The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 3
MEDITATION III. Upon the Diſcourſes occaſioned by the late Fire, both th…n and ſince.
SOme came to London in the time of the Fire, having heard of it (but not ſeen it) and probably their firſt queſtion was, Is the Fire out? Alas! no, would they ſay that anſwered them, It is ſo far from being out, that it rageth more and more. They that heard it was not out would be asking how far it was gotten, whereabouts it was: Then would men begin to reckon up the Streets and Churches that were burnt down already, Thames ſtreet is gone, and Fiſh ſtreet is gone, and Gracious Street is down, and now it is at ſuch a place, and ſuch a place, and ſo they would proceed. Is the Fire abated would others ſay? Is there any hope of extinguiſhing it? We ſee little ſign of it would ſome reply, It is ſeared it will conſume the whole City and Suburbs too. Why do they not play their Engines would ſome cry? Alas they are broken and out of Kelter, we little expecting ſuch a ſad time as this. Some it may be would ſay, Why do ſo many people ſtand gazing on, and not run to help? The Fire hath now got ſuch head and is ſo fierce would they ſay that there is no coming near it: But why do they not pull down houſes at a diſtance? that is long work would ſome reply, and ſeeing they cannot carry away the timber, when they have done, it will do but little good. Do not the Magiſtrates, would ſome ſay, beſtir themſelves to put a ſtop to it? It is like they do what they can, but they are even at their wits ends, or like men aſtoniſhed. They that ſtood and look't on would cry out, See how it burns Eaſt and Weſt at the ſame time, not onelyonly with the wind, but againſt it. Hear how it crackles like a Fire in thorns: Hear what a rattling noiſe there is with the crackling and falling of timber. Look you there ſaith another juſt now the Fire hath taken this or that Church, which alas is full of goods, now it is juſt come to the Royall Exchange; by and by would they ſay, See how preſently ſuch a ſtately houſe was gone, it was but even now, that it began to fire, and it is conſumed already: Oh what a wind is here, See how it is as bellows to the Fire, or as the breath of the Almighty blowing it up. You would wonder to ſee how far the ſparks and coles doe ſly. It is ſtrange they do not fire all the houſes on the other ſide of the water, where abundance of them do light. I can think of nothing, ſaith one, but of Sodom and Gomorral, when I ſee this ſight. Alas, Alas! cries one, now do I ſee ſuch a good friends houſe to take fire, and, by and by, now do I ſee the houſe of another good friend of mine on fire; in that houſe, that you ſee now burning dwelt a Brother or S…ſter of mine, or ſome other near Relation. Others would come dropping in and ſay, They had ſtaid ſo long as to ſee their own houſes on fire and then they came away and left them, Such a… dwell near to London and to the Road would cry as they lay in their beds, we hear the Carts rumbling and poſting by continually. Thoſe that were within the City, at that time, would ever and anon ſay to one another, Did you hear that noiſe. There was a houſe blown up, and by and by there was another houſe blown up. Others would cry, The fire is now come near the Tower, and if the powder be not removed, God knowes, what miſchief will be done with that: One while the people would take an Alarm of Treachery, and cry out that the French were coming to cut their throats.
Such whoſe houſes the Fire had not yet ſeized, but was haſt…ing towards them, you muſt ſuppoſe to have made this their diſcourſe, What ſhall we do for Carts to carry away our goods, we have offered three, four pounds a load for Carts to carry them but two or three miles off, and cannot have them. One while they cry there is an order to prevent the coming in of more Carts, it being thought that whilſt we mind the ſaving of our goods, we neglect the putting out the fire, and now will our houſes and goods burn together, and ſo we ſhall looſe all. Such as had the opportunity to convey their goods, as far as the fields and no farther. How did they diſcourſe of the hardſhip they muſt undergoe, if they ſhould leave their goods, they would be ſtollen, if they ſhould look to them themſelves (as many had no body elſe to do it for them) they muſt have but little ſleep, and a cold open lodging, and what if it ſhould rain? And ſome we may imagine were diſcourſing, what they and theirs ſhould do, their houſes and goods being burnt, where they ſhould put their heads as having neither money nor friends, at leaſtwiſe ſo near that they knew how to get to them. Theſe were but ſome of thoſe dreadfull ſtories that men and women talkt of: I could tell you how women with child would ſay, They had but a month or a week to reckon, and this had frighted them almoſt out of their wits, ſo that they found it would go very hard with them. Others again would ſay, They were but ſo many weekes gone, but were ſo diſturbed, that they did never look to go out their full time: Others, it is like, would ſay, They were ſo ill with the fright they had taken, that they thought verily it would kill them, or that they ſhould never come to themſelves whilſt they lived. Would not others again report of ſome here and there, who by venturing too much in the Fire, or ſtaying too long to bring away their goods, had loſt their lives and periſhed in the flames?
Neither were all ſad diſcourſes exſtinguiſhed with the fire: For ſince that time it hath been the manner of Friends, as they met to ask ſome accompt of the loſſes each of other. Pray what loſt you, ſaith one, by the Fire? I loſt the houſe I lived in, ſaith one, which was my own, or as good as my own by virtue of a long Leaſe and a great Fine. I loſt my houſes and goods, ſaith another. I loſt to the value of two thouſand pounds, ſaith one, I four: I, ſix, ſaith another. I have loſt the one half of what I had ſaith one: I have loſt all ſaith another, I am burnt to my very ſhirt. I have loſt more than all, ſaith a third, for I by this meanes am left in a great deal of debt, that I ſhall never be able to pay, I had many things belonging to other men committed to me, which are ſwept away. Saith another I am not only undone my ſelf, but ſo many of my Children and near Relations, it may be all of them are undone by this Fire, as well as my ſelf. But I need to ſay the leſs of this, becauſe every dayes converſe will or may tell us, what men talk ſince the diſmall Fire of and concerning it. O Lord, I ſee thou who canſt put a Song of deliverance into our mouths when thou pleaſeſt, canſt alſo ſill us with complaints and lamentations when thou wilt, and make our own tongues, as it were to fall upon us, how thou canſt make us out of the abundance of our hearts, to ſpeak ſuch things as will terrifie both ourſelves and others, and cauſe both our own ears and theirs to tingle, how eaſily thou canſt find us other diſcourſe than to ask and tell what newes is ſtirring (for who regarded news whilſt theſe things were in agitation) who ſeemed to mind what became of affairs either by Sea or Land? I ſee how eaſily thou canſt imbitter our Converſe one with another, and make us ſpeak ſo as to break each others hearts, that uſe to delight and refreſh each other by their pleaſing conferences and communications, ſo that ſolitude may become leſſe afflictive, than that good company, which was wont to be very acceptable. Would not our tongues riſe up in judgement againſt us, if we ſhould ever forget the ſad ſtories we have told of thy moſt heavy hand upon us? Seeing thou haſt thus ſeaſoned our communication, as it were with ſalt, and ſalted it, as it were with fire, ſhall that which is rotten and unſavoury proceed out of our mouths from henceforth? Let us remember, what we ſaid to others, and what others ſaid to us, that we may never be unmindfull of what thou haſt done both to us and them, we have ſpoken with ſad countenances and with aking hearts. Oh that by the ſadneſſe of our countenances our hearts might be made better.