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a match, put it in at a window; and that
for this villainy he was to be rewarded on
his return to France; but it is generally
allowed, that this man was at that time
disordered in his senses; and great pains
have been taken to prove that he had no
hand in that calamity: however, he was
condemned and executed, though he sur-
rendered himself, and though there was
no other evidence of his guilt than that
of his own confession.
It is observable, that the preceding
spring and summer had been the dryest in
the memory of man; whereby the houses,
which were all built of wood, and with-
out party walls, were prepared, as it were,
by Heaven, to become fuel for this terri-
ble conflagration, which, together with
the east wind abovementioned, might pos-
sibly be alone sufficient to reduce the city
to a heap of ashes.
But whatever the unhappy citizens of
London might then suffer; it is evident,
that this was one of the greatest blessings
that could have happened for the good of
posterity; for, instead of very narrow and
incommodious streets; instead of dark,
irregular, and ill contrived wooden houses,
with their several stories projecting over,
obstructing the circulation of the air, and
harbouring those noxious particles that
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| L O N | 93 |
occasioned the frequent return of the
plague, and often fires of the most dread-
ful kind; by the modern way of build-
ing, and the enlarging of many of the
streets, offensive vapours are expelled; and
this, added to the cleanliness produced by
the great quantities of the water brought
into London by the New River, has freed
this city from all pestilential symptoms for
above ninety years together.
The reduction of this great and opulent
city to a heap of rubbish, greatly affected
the whole nation; and the King desiring
it should be now erected with greater
magnificence, uniformity, and safety than
before, prohibited for some time the re-
building of the houses; and the Judges
were ordered by Parliament to hear and
determine all disputes between landlords,
tenants, and lessees, concerning the re-
building and repairing of houses, &c.
without fee or reward.
London indeed might now have been
rebuilt in such a manner, as to have ex-
ceeded in beauty all the cities upon earth;
and this would have been the case, had
either of the following plans been follow-
ed. The first was formed by Sir Christo-
pher Wren, who, pursuant to the royal
commands, traced over the great plain of
ashes and ruins, and thence formed his
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| I | | plan |
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