5th. I lay down in the office again upon W. Hewer's, quilt, being mighty
weary, and sore in my feet with going till I was hardly able to stand.
About two in the morning my wife calls me up and tells me of new cryes of
fire, it being come to Barkeing Church, which is the bottom of our lane. I
up, and finding it so, resolved presently to take her away, and did, and
took my gold, which was about L2350, W. Newer, and Jane, down by
Proundy's boat to Woolwich; but, Lord! what sad sight it was by
moone-light to see, the whole City almost on fire, that you might see it
plain at Woolwich, as if you were by it. There, when I come, I find the
gates shut, but no guard kept at all, which troubled me, because of
discourse now begun, that there is plot in it, and that the French 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