ON Wednesday beinge the fourthe daye of June , in the yeare of our Lord . 1561. and in the thyrde yeare of the reigne of our soueraygne Ladye Elizabeth by the grace of God , Queene of Englande , Fraunce and Ireland , defender of the faith . &c. betweene one and two of the clocke at after Noone , was seene a marueilous great fyrie lightning , and immediately insued a most terrible hydeous cracke of thunder , suche as seldom hath been heard , and that by estimacion of sense , directlye ouer the Citie of London . At which instante the corner of a turret of the steple of saint Martins Churche within Ludgate was torne , and diuers great stones casten down , and a hole broken throughe the roofe & timber of the said church , by the fall of the same stones .

For diuers persones in tyme of the saide tempest being on the riuer of Thamys , and others beyng in the fieldes nere adioyning to the Citie , affirmed that thei saw a long and a speare pointed flame of fier ( as it were ) runne through the toppe of the Broche or Shaft of Paules Steple ▪ from the Easte Westwarde . And some of the parish of saint Martins then being in the streate , dyd feele a marueylous strong ayre or whorlewynd , with a smel lyke Brimstone , comming from Paules Churche , and withal heard the rushe of the stones which fell from their steple into the churche . Betwene .iiii. and fiue of the clocke a smoke was espied by diuers to breake oute vnder the bowle of the said shaf of Paules , & namely by Peter Johnson principall Registrer to the Bishop of London , who immediatly brought worde to the Bishops house . But sodeinly after , as it wer in a momente , the flame brake furth in a circle like a garlande rounde about the broche , about two yards to th estimacion of sight vnder the bowle of the said shaft , & increased in suche wise , that within a quarter of an howre , or litle more , the crosse & the Egle on the toppe fell downe vpon the south crosse I . The Lord Maior being sent for , & his brethren , came with all spede possible , & had a short consultacion as in such a case might be , with the Bishop of London and others , for the best way of remedy . And thither came also the Lord keper of the great Seale , & the Lord Treasorer , who by their wisedom and authoritie dyrected as good order , as in so great a confusion could possible be .

Some there wer , pretending experience in warres , that counceled the remanente of the steple to bee shot down with Canons , whiche counsel was not liked , as most perilous both for the dispersing the fire , and destruction of houses and people , other perceiuing the steple to be past al recouery , considering the hugenes of the fier , & the dropping of the lead , thought beste to geat ladders & scale the churche , & with axes to hew down a space of the roofe of the Churche , to stay the fier , at the leaste to saue some part of the saide churche , whiche was concluded . But before the ladders & buckets could be brought , & things put in any order , and especially because the churche was of such height , that thei could not skale it , & no sufficiente nomber of axes could be had , the laborers also being troubled with the multitude of ydle gasers , the moste parte of the higheste roofe of the Churche was on fier .

Fyrst the fall of the Crosse and Egle fired the southe crosse I , whiche I le was firste consumed , the beames & brands of the steple fell down on euery side , & fired the other thre partes , that is to saye , the Chauncel or Quier , the north I , & the body of the church . So that in one howres space the broch of the steple was brent downe to the battlementes , & the most part of the highest roofe of the churche , likewise consumed . The state of the steple & churche seming both desperate : my Lord Mayor was aduised by one maister Winter of the admiraltie , to conuerte the moste part of his care & prouision to preserue the Bishops palace adioynyng to the Northwest end of the church : least from that house beinge large , the fier might sprede to the stretes adioyning . Wherupon the ladders , buckets , & laborers , were commaunded thither , & by greate labor & diligente , a piece of the roofe of the Northe Ile was cut down , & the fier so stayed , and by muche water , that parte quenched , and the said Bishops house preserued . It pleased god also at the same tyme bothe to turne & calme the winde , which afore was vehement , & continued stil high & greate in other partes without the citie . There wer abouee .v. C. persons that laboured in carying & filling water &c. Diuers substancial Citizens toke paynes as if thei had bene laborers , so did also diuers & sondrye gentlemen , whose names wer not knowen to the writer hereof , but amongst other , the said M. Winter , & one . M Stranguish , did both take notable paines in their own persons , & also much directed & encouraged other , and that not without great daunger to themselues . In the euening came the Lord Clinton , Lord admiral from the court at Grenewiche , whom the Queenes maiesty assone as the rage of the fier was espied by her maiestye and others in the court , of the pitifull inclinacion & loue that her gracious highnesse dyd beare both to the said church & the citie , sente to assyst my Lorde Mayor for the suppressyng of the fyre , who with his wysdome , authority & diligent trauayl did very much good therin . About .x. of the clocke the fyercenes of the fyre was past , the tymbre being fallen and lyinge brenninge vppon the vaultes of stone , the vaultes yet god be thanked ) standynge vnperished : so as onelye the tymbre of the hole church was consumed , & the lead molten , sauyng the most parte of the two lowe Iles of the Queare , and a piece of the north I le , and an other smal piece of the southe I le , in the bodye of the churche . Notwithstandynge all which , it pleased the merciful god in his wrath to remember his mercie , and to enclose the harme of this most fyerce and terrible fyre , wythin the walles of thys one church , not extending any part of his wrath in this fyre vppon the rest of the Citie , whiche to all reason and sence of man was subiect to vtter distruction . For in the hole city without the churche no stycke was kyndled surelye .

Notwithstanding that in diuerse partes , & stretes , and within the houses bothe adioyninge and of a good distaunce , as in fletestrete , & newgate market , by the violence of fyre , burninge coles of greate bignesse , fell downe almoost as thicke as haylstones , and flawes of lead were blowen abrode into the gardins without the Citie , like flawes of snow in bredthe withoute hurt , god be thanked , to any house or person . Many fond talkes goe abrode of the original cause of this fier . Some say , it was negligence of plumbers , whereas by due examinacion it is proued that no plumbers or other workemen labored in the churche for sixe monethes before . Other suspect it was done by som wicked practise of wildfyer or gunpouder but no iust suspicious therof by any examinacion can be founde hitherto . Some suspect coniurers & sorcerers , wherof there is also no great likelyhode . And if it hadde bene wrought that waie , yet could not the deuil haue done it , without Gods permission , & to som purpose of his vnsercheable iudgements , as appereth in the story of Job . The true cause as it semeth , was the tempest by gods suffrance : for it cannot be otherwise gathered , but that at the said great & terrible thunderclap , when sainte Martins steple was ●orne , the lightning which by natural order smiteth the highest , did first smite the top of Paules steple , and entring in at the small holes which haue alwaies remained open for building skaffoldes to the works & finding the timber very olde & drie , did kindle the same , & so the fier increasing grew to a flame & wrought the effecte which folowed most terrible then to behold , & now most lamentable to looke on .

On Sonday folowyng beynge the .viii. day of June , the reuerend in god , the Bishop of Duresme , at Paules crosse made a learned & fruitful sermon , exhorting the auditory to a general repentance , & namely to humble obedience of the lawes & superior powers , whiche vertue is muche decayed in these our daies : seming to haue intellygence from the Queenes highnes that her maiestie intendeth tha● more seueritie of lawes shal be executed against persons disobedyent , aswell in causes of religion , as ciuil , to the great reioysing of his auditours . He exhorted also hys audience to take this as a generall warninge to the whole realme , & namelye to the citie of London , of some greater plage to folow , if amendmente of lyfe in all states did not ensue : He muche reproued those persons whiche woulde assigne the cause of this wrathe of god to any perticular state of men , or that were diligent to loke into other mens lyues , & coulde see no faultes in themselfes : but wished that euery man wold descend into himselfe and say with Dauid 〈…〉 I am he that hathe sinned , and so furth to that effect ●erye godlye . He also not onely reproued the prophanatyon of the said Churche of Paules of longe time hertofore abused by walking , ●angling , brawling , fighting , bargaining . &c. namely in Sermons & seruice time : but also aunswered by the way to the obiections of such euil tunged persons , which do impute this token of gods deserued ire , to alteracion , or rather reformacion of religion , declaring out of auncient records & histories , the like , yea & greater maters had befallen in the time of supersticion & ignorance . For in the first yere of king Stephan not only the said church of Paules was brent , but also a great part of the city , that is to say , from London bridge vnto S. Clements without Temple bar , was by fier consumed . And in the daies of king Henry the .vi. the steple of Paules was also fired by lightning , although it was then staidi by diligence of the Citizens , the fier being then by likelyhode not so fierce . Many other suche like common calamities he rehersed , whiche had happened in other countreis , both nigh to this realm & far of , where the church of Rome hath most aucthority , & therefore concluded the surest way to be , that euery man should iudge , examin , & amend himselfe , & embrace , beleue , and truely folow the word of god , & earnestly to pray to god to turn away from vs his deserued wrath & indignacion , wherof this his terrible work is a most certein warning , if we repent not vnfeinedly . The whiche god grant maye come to passe in all estates & degrees , to the glory of his name and to oure endelesse comforte in Christ our sauiour . Amen .