MR. ROBERT BIRD , whose House it was that was set on Fire , informed , That his Wife retained one Elizabeth Oxley to be her Servant ( supposing her to be a Protestant ) upon Monday the 24th . of February last , but she came not to her Service until the 6th . of March after . That upon Wednesday night the 9th . of April , about two or three of the Clock in the morning , the said Servant came to his Bed-side and awaked him , telling him There was a Fire in Halborn : Whereupon he asked her , How she knew it ? she answered , By the noise in the Street . Whereupon he arose , and look'd into the Street , but there was little noise or light ; so he staid at his Street-door , until he was informed by two men that passed by , that there had been a Fire , but it was put out again : whereupon he returned to Bed , well pleased he had so watchful a Servant , and fearful of Fire : But none of his Family heard any thing thereof , until informed by the said Oxley , as he believeth . That on Thursday the 10th . of April he was told , the said Oxley went not up to Bed till about 11 a Clock : That before he went to Bed , he looked to the doors , windows , and rooms , to s●e if all were safe from Fire and Thieves , ( as his custom was ) and was the last up in the Family , as he thought . That being in Bed and asleep , about 12 of the Clock that night he was awaked , with a great beating at the door by the Watch , and the said Oxley coming immediately to him , told him There was a Fire : To which he said , He was sure it was not in his House , but gave her the Key of the Street-door ; who ran down , and let in the Watch and Company ; and he coming down , found a large Press in his Closet ( for keeping Books , Papers and Writings ) on a light Fire , but by the mercy of God , and the great help he had , the Fire was put out , and his House preserv'd . That his Wife with some Neighbours immediatly going to the said Oxley's Lodging Room to see if all was safe , found that she had packed up her Clothes and things ready to carry away , and her Trunks Lockt up , but nothing left in them of value : Whereupon he demanded of the said Oxley why she had packed up her Cloths ? She answered , that she and his other Maid Martha had packed up her things to save them . Then he asked the said Martha why she had packed up in that time , when the Lives of the Children and Family were in that danger ; who positively denyed that she packed up any thing : Whereupon , and for that he was sure when he went to Bed there was no● a spark of Fire in the Closet , and considering that the said Oxley at the first knocking at the door , though she lay two pair of Stairs above his Chamber ; and being informed that she had 〈…〉 put out her Candle into the Candlestick , nor burnt it , but pulled it out , and hid the Candlestick ; and from the manner of her Carriage used when she perceived she was suspected , he positively Charged the said Oxley with Firing his House , and caused her to be kept safe all that night : And the next day being Charged by Neighbours with Firing the House , she at last Confessed the same , by setting the Press in the Closet and his Papers on Fire about Twelve of the Clock when he and his Family were a sleep . And he said , that she the said Oxley , might have gone out at a Back Door of his House , and carryed away any of his Goods and Plate , if she pleased at any hour in the night , without Firing his House , the Key of the Back Door lying in the Kitchin , and laid there by her self . And he said nothing of value was found in the said Oxleys pack made up by her as aforesaid , but her own things .

Elizabeth Oxley upon her Examination said ; that about Michaelmas last she became acquainted with Nicholas Stubbs , who had several times used many perswasions to turn h●r Papist ; and after her shewing a liking to it , and that he supsupposed she embraced that perswasion ; in his Discourse ●● her at several times , he told her , that before the 28. h . ●● June next , she should see all the Protestants destroyed that were in England ; that the Pope should be King over England , that all that would turn to the Popish Religion should live far better then now they did , that all the Land were Hereticks , and it were a Meritorious Act to destroy them , and that all such as were Papists should have Marks upon their Hats whereby to distinguish them from Protestants , that they might not be destroyed amonst them : Adding , that the Nation do believe that all things will b● over before the 23th . day of June , but they would be d●ceived , for all should be destroyed at or before that ti 〈…〉 That the Duke of York was the bravest Prince living , ●n● that he was gone out of the Kingdom least the Hereticks should cut off his Head , and he would not return till they were destroyed ; that the Lords in the Tower would not one of them suffer , for they would come off well enough , being to be tryed by the Lords ; and that the Scaffolds were set up but for fashon sake . That she telling the said Stubbs that she was Hired to Live with one Mr. Bird about the middle of Fetter-lane , he used perswasions to her at several times to set Fire on her Masters House ; telling her , if she would do it , he would give her 5 l. and gave her half a Crown , and said , he would have other Houses in Holbourn Fired at the same time by others : That she being with the said Stubbs on Sunday before the said Fire , promised to Fire her Masters House on Thursday or Friday night following , and accordingly on Thursday night she took a Candle and set Fire to her Masters Papers in his Studdy which were in a kind of a Press ; and they being on a Light Fire , she shut the Doors and went up Stairs into her own Chamber in the Top of the House , and packed up her own Things , and Undressed her self , least her Master should suspect her , and there stayed till a great Knocking was at the Door , and the Watchmen crying out Fire ; whereupon she run down Stairs and cryed out Fire , and her Master gave her the Keys to open the Door ; which done , all hands were imployed to quench the Fire . And she saith , she did not set Fire on her Masters House out of any Malice to him , nor with intent to Rob him , but meerly to carry on the Design which Stubbs had proposed to her , and out of hopes of his Reward .

Nicholas Stubbs upon his Examination , owns , and sets forth to have used such Discourse to the said Elizabeth as she declareth in her Examination ; and saith , he did perswade her to Fire her Masters House , and was to give her five Guineys for doing it , besides half a Crown in hand : And saith , that one Father Gyfford a Priest and his Confessor had put him on this business , and told him it was no sin to Fire all the Houses of Hereticks and Hugonites .

That he Acquainted Flower alias , Darby , a Barber in German-street , and one Roger 〈…〉 another Irish man that Lodged at the Coach and Horses in the same Street . That the said Father Gyfford promised him 100 l. for the same , and told him he was to have the Money from the Church . That they used to meet the said Gyfford and other two persons in St. James-fields in the dark of the Evening , and to Discourse of these matters ; and that the several Informations that he had given the said Elizabeth Oxley , he had from the said Father Gyfford ; and saith Flower and Roger 〈…〉 told the said Stubbs , they would carry on the said Fire , and that they had Fire Balls for that purpose , and that they would Fire other Houses in Holbourn at the same time : That he was at the Fire in the Temple , but was not ingaged to do any thing in it . And said , that Gyfford told him that there were English , French and Irish Roman Catholicks enough in Lordon to make a very good Army ; and that the King of France was coming with 60000 men , under pretence to shew the Dauphin his Dominions ; but it was to lay his men at Deep , Bulloign , Callis and Dunkirk , to be in an hours warning to be Landed in England , and he doubted not but it would be by the middle of June , and by that time all the Catholicks here will be in readiness ; all were to rise in order to bring him in . That the Papists here were to be distinguished by Marks in their Hats ; that the said Father Gyfford doubted not but he should be an Abbot or a Bishop when the work was over , for the good service he hath done . That at their meeting Father Gyfford used to tell them , it was no more sin to Kill a Heretick then a Dog , and that they did God good service in doing what Mischiefs they could by Firing their Houses . That it was well Sir Edmondberry Godfrey was Murdered , for he was their Devillish Enemy ; That Coleman was a Saint in Heaven for what he had done . And saith , he is fearful he shall be Murthered for this Confession , Father Gyfford having Sworn him to Secresie , and told him he should be Damned if he made any Discovery , and should be sure to be Killed ; and that he should take the Oaths because he was a House-keeper , and that it was no sin : And saith , that Gyfford and Roger told him , when their Forces meet about the middle of June then have at the —