had done it. I got the gates open, and to Mr.
Shelden’s, where I locked up my gold, and charged,
my wife and W. Newer never to leave the room without
one of them in it, night, or day. So back again,
by the way seeing my goods well in the lighters at
Deptford, and watched well by people. Home;
and whereas I expected to have seen our house on fire,
it being now about seven o’clock, it was not.
But to the fyre, and there find greater hopes than
I expected; for my confidence of finding our Office
on fire was such, that I durst not ask any body how
it was with us, till I come and saw it not burned.
But going to the fire, I find by the blowing up of
houses, and the great helpe given by the workmen out
of the King’s yards, sent up by Sir W. Pen,
there is a good stop given to it, as well as at Marke-lane
end as ours; it having only burned the dyall of Barking
Church, and part of the porch, and was there quenched.
I up to the top of Barking steeple, and there saw
the saddest sight of desolation that I ever saw; every
where great fires, oyle-cellars, and brimstone, and
other things burning. I became afeard to stay
there long, and therefore down again as fast as I
could, the fire being spread as far as I could see
it; and to Sir W. Pen’s, and there eat a piece
of cold meat, having eaten nothing since Sunday, but
the remains of Sunday’s dinner. Here I
met with Mr. Young and Whistler; and having removed
all my things, and received good hopes that the fire
at our end; is stopped, they and I walked into the
town, and find Fanchurch-streete, Gracious-streete;
and Lumbard-streete all in dust. The Exchange
a sad sight, nothing standing there, of all the statues
or pillars, but Sir Thomas Gresham’s picture
in the corner. Walked into Moorefields (our
feet ready to burn, walking through the towne among
the hot coles), and find that full of people, and
poor wretches carrying their good there, and every
body keeping his goods together by themselves (and
a great blessing it is to them that it is fair weathe
for them to keep abroad night and day); drank there,
and paid two-pence for a plain penny loaf. Thence
homeward, having passed through Cheapside and Newgate
Market, all burned, and seen Anthony Joyce’s
House in fire. And took up (which I keep by
me) a piece of glasse of Mercers’ Chappell in
the streete, where much more was, so melted and buckled
with the heat of the fire like parchment. I
also did see a poor cat taken out of a hole in the
chimney, joyning to the wall of the Exchange; with,
the hair all burned off the body, and yet alive.
So home at night, and find there good hopes of saving
our office; but great endeavours of watching all night,
and having men ready; and so we lodged them in the
office, and had drink and bread and cheese for them.
And I lay down and slept a good night about midnight,
though when I rose I heard that there had been a great
alarme of French and Dutch being risen, which proved,
nothing. But it is a strange thing to see how
long this time did look since Sunday, having been always
full of variety of actions, and little sleep, that
it looked like a week or more, and I had forgot, almost
the day of the week.