THE LONDON GAZETTE.
Published by Authority.
From Monday, Septemb 3, to Monday, Septemp 10, 1666.
THE ordinary course or this paper having been interuppted by a sad and lamentable accident of Fire lately hapned in the City of London: it hath been thought fit for satisfying the minds of so many or his Majesties good Subjects who must needs he concerned for the Issue of so great an accident, to give this short, but true Accompt of it.
On the second. instant, at one of the clock in the Morning, there hapned to break out, a sad indeplorable Fire in Pudding-lane, neer New Fish-street, which calling our in that hour or 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 distinction 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 formented it, and kept it burning all that day, and the night following spreading itself up to Grace-church-street and downwards from Cannon-street to the Water-side, as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintery.
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 uniting great Intervals, our all in rain, the Fire seizing upon the Timber and Rubbish, and so continuing it set even through those Spaces, and raging in a bright flame all Monday and Tuesday, not withstanding His Majestics own, and His Royal Highness's infesatigable and personall pains to npply all possible remedies to prevent it, calling upon and helping the people with their Guards; and a great number of Nobility and Gentry unwearidly assisting therein, for which they were requited with a thousand blessings from the poor distressed people. By the favour or God the Wind slackened a little on Tuesday night & the Flames meeting him 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, neer Holborn-bridge, Pie-corner, Aldersgate, Cripple-gate, neer the lower end of Coleman-street, at the end of Bishopsgate-street and Leadenhall-street, at the Standard in Cornhill at the church in Fenchurch-street, neer Cloth-Workers Hall in Mincing-Lane, at the middle or 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 a fresh at the Temple, by the falling of some sparks (as is supposed) upon a Pile or 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, apprahended, upon suspicion that they contributed mischievously to it, who are all imprisoned, and Informations prepared to make a. severe inquisition hero upon by my lord Chief Justice Kelling, assisted by some of this Lords of the Privy Council; and some principal Members of the city, notwithstanding which suspicion, the trumpet or the burning all long in a Train, and so blowen forwards in all its way by strong Winds, make us conclude the whole was an affect of an unhappy chance, or to spank better, the heavy hand or God upon us for our sins, shewing us the torrour at his Judgment in thus raising the Fire, and immediately shot his miraculous and never to be acknowledged Mercy, in putting a stop to it when we were in the last despair, and that all attempts for quenching it however industriously pursued seemed insufficient. His Majesty then set hourly in Councel, and ever since hath continued making rounds about the City in all parts at it where the danger and mischief was greatest, till this morning that he hath sent his Grace the Duke of Albermale, 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 or plucking down the Houses to secure the Magazines or Powder was more especially sucsessful, that part being up the wind, notwithstanding which it came almost to the Very Gates or it. So as by this early provision the general Stores of War lodged in the Tower were entirely saved: And we have further this intimate cause to give God thanks, that the Fire did not happen where
