PARISIAN OR ST. BARTHOLOMEW MASSACRE. 509 
Fish-street, Watling-street, Threadneedle-street, and several others, 
from all which it broke at once into Cheapside, which in a few hours 
was all in dames, the fire having reached it from so many places at 
once. 
The fire then continuing its course from the river on one side, 
and from Cheapside on the other, surrounded the cathedral of St. Paul’s. 
This building stood by itself, far from any houses, yet, such was the 
violence of the flames, and the heat of the atmosphere, that the cathe- 
dral took fire at top. The great beams and massy stones broke through 
into Faith-church underneath, which was quickly burnt, after which 
the flames invaded Paternoster-row, Newgate-street, the Old Bailey, 
Ludgate-hill, Fleet-street, Ironmonger-lane, Old Jewry, Lawrence- 
lane, Milk-street, Wood-street, Gutter-lane, Foster-lane, Lothbury, 
Cateaton street ; and having destroyed Christ’s church, burnt furiously 
through St. Martin’s-le-grand toward Aldersgate. The fire had 
now attained its greatest extent, and was several miles in compass. 
The vast clouds of smoke obscured the sun, so that be either could 
not be seen, or appeared as red as blood. ♦ The flames ascended an 
inconceivable height in the air, and their reflection from the smoke, 
which seemed also like flame, made the appearance still more terrible. 
The atmosphere was illuminated to a great extent; and this illumina- 
tion is said to have been visible as far as Jedburgh in Scotland. S<;me 
of the light ashes are also said to have been carried to the distance 
of sixteen miles. 
Guildhall exhibited a singular appearance. The oak with which 
it was built was so solid that it would not fl^me, but burnt like char- 
coal, so that the building appeared for several hours like an enchanted 
palace of gold. At last, on W ednesday morning, when every one expected 
the suburbs were to have been burnt, the fire began to abate, the 
W'ind having ceased. It was checked by the great building in Leaden- 
hall-street, and in other streets by blowing up' several houses with 
gunpowder; and on Thursday the flames w'ere quite extinguished. 
By this extraordinary conflagration, there w'ere destroyed, 13,209 
houses, 87 churches, 0 chapels, 62 public halls, the royal exchange, 
the custom house, 3 city gates, the jail of Newgate, 14 stone bridges, 
the sessions house Guildhall, with its courts and oflices, Blackwell- 
hall, Bridewell, Poultry compter, and St. Paul’s church ; which with 
w'ares, household furniture, money, goods, books, wine, sugar, tobacco, 
&c. have been estimated to amount to no less than £10,689,009 
sterling. 
It was never certainly known whether this fire w^as accidental or 
designed. A suspicion fell upon the Papists ; and this gained such 
credit, that it is asserted for a truth on the Monument erected to 
commemorate the conflagration. Though there was no suflicient 
proof of this, it had the effect of making the Papists more violently 
suspected and abhorred by the Protestants. 
Parisia^5 or St Bartpolomew Massacre. 
The most atrocious instance of inhuman massacre upon record, 
is that called the Parisian massacre, or massacre of St. Bartholomew ’s 
