apt to appear in their native and hideous Colours than when they are protected by the Indulgency of the Laws and the Clemency of the Government and meet with an opportunity to cover their pernicious Designs with a false pretext of Duty and Allegiance They are perpetually talking of Fidelity and Obedience and seem to make Loyalty their Idol tho' they are usually the Principal Promoters of Rebellion and seldom or never well affected to the Government under which they live Plotting is their Business and Recreation they love Confusion and expect to live by it and are ready to joyn with every Faction upon the cheapest Terms that can be propos'd When there is no present Advantage in view they work for Expectation Plunder is all the Pay they require and their Prosperity consists in the Desolation of their Country Besides the French were preparing to land a considerable Body of Forces in this Kingdom to support the disaffected Party For the Court of St. Germans repented that they had formerly plac'd too much confidence in an Army of English Men who lov'd their Country and their Religion 'T was the general opinion of the Party that the placing of too much Confidence in Subjects who were unworthy of it depriv'd King James of the assistance he might have expected from others They remember'd the advice of some of his Councellors who looking upon his Army as the Nerves and support of his Undertakings and the only Way to secure him against the obstinacy of those whom neither the lawfulness of his Authority nor his Moderation in using it cou'd retain in Obedience to the Government wou'd have perswaded him to entertain a sufficient number of Catholics in his Army to keep the rest in awe and to put it out of their Power to betray him and were of opinion that both these Effects might have been produc'd by joining the Irish Troops to such of the English and Scotch as were Remarkable for their Fidelity to his Interest Thus we may easily perceive by the reflexions they made on their former Conduct what Measures they resolv'd to take for the future They concluded that an Army of French and Irish with some pretended Protestants who regarded neither their Country nor Religion wou'd never show King James a Copy of his Salisbury Expedition and that with such Forces as these they might make an entire Conquest of England as soon as they shou'd think fit to undertake it In pursuance of that design the French labor'd with great application to encrease their Naval Strength ping that if they cou'd corrupt the Officers of our Fleet or be in a readiness to put to Sea before the Dutch Men of War cou'd join Ours they might easily find an opportunity to fight us with advantage and afterwards Land their Soldiers without Opposition In the mean time to oblige us to send our Land Forces to Flanders and at the same time to hinder our Allies from assisting us the French King appear'd at the Head of his numerous Armies as if he had resolv'd in one Campaign to conquer a Country which for Sixty Years had been both the Seat and Cause of the War He intended to invade England if our Army continu'd in the Netherlands or to make himself Master of those Provinces if we shou'd be oblig'd to recall our Forces But the Principal Design of all the vast Preparations he had made was to keep this Nation embroil'd in a Civil War till he had broken the Confederacy that he might fall upon us with his united Forces and by subduing England put himself in a condition to conquer all the rest of Europe But tho the Conspirators expected a considerable Reinforcement from France and a powerful diversion in Flanders tho they were sure of the Assistance of so many false Protestants and as they imagin'd of several Officers in our Navy notwithstanding all these Advantages they look'd upon His Majesty's Life as an invincible Obstacle to the Accomplishment of their Designs and despair'd of succeeding in their Attempt against us while we enjoy'd the Protection of our Great Deliverer They dreaded his Power Forces and Alliances but were more afraid of his single Person than of the united strength of the whole Confederacy They had oftentimes had the unwelcome experience of his Constancy Resolution and unweary'd Application and knew to their sorrow and cost that his Courage was never shock'd by the most terrible Dangers that upon a pressing Exigency he cou'd brave a thousand Deaths and cut his way through the most vigorous Opposition that when the posture of his Affairs requir'd more Prudence than Valor he cou'd proceed with all the Coolness and Policy of the wariest Statesman that he was peculiarly happy in baffling the Designs of his Enemies and in turning even their most successful Contrivances against themselves that he was equally unmov'd in Good and Bad Fortune that he was never capable either of Vanity or Fear and cou'd only be overcome by Himself These Considerations made his Enemies resolve to take away a Life that secur'd Europe and England particularly from the utmost Efforts both of their Policy and Force And in pursuance of this execrable Resolution they engag'd some desperate Villains to Murder him But God saw and blasted their dark Contrivances and deliver'd Him whom He had made the Deliverer of so many Nations The Assassins were taken near Bosleduc and by their Examination it appears That Dumont and Grandval were solicited to undertake the Assassination of the King That the Design having miscarry'd in 1691. was resum'd the next year That one Leefdael formerly Captain Lieutenant of a Troop of Dragoons in the Service of the States coming to Paris Grandval communicated the Design to him and desir'd him to be concern'd in it with Dumont and himself because he thought Dumont wou'd not be able to execute it alone That Grandval went with Leefdael and Collonel Parker to St. Germains and that King James said to him Parker has acquainted me with your business If you and the other Officers do me this Service you shall never want any thing That upon this assurance a Letter was sent to Dumont who was then at Hanover desiring him to meet Grandval and Leefdael in the Country of Ravestein where they were to take their last Resolutions and entreating him to hasten his departure least the King in the mean time shou'd return to England That Dumont was to lye in wait and to kill His Majesty as he pass'd the Lines or went to visit the Posts at the decamping of the Army That Grandval told Leefdael upon the Road that if their Design succeeded the Confederacy wou'd be broken that every Pâ—â—nce wou'd recall his Forces that the Country being left without defence the French King wou'd soon make himself Master of it and that King James wou'd be restor'd to his Throne To keep Leefdael from being discourag'd by the Difficulties and Hazards to which the prosecution of their Design might expose 'em
to the Genius of the Nation and the Humor of the People Nor will the Parliament and People of England be accus'd of Lightness and Inconstancy by any unbyaâ—s'd Person that considers how much they have exceeded even their Wisest and most Wary Neighbors in securing their Liberty and preserving an undisturb'd Peace and Tranquillity in their Country and how firmly they have adher'd to their own true Interest during the whole course of a War which they maintain with equal Glory Prudence and Resolution The Roman-Catholic Princes were upbraided for entering into a Confederacy with the Enemies of their Religion But they were too wise and too well acquainted with the Designs of those who wou'd have perswaded 'em to sacrifice their Interest to their Superstition to suffer themselves to be impos'd upon by an Artifice which twice in our Memory had almost prov'd Fatal to Europe First when under pretext of promoting or at least not opposing the Advancement of the Roman-Catholic Religion the French King was suffer'd to over-run the United Provinces and to extend his Conquests so far that in the Judgment of the least Apprehensive Minds it seem'd hardly possible to hinder him from making himself Master of Amsterdam and with it of the Fleet Army Credit and Money of that potent Republic which wou'd have render'd his Power almost as boundless as his Ambition And a Second time when after the Peace of Nimeghen the French found a way to keep us from looking abroad by engaging us in unnecessary Quarrels about Religion at home and by that means diverted the prudent Jealousie of the only Nation in Europe that was able to curb their Ambition for by retaining the possession of Pignerol Cazal Hunninghen Strasburg Montroyal Luxemburg c. they kept at once Italy Switzerland Germany and the Netherlands under a kind of Subjection and in the General all the Princes and States of Europe were over-aw'd by the severe Politics and formidable Power of an ambitious Monarch who like an ill-natur'd Neighbor made every petty Trespass or accidental Slip the pretext of a new Invasion If our Deliverance had been deferr'd till the Popish Party had secur'd the Plurality of Voices in the Parliament and Modell'd an Army to support their unjust Usurpations If the two Kings had had time to execute the Grand Design of destroying Holland and extirpating the Northern Heresy the House of Austria wou'd have been quickly sensible of the fatal Consequences of this pretended Advancement of the Roman-Catholic Religion But to return to the Kingdom that was doom'd to feel the first effects of these dismal Alterations The English Jacobites as well as the Court of St. Germains were generally divided into Melfordians and Middletonians and while one of the Parties declar'd openly for Arbitrary Power the other insisted upon the Necessity of entering into a kind of Treaty with the Nation The former were entrusted with the Secrets of the Faction and the Command of the Troops that were to be employ'd in the Destruction of their Country All the Colonels were animated with the Spirit of Melford Parker was engag'd in the most furious Designs of the Party and both Parkins and Friend are represented as violent Melfordians by a Person in whom they plac'd a particular Confidence The Lancashire Papists both by Inclination and Interest were zealous Promoters of Arbitrary Power Porter Goodman Charnock and the rest of the Officers who were to act either in the Assassination or Invasion were influenc'd by the same Principles and ready to obey the most barbarous Orders of their Commanders Thus each of the opposite Cabals apply'd themselves to their respective Tasks For while the Middletonians were employ'd to amuse the People with flattering Hopes and Assurances of a favorable Treatment the Melfordians who were the sole Masters of the Forces and Arms of the Faction were putting themselves in a condition to violate the Promises of the former which made one say That he was neither so much a Fool nor a Villain as to engage in the Party It seems the Faction imagin'd that they cou'd easily betray the Nation to the cruel Ambition of a Foreign and Implacable Enemy But notwithstanding their Confidence of Success they scrupl'd not to contrive the basest and most treacherous Expedients to accomplish their unnatural Design The Reader will find an evident Confirmation of both these Truths in a Discourse that past between Brice Blair and Harrison as 't is related by the former upon Oath I wenâ— says he to see Mr. Harrison a little after Sir George Barclay came from France who told me that there might be something done in a little time which might be an Introduction to King James's Restoration I ask'd him after what manner that business cou'd be effected and after some pause he told me that if King James cou'd not come in time enough that his Friends might burn the Navy Victualling Office wherein the Provisions for the Mouth lay which might retard the English Fleet from getting to Sea for a considerable time I told him being amaz'd to hear such Words from a Priest's Month that it was not practicable and if it were there wou'd be few found that wou'd run the risque He told me that he wou'd have me as forward in the King's Service as any Man and that he was told by a Gentleman and a very good Officer that if he was sure of but a Hundred Horse he wou'd end the War in a Fortnights time c. 'T was by proposing such Expedients that the Conspirators endeavor'd to distinguish themselves since they found by experience that this was the only way to gain the Favor and Esteem of the Party Melford himself was oblig'd to give 'em a new Specimen of his barbarous Politics and even to strain the natural Fierceness of his Temper to support his sinking Credit For after he had been dismist for some time as a Rash and Furious Person who was only fit to pursue violent Methods and incapable of that seeming Moderation which the present Juncture requir'd he was immediately restor'd to Favor as soon as the Party was convinc'd of the Feasibleness of the Project he had contriv'd against the Liberty of the Nation and the Life of its Deliverer Thus Middleton was kept as a Reserve for the Day of Adversity while Melford was cherish'd as their better Genius who alone had the Art of improving an Advantage and making our Yoke so heavy that we shou'd never afterwards be able to shake it off They left no means unattempted to confirm the Court of St. Germains in these Maxims To this End an ingenious Jesuit was chosen to represent the Affairs of England and especially the late Revolution according to the Instructions he had receiv'd from the Party It must be acknowledg'd that the Work is adorn'd with all the Embellishments of a beautiful Stile and the Management of the Subject wou'd have been extremely sutable to the Juncture if the late King had been in as
fair a way to remount the Throne as they imagin'd The Author endeavors to exasperate that Prince's Revenge He imploys all his Art to convince him of the Justice and Usefulness of the Melfordian Principles and to render his Arguments more agreeable and consequently more Effectual his Advices are always intermix'd with Apologies and Panegyrics He commends King Charles II. for seizing the Charter of London and resolving at last to Govern without a Parliament and even has the confidence to tell us that for this reason the Four last years of his Life were properly the only years of his Reign and that he became the Master of his Subjects as soon as they perceiv'd that he was resolv'd to rule without a Parliament He exclaims against the Presbyterians whom he stiles the natural Enemies of the Royal Preogative adding that of all the Protestants they are the most furiously bent to extirpate the Catholics and praises King Charles for the Care he took to suppress their Meetings Yet not long after he becomes their Advocate against the Church of England and brings in King James telling the Clergy that the Persecutions they had rais'd against the Dissenters made divers of his Good Subjects leave the Kingdom He derides the pretended Contract betwixt a Soveraign and His People and reckons it a pernicious Chimera or which is the same thing he puts these Words into the Mouth of those Lords whose Sentiments he approves He speaks of the Protestant Cabal and divides it into the Episcopal and Presbyterian Cabals as if the Roman-Catholics were the Body of the Nation He endeavors to fix a stain upon the Immortal Memory of those Illustrious Defenders of the Laws and Liberty of England who sacrific d their Fortunes for the safety of their Country and were neither afraid nor asham d to mount a Scaffold in so glorious a Cause He speaks of a matchless Infidelity of perfidions designs that cou d not be prevented by the most cautious Prudence of the unheard of Treachery of so many Persons of great Quality who abandon d a Pri ce from whom they had receiv'd such signal Favors of the shameful Conspiracy of so many Kings against him and of the Moderation with which he began his Reign He tell him that Bad Subjects can never be gain d by Kindness and that the Event has taught him what measures he ought to have taken to prevent his Misfortune To conclude he does what he can to inspire him with Revenge and to perswade him that Cruelty and Oppression are the two principal Maxims of State which he ought to pursue for the future At another time the Faction wou d have taken more care to conceal their Sentiments for we must do em the Justice to acknowledge that they want neither Wit nor Prudence But they look'd upon the Conquest of England as so sure a Project and were so little apprehensive of its miscarriage that they scrupl d not to discourse publickly of the New Revolution The News of the Design were spread over all Europe and even there were some who pretended to fix the time of its Execution Some talk'd at Easter others mention d the Beginning of the Spring and some put it off till the Fleet from Thouloâ— shou'd join that which lay at Brest In the mean time their confident Menaces were slighted as vain Rhodo montades by all honest Men because they were not acquainted with their execrable Design to Assassinate his Majesty Sir George Barclay a Scotchman Lieutenant of King James 's Guards was the person that was chosen to command the Assassins He set out from St. Germains in September to execute his bloody Commission with the assistance of Twenty or Two and Twenty Men who were appointed to obey his orders Some of that infamous Troop came over with their Leader Some went before and others follow'd him Harris was one of the last who in his Deposition April 15th 1696 affirms upon Oath That he was an Ensign of Foot under the late King James in Scotland that he had serv d since in the Second Troop of his Guards in France That about the 14th of January last New Stile King James sent for this Informant and Michael Hare his Camerade That King James spoke with them in the late Queen 's Bedchamber and told this Informant that he had an Opportunity of doing something for him being very sensible he had serv'd him well That he would send him into England where he should be subsisted and that he was to follow Sir George Barclay s Orders and in so doing he would take care of him That he had order d them Money for their Journey which they should receive from Mr. Caroll who is Secretary to the late Queen King James told this Informant further that he should sind Sir George Barclay every Munday and Thursday between Six and Seven at Night in Covent Garden-Square and that they might know him by a white Handkerchief hanging out of his Coat-Pocket and King James pulling a List out of his Pocket told this Informant when he was in England he must go by the name of Jenkyns and Mr. Hare by the name of Guinney Colonel Parker was by all the time when King James spoke to this Informant and by the King's Order Colonel Parker went with this Informant and his Camerade to Mr. Caroll's and Mr. Caroll told them that the King had ordered them Ten Louis d' Ors apiece which would be enough to carry them over and if they should chance to be Wind bound he had writ to the President Tosse at Calais to furnish them with Money c. The rest of the Assassins that were sent over to assist Sir George Barclay were either Troopers in King James's Guards Pensionaries of the Court of St. Germains Officers who expected preferment or Soldiers taken out of the Regiments to be employ'd in that execrable Service The Faction made use of none but such as were Persons of Trust and who they believ'd would not scruple to engage in the dire Attempt And that the Assassination might be look'd upon as a Stratagem of War those who were to act in it were for the most part Officers and Soldiers This Infamous Detachment set out from St. Germains at several times and under various pretex's One gave out that he was going to continue his Studies in one of the Colleges in Scotland and another that he was weary of the Service Secresy was particularly recommended and enjoin d to every one of 'em And least their absence shou d be taken notice of and give occasion to various Discourses and Conjectures King Jaâ—es declar'd at his Levee that 't was his pleasure that none should presume to talk of their Departure and that he wou d severely punish those who shou'd give him the least occasion to believe that they were more curious to enquire into his designs than zealous in obeying his Orders In the mean time Sir George
Kensington One of 'em was to give notice when the King went out and the other was to bring an account when the Guards began to March And that the Assassination might pass under the Notion of a Military Exploit they produc'd an Order to take up Arms against the Prince of Orange and his Adherents There was some Difference among the Conspirators concerning the Terms and Expressions of the Commission even after they had confess'd their Crime For some of 'em acknowledg'd that it contain d an express order to Kill the King whereas others pretended that it only authoriz'd em in the general to levy War against the Prince of Orange and all his Adherents 'T is the Opinion of several Judicious Persons that the most considerable Discovery was made by those who endeavour'd to put the fairest Construction on this execrable Project For to Levy War against the King and his Adherents after such a manner and in such Circumstances cou'd signifie nothing else than the Murdering of the King and Parliament and of all that lov'd and were resolv'd to maintain the Laws Religion and Liberty of England The Fifteenth of February was chosen for the Execution of the dire Attempt 'T was on that fatal Day that England or rather Europe was to lose its Deliverer and with him all its hopes of accomplishing the Great Work which he had so happily begun and 't was then that Heaven was resolv'd to work a new Miracle for our Preservation If we had foreseen the Danger that threaten'd him the remembrance of past Hazards wou'd have only serv'd to heighten our Apprehensions for the future His Subjects cou'd hardly have welcom'd him at his return from so glorious a Campaign and instead of celebrating his Victories wou'd have trembl'd at his Approaching Fate But we found to our Comfort that the same Providence which had so often cover d his Head in the Day of Battle and guarded him from the fiercest Assaults of his Enemies was also able to preserve him from the treacherous Fury of Assassins To prevent Suspicion they dispos'd their Men in different places of the Town and even in the remotest Parts of it Barclay and Rookwood expected the Signal in Holborn and Porter with some others waited upon the same account at the Blue Posts in Spring garden Charnock resolv'd to accompany the latter either because he mistrusted him and intended to animate him by his example or because he was willing to chuse a Post that was least expos'd to Danger as another of the Conspirators suspected And perhaps he had still so much Reason left notwithstanding the impetuous Paâ— on that disturb'd his Judgment as to decline acting in the most odious Part of the Tragedy Thus they lay expecting the News of the King's Departure for Richmond but his Majesty did not go out that day and some of the Conspirators were so alarm'd at this Disappointment that they began to reflect either upon the Danger or Infamy to which such an Attempt wou'd expose ' em Plowden who came purposely to Town to act under Porter went back to the Country and did not think fit to return according to his Promise Kenrick pretended that he was disabl'd by a Fall and appear'd for some days with his Arm in a String Sherbourn started so many Scruples when the Design was propos'd to him that they did not think fit to press him further And even the fiercest and most harden d Assassins began to be apprehensive of the Success of their Project But at last concluding that their Design was not discover'd because they were not secur'd Sir George Barclay Sir William Parkins Captain Porter and Goodman met on the 21st of February and resolv'd to make a new attempt to execute their Project without altering the Method of it In pursuance of this Resolution the Assassins were to be prepar'd for the bloody Action on Saturday the 22d of February which was to have been the last Day of our Liberty and the Fatal Aera of the irrecoverable Ruine of England The Morning was spent in an impatient Expectation of Advice from those whom they had appointed to give 'em notice when the King went out Charnock who for some days had been very uneasy and full of Jealousy and Suspicion sent a Man to Porter for a List of those who were to act in the Assassination He seem'd particularly to doubt Larue and perhaps was desirous to have some Satisfaction concerning him The List was sent to him with Larue's Name at the head of the rest and he sent it back again after he had inserted the Names of those whom he was to furnish Pendergrass was one of those who were with Porter They had sent for him out of the Country and wou'd have assign'd him a remarkable part in the Assassination Porter had a Musketoon that carry'd 6 or 8 Bullets with which Pendergrass was to shoot at the King and they desir'd him not to be afraid of breaking the Coach-glasses The Conspirators were disappointed a Second time and the boldest of 'em cou'd not forbear discovering their Fears when Keys acquainted 'em that the Guards were come back all in a foam and that there was an unusual muttering among the People This unexpected piece of News put 'em all into a Consternation the Cabal was entirely dispers'd and most of 'em endeavour'd to secure themselves by a speedy flight Nor was this meerly the effect of a Panic Dread or groundless Apprehension for the Conspiracy was actually detected Fisher Pendergrass Larue and another had separately given Information to Different Persons concerning it tho they had not yet discover'd the Particulars Captain Fisher was the Man whom God inclin'd to make the first Discovery of this inhumane Design He went to the Earl of Portland on the Tenth of February Five Days before the Time that was appointed for the Execution of it and inform'd him of the intended Enterprize without acquainting him either with the Time Manner or Circumstances which were not yet agreed upon but he promis'd to give him further notice as soon as they shou'd come to a positive Resolution And now we may justly reflect with an equal amazement upon the Sedateness and Generosity of his Majesty's Temper who cou'd hardly be perswaded to suspect those who only waited for a convenient opportunity to Murder him and the barbarous Fury of his Enemies who scrupl d not to conspire the Death of so Good and so Brave a Prince Any other Person wou'd have been startl'd at an Advice of this nature or at least wou'd have look'd upon it as too important to be neglected but the King secure in his own Vertue conscious of no Guilt and consequently incapable of Fear was so far from being alarm'd at the Discovery that he wou'd not give credit to it because the Circumstances were not particularly mention'd Three Days after Fisher return'd to Whitehall and gave the Earl of Portland an account not only of the Design