78 DIARY OF WILLIAM WHITEWAY. 



" If this dolorous discourse aforesaid of God's fiery judgement 

 (written by Master Billiard) late hapning in Hampshire, have any 

 whit penetrated the reader with remorse I am here presmningly 

 bolde (witho ut disparagement to the author) to adde unto his booke 

 a second sorrow to our country, a sodaine calamity late befalne 

 upon the towne of Dorchester in the west of England ; the heavy 

 newes whereof, even strikes trembling hearts of people, that so 

 famous a towne, and the onely storehouse of those parts for 

 marchantly commodities should in lesse than four and twentie 

 houres be ruinated by this great commanding element, consuming 

 fier. 



Dorchester (as it is well known) is one of the principall places of 

 traffick for westerne marchants, by which means it grew rich and 

 populous, beautified with many stately buildings and faire streetes, 

 flourishing full of all sorts of tradesmen and artificers, plenty with 

 abundance revelled in her boasom, maintained with a wise and 

 civill goverment, to the well deserving commendation of the 

 inhabitants : but now marke how their golden fortunes faded and 

 their cheerful sunne of prosperitie eclipsed with the black vale of 

 mournfull adversitie : for upon the sixt of August last being 

 Friday, this then flourishing Towne of Dorchester, about the 

 mid-day flourisht in her greatest state, but before three of the 

 clocke in the afternoone, she was covered with a garment of redde 

 flaming fire, and all their jolity turned into lamentation. 



This Instrument of Gods wrath began first to take hold in a 

 Tradesmans worke-house : for a Tallow Chandler there dwelling, 

 making too great a fire under his kettle or lead, tooke holde upon 

 the melted and boyling tallow in such violent manner, that 

 without resistance it fiered the worke house, and immediately one 

 roome after another, till the Chandlers whole building was all on a 

 light burning flame. 



Then began the cry of fier to bespread through the whole 

 Towne : man, woman and childe ran amazedly up and downe the 

 streetes, calling for water, water ; so fearef ully, as if deaths trumpet 

 had sounded a command of present destruction. Many were the 



