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brimstone, cordage, hops, sugar, brandy,
wood, and coals; where dividing itself, it
ran both eastward and westward with in-
expressible fury, into the adjacent lanes,
consuming all before it; and its two main
branches meeting at London bridge, soon
reduced all the buildings upon it to ashes,
together with the water engines under it;
by which means the people were deprived
of the assistance of that element; for the
New River water was not then laid into
those parts.
The pulling down houses every way,
at some distance, was first proposed; and
this was the only method that could have
been of any service in stopping the pro-
gress of the flames; for had there been
water, the fire was too fierce to be master-
ed by engines, or to suffer any body to
work near it; but this was objected to,
and while the affair was debated, the
flames spread still farther.
Unhappily they were increased by a
violent easterly wind; and that day and
the following night spread up Grace-
church street, and downwards from Can-
non street to the water side, as far as the
Three Cranes.
The people in all parts were distracted
at seeing the progress of the fire, and by
the care of carrying off their goods. How-
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| L O N | 89 |
ever, many attempts were now made to
prevent its spreading, by pulling down
houses, and making great intervals; but
not having time to remove the materials,
the fire seized upon the timber, boards,
laths, and rubbish, and extended itself
over these spaces to the neighbouring
houses; raging in a bright flame all Mon-
day and Tuesday, without any endeavours
to stop it proving effectual; though his
Majesty, the Duke of York, and great
numbers of the nobility and gentry came
with the guards, who were employed in
endeavouring to extinguish it.
The wind, however, slackened a little
on Tuesday night, when the fire, meet-
ing at the Temple with brick buildings,
it by little and little lost its force on that
side, so that on Wednesday morning a stop
was put to it on the west, at the Temple
church, and also at Holborn bridge and
Pye corner. On the north, it stopped at
Aldersgate, Cripplegate, near the north
end of Basinghall street, and in Coleman
street: on the east, at the south corner of
Bishopsgate street and Leadenhall street,
at the church in Fenchurch street, and at
the Tower dock, after its having consum-
ed all the buildings within these limits,
quite down to the water side.
On Thursday the flames were extin-
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