and Newgate, were rebuilt with great solidity and magnificence. The attempt to make Fleet-brook or ditch navigable to Holborn-bridge, was a mighty chargeable and beautiful work and though it did not fully answer the designed purpose, it was remarkable for the curious stone bridges over it, and the many huge vaults on each side thereof, to treasure up Newcastle coals for the use of the poor. The whole damage sustained by the fire was almost inconceivable and incredible; but the following method of computation hath been taken to form some sort of gross estimate; and at the time was accounted very moderate: Thirteen thousand two hundred houses one' with another, at twenty-five pounds rent, 3,960,000 at the low rate of twelve years' purchase * Eighty-seven parish churches, at eight thousand pounds each 696,000 Six consecrated chapels, at two thousand | pounds each 12,000 The Royal Exchange 50,000 The Custom-house 10,000 Fifty-two halls of companies, most of which were magnificent structures and palaces, at 78,000 7,000 Sessions-house Guildhall, with the courts and offices belong-} 40,000 ing to it The certificate says, eighty-nine parish churches: but see the act of parliament and inscription on the monument. at that time was new building, the stone-2,000,000 work being almost finished Wares, household-stuff, monies and moveable goods lost and spoiled Hire of porters, carts, waggons, barges, boats, &c., for removing wares, household-stuff, &c., during the fire, and some small time after Printed books and paper in shops and warehouses 2,000,000 200,000 } 150,000 Wine, tobacco, sugar, &c., of which the city 1,500,000 was at that time fullvery Cutting a navigable river to Holborn-bridge Beside melioration-money paid to several proprietors who had their ground taken away, for the making of wharfs, enlarging the old, or making new streets, marketplaces, &c. The fire spread itself (beside breadth) from near Tower-hill to St. Dunstan's church, in Fleet-street. After it had burnt almost three days and three nights, some seamen taught the people to blow up some of the next houses with gunpowder; which stopped the fire: so that (contrary to the inscription on the Monument) there were human counsels in the stopping of the fire. It stopped at Holborn-bridge; at St. Sepulchre's church, when the church was burnt; in Aldgate, and Cripplegate, and other places on the wall; in Austin friars, the Dutch church stopped it, and escaped. It stopped in Bishopsgatestreet, in Leadenhall-street, in the midst of Fenchurchstreet, and near the Tower. Alderman Jefferies lost tobacco to the value of twenty thousand pounds. EXTRACT FROM THE CERTIFICATE OF THE SURVEYORS APPOINTED TO SURVEY THE RUINS. The fire began September the second, 1666, at Mr. Farryner's, a baker, in Pudding-lane, between one and two in the morning, and continued burning till the sixth; did over-run three hundred seventy-three acres within the walls: eighty-nine parish churches, beside chapels, burnt: eleven parishes within the walls standing. Houses burnt, thirteen thousand and two hundred. The superstition and zeal of those times made canonization much cheaper in a Protestant than a Popish church a vehement preacher was a chief saint among the godly, and a few warm expressions were esteemed little less than prophecies. In the dedication to the Rev. Mr. Reeves' sermon, preached 1655, are the following queries : "Can sin and the city's safety, can impenitency and impunity stand long together? Fear you not some plague? Some coal blown with the breath of the Almighty that may sparkle, and kindle, and burn you to such cinders that not a wall or pillar may be left to testify the remembrance of a city?" The same gentleman said-"Your looking-glasses will be snatched away, your mirrors cracked, your diamonds shivered in pieces; this goodly city all in shreds; ye may seck for a pillar or threshold of your ancient dwellings, but not find one: all your spacious mansions and sumptuous monuments are then gone; not a porch, pavement, ceiling, staircase, turret, lantern, bench, screen, pane of a window, post, nail, stone, or dust of your former houses to be seen. No! with wringing hands you may ask, where are those sweet places where we traded, feasted, slept? where we lived like masters, and shone like morning-stars? No! the houses are fallen, and the householders dropped with them: we have nothing but naked streets, naked fields for shelter; not so much as a chamber to couch down our children, or repose our own members when we are spent, or afflicted with sickness. Woe unto us! our sins have pulled down our houses, shaken down our city; we are the most harbourless people in the world; like foreigners rather than natives; yea, rather like beasts than men foxes have holes and fowls have nests, but we have neither holes nor nests; our sins have deprived us of couch and covert: we should be glad if an hospital would receive us, dens or caves shelter us: the bleak air and cold ground are our only shades and refuges. But, alas! this is but the misery of the stone-work, of arches, roofs, &c." The following paragraph is taken from Mr. Rosewell's "Causes and Cures of the Pestilence," pp. 27, 28, printed at London in the year of the Great Plague, 1665, a year before the fire of London: "Is it not of the Lord that the people shall labour in the very fire! and weary themselves for vanity! It is of the Lord, surely! It comes to pass by the secret counsel of God, that these houses and cities which they build, shall either come to be consumed by fire; or else, the people shall weary themselves in vain; for vanity; to no purpose; seeing it comes so soon to be destroyed and ruinated, what they build." ACCOUNT OF THE FIRE OF LONDON, PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY, FROM THE London Gazette. Sept. 2. About two o'clock this morning a sudden and lamentable fire broke out in this city, beginning not far from Thames-street, near London-bridge; which continues still with great violence, and hath already burnt down to the ground many houses thereabouts. which said accident affected his majesty with that tenderness and compassion that he was pleased to go himself in person, with his royal highness, to give orders that all possible means should be used for quenching the fire, or stopping its further spreading. In which care, the right honourable the earl of Craven was sent by his majesty, to be more particularly assisting to the lord mayor and magistrates; and several companies of his guards were sent into the city, to be helpful in what means they could in so great a calamity. Whitehall, Sept. 8. The ordinary course of this paper being interrupted by a sad and lamentable accident of fire lately happened in the city of London, it hath been thought fit to satisfy the minds of so many of his majesty's good subjects who must needs be concerned for the issue of so great an accident, to give this short but true account of it. On the 2nd instant at one o'clock in the morning there happened to break out a sad and deplorable fire in Pudding-lane, near New Fish-street, which falling out at that |