North of
Holborn the fire had spread but little, and that only among the
poorer houses in Fleet Valley.
Ascending the hill, they found that, while the flames had overleapt
the City wall from Ludgate to Newgate in its progress west, the wall
had proved an effective barrier from the sharp corner behind
Christchurch up to Aldersgate and thence up to Cripplegate, which was
the farthest limit reached by the fire to the north. To the east, the
City had fared better. By the river, indeed, the destruction was
complete as far as the Tower. Mark Lane, however, stood, and north of
this the line of destruction swept westward to Leaden Hall, a massive
structure at the entrance to the street that took its name from it,
and proved a bulwark against the flames. From this point, the line of
devastated ground swept round by the eastern end of Throgmorton
Street to the northern end of Basinghall Street.
Cyril remained with the sailors for two days longer, during which
time they were kept at work beating out the embers of the fire. In
this they were aided by a heavy fall of rain, which put an end to all
fear of the flames springing up again.
"There can be no need for you to remain longer with us, Sir Cyril,"
Captain Warncliffe said, at the end of the second day. "I shall have
pleasure in reporting to the Duke of Albemarle the good services that
you have rendered. Doubtless we shall remain on duty here for some
time, for we may have, for aught I know, to aid in the clearing away
of some of the ruins; but, at any rate, there can be no occasion for
you to stay longer with us.
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