His majesty's DECLARATION To His City of LONDON, Upon occasion of the late Calamity by the lamentable FIRE.   royal blazon or coat of arms 
C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT 
LONDON, Printed by John Bill and Christopher Barker Printers to the KING'S most Excellent Majesty, 1666.  
CUM PRIVILEGIO.   

HIS MAJESTIE'S DECLARATION TO His City of LONDON, Upon occasion of the late Calamity by the lamentable FIRE.  
CHARLES R.  
AS no particular Man hath sustained any loss or damage by the late terrible and deplorable Fire in his Fortune or Estate, in any degree to be compared with the loss and damage We Ourselves have sustained, so it is not possible for any Man to take the same more to heart, and to be more concerned and solicitous for the rebuilding this Famous City, with as much expedition as is possible: And since it hath pleased God to lay this heavy Judgement upon Us all in this time, as an evidence of his displeasure for Our sins, We do comfort Ourselves with some hope, that he will upon Our due humiliation before Him, as a new instance of his signal blessing upon Us, give Us life, not only to see the foundations laid, but the buildings finished, of a much more beautiful City than is at this time consumed; and that as the seat and situation of it is the most convenient and noble, for the advancement of Trade, of any City in Europe; so that such care will be taken for the re-edification of it, both for use and beauty, and such provision made for the future, against the ordinary and casual accidents by Fire, as may as far as humane wisdom can provide, upon the sad experience We have had, reasonably secure the same, and make it rather appear to the world as purged with the Fire (in how lamentable a manner soever) to a wonderful beauty and comeliness, then consumed by it; and We receive no small encouragement in this Our hope by the alacrity and cheerfulness We observe in those who have undergone the greatest loss, and seem the most undone, who with undaunted Courage appear to desire the same▪ We do, and resolved to contribute their utmost assistance thereunto. We have therefore thought fit, most necessary and agreeable to the great and constant affection We have always had, and always shall retain for this Our Native City, to use this expedition in publishing Our Thoughts, Resolutions, and Intentions upon this great affair that though such present Rules and Directions cannot be form, as must upon more mature deliberation be established for the re-edification. Yet such inconveniences may and shall be prevented, which may arise by the hasty and unskilful buildings many may propose to erect for their present conveniencies, before they can know how the same will suit and consist with the design that shall be made; And if this candour of Ours, which resolves with the blessing of God so to provide for the just right and interest of all, that no man shall have cause to complain of wrong and oppression; And if this Our seasonable animadversion shall not meet with that prudent submission we expect, but that some obstinate and refractory persons will presume to erect such Buildings as they shall think fit, upon pretence that the Ground is their own, and that they may do with it what they please, such their obstinacy shall not prevail to the public prejudice; but We do hereby require the Lord Mayor and the other Magistrates of the City of London in their several limits, to be very watchful in such cases, and speedily to pull down whatsoever such men shall presume to set up, so much to the disturbance of Public Order and decency, and that they forthwith give notice to Us or Our Privy Council of such their Proceed, and return the names of such refractory persons who presume to contemn this Our Injunction, and We shall give order for their exemplary punishment without the violation of the Public Justice.  
And because no men shall complain or apprehend that by this caution or restraint of Ours, they shall or may for a long time be kept from providing Habitations for themselves, and for the carrying on their Trades, though We make no question, but in a short time, with the assistance and advice of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen (who have besought us for some time to put this restraint) to finish the whole design, even before any men can make provision of materials for any valuable Edifices: We do declare, that if any considerable number of men (for it is impossible to comply with the humour of every particular man) shall address themselves to the Court of Aldermen, & manifest to them in what places their Ground lies, upon which they design to build, they shall in a short time receive such order and direction, for their proceeding therein, that they shall have no cause to complain; and so We proceed to the setting down such general to which all particular designs must conform themselves.  
In the first place the woeful experience in this late heavy visitation hath sufficiently convinced all men of the pernicious consequences which have attended the building with Timber, and even with Stone itself, and the notable benefit of Brick, which in so many places: hath resisted and even extinguished the Fire; And we do therefore hereby declare Our express Will and Pleasure, That no man whatsoever shall presume to erect any House or Building, great or small, but of Brick, or Stone, and if any man shall do the contrary, the next Magistrate shall forthwith cause it to be pulled down, and such further course shall be taken for his punishment as he deserves; And We suppose that the notable benefit many men have received from those Cellars which have been well and strongly arched, will persuade most men who build good Houses, to practise that good husbandry, by Arching all convenient places.  
We do declare, That Fleetstreet, Cheapside, Cornhill, and all other eminent and notorious Streets, shall be of such a breadth, as may with God's blessing prevent the mischief that one side may suffer if the other be on fire, which was the case lately in Cheapside, the precise breadth of which several Streets, shall be upon advice with the Lord Mayor and Aldermen shortly published, with many other particular Orders and Rules, which cannot yet be adjusted; in the mean time We resolve though all Streets cannot be of equal breadth, yet none shall be so narrow as to make the passage uneasy or inconvenient, especially towards the Waterside; nor will we suffer any Lanes or Allies to be erected, but where upon mature deliberation the same shall be found absolutely necessary, except such places shall be set aside which shall be designed only for buildings of that kind, and from whence no public mischief may probably arise.  
The irreparable damage and loss by the late Fire, being next to the hand of God in the terrible Wind, to be imputed to the place in which it first broke out, amongst small Timber houses standing so close together, that as no remedy could be applied from the River for the quenching thereof, to the contiguousness of the Buildings hindering and keeping all possible relief from the Land side, We do resolve and declare, That there shall be a fair Key or Wharf on all the River side, that no house shall be erected within so many foot of the River, as shall be within few days declared in the Rules formerly mentioned; nor shall there be in those Buildings which shall be erected next the River, which We desire may be fair Structures, for the ornament of the City, any houses to be inhabited by Brewers, or Dyer's, or Sugar Bakers, which Trades by their continu●● Smokes contributed very much to the unhealthiness of the adjacent places, but We require the Lord Major and Aldermen of London upon a full consideration, and weighing all conveniences and inconveniences that can be foreseen, to propose such a place as may be fit for all those Trades which are carried on by smoke to inhabit together, or at least several places for the several barters of the Town for those occupations, and in which they shall find their account in convenience and profit, as well as other places shall receive the benefit in the distance of the neighbourhood, it being Our purpose that they who exercise those necessary professions, shall be in all respects as well provided for and encouraged as ever they have been, and undergo as little prejudice as may be by being less inconvenient to their Neighbours.  
These grounds and foundations being laid, from the substance whereof we shall not departed, and which being published are sufficient advertisements to prevent any man's running into or bringing an inconvenience upon himself by a precipitate engagement in any Act which may cross these foundations, We have in order to the reducing this great and glorious design into practice, directed, and We do hereby direct, that the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen do with all possible expectation 〈◊〉 and exact Survey to be made and taken of the 〈◊〉 ruins. 〈…〉 by the late lamentable Fires, to the end that it may appear to whom all the Houses and Ground did in truth belong, what Term the several occupiers were possessed of, & at what Rents, and to whom, either Corporations, Companies, or single persons, the Reversion and Inheritance appertained, that 〈◊〉 provision may be made that though every man must not be suffered to erect what Buildings and where he pleases, he shall not in any degree be debarred from receiving the reasonable benefit of what ought to accrue to him from such Houses or Lands, there being nothing less in Our thoughts, then that any particular persons right and interest should be sacrificed to the public benefit or convenience, without such recompense as in justice he ought to receive for the same: And when all things of this kind shall be prepared and adjusted by such Commissioners, and otherwise, which shall be found expedient, We make no doubt but such an Act of Parliament will pass, as shall secure all men in what they shall and ought to possess.  
By the time that this Survey shall be taken, We shall cause a Plot or Model to be made for the whole building through those ruined places, which being well examined by all those persons who have most concernment as well as experience, We make no question but all men will be well pleased with it, and very willingly conform to those Orders and Rules which shall be agreed for the pursuing thereof.  
In the mean time we do hearty recommend it to the charity and magnanimity of all well disposed persons, and We do hearty pray unto Almighty God that he will infuse it into the hearts of Men speedily to endeavour by degrees to re-edify some of those many Churches which in this lamentable Fire have been burned down and defaced, that so men may have those public places of God's Worship to resort to, to humble themselves together before Him upon this His heavy displeasure, and join in their devotion for His future Mercy and Blessing upon Us, and as soon as We shall be informed of any readiness to begin such a good Work, We shall not only give Our assistance and direction for the model of it, and freeing it from buildings at too near a distance, but shall encourage it by Our Own bounty and all other ways We shall be desired.  
Lastly, that We may encourage men by Our Own example, We will use all the expedition We can to rebuild Our Customhouse in the place where it formerly stood, and enlarge it with the most conveniences for the Merchants that can be devised, and upon all the other Lands which belong unto Us, We shall departed with any thing of Our own right and benefit for the advancement of the public service and beauty of the City, and shall further remit to all those who shall erect any buildings according to this Declaration all duties arising to Us upon the Hearth money for the space of seven years.  
Given at Our Court at White-Hal the thirteenth day of September, One thousand six hundred sixty and six, in the Eighteenth year of Our Reign.  
FINIS.