Pretty much a rip-off of part of the plot of "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (aka "All That Money Can Buy").
Man sells soul to the Devil, hires Daniel Webster to defend him in court in front of a jury of the damned.
1650s-1710s. Amazing what a few volcanos popping off can do for natural air conditioning.
Whoops - forgot. The Thames froze over, which I guess it never did before or since in recorded history.