1.2nd September 1666.-This fatal night，about ten，began that deplorablefire，near Fish Street，in London.
3rd.-The fire continuing，after dinner I took coach with my wife and son，and went to the Bankside in Southwark，where we beheld that dismal spectacle，the whole city in dreadful flames near the water-side.
2.The fire went on all the night-if I may call thatnight which was as light as day for ten miles round about-helped by a fierce eastern wind in a ver y dry season.I saw the whole south part of the city burning from Cheapside to the Thames，and all along Cornhill （for it kindled back against the wind as well as forward），Tower Street，Fenchurch Street，Gracechurch Street，and so along to Bainard‘s Castle，and the firethere was now taking hold of St.Paul’s Church.
3.The conflagration was so universal，and the people were so astonished，that from the beginning they hardly stirred to check it.There was nothing heard orseen but crying out and lamentation，the people runningabout like distractedcreatures，without at all attemptingto save their goods.There was a strange consternation upon them，as the fire consumed churches，public halls，hospitals，monuments，and ornaments，leaping from house to house，and street to street，at great distances one from the other.
4.We saw the Thames covered with goods afloat，all the barges and boats being laden with what some persons had had time and courage to save.Carts，also，were on all sides carrying things out to the fields，which for many miles were strewed with movables of all sorts；and tents were erected to shelter both people and what goods they could get away.
5.Oh，the miserable and calamitousspectacle！All the sky was of a fiery aspect，like the top of a burning oven，the light being seen above forty miles round about for many nights.God grant that my eyes may never behold the like-above ten thousand houses all in one flame！The noise and crackling and thunder ofthe impetuousflames，the shrieking of women andchildren，the hurry of people，the fall of towers，and houses，and churches，were like a hideous storm.
6.The air all about was so hot that at last one was not able to approach the fire.Men were forced tostand still and let the flames burn on，which they did for nearly two miles in length and one in breadth.The clouds of smoke were dismal，and reached nearly fifty miles in length.Thus I left it this afternoon.London was，but is no more！
7.4th.--The burning still rages，and it has now gotas far as the Inner Temple.All Fleet Street，the Old Bailey，Ludgate Hill，Warwick Lane，Newgate，Paul‘s Chain，and Watling Street are now flaming.The stones of St.Paul’s have been falling on all sides，the melting lead of the roof running down the streets in a stream，and the very pavements glowing with fiery redness，so that no horse or man is able to tread on them.The eastern wind stilt more impetuously drives the flames forward.
8.5th.-Men now began to bestir themselves，andnot to stand dismayed，as they had done hitherto.It was seen that nothing was likely to put a stop to the fire，but the blowing up of as many houses as would make a wider gap than any which had yet been made by the ordinary method of pulling them down.Some stout seamen had proposed this early enough to have savednearly the whole city；but some avariciousmen wouldnot permit it，because their houses must have beenamong the first destroyed.This was now commanded to be done；and as the wind also abated，the people seemed to take spirit again.
9.The poor inhabitants were dispersed about St.George‘s Fields and Moorfields，as far as Highgate，and for several miles round.Some lived under tents，some under miserable huts and hovels.Many were without arag or any necessary utensils，bed，or board，and werenow reduced from riches and ease to extremest misery and poverty.
10.7th.-I went this morning on foot from White-hall as far as London Bridge，clambering over heaps of still smoking rubbish.The ground under my feet was so hot that it burnt the soles of my shoes.The people who walked about the ruins appeared like men in a desert，or rather in some great city laid waste by a cruel enemy.
