and committed for High Treason and you had two Villaiâ—◠〈…〉 him out of his Life just before I discovered the Plot and when 〈…〉 your â—â—pish Witnesses disappeared and Clapool in January or February following was 〈◊〉 I have said pretty much of that business in my first Parâ— to which 〈…〉 4. Give me leave to add another Particular and that is you did no◠〈…〉 true blew Church of England Protestants that were aiding and abâ—tting youâ— Popish Crew in the Country of which there might be many Instances given 〈…〉 not too much burden your Sacred Soul I will only mention this One 〈…〉 out by Mr. Dugdale against Sr. Thomas Whitgrave of Bridgford in the County of Stafford who was a Person applyed unto on the Papists behalf to evade the Penaâ—â—iâ—s and Punishments of the Penal Laws against Papists as a Justice of the Peace in open Sessions assisting the Papists on all occasions particularly directing Presentments against Papists to be omitted which he had to the Knowledg of this Dugdale practised for ten Years together and also he was one that laboured with the Inhabitants of the Town of Stafford to choose the Lord Stafford for their Steward and further acquainted the House that this Whitgrave received Money of the Lord Aston for his said Practices on the behalf of the Papists and not only so but that he the said Whitgrave had for some time before the Discovery of the Popish Plot fraudulently purchased divers Papists Estates to the value of 40000 l. and upwards to defraud the King and that he was acquainted with the Secrets of the Papists and with the Orders and Decrees of the Popish Priests as he was told and could if he might have been heard have proved the same 6. The next Witness that I shall use is John Smith this Man upon his Return to England was planted as a Priest in the House of Mr. Robert Jenison before mentioned who wâ—â—â—he fourth Witness and in his time there was a great Collection of Money on fooâ—â—mongst the Popish Party to the promoting of which Collection the Assistance â—â— Mr. Smith was desired but he did not only refuse but disswaded Mr. Jenison and 〈◊〉 â—amily where he then was from contributing Money upon any occasion 't is true â—â—â—retence for which this Money was raised was the Repair of the English Colâ—â—â—â— â—oway but the Collection was so universal and the Sum collected so great that 〈…〉 could not believe that such a Treasure could be all sacrificed to the repair of a Câ—â—â—ge but feared that there was some design on foot for the carrying on of which so large a Sum of Money was raised but the thing dyed with Mr Smith and revived not till the Discovery of the Popish Plot then Mr. Smith did not only acquaint the Parliament with this Passage but gave in an Information that tended mightily to corroborate Mr. Jenison's Evidence which is as follows Part of the Information of John Smith of Walworth in the County Palatine of Durham Gent. taken upon Oath the 8th day of September 1679 before me Edmund Warcupp Esq One of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace in the said County and City THis Informant that Mr. Robert Jenison came to his Fathers Midd. ss House in Sept. 1678 where after he had been some Days Sir Edward Smith came to Walworth and produced a Letter signifying a Discovery of a Popish Plot in London and upon Inquiry who were in it Ireland and Whitebread were named about three or four days after which Mr. Robert Jenison before his Father Sisters and this Informant said That he believed there was something of a Plot for that he had heard Mr. Ireland say it was an easie matter to take off the King whereupon this Informant asked what that Ireland was who answered that he was a Jesuit and his Cosen and Mrs. Katharine Jenison his Sister asked when he saw Mr. Ireland Who answered a little before he came out of Town at his Lodging in Russelstreet which was on the day that himself came from Windsor and the same day that Mr. Ireland came post out of Staffordshire and that he then found him pulling off his Boots Mrs. Katharine Jenison asked him how her Aunt in Staffordshire did Who replied Mr. Ireland said she was well and that he had been with her in Staffordshire at that time This Informant then asked him what a kind of man Mr. Ireland was Who answered that he was a fine Countenanced smiling man and Swore if he be Guilty of this Plot I will never trust a smiling man again thereupon this Informant asked him what he thought of him Who answered I doubt there is some Guilt in him because he had inquired of him when he came from Windsor how the King diverted and how he was attended whereunto he answered in Hawking and Fishing attended only with three or four Persons Mr. Ireland replied he would go so slenderly guarded he were easily taken off and then he paused but sometime after Mr. Jenison repeated that he feared there was something in that Plot for that Mr. Ireland had said to him at another time That there was but One in the way and were he removed the Catholic Religion might flourish again in England whereupon this Informant said those were damnable suspicious things which Mr. Ireland had spoken about the King thereupon old Mr. Jenison rose up and swore Mr. Ireland was a Rogue and so left the Room and determined the discourse at that time but sometime after in this same Month this Informant walking on the Leads with Mr. Robert Jenison discoursing of the Jesuits being in the Plot the said Robert Jenison told this Informant that Mr. Ireland had at another time told him that Sir George Wakeman was a fit Person to Poyson the King being the Queens Physitian and a Papist upon which this Informant said he hoped the King would not take Physic of any Papist in regard they might be Jesuitically inclined and the Jesuits were against Monarchy in temporal Princes though appointed by God himself upoâ— which the said Mr. Robert Jenison asked are the Jesuits against Monarchy whereto this Informant replied you may easily Judge that by their taking off many Kings and Princes and by their holding it lawful for the Pope to deprive Kings of their Kingdoms and to dispose of them at his pleasure so that though a King be the Annointed of the Lord and One that should not be touched with violent Hands yet not only his Kingdom but his sacred Life lies at the Popes Pleasure Mr. Jenison answered doth the Pope allow of this This Informant answered yes they have often practised it in this and other Kingdoms and thereby brought more Schism and Division into the Church than ever was before such damnable things were practised by the Pope and his Emissaries whereto Mr. Jenison replied you Seculars are generally against the Jusuits and in many things against the Pope whereunto this Informant replied if you please to consider
being desirous to know their several States and Conditions and having demanded of Father Campian who conducted them to the Pope whether they were all Priests and understanding by the said Campians answer that two of them were Seculars he asked of the said two their design of going into England whether they intended there to be Soldiers for that they were very â—it for the same this Deponent further saith that in the beginning of May last a few days before his coming away from Rome he waited on Cardinal Barbarini whom he found sick on his Bed he bid the said Deponent at parting the Rector being present to take care to be True and Faithful and serve the Duke of York which the Rector also desired him to bear in Mind the Cardinal afterwards applying himself to the said Rector said that if the Catholic Religion were brought into England notwithstanding his great Age he would go thither Legaâ— de Latere This Information was taken by the Bishop of London upon the 20th of December 1678 and there is contained in it many things worthy of your Observation 1. That your viâ—lainous Party had waited upon the King your Brother till they were weary of writing and that I doubt noâ— in the least and I question not but you laboured under the same Diâ—ease for without all doubt he had given them his Royal Word and Promise of restoring their Religion or at least of making them to all intents and purposes easie in their Worship by such an Indulgence as should be a fair step to the restoring of their Religion and Worship to be the National Way of Worshipping God 2 That because your Brother had forfeited his Credit with them in that point they thought it no sin to destroy him and truly you was much of their opinion when you was privy to the deadly Dose that was given him for if you had been of the Opinion that it was a Sin to destroy him you would have brought that impudent Whore that gave him his Bane to Public Justice and would rather have protested against it publickly than have consented to the poysoning of Short that was to give him his due disgusted at the death of that poor Prince who to serve you had for several years before his death abandoned himself to be destroyed 3. That there was little hopes of restoring the Catholic Religion till he was dead and why then truly you knew who was to succeâ—d him and you being a Papist and their hopes of your coming such to the Crown raised their pious Zeal to hasten his Destruction in order to make way for the restoring of your damn'd Religion here amongst us Again 4. This Gastrel was to take Care to serve you and be faithful to you and he and his Companions were fit to be Soldiers for your Service you were to have an Army and it was necessary that it should be an Army fit for the business for the mighty Work that you had upon your hands even the Conversion of three Kingdoms and the subduing the Northern Heresie Truly Sir I did never hear that any Objection was made to the Testimony of this Man the Bishop of London is yet alive and can give a better Account of him than I can do at present but this I will say for him if I am not much out that he gave the then Bishop of Ely such a warming bout for treating him coursly for leaving the Church of Rome that I thought the old Villain of a Priest in some danger of being beaten but had I known what villainous Popish Principles that base Fellow held I should never have appeared for him in the case of Sedway but I confess then that Gastrel told me that Gunning was a Man of very rotten Principles in relation to our Reforming from the Church of Rome but he was your Favourite dear Sir and that was enough to have published him a well-wisher to the Romish Mathematicks once he told me that he thought the Church of God had no loss by the death of Edward the Sixth but this by the way I hasten to a second Witness 2. The Deposition of Thomas Crowder one of the Soldiers of Chepstow Castle made Oath before William Floyd your old Friend sometimes Bishop of Landaff then One of the Justices of the Peace for the County of Landaff the Three and twentieth day of January 1678 9 is as follows This Deponent saith upon his Oath That being in Captain Francis Spalding 's Chamber at Chepstow Castle about the Eleventh of November last past he this Deponent heard the said Captain Spalding say That if he had been at home when William Bedloe was in the Town he would have secured the said William Bedloe from discovering of the Plot. Upon which Sir you know That the said Captain Spalding was ordered to be committed to the Kings Bench Prison but that you may remember the case of this Villain Spalding that was both Knave Coward and Traitor all at once and therefore the more fit for your Service and the better to serve your wicked Designs and Purposes he was planted a Chepstow to maintain a Correspondence with the Popish Party about Wales which was tranâ—mitted to Sir â—olitick Fringe that bore a mighty sway in those Parts and Sir Politick transmitted it to your good Worship old Sir Trevor and some others were once much obliged to him for several singular Favours and so was the late great Morgan of Tredeghan the Traitor grins his Chaps much like your self and saith he is a Protestant but I will no more take his word in that case than I did in the Affair of Combe Abbey for tho he saith he is a Protestant yet it is well known that he hath been an Instrument in your hand to seduce the People of the Country and nothing in the day of your power and his would serve him but the Blood of whole Families that did not comply with your and his villainous Principles and Practises for his Popish Priests that he always had about him were his great Incouragers to ruin Families of Gentlemen and especially he having not only your countenance but your especial direction in the case for by the means of this Villain Spalding your Sir Politick Fringe that grins upon a Mans Face though he be resolved that moment to cut his Throat had a Character of every Gentleman in and about Wales being much assisted in that blessed Work by one Herbert a Justice of the Peace another true blew Protestant one of Sir Politick's Agents this Sir was your Spalding a Spy for you upon many Families in order if possible to their ruin by your means this Spalding got his Inlargement and was taken care of by you as a main Prop of your Cause and Conspiracy in the Welsh Counties but Sir why should I wonder at these Practises of yours and of your good Sir Politick since both of you have been taught and do still believe that it is but a Deed of Charity to
Midd. ss meet Mr. Robert Bowes on or about the 17th of August last past and returned back to London the 19th of the same Month on which day in the Afternoon he made a Visit to Mr. William Ireland alias Ironmonger at his Lodgings in Russel street who was this Informants Relation at which time and place he this Informant had the Discourse with the said Mr. Ireland mentioned and contained in this Informants Letter to the said Mr. Bowes and now shewed unto him being all of this Informants hand Writing dated at Reading in Barkshire on the 19th of December last past and this Informant doth very wâ—ll remember that he went from London into the North in the York Coach on the 4th of September last past and came back thence to London in October following from thence he went to Reading in Obedience to his Majesties Proclamation from whence he wrot the Letter aforesaid to Mr. Robert Bowes and further at present saith not Jurâ—die anno suprâ—dict cor me Edmand Warcupp Rob. Jenison 2. Was taken the Second of July 1679 and is as follows The further Information of Robert Jenison of Grays Inn Esq taken upon Oath this 2d day of July 1679 before me Edmund Warcupp Esq One of His Majesties Justices of the Peace in the County of Middlesex THis Informant saith That he being returned from Windsor upon the 19th Midd. ss day of August last he went to Mr. Ireland's Lodging in Russel street in Covent Garden to visit him and passing thro the Entry that went directly up two pair of Stairs to the said Mr. William Ireland's Chamber the door whereof being somewhat open he entred and found the said Mr. William Ireland whom this Informant having told that he just then came from Windsor upon a Hackney-Horse hired at three Shillings per day which had much tired him the said William Ireland replyed that he was then newly arrived from Wolverhampton in Staffordshire by Post and that he was not weary upon which this Informant that he thought that Scholars as he was had rather chuse to ride ambling Horses than to ride Post And this Informant further saith that he very well remembers that about the Beginning of October last past Sir Edward Smith came to Walworth in the County Palatine of Durham and then read a Letter newly come from London purporting the Discovery of the Plot and that the King was to have been killed at Windsor which made this Informant call to mind the Expressions of the said William Ireland on the said 19th of August viz. why his Majesty should be so thin Guarded he was easily taken off or removed or words to that sounding and thereupon this Informant did the next day after the Reading of the said Letter relate all the Passages between this Informant and the said Mr. Ireland to this Informants Father and the said Mr. Smith as they are contained in this Informants Letter to Mr. Bowes dated on the 10th day of December last and so the said Mr. Smith hath lately signifyed by Letter to the said Mr. Bowes and this Informant further saith that in the Year 1678 several Papists have in this Informants hearing declared that they doubted not but their Religion would shortly be uppermost or to that effect and further at present he saith not Jurat coram me Ed. Warcupp Rob. Jenison 3. Was taken on the Second of August 1679 and is as follows The further Information of Robert Jenison of Grays Inn Esq taken upon Oath this Second Day of August 1679 before me Edmund Warcupp Esq One of His Majesties Justices of the Peace of the said County THis Informant saith That it being generally reported that the Evidence Midd. ss against Sir George Wakeman was full he this Informant was not so careful to recollect the further Discourses he had with Mr. William Ireland before the said Tryals as he hath been since and upon the most serious examination thereof he doth very well remember that in the Month of June 1678 the said William Ireland did say that it was an easie matter to poyson the King and that Sir George Wakeman might easily do having a great opportunity by being the Queens Doctor which Discourse this Informant doth verily believe the said Ireland used to this Informant to induce this Informant to his further Intentions being as this Informant believes assured of this Informants secresy from Mr. Thomas Jenison his Brother and from some Obligation the said Ireland had laid on this Informant by lending him Twenty Pounds which he said was the St. Omerian Money and this Informant further saith That upon the 19th day of August following he the said William Ireland at his Chamber in Russel street did earnestly press this Informant by various Arguments to be instrumental in bringing in the Catholick Religion urging how meritorious it would be and how much to the Glory of God and thereupon offered to cause the said Twenty to be remitted to this Informant if he would be assisting to the taking off the King and would be one of those that would go to Windsor about it but this Informant did answer that he would not for twenty times twenty Pounds have a hand in the death of the King whereupon the said Ireland replyed will you do nothing to bring in the Catholick Religion To which this Informant did say that he did not believe that ever would come iâ— by Blood upon which the said Ireland replyed what would you not have Religion to flourish again whereto this Informant answered if it were done meaning if the King were taken off so and well but this Informant said he would have no hand in it but the said William Ireland not being satified with this Informants Answers pursued thus do you know of any Irish Gentlemen of our Religion that are stout and couragious upon which this Informant replyed the Irish Gentlemen were commonly so and did name Mr. Lavallyn Mr. Thomas Braâ—ale Mr. Karney three Irish Men and Mr. James Wilson being all Gentlemen of Grays Inn of whose Names the said Ireland took particular notice in writing to the best of this Informants remembrance and this Informant did then tell the said Ireland That he believed no Men of Estates would be concerned in that Affair and especially Captain Lavallyn who was an Heir to a good Estate unless the Pique he had to the King might induce him to it and this Informant further saith That being with the said Thomas Jenison and another Gentleman about the latter end of April or beginning of May 1678 whose Name he now remembers not in the said Ireland's Chamber there came one in who after some private Discourse with Mr. Ireland and after he was gone the said Thomas Jenison told this Informant 't was one Mr. Oats who had been a Parson but was come over to them and that he was a brisk jolly Man and well worth his Acquaintance and he further saith that about the time that some Regiments were drawn together
that you and they were impatient to be in possession and they hoping and believing you right for their turn they drove on a secret â—lot with you to remove the King your Brother into another World whilst this Army was being which you so much coveâ—ed And tho' Charles your Brother and his Villain were concern'd in the grand Plot yet none but the Popish party were in this Wheel within a Wheel and therefore when this came to be discover'd by me to the King and Council tho' the persons to whom I discover'd knew well enough what I said to the general Plot to be true yet they being kept ignorant of the other secret Wheel within their Wheel were much startled and amazed at the discovery and were inclin'd not to believe that part of the Testimony they being all of them your most humble Admirers But this you may call to mind that some of your deep-dy'd surseited Rogues had laid their design with you for their bringing to pass what you had designed about the King your Brother he having so often failed you and therefore you found that he was not any longer to be trusted and you had engaged them by several Demonstrations that they might trust you therefore his dispatch into the other World was determined and further that they would cast the Odium of it upon the dissenting Protestants in order to which Claypool as I have observed both in my first and this Memorial was committed to the Tower and I seeing the Jesuits so resolved to destroy your Brother I resolved to do what I did The King had private Information as I said before in the month of August but he made light of it and instead of making strick enquiry after the Discovery and the person accused I found that was like to be ruined for going so far by the Jesuits who because Dr. Tongue had been with the King they thought it had been my self who had the discovery communicated to you and you communicated it to the Jesuits and the Monks at the Savoy and though the Affair was not communicated to the Council till the Jesuits should have time enough if possible to stifle the discovery and find out amongst themselves who it was that had designed to betray them I being the man they mistrusted I thought it necessary to withdraw from their Company and so with Dr. Tongue I went to Justice Godfrey as before who had the Scheme of the Conspiracy that was against the King's Life which was so home and so full that the said Justice communicated it to an old friend of yours who because he would be in the Fashion slighted it as much as your gracious Brother had done at the first discovery of it to him and the said Justice Godfrey communicated it to your sweet self and you to your Priests and Jesuits with you at Windsor you know upon what account and when Coleman came out of the Country he had notice to do away his Papers but the vain glorious Puppy kept them but some of the Conspirators obeyed you and conveyed themselves away but Justice Godfrey being in some measure Master of the Information tells Coleman with whom he was intimate of the thing but Câ—leman knew more of the point than Godfrey could tell him and much better and being well assured that such discoveries and such discoverers could not hinder the design did in effect â—onfirm all to the said Justice that I had said to him and much more and advised the Justice to meddle no further in the Business for that he would find but little Encouragement or Thanks for his pains for their Game was sure and gone too far and too great persons concerned in it to value any thing that could be done This surprised Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey who was always looked upon a very fair Gentleman and zealous for the Church of England and not any way inclining to Popery but carried it fair to all and the Papists themselves had a great esteem of him as well as others but he finding your Friend who was privy to the discovery had done nothing in the Affair communicated it to the Privy Council on the 28 of September in the morning and as I told you before I was attending the Council at night how I carried my self if any of that Council be alive they will justifie me that although I was sufficiently Brow-beaten and met with great opposition from some yet I stood to my point and gave such clear Demonstrations that they were constrained tho' full fore against their will to grant their Warrants to seize some of the Traytors that night which made some talk of a Popish Plot but few or none except the Conspirators themselves knew at first what to make of it the Papists were so bold as to laugh at it and deride it and Coleman who was your Factor in all the Popish Plot did go into the City and strutted as if he knew as little of the Business as your self however there were thirty six Bags of his Papers seized and he appearing before the Council in the afternoon upon a Summons only such was his Interest with the Grand Conspirators that he himself thought it was out of the Power of Man to hurt him especially since many of that Council then alive were themselves engaged in the General Plot upon this Presumption he appeared and began to hector and bounce at the Council telling them that in accusing him they struck at his Master yet for all his heâ—torng they sent him to Newgate for his Fellow Rogues could say nothing for him We having got your great Goliah into Newgate you thought it convenient that all possible care should be taken both as to the cause in general and your friend in particular you gave Instructions to all you could to hide their Papers and several of them were brought to Whitehall where they were carefully preserved and to send away all you durst not trust nay rather than fail old Coventry your never-failing League-breaker he lent you a cast of his Office and granted your Conspirators passes if they were disposed to beat upon the Hoof nay you took great Care that the Witnesses should not want all the discouragement that might be nay rather than fail some of the Clerks of the Council were set as Spies upon them and the very Minutes of the Council were made use of to insnare them and the Honest Clerks themselves witnesses against them for the Conspirators Oh! but your dear friend Coleman was committed Ay he was what then was it not high time Yes he was committed and you were not idle yet for all this you and your Rogues did not doubt but to rub it off and to carry your Point for all your Creatures were in Places of Trust about your Brother the King and his Council by whose help you and they got your writings of the chiefest Import that concerned your self and greater Conspirators so well secured that whatever became of the scoundrel
left Prance to the caâ—e of the Constable of Covent Garden who brought him â—o the Lobby of the House of Lords where Bedlow was who when he saw Prance â—â—ough he had never seen him but in Sommerset-House when Bedlow was admitted to the sight of the dead Body he commanded some of his Guards to seize Prance for that he was One of those he saw at Sommerset-House where the Body of Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey lay and by the same token he had then a black Peruke but when in the said Lobby none hereupon search was made and the Peruke was found now by the way 't is convenient to make you a remark or two that may give you some Comfort in this hour of your distress First Observe the Strangness of the Discovery of Prance by Bedlow who had never seen Prance but once before and that by Candle Light and in a Peruke should upon the first sight of him again known him without a Peruke the other Remark I make is the Clearness of Sir Edmund Godfrey's being Murdered and the murdered Body being at Sommerset-House upon Munday Night after the Murder on the Saturday Night before and from hence it was that Prance became an Evidence in this discovery 7. I have to present to you the Evidence of Henry Berry who was One of your murdering Crew and he gave in this Testimony before the then Marquiss of Winchester now Duke of Bolton wherein he said that he had orders to tell all Persons of Quality that the Queen was Private and that they were not to come in and it seems the Queen was private for two days nay so Private that the Prince when he came to make that good Lady a Visit he was not admitted to come in and being refused he returned back again Now it seems Sir he never had any such Orders before what was the Reason why the Queen was to be Private Truly there was good Reason for it for the thing of its own Nature required Privacy and it may be her sacred Body might also be much wearied with the Sunday Nights Couâ—ant over the dead Body and so could not be at Liberty to receive Visits and truly it was not fit that a Person of her Quality should be disturbed in the doing such a charitable Work as that was which was performed on the Sunday Night but it may be you and your Crew at St. Germains do not like to have that gracious Lady reflected on in such a way why I pray you so Angry Why so much out of Humouâ— Either Berry had Orders or he had none if he had Orders why was the Queen to be more private at that time than another unless some such secret peice of Service as this was to be done which every Body was not to know or if he had none then he made use of the Queens Name to obtain such a Privacy and truly you ought neither to blame him nor the Queen for it was both their parts to come off as clear as they could or how could you have been brought off with honour but as a specimen of this Privacy my Lady Sanderson the Mother of the Maids and the Protestant Maids of Honour could not be Admitted no not to perform their Place and Duty to their sacred Mistriss whilst this fit of devotion lasted it being a work claimed by your Church as its inherent Right nay that good Queen sent her Gentleman Usher-Slaughter to walk in the Court that Night not to gaze upon the Stars I suppose but to observe how the Squares went but the Puppy went too far and asked the Captain of the Guards whether he did not hear a busle but the Captain not understanding the business said he thought once he did hear a busle but according to his Place and Duty he had not sence enough to take notice and the very Night the dead Body was brought to the back Stairs the Queen was graciously pleased to Sup with a Person of Quality that Night upon the whole Sir what think you of the business I think it a strang sort of Privacy and very unusual and those that did sometimes â— think thought very strangly of it since those three days of her said Privacy very few or none but Papists were admitted to it 8. I must mention another strong presumptive Testimony And that is the going of Hill to Sir Edmund Godfrey's House which Hill would have denyed but Sir Edmunds Maid Swore it expresly upon him the said Hill who said she first came to him and went up Stairs and then came back again and that she found him still there and this the Maid Swore positively that she knew him again at his Tryal by his Face and by the Cloaths that he then had which were the same Cloaths that he had on at his Tryal and that this was the Man that was with her Master and this Mr. Hill could not disprove and so it was a vile presumption of his guilt for Sir what had he to do there at Sir Edmund Buries House he would have done well to have told the World but that he could not and therefore he faintly denyed the matter which was proved by the said Maid Servant but the Maid proved that Point upon him as well as Prance the maid's Name was Elizabeth â—urtis and had no hand in her Masters Murder 9. I have one pregnant Testimony more of this villainous Murder and then I shall have done There was a Gentleman whose Name was Spence that did much resemble this worthy Magistrate and about a day or two before this horrible Murder was Committed had an occasion to pass by Sommerset House by the Water-gate late in the Night this Gentleman was seized and drawn in to that Place by a parcel of Villains whose Faces he knew not and when they had viewed him they said it is not he let him go the Gentleman wondred at the thing not knowing the meaning of it at all let the thing pass taking them for a parcel of rude drunken Fellows but when Justice Godfreys body was found murthered he then began to recollect with himself the Usage he had met withal and went and gave in Information of the Matter and those that saw him never found any resemble the said Godfrey more than he I have seen the Gentleman and have startled at him for neither of Sir Edmunds Brothers that did survive him was more like him as I then thought let the World say what they will this I am sure had this Witness been produced it would have gone a great way to have proved the Design that was in hand the mighty Work that mighty Charity that your party intended for that Gentleman and that the Charity might not be Public that their left Hand might not know what their right Hand did it was to be done with all manner of Privacy no Visits to be receiv'd at Sommerset-House whilest this Royal Work of Charity was on foot What say you Sir to all this how
Charges of the Government and that whereas they were asâ—ured by the then Marquis of Huntley that they begun pretty well in Scotland and that if four Hundred Thousand Pound Per annum were setled in England upon the King your Brother and his Heirs for Ever that then your Brother would stand no more in need of this Peevish Parliament and when that he was Dispatcht their would be something for a Successor to come to therefore they prayed you in these Letters that you would Perswade the King your Brother to move in Parliament for an Additionall Revenue for such an Additionall Revenue for him and his Heirs Upon your sight of this Letter you did Prevail with the King to move it in Parliament and what became of the Motion we all well know for though your Pensioners were willing to often to grant the King a sum of Money yet for fear of becoming as useless to themselves as they had been Dangerous to their Countrey they fairely denied him such a Revenue but the Jesuits when they found their Expectation Defeated did Write to these Lords that notwithstanding the unwillingness of the Parliament to settle such a Revenue that they questioned not but to find a Sufficient Revenue for the Successor without the help of a Parliament which Letter you saw and was much pleased that the Jesuits were concerned for the support of the Successor 10. That when your villanous Conspiracy was Discovered the said Lord Arundel of VVardour in your presence did chide Justice Godfrey and told him that he had been to forward in taking my Depositions which did put Godfrey into great feares as he told me but a Week before he was missing and that he told him in your Presence the Day before the King went to New-market that the said Justice Godfrey would finde the Parliament would give him no thanks for his paines LORD POWIS It is time to hasten to this Noble Lord and put you in mind how far he was Ingaged with you in your mighty Work that you had upon your Hand and you must own him as necessary a Traytor as you had in the whole bunch therefore to ingage him to you he had your Countenance and in return of such a favour he was as Obsequious as any of them all Therefore 1. You may remember that at your direction he Intertained in his House one William Morgan one of the Consult held in April 1678 and that this Lord Powis knew him to be such for by his then Secretary which was Mr. Peirson he sent a note to speake with Mr. Morgan in which he said he hoped that they had come to a Resolution in the affair it being four of the Clock in the Afternoon by this Peirson the Lord Powis received his Commission to be Lord High Treasurer of England from Feâ—wick and Ireland and this Peirson delivered to them a Letter from the Lord Powis and 300 l. for the use of the Society in which Letter he said that he would venture his Life and Fortune in the affairs and give me leave to tell you that I saw the Commision before that Ireland and Fenwick had it at Langhorn's Chamber in the Temple 2. That there was a Commission from Rome that the Government of the Nation should be in the Hands of the Lord Powis and the Lord Belasys but the Lord Arundel of Wardour who was alwayes to preside in their councels and by the way of Coleman you were to have an account of their Resolution and by the way I pray observe that Powis and Arundel of Wardour had Negotiated between you and the Pope for Eight Years and that Powis and Belasys was also to Execute all such orders that they received from the Generall of the Jesuits and the French King with which you were also acquainted from time to time by Mr. Coleman and some times by the Father Generall himself and from Lachaise on the behalfe of the French King and from both those that you might not appear least the evil that fell upon Coleman might have been your Portion 3. Further to oblige you the good Lord Powis bred up his Soâ— at the Jesuits Colledge at Paris and in order to his better Reception there you recomended him to the care of Father Lachaise and in his Letter to his Son there was one sent to Father Lachaise in which he and the rest of the Popish Lords engaged with you in the Conspiracy against the Religion and Government earnestly importune the aid and assistance of the French King which Letters bore date about the latter part of December 1677 and in his Letters to the Fathers at St. Omers of the same date in which his Lordship protested his Prudence in the managing the design there on Foot and that he had distributed the 2000 Tickets amongst the Catholick Party in the West that were then Well-wishers which were to be their Protection from the Rage of those who were to come from France to Suppress the Protestant Party and that he had a good Friend that had a great authority in Wales and the bordering Counties that would Joyn in with the Catholick Party and in a Particular manner promised that the Militia in Wales should not be in any posture to give them any Opposition and that he had procured severall to be made Deputy Lieutenants by the favour of his good Friend that had promised to appear for the Catholick Party when the Design should take effect and that it did become them to bear a Signall respect to his Friend which he Named but I will not but your old Friend Mr. Arnold can for a need for he hath been an Excellent Friend of his the cleane contrary way and how the said Lord gave a great Incomium of Sr. Politick Fring Mr. Arnold's Friend for that he had made several worthy Justices in those parts that were hearty Men in the cause what ever the World thought of them 4. That in other Letters of more Ancient Date to the Fathers at St. Omers he the said Lord Powis did write to the Jesuits that he had procured severall forward Fellowes to be turned out of the Commission of the peace Particularly Mr Arnold and Mr. Scudamore and others did but Bark against the Catholicks and you told them that you were pleased that a Lieutenancy through out all England should be constituted of such as should be True Men and further assured them that there was great summs would be Expended as soone as you should receive that summ of 300000 l. from the French King to enable you and these Letters bore date 1675. And another of 1675 And furthermore told the Fathers in that of 1675 that great numbers were dayly converted to the Faith and obedience of the Roman Catholick Church 5. In his Letters of June 1678 he the said Lord Powis acquainted the Fathers that Mr. Coleman was to open in his business and did desire the Fathers to admonish Mr. Coleman to be more close and stick more to
thereby to make way the more easily to do the same in other Protestant Countries Towards the doing this great Work as Mr. Coleman was pleased to call it Jesuits the most dangerous of all Popish Orders to the Lives and Estates of Princes were distribâ—ted to their several Precincts within this Kingdom and held joynt Councels with those of the same Order in all Neighbour Popish Countries Out of these Councels and Correspondences wus hatched that damnable and hellish Plot by the good Providence of Almighty God brought to light above Two Years since but still threatning us wherein the Traytors impatient of longer delay reckoning the prolonging of your Sacred Majesty's Life which God long preserve us the great Obstacle in the way to the Consummation of their Hopes and having in their Prospect a proselyted Prince immediately to succeed in the Throne of these Kingdoms resolved to begin their Work with the Assassination of your Majesty to carry it on with armed Force to destroy the Protestant Subjects in England to execute a second Massacre in Ireland and so with ease to arrive at the Suppression of our Religion and the Subversion of the Government When this accursed Conspiracy began to be discovered they began to smother it with the barbarous Murther of a Justice of the Peace within one of your Majesty 's own Palaces who had taken some Examinations concerning it Amidst these Distractions and Fears Popish Officers for the Command of Forces were allowed upon Mâ—sters by special Orders surreptitiously obtained from your Majesty but counter-signed by a Secretary of State without ever passing under the Tests prescribed by the aforementioned Act of Parliament In like manner above Fifty new Commissions were granted about the same time to known Papists besides a great Number of desperate Popish Officers though out of Command yet entertained at half pay When in the next Parliament the House of Commons were prepared to bring to a legal Tryal the principal Conspirators in this Plot that Parliament was first prorogued and then dissolved The Interval betwixt the Calling and Sitting of this Parliament was so long that now they conceive Hopes of covering all their past Crimes and gaining a seasonable Time and Advantage of practising them more effectually Witnesses are attempted to be corrupted and not only Promises of Reward but of the Favour of your Majesty's Brother made the Motives to their Compliance Divers of the most considerable of your Majesty's Protestant Subjects have Crimes of the highest Nature forged against them the Charge to be supported by Subornation and Perjury that they may be destroyed by Forms of Law and Justice A Presentment being prepared for a grand Jury of Middlesex against your Majesty's said Brother the Duke of York under whose Countenance all the rest shelter themselves the Grand Jury were in an unheard of and unpresidented and illegal Manner discharged and that with so much haste and fear lest they should finish that Presentment that they were prevented from delivering many other Indictments by them at that time found against other Popish Recusants Because a Pamphlet came forth weekly called The weekly Pacquet of Advice from Rome which exposes Popery as it deseâ—ves as ridiculous to the People a new and arbitrary Rule of Court was made in your Majesty's Court of King's Bench rather like a Star-chamber than a Court of Law that the same should not for the future be printed by any Person whatsoever We acknowledg your Majesty's Grace and Care in issuing forth divers Proclamations since the Discovery of the Plot for the banishing Papists from about this great City and Residence of your Majesty's Court and the Parliament but with trouble of Mind we do humbly inform your Majesty that notwithstanding all these Prohibitions great Numbers of them and of the most dangerous Sort to the Terrour of your Majesty's Protestant Subjects do daily resort hither and abide here Vnder these and other sad Effects and Evidences of the prevalency of Popery and its Adherents we your Majesty's faithful Commons found this your Majesty's distressed Kingdom and other Parts of your Dominions labouring when we assembled And therefore from our Allegiance to your Majesty our Zeal to our Religion our Faithfulness to our Country and our Care of Posterity we have lately upon mature Deliberation proposed one Remedy of these great Evils without which in our Judgments all others will prove vain and fruitless and like all deceitful Securities against certain Dangers will rather expose your Majesty's Person to the greatest Hazard and the People together with all that 's valuable to them as Men or Christians to utter Ruin and Destruction We have taken this Occasion of an Access to your Majesty's Royal Presence humbly to lay before your Majesty's great Judgment and gracious Consideration this most dreadful Design of introducing Popery and as a necessary Consequent of it all other Calamities into your Majesty's Kingdoms And if after all this the private Suggestions of the subtle Accomplices of that Party and Design should yet prevail either to elude or totally to obstruct the faithful Endeavours of us your Commons for the happy Settlement of these Kingdoms we shall have this remaining Comfort That we have free'd our selves from the Guilt of that Blood and Desolation which is like to ensue But our only hope next under God is in your Sacred Majesty that by your great Wisdom and Goodness we may be effectually secured from Popery and all the Evils that attend it and that none but Persons of known Fidelity to your Majesty and sincere Affections to the Protestant Religion may be put into any Employment Civil or Military That whilst we shall give a Supply to Tangier we may be assured we do not augment the Strength of our Popish Adversaries nor encrease our own Dangers Which Desires of your faithful Commons if your Majesty shall graciously vouchsafe to grant we shall not only be ready to assist your Majesty in defence of Tangier but do whatsoever else shall be in our Power to enable your Majesty to protect the Protestant Religion and Interest at home and abroad and to resist and repel the Attempts of your Majesty's and the Kingdoms Enemies 9. Observe the Vote against your self which was made April the 27. 1679. That the Duke of York's being a Papist and the Hopes of his coming to the Crown such hath given the greatest Incouragement to the present Conspiracy and Designs of the Papists against the King and the Protestant Religion Upon which Sir a Bill was brought in and is as follows A Copy of the Duke of York 's BILL WHereas James Duke of York is notoriously known to have been perverted from the Protestant to the Popish Religion whereby not only great Incouragement hath been given to the Popish Party to enter into and carry on most Devilish and Horrid Plots and Conspiracies for the Destruction of his Majesty's Sacred Person and Government and for the Extirpation of the true Protestant Religion But also if