Coventry to have the Duke of York's permission to pull
down houses, rather than lose this office, which would much
hinder the King's business. So Sir W. Pen went down this night,
in order to the sending them up to-morrow morning; and I wrote to
Sir W. Coventry about the business, but received no answer. [A
copy of this letter, preserved among the Pepys MSS. in the
author's own hand-writing, is subjoined:--
Sir,--The fire is now very neere us as well on Tower Streete as
Fanchurch Street side, and we little hope of our escape but by
that remedy, to ye want whereof we doe certainly owe ye loss of
ye City, namely, ye pulling down of houses, in ye way of ye
fire. This way Sir W. Pen and myself have so far concluded upon
ye practising, that he is gone to Woolwich and Deptford to
supply himself with men and necessarys in order to the doeing
thereof, in case at his returne our condition be not bettered
and that he meets with his R.Hs. approbation, which I have thus
undertaken to learn of you, Pray please to let me have this
night (at whatever hour it is) what his R.
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