Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	chief_a	great_a	place_n	4,421	4	4.0822	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B01546	An impartial account of the several fires in London, Westminster, Southwark, and the places adjacent. Begun and carried on by papists, for the promoting their damnable plot and conspiracy for subverting the government, and destroying the Protestant religion; with the several ways and methods practiced by them in manageing their horrid designs of fire and desolation. / Discovered by Cap. William Bedlow who was formerly engaged with them in those wicked practices.	Bedloe, William, 1650-1680.	1679 (1679)	Wing B1676A; ESTC R188992	5,217	8

as also Frosts and very dry Seasons and to chose Sundays for doing their Work because then there is little Water to be had By these wretched Courses have they endeavoured to advance their cursed Interest And let us not be too secure for no question the Plot though in part discovered yet is still going on and these are are not the last Fires we must expect and if the Great Design do not miscarry they hope to have our Blood too by Massacring us in the hurry and confusion that dreadful Fires usually put People unto But to proceed to what is of my own knowledge It was my chance to be at Paris in the Month of June 1676 at the English Convent of Benedictine Monks with whom upon divers occasions I had much ingratiated my self so that they made me one of their Confidents among other Discourses they talked af a great Design carrying on For subverting the Protestant Religion and introducing Popery into England They fell to debate the several ways and means preparatary to it and what methods were best to be used to accomplish it but because they did nothing without advice of their Fellow-Traytors in England one of them produced divers Letters from London wherein there were several particulars concerning the Firing of the City and Suburbs of London and many other of the chief Cities and Towns in England And it was concluded by them that the most effectual means to make way for their Design was to weaken and ruin the said City of London and some of them wickedly gave God thanks that their Attempts of that nature had succeeded so well already and that though it were so nobly and unexpectedly re-built yet many of the Inhabitants still felt the effects of that Desolation After this and much more discourse of this kind which was managed with great zeal and earnestness they at last asked me Whether I would assist them in carrying on this business as I had done before in the other part To which I seem'd readily to consent pretending that I was able to be very serviceable to them in it as being very well acquainted with all parts of the City of London and could therefore direct them to those places where the greatest mischief was like to be done and that I had knowlege also of several of the Chief and most Trading Towns in England whereby I was in a Capacity to manage such affairs with more security and success than any other man by such discourses as these they were so well satisfied of my Abilities in this kind That it was agreed amongst them that I should go for England and should there be joyned with Father Gifford before-mentioned for the carrying on these Burning Attempts This Father Gifford was a Jesuit and as I understood by the Letters I had seen he was one of those that was very Active in carrying on the Dreadful Fire in London in the year 1666 and also as they Reported the Great Fire in Southwark which Fire happened not above a Month before we had the foregoing Discourse together and that he had attempted to Fire divers other places at several times though he had missed in the performance of it At this great Consultation of the Benedictines several Letters were produced as is mentioned before all tending to the way and manner of burning the City of London and its Suburbs and several other Towns in England and they were very earnest with me that as soon as I came to England I should be very careful and diligent in Executing the same and that I should receive all necessary Orders Encouragement and Supplies to put me into a Capacity of Carrying things on I afterwards went into Spain and continuing there some time I came at length to London which was in the Year 1678 and a while after there was a Consultation held by Gifford and several other Priests and Jesuits for Carrying on the business of Firing which Consults they usually kept every Week upon that Account In this Meeting it was resolved That Wapping and Lime House should be first Fired by that means if possible to burn the Vessels and Ships in the River of Thames To which end several of those that were at this Consultation were to be assisting there some by Land and others by Water who were to fire those Ships that lay farthest from Land and to cut the Cables of Ships that they might fall foul one upon another and in pursuit of this Lime House was really fired though it had not that dismal Effect which they expected some of the Conspirators having faled of being present there to manage it After this Gifford and my self went upon the Thames several nights and especially about London Bridg to take exact notice of the lowest Rooms Cellars and Windows and what Places were filled with the most Combustible stuff whereby they might have opportunity to burn down the Bridge which they thought would be most easie to Effect at the time of High-Water when they might bring a Boat almost equal with those Windows and Cellers and thereby more Conveniently throw in their Fire Bals there was also mention made of firing the Towe● of London but Father Harcourt who was lately Executed for High Treason told them that they were assured of that place within and therefore advised the preserving of it as being for their Benefit and advantage Briefly for near a year before I discovered this damnable Design I was imployed by all ways and means imaginable to endeavour the setting a Fire London and other places and the chief management of all their intregues of this kind was committed to my Conduct but the Jesuits were to be my Overseers that I might not want Combustible Matter sufficient to carry on the Work and in August last I designed to take several Cellers and Ware-houses where I might stow Coals Wood and other things fit for our use of all which I bought several quantities and also several Barrels of Gun powder which I ordered to be placed in several parts of the City and Suburbs As for Example At my own Lodgings in Essex Garden at the back-door of the Palsgrave's Head Tavern near the Temple I laid in a great quantity of Coals and some hundreds of Faggots which was designed for burning the Temple with the Writings and Records therein I laid in another parcel in Brewers yard in the Strand in a Cellar and some other Old Buildings there the Cellar belongs to Mr. Morgan at the Red Bible in Bedford street Another parcel of Faggots and Coals I laid at Mr. Browns in White-Friers and intended to haue sent some more into an old Cellar of Mr. Withers at the Plow in Seething-lane near Tower-hill and others into Red-cross-street Bishopsgate-street White-cross-street Queenhithe and many other places about this Town which I am ready to attest the truth of when required thereto by Authority The last Consultation we had about these Designs of Firing was in August last 1678 and others were then Contriving and Conspiring To take the King out of the way which is a soft word to express Treason and Murder and those other of the Nobility and Magistrates that might obstruct their business which was to have been first done and then my Firing of London was to have succeeded and in the horrour of that dreadful Conflagration all the Papists were to have appeared in Arms and declared openly for the Pope Many other Designs have been Contrived in order to the carrying on these Affairs to Fire many places and several Persons have been Imployed therein but few of them acquainted with each other some of which Fires have had Effect and others have failed But these Wretches are never weary of committing wickedness and will therefore never cease Contriving our Destruction by all ways and means Imaginable having all their Engines ready awaiting only the giving the Traiterous and Dreadful Stroke against the Life of our Gracious Soveraign whom we hope God will ever defend from their Cursed Malice and Villany Amen FINIS