Diary, November 1666 | Page 9

and presently
more particulars, that the Horse-guard was on fire;
["Nov. 9th. Between seven and eight at night, there happened a fire in
the Horse Guard House, in the Tilt Yard, over against Whitehall, which
at first arising, it is supposed, from some snuff of a candle falling
amongst the straw, broke out with so sudden a flame, that at once it
seized the north-west part of that building; but being so close under His
Majesty's own eye, it was, by the timely help His Majesty and His
Royal Highness caused to be applied, immediately stopped, and by ten
o'clock wholly mastered, with the loss only of that part of the building
it had at first seized."--The London Gazette, No. 103.--B.]
and so we run up to the garret, and find it so; a horrid great fire; and by
and by we saw and heard part of it blown up with powder. The ladies
begun presently to be afeard: one fell into fits. The whole town in an
alarme. Drums beat and trumpets, and the guards every where spread,
running up and down in the street. And I begun to have mighty
apprehensions how things might be at home, and so was in mighty pain
to get home, and that that encreased all is that we are in expectation,
from common fame, this night, or to-morrow, to have a massacre, by
the having so many fires one after another, as that in the City, and at
same time begun in Westminster, by the Palace, but put out; and since
in Southwarke, to the burning down some houses; and now this do
make all people conclude there is something extraordinary in it; but
nobody knows what. By and by comes news that the fire has slackened;
so then we were a little cheered up again, and to supper, and pretty

merry. But, above all, there comes in the dumb boy that I knew in
Oliver's time, who is mightily acquainted here, and with Downing; and
he made strange signs of the fire, and how the King was abroad, and
many things they understood, but I could not, which I wondering at,
and discoursing with Downing about it, "Why," says he, "it is only a
little use, and you will understand him, and make him understand you
with as much ease as may be." So I prayed him to tell him that I was
afeard that my coach would be gone, and that he should go down and
steal one of the seats out of the coach and keep it, and that would make
the coachman to stay. He did this, so that the dumb boy did go down,
and, like a cunning rogue, went into the coach, pretending to sleep; and,
by and by, fell to his work, but finds the seats nailed to the coach. So he
did all he could, but could not do it; however, stayed there, and stayed
the coach till the coachman's patience was quite spent, and beat the
dumb boy by force, and so went away. So the dumb boy come up and
told him all the story, which they below did see all that passed, and
knew it to be true. After supper, another dance or two, and then newes
that the fire is as great as ever, which put us all to our wit's-end; and I
mightily [anxious] to go home, but the coach being gone, and it being
about ten at night, and rainy dirty weather, I knew not what to do; but
to walk out with Mr. Batelier, myself resolving to go home on foot, and
leave the women there. And so did; but at the Savoy got a coach, and
come back and took up the women; and so, having, by people come
from the fire, understood that the fire was overcome, and all well, we
merrily parted, and home. Stopped by several guards and constables
quite through the town, round the wall, as we went, all being in armes.
We got well home . . . . Being come home, we to cards, till two in the
morning, and drinking lamb's-wool.
[A beverage consisting of ale mixed with sugar, nutmeg, and the pulp
of roasted apples. "A cupp of lamb's-wool they dranke unto him then."
The King and the Miller of Mansfield (Percy's "Reliques," Series III.,
book ii., No. 20).]
So to bed.

10th. Up and to the office, where Sir W. Coventry come to tell us that
the Parliament did fall foul of our accounts again yesterday; and we
must arme to have them examined, which I am sorry for: it will bring

great trouble to me, and shame upon the office. My head full this
morning how to carry on Captain Cocke's bargain of hemp, which I
think