SOME Weekes ago, the House of Dr. Sloan near Bloomsbury-Square, was attempted to be Broke open by several Notorious Persons; which to per­form, they got over into a back Yeard adjoyning to the Fields, but having seve­ral times Endeavoured without success to force the Doors open (they being strong­ly Bolted and Secured within) the said Villains, by the Instigation of the Devil, Immediatly fix'd upon this Desperate, Terible, and Dismal Resolution, viz. to set the House on Fire in several places, and by this violent method, to amaze the Family to that degree, as to open the Doors; and then under pretence of Friend­ly assistance, they were to rush in and Robb the House; but Blessed be God they are prevented tho having cut several Splinters off the Door of the House of Office, and set Fire to them under the Window, and Back Door of the Pan­trey, which being of thin and dry Deal-Boards, burnt with great Violence, and had answered their wicked Designs, if Providence had so Ordered the matter, that the Lady was awake, who smelling the Scent of the Fire, could not be satis­fied till the Servants were call'd up, upon which one of them going Down Stairs, and Opening the Pantry-Door was almost Chok'd, with the Violence of the Smoke and Flame, which by this time, had got great Advantage, whereupon being a­mazed, he Cry'd out Fire, and their upon Alarm'd the whole Family, who by the help of several Tubbs of Water, which were happily brought in over Night in order to wash their Linnen (the Fire tho very Violent) was in a short time Ex­tinguished; during this amazing Disorder 3 or 4 Men were observed by some of the Neighbours, to stand listening in the back Yard to make their Enterance, as soon as the Door was opened; but seeing their Design were Frustrated, they Sheer'd off with all the haist Imaginable, and so made their Escapes: And tho in order to their being Discovered, Dr. Sloans offered a Reward of 100 l. to any Person that would Apprehend either of them, yet they remain'd Undiscovered till last Week, at which time as if the Almighty was more than ordinary offended with such an abominable undertaking, they were Discovered, and taken after a strange manner, viz. one of them being Surprized in Westminster for a Noto­rious Crime and sent to the Gate-House, he there in Order to get his Discharge, Discovered the aforesaid Villany, by whose Directions John Davis, and Phillip Wake, were taken into Custody, and Carried before the Recorder, who Commit­ted them both to Newgate, on Saturday last.

And this Day we are inform'd that a Servant belonging to Squire Aisleby, has made a Discovery of four Notorious Villains, who after having Murthered his Lady, and Robb'd the House, in Red-Lyon-Square set it on Fire, wherein she was Burnt to Ashes, and same say the aforesaid Persons in Newgate, were Concern'd in that Cruel, and Inhuman Barbarity; and if so it was a Crime of such an abominable Nature, as hardly ever was heard of in any Age, in regard a Ʋertious, Harmless, and Innocent Lady, Expired in those Merciless Flames.