▁boys ▁as ▁was ▁often ▁the ▁practice ▁before ; ▁and ▁Rest oration ▁literature ▁celebrated ▁or ▁react ed ▁to ▁the ▁restored ▁court , ▁which ▁included ▁libert ines ▁such ▁as ▁John ▁Wil mot , ▁ 2 nd ▁Earl ▁of ▁Ro chester . ▁Of ▁Charles ▁II , ▁Wil mot ▁supposed ly ▁said : ▁ ▁To ▁which ▁Charles ▁is ▁re put ed ▁to ▁have ▁replied ▁" that ▁the ▁matter ▁was ▁easily ▁account ed ▁for : ▁For ▁that ▁his ▁disc ourse ▁was ▁his ▁own , ▁his ▁actions ▁were ▁the ▁min istry ' s ". ▁ ▁Great ▁Pl ague ▁and ▁Great ▁Fire ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁Charles ▁was ▁faced ▁with ▁a ▁great ▁health ▁crisis : ▁the ▁Great ▁Pl ague ▁of ▁London . ▁The ▁death ▁to ll ▁reached ▁a ▁peak ▁of ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁week ▁in ▁the ▁week ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁September . ▁Charles , ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁and ▁court , ▁fled ▁London ▁in ▁July ▁to ▁Sal is bury ; ▁Parliament ▁met ▁in ▁Oxford . ▁Pl ague ▁cases ▁e bb ed ▁over ▁the ▁winter , ▁and ▁Charles ▁returned ▁to ▁London ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 6 6 6 . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁long ▁spell ▁of ▁hot ▁and ▁dry ▁weather ▁through ▁mid - 1 6 6 6 , ▁what ▁later ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Great ▁Fire ▁of ▁London ▁started ▁on ▁ 2 ▁September ▁ 1 6 6 6 ▁in ▁a ▁b ake house ▁on ▁P ud ding ▁Lane . ▁F anned ▁by ▁a ▁strong ▁e aster ly ▁wind ▁and ▁fed ▁by ▁stock p iles