Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Tiffany Vergon, S.R. Ellison, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. WHEN LONDON BURNED BY G. A. HENTY PREFACE We are accustomed to regard the Reign of Charles II. as one of the most inglorious periods of English History; but this was far from being the case. It is true that the extravagance and profligacy of the Court were carried to a point unknown before or since, forming,--by the indignation they excited among the people at large,--the main cause of the overthrow of the House of Stuart. But, on the other hand, the nation made extraordinary advances in commerce and wealth, while the valour of our sailors was as conspicuous under the Dukes of York and Albemarle, Prince Rupert and the Earl of Sandwich, as it had been under Blake himself, and their victories resulted in transferring the commercial as well as the naval supremacy of Holland to this country. In spite of the cruel blows inflicted on the well-being of the country, alike by the extravagance of the Court, the badness of the Government, the Great Plague, and the destruction of London by fire, an extraordinary extension of our trade occurred during the reign of Charles II. Such a period, therefore, although its brilliancy was marred by dark shadows, cannot be considered as an inglorious epoch. It was ennobled by the bravery of our sailors, by the fearlessness with which the coalition of France with Holland was faced, and by the spirit of enterprise with which our merchants and traders seized the opportunity, and, in spite of national misfortunes, raised England in the course of a few years to the rank of the greatest commercial power in the world. G. A. HENTY. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. FATHERLESS II. A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER III. A THIEF SOMEWHERE IV. CAPTURED V. KIDNAPPED VI. A NARROW ESCAPE VII. SAVED FROM A VILLAIN VIII. THE CAPTAIN'S YARN IX. THE FIRE IN THE SAVOY X. HOW JOHN WILKES FOUGHT THE DUTCH XI. PRINCE RUPERT XII. NEW FRIENDS XIII. THE BATTLE OF LOWESTOFT XIV. HONOURABLE SCARS XV. THE PLAGUE XVI. FATHER AND SON XVII. SMITTEN DOWN XVIII. A STROKE OF GOOD FORTUNE XIX. TAKING POSSESSION XX. THE FIGHT OFF DUNKIRK XXI. LONDON IN FLAMES XXII. AFTER THE FIRE ILLUSTRATIONS "WITH GREAT RAPIDITY THE FLAMES SPREAD FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE" "DON'T CRY, LAD; YOU WILL GET ON BETTER WITHOUT ME" "THIS IS MY PRINCE OF SCRIVENERS, MARY" "ROBERT ASHFORD, KNIFE IN HAND, ATTACKED JOHN WILKES WITH FURY" "CYRIL SAT UP AND DRANK OFF THE CONTENTS OF THE PANNIKIN" "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, SIR, DO NOT CAUSE TROUBLE" "TAKE HER DOWN QUICK, JOHN, THERE ARE THREE OTHERS" "CYRIL RAISED THE KING'S HAND TO HIS LIPS" "A DUTCH MAN-OF-WAR RAN ALONGSIDE AND FIRED A BROADSIDE" "FOR THE LAST TIME: WILL YOU SIGN THE DEED?" "WELCOME BACK TO YOUR OWN AGAIN, SIR CYRIL!" "WHAT NEWS, JAMES?" THE KING ASKED EAGERLY