ving such combustible matter in its teeth, and
such a fierce wind upon its back, it prevails with little resistance,
unto the astonishment of the beholders.

"My business is not to speak of the hand of man, which was made use of
in the beginning and carrying on of this fire. The beginning of the fire
at such a time, when there had been so much hot weather, which had dried
the houses and made them more fit for fuel; the beginning of it in such
a place, where there were so many timber houses, and the shops filled
with so much combustible matter; and the beginning of it just when the
wind did blow so fiercely upon that corner towards the rest of the City,
which then was like tinder to the spark; this doth smell of a Popish
design, hatcht in the same place where the Gunpowder Plot was contrived,
only that this was more successful.

"Then, then the City did shake indeed, and the inhabitants flew away in
great amazement from their houses, lest the flame should devour them.
Rattle, rattle, rattle, was the noise which the fire struck upon the ear
round about, as if there had been a thousand iron chariots beating upon
the stones; and if you opened your eye to the opening of the streets
where the fire was come, you might see in some places whole streets at
once in flames, that issued forth as if they had been so many great
forges from the opposite windows, which, folding together, were united
into one great flame throughout the whole street; and then you might see
the houses tumble, tumble, tumble, from one end of the street to the
other, with a great crash, leaving the foundations open to the view of
the heavens."

The original Church of St. Magnus, London Bridge, was of great
antiquity; for we learn that in 1302 Hugh Pourt, sheriff of London, and
his wife Margaret, founded a charity here; and the first rector
mentioned by Newcourt is Robert de St. Albano, who resigned his living
in 1323. It stood almost at the foot of Old London Bridge; and the
incumbent of the chapel on the bridge paid an annual sum to the rector
of St. Magnus for the diminution of the fees which the chapel might draw
away. Three Lord Mayors are known to have been buried in St. Magnus';
and here, in the chapel of St. Mary, was interred Henry Yevele, a
freemason to Edward III., Richard II., and Henry IV. This Yevele had
assisted to erect the bust of Richard II. at Westminster Abbey between
the years 1395-97, and also assisted in restoring Westminster Hall. He