albeit the King was far from any thought of taking away his Life and that no farther prejudice was design'd against him but the forfeiture of some Jurisdictions and Superiorities which he and his Predecessors had surreptitiously acquired and most tyrannically exercis'd besides the disposal of part of his Estate to pay his just Creditors and some few moderate Donatives to those whom he and his Father had formerly ruin'd for their Fidelity to His Majesty the Surplusage being intended entirely to return and descend to his Family yet the said Earl abusing the great Freedom indulg'd him in Prison which he enjoy'd as largely after his Condemnation as before fled from His Majesties Mercy the knowledge of his own Guilt not suffering him to venture on that Clemency whereof he had before participated so plentifully when he was under the like Sentence of Condemnation The King however notwithstanding this new Provocation still retain'd the same benign thoughts of favouring his Wife and Children And before it was known that the said Earl had more Debt on his Estate than the full value of it amounted to which really was his Case His Majesty was graciously pleas'd in one Royal Largess to give thrice more of the Inheritance to his Posterity than their Father could lawfully have done had it never been forfeited But how ill he deserved or requited so many Acts of Grace and Bounty will appear by the sequel of his Behaviour after his Escape For in stead of doing what his Complices and Dependants gave out he intended that he would humbly cast himself at His Majesties Feet and implore his Pardon which he of all Men living had no reason to think desperate he is no where to be found but associating with His Majesties implacable Enemies in the Head of new Machinations of Treason employs his Liberty abroad in maintaining Traiterous Correspondences at Home with restless Malice exciting the wicked Conspirators of both Kingdoms to a fatal Union against the Life Government and Family of his Liege Soveraign and Benefactor And all this is to be proved upon him by Arguments as clear as the Sun by the Credit of his own Authentick Letters and by the plain Depositions of his principal Messengers and Agents in the whole Villany By this brief Recollection of the troubled State of Affairs and the Tumultuous Temper of ill Mens Minds in His Majesties Kingdoms of England and Scotland about the time when this treasonable Conspiracy was in agitation the impartial World may perceive from what destructive feeds of Sedition private Passions and Animosities under the disguise of Religion and the publick Interest so Monstrous a Birth was produced In the wonderful Discovery of which detestable Confederacy and in the happy Prevention of its dire Effects as all who have heard of it must acknowledge that a signal care of Gods Providence has appear'd for His Majesties and these Nations Preservation So His Majesty gives the Sacred Word and Protestation of a King that nothing has been done on his part but what was agreeable to that Royal Benignity and Natural Candor of his whole Life whereof all the World even his Enemies have had such undoubted Experience The Evidence was most of it deliver'd in His Majesties own presence The Examinations were taken by Men of unquestionable Reputation and Honour The whole Proceeding has been managed with all imaginable Integrity There has been no straining or extorting of Accusations to blemish the Fame of the Innocent No Temptation of Rewards proposed No Pardon assured before-hand for discovering or aggravating the Crimes of the Guilty Some Witnesses who offer'd themselves of whom there might have been any colourable Suspicion His Majesty wholly rejected Lest it should once again happen that the Wasted Credit or needy Condition or profligate Lives of the Persons deposing should derogate from the strength of their Depositions and administer any the least doubt of Subornation Those Witnesses His Majesty admitted had been generally Men strongly prepossess'd in Conscience Zeal and Interest for that Party Men whose former avow'd Hatred of the Government was reason sufficient to gain them an absolute trust with any who studied to overthrow it They were not of desperate Fortunes Nor despicable Men. For the most part they separately and singly brought in their Discoveries Divers of them had little or no Conversation or Familiarity one with another There was no shadow or possibility of a combination between them all to discover yet such is the prevalence of Self-conviction and so great the Power of Truth that all their several Discoveries did perfectly agree with themselves and with each other in all material parts and circumstances It was therefore in the Summer of the Year 1683 a time when all His Majesties Dominions injoyed a setled Peace and profound security whilst the greatest part of the Neighbouring World was involved in Wars and Combustions that His Majesty and his Council were suddenly awaken'd with the surprizing Knowledge of this dreadful Conspiracy which had been laying very deep and broad for many Months before The Man whom God chose to make the first Discoverer was Josiah Keeling Citizen and Salter of London A Person of good Credit in the common Business of his Calling but otherwise a most perverse Fanatick so fiercely addicted to their Cause that he had been one of the busiest Sticklers in all the late Publick Oppositions against the Government Particularly he was the very Man who undertook and perform'd the most insolent Assault upon Authoriy that perhaps the Party ever attempted in full Peace which was the Arresting the Lord Mayor in open Day in the midst of the City of London for refuting to admit the pretended Sheriffs who had been chosen by those Meetings of the Factious in and about the City that the Law has since condemn'd as Unlawful and Riotous However by so eminent and bold a piece of Service together with his former approved Activity and Violence for the discontented Interest was Keeling judg'd by the chief Conspirators fitly qualifi'd to be admitted into their most private Consultations And accordingly thereafter they trusted him as one of their surest Confidents In so much that he was invited to make one of the Forty Miscreants whose proper part it was to Assassinate His Majesties and his Royal Highnesses Persons Of which Number after he had freely consented to be and had met and acted jointly with the rest for some time to prepare the cursed Work for a speedy Execution it pleased the Divine Goodness so to touch his Soul with the Horrour of so amazing a Crime that he could not rest Day nor Night till after much conflict in his Mind he had fully determin'd to discharge his Conscience of the Hellish Secret Wherefore having first Communicated some part of his burden to one Mr. Peckam his private Friend who had often before warn'd him in general of the dangerous course he was in by so deeply ingaging in all the former Seditious Intrigues he was by him directed
Numerous Meeting at Theobalds where Rumbald was his frequent Hearer William Spence who had been Comptroler and was now Employed as Secretary to the Earl of Argyle taken in London under the Name of Butler John Nisbet born in Northumberland bred up at the University of Edenburgh where he was the Leader of those Seditious Students who rais'd a Tumult upon occasion of Burning the Pope in that City But of all the Conspirators whether English or Scotch the Man to whom next the late Earls of Shaftsbury and Argyle belong'd the chief place and precedence in the whole Diabolical Design was Robert Ferguson a Scotch-Man he had been divers Years a fierce Independent-Preacher in the City of London and had long Brandish'd his Poys'nous Tongue and Virulent Pen against the Government He is manifestly convicted to have had a Hand in the most Scandalous Libels of those Times And was always particularly cherished magnified and maintained by the Party for his peculiar Talent in aspersing the Government and reviling His Majesties Person So that upon all Accounts of his restless Spirit fluent Tongue subtil Brain and hellish Malice he was perfectly qualifi'd to be the great Incendiary and common Agitator of the whole Conspiracy and after Shaftsbury's Death it cannot be denied but he was the Life and Soul of all especially for the carrying on of the Assassination These Persons appear hitherto to have been the principal Contrivers or Instruments of the whole Treason in the Kingdoms of England and Scotland Divers others there are concerning whom more than conjectural Proofs may be given of their being engaged in it But His Majesty is willing to spare particular Names as far as may stand with the Necessary and Just Vindication of his Government It may suffice that of these His Majesty has here allowed to be mention'd the World is abundantly satisfied that the several Shares they undertook in this Conspiracy were very agreeable to their former well known perverse Principles and declared Disaffections to the Government It is therefore certain that in the Year 1682 before and especially after Midsummer-Day when the great Business of Electing the City Sheriffs came of course to be Agitated the whole Factious Interest in and about the Town prepared to employ the Main of their Power and Craft in preventing the Swearing of the True Sheriffs on the Michaelmas-Day ensuing All which time nothing was omitted by the Disloyal Citizens and great Numbers of Strangers unduly mingled with them in all their Assemblies to elude or terrifie the Honest Zeal of the Loyal and to deceive and gain over the doubtful Members of the City Whether by direct or indirect ways it matter'd not For just about that time the New and Devilish Invention came to be most in Vogue by which they made the receiving all Oaths and taking the very Blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be only an Instrument for the promoting their pretended Godly Designs Wherefore in that space of time all imaginable prophane and seemingly holy Cheats and Prevarications were Practis'd All sorts of Arms never before known to be procured in such Quantities by private Persons such as Blunderbusses Steel Armor cover'd with Silk and the like were carefully sought after and bought up The most improbable false Rumors fill'd every Street That now all true Protestants were to be Massacred in an Instant That such Sheriffs were Nominated as had contented to be the Executioners That Popery was speedily to be Introduced barefac'd and in Triumph That all faithful Adherents to the Government were but Papists in Mascarade Popery being still made the Word of Alarm to excite and exasperate the Populace Though it is manifest the Authors of all those Clamours against Popery never intended its Suppression For that would not have consisted with their Design which was by the Popular Dread of it upon all Occasions to shake the Crown and undermine the Church of England The Truth is to such a heighth of Arrogance were things grown on their side that whoever shall indifferently reflect on the dangerous Devices slanderous Reports and Writings and other violent Emotions of the whole Party that Summer in the City they will have just cause to conclude that the course of their Proceedings was not so much a Civil Struggle against their Fellow-Citizens for Victory in the Peaceable Choice of Two subordinate Officers of justice as a Decisive Contention for a Mastery over the whole Government Yet however cunningly the Train was laid it took no effect but on themselves The Noise and Rage of all their Mutinous Routs in Taverns and Coffee-Houses vanish'd into Air. Sir John Moor the Lord Mayor together with the greater number of wiser richer and better Citizens understood rightly and stuck unmoveably to the Kingdoms and their own true Interest Mr. North and Mr. Rich were quietly admitted and sworn Sheriffs at the appointed time with the usual Solemnities Immediately after this the very same Night the Earl of Shaftsbury privately withdrew from his own House redoubling his old Exclamations of Popery Tyranny Superstition Idolatry Oppressions Murders Irish Witnesses of whose Subornation no Man in the three Kingdoms could have given a more exact account than himself Whilst he thus lay secret in the City Romzey Walcot Ferguson Goodenough and others his Complices daily frequenting him they applied themselves with all diligence to expedite the Rebellious Work before projected His Vain-glory and the Conceit of his own Dexterity and his former constant success in making Confusions inclining him to fancy what his Flatterers suggested that the whole City and Kingdom were at his beck and upon the holding up of his Finger would presently rise in Arms to extirpate the two Brothers Slavery and Popery as they were lewdly wont in their private Debauches to style the King and his Royal Righness The said Earl of Shaftsbury had some time before let on foot a Treaty with the Earl of Argyle who after his escape out of Edenburgh-Castle came privily to London held divers Meetings with the Confederates and offer'd that for 30000 l. Sterling he would make a sturdy Commotion in Scotland But the Sum of Money demanded being so considerable and many other Scruples started and unforeseen Difficulties rising which could not so presently be removed as Argyle's pressing danger required he first quitted the Field and retired into Holland with intention there at a greater distance and more security to renew and prosecute the same Proposal About that time also both ways of destroying these Kingdoms were brought under their Consideration the general way of an Insurrection and the more compendious way as they call'd it of Assassinating the King and Duke in their return that October from Newmarket The Insurrection was instantly promoted on all Hands in Town and Country But the Assassination having then not been soon enough thought on went no farther than Discourse to be afterwards resumed and more deliberately provided for against the next Opportunity In the mean while the long expected Michaelmas-Day
inforce all he had said but it could not be express'd at that distance That something more was to be done to prevent the Designs of the Enemies which he dares not now mention lest it should put them on their Guard That he has a considerable Direction in his Head but all is in Gods Hands This is a faithful and impartial Abstract of the Mystical Letter than which how could there have been express'd by words a more compleat Deduction of the said Earl's part in the design'd Insurrection Immediately after the Cyphers this follows in words at large The Total Sum is 128 Guilders and 8 Stivers that will be paid you by Mr. B. Which last Clause was the Rule whereby Mr. Gray found out and Spence discover'd the Decyphering of the whole Letter and it was accordingly done by each of them apart by making eight Columns and placing 128 words in each Column descending as upon view of the Authentick Printed Copies will appear to any Man beyond all Contradiction In short this Letter of the late Earl of Argyle's was known by many of the Privy Council thereto be his Hand and his own Lady upon Oath deposed She knew it to be his though she did not know the Contents of it And such is the Account that is to be given of the said Earl of Argyle's Loyalty which he had desir'd might be the only Standard in what sense he would take the Test Hitherto he had been by Inheritance Lord High Admiral and Justice General of Argyle Tarbat and the Isles and Great Master of the Houshold He was by His Majesty put into Places of great Dignity and Trust he was made extraordinary Lord of the Session one of His Majesties Privy Council and one of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury And after his Fathers Condemnation for the highest Crimes and his own Forfeiture of his Honour and Estate for Treasonable Expressions in a Letter of his he was restor'd to all his Father possess'd except the Title of Marquiss But notwithstanding all these and many more Obligations of the like nature which he had to His Majesty his fondness of esteem with the Factious People his aversion to Monarchy and hatred of the Royal Family particularly of the Duke of York led him to this height of Ingratitude This and divers other Letters of the like Traiterous importance all written with Argyle's own Hand being at one and the same time taken about Major Holmes the Person chiefly intruded by the said Earl to receive and convey all his Correspondences with England and Scotland it cannot be doubted but very many more Papers of the same dangerous Tenor had been this way interchang'd between him and the English and Scotch Conspirators during the whole progress of the Conspiracy Especially considering that in some of these the Earl of Argyle refers to some Expressions and Propositions which he says he had made in others and there are no such Expressions to be met with in all these Letters that are taken Besides that with the Letters themselves there were also seiz'd about Holmes several Alphabets and a Key of Words whereas of one of the Alphabets there has been as yet no use found in Decyphering and though in the Key there are Eighty new-coyn'd Words yet not above Six of them are made use of in all the parcel of the said Earl's Letters hitherto intercepted However by the Light these Letters gave so well agreeing with several other Intelligences receiv'd from many Hands His Majesties Council of Scotland were abundantly convinc'd that the Bloody Design had reach'd thither also and therefore immediately order'd the bottom of the Business to be search'd into by a Secret Committee Whereupon Warrants were issued out there to apprehend Walter Earl of Tarras Brother-in-Law to the Duke of Monmouth Sir Patrick Hume Laird of Polwart _____ Pringle Laird of Torwoodlie James Murray Laird of Philiphaugh and Hugh Scot Laird of Gallowshiels all of them being Persons named by Carstares and others as Partakers with Argyle in this Treason as they had been formerly most active with him in endeavouring to disturb the Loyal Proceedings of the Parliament for enacting the Test Of these the Laird of Polwart and Torwoodlie having been the most busie and so conscious of their greater guilt conceal'd themselves and have hitherto escaped the other three were taken and brought to Edenburgh where they freely confess'd upon Oath As did also Commissary Monroe who had been sent thither Prisoner out of England All which Depositions and Confessions they again repeated and confirm'd in the same solemn manner at the Tryal of Mr. William Baillie of Jerviswood The Earl of Tarras without either craving or receiving any security for himself did ingenuously confess That about the time when Sir John Cockran and Commissary Monroe got their Commission from the Carolina Company for London Mr. Baillie desir'd him to speak to Monroe that he might be added to the Commission Telling him that he was resolved to go to London however upon his own charges For that his and their going about the Carolina business was only a Pretence and a Blind but the true design was to push forward the People of England who did nothing but talk to go more effectually about their business That thereupon the said Baillie did settle a Correspondence with the Deponent whereby the one was to give an account what past between the Country Party in England and the Scotch Men there the other to write back what occurr'd in Scotland That the said Baillie told him the only way to secure the Protestant Religion was for the King to suffer the Parliament to sit and pass the Bill of Exclusion Which the King might be induc'd to do if the Parliament would take sharp and brisk Measures with him That after the said Baillie went to London he did give the Deponent account by Letters how things were in great disorder there but he hoped effectual courses were taking to remedy them That Mr. Robert Martin did come to Mr. Pringles of Torwoodlie in May 1683 and brought the Deponent a Letter from the said Baillie then at London That Martin told the Deponent things in England were in great disorder and like to come to a height but the Country Party were considering of Methods for securing the Protestant Religion That the Scotch-Men at London had ask'd 30000 Pounds but that Argyle was to have 10000 l. which Sum was to be sent by Baillie into Holland to buy Arms and then Argyle was to Land with those Arms in the West-Highlands of Scotland The Earl of Tarras deposed farther That Philiphaugh and he went to Gallowshiels House where they met with Polwart and Gallowshiels That there it was discours'd among them that in case the English should rise in Arms it was necessary so many as could be got on the Borders should be in readiness to deal with Straglers and Seize on Horses and thereafter joyn with those that were in Arms on the Borders of England That
then it would be convenient to surprize Berwick Stirling and some other strong places That some Persons should be employ'd to inquire what Arms were in the Country That it was resolv'd every one should speak to and prepare such particular Persons as they could trust not at first in plain terms but indirectly and upon supposition of a Rising in England That there was a Word and Sign to be used among them the Sign was by loosing a Button on the Breast the word was Harmony That it was agreed among them all that the best time for Argyle to Land was when there should be a Stir in England Stir being the word which these Scotch Traytors and the Lord Russel used to express what in plain English is call'd open Rebellion In the like manner Commissary Alexander Monroe depos'd upon Oath That the Earl of Tarras did propose to him that Mr. Baillie might be made one of the Commissioners for the Affair of Carolina That he did go along with Mr. Baillie to London and heard him by the way regretting the hazard their Laws Liberties and the Protestant Religion were in That Mr. Baillie spoke to the Deponent more than once at London for getting Mony from the English to be sent to Argyle to bring home Arms for the said Argyle's use to raise an Insurrection in Scotland That in Baillie's Chamber in London William Veitch a Forefault that is a declared Traytor being present Sir John Cockran did expresly speak of Mony to be sent to Argyle for the foresaid purpose That on another occasion he heard some of them say there would be 20000 Men in Scotland ready to assist the Rebellion That Mr. Robert Martin was sent down from that Meeting in Baillie's Chamber to Scotland to try what the Scots would do for their own Safety That is was agreed the People of Scotland should Rise when there was a Rising in England That the Commission was granted to Martin by all the Persons present who were the Lord Melvil Sir John Cockran the Cessnocks Elder and Younger Mr. William Carstares Mr. William Veitch Jerviswood and the Deponent who did all contribute Money towards his Journey That Martin at his return from Scotland meeting with the Deponent told him Matters were in such a Condition there as a little would kindle the Fire in order to a Rebellion Then also James Murray Laird of Philiphaugh confess'd and deposed upon Oath That in May 1683. upon a Letter from Mr. Pringle of Torwoodlie to invite him to his House he came where he found Mr. Martin lately come from London That upon discourse Martin told them the City was much irritated through some Attempts upon their Privileges but that all honest Men were of good heart and very brisk That Torwoodlie then told the Deponent he expected the Earl of Tarras having sent for him because Martin had a Letter directed to him from Jerviswood Torwoodlie adding That there were great Matters in Agitation at London that Martin was come down with a Commission to their Friends here but he was to Communicate his Instructions only to Polwart and himself who were to pitch on such Persons as they thought fit to intrust with the Affair That he had great confidence in the Deponent and therefore had sent to acquaint him that things were now come to a Crisis That he had reason to think England would shortly be in Arms That it was no Project of an inconsiderable Party but a Design through the Kingdom That many of the finest Men and of greatest Interest and Credit were engaged in it there and had agreed for the advancing Mony to furnish Arms here That Polwart would be at Gallowshiels that Night and it would be necessary the Earl of Tarras and the Deponent should confer with him fully on the Business That about this time the Earl of Tarras came who retired a little to discourse with Martin That then Torwoodlie told the Deponent that although Martin would not Commune with them upon his Commission directly yet it would be fit they conferr'd and without taking notice of his Commission discours'd of things as their own private Notions abstracted from any prospect of a present Design That accordingly after Dinner they four retired to a Chamber and after some general talk of the Discontents of both Kingdoms these Suppositions following were discours'd of Martin starting all or most of them If the Country Party in England should have thoughts of going into Arms what could be expected here in such a case Would it not be expedient to have a setled Correspondence between that Party there and here Might it not be so adjusted that both Kingdoms should draw out in one day Might not as many be expected in these Shires and about Edenburgh as would surprize the Rulers and some to joyn with the English on the Borders and seize on Berwick others to attempt Stirling-Castle If Argyle should at the same time Land in the West and raise that Country would not these Measures contribute much to the Advancement and Interest of the Party Incourage all that had an Inclination to them and scare many others from acting against them And so they might have leisure to joyn from all places And then might it not be expected there would be as many in this Kingdom as would be able to deal with the Forces here at least divert them from troubling England These Queries being propos'd it was answered That as to setling a Correspondence it was very convenient for those of a Common Interest but none could be found here fit to manage it that would undertake it That as to trysting that is to say Rising at the same time that could not be done without divulging the Design to all Ranks of People which none would consent to except those already in desperate Circumstances and they would not generally have much Influence That the thing was not at all adviseable for Scotland because if those in England especially in London the Spring of their motions should happen to have an Interruption near the time appointed then the Scots not having timely notice might rise alone and so be expos'd as a Prey That Argyle's coming was not much to be relied on by reason of the uncertainty of Sea-Voyages That he might himself be suspected of private Designs that Despair might blind his usual Prudence and prompt him to indigested Methods so it was expected few of the Gentry but such as were under very hard Circumstances would embarque with him That as to the surprizing their Rulers it was inveigh'd against as an Action not to be thought of amongst Protestants That then Martin told the Company if any had a mind for a suit of Armour he could provide as many as pleas'd of a new Fashion very light and of an easie rate from one who had made a great many lately for honest Men in London That then all the Company except Martin went to Gallowshiels House where they met him and Polwart That after Supper
A True ACCOUNT AND DECLARATION OF The Horrid Conspiracy Against the Late KING His Present MAJESTY AND THE GOVERNMENT As it was Order'd to be Published by His Late Majesty The Third EDITION In the SAVOY Printed by Thomas Newcomb One of His Majesties Printers 1685. JAMES R. OVR Will and Pleasure is and We do hereby Appoint Thomas Newcomb One of Our Printers to Print this Account and Declation and that no other Person presume to Print the same as they will answer the contrary Given at Our Court at Whitehal the 23 Day of May 1685. in the First Year of Our Reign By His Majesties Command Sunderland JAMES R. JAMES the Second By the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas Our Dearest Brother the late King of ever Blessed Memory gave special Order in His Life-time for Drawing up the following Account and Declaration of the Horrid Conspiracy against His Sacred Person and Ours and had provided that the Substance of it should be Impartially Collected out of Original Papers and unquestionable Records and was Himself pleased to direct in what Method it should be digested taking particular Care that the Truth of the whole Narration should have such Clearness and Strength as it might deserve to be owned by Himself Accordingly it was Composed and ready for the Press when it pleased Almighty God to take that Excellent Prince to his Mercy And whereas it is but too evident that the same Hellish Plot is not entirely extinguished but that divers of the Wicked Actors in it are still carrying on new Contrivances against the Happy Peace of Our Dominions We cannot but judge it seasonable in this Juncture of Time to have Our Subjects reminded of the Rise Progress and Mischievous Designs of that desperate Confederacy To this end having first Read and Examined this Account and Declaration that We might be the better able to give Our Royal Testimony as We do by these Presents to the Faithfulness and Certainty of the whole Relation We have caused it to be now Printed and Published Given at Our Court at Whitehal the 21 day of May 1685. in the First Year of Our Reign By His Majesties Command Sunderland The Rye House Malting House Outward Court Yard From the Meadow to the Court Wall 250 pases Corne Chambers and stables formerly Called flouings Roe the narrow passage 25 feet wide Bridg the Road from Hoddensdon to Bishop stafford Ware River Between Ware River and the Moat is 87 feet Great Parlor Parlor Court yard Hall Kitchin Gate house the south Front next the roade Garden Moat A True ACCOUNT OF THE Horrid Conspiracy Against the Late KING His Present MAJESTY And the GOVERNMENT THE KING has thought fit to lay open and to declare to the World An Exact Account of the late Accursed Conspiracy which was actually form'd and carried on in England and set on foot in Scotland against His own and his only and dearest Brothers Life and against the Peaceable and Flourishing Government of His Majesties Kingdoms as far forth as hitherto the Particulars of it have come to His Knowledge by the Voluntary Confessions or undeniable Convictions of divers of the Principal Conspirators By this faithfully representing the plain Matter of Fact though perhaps all the Groundless Suggestions and Malicious Insinuations of Factious Men will not be wholly put to silence it being their old and constant Artifice to support and incourage their Party by Impudent Slanders and Falshoods against the clearest Light and most evident Proof Yet however His Majesty will have the Satisfaction hereby to confirm the Loyalty and good Affections of all His loving Subjects at Home and to establish Abroad the Reputation and Honour of His Royal Justice And moreover which His Majesty most of all regards this Publick and Lasting Testimony will be given of His sincere Thankfulness to Almighty God for that Miraculous Deliverance from a Danger which came so near His Sacred Person and was so far spread in the Ruine it threaten'd to all His People It is well known what mischievous Arts of late Years have been used and what Treasonable Courses taken to withdraw these Nations from their bounden Duty and Allegiance and to expose His Majesties most Just and Merciful Government to Calumny and Contempt The Rebellious Design having been apparently carried on by all sorts of Malecontents whom either their Crimes or Wants their furious Zeal or unbounded Ambition inclined to wish for a Disturbance of the Peace and Prosperity which His Majesties Dominions have so long injoy'd to the Envy of all His Neighbours To this wicked purpose many the very same fatal Methods and specious Pretences which in the Days of His Majesties Glorious Father had involved these Kingdoms in Confusion and Blood were once again revived and by many the very same Persons Men of crafty restless and implacable Spirits impenitent after the most Gracious Pardons whom long Experience had made skilful in seducing weak and unstable Minds by counterfeiting the plausible Names of things in themselves most excellent but most dangerous when abused such as Liberty Property Conscience and Religion By these wretched Instruments was this most gentle and benign Government again reproached with Tyranny and Arbitrary Power The Church of England was once more Traduced as Popishly affected The most able Officers and faithfullest Servants of the Crown again Reviled under the odious Title of Evil Councellours In the mean time Sedition and Schism were every where promoted unreasonable Fears suggested vain Suspicions of future Dangers augmented to destroy the present Tranquility desperate Speeches infamous Libels Traiterous Books swarm'd in all places and under colour of the only True Protestant the worst of all Unchristian Principles were put in practise all the old Republican and Antimonarchical Doctrines whose Effects had formerly prov'd so dismal were now again as confidently own'd and asserted as ever they had been during the hottest Rage of the late unhappy Troubles From these Preparations to a new Rebellion the Party began by degrees to proceed to Action Distinctions of Sides were made Names and Tokens of Separation were given Illegal Conventicles were maintained in defiance of the Laws of God and Man Tumultuous Feasts and Factious Clubs were set up in City and Country Close and Seditious Meetings haunted Frequent Cabals appointed and by Men of high degree with the lowest Great Stores of Arms provided by private Persons Insolent Progresses made through divers Countries thereby to glory in their Numbers and to carry far and near the Terrour of their Power and even to Muster their Party ready for some sudden Blow or general Insurrection All these and many more such Personal Indignities and Publick Assaults on the Government His Majesty long endured with the same Mildness and Clemency wherewith he had already forgiven the highest Crimes against himself His Royal Goodness still patiently expecting and wishing that in time
effectual Course to provide for the future Peace and Stability of the Government yet it had like to have proved a present Occasion of its utter Ruine For when so many guilty Persons found that the great Point of the Sheriffs was resetled on its Antient Bottom and the City-Charter it self in hazard of being speedily vacated so that now there would be no farther evasion for them by any pretence of Law to escape unpunish'd Then they concluded it was high time to bring their Devilish Purposes to a quicker issue and once for all to strike boldly at the Heart of the KING and Kingdom Particularly the Earl of Shaftsbury being conscious to himself of the blackness of his Crimes and of the Iniquity of the Verdict by which he had for that time escaped and finding he was now within the compass of the Justice he had so lately frustrated and contemn'd thenceforth gave over all his quieter and more plausible Arts of Sedition whereby he proudly bragg'd he should in time as his Expression was Leisurely walk his Majesty out of his Dominions and on a sudden betook himself to more precipitate Enterprises Alarming his Companions with a prospect of their common danger thence inflaming some to Insurrections others to Assassinations supposing now there was no way left for him or them to justifie their former Misdemeanors and Treasons but by attempting and succeeding in greater Mischiefs This was found by evident Proof to have been the principal rise and occasion of ripening the Horrid Conspiracy in the Kingdom of England Nor could there possibly have happen'd a stronger Justification of His Majesties Counsels in attempting to rectifie the City-Juries and Elections since it is apparent his principal Enemies laid so much stress on the unjust Power they had therein usurp'd that being once fairly driven from that Strength they immediately resolv'd nothing less than a barefac'd and avow'd Rebellion could repair the Loss their Party sustain'd by so great a Blow As for His Majesties Kingdom of Scotland it is notorious there has been long shelter'd in it a desperate Faction of furious Zealots that under the old Professions of the Cause of Christ and a purer way of Gospel-Worship has grown up by degrees to a Violation at last not only of all the Rules and Institutions of true Religion but of common Humanity For does not the whole Christian World at this day behold with Horror that the most Villa nous Tenets of the fiercest Scottish Covenanters and even of their Remonstrators have been out-done by their Successors and Disciples in the Field-Meetings and Armed Conventicles Have they not thence proceeded to all the Execrable Rage of Rapine and Violence In so much that some of them have lived and died glorying in the most barbarous Murders and basest Cruelties refusing obstinately with their last Breath so much as to pray for His Majesty or to say God save the King though by an unexampled Mercy they had their Pardons assur'd to them at the very place and moment of their Execution upon that single Condition And besides the remains of those Bloody Enthusiasts whose Principles are not yet entirely extinguish'd though their force has been twice vanquish'd in open Field by Gods Providence prospering His Majesties Arms It is certain also the Peace of that Kingdom has of late been much indanger'd by other great Numbers of Factious and Seditious Spirits who though at first they would not venture to incourage publickly the others declared Treasons yet stuck not secretly to favour and foment their Cause and as the event infallibly proves would soon have Own'd and Headed their Fury had it prosper'd Wherefore the wise care of former Sessions of Parliament there having sufficiently provided by a due severity of Good Laws against the dreadful Consequences of continuing the Field-Meetings for the farther securing the Reformed Religion and the Antient Rights of the Crown and the Royal Family in that Kingdom it was judg'd adviseable by the Wisdom of His Majesties great Council the last Session of Parliament to appoint and Authorise a Solemn Test to be taken by all Persons in place of publick Trust or Power In that Session the Test was soon pass'd into an Act of State without any considerable opposition Though there were not wanting some turbulent Men in the Assembly who took that occasion of shewing how ill they were affected to the establish'd Government of their Country Which they could have no other inducement to be but either a desire of Commotions by reason of the desperate State of their own ill-spent Fortunes or Envy at the better Condition of Honester Men or some inveterate Contagion of Treason derived down to them from the last unhappy Age of Confusions Of that unquiet and seditious Party the chief and declared Head was the late Earl of Argyle who during the very sitting of the Parliament had by many indirect ways attempted to hinder His Majesties Service the said Earl and the then President of the Session and their Complices taking their opportunity in wording the Test to add thereto all the very same Clauses that have since giver any Colour of scruple to themseves But when all his crafts for obstructing the Bill were defeated by the far greater Number of well disposed Members the Loyal Voters for it being at least Ten to one of the disaffected then no sooner was the Parliament adjourn'd but the said Earl of Argyle first at Edenburgh next in traversing several Shires did make it his Chief Business to insinuate every where into the minds of the Clergy and Laity the most malicious prejudices imaginable against the whole Tenour of the Test And afterwards on his return to Edenburgh he often presumptuously declared he would either not take it at all or take it only with a reserve of his own explanation which he put in Writing and dispers'd the contrivance of it being such as dissolves all the Obligations of the Oath and makes his own present Fancy and private Opinion the only Standard whereby he meant to be guided in all the publick Duties of his Loyalty and Allegiance At length His Majesties High Commissioner the Duke and the Privy Council of that Kingdom having been well inform'd of the said Earls seditious Carriage in City and Country and being fully confirm'd in their Judgments and Confidences of his Trayterous Purposes in that fallacious and equivocating Paraphrase on the Test which he own'd in their presence perverting thereby the sound sense and eluding the force of His Majesties Laws in order to set the Subjects loose from their Obedience and to perpetuate Schism in the Church and Faction in the State Upon these Grounds he was most deservedly Prosecuted by His Majesties Advocate before the Soveraign Justice-Court according to the known Laws of his Country and after a full and equal Tryal he was found guilty of Treason by the Learned Judges and a Jury hot only of his Peers but also many of them his own nearest Relations Soon after Judgment given
to address himself to the Lord Dartmouth one of His Majesties Privy Council who remitted him to Sir Leolyn Jenkins Principal Secretary of State before whom he gave his first Information upon Oath and in due form of Law on the Twelfth of June in that Year But the intended Assassination upon the first disclosing of it appear'd to be so prodigious a Barbarity that His Majesty for some time gave but very little Ear and slow Credit to this Information as little suspecting as deserving such usage from the worst of his Subjects Which generous Caution that His Majesty took not to be impos'd on by New Rumours of Plots and his Gracious Tenderness not to believe so ill of his very Enemies but upon certain Demonstration was one of the chief Occasions that divers of the principal Agitators and Managers of the whole business took the Alarm and got time to scatter and withdraw beyond the Seas However by Gods Providence continually watching over His Majesties and these Nations safety so many of the Traytors soon after fell into the Hands of Justice who did either voluntarily acknowledge their being Partakers of the Treason or were Convicted of it by Evident Proof that henceforth whoever shall pretend not to believe the Truth of the whole they must either be such as were Parties in the Design or so monstrously unreasonable as to believe there never can be a Real Plot against any Prince or State but what does actually succeed and take effect Thus much is certain of this Conspiracy and it is so remarkable and extraordinary that perhaps the like cannot be affirm'd of any other mention'd in all History that there was scarce a Man Attainted or Executed for it who did not more or less add some new Light to the several parts of the dark Contrivance either by a plain Confession of it or by their very manner of denying it and by the weakness of the Subterfuges whereby they endeavour'd to palliate their Crimes Upon the whole Matter though His Majesty doubts not but the Treasonable Infection was in some degree or other spread into most Quarters of these Kingdoms amongst the Ringleaders of the Republican Clubs and lawless Conventicles in Town and Country there being no reason for any Man to think otherwise since it was the usual boast of their principal Factors That more than Twenty Thousand Persons were made privy to the very beginnings of it before the late Earl of Shaftsbury's Flight Yet His Majesty utterly abhorring that bare Suspicions though never so probably grounded should prevail to conclude any Man Guilty has resolved no Reflection shall be made on the Fame of any but only such whose part in it was made out by positive Testimony And in the Kingdom of England besides the Earl of Shaftsbury who during his time was the Prime Engineer in contriving and directing all the several Motions and Parts of the whole Conspiracy next under him the Persons who are already Judicially found to have been deeply concern'd as Actors some in the Insurrection part others in the Assassination divers of them in both together are these The Duke of Monmouth whom the Factious Party had long Corrupted and Alienated from his Duty and Gratitude to the King and his Royal Highness by suggesting and increasing in him groundless Fears and poys'ning his Mind with unjust and forbidden Hopes The Lord Gray of Wark who for some Years had been ingaged in the most furious Designs of the Faction of late especially after he found that the Wickedness of his private Life could neither be so well hidden or go unpunish'd in a quiet State as in publick Disturbances The late Earl of Essex whose dark and turbulent Spirit and insatiable Ambition had carry'd him on to be one of the Principal Authors of all the late Destractions in Publick Councils and Popular Heats against the Government Till after many such ill Practices unworthy the Son of such a Father God left him at last to fall into this Precipice and permitted him to punish himself for it more severely than the King could ever have found in his Heart to do had he but given His Majesty time to make use of the excellent Goodness of his Nature The Lord Howard of Escrick who had always been a busie Promoter of Fanatical and Republican in Projects for Alterations in Church and State and was therefore for a time the second Favourite of the Disaffected whilst he was Imprison'd with the Earl of Shaftsbury Nor did they ever make any Objections against the Honesty of his private Life till he came to the honestest part of it The Lord Rassel a Person carried away beyond his Duty and Allegiance into this Traiterous Enterprise by a vain Air of Popularity and a wild Suspicion of losing a great Estate by an imaginary return of Popery whereby he was the more casily seduced by the wicked Teachers of that most Unchristian Doctrine which has been the cause of so many Rebellions and was so conformable to his Presbyterian Education That it is lawful to Resist and Rise against Soveraign Princes for preserving Religion Colonel Algernoon Sidney who from his Youth had profest himself an Enemy to the Government of his Country and had acted accordingly As he lived so he died a Stubborn Assertor of the Good Old Cause Mr. John Hambden the Younger who has renew'd and continued the Hereditary Malignity of his House against the Royal Family his Grandfather having been the most Active Instrument to widen the Breach between the late Blessed KING and the seduced part of his People The Usurper Cromwel of en own'd That Mr. Hambden was the very Man who advised him to oppose the Justice and Honour of His Majesties Cause with an affected Zeal of Conscience and pure Religion Sir Thomas Armstrong a Debauch'd Atheistical Bravo one of those who with an Hypocrisie peculiar to this Age would have pass'd for the most forward Reformers of Church and State whilst they themselves both in their Practise and Opinions were the greatest Corrupters of Virtue and all Good Manners Lieutenant Colonel Walcot an Old Officer in Cromwel's Army who after Pardon and Indemnity receiv'd and a plentiful Estate secured to him by His Majesties moll Happy Return yet was actually ingaged in all the Plots against the Government ever since Particularly in that of Ireland some Years ago to surprize the Castle of Dublin He was Introduced by the Lord Howard under the Character of a Stout and Able Officer into a strict Familiarity with the Earl of Shaftsbury from whom he never after parted till his Death accompanying him in his Flight into Holland and returning thence with his Corps he and Ferguson having this peculiar Mark of his Kindness to be named Legatees in his Last Will and Testament as his special Friends Colonel John Romzey who had gotten Credit abroad in Portugal by his Courage and Skill in Military Affairs He was recommended to the Earl of Shaftsbury as a Soldier of Fortune resolute and fit
for his turn in any desperate Attempt By His Majesties Favour upon his Royal Highness's Intercession he got possess'd of a very considerable Office in the Customs of Bristol which having sold he afterwards most ungratefully became the said Earls entire Cteature and Dependant Nor was he ever a profess'd Papist as since his Confession the Party has given out that he was according to their wonted Impudence of Lying Thomas Shepard Merchant of the City of London one of a plentiful Estate and eminent Repute as any of his Rank on the Exchange But a Violent Nonconformist and Disciple of Ferguson's The two Goodenoughs Richard and Francis both Notorious Enemies of the Establish'd Government in Church and State During all the time of the Factious Citizens most furious Eruptions against Authority they had been both for some Years by turns Under-Sheriffs of London and Middlesex so that the whole wicked Mystery and Trade of packing the Ignoramus Juries pass'd through their Hands Major Holms a Fifth-Monarchy-Man an old Army-Officer a Confident of Cromwel's and Trustee for his Family In the late Times of Usurpation he was a Major in the English Army in Scotland where he became acquainted with the Earl of Argyle and was since made intimate to all his Treasonable Purposes Richard Rumbald Maltster another old Anny-Officer a desperate and bloody Ravilliac who had often before laid Designs for the KlNG's Murder which God as often prevented by some signal Providence William Rumbald his Brother worthy of such a Brother Aaron Smith a furious Fanatick who amongst many other Seditious Practices was a Factious Solicitor for College the the Joyner and with unparalell'd boldness dared to menace the Government and to put a Libel into that notorious Malefactors hands before the Judges faces at the very time of his Tryal for which High Misdemeanor he has since fallen under the censure of the Law William Hone a Joyner a melancholy Enthusiast of College's Trade and Spirit who besides a large Confession of his and others share in this Conspiracy did also frankly own at his Tryal and Death that many Years before he had proposed and design'd the Killing of the King out of Bow-Steeple as His Majesty was passing to Guild-Hall John Rouse a busie Agent in all the Tumultuous Proceedings of the City Elections Zachary Bourn a Brewer Son to an obstinate Independent and he himself one of Ferguson's Hosts and Familiars Thomas Lea a Dyer Andrew Barber both Anabaptists However these three last mention'd did in some measure expiate their Guilt by their ingenious and voluntary Confessions John Ayloff a Lawyer the very Man who in a spightful defiance of His Majesties Government did many Years since venture to put a French Wooden Shooe into the Speakers Chair of the House of Commons Nor has the rest of his Life since come short of the insufferable Insolence of that Action Joseph Tyley Edward Norton Edward Wade Richard Nelthrop Robert West all of them Republican Lawyers their Hatred of the Government transporting them to be Factious against the known Interest of their own Profession These were all Men of Crafty Heads and Nimble Tongues restless Spreaders of false News bold Talkers in Seditious Clubs where according to the corrupt fashion of those Times the most profligate Persons of all Conditions were wont openly to Arraign the Monarchy and vilifie the Church under the fair shows of amending both and a tender Concernment for the Publick Good Next in the Kingdom of Scotland the Names of the chief Instruments who are already proved to have transacted that part of the Conspiracy under the Conduct and Influence of the late Earl of Argyle and who since well nigh all to a Man but those that escaped on the first Notice of the Discovery have made ample Declarations of their Guilt are these Sir Hugh and Sir John Campbell near Relations of the said Earls and as much the profess'd Enemies of their Countries Peace and Government Sir John Cockran Mr. William Baillie Men egregiously disaffected to the Government and therefore of considerable Interest with its most desperate Enemies in both Kingdoms These together with Monroe were the Persons desired by the English Managers to come up to London and Treat of a Joint Conspiracy with their Brethren here under the disguise of Planting Carolina At the same time Lieutenant Colonel Walcot was call'd out of Ireland for the same end but under colour of being the intended Governour of that Plantation To this purpose they were first invited hither by the Earl of Shaftsbury and after his Death again sent for by a Particular Messenger Accordingly they actually came up and Negotiated here some time in order to a firm Conjunction between the Traytors of both Nations for a general Rising Nor was the Treaty wholly broke off or adjusted at the very time when the Discovery broke forth To these are to be added James Steuart Son to Sir James Steuart sometimes Provost of Edenburgh He was fitted for such a design by his hot and fiery Temper and by his Education and his Fathers Example who together with most of his Relations were violent Covenanters This Man was the Author of the Libel call'd The Scottish Grievances The Lord Melvil descended from Progenitors of such Principles as have been ever against the Crown when they have fancied their Kings not Zealous for the Reformation This Man had the Management of the Duke of Monmouth's Affairs in Scotland many Years And when the Duke march'd against the Rebels near Bothwel-Bridge the said Melvil as the Earl of Shaftsbury had advis'd sent to them to Capitulate assuring them the Duke of Monmouth had Orders to give them good Conditions and when they would not submit Melvil was over-heard to say That all was lost For the Beating of them would lose the said Duke with his Friends in England Sir Patrick Hume of Polwart who kept Correspondence with Shaftsbury many Years and had been formerly Imprison'd in Scotland for Traiterous Expressions Pringle Laird of Tordwoodlie a noted Fanatick and of Antimonarchical Principles from his Infancy Denham of East-Sheels just such another but less cautious and more headstrong Montgomery of Lenshaw a Covenanter to the highest degree of Bigottry Commissary Monroe who had well serv'd His Majesty in the Wars as an active brave Man But upon some Injuries he pretended to have receiv'd from the Duke of Lauderdail he grew enrag'd to such a degree as led him into these Courses which now make him so uneasie to himself that he has often begg'd of his Keeper to kill him for such an ungrateful Wretch should not live Hugh Scot Laird of Gallowsheels James Murray Laird of Philiphaugh both zealous Sticklers for the Field-Conventicle-Meetings Besides these the Principal Scottish Agents there were divers other inferior Emissaries of that Nation who went to and fro to carry on the Traiterous Intercourse between Scotland and England and with the Earl of Argyle in Holland Such as William Carstares a Scotch Conventicle-Preacher to a
one of the Ten Commandments and the best way to prevent shedding Christian Blood In these their private Cabals the Matters they promiscuously treated of were either a general Insurrection or the Assassination of the Kings and his Royal Highnesses Persons Of the Assassination divers ways were consulted till they fix'd on that of the Rye The Insurrection was proposed to be made at the same time in England and Scotland The adjusting that part of it which related to Scotland was chiefly under the care of the Council of Six and manag'd by Commissioners of both Nations sitting in London All which Particulars are so circumstantially set forth so often repeated and demonstrably confirm'd in the ensuing Evidences that it will be sufficient here only to direct the Readers Observation by giving a brief Summary of the whole Towards an Insurrection throughout England they laid the greatest stress on the City of London not doubting but if that were once secur'd to them the rest of the Nation must of course fall in taking incouragement and example in this as in many other things from the cursed Methods of the Unnatural Rebellion in the late Kings time The City of London therefore was carefully divided by them into Twenty parts and to that purpose one of the largest Maps of the City and Liberties was hung up in West's Chamber the most usual place of their Rendezvouzes the making the several Partitions and Allotments of the whole being committed to Richard Goodenough who by reason of his universal acquaintance as having been so often Under-Sheriff was judg'd the fittest Man of the whole Party for that Work The City being thus divided it was agreed that every Division should be assign'd to some one Principal Man of geatest Trust Courage and Conduct each of those Twenty was to chuse Nine or Ten or more in whom they could conside These were to have the inspection of the several Under-walks and from time to time to make returns of their Numbers and Strength and when the List was finish'd it was to be communicated to the supreme Managers By this means they made no question but they should have a select Body of at least Eight or Ten Thousand approved and well appointed Men to make the first Onset Goodenough alone having assur'd them that out of seven Divisions only there were 3000 Resolute Men prepar'd to be ready at an hours warning For the increasing their Numbers and drawing in new Converts this one general Rule was carefully prescribed That the bottom of the Design should in the beginning be warily conceal'd from all Persons with whom they treated First their Inclinations were to be try'd by gradual Insinuations and plausible Discourses at a distance till they had gain'd a full assurance of their Fidelity They were to be ask'd What they would or could do in case of a Foreign Invasion When it was answer'd They would readily assist against any Common Enemy Then it was next to be demanded Whether they would contribute the assistance of their Persons or Purses or both That being also determined it was to be farther inquired What Furniture of Arms Horses and Money they had in readiness What Friends they could Engage And if these Questions were resolved according to their Minds then the whole Mystery of the Villany was to be frankly disclosed They were to be told in down-right terms That there was already an Oppression and Force upon all they had That there was an actual Invasion on the English Liberties Properties and Consciences That the only Obligation the Subject has to the King is a Mutual Covenant That this Covenant was manifestly broken on the Kings part That therefore the People were free from all Oaths or other tyes of Fealty and Allegiance and had the Natural Liberty restored to them of asserting their own Rights and as justly at least against a Domestick as against Foreign Invaders The way being thus made to sound and prepare the Dispositions of ill Men for any Violent Enterprize the next thing that came under Deliberation was Mony For that several of the particular Conspirators declared they had considerable Sums of their own or deposited with them which were ready and might be call'd for on Occasion That great Subscriptions had been made of divers Thousands of Pounds which when the time of Action drew neer were to be distributed amongst the Chief of the Twenty Divisions That this would be enough to make provision for a sudden Push But if the business succeeded Half a Years Rent of the Chimney-Mony would be due besides what the Excise-Office and the Custom-House might afford That all the Mony and Plate in Lumbard-street and what was in the possession of the Bankers Goldsmiths and other Wealthy Men in London or the Suburbs was either to be seiz'd on as a just Forfeiture or Borrowed under the Name of the Old and Antiquated Cheat of the Publick Faith Particularly Ferguson whose constant Custom it was in all their Consults to out-do all the rest by some peculiar Circumstance of Cruelty of his own Invention added on this Head That little or nothing was to be expected from the Old Rich Citizens that therefore Five or Six of them were to be kill'd at first and their Estates given to the Mobile to terrifie the rest The next necessary Provision they debated on was Arms. And it is notoriously known the whole Party had for a long time before been gathering great abundance of all Sorts All probably with the same prospect and in the same Proportion for their Parts in the Conspiracy as the Lord Gray had done for his though they happen'd not all to be so manifestly detected For a good while before any Conspiracy was suspected by His Majesty or his Ministers the said Lord was found to have by him hid under other Common Furniture in a dark Garret above Fourscore Compleat Arms in his Private City-House where no open Robbery or Assault could be fear'd and by consequence there could not be the least shadow of pretence that they were laid in there for his own lawful use or defence But besides these Stores which they had every one made for themselves it was resolv'd at the very first to attempt the Publick Magazines in and about the City Particularly that in the Artillery-Ground where a considerable Number of Excellent Arms were commonly kept without a Guards for the frequent exercises of the Citizens Many thoughts also were spent how to engage the Seamen to their Side To this end several Riotous Meetings were made at Wapping the greatest Men amongst them not disdaining there to Feast and Cajole the Rabble often styling that Scum of People they there met with their honest Wrapping Friends Besides this some Sea Captains were tamper'd with and a Golden Ball was proposed to be hurl'd upon Black-Heath none questioning but the Seamen assembled at that sport would declare for them as one Man upon a groundless fancy that they were of themselves highly discontented and ready to
the constant sacrilegious way of the whole Party to intitle the Almighty to their greatest Impieties said at parting God would yet deliver the Nation though he did not approve of the present Instruments And Ferguson to keep up the same Character of remorseless Villany to the last took his leave of them in these very words That he perceived they were Strangers to this kind of Exercise but he had been used to fly and would never be out of a Plot as long as he liv'd and that he hoped yet to meet some of them at Dunbar before Michaelmas Now a day or two before this their final separation the King and his Council began to be convinc'd of the truth of Keeling's Evidence by a full knowledge of the Witnesses Character and by the firmness and consistency of his Tistimony besides many other concurring Circumstances Wherefore His Majesty order'd Warrants should be issued out against the Persons accus'd whereof some absconded others were taken Of these last divers confirm'd what Keeling had sworn and named others as Partakers in the Treason Whereupon more and more appearing every day to have been engaged Proclamations were Publish'd in England and Scotland for their speedy Apprehension By this means through the Providence of God so many of them were either seiz'd or deliver'd themselves up as have irrefragably confirm'd every part of the foregoing Account What became of the several Conspirators will appear by the following List Of the ENGLISH SIR Thomas Armstrong presently after fled beyond the Seas where he remain'd till the next Year when he was surpriz'd at Leyden in Holland brought into England and receiv'd the deserv'd reward of his Horrid Ingratitude and Treasons John Ayloff fled and withdrew from Justice and stands Outlaw'd upon that account Andrew Barber was taken and freely confess'd Robert Blaney came in and confess'd what was done and said at the Trayterous Meeting at Colonel Romze's House James Burton fled and is also Outlaw'd for Treason William Blagg a Sea Captain was taken try'd and acquitted there being but one positive Evidence against him Zechary Bourn was seiz'd on in Essex as he was making his escape into Holland and largely confess'd afterwards Colonel Danvers of Newington was taken and dismiss'd upon Bail He has since Publish'd a most Malicious and Scandalous Libel against His Majesty For which he is fled The Earl of Essex taken at his House in Hertfordshire and committed Prisoner to the Tower Richard and Francis Goodenough both fled and since Outlaw'd The Lord Gray of Wark was seiz'd on examin'd before His Majesty and order'd to be sent to the Tower But in his going thither by the negligence of the Serjeant at Arms he made his escape got beyond Sea from the Coast of Sussex and is now also Outlaw'd John Hambden Junior taken Tryed for High Crimes and Misdemeanors Condemn'd in 40000 l. Fine and Imprisonment Major Holms taken in London he confess'd the Correspondence with the Earl of Argyle whereof the Key was intrusted with him and some others James Holloway fled was taken at Mevis in the West-Indies and sent back into England confess'd and was Executed William Hone in his flight was taken in Cambridgeshire He made his first Confession at Cambridge the substance of which he afterwards own'd upon all occasions to his Death Joseph How was taken and confess'd The Lord Howard of Escrick was taken in his House at Knightsbridge hid behind the Hangings of his Chamber and at length confess'd Thomas Lea the Dyer was taken and confess'd The Duke of Monmouth withdrew upon the first Proclamation wherein he was Named and lay hid for divers Months till he render'd himself and confess'd Edward Norton fled and is Outlaw'd John Nisbet fled was taken in Essex ready to go beyond Sea He was the Author of the Letter of Trade written to Gourdon a Scotch-Man under the Name of Pringle John Rouse taken Try'd Condemn'd Executed making at his Death a Penitent Confession John Row once Sword-Bearer Bristol fled upon the first Discovery as did also both the Rumbalds They are all three Outlaw'd Colonel Romzey first absconded then render'd himself and confess'd The Lord Russel taken at his House in Southampton-Square Try'd Condemn'd Beheaded He confess'd enough to shew his Crime but not his Repentance Thomas Shepard hid himfelf but soon came in and frankly confess'd Aaron Smith had kept secret some time before because of a Sentence against him for high Misdeameanors But was taken and is still a Prisoner Colonel Algernoon Sydney taken Try'd Condemn'd Beheaded William Wade Joseph Tyley fled and are Outlaw'd Colonel Thomas Walcot first retired then sent a Letter to Mr. Secretary Jenkins plainly acknowledging That the Plot was laid very deep and wide promising to discover more if he might have hopes of Pardon But before he could receive an answer the Conscience and fright of his own Guilt made him withdraw from the place where he had appointed to stay for it He was soon after taken Arraign'd Condemn'd Executed persevering to the last in the main of his Confession Robert West withdrew for a time but then gave himself up and has amply confess'd Besides these there were divers others at first secured but afterwards dimiss'd by course of Law as the Lord Brandon Mr. Booth Major Wildman Mr. John Trenchard Major Breman Mr. Charlton this last having been taken in disguise Of the SCOTS MR. James Steuart Brother to the Laird of Cultness had fled out of Scotland a short time after the Earl of Argyle upon occasion of dangerous Papers taken in his keeping Thereafter he transacted only by Letters and Negotiations remaining out of danger beyond the Seas Commissary Monroe and the two Campbells of Cessnock were taken The Lord Melvin Sir John Cockran and Ferguson escap'd divers ways though Ferguson stay'd some time in Town after the Discovery in hopes still of obtaining Bills of the Mony to be remitted into Holland William Bayley of Jerviswood was seiz'd on in London convey'd to Edenburgh and there Try'd and lately Executed William Carstares William Spence Alexander Gourdon of Earlston taken the two first in Town the last at Newcastle By the positive Confession of these three Scotch men together with that of Major Holms who were the Earl of Argyle's chief Agents in this business was the first greatest light given of the said Earls part in the Conspiracy Of these Alexander Gourdon Laird of Earlston was a Zealous Field-Conventicler and had been a Bothwel-Bridge Rebel Where upon the rout of their Army his Father was kill'd and he taken Prisoner Having afterwards got his Liberty he became Sollicitor for the Faction in England and Holland under pretence of collecting Contributions for maintaining such of them as were denounc'd Fugitives for which purpose he had a formal Commission sign'd and seal'd in the Name of the General Assembly of their Party at Edenburgh Before any Discovery he was taken at Newcastle under a feigned Name endeavouring to get a passage beyond the Seas About him were
seiz'd divers Original Papers which as soon as he was made Prisoner he try'd to make privately away but the Kings Officers observing his design secur'd them Amongst these Papers there was one very remarkable Letter written to him under another Counterfeit Name of Pringle The Composer of it was John Nisbet one of Argyle's Agents in London It was dated March the 20th of that Year when the Conspiracy was in the heighth It gives a perfect account of their Condition at that time during the Transactions between the English and Scottish Traytors Whilst they sometimes hoped the Treaty would take effect sometimes fear'd it would break off without coming to any Resolution Amongst many other mysterious intimations of Treason Nisbet tells him That Trading being very low here and many breaking daily desperate Diseases must have desperate Cures That while they had some Stock left it would be better to venture out than to keep Shop till all be gone for after this they should not be able to act but must let all go That he had been shew'd a Model of Affairs in such order as he saw venture they must and venture they would That now they knew what Goods had been most prejudicial to the Trade And therefore for the future resolv'd to insist only on Negatives this being the best way to still some Criticks of the Trade That they would first endeavour to dispatch the Old Stuff That some Stock was to be got to set the broken Merchants up again That if all holds that is intended it is almost time to set forward if they had but their Factors and Emissaries home who are gone forth to try how Countries will like their Goods That they will return within a Week Then matters will in instanti off or on Break or go through That if any strange thing should fall out in the mean time he would post it to him That things were full as High as he had Written These are some amongst divers others of the Covert Significations of the Conspiracy contain'd in Nisbet's Letter which being taken about Gourdon and sent with him into Scotland after divers Examinations before the Council there he plainly detected what was the true sense hidden under the Mystical Style of every Expression in the whole Letter Particularly That by the Merchants here being low and often breaking was meant the Prosecution of Dissenters by Excommunications or other legal ways That therefore they had resolved upon a desperate Cure which was Rising in Arms That the Model of Affairs which would make them venture was the Method then going on in order to a Rising That by only insisting on Negatives was intended the Conspirators agreeing what they should pull down which was the whole Government but not determining positively at first what they should set up That by Criticks in the Trade were design'd the old Scotch Fanaticks who had so often rebell'd That Excluding the old Rotten Stuff was the Destruction of the entire Frame of the antient Constituon Civil and Ecclesiastical That the Broken Merchants to be set up were the baffled Scotch-Whigs to be spirited again with new assistance That their being here at a point to set forward was the English Conspirators being ready for a Rendezvous That the Factors and Emissaries were People sent forth through England and Scotland to try Mens Inclinations towards a General Insurrection That by saying That upon those Factors return Matters would be soon on or off was intended that when their Agents were come back to give an account of their success accordingly the Design would be either deferr'd longer or they should instantly rise That the strange thing mention'd was a speedy Insurrection That by things being full as high as he had written was imply'd the Rebellion was almost ripe and ready to break forth This is the substance of the Interpretation of the Letter of Trade that Gourdon of Earlston gave in upon Oath at several Examinations He moreover confess'd That upon receipt of this Letter he presently came into England where he had frequent Conferences with Nisbet touching the Contents of every Clause in it who always understood it in this sense That by him and divers others he was made fully acquainted with the Treaty then going on in London and with the Earl of Argyle's Correspondence with the Persons treating for a speedy Rebellion in both Nations Another Scotch-Man whose cleer and undoubted Testimony has put this Confederacy between the English and Scotch Traytors out of all Question is William Carstares who had been a Zealous and Fierce Preacher to the Sectaries of both Kingdoms And was formerly Prisoner in Edenburgh-Castle being accus'd for publishing a Treasonable Pamphlet call'd The Grievances of Scotland At that time he was much employ'd in many Messages relating to this Conspiracy Especially with Major Holms in dispersing the Earl of Argyle's Libellous Books and carrying too and fro his Letters in which Carstares pass'd under the Name of Read He was apprehended at Tenterden in Kent seeking an opportunity of flying beyond Sea He was taken under the Name of William Swan then declar'd his true Name was Moor but at last own'd it was Carstares This Carstares being brought before the the King and refusing to confess any more than some general Hints alledging That it was no place for him to answer in a Criminal Matter Upon that he was sent into Scotland where being Examined before the Lords of the Secret Committee September 8th 1684 he confess'd and afterwards renew'd and confirm'd the same Confession November 18th and December 22th of the same Year His Deposition having been already made Publick it will be enough only to note some special Heads of what he deposed He confess'd That James Steuart Brother to the Laird of Cultness wrote to him out of Holland in November or December 1682. the Letter importing That if a considerable Sum of Mony could be procur'd from England something of Importance might be done in Scotland That this Letter he Communicated to Shepard and he to Colonel Sydney Danvers being present That Shepard return'd answer Mr. Sydney was averse from medling with the Earl of Argyle suspecting him to be too much inclin'd to the Royal Family and the present Government That the said Carstares still urg'd one might be sent to the Earl of Argyle That not being able to obtain this for the foresaid Reason he himself went into Holland was introduced to the Earl and there discours'd with him particularly about remitting the Money to him from England and raising 1000 Horse and Dragoons and surprizing Edenburgh-Castle That the Earls answer was The Castles would fall to them of course after that the Work was done abroad That without a Thousand Horse and Dragoons rais'd in England to be ready to assist them nothing could be done That if such a Number could be rais'd he would come into Scotland with them whereby he guess'd he might get that Country without trouble having such a standing Body for their Friends to
Rendezvous to That the said Earl of Argyle recommended the Deponent to Major Holmes That James Steuart contriv'd a way of Correspondence by Cyphers and false Names and sent them over to Holmes and the Deponent for their use and still desir'd him to press for the 30000 l. and did not propose any lest Sum the said Earl saying he had particularly calculated the Expence for Arms and Ammunition c. though Steuart added If something less could be had the Earl would content himself That when the Deponent was ready to ship for England Steuart writ him word there was hope of the Mony That the Day after he arrived here he acquainted Sir John Cockran with the said Earls demands of the Sum of Mony and the Horse and Dragoons That Sir John Cochran carried him to the Lord Russel to whom the Deponent propos'd the Affair but being a stranger had no answer from him at that time That afterwards having met the Lord Russel at Shepard's House where Shepard told him the said Lord was come to speak with him about the Mony the Deponent reiterated to the Lord Russel the former Proposition for 30000 l. and the 1000 Horse and Dragoons the said Lord answering They could not get such a Sum rais'd at the time but if they had 10000 l. to begin with that would draw People in and when they were once in they would soon be brought to more but as for the Horse and Dragoons he could say nothing at present for that behoved to be concerted on the Borders That the Deponent made the same proposal to Ferguson who was much concerned and Zealous in promoting it and told him He was doing what he could to get it effected always blaming Colonel Sydney for driving on designs of his own That the said Deponent met twice or thrice with Melvin Cochran Jerviswood Monroe the two Cambells of Cessnock Mongomery of Langshaw and Veatch where they discours'd of Mony to be sent to Argyle That Monroe Melvin and the Cessnocks were against medling with the English Conspirators as Men that would talk but would not do That therefore it were better for the Scots to attempt something by themselves That Veatch Jerviswood and this Deponent were for accepting the Mony That at one of their Meetings it was agreed one Martin late Clerk of the Justice Court should be sent into Scotland to hinder the Country from Rising till they saw how Matters went in England That the said Martin did go at the Charge of the Gentlemen there met and was directed to the Lairds of Polwart and Torwoodlie who sent back word It would not be so easie a matter to get the Gentry of Scotland to concur yet that afterwards Polwart writ to Monroe That the Country was readier than they imagined That the said Deponent had the Key of the Cypher agreed on in his keeping when a Letter came from Argyle to Major Holms intimating that the said Earl would joyn with the Duke of Monmouth follow his Measures and obey his Directions That for the Decyphering of this he gave the Key to Veatch who was to deliver the Letter to Ferguson and he to the Duke of Monmouth To all this Carstares added in his Deposition of Sept. 18. 1684. That he himself had communicated the Design on foot to three famous English Conventicle-Preachers Griffith Mede and Dr. Owen who he affirmed did all concur in promoting it and were desirous it should take effect which part of Carstares's Oath is the more remarkable because the King solemnly affirms That the Duke of Monmouth in his Confession to His Majesty and his Royal Highness did particularly name those very three Men as conscious of the Plot and withal declar'd in these very words That all the considerable Nonconformist Ministers knew of the Conspiracy An instance that alone if there were not many more such were a sufficient Instruction to all Separatists of what tender Consciences the Men are whom they chuse for the principal Guides of their Consciences Since after all this Mede deposed before his Majesty That he never heard of any Disturbance intended against the Government but that on the contrary he himself had once advised Ferguson upon discourse of some Libel of his then newly made publick That it was not their part to do such things Nay their great Oracle Dr. Owen being examin'd upon Oath before the Lord Chief Justice Jones and being ask'd Whether he had not heard of a Horrid Plot against the Life of the King did not long before his Death take God to witness and subscrib'd to it with his dying Hand That indeed he had heard of such a Plot by the means of the Kings Proclamation but no otherwise But that which still farther undeniably confirms the Scotch part of the Conspiracy with the English was the Confession of William Spence a Scotch-Man and of Major Holmes an English-Man the former being a Menial Servant to the Earl of Argyle the other his long Dependent and Friend a Man active in the times of Cromwel and always disaffected to His Majesties Government Major Holmes being taken in London in the beginning of the Discovery with several of the Earl of Argyle's Original Letters about him and being examin'd confess'd He knew of the Earl of Argyle 's proposing to some principal Men in England That for 30000 Pounds he might he furnish'd for his Expedition into Scotland That the English at last condescended to send him 10000 Pounds That though he had not personally converst with the Great Men who were to raise the Mony yet he had often heard the Duke of Monmouth the Lord Gray the Lord Russel named That he himself was appointed by the Earl of Argyle to convey Letters to and from his Countess and others his Correspondents That he could not Decypher those taken about him but that William Spence could That this Spence went under the Name of Butler and was just then come over in the Packet-Boat from Holland to dispose of the Libel call'd The Earl of Argyle ' s Case This Deposition was given by Major Holmes on June 29. 1683. the very day that Spence being arrived from Holland was apprehended under the Name of Butler Besides this Evidence of Holmes concerning Spence it appears plainly by the Earl of Argyle's own words in several passages of his Letters taken in Holmes's possession especially in that part of the long Letter of the 21st of June which was not written in Cypher That the said Spence alias B. as he afterwards own'd himself for the Man knew his the said Earls Address and how to write to him adding That he could instruct Holmes in this Cypher else he had lost six hours Work Wherefore upon this assurance that Spence could Decypher the Letters he was examined before the King but not confessing any thing material and seeming resolv'd not to do it he was lent into Scotland where he was brought to discover the whole Intrigue acknowledg'd That he himself was the B. or Butler mention'd
in the Letters That those superscrib'd to West and Robert Thomson were directed to Major Holmes under those false Names That he the said Spence could open the Letters and explain the way of reading them which he did and then justified upon Oath the Explanation he had made to be according to their true sense It happen'd also at the same time whilst Spence was under close Examination that Mr. Gray of Crechie a Scotch Gentleman skill'd in the Art of Cyphers did without any the least Communication with Spence Decypher some of the principal of the said Earls Letters and when both Spence's and Mr. Gray's Copies were found to agree exactly there could not possibly have been given a more certain Demonstration of the Truth of Spence's way of Decyphering which he confess'd he was taught by Argyle himself In this manner were these Letters proved Authentick and the right meaning of them unfolded And it is evident by the plain Tenour of them that some of them were written by the said Earl just about the time that the Conspiracy was near ripening and when he was inform'd of Ten Thousand Pounds only order'd to be sent him Others were written after he had heard that the Plot was discover'd In every one of those Papers it is easie to trace out manifest Footsteps of the whole Conspiracy But particularly that of June 21 New Style which is June the 11th of the English written the very day before Keeling made the first discovery contains not only a vehement expostulation of the said Earl of Argyle's touching the delay of the Mony from England and the smallness of the Sum design'd but a plain Narration how the Insurrection was to be concerted in both Kingdoms The Body of the Letter was written in Cypher the Preface and Postscript in plain Hand in both there is reference made to Butler's that is Spence's being able to expound it and from the very same Spence was taken the Exposition of it upon Oath Therein the said Earl tells his Correspondent in England That he knew not the Grounds their Friends had gone upon to offer so little Mony nor did he understand what Assistance they would give That till he knew both and heard what Carstares or any other they should send over had to say he purpos'd neither to refuse his service nor object against any thing resolv'd here However that the said Earl had truly mention'd in his Proposition formerly made the very least Sum he thought could do the Business effectually which was not half of what had been requisite in another Juncture of Affairs That what Mony he propos'd to be rais'd was so much within the power of the Persons concern'd that if a little less could do the Business he had thought it would not he stood upon That the said Earl reckon'd the Assistance of the Horse absolutely necessary for the first Brush That as to the precise Number nam'd he would not be peremptory but he believ'd there would need that effectual Number That 1000 might be as easily rais'd as 5 or 600 and it were hard if it stuck at the Odds. That they should consider whether all ought to be hazarded upon so small a difference as to the Mony That though 't is true what was propounded is more by half than is requisite for the first Weeks Work yet soon after all or more will be necessary and then Arms cannot be sent like Mony by Bills That there are above 1200 Horse and Dragoons and 2000 Foot at least in Scotland all well appointed and tolerably well commanded That it were hard to expect Country People on Foot without Horse should beat them triple their Number That if Multitudes could be got together they would still need more Arms and more Provisions That if some considerable thing be not suddenly done at the first appearing it may fright a little but will do no good That the standing Forces will take up some station probably at Stirling That they will have for aid not only the Militia of Twenty Thousand Foot and 2000 Horse but all the Heritors to the Number it may be of 50000 Men That though many should be unwilling to fight for the standing Forces yet most will once joyn and many will be as concern'd for them as any can be against them That though the said Earls Party should have at first all the success imaginable yet it is impossible but some will keep together and have assistance from all the three Kingdoms then it will not betime to call for more Arms far less for more Mony to buy them and they should then prove like the Foolish Virgins That it is next to be consider'd how the discontented English Lords could employ so much Mony and so many Horse better for their own Interest though the Protestant Cause were not concern'd this being a little Sum and small Fonds to raise so many Men and by Gods Blessing to repress the whole Power of Scotland That the Horse to be sent from England need stay but a little while to do a Job unless future events should make Scotland the Seat of the War which would be yet more to the advantage of England That by the best Husbanding the total of the Mony proposed it cannot purchase Arms and absolute Necessaries for one time for an Army of the Number they were to deal with That nothing out of the whole is design'd to be bestow'd on many things useful and some necessary as Tents Waggons Cloaths Shooes Horse Horseshooes c. All which are not only Once to be had but daily recruited much less was any of it apportion'd to provide for Meat or Drink Intelligence or other incident Charges That some honest well-meaning good People may undertake for little because they can do little and know little what is to be done That the said Earl had made the reckoning as low as if he had been to pay it all out of his own Purse That he was resolv'd never to touch the Mony only to have it issued out according to Order That he freely submits to any knowing Souldier for the Lists and to any skilful Merchant for the Prices be had calculated That it will be a great incouragement for Persons of Estates and consideration to venture when they shall know there is a project and prospect of the whole Affair and Necessaries provided for such an attempt That if after the said Earl shall have spoken with Carstares he sees he is able to do any service he will be very willing if he be not able he will pray God some other may That before it be given over he wishes he might have such a conference as he had mentioned in another Letter a week before wherein he had offer'd either to come over privately in Person or to meet any to be sent from hence That he expected not all the Horse from the discontented Lords but some considerable part might be rais'd by particular Friends That he had yet more to add to
having given and received mutual assurance that they were free to commune with Gallowshiels and he with them touching matters of great Secrecy and Importance they sate close together Polwart beginning the discourse And signifying to them he was credibly inform'd that the Country Party in England would draw into the Fields shortly and as he heard before Lammas That Gallowshiels seem'd visibly surpriz'd at it saying he loved better to be walking in his own Parks than to be medling in such matters However assuring them if there came any troublesome work he would joyn with them firmly That the Earl of Tarras also disapproved of doing any thing during the Kings Life because that might strengthen the Dukes Interest That therefore he suspected it was a project of the Common-Wealths-Men with whom he believed few Scotch Gentlemen would joyn and that he was almost persuaded the Duke of Monmouth would not concur in any Rising during the King's Life That to all this Polwart answer'd He heard the English had once agreed on that Principle but it seem'd they found they must either do their business now or lay aside all hopes of doing it hereafter For if the Charter of London were let fall they should not only lose all safe Opportunity of digesting Matters but also a great part of their Strength Adding that he heard all things were concerted mutually between Monmouth's Friends and the Heads of the Common-Wealth Party and though Monmouth was shy on that account yet he hoped he would engage or he would be deserted by that Party That then Polwart mentioned the former Queries as overtures agreed on between other Friends in London and the Principal Men of that Party there That the Earl of Tarras and the Deponent repeated their former answers Gallowshiels joyning forwardly with them That Polwart replied He was fully of their Opinion if things were entire but refer'd it to be consider'd whether it were not better to comyly with some of these Methods though not so justifiable as could be wish'd rather than disappoint the Business totally That there was another Argument urg'd against rising with the English because it was talk'd there had been a Day appointed in England in Shaftsbury's time which did not hold so they were not to be relied on That then it was proposed to be deliberated what Methods were most proper in the Companies Opinion for Scotland to follow in case of Englands Rising first That it was said All that could be expected or desired from Scotland was that upon certain News of Englands being in the Field those of the Southern Shires should presently rise and as soon as so many could convene as would be able to deal with stragling Parties March to joyn the English on the Borders that then it would be seasonable for Argyle to Land in the West and these Parties on the Borders might divert the Forces till he had time to put himself into a posture That it was left to Polwart to Commune with others to this purpose That all the Company seem'd to agree they should move nothing in the Affair till they had a certain account what England propos'd and who were to be their Heads that if they design'd any thing against the Kings Person or for overturning Monarchy they should not be clear to joyn That it was recommended to all the Company to be inquiring indirectly about the affections of their Neighbours and what Arms were amongst them that so if they should resolve to joyn with the English they might know where to seek the Men and Arms suddenly That here it was said by one by Polwart as the Deponent thinks That if the Earl of Tarras Torwoodlie Gallowshiels and he took Horse most part of Tiviot-Dale and Selkirk-Shire would soon come to them especially when they heard that England was risen That they all agreed to meet there again at Midsummer-Fair when the account from England might be expected but in case it came to any of their hands sooner each promis'd to advertise the rest The Deponent farther added he was told in private by Polwart or Torwoodlie That Polwart kept Correspondence with their Friends at London naming the Lord Melvil Sir John Cockran Jerviswood and Commissary Monroe That the Mony to be advanc'd by the English Party to Scotland was ready when Martin left London That it was expected within few days after it would be dispatch'd with some Confident to Holland that it was 10000 l. and was to be employ'd by that Confident at Argyle's sight for buying of Arms and providing Shipping to transport them with Argyle That as soon as the Scots at London got Notice of their Confidents arrival in Holland and that all other things were concluded with the English which might be about the middle of June then they would come down into Scotland and give them a particular Account of all Resolutions taken That the Deponent was told all Letters were written by both Parties as about the Carolina Business or concerning some Houshold-Furniture That there was a Sign and a Word agreed on that they might know with whom to use freedom the Word was Harmony and the Sign was the Opening of Buttons on the Breast-Coat and shutting them presently That the Deponent never saw it used except when he visited Parkhay in Edenburgh about the end of June who asking whether he had the Word and Sign of the Carolina-Men and the Deponent having given them said He was afraid the Carolina Business did not go well for there had been some of the Managers expected there eight days past but none were come Nor could he learn any of their Friends had heard from them for several Posts The said James Murray of Philiphaugh deposed farther That at their Meeting at Gallowshiels it was resolv'd they should keep their Cess or Tax unpaid till their next Meeting at Midsummer and should deal with all those they had influence upon to do the like and that upon the Supposition mention'd in his former Oath Next Hugh Scot Laird of Gallowshiels confess'd and deposed That the Earl of Tarras and Philiphaugh did come to his House in May 1683. That Polwart came likewise thither where there were Discourses and Proposals That if the English did rise in Arms their Friends in the South-Shires should rise with them That they should seize the Horses belonging to the Kings Troops where they grazed and attempt the Town of Berwick and the Castle of Stirling That it was likewise there discours'd of the late Earl of Argyle 's coming to invade Scotland but because of the uncertainty of Sea-Voyages there was not much stress laid upon it That it was also proposed such of the South-Country whom they trusted should be acquainted with it That Endeavours should be used to learn what Arms were in the Country That the Earl of Tarras Philiphaugh Torwoodlie Polwart and some others should draw to Horse with the first when the Rising should be in a readiness and that it might be expected the South parts of
the Guards That after the Disappointment he met with the other Conspirators where they discours'd of it and complain'd they had not Arms in readiness That he sometimes made one in the Trayterous Discourses at the Deponents and at the Young-Devil-Tavern That he was present at the Meeting at Trades relating to their escape the Prisoner at the Bar himself then saying God would still deliver the Nations His Letter to Mr. Secretary Jenkins was also produced which he was proved to have own'd before the Council to be his Hand The substance of it being That he was come to Town to lay himself at His Majesties Feet That this was the first Crime he had been Guilty of since the Kings Return and too soon by much now That he was ready to discover to His Majesty all that he knew in England Scotland and Ireland which might be something more than the first Discoverer could acquaint him with especially as to Ireland That his intimacy with a Scotch Minister through whose Hands much of the Business pass'd occasioned his knowing very much and that it was laid very broad or he was mis-inform'd concluding with a proposal that he would follow the Traytors who were fled and give notice what Measures they should take with other the like expressions There was likewise a Paper given in Evidence that was taken about him in Newgate wherein he desir'd Romzey and West to spare him saying They had ground enough to serve the King upon other Men. But as to his private Confession to the King upon his first Examination that was not produc'd against him though in that he had told divers new Particulars of the Conspiracy and named the Men of Quality who had undertaken to raise the several Shires Against all this Walcot's defence only consisted in his own denial of having had any Hand in the Assassination saying He knew well enough if he should have undertaken to charge the Guards whilst others kill'd the King he was equally Guilty with those that kill'd him but that he was sick of the Gout during the Meetings whilst the King was at New-market Moreover that those Witnesses were sufficiently dipped themselves and swore against him to save their own Lives That Goodenough and Rumbald he never knew That the last Meeting at his Lodgings was appointed by Romzey he himself knowing nothing of it That he came accidentally to the other Meetings only to hear News He confessed he heard there was a Design amongst divers great Lords and Gentlemen for asserting Liberties and Properties but that he was not at their Consultations The Sum was That he had heard a great deal of an Insurrection but had no hand in it and therefore his fault could be only Misprision of Treason And as to his Letter he alledged he had only heard what he promised to discover from Ferguson To the most material parts of this Defence it was answer'd by His Majesties Learned Council at Law That there is nothing more just than to make use of some Traytors to Convict others else Treason might be hatch'd most securely That because the Witnesses had been concern'd in the Plot therefore they were to be believed for who should know it but those that were concern'd That better Witnesses could not have been had except the thing had succeeded That the very being at Treasonable Consults and keeping them private is not only Misprision but High Treason And as to his having the Gout West told him he remember'd it very well by a good token that Walcot himself said He was afraid when the time came he should not be able to draw on his Boot But the whole Evidence against Walcot being clear and positive Testimony and what he pleaded for himself being only his own single Affirmation and Negation without any support of Witnesses the Jury immediately brought him in guilty of High Treason According to which Sentence he was Executed on the 20th of the said Month. At the time of his Execution he again acknowled'g what he had told the King and writ to the Secretary of State That the Business was laid very deep he said An Act of Indulgence would do well because the King had a great many Men to take Judgment of He persisted he was to have had no hand in His Majesties Death though he confess'd it was proposed when he was present He declared he did not know that this Conspiracy was older than the August or September before but so old he own'd it was The next Offender that came under the Stroak of Justice was william Hone a Joyner who being brought to the Bar would presently have confess'd himself guilty of great part of the Accusation But refusing to confess all he was requir'd to plead and the next day was brought on his Tryal Then again he desir'd he might retract his Plea and offer'd to plead Guilty But since he would not own the whole Indictment for Satisfaction of the World the Evidence against him was produc'd Josiah Keeling swore That the Prisoner at the Bar was at the Dolphin-Tavern when several sorts of Arms were agreed on to be provided under the borrow'd Names of Swan-Quills Goose-Quills Crow-Quills That after that Meeting Hone told the Deponent He was to be one of them who were to go down to the Rye to Assassinate the King That he since also told him It would never be well till the Black-Bird and the Gold-Finch were knock'd on the Head explaining those terms to be meant of the King and the Duke To which Witness Hone reply'd in open Court That as to the Black-Bird he own'd it but not as to the Gold-Finch Then West Deposed That Goodenough having told him he would try Hone whether he would attempt on the Duke without the King the Deponent ask'd Hone Whether he had seen Goodenough He answer'd He had and that he had spoken to him about a job for the Duke That at another time also Hone ask'd the Deponent Master shall we do nothing Adding That if the Duke of Monmouth would be true and appear he would bring 50 or 60 Men from the other side of the Water to help to do the Business And that the Deponent demanding what Business He answer'd A brisk Push at the two Brothers That being further question'd What Brothers He said The Captain and Lieutenant which were the counterfeit Names they sometimes used for the King and the Duke Then Sir Nicholas Butler deposed He had known Hone many years and always knew him guilty of plotting contriving and ready for such Enterprises as this particularly that he had proposed taking off the King and the Duke with Cross-Bows from Bow-Steeple whilst they were standing in a House directly over against it on the Lord Mayors Day That Hone confess'd this very thing when examined before His Majesty That he had also acquainted divers Persons that he was to make one to kill the King and the Duke Then Captain Richardson swore That the Prisoner confess'd to Sir Nicholas Butler in his