2nd (Lord's day). Some of our mayds sitting up late last night to get
things ready against our feast to-day, Jane called us up about three in
the morning, to tell us of a great fire they saw in the City. So I rose
and slipped on my nightgowne, and went to her window, and thought it to be
on the backside of Marke-lane at the farthest; but, being unused to such
fires as followed, I thought it far enough off; and so went to bed again
and to sleep. About seven rose again to dress myself, and there looked
out at the window, and saw the fire not so much as it was and further off.
So to my closett to set things to rights after yesterday's cleaning. By
and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have
been burned down to-night by the fire we saw, and that it is now burning
down all Fish-street, by London Bridge. So I made myself ready presently,
and walked to the Tower, and there got up upon one of the high places, Sir
J. Robinson's little son going up with me; and there I did see the houses
at that end of the bridge all on fire, and an infinite great fire on this
and the other side the end of the bridge; which, among other people, did
trouble me for poor little Michell and our Sarah on the bridge. So down,
with my heart full of trouble, to the Lieutenant of the Tower, who tells
me that it begun this morning in the King's baker's' house in
Pudding-lane, and that it hath burned St. Magnus's Church and most part of
Fish-street already. So I down to the water-side, and there got a boat
and through bridge, and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's
house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and the fire
running further, that in a very little time it got as far as the
Steeleyard, while I was there. Everybody endeavouring to remove their
goods, and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters that
layoff; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire
touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of
stairs by the water-side to another. And among other things, the poor