An Historical Narrative of the Great and Terrible Fire of London, Sept. 2nd 1666 — John Shaqi
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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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