SOuthwark was lately known to be a spaci­ous Burrough, and a place of a great trade, full of Houses and In­habitants, and those for the most part weal­thy, which I recite to make the Reader the more apprehensive of the great Desolation made there by the late Dreadful Fire, and of the Damage many of the now really poor Inha­bitants have sustained thereby.

[Page 2]It began on Friday the 26. of this instant May, about three of the Clock in the Morning at an Oyl-shop over-against the Counter, upon St. Margarets-hill; which is as it were the very heart of the Burrough, the Wind Southerly, and blowing very fresh, so that it burnt not very con­siderably to Wind-ward, but burnt its chief fury down the Street towards the Bridge, and not­withstanding a present alarm given, and a great concourse of people, with an imaginable expe­dition in bringing of Engines, in very little time it got a considerable head on both sides of the way, insomuch that the Engines being over­powered and able to do but little good, they were forced to betake themselves to blow­ing up of Houses, which they did for some time with pretty good success, but as the morning came on, such an innumerable company of Spectators were flocked together, that instead of assistance, they proved a very great hinderance to the Engineers, who durst not blow up the Houses they design'd, for fear of doing mischief to those crowds of People that were about them. Notwithstanding which care of theirs, many were so resolute or heedless as to run into the mouth of danger by which means many suffered in their lives and limb's, besides others supposed to be burned in their beds, to a number not yet to be computed.

[Page 3]This hurry and distraction continuing all the day the Fire encres'd, the houses being for the most part old and timber built, with the violence of the Wind, contributing to its fury, insomuch that about noon it had reach'd the Market-house, and endangered the Hospital of St. Thomas, and St. Mary Overy's Church, whereupon the people began to blow up houses at a great distance, and to play their Engines more violently against the Hospital and Houses adjacent; so that by four or five in the Afternoon, it was brought into a narrower compass, and the fury of it seem'd to be somewhat abated, and towards the Even­ing, as the company began to draw homewards, some persons of Eminence undertaking to give the Engineers instructions, and encouragement by Rewards, and their own personal hazards, they at last conquered this cruel Tyrant, and by eleven at night got so much the masterdom that there appeared no further danger.

But for the satisfaction of such as live more remote, and in regard of their own or their Relations concerns expect a more particular ac­count the fire destroyed as followeth.

[Page 4]From the Cock and Hart yard neer the Spur-Inn, down to St. Thomas's Hospital, Viz. The Talbot, the George, the White-Hart, the Kings-head, the Queens-head, Inns; Together with their Back-houses, Stables, Barns, and Ware­houses all burn'd down to the ground; The Hos­pital very much defaced, and the houses backward burn'd as far as St. Thomas's Church-yard, and the fronting-houses of that side of the way much shattered for a considerable way; from within a house or two of Pepper-Alley, on the other side many houses towards the Market likewise much shatter'd, and from below Chain-gate up to the Counter, upon St. Margrets-hill, burn'd down to the ground; The lane on the back-side of the Counter leading toward St. Mary Overy's stairs burn'd and shatter'd on both sides of the way as far as St. Mary Overy's Church, which was with much difficulty preserved after the fire had taken hold of the Chancel, and damaged it considerably, Chain-gate, The Market-house, Fowl-lane, Angel-Court, Three-Crown-Court, the Counter and Counter-Lane, &c. all burn'd to the ground, on­ly one house preserved as it were in the midst of the Fire.

[Page 5]It is a difficult matter by surveying the ruines to compute the number of houses burn'd and de­molished, but by a general estimate they are ima­gined to be near a thousand, though I confess I cannot guess them to be above five or six hun­dred, the vacancy of ground being as I conceive about three hundred paces in length and near half that in breadth, on most of which ground the houses stood very thick.

Thus in the space of twenty hours has this fierce and terrible fire impoverish'd some hundreds of families, who had all their substance swept away in a moment, and many of them exposed to the kindness of their friends or the charity of strang­ers; but how it began remains as yet doubtful; the very next neighbours knowing nothing of it, and though the Reader may expect to have his curiosity satisfied in this particular, I shall not at­tempt to traduce one man to pleasure another; howsoever it came about, I am sure it was an Omnipotent hand that suffered it, and therefore as those poor souls that are undone by it, cannot but find pitty from the good, so I hope they will meet with relief from the wealthy, whom never­theless I caution to beware of Vagabonds, that wander the countrey under the pretence of being ruin'd thereby, though no way concern'd therein.