The reader has just seen the city under
two of the most dreadful calamities that
could fall upon a people, pestilence, and a
general destruction by fire; he will now
see the citizens suffering calamities of a
very different kind, and deprived of all
their boasted privileges.  This affair it is
necessary to trace from its origin.

In the beginning of May 1679, a con-
spiracy of the papists was discovered, for
destroying the city again by fire, occasion-
ed by the burning of one Bird's house in
Fetter lane; for Elizabeth Oxley, the ser-
vant, being suspected, was committed to
prison, where she not only confessed the
fact, but declared, that she was prevailed
upon to fire it by one Stubbs, a papist,
upon the promise of 5l.  Stubbs being
secured, confessed that he had been ex-
cited to this by Father Gifford, his con-
fessor, who told him, that instead of its
being a sin, it would be a great service to
the church to burn and destroy all the
houses of heretics; and that he had seve-
ral conferences with Gifford, and two

In revenge, the Romish party trumped
up what was called the Meal Tub plot, to
bring an odium upon the presbyterians and
the heads of the country party; but Dan-
gerfield, the chief actor in this farce, be-
ing committed to prison, applied himself
to the Lord Mayor, and in an ample con-
fession laid open the whole scene of ini-
quity, discovering the persons who set
him to work.

The citizens not only vigorously pressed
the prosecution of all the persons they
had reason to think concerned in the po-
pish plot, in opposition to the court, who
endeavoured to skreen them; but the
Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common
Council presented a petition to his Ma-
jesty, desiring, that all the persons who
had been impeached by the Commons,
might be brought to their trials; the
Duke of York, as being a papist, excluded
from succeeding to the throne; and the
Parliament continued, in order to make