Paule's Church, to which the
scaffolds contributed exceedingly. The conflagration was so universal,
and the people so astonish'd, that from the beginning, I know not by
what despondency or fate, they hardly stirr'd to quench it, so that
there was nothing heard or seene but crying out and lamentation,
running about like distracted creatures, without at all attempting to
save even their goods--such a strange consternation there was upon
them, so as it burned both in breadth and length, the churches, public
halls, Exchange, hospitals, monuments, and ornaments, leaping after
a prodigious manner from house to house and streete to streete, at
greate distances one from the other; for the heate, with a long set of
faire and warme weather, had even ignited the aire and prepar'd the
materials to conceive the fire, which devoured after an incredible
manner, houses, furniture, and everything. Here we saw the Thames
cover'd with goods floating, all the barges and boates laden with what
some had time and courage to save, as, on the other, the carts, &c.,
carrying out to the fields, which for many miles were strew'd with
moveables of all sorts, and tents erecting to shelter both people
and what goods they could get away.
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