In the middle of the seventeenth century London was a city of dirty narrow streets. Indeed, the streets were so narrow that it was often possible for a person at the window on one side of the street to shake hands with a neighbour in the house across the street. 1. So it is not strange that the great epidemic of the plague began in 1665.
2. There were no people in the streets, shops were closed and there were few boats on the Thames. Every house in which there were sick people was shut up. 3. The doors of such houses were marked with red marks.
The following year the Great Fire took place. 4. The summer of that year was dry, a hot wind was blowing and the fire spread very quickly.
The Fire went on for five days and destroyed the greater part of the city. But it did the city much good. 5.