Volume II Part 3 (1/2)

The coal and harfs, and azines of oil, rosin, etc, did infinite mischief, so as the invective which a little before I had dedicated to his Majesty and published,[5] giving warning what probablythose shops to be in the city was looked upon as a prophecy

[Footnote 5: The _Fuiue's Fields, and Moorfields, as far as Highgate, and several miles in circle, some under tents, so, or any necessary utensils, bed or board, who from delicateness, riches, and easy accommodations in stately and well-furnished houses, were now reduced to extreme misery and poverty

In this calamitous condition, I returned with a sad heart tomercy of God to me and mine, who, in the midst of all this ruin, was like Lot, in my little Zoar, safe and sound

6th September, 1666 Thursday I represented to his Majesty the case of the French prisoners at war in ht be still the sauous to unseized houses It is not indeed iilance and activity of the King and the Duke was, even laboring in person, and being present to coe workained theirs Having, then, disposed of some under cure at the Savoy, I returned to Whitehall, where I dined at Mr Offley's, the groom-porter, as my relation

[Sidenote: LONDON]

7th Septe on foot froh the late Fleet street, Ludgate hill by St

Paul's, Cheapside, Exchange, Bishops-gate, Aldersgate, and out to Moorfields, thence through Cornhill, etc, with extraordinary difficulty, cla rubbish, and frequently round under my feet so hot, that it even burnt the soles of ot to the Tower by water, to de built entirely about it, had they taken fire and attacked the White Tohere the azine of powder lay, would undoubtedly not only have beaten down and destroyed all the bridge, but sunk and torn the vessels in the river, and rendered the demolition beyond all expression for several miles about the country

At oodly Church, St Paul's--now a sad ruin, and that beautiful portico (for structure co before repaired by the late King) now rent in pieces, flakes of large stones split asunder, and nothing re by whom it was built, which had not one letter of it defaced! It was astonishi+ng to see what immense stones the heat had in a manner calcined, so that all the ornaments, columns, friezes, capitals, and projectures of massy Portland stone, flew off, even to the very roof, where a sheet of lead covering a great space (no less than six acres by measure) was totally , broke into St Faith's, which being filled with theto the Stationers, and carried thither for safety, they were all consu It is also observable that the lead over the altar at the east end was untouched, and a the divers monuments the body of one bishop remained entire Thus lay in ashes that most venerable church, one of the most ancient pieces of early piety in the Christian world, besides near one hundred more The lead, ironwork, bells, plate, etc, ht Mercers' Chapel, the suust fabric of Christ Church, all the rest of the Cos, arches, entries, all in dust; the fountains dried up and ruined, while the very waters reos of subterranean cellars, wells, and dungeons, for in stench and dark clouds of s about I did not see one load of timber unconsumed, nor many stones but ere calcined white as snow

The people, who noalked about the ruins, appeared like reat city laid waste by a cruel enemy; to which was added the stench that came from sooods Sir Thoh fallen froe, res since the Conquest were broken to pieces

Also the standard in Cornhill, and Queen Elizabeth's effigies, with soate, continued with but little detries, bars, and gates of prisons, were many of them melted and reduced to cinders by the veheh any of the narrow streets, but kept the widest; the ground and air, smoke and fiery vapor, continued so intense, that ed, and my feet insufferably surbated The by-lanes and narrow streets were quite filled up with rubbish; nor could one have possibly knohere he was, but by the ruins of some Church, or Hall, that had so

I then went towards Islington and Highgate, where one rees dispersed, and lying along by their heaps of what they could save froh ready to perish for hunger and destitution, yet not asking one penny for relief, which to ht than any I had yet beheld His Majesty and Council indeed took all iinable care for their relief, by proclamation for the country to come in, and refresh them with provisions

In the midst of all this calaun that the French and Dutch, e were now in hostility, were not only landed, but even entering the city There was, in truth, so; and now that they had been the occasion of firing the town

This report did so terrify, that on a sudden there was such an uproar and tu eapons they could co on some of those nations whom they casually rew so excessive, that it made the whole Court areat difficulty, reduce and appease the people, sending troops of soldiers and guards, to cause theain, where they atched all this night I left them pretty quiet, and came home sufficiently weary and broken Their spirits thus a little calan to repair into the suburbs about the city, where such as had friends, or opportunity, got shelter for the present to which his Majesty's procla in our parish, I could not, without danger, adventure to our church

10th Septeer a city

13th September, 1666 I presented his Majesty with a survey of the ruins, and a plot for a new city, with a discourse on it; whereupon, after dinner, his Majesty sent for me into the Queen's bed-cha present They examined each particular, and discoursed on the to be extreht on The Queen was now in her cavalier riding-habit, hat and feather, and horse to take the air

16th September, 1666 I went to Greenwich Church, where Mr Plu, then, all these things shall be dissolved,” etc: taking occasion froht to walk more holy in all manner of conversation

27th Septeentleman, Sir John Holland, of Suffolk

10th October, 1666 This day was ordered a general Fast through the Nation, to huue and war, the hly deserved for our prodigious ingratitude, burning lusts, dissolute court, profane and abominable lives, under such dispensations of God's continued favor in restoring Church, Prince, and People froether uno to our parish assembly, where our Doctor preached on Luke xix 41: piously applying it to the occasion After which, was a collection for the distressed losers in the late fire

18th October, 1666 To Court It being the first time his Majesty put hi doublet, stiff collar, bands and cloak, into a coirdles or straps, and shoestrings and garters into buckles, of which so never to alter it, and to leave the French reat expense and reproach Upon which, divers courtiers and gentleer that he would not persist in this resolution I had soainst that unconstancy, and our sothe French fashi+on, to his Majesty; in which I took occasion to describe the co, in the very same manner his Majesty now clad himself This paave it to the King to read I do not ie which soon happened, but it was an identity that I could not but take notice of

[Footnote 6: This costume was shortly after abandoned, and laid aside; nor does any existing portrait exhibit the King so accoutered]

This night was acted edy, called ”_Mustapha_,”

before their Majesties at Court, at which I was present; very seldo to the public theatres for many reasons now, as they were abused to an atheistical liberty; foul and indecent women now (and never till now) per nobleallants, became their misses, and to some, their wives Witness the Earl of Oxford, Sir R Howard, Prince Rupert, the Earl of Dorset, and another greater person than any of them, who fell into their snares, to the reproach of their noble families, and ruin of both body and soul[7]

I was invited by ly ritten, though in my mind I did not approve of any such pasti the principal offenders here aihes, Mrs Eleanor Gwynne, Mrs Davenport, Mrs Uphill, Mrs Davis, and Mrs Knight Mrs Davenport (Roxolana) was ”my Lord Oxford's Miss;” Mrs Uphill was the actress alluded to in connection with Sir R Howard; Mrs Hughes ensnared Prince Rupert; and the last of the ”misses” referred to by Evelyn was Nell Gwynne]

21st October, 1666 This season, after so long and extraordinary a drought in August and September, as if preparatory for the dreadful fire, was so very wet and rainy asfah God's an now to abate considerably in our town