THE HISTORY OF THE Damnable Popish Plot In its various Branches Progress Published For the satisfaction of the present and future Ages BY The AUTHORS OF The Weekly Pacquet of Advice from Rome Nil erit ulterius quod vestris moribus addat Posteritas LONDON Printed for B.R. L.W. H.C. and are to be sold by Langley Curtiss on Ludgate-hill 1680. TO Both Houses OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND Right Honourable Honourable and Worthy Patriots AFter the Gospel in its freedom and restored Purity had for above a hundred years gloriously shone in our Meridian sealed with the Bloud of Martyrs watered with the painful Industry of many thousands of learned pious Divines asserted by the Pens of some and Power of several Illustrious Princes firmly established by so many Laws passed within those venerable Walls whose signal Preservation from the Gun-powder Devastation is enough to inspire every Breast that enters them with just Indignation against the barbarous Treacheries of Rome After the Popish Errours destructive of all Christianity have been so unanswerably confuted their vile Practices so notoriously display'd their horrid Treasons so clearly and miraculously detected who could have thought it possible that these Kingdoms should again have been in danger from the so-oft-defeated Popelings That ever that loathsome baffled Cause should dare lift up its bruised Head to disturb our Tranquility That those groveling Serpents should presume one more to Hiss and spit their Venome to such a perillous degree or that there should be found amongst us any such indifferent Protestants of so absurd irregular Appetites as loathing the Celestial Manna to long for the Onions and Garlick of Egypt or that could be content not only to submit unto but with their own hands endeavour to put about their own Necks that accursed York which our Noble Ancestors with so much Zeal and generous Disdain had shaken off But too plain it is that our own over-great Security the restless Conspiracies of those sworn Enemies of our Peace and the Connivance and base Practices of a too prevalent Faction have within some years past by dark Intrigues and silent Steps so far advanc'd their Hellish Designes as justly to awaken our most serious Apprehensions Their late discovered and still growing Plots are such and so effrontedly carried on that we stand in need of the most prudent Councils and the greatest Zeal and the most active Courage to prevent the accomplishment of their Contrivements viz. the Murder of our King the Extirpation of our true Religion the Violation of our Liberties and Properties and the final Confusion and Destruction of these once-happy Kingdoms The main Policy of these Engineers of Hell is to conceal their Stratagems out-brazen their Villanies and create a Disbelief or at least raise Misrepresentations of their detestable Designes To obviate which and possess all good Subjects with a true sense of Affairs at one entire view and for a small Charge we have in the following Leaves set forth a punctual Summary of their Actings and all Proceedings that have hitherto been had for bringing some of the Conspirators to Justice and to prevent the Mischiefs threatned by the Rest 'T is true my Lords and Gentlemen some Prints have already pretended to give the world such an Account but we conceive upon impartial perusal they will be found not to answer that End The several TRYALS of the Malefactors carefully taken and published by Authority are 't is acknowledged very satisfactory as to the Judicial proceedings but besides that many other Collateral passages are most requisite to a true understanding of this voluminous Plot the said Tryals for we know not whose private advantages are swel'd to such a price that every honest man can neither spare money to buy nor time to peruse them With pretence to remedy the latter there was some time since emitted an Abridgment of those Tryals under the Title of THE HISTORY OF THE PLOT though many cannot apprehend how it should deserve that Name since it mentions not one word of the Original Contrivance the Preparatives manner of Discovery and other Remarkables essential to an History but onely epitomizes the Tryals and even of them omits Staley's and Reading's which yet sure had some relation to the Plot. Besides the witty Epistle prefixt seems to drown the Popish Plot with Suggestions of an Imaginary one of the Protestants no less forsooth to be dreaded and yet even the amusing people with such Stories is notoriously a Part of the grand Popish Designe And whereas it tells us That not one material point is omitted most Readers cannot finde the substantial part of Mr. Bedloe's Evidence against Wakeman p. 46. of the Tryal so much as hinted at not to mention the gross Shuffles and Omissions in p. 77. and elsewhere So that had not the Ingenious Mr. Roger L'Estrange in a late Pamphlet intituled The FREE-BORN SUBJECT been pleased to own himself Compiler of that petite History its Author might have lain under Ill Suspitions And yet even there he happens to give but an unhappy Reason for his undertaking that pains viz. Because he found in the printed Tryals MANY gross Incoherences and VERY MATERIAL MISTAKES yet instances but One and corrected too as an Erratum at the end of the next Tryal printed Now though the Gentleman being so well a known Protestant meant no doubt very honestly yet 't is not impossible a scurvy mischief may thence happen For when our Posterity shall urge these Tryals for proof against Papists which certainly was the designe of taking them so curiously and not a little paltry profit how easily may the subtle Villains stop their mouths by alleadging from this Author That no heed is to be given to the said Tryals being so publickly own'd by a person of his Note and late Qualification to be guilty of so many and such very MATERIAL MISTAKES But the Gentleman that discovers so many Errours may be allow'd to make some especially since he was so perplext in the mighty business that he assures us That reflecting upon the Errours of the printed Tryals together with the almost-inextricable difficulty of retriving the Truth out of such a confusion of Tautologies and Forms the Collection being so bulkie too and the Particulars lying so scatter'd it was next to the Work of a RESVRRECTION to set every part in its right place Free-born Subject p. 15. The POPISH COMPENDIUM was the next that attempted any thing of this kinde whose Author in the Preface scandalizes the last-mentioned by saying That he jumpt with him in the same Designe and addes That he has past by or slubber'd over several things which the Parties concern'd may justly insist upon to be of great force in their business This we are sure of The Designe of this Compendium is to vilisie the King's Evidence slubber over the Plot and make people as stupid in Politicks as they would have them in Divinity even to believe contrary both to their Reason and their Senses What we have
print in the year 1583. as is attested by Hospinian That all Jesuits in the world had entred into an holy Vow and Covenant any way to destroy all Heretical Kings nor did they despair of doing it effectually so long as any one Jesuit should remain in the World And Father Creswel a bird of the same feather in his Philopater lays down this sweet Lesson Ita informandos quoscunque Catholicos ut oblatâ caedis occasione nullo impedimento se dimoveri patiantur That all Catholicks are to be taught and instructed that when they have an opportunity to kill Hereticks Kings or others 't is no matter they should not spare them nor suffer any impediment to hinder them from the slaughter SECT 2. This is their Doctrine now let us see their Practices here in England ever since the Reformation The Raign of our good King Edward the Sixth was but short whether not shortned by Popish Arts is deservedly questioned and he himself a minor yet during his time there were Rebellions and Commotions in Somersetshire and Lincolnshire for which many were Executed then in Cornwal and Devonshire where above 4000 were slain and taken Prisoners by John Lord Russel Lord Privy-Seal then they Rebelled in Norfolk and Suffolk against whom the Earl of Warwick advanced with an Army and slew above 5000. About the same time there was a great Rising in the North and East-Ridings of Yorkshire but suppressed by the Lord President All these Insurrections were owned to be on the behalf of their Râ—â—â—gion and fomented and abetted by Popish Priests of whom divers were taken amongst the Rebels and deservedly punished SECT 3. To set forth all the Popish Plots Designs and Conspiracies against the Life and Crown of Queen Elizabeth of glorious memory it would be necessary to Transcribe a great part of the History of her Illustrious Reign and therefore we shall take notice 〈◊〉 of some of the most remarkable occurrences of that kind and the true Principles upon and by which they were promoted 1. As to the Original of Recusancy and occasions which rendred the Law against Papists absolutely necessary it must be remembred that from the First to the Eleventh year of the Reign of that Queen Papists generally repaired to our Churches see the proceedings against the Powder-Traitors p. 109. I my self saith Sir Edward Coke have seen Cornwallis Beddingfield and others notorious and zealous Papists at Church making no doubt of Conscience to joyn with us in Prayer But about the year 1569 Pope Pius the Fifth was no sooner seated in the Pontificial Chair but he began practice to justle her out of her Royal Throne to this purpose he employed one Bidolph a Florentine to raise a Faction here and afterwards sent over Doctor Nicholas Morton to promote it engaged the Spaniard to assist the Conspirators and Chapinus Vitellius came privately over on other pretences to observe the success and head the Spanish Troops when they should arrive Pursuant to these Counsels the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland with 4000 Foot and 600 Horse appear in open Rebellion and declare for the Restitution of the Roman Religion but were soon put to slight and Sanders de Schismate Angl. tells us the reason viz. For that the rest of the Catholicks because the Pope had not yet publickly denounced sentence of Excommunication against the Queen so as they did not seem fairly absolved from her Obedience declined to joyn with them by which means they were easily chased by the Queens Forces into Scotland where afterward Northumberland being taken was brought back to York and there faith he happily ended his days by a glorious Martyrdome So usual a thing it is with these Popish Doctors first to excite people to the blackest Treasons and then guild over the deserv'd punishments which they suffer for the same with that specious Title His crafty Holiness was not insensible of the reason of this miscarriage and therefore to prevent the like failure and the better to encourage all his Catholick Vassals to joyn in such pious Rebellion against the Queen he early the next Spring sends forth his Roaring Bull or Sentence of Anathema wherein he first magnifies his own Office and Authority in these Rhodomontado's He that Reigneth on high to whom is given all power in Heaven and Earth hath committed the One Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to One alone on Earth viz. to the Prince of the Apostles Peter and to Peters Successour the Bishop of Rome to be governed in plenitude of power c. Sanders 3. de Schism Angl. p. 368. Then having railed a while most Apostolically and called that incomparable Princess Flagitiorum serva the slave of wickedness and villanies he proceeds to Curse her in these words Therefore supported with his Authority who was pleased to place us though unable for so great a burthen in this Supreme Throne of Justice out of the plenitude of Our Apostolick power We do declare the aforesaid Elizabeth being an Heretick and favourer of Hereticks and all her Adherents to have incurred the Sentence of Anathema and to be cut off from the unity of Christs Body and by the Authority of these Presents We do deprive the said Elizabeth of her pretended Right to the Kingdom and of all Dominion Dignity and Priviledge whatsoever And We do Absolve all the Nobles Subjects and People of the said Kingdoms and all others who have in any sort sworn unto her from such Oath or Oaths and all manner of Duty Fidelity and Obedience and do forbid and command them and every of them that they presume not to obey her 〈◊〉 her Commands and Laws those that shall do otherwise to be lyable to the some Curse Id. Ibid. This Bull towards the end of May 1570. was brought over and fixed on the Gates of the Bishop of Londons Palace by one John Felton and Copies of the same sent to the aforesaid Bidolph to be dispersed throughout England Then and not till then it was that those inclinable to the Romish Superstitions did presently refrain our Churches would no longer hear the established Divine Service nor have any more Society with us in Prayer so that Reeusancy so called from their refusing to come to Church which as the word was scarce known till this time so was it not specially or particularly punished by any Law till afterwards in the Twenty third year of the Queen was not in them at first nor can be now for Religion but for acknowledging of and stickling for the Popes usurping power They absent themselves from our Churches not because there is any thing there transacted in it self unlawful or prohibited by the Word of God for then they ought always to have kept away but because the Pope in opposition to the Law of God enjoyning both Obedience to our Governours and Charity and Brotherly Communion amongst each other has forbidden them so to do and this unrighteous siding with the Pope against
the King and inform'd him of the Business Whereupon conjecturing as well he might that they meant himself he privately got away with speed and absented himself from his Lodging in Drury-Lanâ— that night and returning thither next night for some necessaries was like to have been Assassinated by one Stratford On the 9th at Night he met Mr. Kirkby and Dr. Tonge at the Flying-Horse in Kings-Street Westminser whither for the present he had retired and then for his security went over with Mr. Kirkby to Fox-Hall where he and Dr. Tonge continued During this time Dr. Oates wrote fair Copies of his Informations and Dr. Tonge in vain sought to give in farther Informations to the Treasurer but were both and Mr. Kirkby also much perplexed with apprehensions of the danger they were in and discouragements they had met with Till on the 27th at Night one of the Treasurers Servants meeting Mr. Kirkby acquainted him he was come for Dr. Tonge to go to the Council who with Mr. Kirkby immediately went but the Council was risen before they came and order given them to attend next day Whereupon they resolved next Morning to get two more Copies Sworn unto that each man might have an Authentick Copy which accordingly they did being 28th of Sept. before Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey who would needs keep one of them having never before perused the said Informations Then first Dr. Tonge and Mr. Kirkby and afterwards Dr. Oates being sent for attended the Council who upon Examination of Dr. Oates were pleased to order both him and Dr. Tonge Lodgings in White-Hall for their Security and proceeded to examine and enquire further into the matter Post varios Casus post tot Discrimina Rerum Tendimus adversus Latium CHAP. VII The nature and scope of the Plot in general laid open SECT 1. THE design in general was by Fire and Sword when all other means fail'd to subvert the Establisht Government and Religion of these Kingdoms and to reduce the same to Popery so as no Toleration should be given to any Protestant but all to be Extirpated Root and Branch The chief Conspirators that design'd and were to carry on this were 1. The present Pope Innocent the Eleventh who in the Congregation de propaganda fide consisting of about 350 persons held about December 1677. Declared all his Majesties Dominions to be part of St. Peters Patrimony as forfeited to the Holy See for the Meresie of the Prince and People and so to be disposed of as he should think fit 2. Our English Cardinal Howard whom in pursuance of such Declaration his Holiness appointed as his Legate to take Possession of England in his Name he likewise made him Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with an augmentation of Forty-thousand Crowns a year for the maintenance of his Legantine Authority He had also Constituted Bishops and Dignitaries for all or most of the Sees and Ecclesiastical promotions in England As Perrot Superior of the Secular Priests to be Arch-Bishop of York Corker Bishop of London Whitebread of Winchester Strange of Durham Dr. Godden of Salisbury Napper a Franciscan Fryar of Norwich c. Removing all the Bishops in possession from their present Dignities 3. Johannes Paulus de Oliva Father-General of the Jesuits Society residing at Rome who was to give directions to the Provincial of the Jesuits in London how to proceed in this affair 4. Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba Provincial of the Jesuits in New Castile who was to assist with Counsel and Money and to mis-represent the Actions and Intentions of his Majesty of Great Britain in the Spanish Court to create Jealousies and Feuds between the two Crowns which likewise was to be done by a Jesuit that is Confessor to the Emperour in Relation to England and that Court 5. Le Chese a Jesuit Confessor to the French King with whom Coleman holding Correspondence discover'd to him all the Secrets of State he could and by his means endeavour'd to obtain a Pension from the French King for his good Services in betraying his Native Countrey 6. The Provincial of the Jesuits for the time being in England which of late was first Strange and then Whitebread 7. The Benedictine Monks at the Savoy ' where they had erected them a Colledge to such a degree of Confidence were they arriv'd 8. Jesuits and Seminary-Priests of whom there were about that time in England the number of Eighteen-hundred and were generally privy to the main design though perhaps not all acquainted with particulars 9. Several Lay-persons of Quality drawn in out of Zeal Ambition Covetousness Revenge c. to joyn with them to Command the Forces they were to raise and execute the great Offices of the Realm As the Lord Arundel of Warder to be Lord Chancellor of England The Lord Powis Lord Treasurer Sir William Godolphin Lord-Privy-Seal Edward Coleman Secretary of State Lord Bellasis General Lord Peters Lieutenant General Sir Francis Ratcliff Major General John Lambert Adjutant-General Langhorn Advocate-General c. who had Commissions sent them Sealed by Paulus d' Oliva from Rome The work was so great and in their apprehension so glorious that the most Eminent of the Popish Clergy in Europe were engaged in it so that it cannot be said to be an Act or Contrivance of any few particular persons but an Vnanimous undertaking of their whole Church and so it must be Recorded to Posterity to their everlasting shame SECT 2. The means whereby they resolv'd to accomplish it were 1. By Killing the King finding they could not work him to their purpose and therefore to remove him they laid several distinct Plots and all to be kept unknown to each other As 1. Grove and Pickering to Shoot him 2. Conyers and Anderton Benedictine Monks and four Irish Russians to Stab him 3. To Poison him for which purpose 5000 l. was entred in their Books as paid to Sir George Wakeman in part of 15000 l. Reward which he was to have for that Horrid work by vertue of a Contract made with him in the presence of Coleman and Dr. Fogarthy As for the Duke of York they concluded to make use of his Name and Interest if he would comply with them 1. To accept of the Three Kingdoms as a gift from the Pope and hold them in Fee of him 2ly If he would Confirm their Settlement of the Church and State 3dly If he would Exterminate all Protestants 4thly If he would Pardon the Murtherers of his Brother the Murtherers of the People and those who should Fire the remaining part of the City and Suburbs 2. For that was the second particular of their work to Fire London and Westminster and places adjoyning thereunto as also other the chief Cities and Towns of England immediately on the Killing of his Majesty and lay the whole load both of the Murther and Firing on the Presbyterians and Fanaticks thereby provoking the Episcopal men to joyn with them to cut them off that so Protestants being weakned by their own Feuds they might
being swayed by such powerful Inducements That he might Lawfully say he Note ☞ was Innocent and so they were all which in Popish construction is not to deny that they Killed Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey for that according to their Divinity and what the said Priests had Solemnly declared was no Sin or Crime and consequently they might All in such their Catholick sense still be Innocent Yet this he must acknowledge he somewhat doubted because he had never been at Confession and received Absolution since the Fact Committed which all the rest as some of themselves had declared had done and so might more peremptorily persist as they did in averring themselves to be Innocent and he does ingeniously declare That had he received Absolution 't is his fear he he should never or not without extream difficulty have been brought to any acknowledgment These Circumstances together with a great distemper of Body contracted by the incommodities of Consinement want of Air c. occasioned that sudden revolt of his Reason and duty under that perplexity of Spirit but as soon as he had done it Conscience flew in his face and would no longer be laid asleep with any delusive Popish Charms When he began to recollect himself the power of truth dispersed all those Temptations of Interest Fear and Superstition If it were true that he might hazard his Life and lose his Trade if he did persist in the Confession of the Murther it was as true and he found it by experience that he should never have peace of Conscience if he denyed it And therefore he was no sooner returned from the King and Council to Newgate which comeing in a Coach 't is certain was not half an hour but he most earnestly requested Capt. Richardson who had been with him and heard what he had said that Morning for God's sake to go back and assure the King and that Honourable Board from him That the first Confession which he had made on Oath was true in all Circumstances and that whatsoever he had said before them that Morning to the contrary was occasioned only by the Consternation Fear and Perplexity of mind he was under which the Capt. immediately did and hath since declared the same upon Oath Thus far the words of Mr. Prances own Narrative well worthy the Readers perusal not only for his satisfaction in this behalf but also for the several notorious Villanies of a great number of Popish Priests therein by name exposed To which as a very confirming Circumstance we may add that falling very dangerously Ill. soon after he then when he had nothing but a certain prospect of approaching Death before his eyes he declared and asserted to divers his first Confession to be true in all points and also afterwards as soon as he recovered his Health he repeated the same with all stedfastness before the Kings most Excellent Majesty and the Lords of the Council Whereupon his Majesty was most gratiously pleased to grant him his Pardon From all which 't is most plain that all this Dust which the Priests and Jesuits have raised about this matter is fairly blown away and Truth is become perspicuous to any ingenious man that will but Impartially look into these Transactions and consider them as they are and not as they are represented by their false perspectives SECT II. On the 21th of December 1678. there was some Discovery relating to this Plot given into a Committee of the House of Lords by one Mr. Edmund Everard a Scottish Gentleman who had been kept four years Prisoner in the Tower the effect of which and the occasions and manner of such his Confinement was as followeth This Mr. Everard having been concern'd with the English Forces in France and there having the Honour to be acquainted with his Grace the Illustrious Duke of Monmouth was employ'd as Agent for the concerns of the English Militia at the French Court where he became acquainted with the Lady Ann Gourdon Sister to the Marquess of Huntly in Scotland living in a Popish Convent in Paris who being a Lady very Zealous for Popery of excellent Accomplishments and great Correspondence did in the moneth of Novemb. 1673. acquaint him That there was a grand design on foot in England for settling Popery there and a project either to dissolve the then Parliament or sow mis-understandings between his Majesty and it and that there was a considerable Party labouring to make the Duke of York King and that his Majesty would be made away and shortly would not be in a case to hurt any body After this he was entertain'd to Introduce Peter Talbot Popish Arch-Bishop of Dublin to the Marshal Bellefond and the French King into whose presence he was admitted and allow'd half an hours Conference presenting that King with a Letter and other Papers That the said Talbot then told Mr. Everard that the business he had to negotiate with that King mightily concern'd the welfare of all the Catholicks in England but those of Ireland more especially being to propose ways to the French King to relieve them of their present Persecutions and undertake their Protection some of which Expedients he declared were to Arm some of the Irish and secure a Sea-port Town in Ireland for the French for which Negotiation he said he had good Warrant and Commission from some of the greatest persons in England Mr. Everard immediately discovered all this to one Sir Robert Welsh hoping for his Assistance to Communicate it to his Majesty of Great Britain but it seems Sir Robert re-acquainted Colonel Talbot the said Bishops Brother both what Everard had said of his Brother and of the Lady Huntly and that he was designing for England to make known such their Correspondencies who thereupon threatned him That if he offered to do any such thing they would infallibly procure that he should forthwith be Committed to the Tower of London or the Gatehouse That notwithstanding Mr. Everard privately getting away not without great danger being desperately sought after and pursued in France came over into England but within three or four days and before he could get to speak with the Duke of Monmouth whom he intended to have Address'd himself unto he was suddenly sent for to one of the Secretaries of State and without any Examination or Crime proved Committed to the Tower where after some moneths he was Examined by the then Lieutenant to whom he declared all the said particulars of the Traiterous Conspiracy whereof he seem'd to take little knowledge but threatned to Rack him next day and afterwards Hang him if he would not Confess some design he had against the Duke of Monmouth and several other Examinations he had before other persons to that purpose but was continued Prisoner on this false and malicious suggestion occasioned by the Malice and Interest of the said Traitors beyond the Seas and thereby their Conspiracy lay Concealed for the space of four years till after the Plot was discovered by Dr. Oates and then