London's flames reviv'd, or, An account of the several informations exhibited to a committee appointed by Parliament, September the 25th, 1666, to enquire into the burning of London with several other informations concerning other fires in Southwark, Fetter-Lane, and elsewhere, by all which it appears that the said fires were contrived and carried on by the papists / now humbly offered to the consideration of all true Protestants.

IN the time of the Fire, near Bridewel, there was a Man sadly be∣moaning the great loss he was like to sustain (the Fire then being within five or six houses of him) did beseech the People for God's sake (they having no Goods of their own in danger) to come in and help him to throw out Trunks, Chests, Beds, &c. out at a Window, having procured two Carts or Waggons to carry them away: Where∣upon I ran into his House with several others, broke down his Win∣dows, threw out his Goods, and loaded the Carts; and there being some Interval of time before the return of the Carts, and seeing a Room wherein were many Books and loose Papers (which seemed to be a Library) I went in and took down a Book, which proved to be Ovid s Metamorphosis; and while I was looking upon it, there came into the same Room an old Man of low stature, with a white Frock, who looked also on the Book as it was in my hand; I took him in my mind to be some Groom come out of a Stable, and thought him to be presumptuously foolish, supposing such a mean-like old Man ignorant of that Language in which the Book was written, it being Latine; but I spoke not to him. In the mean time, there brake forth a fire amongst the Papers which were behind us, there being none in the Room but he and I. Whereupon the rest of the the People coming in, cry'd out, We had set the Room on fire: And rushing in upon us, put out the fire with their feet. Whereupon I took hold of the old Man by the Buttons under the Throat, and said, How now, Father! it must either be you or I that must fire these Papers. There was a small thing of a black matter, which looked like a piece of Link, burning, which questionless set fire on the Papers, but it was immediately trod out. A tumult of People thronged in; and when I said, How now, Father! and took hold on him, he said, Parci mihi, Domini: The People which did not understand

it, cryed out, He is a French man, kill him; and with pulling of him, his Peruke fell off; then appeared a bald Skull, and under his frock he had black Cloaths, I think of Bishops-Sattin; whereupon he seemed to be a grave Ecclesiastick Person. I had much ado to save him from the People, but at last brought him before the D. of Y. We found in his pocket a bundle of Papers closed up with wax like a packet, which was delivered to the D. of Y. I known not what was written in them, neither do I know what Country-man he was, but methoughts he looked something Jesuite-like. This I am certain of, that when I went into the Room there was no Fire in it, and it was fired when there was none but he and I in it, yet I cannot say I saw him do it, though I cannot but suspect he did it, and the rather because there were several houses untouched betwixt this house, and where the Fire was coming on, when the Papers in the Library were thus on Fire as I have related. What became of this fellow, after we had delivered him to his R. H. I have not heard.

John Stewart.