Library — 1667
Observations both historical and moral upon the burning of London
In this book, published in 1667, the author (using the pseudonym 'Rege Sincera') describes the Great Fire of London and its aftermath in detail. They claim not to know of more than six people who died in the fire. Like other authors, they believe the fire was God's judgement for Londoners' sins. They also compare London's disaster with a fire in Moscow.
Sincera pronounces the fire to be an accident made worse by the time of night it started, the narrowness of the streets around Pudding Lane, the fact that the buildings were wooden, the amount of combustible items stored nearby, the recent drought, the fierce east wind and because the water pumping house by London Bridge was out of order.
The final section reveals Sincera's despair. They write that the fire happened when England had just come through a civil war of 20 years and a plague, each costing the lives of 100,000 people, when the country was exhausted of money and when it was at war with foreign enemies.
- Category:
- Library
- Object ID:
- 42.39/55
- Object name:
- Observations both historical and moral upon the burning of London
- Object type:
- book
- Artist/Maker:
- Rege Sincera
- Related people:
- —
- Related events:
- Great Fire of London 1666
- Related places:
- —
- Production date:
- 1667
- Material:
- paper, ink
- Measurements/duration:
- H 177 mm, T 11 mm (closed), W 128 mm (closed), W 240 mm (open)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Credit:
- —
- Copyright holder:
- digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
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