Every body endeavouring to remove their goods, and
flinging into the river, or bringing them into lighters that lay
off; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very
fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering
from one pair of stairs by the water-side to another. And among
other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave
their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconys, till
they burned their wings, and fell down. Having staid, and in an
hour's time seen the fire rage every way, and nobody, to my
sight, endeavouring to quench it, but to remove their goods, and
leave all to the fire, and having seen it get as far as the
Steele-yard, and the wind mighty high, and driving it into the
City: and every thing after so long a drought proving
combustible, even the very stones of churches, and among other
things, the poor steeple [St, Lawrence Poultney, of which Thomas
Elborough was Curate.] by which pretty Mrs. -- lives, and
whereof my old schoolfellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in
the very top, and there burned till it fell down; I to White Hall
(with a gentleman with me, who desired to go off from the Tower,
to see the fire, in my boat): and there up to the King's closet
in the Chapel, where people come about me, and I did give them an
account dismayed them all, and word was carried in to the King.
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