A True and Exact ●ELATION OF THE Most Dreadful and Remarkable Fires ●●●e happened since the Reign of King WILLIAM the Conqueror to this present Year 1666. In the Cities of London and Westminster and other Parts of ENGLAND IN the Year 1086. being the XX Year of the Reign of K. William the Conqueror so great and lamentable a Fire happened in London that beginning at Aldgate it burned down Houses and Churches all the way to Ludgate together with the stately Fabric of S. Paul's and the strong Castle called the Palatine Tower which stood on the West part of the City towards the little River of Fleet the Stones of which Castle were afterwards employed for the re-edifying of S. Paul's in the place where that Old Fabric stood Robert Kilwarby afterwards Bishop of Canterbury erected that House of Dominicans called by the name of Blackfriars In the Reign of K. Henry the First in several places of England happened many grievous Fires For first the City of Chichester with the principal Monastery a stately Building was wholly burnt down to the ground Next in London from Westcheap to Aldgate a long tract of Buildings was consumed with Fire Also Worcester and Rochester were wholly consumed even in the King's presence Then Winchester Bath Gloucester Lincoln Peterborough and other places did also partake of this calamity that there could be no charging the Fire with any partiality In the Year 1135. the First Year of the Reign of King Stephen a Fire began in the house of one Ailward near unto London-Stone which consumed all Eastward to Aldgate in which Fire the Priory of the Holy Trinity was burnt and Westward to S. Erkenwalds' Shrine in S. Paul's Now it plainly appears by the three foregoing Relations that the greatest part of the City of London in the space of Fifty Years was three times consumed by Fire the greatest destruction that ever happened to the said City before or since In the Year 1171. the whole City of Canterbury was almost burnt Also about the Year 1250. there happened another great Fire in the same place which laid level with the ground the Church of S. Mildred with the greatest part of the City In the Year 1189 the whole City of Carlisle and the Abbey with all the Houses belonging to the Friar's Minors was consumed by Fire In the Year 1293. a great part of the Town of Cambridg with the Church of our Lady was burnt In the Year 1299. by a sudden and lamentable Fire the King's Palace at Westminster with all the rich Furniture and Monastery adjoining was wholly consumed with Fire In the same Year the Monastery in Gloucester was likewise burnt In the Year 1406. the Town of Royston in Hartfordshire a fair large Market-town was wholly burnt In the Year 1463. the Minster of York one of the fairest and stateliest Fabrics in Europe was burnt also Christ-Church in Norwich The 20. of August 1485. a great Fire happened in Breadstreet London which burned down several whole Streets and divers Churches In the Year 1561. the Spire of the Cathedral Church of S. Paul's being 520 Foot from the ground and 260 from the square Steeple where it was placed and was made of wooden materials but covered with Lead was with Lightning burnt down together with the Roofs of that large Church and that within the space of five hours the Roofs were afterward re-edified but not the Spire On Monday the 13 of February 1633. a Fire began in the house of one Mr. Briggs at the hither end of London-Bridg a Needlemaker between the hours of 11 and 12 towards midnight which burned down in both sides the way from S. Magnus to the first open place where 42 houses with the greatest part of the Wares Goods and rich furniture on them were devoured by that Raging Element before 8 a clock next morning On Sunday the Second of September this present Year 1666. about one a clock in the morning there happened a sad and deplorable Fire in Pudding-Lane near New Fish-street which falling out in a part of the City so close built with wooden houses propagated itself so far before day with such violence that it bred such distraction and astonishment in the Inhabitants and Neighbours that care was not taken to stop the further diffusion of it by pulling down houses as aught to have been so that this grievous Fire in a short time became too big to be mastered by any Engines or working near it and being fomented by the hand of God in a violent Easterly wind which kept it burning in such a raging manner all Sunday and Sunday-night spreading itself by Monday morning up Grace-Church-street to Lombardstreet and to S. Swithins Church in Canon-street and downwards from Canon-street to the Waterside as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintry and Eastward beyond Billingsgate The greatness and vastness of the Fire was such that made the amazed and distracted people take care only to preserve their own goods and secure every man his particular concerns making but slender attempts to extinguish the Flame In fine it continued all Monday and Tuesday with such impetuosity that it had at 10 of the clock on Tuesday-night Westward consumed Houses and Churches all the way to S. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet at which time by the favour of God the wind slacked and that night by the vigilancy industry and indefatigable pains of His Majesty and his Royal Highness calling upon all people and encouraging them by their personal assistances a stop was put to the Fire in Fleetstreet the Inner Temple and Fetter-Lane at Holborn-Bridg Pie-Corner Aldersgate Cripplegate near the lower end of Coleman-street at the end of Basinghall-street by the Postern at the upper end of Bishopsgate-street and Leadenhallstreet at the Standard in Cornhill at the Church in Fanchurch-street near Cloathworkers-Hall in Mincing-Lane at the middle of Mark-Lane and at the Tower-Dock But on Wednesday-night it suddenly broke out afresh in the Inner Temple which happened as is supposed by flakes of fire falling into the gutters of the Buildings His Royal Highness in person fortunately watching there that night by his care diligence great labour and seasonable commands for the blowing up with Gunpowder some of the said Buildings it was most happily before day extinguished after it had laid level with the ground Tanfield-Court Parsons-Court and the Buildings in the Churchyard and done some little damage to the Church and Hall Licenced R. L'Estrange London Printed by B.W. in Little S. bartholomew's Court in West-Smithfield 1666.