1690. 20th Sep. People shut shops for monthly fast, but clergy will not open church.... preached everywhere. 1690. 22nd Nov. Two ladies of fortune abducted. „ 18th Dec. 22 condemned to be hanged, including the Golden Farmer, a highwayman, and Sir John Jepson for abducting Mrs. Coherton. „ 28th Feb. In Duke Street, Covent Garden, a gentlewoman bewitched. A voice speaks within her blasphemously—tho’ lips and teeth are shut; sometimes she is visibly lifted up, chair and all, no one touching the chair. 1691. 11th Apr. Fire at Whitehall. „ 31st May. New Diving bell. „ 4th July. Fray between Alsateans and gentlemen of the Temple. A fight; one of the sheriff’s posse killed; several wounded. 70 Alsateans sent to the various prisons. „ 25th July. Murder by one Bird. „ 15th Aug. „ „ a young gentleman. „ 22nd „ 2 grenadiers shot in Hyde Park for mutiny. Murders nearly every day. Dr. Clench sent for to a patient—strangled in coach. 1692. 18th Aug. Packet from Holland blew up—60 perished. 40 picked up. The Lord of Banbury fought with his brother-in-law, Capt. Laurie, and killed him. Young, clerk, fought Graham, clerk, and killed him. Lord Mohun killed Montfort the player. Reprieves used to be sent after the prisoners on their way to Tyburn. They were brought back on Sheriff’s horse, yet after all executed. Miracle of the lame F. Girl. A long succession of cold and rainy seasons caused many bad harvests, in so much that for some years there was a great dearth of corn, wheat being sold at as high as three pounds eight shillings a quarter. Considering the value of money then—it was almost twice as much as at present—we may understand the cost of wheat bread. But the working classes did never eat wheat bread except as a luxury. They lived on oaten bread. In the year 1699 occurred another scare about the wicked Papists. The Mayor and Aldermen were summoned before the Privy Council, when the King informed them that he had heard of a great increase of Papists in the City; that they openly attended Mass-houses in spite of the law; that he had commanded all Jesuits and Popish priests to leave the country; that he had recalled all those English students who were educated abroad, and that he looked to the Lord Mayor for vigilance in searching out Papists, especially those who had arms concealed, destroying Papistical books, shutting up Mass-houses and Catholic schools, and administering the oaths to suspected Papists. Almost the last act of the City of London in this reign was to send a loyal address to the King when James the Second died and Louis XIV. acknowledged as his successor the young Prince of Wales. On the 8th of March 1702 William III. died.