way of the fire. This way Sir W. Penn and myself have so far concluded upon the practising, that he is gone to Woolwich and Deptford to supply himself with men and necessaries in order to the doing thereof, in case at his return our condition be not bettered and that he meets with his R. H.’s approbation, which I had thus undertaken to learn of you. Pray please to let me have this night (at whatever hour it is) what his R. H.’s directions are in this particular; Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten having left us, we cannot add, though we are well assured of their, as well as all the neighbourhood’s concurrence.
“Your obedient servant,
“S. P.
“Sir W. Coventry,
“Septr. 4, 1666.”
↩
J. Hickes wrote to Williamson on September 3rd from the “Golden Lion, Red Cross Street Posthouse. Sir Philip [Frowde] and his lady fled from the [letter] office at midnight for safety; stayed himself till 1 a.m. till his wife and childrens’ patience could stay, no longer, fearing lest they should be quite stopped up; the passage was so tedious they had much ado to get where they are. The Chester and Irish, mails have come-in; sends him his letters, knows not how to dispose of the business” (Calendar of State Papers, 1666–67, p. 95). ↩
Allhallows Barking, in Great Tower Street, nearly opposite the end of Seething Lane. The church had a narrow escape. ↩
He forgot the shoulder of mutton from the cook’s the day before. —B. ↩
Evelyn writes in his Diary, under date September 7th: “Sir Tho. Gresham’s statue, tho’ fallen from its nich in the Royal Exchange, remained intire, when all those of ye Kings since ye Conquest were broken to pieces.” ↩
The terrible disaster which overtook London was borne by the inhabitants of the city with great fortitude, but foreigners and Roman Catholics had a bad dime. As no cause for the outbreak of the fire could be traced, a general cry was raised that it owed its origin to a plot. In a letter from Thomas Waade to Williamson (dated “Whitby, Sept. 14th”) we read, “The destruction of London by fire is reported to be a hellish contrivance of the French, Hollanders, and fanatic party” (Calendar of State Papers, 1666–67, p. 124). ↩
“St. Faith’s under St. Paul’s” was situated immediately beneath the choir of old St. Paul’s. When the cathedral was lengthened eastward, about 1255, the old parish church of St. Faith was cleared away to make room for this extension. The “famous vault,” as Dugdale calls it, was then appropriated as a parish church. At the Reformation the church of the parish was removed to Jesus Chapel in the cathedral, but the crypt retained its old name. Evelyn writes of the burning of St. Paul’s: “It was astonishing to see what immense stones the heate had in a manner calcined, so that all ye ornaments, columns, freezes, capitals and projectures of massie Portland stone flew off, even to ye very roofe, where a sheet of lead covering a great space (no less than six akers by measure) was totally mealted; the ruines of the vaulted roofe falling broke into St. Faith’s, which being fill’d with the magazines of bookes belonging to ye stationers, and carried thither for safety, they were all consumed, burning for a weeke following” (Diary, September 7th). ↩
Boulogne. ↩
St. Helen’s, or Watch-house Point, is in the parish of St. Helen’s, Isle of Wight, near Brading Harbour. St. Helen’s road lies off the coast. It is a roadstead with anchorage in from three to five fathoms, but dangerous on account of the shoals and rocks. ↩
The Duke of Albemarle had been sent for, and this desire of the king and his Council to have him in London shows the unique position which he held in the popular esteem. Lord Arlington, writing to Sir Thomas Clifford on September 4th, says:
“The king, with the unanimous concurrence of the Council, wishes the Lord General were there, and Sec. Morice is sounding him to know whether he would be willing to be ordered home. Is confident, could he see the condition they are in, he would think it more honour to be called home than to stay in the fleet, where he may not have an opportunity of fighting; he would have it in his hands to give the king his kingdom a second time, and the world would see the value the king sets on him. Wishes this to be urged upon him, only with the reserve that his Majesty leaves him to make the choice himself.”
Calendar of State Papers, 1666–67, p. 99
↩
The proclamation (dated September 6th) ordered “Gresham College, Bishopsgate Street, to be used instead of the Royal Exchange, which is burnt” (Calendar of State Papers, 1666–67, p. 104). At the meeting of the Royal Society on September 12th, “It was resolved that the society should meet the next time in Dr. Pope’s lodgings in Gresham College; and by reason that the former place of meeting for the society, and other rooms also convenient for the same, were taken up for the use of the Lord Mayor of London and the City, it was ordered that … a committee consider of another place for the future meetings” (Birch’s Hist. of the Royal Society, vol. ii, p. 113). ↩
On September 5th proclamation was made “ordering that for supply of the distressed people left destitute by the late dreadful and dismal fire … great proportions of bread be brought daily, not only to the former markets, but to those lately ordained; that all churches, chapels, schools, and public buildings are to be open to receive the goods of those who know not
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