Obstacle by killing her altered his opinion but was for joyning five more to Savage to make sure of the Matter Which being agreed on they set forward the design of the Invasion The design was by Babington imparted to the Queen of Scots and she was to reward the Heroical Actors in this barbarous Attempt or else their Posterities in Case they perisht in it And he was Commanded to pass his word to the six Gentlemen and the rest concerning their reward for their Service In this Conspiracy were ingaged divers Gentlemen who were very Zealous for Popery Edward Windsor Brother to the Lord Windsor Thomas Salisbury of a Knights Family in Denbeighshire Charles Tilney of an ancient Family who was then but lately reconciled to the Romish Church Chideock Tichburn of Southampton Edward Abbington whose Father had been the Queens under Treasurer Robert Gage of Surry John Travers and John Charnock of Lancashire John Jones whose Father was Yeoman of the Wardrobe to Queen Mary Savage before named Barnwel of a noble Family in Ireland and Henry Dun Clark in the Office of first Fruits and Tenths and one Polley To every of these Gentlemen was a Part in this Conspiracy assigned and all things went according to their hearts desire as they thought Nothing perplexed Babington But his Fears of being failed in the Foreign Aid that was promised him therefore to make sure of it he resolved himself to go over into France and to that purpose to send Ballard privately before for whom by his Money under a Counterfeit name he procured a License to Travel And that there might not be the least Suspicion of himself he insinuated into Secretary Walsingham by means of Polley and earnestly besought him to procure him a License from the Queen to travel into France promising her to do her extraordinary good Service in pumping out and discovering the secret designs of the Fugitives in behalf of the Queen of Scots The Plot discovered but as we say forewarned forearmed he being a faithful and cunning Secretary by his Spies had discovered all and informed the Queen and therefore only commended Babingtons pretended design and made him fair Promises and so from time to time delayed him The chief instrument in discovering this Plot was one Gilbert Gifford who lurked in England under the Name of Lauson in mind Salvage of his Oath but had informed the Secretary what he was and to what purpose sent into England This having gone on for some time Ballard apprehended the Queen apprehending there might be great danger in letting it proceed further ordered Ballard to be apprehended who was seized on before he was aware in Babingtons House just as he was setting out for France Babington and some others of the Confederates being jealous the design was discovered hid themselves in St. Johns Wood near London Notice being given of their withdrawing they are proclaimed Traitors at last are found and seized on and the rest of their fellow Rebels fourteen of whom were executed in September 1586. in St. Giles in the Fields where they used to meer and consult about their intended murthering of the Queen and invading the Kingdom Mary Queen of Scots having been at the bottom in all these designs The Queen of Scots at the bottom Cam. Annals from f. 33 to f. 35. D' Ewes Journal f. 392 393 395 400 401 405 408. A Commission Issued for trying Mary Queen of Scots grounded on 27 Eliz. Cap. 1. Camb. An. l. 3. f. 347. and there being no probability of the Kingdoms continuing in the safe and secure exercise of the Protestant Religion under their Protestant Queen so long as she was in being The Papists being assured by her that in case she had the Crown she would introduce Popery Queen Elizabeth was advised to try her for Treason which she was with great difficulty prevailed to do and Issued out a Commission grounded upon 27 Eliz. Cap. 1. herein before set forth The Commissioners appointed to Try her were these viz John Archbishop of * Whitgift Bakers Chron. f. 369. Canturbury Sir Tho. Bromley Kt. Chancellor of England William Lord Burleigh Treasurer of England William Lord Marquess of Winchester Edward Earl of Oxford great Chamberlain of England George Earl of Shrewsbury Earl Marshal Henry Earl of Kent Henry Earl of Darby William Earl of Worcester Edmund Earl of Rutland Ambrose Earl of Warwick Master of the Ordinance Henry Earl of Pembrook Robert Earl of Leicester Master of the Horse Henry Earl of Lincoln Anthony Vicount Mountague Charles Lord Howard Lord High Admiral of England Henry Lord of Hunsdon Lord Chamberlain Henry Lord Abergavenny Edward Lord Zouch Edward Lord Morley William Lord Cobham Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Edward Lord Stafford Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton John Lord Lumley John Lord Stourton William Lord Saunders Lewis Lord Mordant John Lord St. John of Bletnesho Thomas Lord Buckhurst Henry Lord Compton Henry Lord Cheney Sir Francis Knolles Kt. Controller of the Houshould Sir Christopher Hatton Vice-Chamberlain Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary William Davison Esq Sir Ralph Sadleir Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster Sir Walter Mildmay Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Amias Pawlet Captain of the Isle of Jersey John Woolly Esq Secretary for the Latin Tongue Sir Christopher Wray Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Edward Anderson Chief Justice of the Bench Sir Roger Manwood Chief Baron Sir Thomas Gawdy and William Periam Judges The substance of their Commission was this The substance of the Commission Cambd. Annals f. 348. after the recital of 27. Eliz. Cap. 1. thus it followeth Whereas since the end of the Session of Parliament viz. since the first day of June in â—â—e 27 th Year of our Reign divers things have been compassed and imagined â—â—nding to the hurt of our Royal Person as well by Mary Daughter and Heir of James the Fifth King of Scots and commonly called Queen of Scots and Dowager of France pretending a Title to the Crown of this Realm of England 〈◊〉 by divers other Persons cum scientia in English with the Privity of the said Mary as we are given to understand And whereas we do intend and resolve that the aforesaid Act shall be in all and every part thereof duly and effectually put into Execution according to the Tenour of the same and that all offences abovesaid in the Act abovesaid mentioned as afore is said and the circumstances of the same shall be examined and Sentence or Judgment thereupon given according to the Tenour and Effect of the said Act to you and the greater part of you we do giâ—e full and absolute Power License and Authority according to the Tenour of the said Act to examin all and singular Matters composed and imagined tending to she hurt of our Royal Person as well by the aforesaid Mary as by any other Person or Persons whatsoever cum scientia in English with the Privity of the said Mary and all circumstance of the same and all
from the good understanding of their Duty towards God the Queen had by their Lewd and subtle Practices and Perswasions so far wrought that sundry persons had been reconciled to the said usurpt Authority of the See of Rome and did take Absolution at the hands of the said naughty and subtle Practicers whereby there was grown great disobedience and boldness in many not only to withdraw and absent themselves from all Divine Service but also did think themselves discharged from all Obedience Duty and Allegiance to her Majesty that thereupon most wicked and unnatural Rebellion had ensued and to the further danger of this Realm was likely to be renewed if the ungodly attempts in that behalf were not by severity of Laws restrained and bridled This Law therefore provides that they who by Bulls or other Instruments of the Bishop of Rome should reconcile any person to the Church of Rome and those also who should be so reconciled should incur the Penalty of High Treason That those who should relieve such as did so reconcile Men or should bring into England any Agnus Dei's or any Crosses Pictures Beads or such like vain and superstitious Things Consecrated by the Bishop of Rome should undergo the Penalty of a Premunire That they who should not discover such as did so reconcile should be guilty of Misprision of Treason From the precedent History of Fact and the Preamble of these two Acts of Parliament and the Acts themselves I observe three things 1 st That the Kingdom of England is in it self a Free State exempt from all Foreign Jurisdiction whatever by the Common Law of this Kingdom 2 dly That there had been deep Designs on foot before the making of these Acts of Parliament for the inslaving this Kingdom to the Bishop and See of Rome subverting the Protestant Religion and introducing Popery and in order thereunto there were several Plots laid to destroy the person of the Queen 3 dly That these were all laid and carried on by the Pope and some Papists that were the Queens own Subjects and others their adherents and therefore certainly it must be granted that it was very necessary at that time to make these Laws against the Papists And that it was but reasonable to make them The Secular Priests own the Reasonableness of making these Laws Collection of several Treatises concerning the reasons and occasions of the Penal-Laws The 1st printed in 1583. the second in 1601. the third in 1662. and all reprinted in 1688. fol. 36. even the Secular Priests themselves have owned in their important Considerations They confess that Pius V. did practise her Majesties subversion that Ridolpho was sent hither by the Pope under Colour of Merchandize to sollicit a Rebellion That Pius V. moved the King of Spain to Joyn in this exploit That the Bull was devised purposely to further the intended Rebellion for depriving her Majesty from her Kingdom That the Pope and King of Spain assigned the Duke of Norfolk to be head of this Rebellion That the Pope gave order to Ridolpho to take 150000 Crowns to set forwards this Attempt That some of this money was sent to Scotland and some delivered to the Duke That King Philip at the Pope's Instance determined to send the Duke of Alva into England with all his forces out of the Low-Countries to assist the Duke of Norfolk which they confess in this manner That these things their Adversaries the Protestants Charged on them as true and that they were in hand whilst her Majesty dealt so mercifully with them and therefore ask'd them how they could excuse these designs so Unchristian so unpriestly so Treacherous and so unprince-like To which they answer that when they first heard the aforementioned particulars they did not believe them but would have laid their Lives they had been false but when they saw them printed in the Life of Pius V they appeal to God they were amazed Collection f. 37 and say they can say no more but that his Holiness was misinformed and indirectly drawn to these courses They confess that there being several persons in Prison when the Rebellion in the North before mentioned brake forth that it was known that the Pope had Excommunicated the Queen that there followed a great restraint of the Prisoners but none of them were put to death upon that occasion the Sword being then only drawn against such Catholicks as had risen up actually into open Rebellion wherein say they we cannot see what her Majesty did that any Prince in Christendom in such a case would not have done and confess these things to have been the occasion of making 13 Eliz. ca. 2. against bringing in Buls c. thus they express themselves Collection f. 38. we cannot but confess as reasonable men that the State had great Reasons to make some Laws against us except they should have shown themselves careless for the continuance of it but be the Law as any would have it never so extream yet surely it must be granted that the occasions of it were most outragious and likewise that the Execution of it was not so Tragical as many have since written and reported of it for whatsoever was done against us either upon the pretence of that Law or of any other would never we think have been attempted had not divers other preposterous occasions besides the Causes of that Law daily fallen out amongst us which procured matters to be urged more severely against us And afterwards they accuse Saunders the Jesuit for writing a Book in 1572 de visibili Monarchia and therein justifying the Excommunicating the Queen and the said Rebellion in the North and do themselves own that the persons that suffered upon that account were Arraigned Condemned and Executed by the Antient Laws of the Country for High Treason As to the Acts themselves It is not to be denyed but they are very severe yet not severe enough to deter the Papists from carrying on their designs against the Queen and the Protestant Religion as I shall by and by make appear but before I do that let us a little enquire Story 's Plot. Cambd. Hist li 2. fol 168. Dyer 13 Eliz. fol. 298. Baker 's Chron. fol. 343. The Duke of Norfolk executed what proceedings there were upon these Laws after they were thus made In the year 1571 't is true one John Story Doctor in Laws one of the Duke of Alva's Servants an Englishman and a Papist was Executed but it was for High Treason not Religion for having conspired the Queen's Death cursed her daily in his Grace at Meals and shewing the Duke of Alva's Secretary the way to Invade England to put Ireland into Rebellion and to excite the Scots to break into England all at once The Duke of Norfolk was also Tryed Convicted and Executed and after his Condemnation and before his Execution one Barney and Mather were Executed for conspiring with one Herle to make away some of the Council and
Gregory the 13 th which alwaies afforded new supplies of Priests for England when the old ones failed whose business it was privately to spread the Seeds of Popery here amongst us From whence the Colledges had the name of Seminaries and they called Seminary Priests who were bred up in them In these Seminaries amongst other disputations it was concluded that the Pope hath such fulness of Power by Divine Right over the whole Christian World both in Ecclesiastical and Secular Matters that by vertue thereof it is lawful for him to Excommunicate Kings absolve their Subjects from the Oath of Allegiance and to deprive them of their Kingdoms Out of these Seminaries were sent forth into divers parts of England and Ireland at first a few young men and afterwards more according as they grew up who were entered over-hastily into holy Orders and instructed in the above mentioned Principles They pretended only to administer the Sacraments of the Romish Religion and to preach to Papists but the Queen and her Council soon found that they were sent over underhand to seduce the Subjects from their Allegiance and Obedience due to their Prince to oblige them by reconciliation to perform the Pope's Command to stir up intestine Rebellions under the Seal of Confession and flatly to execute the Sentence of Pius V. against the Queen to the end that Way might be made for the Pope and the Spaniard who had designed the Conquest of England To these Seminaries were sent daily out of England by the Papists in contempt and dispight of the Laws great numbers of Boys and young Men of all sorts and admitted into the same making a Vow to return into England Others also crept secretly from thence into the Land and more were daily expected with the Jesuits who at that time came first into England This occasioned the Queen to issue out a Proclamation Camb. Annals f. 245. Collection f. 42. That whosovever had any Children Wards Kinsmen or other Relations in the parts beyond the Seas should after 10 days give in their Names to the Ordinary and within four Months call them home again and when they were returned should forthwith give notice of the same to the said Ordinary That they should not directly or indirectly supply such as refused to return with any Money That no man should entertain in his House or harbor any Priests sent forth from the aforesaid Seminaries or Jesuits or cherish and relieve them and that whoever did to the contrary should be accounted a favourer of Rebels and Seditious Persons and proceeded against according to the Laws of the Land. Camb. Annals f. 246. Before such time as this was proclaimed the Papists pretended that they were sensible too late of the Inconveniencies by the said Bull and that they were ill pleased that ever it came forth A defence of the same written by the said Nicholas Sanders they cunningly supprest and prohibited the Question concerning the power of the Bishop of Rome in Excommunicating and Deposing of Princes to be publickly disputed Which notwithstanding brake forth every day hotter and hotter amongst them Robert Parsons also and Edmund Campian English-Men and of the Society of Jesus being now ready to come over to advance the Romish affairs in England obtained Power from Gregory the Thirteenth Bishop of Rome for moderating that severe Bull Parsons and Campian sent into England by the Pope to promote the Popish interest here The Faculties themselves are Printed verbatim in English and Latin by the L. Burligh in his Examination for Treason Col. f. 12 13. And by Foulis in his History f. 337. The Character of Parsons and Campian Cambd. An. f. 246. Bakers Chron. f. 356. and that in these words Let there be humbly prayed of our most Holy Lord who is generally the most wicked of the whole Court of Cardinals an Explanation of the Bull Declaratory set forth by Pius the V. against Elizabeth and her adherents to give her the Title of Queen after she was excommunicated would have been to disown their own Doctrine of the Lawfulness to depose and kill Princes which Bull the Catholics i. e. the Romish Rebels and Traytors do desire may be understood in this manner that it may always bind Her and the Hereticks i. e. the Protestants and their Protestants Queen but in no way the Catholicks as matters now stand for they were wise enough to carry on their Cruel Designs and knew well enough that whatever Cruelties they used they should be commended for it whether they had any orders for it or not but only hereafter when publick Execution of the said Bull may be had they doubted not of effecting their enterprize for washing their hands in the Blood of the Protestants these Graces aforesaid the Bishop hath granted to Father Robert Parsons and Edmund Campian who are now to take their Journey into England the Fourteenth day of April 1580. in the Presence of Father Oliver Manarcus Assistant This Parsons was of Somerset-shire a violent fierce natur'd Man and of rough behaviour Campian was a Londoner of a sweet disposition and a well pollish'd Man both of them were by Education Oxford Men and known there to Cambden himself as he avers Campian being of St. John's Colledge bare the Office of Proctor of the University in the Year 1568. and being made Deacon made a shew of the Protestant Religion he withdrew himself out of England they can turn themselves into all shapes to carry on their Barbarous and Cruel Conspiracies against the Protestants and the true Religion which they profess Modern Instances of this we have not a few Parsons was of Balliol Colledge wherein he openly professed the Protestant Religion until he was for his loose carriage Expell'd with disgrace and went over to the Papists and it hath been observed by many and that very truly that they who go over from the Protestant to the Popish Religion are generally Men of very vitious and loose Lives These two coming privately into England Travelled up and down the Country and to Popish Gentlemens Houses Covertly and in the disguised Habits sometimes of Souldiers sometimes of Gentlemen sometimes of Ministers of the Word and sometimes of Apparitors diligently performing what they had in Charge both in word and writing Parsons who was Constituted Superior being a Man of a Seditious and Turbulent Spirit and Armed with a Confident Boldness tampered so far with the Papists about deposing the Queen that some of them Cambden saith he speaks upon their own Credit thought to have delivered them into the Magistrates hands Campian the more modest yet by a written Paper Challenged the Ministers of the English Church to a Disputation and published a Neat well-pen'd Book in Latine called Ten Reasons in Defence of the Doctrine of the Church of Rome And Parsons put out another virulent Book in English against Clark who had soberly written against Campian's Challenge but to Campian's Reasons Whitaker gave a solid Answer Campian himself
Wade the Clerk of the Councel by putting together these torn pieces of Paper with much pains and singular Dexterity discovered the Design Their spight was all at the Queen and the better to procure her ruin Martins Book against the Queen Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 4. f. 338. there was a little Book composed and called a Treatise of Schism which amongst other things exhorted the Women at Court to Act the same against the Queen as Judith had done with Commendation against Holosernes The Author of this pernicious Pamphlet was one Gregory Martin formerly of St. Johns Colledge in Oxford and Contemporary with Campian The Duke of Norfolk made him Tutor to his eldest Son and indeed his Learning was noted being a good Linguist and one who had read much but in his writing he was very passionate and so sometimes inconsiderate One * Carter Prints Martins Book Concertat Eccles Cathol Angl. part 2. f. 127. c. Ruston de Schism Angl. l. 3. William Carter who had formerly been Amanuensis to Dr. Harpesfield one of Bishop Bonners Creatures and was now the chief Printer for the Romanists keeping two Presses at their Devotion gets this Book commended by Allen and Prints above a thousand for which he is tryed confesseth the Printing it vindicateth all is contained in it is condemned and executed and hath the Honour to be registred amongst their Martyrs By reason of these Treasons before mentioned as also upon occasion of Rumors from all parts that great Dangers were at hand and threatned to prevent the wicked Designs The Subjects of England Associate and Treacherous Practices of the Papists and to provide for the Queens safety upon which the Welfare both of the Realm and Religion depended many Men of all Degrees and Conditions throughout England by Leicesters means and out of their own publick Care and Love whilst they stood not in Fear of her but were full of Fear for her bound themselves in an Association by mutual Vows Subscriptions and Seals to prosecute to the Death as far as lay in their Power all those that should Attempt any thing against the Queen Upon which the Parliament meeting on Munday 23 d. Day of November 27 El. A Bill was in this Sessions brought into the House of Commons for Provision to be made for the Surety of the Queens Majesties Royal Person and the continuance of the Realm in peace and for confirming the said Association There was also in this Session of Parliament another Bill brought into the House of Commons against Jesuits Seminary Priests and other disobedient Persons and one William Parrey by Nation a Welshman born of obscure Parentage and of mean Estate by Title a Doctor of the Law though but indifferently Learned a Man exceeding proud Camb. Annals f. 305. D' Ewes his Journal f. 340 341 342. Bakers Cron. f. 364. Parry's contempt to the House of Commons when this Bill was read the third time which was Decemb. the 17th 1584. and with little or no Argument passed the House in very violent Terms spake directly against the whole Bill standing up for the Jesuits and pleading that the said Law svoured of Treasons was full of blood danger despair and terror or dread to the English Subjects of this Realm but refused to give his Reasons to the House or any other but the Queen for which he was committed to the Serjeants Custody till the House considered of his Crime and being called in again and he persisting in his contempt It was resolved that for that he did speak to the Bill and gave his Neggative voice so directly and undutifully and in contempt of the House would not shew his Reasons for the same being against the ancient Orders and Usage of that High Court and not for that he said he would shew them only to be discovered to her Majesty he should be committed to the Serjeants Ward till the Matter should be farther Examined On the 18th of December the Queen sent a Message to the House approving and commending what they had done in this matter and letting them know that Doctor Parry had been examined and made a discovery partly to the satisfaction of her Majesty and therefore desired that upon his humble submission and acknowledgement of his fault he might be dispensed with which was accordingly done But Feb. the 18th being in the Tower for Treason was disabled from being longer a Member of the House of Commons Parry's Treasonable Conspiracy for taking away the Queens Life Camb. Annals f. 306. Foulis Hist l. 7. ca. 4. f. 338. D' Ewes Journal f. 350. This very Parry when he got to be Parliament man was a Papist and afterwards accused by Edmond Nevil who claimed the Inheritance of Charles Nevil late Earl of Westmorland one of the Ring-leaders in the forementioned Plot in the North who a little before ended his Life in a Miserable Exile and the Title of Lord Latimer as next Heir Male to have been ingaged in a secret design for taking away the Queens Life This Parry had been pardoned formerly by the Queen of a Burglary and Assault for which he was Tryed and Condemned and to requite her enters into a Conspiracy to take away her Life which he being resolved to do and being then beyond Seas comes forthwith for London and the better to get access to the Queen and credit with her resolves to discover how he had been perswaded to kill her which he doth at White-Hall as cunningly as he can The Queen gave him the hearing and began to put some confidence in him He afterwards engageth the said Mr. Nevel in the design who declared himself convinced of the lawfulness and braveness of the Action so they both swear in Parry's Lodgings Secrecy to kill her yet all this while Parry carried it so fair with the Queen that She not only thought him a trusty Loyal Subject but intended him a liberal Pension or Allowance Foulis Hist l. 7. c. 4. f. 141. Whilst he thus gets esteem with the Queen and at the same time contrives her death Nevil resolves to discover all doth so and is examined by Leicester and Sir Christopher Hatton the Queen wonders at the juggle and contrivance but had it kept secreet And the better to find out the Plot Parry is sent for by Secretary Walsingham to his house there to see if he would any way confess this who had shewed himself soreedy on his own head to discover the Foreign de-signs against her Majesty The Secretary entertains him kindly telling him that the Queen had appointed him to deal with him in a Matter that highly concerned her Majesty knowing him to be one who bore an extraordinary devotion to her the Matter was the Queen had been advertized that there was some Plot in hand against her own Person wherewith she thought he could not but be made acquainted considering the great trust that some of her greatest Enemies reposed in him of this she desired to
be effected so long as the Jesuits Seminary Priests and other Priests were tollerated here for it hath been observed by some with a great deal of Truth that there was never yet a Plot against the Government but the Popish Priests had their share in it It was therefore thought necessary to follow the example of Swedeland the State of Venice and other Countries who have banisht the Jesuits and wisely to carry it a little further and banish Priests too they being such Disturbers of the State which was accordingly done by 27. Eliz. cap. 2. But least the Papists should again object against the Authorities I cite for the History of the Fact I shall here insert the very Words of their Secular Priests in their important Considerations whereby the truth of the Fact is Confest the Words are these About the time of the overthrow of the Popes Forces in Ireland The Secular Priests confess the truth of all the foregoing Account Collect. f. 44. The Popes Plot with King of Spain and Duke of Guise Mendoza his Holiness by the false instigation of the Jesuits plotted with the King of Spain for the assistance of the Duke of Guise to enterprize upon the sudden a very desperate design against Her Majesty and for the Delivery and advancement to the Crown of the Queen of Scotland For the better asserting whereof Mendoza the Jesuit and Ledger for the King of Spain in England set on work a worthy Gentleman otherwise one Mr. Francis Throckmorton and divers others And whilst the same was Contriving as afterwards Mr. Throckmorton himself Confessed 1584 the Jesuitical humour had so possessed the hearts of sundry Catholics as we do unfeignedly rue in our hearts the remembrance of it and are greatly ashamed that any Person so intitl'd should ever have been so extreamly bewitched Two Gentlemen about that time also viz. Anno 1583. Mr. Arden and Mr. Somervil were convicted by the Laws of the Realm Throgmortons Confession you have Printed Camb. Annal l. 3. f. 297. Arden and Somervil Dr. Parry Earl of Northumberland for having purposed and contrived how they might have laid violent hands upon Her Majesties sacred Person Mr. Somervils Confession therein was so notorious as it may not be either quallified or denied And Dr. Parry the same Year was plotting with Jesuits how he might have effected the like Villany How the worthy Earl of Northumberland was about this time brought into the said Plot by the Duke of Guise then still in hand we will pretermit Mr. Parsons that was Actor in it could tell the Story very roundly at Rome it wrought the Earls overthrow in 1585 which may justly be ascribed to the Jesuitical Practices of the Jesuite Mendoza and others of that Crew They mentioned several other Treasons which I shall not here take Notice of but reserve them till I come to give the further Account of their Treasons and only set down the Conclusion of this Paragraph These things say they we would not have touched had they not been known in effect to this part of the World and that we thought it our Duties to shew our own dislike of them and to clear Her Majesty so far as we may from such imputations of more then barbarous Cruelty towards us as the Jesuits in their Writings have cast by Heaps upon her They themselves as we still think in our Consciences and before God having been from time to time the very Causes of all the Calamities which any of us have endured in England since Her Majesties Reign which we do not write simply to excuse Her Highness altho we must Confess we can be contented to indure much rather then to seek her Dishonour but for that we think few Princes living being perswaded in Religion as Her Majesty is and so provoked as she hath been would have dealt more mildly with such their Subjects all Circumstances considered then she hath done with us Let us now see what reason can be given for making the rest of the Penal Laws that were made against the Papists in this Queens Reign The Earl of Arund tryed and fined only Camb. Annals f. 330. He was in 1589. tryed for high Treason and Condemned but the Queen spared him Camb. Annals f. 424.429 The first thing I meet with remarkable after the making these Laws forementioned is the fining the Earl of Arundel 5000 pounds in 586. for holding Correspondence with Allen and Parsons the Jesuit the Queens Enemies for that publickly in writing he had questioned the Justice of the Kingdom and that he had intentions of departing the Realm without License The Earl protesting his obedience to the Queen and his Love to his Countrey modestly excused himself by his Love to the Catholic Religion and his ignorance of the Law Confessed his fault and submitted In the * Gifford Savage Ballard and others Plot to kill the Q. Camb. Annals f. 336. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 5. sec 1. f. 343. Bakers Chron. f. 367. same year a very dangerous Conspiracy was discovered against Queen Elizabeth in the English Seminary at Rheimes there were some who were so bigotted to the Popish Religion that they thought the Pope could by his Authority do any thing and that the aforementioned Bull of Pius Quintus for deposing the Queen was dictated by the Holy Ghost and thought it a Meritorious Act to take away her Life and doubted not of a Canonisation as Martyrs if they fell in the Attempt William Gifford Doctor in Divinity Gilbert Gifford and one Hodgson Priests did so infuse this treasonable Doctrine into the mind of one John Savage a Bastard as was reported that he readily Vowed to kill the Queen One Ballard an English Priest at Rheimes bestirs himself in England and Scotland for carrying on the Design and for that purpose prepares Disciples then goeth into France and treats with Mendoza before named Charles Paget and others about invading of England judging they could never have a fairer opportunity then at that Juncture of time forasmuch as the Pope the Spaniard the Duke of Guise and the Prince of Parma were all resolved to set upon England thereby to divert the War from the Netherlands Having delivered the Message there he returns for England to promote the design here gets to London where in a Souldiers habit under the false Name of Captain Fescue he agitates the Plot. Babington and divers other Gentlemen engaged in this design of taking off the Queen At London he discovered this Affair to one Mr. Anthony Babington of Dethick in Derbyshire a young Gentleman greatly addicted to the Romish Religion and who had in France Commenced an Acquaintance with the Bishop of Glascow the Queen of Scots Ambassador and one Thomas Morgan an English Fugitive and a busie Agent for her Babington at first was of opinion that as long as the Queen lived an Invasion would signifie little or nothing but when he understood that Savage had undertaken to remove that
might be against him that had maintained the War in the Palatinate That he would put the Laws in Execution against the Papists That the c Charles the First Prince might be married to a Protestant That the Children of the Nobility and Gentry beyond Seas might be called home That Papists Children and their Children whose Wives were Papists might be educated by Protestant School-Masters and Teachers That the King would revoak all former Licences for Youth to travel beyond Sea and grant no more after That all former Grants of Papists Lands might be avoided if by Law they could and no such Grants made afterwads The Commons had no small reason to take notice of the State of the Protestant Interest abroad seeing besides the great Wound made in Germany Protestants persecuted abroad Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 43. and the Cruelties of the prevailing House of Austria the Protestants in France were almost ruined by Lewis the Thirteenth and yet notwithstanding the King understanding they were preparing the above mentioned Remonstrance writ a Letter to Sir Thomas Richardson Speaker of the House of Commons December the 3 d. 1621. Wherein he let him know He heard to his Grief that his Absence being sick had emboldned some fiery and popular Spirits of the House to argue and debate Matters far above their Reach and Capacity The King is angry at the Remonstrance and writes to the Speaker to prevent it Rush Coll. Ibid. tending to his Dishonour and Breach of Prerogative Royal. Therefore commanded him to make known to the House that none should presume to meddle with any thing concerning his Government or deep Matters of State and particularly that they should not deal with his dearest Sons Match with the Daughter of Spain or any other his Friends and Confederates That except they did reform it before it came to his Hands he would not hear nor answer it Another Remonstrance Rush Coll. 1 pt f. 44. And he was as good as his Word as will appear afterwards for upon the Receipt of this Letter the House drew up another Remonstrance with the greatest Submission imaginable wherein they lay the Ground of their former Remonstrance upon the deplorable Estate of his own Children in the Palatinate and the apparent Danger and almost unavoidable Ruine of the Protestants and the Protestant Religion at Home and abroad evidenced by Transactions an Account whereof they had received from his Majesty himself by three Honorable Lords and tackt their former Remonstrance to the latter and so presented them but the former he rejected utterly and gave a long Answer to the latter but granted nothing whereof they complained as may be seen by the Answer it self printed in Wilson f. 178. and Rushworth f. 46. In the said Answer he discovered his great Concern for the Spanish Match and his Backwardness to proceed against Papists however the same is blended by specious Pretences of the Necessity of shewing Favour to the Papists here to procure the gentle Usage of the Protestants abroad VVilson's Hist f. 188. Rushw Coll. 1 pt 53 54 55. The Parliament dissolved He denied in his Answer the Rights and Priviledges of the Commons to be their Birth-right they protest them so to be he tears the Protest out of the Journal Book of the House of Commons and the sixth of January 1621. by Proclamation dissolves the Parliament And whether that were the way to recover the Palatinate or secure the Protestant Religion at home or abroad needs no great Sagacity to determine Papists discharged from Imprisonment VVilson's Hist f. 195. Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 62 63. In the twentieth Year of this Kings Reign the Prisons were opened Priests and Jesuits walked about at Noon And Gondamore who did what he pleased vaunts of four thousand Papists that his Intercession had released either to make his Service the more acceptable to his Master or to let him see how willing the King was to do any thing to advance that Match which they never intended The King was not so nice but that he could stay for * Car. Bandino Car. Lode visio a Dispensation from Rome To expedite which he wrote to some of the most active Cardinals there and received Answers from them full of alluring Hopes And that he might give some more publick Testimony of his Indulgence to the Papists the mortal Enemies of the Protestants he commanded Doctor Williams Bishop of Lincoln then Lord-Keeper of the Great Seal of England to pass Writs under the Great Seal to require the Judges of every Circuit to enlarge all such Papists as were imprisoned for Recusancy accordingly the Writs were issued forth under the Great Seal and the Lord-Keeper wrote to the Judges on this manner which Letter take Verbatim as printed in Wilson The Lord Keeper Williams his Letter to the Judges in Favour of the Papists VVilson's Hist f. 196. AFter my hearty Commendations to you His Majesty having resolved out of deep Reasons of State and in Expectation of like Correspondence from Foreign Princes to the Professors of our Religion to grant some Grace and Connivance to the imprisoned Papists of this Kingdom hath commanded me to pass some Writs under the Broad Seal to that purpose requiring the Judges of every Circuit to enlarge the said Prisoners according to the Tenor and Effect of the same I am to give you to understand from His Majesty how His Majesties Royal Pleasure is that upon receipt of these Writs you shall make no Niceness or Difficulty to extend that His Princely Favour to all such Papists as you shall find Prisoners in the Goals of your Circuits for any Church Recusancy whatsoever or refusing the Oath of Supremacy or dispersing Popish Books or hearing saying of Mass or any other Point of Recusancy which doth touch or concern Religion only and not Matter of State And so I bid you farewel Your Loving Friend Jo. Lincoln Westminster Coll. 2. Aug. 1622. In order to the Match with Spain the King agreed to such Articles of Religion The Spanish Match the Nature of the Articles Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 66 67. as were Satisfactory in the Judgment of the learnedest and greatest Clergy of Spain That they declared their Opinion that upon the Offer of such Conditions the Pope ought not to with-hold the Dispensation and the Pope himself was satisfied that he had in a manner done already all that was desired No wonder then that the Papists were quiet here in England and not engaged in Plots and Contrivances against the Kings Person for the Reason is plain the whole Substance of the Spanish Treaty was a Plot for ruining the Palatinate and thereby weakning in order to destroy the Protestant Interest abroad which they effected by feeding the King with the Hopes of that Match and thereby diverting him from taking the Parliaments Advice in order to recover the Palatinate You may read the whole Story in VVilson and Rushworth and when they had