trade; they begin to fear whom they converse withal, and deal
withal, lest they should have come out of infected places. Now roses
and other sweet flowers wither in the gardens, are disregarded in
the markets, and people dare not offer them to their noses lest with
their sweet savour, that which is infectious should be attracted:
rue and wormwood are taken into the hand; myrrh and zedoary into the
mouth; and without some antidote few stir abroad in the morning. Now
many houses are shut up where the plague comes, and the inhabitants
shut in, lest coming abroad they should spread infection. It was
very dismal to behold the red crosses, and read in great letters,
LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US, on the doors, and watchmen standing before
them with halberts; and such a solitude about those places, and
people passing by them so gingerly, and with such fearful looks as
if they had been lined with enemies in ambush, that waited to
destroy them.
Now rich tradesmen provide themselves to depart; if they have not
country-houses they seek lodgings abroad for themselves and
families, and the poorer tradesmen, that they may imitate the rich
in their fear, stretch themselves to take a country journey, though
they have scarce wherewithal to bring them back again. The ministers
also (many of them) take occasion to go to their country-places for
the summer time; or (it may be) to find out some few of their
parishioners that were gone before them, leaving the greatest part
of their flock without food or physic, in the time of their greatest
need. (I don't speak of all ministers, those which did stay out of
choice and duty, deserve true honour.) Possibly they might think God
was now preaching to the city, and what need their preaching? or
rather did not the thunder of God's voice affrighten their guilty
consciences and make them fly away, lest a bolt from heaven should
fall upon them, and spoil their preaching for the future; and
therefore they would reserve themselves till the people had less
need of them. I do not blame any citizens retiring, when there was
so little trading, and the presence of all might have helped forward
the increase and spreading of the infection; but how did guilt drive
many away, where duty would have engaged them to stay in the place?
Now the highways are thronged with passengers and goods, and London
doth empty itself into the country; great are the stirs and hurries
in London by the removal of so many families; fear puts many
thousands on the wing, and those think themselves most safe, that
can fly furthest off from the city.
In August how dreadful is the increase: from 2010, the number
amounts up to 2817 in one week; and thence to 3880 the next; thence
to 4237 the next; thence to 6102 the next; and all these of the
plague, besides other diseases.
Now the cloud is very black, and the storm comes down upon us very
sharp. Now Death rides triumphantly on his pale horse through our
streets; and breaks into every house almost, where any inhabitants
are to be found. Now people fall as thick as leaves from the trees
in autumn, when they are shaken by a mighty wind. Now there is a
dismal solitude in London's streets, every day looks with the face
of a Sabbath day, observed with greater solemnity than it used to be
in the city. Now shops are shut in, people rare and very few that
walk about, insomuch that the grass begins to spring up in some
places, and a deep silence almost in every place, especially within
the walls; no rattling coaches, no prancing horses, no calling in
customers, nor offering wares; no London Cries sounding in the ears:
if any voice be heard, it is the groans of dying persons, breathing
forth their last: and the funeral knells of them that are ready to
be carried to their graves. Now shutting up of visited houses (there
being so many) is at an end, and most of the well are mingled among
the sick, which otherwise would have got no help. Now in some places
where the people did generally stay, not one house in a hundred but
is infected; and in many houses half the family is swept away; in
some the whole, from the eldest to the youngest; few escape with the
death of but one or two; never did so many husbands and wives die
together; never did so many parents carry their children with them
to the grave, and go together into the same house under earth, who
had lived together in the same house upon it. Now the nights are too
short to bury the dead; the long summer days are spent from morning
unto the twilight in conveying the vast number of dead bodies unto
the bed of their graves.
THE FIRE (1666).
By the terrible conflagration of 1666, the whole of the City was
destroyed, except a narrow circle round its boundaries. It is not at all
difficult to account for the outbreak: the closeness of the streets, the
wooden structure of the houses, the number of families occupying the
same house, the common use of wood for fuel—all these circumstances were
favourable to the origin and spread of the flames. But obvious as these
causes were, there was evidenced an enormous anxiety to fix the blame
upon some unpopular party, and wildly improbable and grossly exaggerated
accounts were given. The republican party were first charged with the
crime of setting fire to the City; then the Dutch were believed to be
the authors. In neither case was there any shadow of reasonable proof.
In the end it was fixed upon the Papists, on the strength of a single
confession of a mad Frenchman, who told a ridiculous and contradictory
story of a Roman Catholic conspiracy; only the extraordinary temper of
the times can explain the credulity with which this story in common with
many others concerning Roman Catholics was received. Although the
slander could not stand examination, it was inscribed on the Monument,
and remained there during the whole of the eighteenth century. (_See_
1681, Popish Panic.)
=Sources.=—(_a_) Pepys' _Diary_;
(_b_) _London Gazette_, September 8, 1666.
(_a_) _September 2, 1666._—Some of our mayds sitting up late last
night to get things ready against our feast to-day, Jane called us
up about three in the morning, to tell us of the great fire they saw
in the city. So I rose and slipped on my nightgowne, and went to her
window, and thought it to be on the back-side of Marke-lane at the
farthest; but, being unused to such fires as followed, I thought it
to be far enough off; and so went to bed again and to sleep. About
seven rose again to dress myself, and there looked out of the
window, and saw the fire not so much as it was and further off. So
to my closett to set things right after yesterday's cleaning. By and
by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have
been burned down to night by the fire we saw, and that it is now
burning down all Fish-Street by London Bridge. So I made myself
ready presently, and walked to the Tower; ... and there I did see
the houses at the end of the bridge all on fire, and an infinite
great fire on this and the other side the end of the bridge; which,
among other people, did trouble me for poor little Michell and our
Sarah on the bridge. So down, with my heart full of trouble, to the
Lieutenant of the Tower, who tells me it begun this morning in the
King's baker's house in Pudding Lane, and that it hath burned St.
Magnus's Church and most part of Fish-Street already. So I down to
the waterside, and there got a boat and through bridge, and there
saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's house, as far as the Old Swan,
already burned that way, and the fire running further, that in a
very little time it got as far as the Steele-yard, while I was
there. Everybody endeavouring to remove their goods, and flinging
into the river or bringing them into lighters that lay off; poor
people staying in the houses as long as till the very fire touched
them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of
stairs by the water side to another. And among other things, the
poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave their houses, but
hovered about the windows and balconys till they burned their wings,
and fell down.
Having staid, and in an hour's time seen the fire rage every way,
and nobody, to my sight, endeavouring to quench it, but to remove
their goods, and leave all to the fire, and having seen it get as
far as Steele-yard; and the wind mighty high and driving it into the
City; and everything, after so long a drought, proving combustible,
even the very stones of the churches, and among other things, the
poor steeple by which pretty Mrs. ⸺ lives, and whereof my old
school-fellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in the very top, and
there burned till it fell down: to White Hall ... and there up to
the King's closett in the Chappell, where people come about me, and
I did give them an account that dismayed them all, and word was
carried in to the King. So I was called for, and did tell the King
and the Duke of York what I saw, and that unless his Majesty did
command houses to be pulled down nothing could stop the fire. They
seemed much troubled, and the King commanded me to go to my Lord
Mayor from him, and commanded him to spare no houses, but to pull
down before the fire every way. The Duke of York bid me tell him
that if he would have any more soldiers he shall; and so did my Lord
Arlington afterwards, as a great secret. Here meeting with Captain
Cocke, I in his coach, which he lent me, and Creed with me to
Paul's, and there walked along Watling-street as well as I could,
every creature coming away loaden with goods to save, and here and
there sicke people carried away in beds. Extraordinary good goods
carried in carts or on backs. At last met my Lord Major in
Canning-street, like a man spent, with a handkercher about his neck.
To the King's message he cried, like a fainting woman, "Lord, what
can I do? I am spent; people will not obey me. I have been pulling
down houses; but the fire overtakes us faster than we can do it."
That he needed no more soldiers; and that, for himself, he must go
and refresh himself, having been up all night. So he left me, and I
him, and walked home, seeing people all almost distracted, and no
manner of means used to quench the fire. The houses, too, so very
thick thereabouts, and full of matter for burning, as pitch and tar,
in Thames-street; and ware houses of oyle, and wines, and brandy,
and other things. Here I saw Mr. Isaake Houblon, the handsome man,
prettily dressed and dirty, at his door at Dow-gate, receiving some
of his brother's things, whose houses were on fire; and, as he says,
have been removed twice already; and he doubts (as it soon proved)
that they must be in a little time removed from his house also,
which was a sad consideration. And to see the churches all filling
with goods by people who themselves should have been quietly there
at this time. By this time it was about twelve o'clock; and so
home....
While at dinner Mrs. Batelier came to enquire after Mr Woolfe and
Stanes ... whose houses in Fish-Street are all burned, and they in a
sad condition. She would not stay in the fright. Soon as dined, I
and Moone away, and walked through the City, the streets full of but
people and horses and carts loaden with goods, ready to run over one
another, and removing goods from one burned house to another. They
now removing out of Canning-Street (which received goods in the
morning) into Lumbard-Street, and further; and among others I now
saw my little gold-smith, Stokes, receiving some friends goods,
whose house itself was burned the day after.
We parted at Paul's; he home, and I to Paul's Wharf, where I had
appointed a boat to attend me, and took in Mr. Carcasse and his
brother, whom I met in the streete, and carried them below and above
bridge to ... see the fire, which was now got further, both below
and above, and no likelihood of stopping it. Met with the King and
Duke of York in their barge, and with them to Queenhithe, and there
called Sir Richard Browne to them. Their order was only to pull down
houses apace, and so below bridge at the water side; but little was
or could be done, the fire coming upon them so fast. Good hopes
there were of stopping it at the Three Cranes above, and at
Buttolph's Wharf below bridge, if care be used; but the wind carries
it into the City, so as we know not by the water-side what it do
there. River full of lighters and boats taking in goods, and good
goods swimming in the water, and only I observed that hardly one
lighter or boat in three that had the goods of a house in, but there
was a pair of Virginalls in it.
Having seen as much as I could now, I away to Whitehall by
appointment and there walked to St. James's Parke, and there met my
wife and Creed and Wood and his wife and walked to my boat; and
there upon the water again, and to the fire up and down, it still
increasing, and the wind great. So near the fire as we could for
smoke; and all over the Thames, with one's face in the wind, you
were almost burned with a shower of fire-drops. This is very true;
so as houses were burned by these drops and flakes of fire, three or
four, nay, five or six houses, one from another. When we could
endure no more upon the water, we to a little ale-house on the
Bankside, over against the three Cranes, and there staid till it was
dark almost, and saw the fire grow; and, as it grew darker, appeared
more and more, and in corners and upon steeples, and between
churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the City,
in a most horrid malicious bloody flame, not like the fine flame of
an ordinary fire.... We staid till, it being darkish, we saw the
fire as only one entire arch of fire from this to the other side of
the bridge, and in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a mile
long; it made me weep to see it. The church, houses, and all on fire
and flaming at once; and a horrid noise the flames made, and the
cracking of houses at their ruine. So home with a sad heart, and
there find everybody discursing and lamenting the fire: and poor Tom
Hater come with some few of his goods saved out of his house, which
is burned upon Fish-Street Hill. I invited him to lie at my house,
and receive his goods, but was deceived in his lying there; so as we
were forced to begin to pack up our owne goods, and prepare for
their removal; and did by moonshine (it being brave dry, and
moonshine, and warm weather) carry much of my goods into the garden,
and Mr. Hater and I did remove my money and iron chests into my
cellar, as thinking that the safest place. And got ready my bags of
gold into my office, ready to carry away, and my chief papers of
accounts also there, and my tallys into a box by themselves. So
great was our fear, as Sir W. Batten hath carts come out of the
country to fetch away his goods this night. We did put Mr. Hater,
poor man, to bed a little; but he got but very little rest, so much
noise being in my house, taking down of goods.
_September 3rd._—About four o'clock in the morning, my Lady Batten
sent me a cart to carry away all my money, and plate, and best
things, to Sir W. Rider's at Bednall Green, which I did riding
myself in my night-gowne in the cart; and, Lord! to see how the
streets and highways are crowded with people running and riding, and
getting of carts at any rate to fetch away things. I find Sir W.
Rider tired with being called up all night, and receiving things
from several friends. His house full of goods, and much of Sir W.
Batten's and Sir W. Penn's. I am eased at my heart to have my
treasure so well secured. Then home, with much ado to find a way,
nor any sleep at all this night to me nor my poor wife.
(_b_) On the second instant, at one of the clock of the morning,
there happened to break out, a sad and deplorable fire, in
Pudding-lane near 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 this 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, and kept it burning all that day, and the
night following, spreading itself up to Gracechurch Street, and
downwards from Cannon Street to the water-side, as far as the Three
Cranes in the Vintrey.
The people in all parts about it distracted by the vastness of it,
and their particular care 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
spaces, and raging in a bright flame all Monday and Tuesday,
notwithstanding his majesties own, and his royal highness's
indefatigable and personal pains to apply all possible remedies to
prevent it, calling upon and helping the people with their guards,
and a great number of nobility and gentry unwearied 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 despairing or 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, Pie-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, at 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 unhappily burst out again
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 that whole night in person, by the great labours and diligence
used, and especially by applying powder to blow up the houses about
it, before day most happily mastered it.
Divers strangers, Dutch and French were, during the fire,
apprehended, upon suspicion that they contributed mischievously to
it, who are all imprisoned, and informations prepared to make a
severe inquisition thereupon 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 forwards in
all its way 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.
A PROCLAMATION OF CHARLES II. (1666).
It seems clear from this proclamation that the King and his advisers not
only realised the faults and dangers of the recently destroyed City, but
entertained worthy and lofty ideals for its re-erection. Ingenious
schemes were not lacking, and only a strong and firm and enthusiastic
government was required to insure the building of a beautiful, safe, and
convenient city to replace the old picturesque, but dangerous,
unhealthy, and crowded buildings. However, royal favour and public
convenience could not prevail against "vested interests"; and most of
the pious hopes of Charles, and the plans of enlightened architects and
others, were not fulfilled.
Charles, R.—As no particular man hath sustained any loss or damage
by the late terrible and deplorable fire in his fortune or estate,
in any degree to be compared with the loss and damage we ourself
have sustained, so it is not possible for any man to take the same
more to heart, and to be more concerned and solicitous for the
rebuilding this famous city with as much expedition as is possible;
and since it hath pleased God to lay this heavy judgment upon us all
in this time, as an evidence of his displeasure for our sins, we do
comfort ourself with some hope, that he will, upon our due
humiliation before him, as a new instance of his signal blessing
upon us, give us life, not only to see the foundations laid, but the
buildings finished, of a much more beautiful city than is at this
time consumed.
In the first place, the woeful experience in this late heavy
visitation hath sufficiently convinced all men of the pernicious
consequences which have attended the building with timber, and even
with stone itself, and the notable benefit of brick, which in so
many places hath resisted and even extinguished the fire: and we do
therefore hereby declare our express will and pleasure that no man
whatsoever shall presume to erect any house or building, great or
small, but of brick or stone; and if any man shall do the contrary,
the next magistrate shall forthwith cause it to be pulled down, and
such further course shall be taken for his punishment as he
deserves. And we suppose that the notable benefit many men have
received from those cellars which have been well and strongly
arched, will persuade most men, who build good houses, to practise
that good husbandry, by arching all convenient places.
We do declare, that Fleet Street, Cheapside, Cornhill, and all other
eminent and notorious streets, shall be of such a breadth, as may,
with God's blessing, prevent the mischief that one side may suffer
if the other be on fire, which was the case lately in Cheapside; the
precise breadth of which several streets shall be, upon advice with
the lord mayor and aldermen, shortly published, with many other
particular orders and rules, which cannot yet be adjusted: in the
mean time we resolve, though all streets cannot be of all equal
breadth, yet none shall be so narrow as to make the passage uneasy
or inconvenient, especially towards the water-side; nor will we
suffer any lanes or alleys to be erected, but where, upon mature
deliberation, the same shall be found absolutely necessary; except
such places shall be set aside, which shall be designed only for
buildings of that kind, and from whence no public mischief may
probably arise.
The irreparable damage and loss by the late fire being, next to the
hand of God in the terrible wind, to be imputed to the place in
which it first broke out, amongst small timber houses standing so
close together, that as no remedy could be applied from the river
for the quenching thereof, to the contiguousness of the buildings
hindering and keeping all possible relief from the land-side, we do
resolve and declare, that there shall be a fair key or wharf on all
the river-side; that no house shall be erected within so many feet
of the river, as shall be within few days declared in the rules
formerly mentioned; nor shall there be in those buildings which
shall be erected next the river, which we desire may be fair
structures, for the ornament of the city, any houses to be inhabited
by brewers, or dyers, or sugar-bakers; which trades, by their
continual smokes, contribute very much to the unhealthiness of the
adjacent places; but we require the lord mayor and aldermen of
London, upon a full consideration, and weighing all conveniences and
inconveniences that can be foreseen, to propose such a place as may
be fit for all those trades which are carried on by smoke to inhabit
together, or at least several places for the several quarters of the
town for those occupations, and in which they shall find their
account in convenience and profit, as well as other places shall
receive the benefit in the distance of the neighbourhood; it being
our purpose, that they who exercise those necessary professions,
shall be in all respects as well provided for and encouraged as ever
they have been, and undergo as little prejudice as may be by being
less inconvenient to their neighbours.