This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1811 edition. Excerpt: ... but it is ever to be lamented, that the magnifi-, cent, elegant, and useful, plan of the great Sir Christopher Wren, for re-building it, was totally disregarded, and sacrificed to the selfish views of private property. London, however, arose from its ashes with new beauty: the streets were no longer narrow and inconvenient, the houses were no longer suffered to be built of wood, and the phigue which till then had paid it frequent visits, left not a pestilential symptom in the city; evincing the truth of that common though just remark in the history of human affairs, that those incidents which are regarded as the heaviest misfortunes in their event, prove favourable and necessary circumstances to future happir ness. Till 1630, little deserving historical notice occurred ; but the City, impatient at the slowness of the court in the popish plot, remonstrated strongly to the king, which so highly offended him, that he declared their priviliges forfeited, and their charter at his disposal. On the accession of James II. he singled out one of the aldermen as a sacrifice to Popery, but on the intention of the Prince of Orange to grant the nation assistance against the introduction of Popery, being known, the Icing displayed his cowardice. Prompted by fear, he sent for the lord mayor and aldermen, and promised to restore their charter in its full extent, which he accordingly did on the 6th of October, 1688. As the citizens had contributed very much to therevolution, they had little difficulty in getting a. full confirmation of their rights and priviliges* i'om William and Mary. With the exception of the act for building fifty new churches, nothing of import occurred in Anne's reign. The year 1720 was remarkable for tha most extraordinary bubble...