THere was a little House adjoining to his Dwelling-house of about Four Yards Square , the Wall of it about Seven Foot high , cover'd with a Thatched Roof : This House was his Brew-house and Baking-house ; within it stood a great Copper just under the Thatch , the Room not being Chambered Upon the 15th of April last Mr. Reading's Family were Brewing within this Place , and that Night brought much Wood into it to Boil the Liquor , and more then did it , and left it there carelesly : Now it so happened that that Wood took Fire that Night , and got to the Thatch , and so set Fire to that House ; and thereby his Dwelling-house was also Burnt : And that the Fire so happened , is demonstrable for these Reasons , viz.

1. The Servants who were in the House perceiving a great Smoak rose out of Bed , and the Maid running out cried Fire , and said , Wo worth this Bookers Wife ( who was the Person whom Mr. Reading imployed to be his Brewer ) she hath undone us : One Thomas Parrot their near and next Neighbour hearing the Maid thus Cry out , came running hastily ; when he got thither , he saw no Fire breaking out outwardly , only a great Smoak through the Thatch the Fire was within , he saw none break forth : And it being a low House , as is aforesaid , he got upon the House Ridge on one side and pulled all the Thatch off there ; and one Watson a Weak Old Man who lodged in Mr. Reading's House that Night , got upon another patr of the outside , but had not strength enough to pull off the Thatch where he was , so that the Fire prevailed upon him , and got hold of the Thatch , and burnt out furiously , insomuch as they two could not quench it , but it soon got hold of the Dwelling-house , which was also Thatched , and so burnt it .

2. The said Parrot Deposed upon Oath , the Fire was occasioned as aforesaid ; and that had there been another Man as strong as himself , they could have saved all the Buildings The Night was very Calm , and by the help of this Parrot , and some others that came afterwards , most of Mr. Reading's Houshold Goods were saved ( except some Lumber Goods )

3. The next day after the Fire , Mr. Reading contrived how he might lay the Burning of it to the charge of the Country , and told his Servants he must Charge the Country with it : And to that end , he and some with him , made some Marches with Line-hards , or Tow , wrapped together , and tied on a Stick , and got another thing wherewith he used to Grease his Coach , and then carried them amongst the Thatch which was faln from the House , and had escaped Burning and laid them down there , and then took them up again and said to them , Now you see I took these ●●ings from amongst the Thath ; and when you are called to it , you may safely Swear you see me take them out of the Thatch .

4. Mr. Reading afterwards going to a Justice of Peace , and taking his Maid Servant Susan Winder with him , would have had her to have Sworn that those Matches were found amongst the Thatch , and that the House was Burnt thereby , and she would not ; and he was thereupon very angry with her and said , What then came you with me hither for ?

5. Mr. Reading having a great Malice against Thomas Sparke a Commoner in Epworth , was very desirous to have laid the Burning of his House to his Charge ; and accordingly soon after the Fire , he went to Ric Aldus's House in Belton , to enquire whether Sparke was there all that Night the 15th of April , because he was told he was : Aldus telling him he was there the whole Night , Mr. Reading would have perswaded him to have said , that he was out two hours of the Night ; but Aldus fully satisfying him he was not , Mr. Reading made answer , If it be so , then I doubt the Fire came by the carelessness of my own Servants ; for they had much Wood that Night in the Brew house .

6. Mr. Reading out of his further mischievous Malice would have persuaded Tho Parrot and Susan Winder to say and swear , that Gunpowder was strewed in some places about the House : And said to them , Do you not see Powder lie here ? whereas it was nothing but some black Ashes or Cinders of some burnt Wood ; and they could see no Powder .

7. Mr. Reading by a late scandalous Printed Paper of his , charges the Burning of his said House on all the Commoners : But all along since the Fire he did not so , sometimes he charged it upon one , and after upon another ; and he Bound the said Tho Sparke over to the last Assizes at Lincoln about it ; and when he saw how he was provided with Witnesses to make his Defence , being prepared to prove all the aforesaid things , then he preferred no Indictment against him .

8. Mr. Reading hath since said to Robert Whiteley , That he , and none but he burnt the said House , And also to Robert Bernard , he and the said Sparke burnt it : And at other times he charged Richard Scot , William Vessey , and William Kynman with it .

Now upon all these Circumstances , which are great Truths , it is most evident , the Fire accidentally hapned by the carelessness of Mr. Reading's Servants , as many times ( too often ) Fires in other Places have done : And this will be made evidently appear by credible Witnesses .