[ 4°4 ] 
off the friend he loved moft, though many might 
have been faved by fo doing; but nothing was 
thought of but felf-prefervation ; getting into open 
places, and into the middle of ffreets, was the moft 
probable fecurity. Such, as were in the upper ftories 
of houfes, were in general more fortunate tnan thofe, 
that attempted to efcape by the doors ; for they were 
buried under the ruins with the greateft part of the 
foot-paffengers : fuch as were in equipages efcaped 
bed, though their cattle and drivers fuffered feverely ; 
but thofe loft in houfes and the ftreets are very un- 
equal in number to thofe, that were buried in the 
ruins of churches j for as it was a day of great devo- 
tion, and the time of celebrating mafs, all the churches 
in the city were vaftly crouded, and the number of 
churches here exceeds that of both London and 
Weftminfter ; and as the fteeples are built high, they 
moftly fell with the roof of the church, and the 
ftones are fo large, that few efcaped. 
Had the mifery ended here, it might in fome de- 
gree admitted of redrefs j for though lives could not 
be reftored, yet the immenfe riches, that were in the 
ruins, might in fome part have been digged out : but 
the hopes of this are almoft gone, for in about two 
hours after the ftiock, fires broke out in three dif- 
ferent parts of the city, occafioned from the goods 
and the kitchen-fires being all jumbled together. 
About this time alfo the wind, from being perfectly 
calm, fprung up a frefli gale, which made the fire 
rage with fuch fury, that at the end of three days, 
all the city was reduced to cinders. Indeed every ele- 
ment ftemed to confpire to our deftrndllon; for foon 
after the ftiock, which was near high water, the 
tide 
