The king smiled good-humouredly, and quitting the hall with his attendants, proceeded to superintend the further demolition of houses.  He next visited all the posts, saw that the different noblemen were at their appointed stations, and by his unremitting exertions, contrived to restore something like order to the tumultuous streets.  Thousands of men were now employed in different quarters in pulling down houses, and the most powerful engines of war were employed in the work.  The confusion that attended these proceedings is indescribable.  The engineers and workmen wrought in clouds of dust and smoke, and the crash of falling timber and walls was deafening.  In a short time, the upper part of Cornhill was rendered wholly impassable, owing to the heaps of rubbish; and directions were given to the engineers to proceed to the Poultry, and demolish the houses as far as the Conduit in Cheapside, by which means it was hoped that the Royal Exchange would be saved.

Meanwhile, all the wealthy goldsmiths and merchants in Lombard-street and Gracechurch-street had been actively employed in removing all their money, plate, and goods, to places of security.  A vast quantity was conveyed to Guildhall, as has been stated, and the rest to different churches and halls remote from the scene of conflagration.  But in spite of all their caution, much property was carried off by the depredators, and amongst others by Chowles and Judith, who contrived to secure a mass of plate, gold, and jewels, that satisfied even their rapacious souls.  While this was passing in the heart of the burning city, vast crowds were streaming out of its gates, and encamping themselves, in pursuance of the royal injunction, in Finsbury Fields and Spitalfields.  Others crossed the water to Southwark, and took refuge in Saint George’s Fields; and it was a sad and touching sight to see all these families collected without shelter or food, most of whom a few hours before were in possession of all the comforts of life, but were now reduced to the condition of beggars.

To return to the conflagration:—­While one party continued to labour incessantly at the work of demolition, and ineffectually sought to quench the flames, by bringing a few engines to play upon them,—­a scanty supply of water having now been obtained—­the fire, disdaining such puny opposition, and determined to show its giant strength, leaped over all the breaches, drove the water-carriers back, compelled them to relinquish their buckets, and to abandon their engines, which it made its prey, and seizing upon the heaps of timber and other fragments occasioned by the demolition, consumed them, and marched onwards with furious exultation.  It was now proceeding up Gracechurch-street, Saint Clement’s-lane, Nicholas-lane, and Abchurch-lane at the same time, destroying all in its course.  The whole of Lombard-street was choked up with the ruins and rubbish of demolished houses, through which thousands of persons were toiling