1666. Manage ment of Lewis Project to excite Troubles in it is very clear that the King of France, after having amufed the Dutch one whole Year on divers Pretences, did not declare effectually against England till the 19th of January 1665-6, and ftill amufed them one Year longer, by giving them hopes of the Arrival of the Duke of Beaufort, who came not into the Channel till the latter End of September, when the Seafon for fighting at Sea was over. If to this is added the Unwillingness which that King difcovered to fuccour the States, as appears from his Letter to d'Eftrades, there will be no caufe to wonder at the little Advantage which the Dutch reaped from the Junction of France. This Year the States had a Thought of affifting the Male-contents in England and Scotland, to give the England. English Arms a Diverfion at Home. This Defign was even communicated to the King of France. But he objected fo many Difficulties to it, that it was fuffered to fall without any thing done towards the Execution. Probably the States had fome Correfpondence with the Republicans, which being in fome Measure discovered, made a great Noife, and according to Cuftom was imputed to the whole Body of Non-conformists. London Echard. * The Misfortune which this Year befel the City of burnt. Mr. London, I mean the terrible Fire which laid fo great a Part of that vaft City in Afhes, gave a new Handle to the Enemies of the Republicans to charge them with being the Authors. This Charge was fupported only by the Fire's happening to break out the 3d of September, a Day efteemed fortunate to the Republicans, becaufe on it Oliver Cromwell, when he was General of the Armies of the Commonwealth of England, obtained the two renowned Victories of Dunbar and Worcester. To reprefent without any Aggravation the Ravages committed by this Fire in London, I need only give my Reader the Infcription upon one of the Sides of the Pillar, erected on the Place where * This Fire broke out the 2d of September. the the Fire broke out. This Pillar, at London, is called the Monument, and is vifited by all Strangers, but they only who understand the English Language can come at the Meaning of this Infcription. * 1666, Мопи ment. In the Year of Chrift 1666, the Second Day of Sep. Infeription tember, at the Distance of 202 Foot (the Height of this upon the Column) a terrible Fire broke out about Midnight, which driven on by a high Wind, not only wafted the adjacent Parts, but also very remote Places with incredible Noife and Fury. It confumed Ninety-nine Churches, the City Gates, Guild-hall, many publick Structures, Hofpitals, Schools, Libraries, a vast Number of stately Edifices, Thirteen Thousand Two Hundred Dwelling-Houfes, Four Hundred Streets. Of the Six and Twenty Wards it utterly deftroyed Fifteen, and left Eight others hattered and balf burned. The Ruins of the City were four Hundred Thirty-fix Acres from the Tower by Thames Side to the Temple-Church, and from the North-East Gate along the City Wall to Holborn-Bridge. To the Eftates and Fortunes of the Citizens it was merciless, but to their Lives very favourable, that it might in all Things refemble the laft Conflagration of the World. The Destruction was fudden, for in a small Space of Time the fame City was feen moft flourishing and reduced to nothing. Three Days after, when this fatal Fire bad baffled all human Counfels and Endeavours, in the Opinion of all, it stopped, as it were, by a Command from Heaven, and was on every Side extinguished. the Au thors of Men failed not to give a Scope to their Imagination, Conjecand to form Conjectures upon the Caufes and Authors tures upon of this Burning. The Pious and Religious afcribed it to the juft Vengeance of Heaven, on a City where this Fire Vice and Immorality reigned fo openly and fhamelefsly, and which had not been fufficiently humbled by the raging Peftilence of the foregoing Year. Some Latin. All the Infcriptions, except that round the Pedestal, are in VOL. XIII. Bb 2 again, Vol. XIII. 1666. again, as I have faid, afcribed this Misfortune to the Malice of the Republicans: Others to the Papifts. And there were fome fo bold, as to raise their Sufpicions even to the King and the Duke of York. But though feveral fufpected Perfons were taken up on this Account, it was never poffible to discover or prove that the Baker's House, where this dreadful Calamity firft broke out, was fired on Purpose. Nevertheless, a French Huguenot, Native of Roan, and a Lunatick, having owned himself guilty of this horrible Action, was condemned and executed. But it appeared afterwards by the Teftimony of the Mafter of the Ship who brought him out of France, that though he was landed at the Time of the Fire, yet he did not arrive in London till two Days after it began. It is pretended likewise that a Dutch Boy Ten Years old had confeffed that his Father and himself had thrown Fire-balls into the Baker's Houfe through a Window that stood open. But befides the Objection which may be made to this Teftimony from the Boy's Age, there must have been fome Circumftance in his Narrative not agreeable to the Fact, fince it was never thought proper to make a farther Enquiry. Perhaps this was a Report without Foundation. Extract But that which gives the greatest Encouragement for a Belief that this Fire did not happen cafually, is the Teftimony of Dr. Lloyd afterwards Bishop of Worcester. That Prelate told Dr. Burnet - "That "one Grant a Papift had fometime before applyed from Burhimfelf to the faid Lloyd, who had great Credit ry relating "with the Countess of Clarendon (Proprietor of a great Share in the Revenue, which rifes from the "New River) and faid he could raise that Estate "confiderably, if fhe would make him a Trustee for net's Hifto To this Fire, her. His Schemes were probable, and he was "made one of the Board that governed that Matter: "And by that he had a Right to come as oft as he 66 pleased to view their Works at Islington. He went "thither the Saturday before the Fire broke out, " and called for the Key of the Place where the Heads "Heads of the Pipes were, and turned all the Cocks "that were then open, and ftopped the Water, and "went away, and carried the Keys with him. So "when the Fire broke out next Morning, they opened the Pipes in the Streets to find Water, but "there was none. And fome Hours were loft in "fending to Ilington, where the Door was to be "broke open and the Cocks turned; and it was long "before the Water got to London. Grant indeed de"nied that he had turned the Cocks. But the Off"cer of the Works affirmed that he had, according to Order, set them all a running, and that no "Perfon had got the Keys from him befides Grant ; "who confeffed he had carried away the Keys, but "pretended he did it without Defign. 66 This is the Account delivered by Doctor Burnet in his History, and agrees in the main with that of Mr. Echard, in his Hiftory of England. Nevertheless an anonymous Author who has written against Dr. Burnet's Hiftory, accufes him of Falsehood, and afferts, that Grants was not received amongst the Directors till after the Fire. But it is not eafy to decide what regard is due to the Teftimony of this anonymous Writer, whereas one cannot avoid giving Credit to that of this illuftrious Prelate, when he says, he had it from Doctor Lloyd, that Grant was one of the Directors before the Fire, and that this Account of it came from that Bishop. However it be, this great Fire was generally laid to the Charge of the Papifts, and the more fo, because so many other Things afterwards concurred to confirm this Sufpicion. 1666. the Par liament. The Parliament meeting the 21ft of September, the The King's King in a Speech to both Houses, affured them that Speech to the Money granted for carrying on the War had proved deficient, as he had two fuch puiffant Enemies to cope with. He magnified the happy Succefs with which it had pleafed God to blefs his Arms, and would have it understood, as if his Fleet had been always victorious. Immediately after the Commons, Bb 3 ftill 1666. A large Supply voted the King. The Par liament the King tion a gainst Je fuits, c. ftill liberal, voted the King a Supply of eighteen Hundred Thoufand Pounds. Thus in the Space of two Years, this War coft the People of England four Millions, four Hundred and fifty Thousand Pounds; that is to fay, more than fixty Millions of Dutch Florins, and above Seventy-two Millions of French Livres, allowing thirteen Livres-Tournois to one Pound Sterling. Nevertheless the two Houfes beginning to discover that the King was not the zealous Proteftant he afaddreffes fected to appear, that Papists had a confiderable Inagainst fluence in his Council, and that their Religion began Papifts. to spread in the Nation, prefented an Addrefs to pray him to put the Laws in Execution against Romifh Priests and Jefuits, who took indefatigable Pains to Proclama pervert his Subjects. The King, agreeably to the Practice of his Father, Grandfather, and his own, immediately iffued out a Proclamation for banishing out of the Kingdom the Priests and Jefuits, on Pain of being profecuted according to Law, if found in the Land after the 10th of December. So that Banifhment was the moft rigorous Part of their Punishment, fuppofing the King's Order fhould have been punctually executed. But the more rigorous the Proclamations against them were, the more favourable to them was the Execution thereof. This is manifeft from the Frequency of thefe Proclamations. But to give a more convincing Proof of the Difpofition the Court was in with Relation to this Affair, I fhall here produce a Paffage in a Letter to the Earl of Sandwich, Ambaffador at Madrid, from Secretary Bennet, lately created Earl of Arlington, a concealed Papist, though he outwardly profeffed the Proteftant-Religion. In this Letter he told the Ambaffador, Your Excellency knows fufficiently the Springs upon which the Animofity to the Roman-Catholicks rifes, and how hard it is for his Majefty to forbear declaring against them, when the Complaint arifes from both Houses of Parliament, and accordingly you can your felf frame your Answer to the Queen of Spain. The |