^atnt #aul’g Cafye&tai

125

Nor is it strange that such hot and dryground should produce the like effect; for weread that in the City of Tholouse , in Lan­ guedoc , (a province of France, ) the bodies ofthose persons which lie buried in the church-yard of the Fryers-Minors there, do remaine ntire, and not subject to putrefaction. “ Inurbe TholosA,” saith my author d , “ Coemiterium,v el potius specus in EcclesiA. Minoritarum, incujus parte cadavera infusa non putrescunt, sedIntegra reservantur.”

As to the real cause of this dreadful Con-flagration of London , there have been variousconjectures. Some there are who confidentlyaffirm that it was set on fire by the Papists,in order to an insurrection, and consequentlyto subvert the government, as was that design°f the Gunpowder conspirators in an. 1605( 3 Jac.) Of these I find Captain Bedlo one,Mio saith e , that London was burnt by Romishfire-balls, which they were wont to call Tewks-bury mustard-balls, thrown by popish hands.Others suppose it to have been a judgment ofGod Almighty upon this great City , for itsrebellious actings against the late King Charlesthe Martyr, and tamely permitting his open andshameful murder before the gates of his ownroyal palace. To countenance which opinion,they vouch that prophetic expression f of MichaelNotredamus, (an expert astrologian, and phy-sician to Henry II. King of France, ) publisheda bove an hundred years before; whose wordsfl° not only import as much, but point out theVer y year when it should be so burnt, which

^ have here transcribed:

*

“ Le sang de juste a Londres fera faute,

Brusle2 per foudres, de vingt trois les six.

La dame antique cherra de place haute;

Le mesme secte plusieurs seront occis.”

^hereunto the extraordinary dryness of theseason, as a preparative, and the wind strangelyturning several ways at that time, did not a littlecontribute, as is very well known.

Others, that it was done by design of the

& natics, in order of getting the power of the

sword into their own cruel hands again: fortestimony whereof they say 8 , “ That at the Ses-“ sions in the Old-Baily, John Rathbone, an“ old army-colonel, William Sanders, Henry“ Tucker, Thomas Flynt, Thomas Evans, John“ Miles, William Westcot, and John Cole, for-“ merly officers or soldiers in the late Rebellion,“ were indicted for conspiring the death of his“ Majesty, and the overthrow' of the government;“ having laid their plot and contrivance for the“ surprisal of the Tower, the killing of his Grace“ the Lord General; as also of Sir John Robin-“ son, at that time Lieutenant of the said Tower“ of London , and Sir Richard Browne; and“ then To have declared for an equal division“ of lands, &c. The better to effect which“ hellish design, the City was to have been“ fired, and the portcullices let down to keep“ out all assistance; the horse-guards to have“ been surprised in the inns where they were“ quartered, several ostlers having been gained“ to that purpose: that the Towner also was“ accordingly viewed, and its surprise ordered“ by boats over the mote; and from thence to“ scale the wall. And that one Alexander (who“ was not then taken) had distributed sums of“ money to those conspirators. Moreover, that“ for carrying on of the design more effectually,“ they were told of a Council of the great ones“ that sate frequently in London , from whom“ issued all orders; which Council received their“ direction from another in Holland, who sate“ witjjr the States; and that the third of Sep-“ tember was pitched upon for the attempt, as“ being found, by Lilly’s almanack, and a scheme“ erected for that purpose, to be a lucky day,“ a planet then ruling, which prognosticated the“ downfall of monarchy. The evidence against“ which persons was very full and clear, and“ they accordingly found guilty of high treason.”

Thus far the Gazette.

But the profound Mr. Baxter h tells us, thatthis Fire of London was a judgment of God forcasting out the faithful pastors about four yearsbefore; putting it upon the sin of the CorporationAct; that is for ejecting those ministers to five

* Parallelo Geographite, * B «“' «"*• P ™' Uftai. A«. »*

' Hedlo's Narrative of the Popi.h Plot, p. «6l. Cent 2 . Shtn.a “P "

» T l y-x .. h Obedient Patience, by Luc. Baxter, p.

5 I-ondon Gazette, April 20, 1666.