An Historical Narrative of the Great and Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666Harvey, Gideon
History
An Historical Narrative of the Great and Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666
Harvey, Gideon
Great Fire, London, England, 1666 -- Early works to 1800
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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