woman, "Lord! what can I do? I am spent: people will not obey me. I have been pulling down houses; but the fire [280 overtakes us faster than we can do it." That be needed no more soldiers; and that for himself, he must go and refresh himself, having been up all night. So he left me, and I him, and walked home, seeing people all almost distracted, and no manner of means used to quench the fire. The houses, too, so very thick thereabouts, and full of matter for burning, as pitch and tar, in Thames Street; and [290 warehouses of oil, and wines, and brandy, | and other things.

Met with the King and Duke of York in their barge, and with them to Queenhithe, and there called Sir Richard Browne to them. Their order was only to pull down houses apace, and so below bridge at the waterside; but little was or could be done, the fire coming upon them so fast. Good hopes there was of stop- [300 ping it at the Three Cranes above, and at Buttolph's wharf below bridge, if care be used; but the wind carries it into the city, so as we know not by the waterside what it do there. River full of lighters and boats taking in goods, and good goods swimming in the water. . . . So near the fire as we could for smoke; and all over the Thames, with one's face in the wind, you were almost burned [310 with a shower of fire-drops. This is very true; so as houses were burned by these drops and flakes of fire,-three or four, nay, five or six houses, one from another. When we could endure no more upon the water, we to a little ale-house on the Bankside, over against the Three Cranes, and there stayed till it was dark almost, and saw the fire grow; and as it grew darker, appeared more and more, and [320 in corners and upon steeples, and between churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the city, in a most horrid, malicious, bloody flame, not like the fine flame of an ordinary fire. . . . We stayed till, it being darkish, we saw the fire as only one entire arch of fire from this to the other side the bridge, and in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a mile long: it made me weep to see [330 it. . . . So home with a sad heart.

3rd. About four o'clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a cart to carry away all my money, and plate, and best things, to Sir W. Rider's at Bednall Green. Which I did, riding myself in my night-gown in the cart; and Lord! to see how the streets and the highways are crowded with people running and riding, and getting of carts at any rate to [340 fetch away things. . . . At night lay down a little upon a quilt of W. Hewer's in the office, all my own things being packed up or gone; and after me my poor wife did the like, we having fed upon the remains of yesterday's dinner, having no fire nor dishes, nor any opportunity of dressing anything.

4th. Up by break of day to get away the remainder of my things; which [350 I did by a lighter at the Iron Gate; and my hands so few, that it was the afternoon before we could get them all away. . . . Sir W. Batten not knowing how to remove his wine, did dig a pit in the garden, and laid it in there; and I took the opportunity of laying all the papers of my office that I could not otherwise dispose of. And in the evening Sir W. Penn and I did dig another, and put our wine in it, and [360 I my Parmezan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things. . . . Now begins the practise of blowing up of houses in Tower Street, those next the Tower; which at first did frighten people more than anything; but it stopped the fire where it was done, it bringing down the houses to the ground in the same places they stood; and then it was easy to quench what little fire was in it, though it [370 kindled nothing almost.

...

January 2nd, 1667. Up, I, and walked to Whitehall to attend the Duke of York, as usual. My wife up, and with Mrs. Penn to walk in the fields to frost-bite themselves. . . . With Sir W. Penn by coach to the Temple, and there 'light and eat a bit at an ordinary by, and then alone to the King's House, and there saw The Custom of the Country, the second [380 time of its being acted, wherein Knipp does the Widow well; but, of all the plays that ever I did see, the worst-having neither plot, language, nor anything in

the earth that is acceptable; only Knipp❘ sings a little song admirably. But fully the worst play that ever I saw or I believe shall see. So away home, much displeased for the loss of so much time, and disobliging my wife by being there with- [390 out her. So, by link, walked home, it being mighty cold but dry, yet bad walking because very slippery with the frost and treading. Home and to my chamber to set down my journal, and then to thinking upon establishing my VOWS against the next year, and so to supper and to bed.

August 19th. Up, and at the office all the morning very busy. Towards [400 noon I to Westminster about some tallies at the Exchequer, and then straight home again and dined, and then to sing with my wife with great content, and then I to the office again, where busy, and then out and took coach and to the Duke of York's House, all alone, and there saw Sir Martin Mar-all again, though I saw him but two days since, and do find it the most comical play that ever I saw in my [410 life.

20th. Up, and to my chamber to set down my journal for the last three days, and then to the office, where busy all the morning. At noon home to dinner, and then with my wife abroad; set her down at the Exchange, and I to St. James's. . . . Thence with my Lord Bruncker to the Duke's playhouse (telling my wife so at the 'Change, where I left her), and [420 there saw Sir Martin Mar-all again, which I have now seen three times, and it hath been acted but four times, and still find it a very ingenious play, and full of variety. So home, and to the office, where my eyes would not suffer me to do anything by candle-light, and so called my wife and walked in the garden. She mighty pressing for a new pair of cuffs, which I am against the laying out [430 of money upon yet, which makes her angry. So home to supper and to bed.

way was found that she had them, and I well satisfied, being unwilling to let [440 our difference grow higher upon so small an occasion and frowardness of mine.

21st. Up, and my wife and I fell out about the pair of cuffs, which she hath a mind to have to go to see the ladies dancing tomorrow at Betty Turner's school; and do vex me so that I am resolved to deny them her. However, by-and-by a

22nd. After dinner with my Lord Bruncker and his mistress to the King's playhouse, and there saw The Indian Emperor; where I find Nell come again, which I am glad of; but was most infinitely displeased with her being put to act the Emperor's daughter, which is a great and serious part, which she [450 do most basely. The rest of the play, though pretty good, was not well acted by most of them, methought; so that I took no great content in it.

October 19th. At the office all the morning, where very busy, and at noon home to a short dinner, being full of my desire of seeing my Lord Orrery's new play this afternoon at the King's House, The Black Prince, the first time it is [460 acted; where, though we come by two o'clock, yet there was no room in the pit, but we were forced to go into one of the upper boxes, at 4s. a piece, which is the first time I ever sat in a box in my life. And in the same box come, by and by, behind me, my Lord Berkeley and his lady; but I did not turn my face to them to be known, so that I was excused from giving them my seat; and this pleas- [470 ure I had, that from this place the scenes do appear very fine indeed, and much better than in the pit. The house infinite full, and the King and Duke of York was there. . . . So after having done business at the office, I home to supper and to bed.

LOYALIST STALL BALLADS

TO MAKE CHARLES A GREAT KING

To make Charles a great King, and give him no power;

To honor him much, and not obey him an hour;

To provide for his safety, and take away his Tower;

And to prove all is sweet, be it never so

sour:

The new order of the land, and the land's new order. 5