AS no particular Man hath su­stained any loss or dammage by the late terrible and deplo­rable Fire in his Fortune or E­state, in any degree to be com­pared with the loss and dam­mage We Our Self have sustained, so it is not possible for any Man to take the same more to heart, and to be more concerned and sollicitous for the rebuilding this Famous City, with as much expedition as is possible: And since it hath pleased God to lay this heavy Judgment [Page 2] upon Us all in this time, as an evidence of his displeasure for Our sins, We do comfort Our Self with some hope, that he wil upon Our due humiliation before Him, as a new instance of his signal blessing upon Us, give Us life, not on­ly to see the foundations laid, but the buildings finished, of a much more beautiful City then is at this time consumed; and that as the seat and scituation of it is the most convenient and no­ble, for the advancement of Trade, of any City in Europe; so that such care wil be taken for the re-edification of it, both for use and beauty, and such provision made for the future, against the ordinary and casual accidents by Fire, as may as far as humane wisdom can provide, upon the sad experience We have had, reasonably secure the same, and make it rather appear to the world as purged with the Fire (in how lamentable a manner soever) to a wonderful beauty and comliness, then consumed by it; and We re­ceive no smal encouragement in this Our hope by the alacrity and chearfulness We observe in those who have undergone the greatest loss, and seem the most undone, who with undaunted Courage appear to desire the same▪ We do, and resolved to contribute their utmost assistance thereunto. We have therefore thought fit, most necessary and agreeable to the great and constant affection We have alwayes had, and [Page 3] alwayes shal retain for this Our Native City, to use this expedition in publishing Our Thoughts, Resolutions, and Intentions upon this great affair that though such present Rules and Directions cannot be formed, as must upon more mature deliberation be established for the re-edification. Yet such inconveniences may and shal be prevented, which may arise by the hasty and unskilful buildings many may propose to erect for their present conveniencies, before they can know how the same wil sute and consist with the design that shal be made; And if this candour of Ours, which resolves with the bles­sing of God so to provide for the just right and interest of all, that no man shal have cause to complain of wrong and oppression; And if this Our seasonable animadversion shal not meet with that prudent submission we expect, but that some obstinate and refractory persons wil presume to erect such Buildings as they shal think fit, upon pretence that the Ground is their own, and that they may do with it what they please, such their obstinacy shal not pre­vaile to the publick prejudice; but We do hereby require the Lord Mayor and the other Magistrates of the City of London in their seve­ral limits, to be very watchful in such cases, and speedily to pul down whatsoever such men shal presume to set up, so much to the distur­bance [Page 4] of Publick Order and decency, and that they forthwith give notice to Us or Our Privy Councel of such their Proceedings, and return the names of such refractory persons who pre­sume to contemn this Our Injunction, and We shal give order for their exemplary pu­nishment without the violation of the Publick Justice.

And because no men shal complain or ap­prehend that by this caution or restraint of Ours, they shal or may for a long time be kept from providing Habitations for themselves, and for the carrying on their Trades, though We make no question, but in a short time, with the assistance and advice of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen (who have besought us for some time to put this restraint) to finish the whole design, even before any men can make provision of materials for any valuable Edifi­ces: We do declare, that if any considerable number of men (for it is impossible to comply with the humour of every particular man) shal address themselves to the Court of Aldermen, & manifest to them in what places their Ground lies, upon which they design to build, they shal in a short time receive such order and direction, for their proceeding therein, that they shal have no cause to complain; and so We proceed to the setting down such general to which all par­ticular [Page 5] designes must conform themselves.

In the first place the woful experience in this late heavy visitation hath sufficiently convinced all men of the pernicious consequences which have attended the building with Timber, and even with Stone it self, and the notable benefit of Brick, which in so many places: hath resisted and even extinguished the Fire; And we do therefore hereby declare Our express Wil and Pleasure, That no man whatsoever shal pre­sume to erect any House or Building, great or smal, but of Brick, or Stone, and if any man shal do the contrary, the next Magistrate shal forthwith cause it to be pulled down, and such further course shal be taken for his punishment as he deserves; And We suppose that the notable benefit many men have received from those Cellars which have been wel and strong­ly arched, wil perswade most men who build good Houses, to practice that good husbandry, by Arching all convenient places.

We do declare, That Fleetstreet, Cheapside, Cornhill, and all other eminent and notorious Streets, shal be of such a breadth, as may with Gods blessing prevent the mischief that one side may suffer if the other be on fire, which was the case lately in Cheapside, the precise breadth of which several Streets, shal be upon advice with the Lord Mayor and Aldermen [Page 6] shortly publish'd, with many other particular Orders and Rules, which cannot yet be adjust­ed; in the mean time We resolve though all Streets cannot be of equal breadth, yet none shal be so narrow as to make the passage un­easie or inconvenient, especially towards the Water-side; nor wil we suffer any Lanes or Allyes to be erected, but where upon mature deliberation the same shal be found absolutely necessary, except such places shal be set aside which shal be designed onely for buildings of that kind, and from whence no publick mischief may probably arise.

The irrepairable damage and loss by the late Fire, being next to the hand of God in the terri­ble Wind, to be imputed to the place in which it first brake out, amongst small Timber houses standing so close together, that as no remedy could be applyed from the River for the quenching thereof, to the contiguousness of the Buildings hindering and keeping all possible relief from the Land side, We do resolve and declare, That there shal be a fair Key or Wharf on all the River side, that no house shall be erected within so many foot of the River, as shal be within few daies declared in the Rules formerly mentioned; nor shal there be in those Buildings which shal be erected next the Ri­ver, which We desire may be fair Structures, [Page 7] for the ornament of the City, any houses to be inhabited by Brewers, or Diers, or Sugar Bakers, which Trades by their continu [...] Smoaks con­tributed very much to the unhealthiness of the adjacent places, but We require the Lord Major and Aldermen of London upon a ful considera­tion, and weighing all conveniences and inconve­niences that can be foreseen, to propose such a place as may be fit for all those Trades which are carried on by smoak to inhabit together, or at least several places for the severall barters of the Town for those occupations, and in which they shal find their accompt in convenience and profit, as wel as other places shall receive the benefit in the distance of the neighbourhood, it being Our purpose that they who exercise those necessary professions, shal be in all respects as wel provided for and encouraged as ever they have been, and undergo as little prejudice as may be by being less inconvenient to their Neighbours.

These grounds and foundations being laid, from the substance whereof we shal not depart, and which being published are sufficient adver­tisements to prevent any mans running into or bringing an inconvenience upon himself by a precipitate engagement in any Act which may cross these foundations, We have in order to the reducing this great and glorious design into [Page 8] practise, directed, and We do hereby direct, that the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen do with all possible expe [...]tion [...] and exact Survey to be made and taken of the [...] ru­i [...]s. [...] by the late lamentable Fires, to the end that it may appear to whom all the Houses and Ground did in truth belong, what Term the several occupiers were possessed of, & at what Rents, and to whom, either Corpora­tions, Companies, or single persons, the Rever­sion and Inheritance appertained, that [...] pro­vision may be made that though every man must not be suffered to erect what Buildings and where he pleases, he shal not in any degree be debarred from receiving the reasonable bene­fit of what ought to accrue to him from such Houses or Lands, there being nothing less in Our thoughts, then that any particular per­sons right and interest should be sacrificed to the publick benefit or convenience, without such recompence as in justice he ought to receive for the same: And when all things of this kind shall be prepared and adjusted by such Com­missioners, and otherwise, which shal be found expedient, We make no doubt but such an Act of Parliament wil pass, as shal secure all men in what they shal and ought to possess.

By the time that this Survey shal be taken, We shal cause a Plot or Model to be made [Page 9] for the whole building through those ruined places, which being wel examined by all those persons who have most concernment as wel as experience, We make no question but all men wil be wel pleased with it, and very willingly conform to those Orders and Rules which shal be agreed for the pursuing thereof.

In the mean time we do heartily recom­mend it to the charity and magnanimity of all wel disposed persons, and We do heartily pray unto Almighty God that he wil infuse it into the hearts of Men speedily to endeavour by degrees to re-edifie some of those many Churches which in this lamentable Fire have been burned down and defaced, that so men may have those publick places of Gods Wor­ship to resort to, to humble themselves together before Him upon this His heavy displeasure, and join in their devotion for His future Mercy and Blessing upon Us, and as soon as We shal be informed of any readiness to begin such a good Work, We shal not only give Our assi­stance and direction for the model of it, and freeing it from buildings at too near a distance, but shal encourage it by Our Own bounty and all other wayes We shal be desired.

Lastly, that We may encourage men by Our Own example, We wil use all the expedi­tion We can to re-build Our Custome-House [Page 10] in the place where it formerly stood, and en­large it with the most conveniences for the Merchants that can be devised, and upon all the other Lands which belong unto Us, We shal depart with any thing of Our own right and benefit for the advancement of the publick ser­vice and beauty of the City, and shal further remit to all those who shal erect any buildings according to this Declaration all duties arising to Us upon the Hearth money for the space of seven years.

Given at Our Court at White-Hal the thir­teenth day of September, One thousand six hun­dred sixty and six, in the Eighteenth year of Our Reign.