbs with a great noise. We may guess the distress and +perplexity of the people this night; but it was somewhat alleviated +when the falseness of the alarm was discovered. + +Thus fell great London, that ancient and populous city! London! which +was the queen city of the land; and as famous as most cities in the +world! and yet how is London departed like smoke, and her glory laid +in the dust! How is her destruction come, which no man thought of, and +her desolation in a moment! How do the nations about gaze and wonder! +How doth the whole land tremble at her fall! How do her citizens droop +and hang down their heads, her women and virgins weep, and sit in the +dust! Oh! the paleness that now sits upon the cheeks! the astonishment +and confusion that covers the face, the dismal apprehensions that +arise in the minds of most, concerning the dreadful consequences which +are likely to be of this fall of London! How is the pride of London +stained, her beauty spoiled; her arm broken, and her strength +departed! her riches almost gone, and her treasures so much +consumed!--every one is sensible of the stroke. Never was England in +greater danger of being made a prey to a foreign power, than after +the firing and fall of the city, which had the strength and treasure +of the nation in it. How is London ceased, that rich, that joyous +city! One corner, indeed, is left; but more than as many houses as +were within the walls, are turned into ashes. + +The merchants now have left the Royal Exchange; the buyers and sellers +have now forsaken the streets: Gracechurch-street, Cornhill, +Cheapside, Newgate-market, and the like places, which used to have +throngs of traffickers, now are become empty of inhabitants; and +instead of the stately houses which stood there last summer, they lie +this winter in ruinous heaps. The glory of London is fled away like a +bird; the trade of London is shattered and broken to pieces: her +delights also are vanished, and pleasant things laid waste: now there +is no chanting to the sound of the viol, nor dancing to the sweet +music of instruments; no drinking wine in bowls, and stretching upon +beds of lust; no excess of wine and banqueting; no feasts in halls; no +amorous looks and wanton dalliances; no rustling silks and costly +dresses; these things at that place are at an end. The houses for +God's worship (which formerly were bulwarks against fire, partly +through the walls about them, partly through the fervent prayers +within them) now are devoured by the flames; the habitations of many +who truly feared God have not escaped: the fire makes no +discrimination between the houses of the godly and the houses of the +ungodly; they are all made of the same combustible matter, and are +kindled, as bodies are infected, by one another. + +London was laid in ashes, and made a ruinous heap: it was a byword and +a proverb, a gazing stock and an hissing and astonishment to all that +passed by; it caused the ears of all to tingle that heard the rumour +and report of what the righteous hand of God had brought upon her. A +mighty city turned into ashes and rubbish, comparatively in a few +hours; made a place fit for Zim and Okim to take up their abode in; +the merciless element where it raged scarcely leaving a lintel for a +cormorant or bittern to lodge in, or the remainder of a scorched +window to sing in. A sad and terrible face was there in the ruinous +parts of London: in the places where God had been served, nettles +growing, owls screeching, thieves and cut-throats lurking. The voice +of the Lord hath been crying, yea, roaring, in the city, of the +dreadful judgments of plague and fire. + +There was suddenly and unexpectedly seen, a glorious city laid waste; +the habitations turned into rubbish; estates destroyed; the produce +and incomes of many years hard labour and careful industry all in a +few moments swept away and consumed by devouring flames.--To have seen +dear relations, faithful servants, even yourselves and families, +reduced from plentiful, affluent, comfortable trade and fortune, +over-night, to the extremest misery next morning! without an house to +shelter, goods to accommodate, or settled course of trade to support. +Many forced, in old age, to begin the world anew; and exposed to all +the hardships and inconveniences of want and poverty. + +Should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my +father's sepulchre, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed +with fire? + +While the terrors occasioned by the conflagration remained in the +minds of men, many eminent, learned, pious divines of the Church of +England were more than ordinary diligent in the discharge of their +holy function in this calamitous time; and many ministers who had not +conformed, preached in the midst of the burning ruins, to a willing +and attentive people: conventicles abounded in every part; it was +thought hard to hinder men from worshipping God in any way they would, +when there were no churches, nor ministers to look after them. +Tabernacles, with all possible expedition, were everywhere raised for +public worship till churches could be built. Among the established +clergy were Dr. Tillotson, Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Whitcot, Dr. Horton, +Dr. Patrick, Mr. White, Dr. Outram, Mr. Giffard, Mr. Nest, Mr. +Meriton, and many others: divines of equal merit and moderation, +ornaments of their sacred profession and the Established Church. Among +the Presbyterians were Dr. Manton, Mr. Thomas Vincent, Mr. Wadsworth, +Mr. Janeway, Mr. Thomas Doolittle, Mr. Annesley, Mr. Chester, Mr. +Franklin, Mr. Grimes, Mr. Watson, Dr. Jacomb, Mr. Nathaniel Vincent, +Mr. Turner, Mr. Griffiths, Mr. Brooks, Dr. Owen, Mr. Nye, Mr. Caryl, +Dr. Goodwin, and Mr. Barker. + +The loss in goods and houses is scarcely to be valued, or even +conceived. The loss of books was an exceeding great detriment, not to +the owners only, but to learning in general. The library at +Sion-college, and most private libraries in London, were burnt. + +The fire of London most of all endamaged the Company of Printers and +Stationers, most of whose habitations, storehouses, shops, stocks, and +books, were not only consumed, but their ashes and scorched leaves +conveyed aloft, and dispersed by the winds to places above sixteen +miles distant, to the great admiration of beholders! + +Notwithstanding the great losses by the fire, the devouring pestilence +in the city the year preceding, and the chargeable war with the Dutch +at that time depending, yet by the king's grace, the wisdom of the +Parliament then sitting at Westminster, the diligence and activity of +the lord mayor, aldermen, and commoners of the city, (who were +likewise themselves the most considerable losers by the fatal +accident) it was in the space of four or five years well nigh rebuilt. +Divers churches, the stately Guildhall, many halls of companies, and +other public edifices; all infinitely more uniform, more solid, and +more magnificent than before; so that no city in Europe (scarcely in +the universe) can stand in competition with it in many particulars.[2] + +[Footnote 2: Seymour's Survey, i. 70.] + +The fire of London ending at the east end of Tower-street, the extent +of which came just to the dock on the west side of the Tower, there +was nothing between the Tower-walls and it but the breadth of the +dock, and a great many old timber houses which were built upon the +banks of the dock, and in the outward bulwark of the Tower and +Tower-ditch (which then was very foul) to the very wall of the Tower +itself. Which old houses, if the fire had taken hold of, the Tower +itself, and all the buildings within it, had in all probability been +destroyed. But such was the lieutenant's care of the great charge +committed to him, that to prevent future damage, a few weeks after, he +caused all these old houses which stood between the Tower-dock and the +Tower-wall, to be pulled down: and not only them, but all those which +were built upon or near the Tower-ditch, from the bulwark-gate along +both the Tower-hills, and so to the Iron-gate; and caused strong rails +of oak to be set up upon the wharf where those houses stood which were +about four hundred: so that by these means, not only the White-tower +but the whole outward Tower-wall and the ditch round about the same, +are all visible to passengers, and afford a very fine prospect. + +During the whole continuance of this unparalleled calamity, the king +himself, roused from his pleasures, commiserated the care of the +distressed, and acted like a true father of his people. In a +manuscript from the secretary's office, we find these words, "All own +the immediate hand of God, and bless the goodness and tender care of +the king, who made the round of the fire usually twice every day, and, +for many hours together, on horseback and on foot; gave orders for +pursuing the work, by commands, threatenings, desires, example, and +good store of money, which he himself distributed to the workers, out +of an hundred pound bag which he carried with him for that purpose." +At the same time, his royal highness, the Duke of York also, and many +of the nobility, were as diligent as possible; they commended and +encouraged the forward, assisted the miserable sufferers, and gave a +most generous example to all, by the vigorous opposition they made +against the devouring flames. + +The king and the duke, with the guards, were almost all the day on +horseback, seeing to all that could be done, either for quenching the +fire, or for carrying off persons or goods to the fields. The king was +never observed to be so much struck with anything in his whole life. + +In the dreadful fire of London, the king and the duke did their utmost +in person to extinguish it; and after it had been once mastered, and +broke out again in the Temple, the duke watching there all night, put +an effectual stop to it by blowing up houses. + +Afterward, when the multitudes of poor people were forced to lodge in +the fields, or crowd themselves into poor huts and booths built with +deal boards, his majesty was frequent in consulting all ways to +relieve these wretches, as well by proclamations, as by his orders to +the justices of the peace, to send provisions into Moorfields and +other places; and moreover he sent them out of the Tower the warlike +provisions which were there deposited for the seamen and soldiers, to +keep them from starving in this extremity. + +At the same time he proclaimed a fast throughout England and Wales; +and ordered that the distressed condition of the sufferers should be +recommended to the charity of all well-disposed persons, upon that +day, to be afterwards distributed by the hands of the lord mayor of +London. Lastly, to shew his special care for the city's restoration, +in council, wherein he first prohibited the hasty building any houses +till care should be taken for its re-edification, so as might best +secure it from the like fatal accident; for the encouragement of +others, he promised to rebuild his Custom-house, and to enlarge it, +for the benefit of the merchants and trade; which he performed at his +own particular charge, and at the expense of ten thousand pounds. + +At the news of the fire of London all the good subjects of Ireland +were seized with the utmost consternation upon that deplorable +accident in compassion to the sufferers, the lord-lieutenant (the Duke +of Ormond) set on foot a subscription for their relief, which rose to +a higher value than could be expected in so distressed a country, +where there was not money to circulate for the common necessities of +the people, or to pay the public taxes: therefore, the subscription +was made in beeves, thirty thousand of which were sent to London.[3] + +[Footnote 3: Carte Ormd. i. 329.] + + * * * * * + +_Extract from the Speech of Sir Edward Turner, Speaker of the +Honourable House of Commons, at the Prorogation of the Parliament, +February, 8, 1667._ + +We must for ever with humility acknowledge the justice of God in +punishing the whole nation in the late conflagration in London. We +know they were not the greatest sinners on whom the tower of Siloam +fell; and doubtless all our sins did contribute to the filling up that +measure, which being full, drew down the wrath of God upon our city; +but it very much reviveth us to behold the miraculous blessing of God +upon your Majesty's endeavours for the preservation of that part of +the city which is left. We hope God will direct your royal heart, and +this fortunate island, in a few days to lay a foundation-stone in the +rebuilding of that royal city; the beauty and praise whereof shall +fill the whole earth. For the encouragement of this noble work we have +prepared several bills; one for the establishing a judicatory for the +speedy determining all actions and causes of action that may arise +between landlords and tenants upon this sad accident. Though I +persuade myself no Englishman would be exempted from making some +offering to carry on the pious undertaking, yet the exemplary charity +of your majesty's twelve reverend judges is fit with honour to be +mentioned before your majesty: they are willing to spend all their +sand that doth not run out in your majesty's immediate service, in +dispensing justice in their several courts to your people, in hearing +and determining the controversies that may arise upon old agreements, +and making new rules between owners and tenants, for their mutual +agreement in this glorious action. We have likewise prepared a bill +for the regularity of the new buildings, that they may be raised with +more conveniency, beauty, and security than they had before: some +streets we have ordered to be opened and enlarged, and many +obstructions to be removed; but all with your majesty's approbation. +This, we conceive, cannot be done with justice, unless a compensation +be given to those that shall be losers; we have, therefore laid an +imposition of twelve pence upon every chaldron, and every ton of coals +that shall be brought into the port of London for ten years, the +better to enable the Lord Mayor and aldermen to recompense those +persons whose ground shall be taken from them. + +Rome was not built in a day: nor can we in the close of this session +finish the rules for the dividing the parishes, rebuilding of the +churches, and the ornamental parts of the city, that we intended; +these things must rest till another session: but we know your majesty +in the meantime will take them into your princely consideration, and +make it your care that the houses of God, and your royal chamber, be +decently and conveniently restored. + +The fire of London had exercised the wits and inventions of many +heads, and especially put several ingenious persons on contriving and +setting up offices for insuring of houses from fire; since which many +of those offices are framed. + +All persons were indefatigably industrious in the great work of +rebuilding; and when all provisions were made for the city's +resurrection, the famous Sir Jonas Moore first of all produced the +beautiful Fleet-street, according to the appointed model; and from +that beginning the city grew so hastily toward a general perfection, +that within the compass of a few years it far transcended its former +splendour. + +In the meantime, Gresham College was converted into an exchange, and +in the apartments the public business of the city was transacted, +instead of Guildhall. + +To the same place, Alderman Backwell, a noted banker, removed from +Lombard-street. Alderman Meynell, and divers other bankers of +Lombard-street were preserved in their estates, and settled in and +about Broad-street. + +The Royal Society being driven out from Gresham College, Henry Howard, +brother to the Duke of Norfolk, late Earl Marshal of England, invited +that noble body to hold their meetings at Arundel House, where he +assigned them very convenient rooms, and, on New Year's day, being +himself a member of that society, he very generously presented them +and their successors with a fair library of books; being the whole +Norfolkian library, with permission of changing such books as were not +proper for their collection. + +Sir Robert Viner, a very great banker, providentially removed all his +concerns twenty-four hours before the furious fire entered +Lombard-street, and settled in the African-house, which was then kept +near the middle of Broad-street, till such time as he built that noble +structure in Lombard-street, now used for the General Post Office, +which was purchased by King Charles the Second for that purpose. The +neatly wrought conduit in the Stocks market-place, at the west end of +Lombard-street (the spot on which the Lord Mayor's Mansion House is +since erected) whereon was placed a large statue of King Charles the +Second on horseback, trampling upon an enemy, was set up at the sole +cost and charges of that worthy citizen and alderman, Sir Robert +Viner, knight and baronet.[4] + +[Footnote 4: Of this clumsy piece of sculpture we have the following +account from Maitland's Survey, page 1,049:--"It is impossible to quit +this place without taking notice of the equestrian statue raised here +in honour of Charles II.; a thing in itself so exceedingly ridiculous +and absurd, that it is in no one's power to look upon it without +reflecting on the tastes of those who set it up. But when we enquire +into the history of it, the farce improves upon our hands, and what +was before contemptible, grows entertaining. This statue was +originally made for John Sobieski, King of Poland, but, by some +accident was left upon the workman's hands. About the same time the +city was loyal enough to pay their devoirs to King Charles immediately +upon his restoration; and finding this statue ready made to their +hands, resolved to do it in the cheapest way, and convert the Polander +into a Briton, and the Turk underneath into Oliver Cromwell, to make +their compliment complete: and the turban upon the last mentioned +figure is an undeniable proof of the truth of the story."] + +The excise office was kept in Southampton-fields, near Southampton +(now Bedford House.) + +The General Post Office was moved to the Two Black Pillars, in +Bridges-street, Covent Garden. + +The affairs of the Custom House were transacted in Mark-lane, at a +house called Lord Bayning's, till the Custom House was rebuilt in a +much more magnificent, uniform, and commodious manner, by King Charles +the Second, which cost him L10,000. + +The office for hearth money was kept near Billeter-lane, in +Leadenhall-street. + +The king's great wardrobe, together with the fair dwelling houses of +the master and officers, near Puddle Wharf, being consumed, that +office has since been kept in York House-buildings. + +The buildings of Doctor's Commons, in the Parish of St. Bennet, Paul's +Wharf, near St. Paul's, being entirely consumed by the dreadful fire, +their offices were held at Exeter House, in the Strand, until the year +1672, when they returned to their former place, rebuilt in a very +splendid and convenient manner, at the proper cost and charges of the +said doctors. + +The college of physicians had purchased a house and ground at the end +of Amen-street, whereon the famous Dr. Harvey, at his proper charge, +did erect a magnificent structure, both for a library, and a public +hall; this goodly edifice could not escape the fury of the dreadful +fire; and the ground being but a lease-hold, the fellows purchased a +fair piece of ground in Warwick-lane, whereon they have erected a very +magnificent edifice, with a noble apartment for the containing an +excellent library, given them partly by the Marquis of Dorchester, but +chiefly by that eminent professor, Sir Theodore Mayerne, knight. + +The former burse (or Royal Exchange) began to be erected in the year +1566, just one hundred years before it was burnt, at the cost and +charge of that noble merchant, Sir Thomas Gresham. It was built of +brick, and yet was the most splendid burse then in Europe. + +It is now rebuilt within and without, of excellent stone, with such +curious and admirable architecture, especially for a front, a high +turret or steeple, wherein are an harmonious chime of twelve bells, +and for arch-work, that it surpasses all other burses. It is built +quadrangular, with a large court wherein the merchants may assemble, +and the greatest part, in case of rain or hot sunshine, may be +sheltered in side galleries or porticos. The whole fabric cost fifty +thousand pounds, whereof one-half was disbursed by the Chamber of +London, or corporation of the city, and the other half by the Company +of Mercers. + +Before the dreadful fire, there were all around the quadrangle of this +Royal Exchange the statues of the sovereign princes, since what was +called the Norman Conquest, and by the care and cost of the city +companies most of those niches were again filled with the like curious +statues, in marble or alabaster. + +St. Paul's Cathedral was new building at the time of the fire, the +stone work almost finished; but, it is now rebuilt with greater +solidity, magnificence and splendour, by the most renowned architect, +Sir Christopher Wren. + +Not far from the college of Doctor's Commons stood the College of +Heralds, in an ancient house called Derby House, being built by Thomas +Stanly, Earl of Derby, who married Margaret, Countess of Richmond, +mother of King Henry the Seventh, where their records were preserved. +This college was burnt down, but the books and records were preserved, +and placed, by the king's appointment, at the lower end of the Court +of Requests. + +Since the late dreadful fire this college has been handsomely rebuilt, +upon St. Bennet's-hill, near Doctor's Commons, where their library is +now kept. The house of St. Bartholomew's Hospital escaped the fury of +the great fire, but most of the estates belonging to it were consumed. + +The companies' halls were rebuilt, all at the charges of each +fraternity, with great magnificence; being so many noble structures or +palaces, with gallant frontispieces, stately courts, spacious rooms. +The halls, especially, from which the whole are named, are not only +ample enough to feast all the livery in each company, some to the +number of three or four hundred, but many of them are fit to receive a +crowned head with all its nobles--those of each of the twelve +companies especially. The Company of Mercers, beside their hall, have +a sumptuous and spacious chapel for divine service. + +Those city gates which were burnt down, as Ludgate and Newgate, were +rebuilt with great solidity and magnificence. + +The attempt to make Fleet brook or ditch navigable to Holborn Bridge, +was a mighty chargeable and beautiful work, and though it did not +fully answer the designed purpose, it was remarkable for the curious +stone bridges over it, and the many huge vaults on each side thereof, +to treasure up Newcastle coals for the use of the poor. + +The whole damage sustained by the fire is almost inconceivable and +incredible; but the following method of computation hath been taken, +to form some sort of gross estimate; and at the time was accounted +very moderate:-- + + Thirteen thousand two hundred houses, one with } + another, at twenty-five pounds rent, at the low } 3,960,000 + rate of twelve years' purchase } + + Eighty-seven parish churches, at eight thousand } 696,000 + pounds each[5] } + + Six consecrated chapels, at two thousand } 12,000 + pounds each } + + The Royal Exchange 50,000 + + The Custom House 10,000 + + Fifty-two halls of companies, most of which were } + magnificent structures and palaces, at fifteen } 78,000 + hundred pounds each } + + Three city gates, at three thousand pounds each 9,000 + + Jail of Newgate 15,000 + + Four stone bridges 6,000 + + Sessions House 7,000 + + Guildhall, with the courts and offices belonging to it 40,000 + + Blackwell Hall 3,000 + + Bridewell 5,000 + + Poultry Compter 5,000 + + Wood Street Compter 3,000 + + Toward rebuilding St. Paul's Church, which, at } + that time, was new building; the stonework being } 2,000,000 + almost finished } + + Wares, household stuff, monies, and moveable goods } 2,000,000 + lost and spoiled } + + Hire of porters, carts, waggons, barges, boats, &c.,} + for removing wares, household stuff, &c., during } 200,000 + the fire, and some small time after } + + Printed books and papers in shops and warehouses 150,000 + + Wine, tobacco, sugar, plums, &c., of which the city } 1,500,000 + was at that time very full } + + Cutting a navigable river to Holborn Bridge 27,000 + + The Monument 14,500 + __________ + + L10,730,500 + +[Footnote 5: The certificate says, eighty-nine parish Churches; but +see the Act of Parliament and inscription on the monument.] + +Besides melioration money paid to several proprietors who had their +ground taken away, for the making of wharves, enlarging the old, or +making new streets, market places, &c. + +The fire spread itself, beside breadth, from almost Tower-hill, to St. +Dunstan's church in Fleet-street. After it had burnt almost three days +and three nights, some seamen taught the people to blow up some of the +next houses with gunpowder; which stopped the fire: so that, contrary +to the inscription on the Monument, there were human counsels in the +stopping of the fire. It stopped at Holborn Bridge, at St. Sepulchre's +church, when the church was burnt, in Aldgate and Cripplegate, and +other places on the wall; in Austin Friars, the Dutch church stopped +it, and escaped. It stopped in Bishopsgate-street, in Leadenhall-street, +in the midst of Fenchurch-street, and near the Tower. Alderman +Jefferies lost tobacco to the value of twenty thousand pounds. + + +_Extract from the certificates of the Surveyors appointed to survey +the ruins._ + +The fire began September 2nd, 1666, at Mr. Farryner's, a baker, in +Pudding-lane, between one and two in the morning, and continued +burning till the 6th; did overrun three hundred and seventy-three +acres, within the walls. Eighty-nine parish churches, besides chapels +burnt. Eleven parishes, within the walls standing. Houses burnt, +thirteen thousand and two hundred. + + JONAS MOORE, } + RALPH GATRIX, } Surveyors. + + * * * * * + +The superstition and zeal of those times made canonization much +cheaper in a Protestant than a Popish Church. A vehement preacher was +a chief saint among the godly, and a few warm expressions were +esteemed little less than prophecies. + +In the dedication to the Rev. Mr. Reeves's sermon, preached 1655, are +the following queries:-- + +"Can sin and the city's safety, can impenitency and impunity stand +long together? Fear you not some plague? Some coal blown with the +breath of the Almighty, that may sparkle and kindle, and burn you to +such cinders, that not a wall or pillar may be left to testify the +rememberance of a city?" + +The same gentleman says:[6] "Your looking-glasses will be snatched +away, your mirrors cracked, your diamonds shivered in pieces; this +goodly city all in shreds. Ye may seek for a pillar or threshold of +your ancient dwellings, but not find one. All your spacious mansions +and sumptuous monuments are then gone. Not a porch, pavement, ceiling, +staircase, turret, lantern, bench, screen, pane of a window, post, +nail, stone, or dust of your former houses to be seen. No, with +wringing hands you may ask, where are those sweet places where we +traded, feasted, slept? where we lived like masters, and shone like +morning stars? No, the houses are fallen, and the householders dropped +with them. We have nothing but naked streets, naked fields for +shelter; not so much as a chamber to couch down our children or +repose our own members, when we are spent or afflicted with sickness. +Woe unto us! our sins have pulled down our houses, shaken down our +city. We are the most harbourless people in the world; like foreigners +rather than natives; yea, rather like beasts than men. Foxes have +holes and fowls have nests, but we have neither holes or nests: our +sins have deprived us of couch and covert. We should be glad if an +hospital would receive us, dens or caves shelter us. The bleak air and +cold ground are our only shades and refuges. But, alas! this is but +the misery of the stonework, of arches, roofs, &c." + +[Footnote 6: London's Remembrancer, page 33,--ten years before the +fire.] + +The following paragraph is taken from Mr. Rosewell's causes and cures +of the pestilence, printed at London, in the year of the great plague +1665--a year before the fire of London. + +"Is it not of the Lord that the people shall labour in the very fire, +and weary themselves for vanity? It is of the Lord, surely! It comes +to pass, by the secret counsel of God, that these houses and cities +which they build, shall either come to be consumed by fire; or else, +the people shall weary themselves in vain, for vanity to no purpose; +seeing it comes so soon to be destroyed and ruinated, what they +build." + + + + +SECTION II. + +ACCOUNT OF THE FIRE OF LONDON, PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY, FROM THE +"LONDON GAZETTE." + + +Sept. 2.--About two o'clock this morning, a sudden and lamentable fire +broke out in this city; beginning not far from Thames-street, near +London Bridge, which continues still with great violence, and hath +already burnt down to the ground many houses thereabouts: which said +accident affected his Majesty with that tenderness and compassion, +that he was pleased to go himself in person, with his royal highness, +to give orders that all possible means should be used for quenching +the fire, or stopping its further spreading: in which care the right +honourable the Earl of Craven was sent by his Majesty, to be more +particularly assisting to the Lord Mayor and magistrates; and several +companies of his guards sent into the city, to be helpful in what +means they could in so great a calamity. + +Whitehall, Sept. 8.--The ordinary course of this paper being +interrupted by a sad and lamentable accident of fire, lately happened +in the city of London, it hath been thought fit to satisfy the minds +of so many of his Majesty's good subjects who must needs be concerned +for the issue of so great an accident, to give this short but true +account of it. + +On the 2nd inst., at one o'clock in the morning, there happened to +break out a sad and deplorable fire in Pudding-lane, New Fish-street, +which falling out at that hour of the night and, in a quarter of the +town so close built with wooden pitched houses, spread itself so far +before day, and with such distraction to the inhabitants and +neighbours, that care was not taken for the timely preventing the +further diffusion of it, by pulling down houses, as ought to have +been; so that the lamentable fire in a short time became too big to be +mastered by any engines, or working near it. It fell out most +unhappily too, that a violent easterly wind fomented it, and kept it +burning all that day, and the night following, spreading itself up to +Gracechurch-street, and downward from Cannon-street to the water side, +as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintry. + +The people in all parts about it were distracted by the vastness of +it, and their particular care was to carry away their goods. Many +attempts were made to prevent the spreading of it by pulling down +houses, and making great intervals; but all in vain, the fire seizing +upon the timber and rubbish, and so continuing itself, even through +those places, and raging in a bright flame all Monday and Tuesday, +notwithstanding his Majesty's own, and his royal highness's +indefatigable and personal pains to apply all possible means to +prevent it; calling upon and helping the people with their guards, and +a great number of nobility and gentry unweariedly assisting therein, +for which they were requited with a thousand blessings from the poor +distressed people. By the favour of God the wind slackened a little on +Tuesday night, and the flames meeting with brick buildings at the +Temple, by little and little it was observed to lose its force on that +side, so that on Wednesday morning we began to hope well, and his +royal highness never departing nor slackening his personal care, +wrought so well that day, assisted in some parts by the lords of the +council before and behind it, that a stop was put to it at the Temple +Church; near Holborn Bridge; Pye Corner; Aldersgate; Cripplegate; near +the lower end of Coleman-street; at the end of Basinghall-street; +by the Postern at the upper end of Bishopsgate-street; and +Leadenhall-street; at the Standard, in Cornhill; at the church in +Fenchurch-street; near Clothworkers' Hall in Mincing-lane; in the +middle of Mark-lane; and at the Tower-dock. + +On Thursday, by the blessing of God, it was wholly beat down and +extinguished. But so as that evening it burst out afresh at the +Temple, by the falling of some sparks (as is supposed, upon a pile of +wooden buildings); but his royal highness, who watched there the whole +night in person, by the great labour and diligence used, and +especially by applying powder to blow up the houses about it, before +day, happily mastered it. + +Divers strangers, Dutch and French, were, during the fire, +apprehended, upon suspicion that they contributed maliciously to it, +who are all imprisoned, and informations prepared to make severe +inquisition hereupon by my Lord Chief Justice Keeling, assisted by +some of the Lords of the privy council, and some principal members of +the city: notwithstanding which suspicions, the manner of the burning +all along in a train, and so blown forward in all its ways by strong +winds, makes us conclude the whole was an effect of an unhappy chance, +or to speak better, the heavy hand of God upon us, for our sins, +shewing us the terror of his judgment, in thus raising the fire, and +immediately after, his miraculous and never enough to be acknowledged +mercy, in putting a stop to it when we were in the last despair, and +that all attempts for the quenching it, however industriously pursued, +seemed insufficient. His Majesty then sat hourly in council, and ever +since hath continued making rounds about the city, in all parts of it +where the danger and mischief was greatest, till this morning that he +hath sent his Grace the Duke of Albemarle, whom he hath called for to +assist him in this great occasion: to put his happy and successful +hand to the finishing this memorable deliverance. + +About the Tower, the seasonable orders given for pulling down houses +to secure the magazines of powder, was most especially successful, +that part being up the wind; notwithstanding which, it came almost to +the very gates of it, so as, by the early provision, the several +stores of war lodged in the Tower were entirely saved; and we have +hitherto this infinite cause particularly to give God thanks that the +fire did not happen in any of those places where his Majesty's naval +stores are kept; so as though it hath pleased God to visit us with his +own hand, he hath not, by disfurnishing us with the means of carrying +on the war, subjected us to our enemies. + +It must be observed, that this fire happened at a part of the town, +where, though the commodities were not very rich, yet they were so +bulky that they could not be removed, so that the inhabitants of that +part where it first began, have sustained very great loss; but, by the +best inquiry we can make, the other parts of the town, where the +commodities were of greater value, took the alarm so early, that they +saved most of their goods of value, which possibly may have diminished +the loss; though some think, that if the whole industry of the +inhabitants had been applied to the stopping of the fire, and not to +the saving their particular goods, the success might have been much +better; not only to the public, but to many of them in their own +particulars. + +Through this sad accident it is easy to be imagined how many persons +were necessitated to remove themselves and goods into the open fields, +where they were forced to continue some time, which could not but work +compassion in the beholders; but his Majesty's care was most signal on +this occasion, who, besides his personal pains, was frequent in +consulting all ways for relieving those distressed persons, which +produced so good effect, as well by his Majesty's proclamations and +orders issued to the neighbouring justices of the peace, to encourage +the sending provisions into the markets, which are publicly known, as +by other directions, that when his Majesty, fearing lest other orders +might not yet have been sufficient, had commanded the victualler of +his navy to send bread into Moorfields for the relief of the poor, +which, for the more speedy supply, he sent in biscuit out of the sea +stores; it was found that the market had been already so well supplied +that the people, being unaccustomed to that kind of bread, declined +it, and so it was returned in great part to his Majesty's stores +again, without any use made of it. + +And we cannot but observe, to the confusion of all his Majesty's +enemies, who endeavoured to persuade the world abroad of great parties +and disaffection at home, against his Majesty's government, that a +greater instance of the affections of this city could never be given, +than hath now been given in this sad and most deplorable accident, +when, if at any time, disorder might have been expected, from the +losses, distractions, and almost desperation of some persons in their +private fortunes--thousands of people not having habitations to cover +them. And yet all this time it hath been so far from any appearance of +designs or attempts against his Majesty's government, that his Majesty +and his royal brother, out of their care to stop and prevent the fire, +exposing frequently their persons, with very small attendants, in all +parts of the town, sometimes even to be intermixed with those who +laboured in the business; yet, nevertheless, there hath not been +observed so much as a murmuring word to fall from any; but, on the +contrary, even those persons whose losses render their conditions most +desperate, and to be fit objects of others' prayers, beholding those +frequent instances of his Majesty's care of his people, forgot their +own misery, and filled the streets with their prayers for his Majesty, +whose trouble they seemed to compassionate before their own. + +Whitehall, Sept. 12.--His Majesty, in a religious sense of God's heavy +hand upon this kingdom, in the late dreadful fire happened in the city +of London, hath been pleased to order that the tenth of October next, +be observed as a general and solemn fast throughout England, Wales, +&c.; and that the distresses of those who have more particularly +suffered in that calamity be on that day most effectually recommended +to the charity of all well-disposed Christians, in the respective +churches and chapels of this kingdom, to be afterward, by the hands of +the Lord Mayor of the city of London, distributed for the relief of +such as shall be found most to need it. + +Whitehall, Sept. 15.--His Majesty pursuing, with a gracious +impatience, his pious care for the speedy restoration of his city of +London, was pleased to pass, the twelfth instant, his declaration, in +council to his city of London upon that subject, full of that princely +tenderness and affection which he is pleased on all occasions to +express for that, his beloved city. + +In the first place, upon the desires of the lord mayor and court of +aldermen, he is pleased to prohibit the hasty building of any edifice, +till such speedy care be taken for the re-edification of the city as +may best secure it from the like accidents, and raise it to a greater +beauty and comeliness than formerly it had; the lord mayor and +aldermen being required to pull down what shall, contrary to this +prohibition be erected, and return the names of such refractory +persons to his Majesty and his council, to be proceeded against +according to their deserts. + +That any considerable number of men addressing themselves to the court +of aldermen, and manifesting in what places their ground lies upon +which they intend to build, shall in short time receive such order and +direction that they shall have no cause to complain. + +That no person erect any house or building, but of brick or stone, +that they be encouraged to practise the good husbandry of strongly +arching their cellars, by which divers persons have received notable +benefit in the late fire. + +That Fleet-street, Cheapside, Cornhill, and all other eminent streets, +be of a breadth to prevent the mischief one side may receive from the +other by fire; that no streets, especially near the water be so narrow +as to make the passages uneasy or inconvenient; nor any allies or +lanes erected, but upon necessity, for which there shall be published +rules and particular orders. + +That a fair quay and wharf be left on all the river side, no houses to +be erected, but at a distance declared by the rules. That none of +those houses next the river be inhabited by brewers, dyers, or +sugar-bakers, who by their continual smokes contribute much to the +unhealthiness of the adjacent places; but that such places be allotted +them by the lord mayor and court of aldermen, as may be convenient for +them, without prejudice of the neighbourhood. + +That the lord mayor and court of aldermen cause an exact survey to be +made of the ruins, that it may appear to whom the houses and ground +did belong, what term the occupiers were possessed of, what rents were +paid, and to whom the reversions and inheritances did appertain, for +the satisfying all interests, that no man's right be sacrificed to the +public convenience. After which a plot and model shall be framed of +the whole building, which no doubt may so well please all persons, as +to induce them willingly to conform to such rules and orders as shall +be agreed to. + +His majesty likewise recommends the speedy building some of those many +churches which have been burnt, to the charity and magnanimity of +well-disposed persons, whom he will direct and assist in the model, +and by his bounty encourage all other ways that shall be desired. + +And to encourage the work by his example, his majesty will use all +expedition to rebuild the Custom House, and enlarge it for the more +convenience of the merchants, in the place where it formerly stood: +and upon all his own lands, will part with any thing of his own right +and benefit, for the advancement of the public benefit and beauty of +the city; and remit to all persons who shall erect any new buildings, +according to this his gracious declaration, all duties arising from +hearth-money for the space of seven years; as by the declaration +itself more at large appears. + +Whitehall, Sep. 18. This day was presented to his Majesty, by his +highness the Duke of York, Edmundbury Godfrey, Esq.; one of his +Majesty's justices of the peace for the county of Middlesex, and city +and liberty of Westminster, who, after the public thanks and +acknowledgment of his eminent services done in helping to suppress the +late fire in the city and liberty of London, received the honour of +knighthood. + +Whitehall, Sep. 29. This day, by warrant from his Majesty's principal +secretaries of state, the person of Valentine Knight was committed to +the custody of one of his Majesty's messengers in ordinary, for having +presumed to publish in print certain propositions for rebuilding the +city of London, with considerable advantages to his Majesty's revenue +by it, as if his Majesty would draw a benefit to himself from so +public a calamity of his people of which his Majesty is known to have +so deep sense, that he is pleased to seek rather by all means to give +them ease under it. + +Westminster, Sep. 28. This day the House of Commons resolved, that the +humble thanks of the house should be given his Majesty for his great +care and endeavour to prevent the burning of the city. + +Leghorn, Oct. 18. The merchants here, in consideration of the losses +sustained in London, by the late fire, have out of their charity, +raised near 300_l._ towards their relief, which they intend speedily +to return, to be distributed as his Majesty pleases. + +London, Oct. 29. This day Sir William Bolton, lord mayor for the year +ensuing, went in his coach to Westminster, attended by his brethren +the aldermen, the sheriffs, and other eminent citizens in their +coaches, where he was sworn with the usual ceremonies. + +Whitehall, Oct. 30. Sir Jonas Moore, with some other proprietors of +houses lately demolished by the fire, in Fleet-street, having prayed +liberty to rebuild the same, according to such model, form and +scantling as should be set them by the committee appointed by his +Majesty for the advancement of that great work, (to which they offered +with all willingness to submit and conform themselves); it was this +day ordered by his Majesty in council, that the said proprietors shall +have their liberty to re-edify their buildings accordingly. + +By Stat. 19 and 20 Car. 2, any three or more of the judges were +authorised to hear and determine all differences between landlords and +tenants, or occupiers of buildings or other things by the fire +demolished. They were, without the formalities of courts of law or +equity, upon the inquisition or verdict of jurors, testimonies of +witnesses upon oath, examination of persons interested, or otherwise, +to determine all differences: they were, in complaints, to issue out +notes of time and place for the parties' attendance, and proceed to +make orders: their determinations were final, without appeal, writ of +error, or reversal. Their orders were to be obeyed by all persons, and +binding to representatives for ever. The judgments and determinations +were recorded in a book by them signed: which book is placed and +intrusted in the custody of the lord mayor and aldermen for the time +being, to remain as a perpetual and lasting record. The judges were +not to take any fee or reward, directly or indirectly, for any thing +they did by virtue of that act. All differences not being determined, +the act was continued in force till Sept. 29, 1672. + +In gratitude to the memory of these judges, the city caused their +pictures, in full proportion in their scarlet robes, to be set up in +the Guildhall, with their names underneath, viz. + + Sir Heneage Finch, + Sir Orlando Bridgman, + Sir Matthew Hale, + Sir Richard Rainsford, + Sir Edward Turner, + Sir Thomas Tyrril, + Sir John Archer, + Sir William Morton, + Sir Robert Atkins, + Sir Samuel Brown, + Sir Edward Atkins, + Sir John Vaughan, + Sir John North, + Sir Thomas Twisden, + Sir Christopher Turner, + Sir William Wyld, + Sir Hugh Windham, + Sir William Ellys, + Sir Edward Thurland, + Sir Timothy Lyttleton, + Sir John Kelynge, + Sir William Windham. + +The city rose out of its ashes after the dreadful fire, as it was +first built, not presently, by building continued streets, in any one +part, but first here a house and there a house, to which others by +degrees were joined; till, at last, single houses were united into +whole streets; whole streets into one beautiful city; not merely, as +before, a great and magnificent city, for in a short time it not only +excelled itself, but any other city in the whole world that comes near +it, either in largeness, or number of inhabitants. + +The beginning of the year 1670, the city of London was rebuilt, with +more space and splendour than had been before seen in England. The +act for rebuilding it was drawn by Sir Matthew Hale, with so true +judgment and foresight, that the whole city was raised out of its +ashes without any suits of law; which if that bill had not prevented +them, would have brought a second charge on the city, not much less +than the fire itself had been. And upon that, to the amazement of all +Europe, London was, in four years' time, rebuilt with so much beauty +and magnificence, that they who saw it in both states, before and +after the fire, could not reflect on it, without wondering where the +wealth could be found to bear so vast a loss as was made by the fire, +and so prodigious an expense as was laid out in the rebuilding. This +good and great work was very much forwarded by Sir William Turner, +lord mayor, 1669. He was so much honoured and beloved, that at the end +of the year they chose him again; but he refused it, as being an +unusual thing. + +Whatever the unfortunate citizens of London suffered by this dreadful +fire, it is manifest, that a greater blessing could not have happened +for the good of posterity; for, instead of very narrow, crooked, and +incommodious streets, dark, irregular and ill-contrived wooden houses, +with their several stories jutting out, or hanging over each other, +whereby the circulation of the air was obstructed, noisome vapours +harboured, and verminious, pestilential atoms nourished, as is +manifest, by the city not being clear of the plague for twenty-five +years before, and only free from contagion three years in above +seventy; enlarging of the streets, and modern way of building, there +is such a free circulation of sweet air through the streets, that +offensive vapours are expelled, and the city freed from pestilential +symptoms: so that it may now justly be averred that there is no place +in the kingdom where the inhabitants enjoy a better state of health, +or live to a greater age, than the citizens of London. + + + + +SECTION III. + +VARIOUS OPINIONS CONCERNING THE CAUSES OF THE GREAT FIRE. + + +Whether the fire came casually, or on design, remains still a secret: +though the general opinion might be that it was casual, yet there were +presumptions on the other side of a very odd nature. Great calamities +naturally produce various conjectures; men seldom considering, that +the most stupendous effects often proceed from the most minute causes, +or most remote accidents. People failed not to give a scope to their +imagination, and to form guesses concerning the causes and authors of +this afflicting and astonishing misfortune. + +The king in his speech calls it "God's judgment;" the pious and +religious, and at first all other men, generally and naturally +ascribed it to the just vengeance of Heaven, on a city where vice and +immorality reigned so openly and shamefully, and which had not been +sufficiently humbled by the raging pestilence of the foregoing year. + +Sir Edward Turner, speaker of the House of Commons, at presenting +bills for the royal assent, says, "We must for ever with humility, +acknowledge the justice of God in punishing this whole nation by the +late dreadful conflagration of London." + +The act of common-council for rebuilding, says, "The fire was by all +justly resented as a most sad and dismal judgment of Heaven." + +But time soon produced abundance of suspicions and variety of opinions +concerning the means and instruments made use of. + +There were some so bold as even to suspect the king. Those reports, +and Oates's and Bedloe's narratives, are suppositions too monstrous, +and the evidence too wretchedly mean to deserve consideration. + +The citizens were not well satisfied with the Duke of York's +behaviour: they thought him a little too gay and negligent for such an +occasion; that his look and air discovered the pleasure he took in +that dreadful spectacle; on which account, a jealousy that he was +concerned in it was spread with great industry, but with very little +appearance of truth. + +Some suspected it was an insidious way of the Dutch and French making +war upon the English; their two fleets being then nearest to a +conjunction. What increased the suspicion was, that some criminals +that suffered were said to be under the direction of a committee at +London, and received orders from another council in Holland. + +Not long before the fire, the French sent the governor of Chousey in a +small boat with a letter to Major-General Lambert, then prisoner in +Guernsey, to offer him terms to contrive the delivery of that island +to them. + +Divers strangers, both French and Dutch, were apprehended, upon +suspicion, imprisoned, and strictly examined. It was said, a Dutch boy +of ten years old, confessed, that his father, his uncle, and himself, +had thrown fire-balls into the house where the fire began, through a +window which stood open. + +The English fleet had some time before landed on the Vly, an island +near the Texel, and burnt it; upon which some came to De Wit, and +offered, in revenge, if they were but assisted, to set London on fire; +but he rejected the [villanous] proposal; and thought no more on it +till he heard the city was burnt. + +The fire which laid so great part of London in ashes, gave a fresh +occasion to the enemies of the republicans to charge them with being +the malicious authors thereof; because the fire happened to break out +the third of September, a day esteemed fortunate to the republicans, +on account of the victories of Dunbar and Worcester, obtained by +Oliver Cromwell, when general of the armies of the commonwealth of +England. + +In the April before, some commonwealth men were found in a plot, and +hanged; and at their execution confessed, that they had been +requested, to assist in a design of firing London on the second of +September. + +At the trial of the conspirators at the Old Bailey, it appeared, a +design was laid to surprise the town and fire the city; the third of +September was pitched on for the attempt, as being found by Lilly's +almanack, and a scheme erected for that purpose, to be a lucky day. +The third of September was a day auspicious and full of expectation +from one party, but at this time ominous and direful to the nation. +The city was burnt at the time projected and prognosticated, which +gave a strong suspicion, though not a proof, of the authors and +promoters of it. + +The Dutch were pressed by the commonwealth men to invade England, and +were assured of powerful assistance, and hopes of a general +insurrection, but they would not venture in so hazardous a design. + +Though several persons were imprisoned, it was not possible to +discover, or prove, that the house where this dreadful calamity began, +was fired on purpose. Whether it was wilful or accidental was a long +time a party dispute. + +The great talk at that time was, who were the burners of the city? +some said it was contrived and carried on by a conspiracy of the +Papists and Jesuits, which was afterward offered to be made appear in +the popish plot. And there came in so many testimonies to prove that +it was the plotted weapon of the papists, as caused the parliament to +appoint a committee to enquire into it, and receive informations. + +By the dreadful fire in 1666, multitudes of people lost their estates, +goods and merchandizes; and many families, once in flourishing +circumstances, were reduced to beggary. From the inscription on the +plinth of the lower pedestal of the Monument, it appears that the +Papists were the authors of this fire; the Parliament being of this +persuasion, addressed the king to issue a proclamation, requiring all +Popish Priests and Jesuits to depart the kingdom within a month; and +appointed a committee, who received evidence of some Papists, who were +seen throwing fire-balls into houses, and of others who had materials +for it in their pockets. This sad disaster produced some kind of +liberty to the Non-conformists. + +A sudden and dreadful massacre of the Protestants was feared; and the +suspicion confirmed by particular kinds of knives found after the fire +in barrels. + +Several evidences were given to the committee that men were seen in +several parts of the city casting fire-balls into houses; some that +were brought to the guard of soldiers, and to the Duke of York, but +were never heard of afterwards. Some weeks after, Sir Robert Brooks, +chairman of the committee, went to France, and as he was ferried over +a river, was drowned, with a kinsman of his, and the business drowned +with him.[7] + +[Footnote 7: Oldmison, i. 547.] + +Oates, in his narrative, says: The dreadful fire in 1666 was +principally managed by Strange, the provincial of the Jesuits, in +which the society employed eighty or eighty-six men, and spent seven +hundred fire balls; and over all their vast expense, they were +fourteen thousand pounds gainers by the plunder; among which was a box +of jewels consisting of a thousand carats of diamonds. He farther +learned, that the fire in Southwark, in 1676, was brought about by the +like means; and though in that they were at the expense of a thousand +pounds, they made shift to get two thousand clear into their own +pockets.[8] + +[Footnote 8: Rapin, ii. 690.] + +Mr. Echard was told by an eminent prelate, that Dr. Grant, a Papist, +was strongly suspected, who having a share in the waterworks, +contrived, as is believed, to stop up the pipes the night before the +fire broke out, so that it was many hours before any water could be +got after the usual manner. + +Dr. Lloyd, afterward bishop of Worcester, told Dr. Burnet, that one +Grant, a Papist, had sometime before applied himself to Lloyd, who had +great interest with the Countess of Clarendon, (who had a large estate +in the new river, which is brought from Ware to London) and said he +could raise that estate considerably if she would make him a trustee +for her. His schemes were probable, and he was made one of the board +that governed that matter; and by that he had a right to come as +often as he pleased to view their works at Islington. He went thither +the Saturday before the fire broke out, and called for the key of the +place where the heads of the pipes were, and turned all the cocks, +which were then open, and stopped the water, and went away, and +carried the keys with him. When the fire broke out next morning, they +opened the pipes in the streets to find water, but there was none. +Some hours were lost in sending to Islington, where the doors were to +be broke open, and the cocks turned; and it was long before the water +got from Islington. Grant denied that he turned the cocks; but the +officer of the works affirmed that he had, according to order, set +them all a-running, and that no person had got the keys from him but +Grant; who confessed he had carried away the keys, but did it without +design. + +When we consider, several depositions were made after the fire, of its +breaking out in several different places at the same time, and that +one man confessed his setting fire to the houses where it began, when +he was executed for it: when we remember Bishop Lloyd's testimony +concerning Grant, we cannot easily be convinced that it was entirely +accidental. + +Bishop Kennet gives the following account: There was but one man tried +at the Old Bailey for being the incendiary, who was convicted by his +own confession, and executed for it. His name was Roger[9] Hubert, a +French Huguenot[10] of Rohan, in Normandy. Some people shammed away +this confession, and said he was _non compos mentis_; and had a mind, +it seems, to assume the glory of being hanged for the greatest +villain. Others say he was sober and penitent; and being, after +conviction, carried through the ruins to shew where he put fire, he +himself directed through the ashes and rubbish, and pointed at the +spot where the first burning house stood. + +[Footnote 9: Robert, according to Rapin.] + +[Footnote 10: Bishop Burnet and some others say he was a Papist.] + +The fire was generally charged on the Papists; one Hubert, a a +Frenchman, who was seized in Essex as he was flying to France, +confessed he had begun the conflagration. He was blindfolded, and +purposely conducted to wrong places, where he told them it was not the +spot where he began the flames; but when he was brought to the right, +he confessed that was the place where he threw the fire-ball into the +baker's house, the place where the fatal fire began, which he +persisted in to the last moments of his execution. He was hanged upon +no other evidence: though his broken account made some believe him +melancholy mad.[11] + +[Footnote 11: Burnet, Abr., 120.] + +But Oates several years afterwards informed the world the execrable +deed was performed by a knot of eighty jesuits, friars, and priests, +of several nations.[12] + +[Footnote 12: Howell, Impartial History of James II., i. 9.] + +After all examinations there was but one man tried for being the +incendiary, who confessing the fact, was executed for it: this was +Robert Hubert, a French Hugenot, of Rohan, in Normandy, a person +falsely said to be a Papist, but really a sort of lunatic, who by mere +accident was brought into England just before the breaking out of the +fire, but not landed till two days after, as appeared by the evidence +of Laurence Peterson, the master of the ship who had him on board.[13] + +[Footnote 13: Echard, i. 169.] + +It was soon after complained of, that Hubert was not sufficiently +examined who set him to work, and who joined with him. And Mr. Hawles, +in his remarks upon Fitzharris's trial is bold to say, that the +Commons resolving to examine Hubert upon that matter next day, Hubert +was hanged before the house sat, so could tell no farther tales. + +Lord Russell and Sir Henry Capel observed to the House of Commons +(1680) that those that were taken in carrying on that wicked act, were +generally discharged without trial. + +In 1679, the House of Commons were suddenly alarmed with an +information of a fresh design of the Papists to burn London a second +time. The house of one Bird, in Fetter-lane, being set on fire, his +servant Elizabeth Oxly, was suspected of firing it wilfully, and sent +to prison. She confessed the fact, and declared she had been employed +to do it by one Stubbs, a Papist, who had promised her five pounds. +Stubbs being taken up, confessed he persuaded her to do it, and that +Father Giffard, his confessor, put him upon it; telling him it was no +sin to burn all the houses of heretics. He added he had frequent +conferences on this affair with Giffard and two Irishmen. Stubbs and +the maid declared, the Papists were to make an insurrection, and +expected an army of sixty thousand men from France. It was generally +inferred from this incident, that it was not Giffard's fault (nor that +of his party), that the city of London was not burnt, as in the year +1666; and confirmed those in their opinion who thought that general +conflagration was the contrivance and work of the Papists. + +The hand of man was made use of in the beginning and carrying on of +this fire. The beginning of the fire at such a time when there had +been so much hot weather which had dried the houses, and made them the +more fit for fuel; the beginning of it in such a place, where there +were so many timber houses, and the shops filled with so much +combustible matter; and the beginning of it just when the wind did +blow so fiercely upon that corner toward the rest of the city, which +then was like tinder to the sparks; this doth smell of a popish +design, hatched in the same nest with the gunpowder plot. The world +sufficiently knows how correspondent this is to popish principles and +practices; they might, without any scruple of their kinds of +conscience, burn an heretical city, as they count it, into ashes: for +beside the dispensations they can have from his holiness (rather his +wickedness) it is not unlikely but they count such an action as this +meritorious. + +Lord Chancellor (Earl of Nottingham) in his speech in giving judgment +against Lord Viscount Stafford, said, "Who can doubt any longer that +London was burnt by Papists?" though there was not one word in the +whole trial relating to it. + +The inscription on the plinth of the lower pedestal of the Monument +has given an opportunity to the Reverend Mr. Crookshanks to say, it +appears that the Papists were the authors of the fire, and that the +Parliament being of the same persuasion, addressed the king. + +The inscription is in English: + +"This pillar was set up in perpetual remembrance of the most dreadful +burning of this protestant city, begun and carried on by the treachery +and malice of the popish faction, in the beginning of September, in +the year of our Lord 1666. In order to the carrying on their horrid +plot for extirpating the protestant religion and old English liberty, +and introducing popery and slavery."[14] + +[Footnote 14: Old. Hist. of the Church of Scotland, i. 207. +[Transcriber's Note: The marker for this footnote is missing in the +original; its location has been guessed.]] + +This inscription was erased by King James upon his succession to the +crown; but reinscribed presently after the revolution, in such deep +characters as are not easily to be blotted out. + +The latter part of the inscription on the north side (_Sed furor +papisticus, qui tam dira patravit, nondum restinguitur_) containing an +offensive truth, was erased at King James's accession, and reinscribed +soon after the revolution. + +Mr. Pope differs much in his opinion concerning these inscriptions, +when he says-- + + Where London's column, pointing at the skies, + Like a tall bully, rears its head, and lies. + +It seems wonderful (says the author of the Craftsman) that the plague +was not as peremptorily imputed to the Papists as the fire.[15] + +[Footnote 15: Seymour, i. 454. [Transcriber's Note: The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]] + +There was a general suspicion of incendiaries laying combustible stuff +in many places, having observed several houses to be on fire at the +same time: but we are told, God with his great bellows did blow upon +it, and made it spread quickly, and horrible flakes of fire mounted to +the skies. + +There was a strange concurrence of several natural causes which +occasioned the fire so vigorously to spread and increase. + +There was a great supineness and negligence in the people of the house +where it began: it began between one and two o'clock after midnight, +when all were in a dead sleep: on a Saturday night, when many of the +eminent citizens, merchants, and others, were retired into the +country, and left servants to look to their city houses: it happened +in the long vacation, at a time of year when many wealthy citizens are +wont to be in the country at fairs, or getting in debts, and making up +accounts with their chapmen. + +The houses where it began were mostly built of timber, and those very +old: the closeness and narrowness of the streets did much facilitate +the progress of the fire, and prevented the bringing in engines. The +wares and commodities stowed and vended in those parts were most +combustible of any other, as oil, pitch, tar, cordage, hemp, flax, +rosin, wax, butter, cheese, wine, brandy, sugar, and such like. + +The warmth of the preceding season had so dried the timber, that it +was never more apt to take fire; and an easterly wind (which is the +driest of all) had blown for several days together before, and at that +time very strongly. + +The unexpected failing of the water from the New River; the engine at +London-bridge called the Thames water-tower was out of order, and in a +few hours was itself burnt down, so that the pipes which conveyed the +water from thence through the streets, were soon empty. + +Beside, there was an unusual negligence at first, and a confidence of +easily quenching it, and of its stopping at several places afterward; +which at last turned into confusion, consternation, and despair; +people choosing rather by flight to save their goods, than by a +vigorous opposition to save their own houses and the whole city. + +Thus a small spark, from an unknown cause, for want of timely care, +increased to such a flame, that nothing could extinguish, which laid +waste the greatest part of the city in three days' time. + +The king in his speech to the parliament, says, "God be thanked for +our meeting together in this place: little time hath passed since we +were almost in despair of having this place left to meet in. You see +the dismal ruins the fire hath made: and nothing but a miracle of +God's mercy could have preserved what is left from the same +destruction." + +When the presumptions of the city's being burnt by design came to be +laid before a committee of the House of Commons, they were found of no +weight: and the many stories, published at that time with great +assurance, were declared void of credibility.[16] + +[Footnote 16: Echard, iii. 168. [Transcriber's Note: The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]] + +After all, it may perhaps be queried, whether the foregoing rumours +and examinations, though incongruous with each other, may not afford +some colour to a whisper, that the government itself was not without +some ground of suspicion of having been the secret cause of the +conflagration; to afford an opportunity of restoring the capital of +the nation, in a manner more secure from future contagion, more +generally wholesome for the inhabitants, more safe from fires, and +more beautiful on the whole, from the united effect of all these +salutary purposes. Such, however, has been the result of that +temporary disaster, whether accidental or not; and if intended, a more +pardonable instance of doing evil that good may come of it, cannot +perhaps be produced.[17] + +[Footnote 17: Burnet, Abr. 121. [Transcriber's Note: The marker for +this footnote is missing in the original; its location has been +guessed.]] + + + + +SECTION IV. + +OF THE MONUMENT. + + +The Act of Parliament 19 and 20 Car. II., enacts, that--The better to +preserve the memory of this dreadful visitation, a column or pillar of +brass or stone be erected on, or as near unto the place where the fire +unhappily began, as conveniently may be; in perpetual remembrance +thereof: with such inscription thereon as the lord mayor and court of +aldermen shall direct. + +In obedience to which act, the fine piece of architecture, called The +Monument, was erected, at the expense of fourteen thousand five +hundred pounds; it is the design of the great Sir Christopher Wren, +and undoubtedly the finest modern column in the world, and in some +respects may vie with the most famous of antiquity, being twenty-four +feet higher than Trajan's pillar at Rome. It is of the Doric order, +fluted; its altitude, two hundred and two feet from the ground; +greatest diameter of the body fifteen feet; the ground bounded by the +plinth or lower part of the pedestal, twenty-eight feet square; and +the pedestal is in altitude forty feet; all of Portland stone. Within, +is a large staircase of black marble, containing three hundred and +forty-five steps, ten inches and a half broad, and six inches risers; +a balcony within thirty-two feet from the top, whereon is a spacious +and curious gilded flame, very suitable to the intent of the whole +column. + +On the front or west side of the die of the pedestal of this +magnificent column is finely carved a curious emblem of this tragical +scene, by the masterly hand of Mr. Gabriel Cibber. The eleven +principal figures are in alto, the rest in basso relievo. + +At the north end of the plain the city is represented in flames, and +the inhabitants in consternation, their arms extended upward, crying +for succour. A little nearer the horizon, the arms, cap of +maintenance, and other ensigns of the city's grandeur, partly buried +under the ruins. On the ruins, lies the figure of a woman crowned with +a castle, her breasts pregnant, and in her hand a sword; representing +the strong, plentiful, and well-governed city of London in distress. +The king is represented on a place ascended to by three steps, +providing by his power and prudence for the comfort of his citizens +and ornament of his city. On the steps stand three women: 1. Liberty, +having in her right hand a hat, wherein the word Liberty, denoting the +freedom or liberty given those who engaged three years in the work. 2. +Ichnographia, with rule and compasses in one hand, and a scroll in the +other; near her, the emblem of Industry, a beehive. 3. Imagination, +holding the emblem of Invention. All which intimate, that the speedy +re-erection of the city was principally owing to liberty, imagination, +contrivance, art, and industry. There is the figure of time raising +the woman in distress, and Providence with a winged hand containing an +eye, promising peace and plenty, by pointing to those two figures in +the clouds. Behind the king, the work is going forward. Under the +king's feet appears Envy enraged at the prospect of success, and +blowing flames out of his mouth. The figure of a lion, with one +fore-foot tied up, and the muzzle of a cannon, denote this deplorable +misfortune to have happened in time of war; and Mars, with a chaplet +in his hand, is an emblem of approaching peace. Round the cornice are +noble enrichments of trophy work, sword, the king's arms, cap of +maintenance, &c., at the angles, four very large dragons, the +supporters of the city arms. + +On this column of perpetual remembrance the lord mayor and court of +aldermen have ordered inscriptions to be cut in Latin: + +That on the north side, describes the desolation of the city in ashes; +and is thus translated: + +In the year of Christ 1666, the second day of September, eastward from +hence at the distance of two hundred and two feet, (the height of this +column) about midnight, a most terrible fire broke out, which, driven +by a high wind, not only wasted the adjacent parts, but also places +very remote, with incredible noise and fury: it consumed eighty-nine +churches, the city gates, Guildhall, many public structures, +hospitals, schools, libraries, a vast number of stately edifices, +thirteen thousand two hundred dwelling houses, four hundred streets; +of twenty-six wards, it entirely consumed fifteen, and left eight +others shattered and half burnt; the ruins of the city were four +hundred and thirty-six acres, from the Tower by the Thames side to the +Temple church, and from the north-east gate of the city wall to +Holborn-bridge: to the estates and fortunes of the citizens it was +merciless, but to their lives very favourable[18]; that it might in +all things resemble the last conflagration of the world. + +[Footnote 18: It was a very miraculous circumstance, amidst all this +destruction and public confusion, no person was known either to be +burnt, or trodden to death in the streets.] + +The destruction was sudden, for in a small space of time, the same +city, was seen most flourishing, and reduced to nothing. + +Three days after, when this fatal fire had baffled all human councils +and endeavours, in the opinions of all, as it were by the will of +heaven, it stopped, and on every side was extinguished. + +The south side describes the glorious restoration of the city, and has +been thus translated:-- + +Charles the Second, son of Charles the Martyr, King of Great Britain, +France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, a most gracious prince, +commiserating the deplorable state of things, while the ruins were +yet smoking, provided for the comfort of his citizens, and the +ornament of his city; remitted their taxes, and referred the petitions +of the magistrates and inhabitants to the parliament, who immediately +passed an act, that public buildings should be restored to greater +beauty with public money, to be raised by an imposition on coals; that +churches, and the cathedral of St. Paul's, should be rebuilt from +their foundations with all magnificence; that bridges, gates, and +prisons should be made new; the sewers cleansed; the streets made +straight and regular; such as were steep, levelled, and those too +narrow, made wider; markets and shambles removed to separate places. +They also enacted, that every house should be built with party walls, +and all in front raised of equal height, and those walls all of square +stone or brick; and that no man should delay beyond the space of seven +years. Moreover, care was taken by law to prevent all suits about +their bounds. Also, anniversary prayers were enjoined;[19] and to +perpetuate the memory hereof to posterity, they caused this column to +be erected. The work was carried on with diligence, and London is +restored; but whether with greater speed or beauty may be made a +question. Three years' time saw that finished which was supposed to be +the business of an age. + +[Footnote 19: By statute 19 and 20, Car. II., it is enacted, That the +citizens of London, and their successors for the time to come, may +retain the memory of so sad a desolation, and reflect seriously on the +manifold iniquities, which are the unhappy causes of such judgments: +be it therefore enacted, that the second day of September (unless the +same happen to be Sunday, and if so, then the next day following) be +yearly for ever hereafter observed as a day of fasting and humiliation +within the said city and liberties thereof, to implore the mercy of +Almighty God upon the said city; to make devout prayers and +supplications unto him, to divert the like calamity for the time to +come.] + +The east side, over the door, has an inscription, thus Englished: + +This pillar was begun, Sir Richard Ford, knight, being lord mayor of +London, in the year 1671: carried on in the mayoralties of Sir George +Waterman, knight; Sir Robert Hanson, knight; Sir William Hooker, +knight; Sir Robert Viner, knight; Sir Joseph Sheldon, knight; and +finished, Sir Thomas Davis, knight, being lord mayor, in the year +1677. + +The inscription on the plinth of the lower pedestal is in page 245. + +On a stone in front of the house built on the spot where the fire +began, there was (very lately) the following inscription: + +"Here, by the permission of Heaven, hell broke loose on this +protestant city, from the malicious hearts of barbarous Papists, by +the hand of their agent, Hubert, who confessed, and on the ruins of +this place declared his fact, for which he was hanged, viz.:--That he +here began the dreadful fire, which is described and perpetuated on +and by the neighbouring pillar. Erected 1680, in the mayorality of Sir +Patience Ward, knight." + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE GREAT +AND TERRIBLE FIRE OF LONDON, SEPT. 2ND 1666*** + + +******* This file should be named 37489.txt or 37489.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/7/4/8/37489 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://www.gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: +http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + diff --git a/37489.zip b/37489.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..265404e --- /dev/null +++ b/37489.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..688df98 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #37489 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37489) |