or Write any other new Laws agaonst Roman Catholicks The great Concessions of King Iames towards the Roman Catholicks brought great swarms of Priests and Jesuits into England who were busie in drawing the People from the Protestant Religion And a titular Bishop of Calcedon privately came to London to Exercise Episcopal Jurisdiction over the Roman Catholicks of this Kingdom 'T is said that the King had now so much confidence of the Match as to say openly in the Courâ— That now all the Devils in Hell could not break it The Spaniards the better to cover their Designs ordered that the Infanta should be stiled the Princess of England and she was kept no longer in her Virgin Retirements The Spanish Match having been long in Treaty and it being suspected now that the Spaniard did juggle with the States in this as they formerly did in a Match with that brave Prince Henry Whether the King suspected any such matter or any whimsie came into the Brains of the great Favourite and Prince to imitate the old Stories of the Knights Errand but agreed it was it should seem that the Prince must go himself very privately into Spain with his Favourite Buckingham under the borrowed Names of Iack and Tom Smith and they had the Ports laid so that none should follow them to give any Notice to the French Court through which they must pass And now many Lords and other Servants flock over that he might appear the Prince of Great Britain Many Treaties were soâ—etimes Hope sometimes Fear sometimes great Assurance then all dasht again At last after many Heats and Cools the Prince wrote a Letter to his Father of a desperate Despair not only of not enjoying his Lady but of never more rerurning Now the folly of this Voyage began to appear many smiling at the Follies that were concerned in it and however the King was a cunning Dissembler and shewed much outward Sorrow as he did for Prince Henry's Death yet the Court believed little Grief came near his Heart for that secret Hatred he had of late bore to Buckingham as being satiated with him and his Adorning the Rising Sun made it generally thought that he would not value the losing his Son so that Buckingham might be lost also Yet Buckingham had so much awe over the King that he durst not make shew to affect any other One great Reason of the King 's Hating of Buckingham was a large Information that he privately received from one Inniosa an Extraordinary Ambassador from Spain of Buckingham's Design on his Person whether by Poyson Pistol Dagger c. he could not tell Buckingham being fully satisfied on several Accounts of the great Hatred the King now bore unto him He turned as great a Hater of the King and though the King had more power to Revenge He had less Courage And however the World did believe the King's Inclinations was out of a Religious ground that he might not Revenge yet it was no other but a Cowardly Disposition that durst not adventure But altho the King lost his opportunity on Buckingham yet the black Plaister and Powder did shew Buckingham lost not his on the King and that it was no Fiction but a Reality that Padro Macestria had formerly told the King And now the Prince returns from Spain and all the fault of the Match not succeeding is laid on Bristol who was Ambassador there And Buckingham from an Accused Man in the former Parliament came to be the Darling of this Parliament And in the Banquetting-House before both Houses of Parliament does Buckingham give an Account at large of his Spanish Voyage and to every full point as a further Aâ—testation he saith How say you Sir To which the Prince answered I Yea or Yes Bristol having some Friends that sent Advice of All into Spain He immediately posts into England makes Buckingham's Relation and Accusation wholly False and Scandalous and becomes a great Favourite to King Iames. I shall now bring the Secret Story of this King's Life to an end He now goes his last Hunting Journey I mean the last of the Year as well as his Life which he ever ended in Lent and was seised on by an extraordinary Tertian Ague yet 't was not the Ague as himself confessed to many of his Servants one of which câ—ying Courage Sir this is but a small Fit the next will be none at all At which he most earnestly looked and said Ah! It is not the Ague afflicteth me but the black Plaister and Powder given me and laid to my Stomach Nor was it fair Dealing if he had fair Play which himself suspected often saying to the Earl of Montgomery whom he trusted above all Men in his Sickness For God's sake look I â—ave fair Play to bring in an Emperick to apply any Medicines whilst those Physicians appointed to attend him were at Dinner nor could any but Buckingham answer it with less than his Life Buckingham visiting the King just as he was at the point of Deathâ— who mournfully fixâ— his Eyes on him as who would have said You are the Man that has ruined me It were worth the knowledge what his Confessions was or what other Expressions he made of himself or any other but that was only known to the Dead Arch-Bishop Abbot and the then living Bishop Williams and the Lord-keeper and it was thought Williams had blabbed something which incensed the King's Anger and Buckingham's Hatred so much against him that the loss of his Place could not be explatory sufficient but his utter ruine must be determined Now have we brought this King who stiled himself the King of Peace and put on Mortality the 27 th of March to rest in all Peace We shall conclude his Remarks with an Appendix shâ—â—ing the particulars of a great manâ— Millions of good English Money even to an almost incredible Sum this King Expended on his Fruitless Embâ—ssies B ng Favourites Beggarly Scots Ant-Suppers Masqueradoes and other Buffoons even to a far greater Sum than his Predecessor Queen Elizabeth of Happy Memory Expended in all Her Wars in Ireland and with Spain c. during her Forty Four Years Reign King IAMES's LETTER TO Pope CLEMENT Most Holy Father HAVING understood by several Reports how diligent the Rivals of our Condition have been that the Sword of your Authority should he unsheathed against us and with what constancy your Prudence hath hitherto refused it we could do no less than return Thanks for such a good turn received especially upon so fair an Occasion when the Bearer of these a Scotch Man by Nation but a Roman by Adoption was returning unto your Dominion We recommend him to your Holiness to whom for his good Parts you have been already Beneficial that you would attentively bear him in those things which he shall deliver in our Name And because we know there is no better Remedy against the Calumnies of Ill Willers who by commemorating our Injuries done to Catholicks procure Envy to
Subverted and altered the Fundamental Constitution in making English Men liable to be turned at the Arbitrary Pleasure of the King And as an addiâ—ion to this those Mercinary Members by the Orders and Directions of their most Pious and Protestant Pay-Master the King past another Law which was styled The Act for Corporations by which Men of Principles and Integrity were debarred all Offices of Magistracy in Cities and Corporate Towns the woful effects of which the Kingdom not long after both saw and felt in the Surrender of Charters and Betraying of Franchises by Persons upon whom the Government of â—he Corporations came to be delivered by Vertue of that Act which excluded so many Honest Able and Vertuous Men the Persons whom the King for his by-ends nominated for fit and Loyal Men would never have risen above the Offices of Scavengers Headboroughs or Constables at the highest To this as mainly contributed to the King's Design of Enslaving us we may subjoyn their passing an Act whereby they did boâ—h limit and confine those that were to present Petitions to the King not to exceed Ten Persons Let the Matter to be represented be ne're so Important or the Grievance to be redress'd never so Illegal or Oppressive yet it was made no less than a Riot if above Ten Persons Address'd themselves to the King to crave the bâ—nefit of the Law A Trouble which the King câ—reâ—ully provided against knowing how many Laâ—s he had to break and how Burthensome and Oppressive he must be to the People bâ—fore â—e could compleat the Fabrick of Slavery and â—â—pâ—ry which he was Erecting Nor was this all For the King being Conscious â—f his own saâ—â—ing and finding that through his own 〈◊〉 and the Importunities of his consuming Misâ—es he could not depend on any definiâ—e Suâ—m for accomplishing his Promises to his Holy Father the Pope and his Trusty Confederate the French King got Two Bills prepared and carried into the House the passing of which had compleated the Nations Misery and made him Absolute The one was To Empower His Majesty upon extraordinary Occasions of which he would not have failed to have been the Judge as often as he pleased to raise Money without a Parliament And the other was For settling an Vniversal Excise upon the Crown The Passing either of which the King well knew would have been soon enabled him to have Govern'd by Basha's and Ianizaries and redeem'd him from having any further need of Parliaments But what the King had so finely projected to enslave the Nation and obtain whatever he had a mind to prov'd the Ground of their Disappointment and the occasion oâ— the Nations escape from the snare that was laid for it For the Mercenary Members fore-seeing That the passing these Bills would have put an end to these Pensions by rendring them useless for the time to come consulting their Gain and preferring it above what the Court called their Loyalty fell in with the honest Party and so became assistant in throwing out the Bills However Piouâ— AEneas finding the Nation grew sensible of his covert Intentions and Encroachments upon their Laws and Liberties and desparing of getting any more Acts passed in Parliament toward the promoting his Desings resolved to Husband the Laws he had already obtain'd as much as he could to the Ruin of the Nâ—tion and where they failed of being Serviceable to his Ends to betake himself to other Methods and Means And therefore besides the daily Impoverishing Confining and destroying of infinite numbers of Honest and Peaceable People Under pretence of Executing the Laws he made it his business to invent new Projects to tear up the Rights and Liberties of the People by ways and means which had not the least shadow of a Law to countenance them Having made this fair Progress towards the enslaving both the Souls and Bodies of his own Subjects at home let us take a view of his Zeal to the Protestant Religion abroad And first for the Protestants of France When Monsieur Rohan came into England to acquaint his Pious Majesty with the Resolutions taken at Paris to persecute and if possible to root out the Reformed in France and proposed Overtures to the King as would have been greatly for his Glory and Interest yet no way contrary to the Allegiance of that poor People he remitted the Monsieur to his Brother the D. of York who not only inform'd the French Ambassador of the Gentleman's Errand but placed him behind the Hangings to hear what Monsieur Rohan had to represent and propose to him Which although the Ambassador to could not but abhor in the Two â—rothers and was asham'd of in himself yet he could do no less than inform his Master of what he had seen and heard Upon which the poor Gentleman on his Return out of England was so narrowly watched that being Apprehended upon the Borders of Switzerland he was carried back to Paris and there broken upon the Wheel Nor did it satisfie â—he King and his dear Brother the Duke to have thus Betray'd as well as Abandoned the Protestants in France but with the utmost Malice that Popery could inspire into them they sought the Destruction of the Seven Uniâ—ed Provinces upon no other Account but their being Protestant States and for giving Shelter to those who being Persecuted by himself and his Confederate the French Tyrant for their Religion fled thither for Protection and Safety For knowing what in due time they intended to bring upon the Protestants at home they thought it most requisite to destroy those Protestant States in the first place that there might remain no Sanctuary for their Persecuted Subâ—ects And indeed abaring this and one more Ground of their Quarrel with those Stateâ— never was a War undertaken upon more â—rivilous Pretences than those Two which the King engaged in against the Seven Provinces in the Year 1667. and 1672. Nor can any thing justifie the Discretion and Wisdom of the Wars had they not been undertaken meerly in Subserviency to the promoting Popery and Slavery seeing that upon all other Grounds that Reason and Prudence can suggest it was the Interest of England as still it is to preserve the Government of Holland entire Nor can we have a true Account of the Grounds upon which the Two Monarchs of England and France agreed the War against Holland in the Year 1672. than by the Representation which the French Ambassador made of it both at Rome and Vienna For tho' his Publick Declaration pretended no more but that it was to seek Reparation for the Diminution of his Glory yet the Account he gave to the Pope of his Masters and consequently of our Protestant Monâ—rch his first Confederate undertaking that War was That he did it in order to the extirpation of Heresie And in the same manner they sought to justifie the Piety of that Enterprize to his Imperial Majesty by alledging That the Hollanders were a People that had forsaken God â— and were
Bull. And this iâ— is plain Thâ—t the Tâ—iâ—ple Leaâ—ue was 〈…〉 to the Ends of the French King to ruine the Dutch and to bring the Three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland under the Yokes of Arâ—itrary Power and Roman Catholick Idolatry after a Total Abolition of the Name of Parliaments and Subversion of the Fundamental Laws Gratias tibi piissime atque invictissime Rex Carole Secunde And that he might not as much as in him lay meet with after rubs Mr. H. C. was dispatched into Sweeden to dissolve the Tripple League in that Kingdom which he did so effectually by co-operating with the French Ministers in that Court that the Swede aâ—ter it came to Rupture never assisâ—ed to any purpose â—r prosecuted the â—nds of the said Alliance only by Arming himsâ—lf at the expence of the League first under a disguised Mediation acted the French Interest and at last threw off his Vizard and drew his Sword on the French side in the Quarreâ— And at home when the Project repined and grew hopeful the Lord-Keeper was discharged from his Office and both he the Duke of Ormâ—nd Prinâ—e Rupert and Secretary Trevor were discarded out of the Committee for Forreign Affairs as being too honest to comply with the Intreagues thâ—n on Foot The Exchequer for some Years bâ—fore by the Bâ—it of more than ordinary Gain hâ—d deâ—â—y'd in the greatest part of the most Weaâ—thy Goldsmiths and they the rest of the Money'd Peâ—ple of the Nâ—tion by the due Payment of Interest till the King was run in Debt upon what Account no Bodâ— knew above Two Millions Stâ—rling which served for one of the Pretences in the Lord-Keepâ—rs Speech at the opening of tâ—e Parliamenâ— to demand and obtain a Grant of the fore-menâ—ioned Supplies and might plentifully have sufficed to dis-engage the King with Peace and any tolerable good Husbandry But as if it had been perfidious to have applied them to any of the Purpâ—ses declared instead of Payment it was privately resolvâ—d upon to shat up the Exchequer lest any pâ—rt of the Money should have been legally expâ—nded but that all might be appropriated to the Holy War in prospect and those fâ—r more Pious uses to which the â—ing had Dedicated it This Affair was carried on with â—â—l the Secresie imaginable lest the unseasonble venting of it should â—ave spoiled the Wit and Mâ—lice of the Design So that all on a sudden uâ—â— the first of Iaâ—uary 1671. to the great Astonishment Ruin and Despair of so many Interest Peâ—sons and to the Terror of the whole Nation by so Arbitrary a Fact the Proclamation Issued forth in the midst of the Confluence of so many vast Aids and so great a Revenue whereby the Crown published it self Bankrupt made Prize of the Subject and broke all Faith and Contract at Home in order to the breaking of both Abroad with more Advantage What was this but a Robbery committed upon the People under the Bond and Security of the Royal Faith By which many Hundreds were as really impoverished and undone as if he had violently broken into their Houses and taken their Money out of their Coffers Nay that would have lookâ—d Generous and Great whereas the other was Base and Sneaking Only it seem'd more agreeable to His Majesty's Temper to Rob his Subjects by a Tâ—ick than to Plunder them by direct and open Force There remained nothing now but that the King after this Famous â—xploit upon his own Subjâ—cts should manifest his Impartiality to Foreigâ—ers and assert the Justice of his intended Quarrel with the Hâ—llanders Thereupon the Dispute about the Flag upon occasion of the Fansan Yatch was started a fresh and a great noise was made of Infamous Libels horrid Pictures Pillars set up and Medals Coined to the infinite dishonour of his Majesty's Peâ—son his Crown and Dignity though not one of the Libels or Pictures could be produced and as for the Pillars they never had any Being but in the imagination of those that made it their business to raise Jealousies between the Two Nations 'T is true there was a Medal coin'd which might have been spared but so soon as it was known in Holland that Exceptions were takâ—â— as it the Stamp was broken to pâ—eces Some time after the French King seeing the English after the Affair of Sir R. H. on the Smirna Fleet engaged past all Retreaâ— comes in with his Fleet not to Fight but only to sound our Seas to spy our Ports to learn our Building to learn our way of Fighting and to consume ours â—and preserve his own Navy For no sooner had the Duke of York as the Design was laid suâ—â—ered himself to be shamefully surprized but the Vice-Admiral â— the Earl oâ— Sandwich was Sacrificed and the rest of the Eâ—glish Fleet so torn â—nd mangled that the English Honour was laid not in the Dust buâ— in the Mud while his Royal Highness did all that was expectâ—d from him and Monsieur D' Estreâ—s who Commanded the French did all that he was sent for There was Three other several Engagemâ—nts oâ— ours with the Dutch the next Summer But while nothing was tenable at Land against the Fâ—ench so it seem'd that to the English every thing was impregnable at Sea which was not to be arâ—riâ—â—ted to the want of Courage or Conduct oâ— the then Commanders but rather to the unlucky Conjuâ—ction of the Engiâ—sh to the French like the Disasters that happen to Men by being in â—ll Company In the mean time the hopes of the Spanish and Smâ—rna Fleet being vanished the slender Allowance from the French not sufficing to defray farther Charges and the ordinary Revenue of His Majesty with all the former Aids being in less than one Years time exhausted the Parliament with the King 's most Gracious leave was permitted to Siâ— again at the time appointed At what time at the King 's and the Lord-Keepers usual daubing way the War was first Communicated to them and the Causes the Necessity and Danger so well pointed out that upon the King 's earnest Suit the Commons though in a War begun without their Advice readily Voâ—ed no less than One Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Steoling though they would not say it was â—or the War but for the King 's extraordinary Occasions And now the King having got the Money into his Hâ—nds a new Project was set on â—ooâ— to set up an Army in â—ngland for the introducing of Slavery and Poperâ— under the pretence of Landing in Holland which was raised with all the expedition imaginable over which was Coll. Fitz Geâ—ald an Irish Papist made Major-General so were the greatest number of the Captains and otâ—er Officers of the same stamp And because that pretence was soon blown over it was afterwards still continued on foot undâ—r the more plausible Colour of a War wiâ—h France But after all these cunning Contrivances to do with them what he pleased whereas before theâ— hâ—d Power to Aâ—semble every Three Years
for the punishment of which no Laws can be too severe were encouraged and courted with Rewards Nullus a pâ—na â—â—minum cessariâ— dies dicreta accusaâ—oâ—ibius praâ—â—â—â—â— premia nemine delatorum sides abrogata omne Câ—imen pro Capitali receptum etiam paucorum simpliciumque Verborum No day passed without some Punishment inflicted great Rewards given to Informers no Informer but what was beliâ—v'd all Crimes were adjudged Capital tho' meerly a few idle Words Such a harmony there was between these Times and pernicious Reign of that Master in Cruelty and Dissimulation Tiberius But the Roguery being discovered while Fitz Haris thought to have put Everard upon this Dilemma either to Hang or fix the Libel upon others he came to run himself into the Noose Lord into what an Agony it put the King the Duke his dear Brother and their then Jugling Instruments that the King who a little before was so overjoyed with the accoâ—nt of the contrivance which was given him at Whitehall that he could hardly contain himself from displaying the Raptures of his Soul was now so highly incensed against Fitz Harris that he was heard to say That he should Die if there were no more Men in England But his Confession to the Recorder Sir George Treby so enraged his Employers that he was presently lockt up in the Tower out of the reach of all Men but the Lieâ—tâ— to damn him for spoiling so good a Design But above all things there was such a dread amongst the Conspirators lest the Parliament should come to the knowledge of the depth of the Design that their resolute insisting to have the Cognizance of the Crime within their own Jurisdiction was the occasion of the sudden Dissolution After which a Chief Justice was Exalted on purpose to Hang Fitz-Harris out of the way to prevent his farther Discovery for no sooner was the Parliament Dissolved but Fitz-Harris was Hanged and by that means many a Mystery of Iniquity concealed The Dissolution of this and the forgoing Parliament was justified by a Declaration in the King's Name which being published with all the Severity and Reproach that could be cast upon those Worthy Patriots verified the Report of what the King had been heard to say That he would make the name of Parliaments to be forgotten in England However the Parliament being blown up and the King running away in a pretended pannick Fear from Oxford to colour the ensuing Projects of Plotting and Subordination no sooner was he settled again at London and Fitz-Harris hang'd to the great Joy of those thâ—t Adored him before but the Gazette was cram'd with Addresses from all Parts of the Nation to thank the King for his Expressions and Promises to Govern by Law which was no more than his Duty But those Addresses were only Signed by the unthinking loose and rascally part of the People who were not sensible of the Mischief which was thereby intended which was to make the Nation out of Love with Parliaments thereby to unhinge the Government and to introduce Tyranny and Arbitrary Power And that the Addressors were only the Câ—â—â—ile of the Kingdom with only a Tool of Quality at the Head of them the Con well kâ—ew Some time aâ—â—â—â— Fitz-â—â—â—â—â—â— was Executed a Paper was Published in the name of his Reâ—â—â—â—tion which his Wiâ—â— hearing â—râ—ed 〈…〉 and viewing â—â— â—â—ked 〈…〉 those were her Hâ—â—bands Papers 〈…〉 her They were To whic◠〈…〉 band wâ— Dâ—â—â—ed for tâ—â—t she 〈◊〉 all thâ—◠〈◊〉 to be false However upon the Groâ—â—d-work of this Reâ—â—ntation a Committee of Subordination wâ—sâ—â—ected by whose Directions Tuâ—bervil Dugdale and all the Irish Evidence who had been most conversant with the Earl of Shaftsbury upon the Account of the Irish Plot together with one Booth by whom a full Detection of the whole Villany has since â—een made with a full disclosure of all the Artifices made use of to have corrupted the Integrity of that honest Gentleman Captain Wilkinson And all those Varlets were now lisâ—ed and received into Pay by the said Committee of Subornation and a swearing School being set up according to the directions of the Committee they receive every one their distinct Cues and Lessons to con and get by Heart against occasion should serve by the Settlement of the Committee which was approved as was every thing else they did by his Protestant Majesty Colledge's Tryal is too well known to be here repeated but after Ages will observe how he was removed from London where he had been acquitted to another remote Countrey where his Prosecutors were assured of his Destruction by deluded Ignorance and partial Knavery how he was accused and testified against by Nabâ—â—h's â—vidence the Scandal and Reproach of all Mankind whose Memories stink upon the Eâ—rtâ— and would soon be forgotten but that their Names are made use of to transmit the Infamy of their Employerâ— to Posterity All the severiâ—es used at his Tryal wereâ— palpable Demonstrations of that Innocent Man's being determined to Destruction right or wrong on purpose to lay the Foundation of farther Butcheries so that being fâ—eâ—hed by this Success the next attempt of the King's Justice was upon the â—arl of Shaftsbury for the same preâ—ended Treason for which Colledge had suffered And here Posterity will make the same Observations and Concluâ—ionâ— in general as in Colâ—â—dge's Case But more particularly will after Ages easily conclude from hence That it was not for any contrivance of his Lordship but by a Project of Court and Popish Revenge to destroy a Person who by his Courage Wisdom and good Intelligence had Opposed and Defeated so many of their Designs against the Religion and Welfare of the Nation For that this Plot upon his Lordship was so early communicated to Rome and other Foreign Parts That it was talked of at Paris and in Flanders sometime before his Lordship was imprisoned in England They will observe the Injustice done his Lordship in refusing to let him see or know the Persons that deposed against him which was not denied either to Coleman or the Jesuits and which being so contrary to Law was a plain Demonstration That either the Witnesses were not thought of Credit sufficient to support the Confinement of so great a Peer or else that it was not convenient to trust the general course of their Lives to be scrutined too soon The Motives that induced the Court to begin with this great and eminent Peer will be easily discernable to suâ—ceeding Ages For to what Man of Sense and Reason is it not apparent That it was the Policy of the Court That their Revenge against this Earl should not be Adjourned till they had tryed the Credit of their Witnesses upon other considerable Persons for fear lest by his Lordships Industry and Abilities he should not only have detected and exposed the whole Intrigue but have broken the Engine by which the Two Brothers thought to have made themselves absolute Lords of the Religion Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom
that Kings are accountable to none but God A set of Judges are pickt out to overturn the very Fundamentals of Humane Society and Annihilate the very ends of Goveroment This the King knew must be done by Judges that had abandoned all â—igh Opinon of God and Nature and had quitted all sence of Conscience and True Honour and had wholly given up their Judgments to the foolish Enticements of Ambition and Flattery And when he had found out such it was easie for him to say with â—is Grandfather of the same Name Let me make what Iudges I please and I will easily have what I please to be Law No wonder then these Judges having Instruments drawn up by Brent which pass'd the Great Seal to Indemnifie them for whatever they did or said Illegally affirm`d it to the King for Law That the King was an Independent Prince That the Laws of the Kingdom were the Kings Laws That the Kings of England might Dispence with all Laws that regarded Penalties and Punishments as oft as necessity required That they were Iudges and Arbitrators who have Power to Iudge of the Necessity which may induce them to make use of these Dispensations And Lastly That the King of England could not Ronounce a Prerogative annexed to the Crown By Vertue of which Concessions and Opinions of the Judges all the Laws in England made in the Reigns of our four several Princes for the security of the Natinn against Popery and Arbitrary Government were rendered of no Effect By Vertue of these Concessions Arundel of Warder was made Lord Privy Seal Alibon a Judge and Castlemain was sent with great Pomp an Embassador to Rome to be there contemn`d and dispis`d by his Holiness for the bad name which his Master had among all the Princes of Europe and the ill Opinion the Pope himself had of him By Vertue of these Concessions it was that the greatest part of the Kingdom`s Military Safety and Defence was put into the hands of persons incapable to be intrusted with them by the Express Laws of the Kingdom and that the Execution of the Ancient Laws and Statutes of the Realm against divers sorts of Treasons and other hainous Crimes was stopt By Vertue of these Concessions Sir Eâ— Hale`s waâ— made Lieutenant of the Tower to Terrifie the City with his Morter-pieces and level his Great Guns to the Destruction of the Metropolis of the Kingdom when the Word should be given him By Vertue of these Concessions it was that Peters was made a Privy Counsellor to outbrave the Arch-Bishop râ— Canterbury and the Bishop of London that he had his four Provincial Bishops and that the Priests and Jesuites swarm`d in all parts of the Kingdom Built themselves Convents hired Mass-Houses made open Profession of their Foppish Religion in the Chief City of the Nation and in several of the Great Cities and Towns of the Kingdom and publickly Ridicul`d the Scripture in their Pulpits All which Transgressions of all the Laws of the Land both Civil and Ecclesiastick are so fully Represented in the Memorial of the Protestants to their Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Orange That they cannot be more fully nor more sensibly repeated But the Inundation stopt not here it was to be a general Deluge or nothing at all To which purpose all Obstructions that oppos`d the Torrent were to be level`d or remov`d out of the way for effecting of which there could be no Engine thought sufficient but that of the Ecclesiastical Commission so Arbitrary in its Original that it had nothing but the Pillars of the Prerogative to support it and mana`d with that Arbitrary Fury by Iefferies That he look`d like a Monstrous Titan Warring against the Heaven of Law and Justice For he had no way to carry Illegality with a high hand but by arrogant Domineering and surely Incivility while he had nothing to offer to any Person that offerâ—d Law to him but Sic Volo Sic Iubeo To tell a Peer of England and the Bishop oâ— London so much his Superior only that he sate upon the Throne of his Commission he that was not to be mentioned with the Bishop in the same day was such a foul piece of Exeâ—berance of his Guild-Hall Eloquence which only could have dropt from the Lips of insulting Barbarism All that can be said for him is this That as many Men commit Absurdities when loaden with Wine this was one of his Extravagancies in his Drink of Honour And indeed after he had tasted of that potent Charm the whole Course of his Behaviour seemed to be a meer Intoxication which made him afterwards make use of the same Receipt to drown both his Life and his Dishonour together However the Suspending this Noble Peer and â—ishop contrary to all pretence of Law for reâ—using to â—bey the Kings unjust and illegal Command was no such Advantage to the King 's Causâ— that he had so much reason to â—hank the Chancellor or Peters either for putting him upon committing a greater Aâ—t of Injustice to justifie a less The Bishop was too wâ—ll and â—oo generally beloved among all the Professors of Prâ—testantism for the Papists to put such an Affront upon â—o Eminent a Father of the Proâ—estant Church for them not to refent it even the more prudent Papistâ— thought it a Proceeding too harsh and unreasonable and the more moderate look'd upon it as too base and unworthy so that the Hot-spurs of the King's Council were losers on every side And besides it was such a stabbing Contradiction to the King's Speech in Council upon his Brother's Death That since it had pleased God he should succeed so good and gracious a Prince as his dear Brother he was resolved to â—ollow his Example more especially in that of Clemency and Tenderness to his People That the Barbarous suspending this Bishop was one of Royal Word Which though he had falsified already in his severity to Oates and Dangerfield yet the Person of a Peer and Bishop and a Star of the first Magnitude in the Church of England rendered much more conspicuous But the King was under a necessity he had declared one thing to the Protestants but he had bound himself to do another for the Papists If he falsified with the Protestants the Papists could absolve him if he proved unfaithâ—ul to the Papists they would never forgive him And in this Dilemma he resolved to â—ollow the Maxim of his Profession Not to keep Faiâ—h with Hereticks Neither were the steps he made the steps of Stateâ—convenience now and then upon an exigency but all in a huddle out of his Zeal to make large steps for fear he should die and leave the Papists worse than he found them These severe Proceedings against the Bishop of London werd the Violation of that part of his Declaration wherein he promised the Preservation of the Ecclesiastical Government as Established by Law But the Barbarous usage of the Gentlemen of both Maudlin Colledges was an unsanctified breach of
us and Thanks to themselves then that some of our Countrey-Men Zealous of the Truth though differing from the Religiin which we have sucked from our Infancy should have an Hâ—nourable Occasion of making their abode in the Court of Rome from whom your Holiness may be certainly insormed of the state of our Affairs In this regard We recommend to you the Bishop of Vazion who as he dâ—th impute whatsoever increase of his condition to your Holyness alone so We are earnest Suitors that for our sake especially the Hâ—nour of the Cardinals Cap may be added to his former Advantages By this means the Calumny of our Enemies will cease when such are present with you who may be able to assert the truth of our doing We do not desire any of our Actions should be concealed from just Arbitrators for though We have been bred up in the Truth of that Religion which we now profess yet We have always determined That there is nothing better and safer than piously and without ostentation to endeavour the promoting of those things which really belong to the Gloâ—y of God's Name and laying aside the Goads of Envy and applying the warmth and fomentation of Charity diligently to consider what belongeth not to the empty Name of Religion but to the Holy Symbol of true Piety But because we have discoursed more at large of these things with the Bearer hereof a Man not Vnlâ—arned and indifferently well conversant in our Affairs We have thought best to be no more tedious by a long Letter From Holy Rood Septemb. 24. 1599. Your Holiness's Most Dutiful Son James Rex This Letter was conveyed by Edward Drummond the Lawyer whom the King sent to the Pope the Duke of Tuskany the Duke of Savoy and other Princes and Cardinals First You shall most respectively Salute in Our Namâ— the Pope and those other Prinâ—es and Cardinals and having delivered our Letters of Credence shall signifie That we exceedingly desire to reserve with them the measure of Love and Good VVill which is fitting to remove not only all suspicion but any thing that may be the cause of suspicion That altho we persist in the Religion which we sucked from our Iâ—fancy yet we are not so void of Charity but to think well of all Christians if so be they continue in their Duty first towards God and then towards the Magistrate whose Sâ—bjects they are That we never exercised any Cruelâ—y against the Catholicks for their Religion And because it doth very much concern us that we may be able to assert the Truth by our Friends and Subjects with the same diligence that Slanderers Lye therefore you shall endeavour to the utmost to perswade the Pope aâ— well at our Entreaty as for the desire of thâ—se mâ—st illustrious Princes whom in our Letters we have solicited on our behalf to make the Bishop of Vazion Cardinal wherein if you be successful as soâ—n as we shall be certified thereof we will proceed further You must be cautious not to proceed any farther in this businessâ— either with the Pope or thâ— most Illustrious Cardinals â—â—less there be a certain hope of our wished event THE SECRET HISTORY OF King CHARLES I. THE Misfortunes of this Monarch Son to King Iames with the uncouth dismal and unexpressable Calamities that happened thereupon was in a great measure caused by the imprudent Commissions and voluntary Omissions of King Iames As it may justly be said He like Adam by bringing the Crown into so great a Necessity through profuse Prodigality became the Original of his Sons Fall who was in a manner compell'd to stretch out his Hands towards such Gatherings and Taxes as were contrary to Law by which He fell from the Paradice of a Prince to wit The Hearts of his People though thâ— best Politicians exâ—ant might Miscarry in their Calculation of a Civil-War immediately to follow upon the Death of Queen Elizabeth in Vindication of the numerous Titles and Opinions then current Yet the Beggarly Rabble attending King Iames not only at his first coming out of Scotland but through his whole Reign like a fluent Spring found still câ—ossing the River Tweed did so far justifie the former conjecture as it was only thought mistaken in relation to time The fiâ—st thing this King did after the performing his Father's Funeral Rights was the consummating the Marriâ—ge withâ— Henrietta Maria a Daughter of Fâ—ance whom he had formerly seen in his Journey through that Countrey into Spain The King then call'd a Parliament who met the 11th of Iune following to whom he represented in a short Speech The urgent necessity of raising a Subsidy to â—aâ—ry on the VVar with Spain But the Parliament presented first their Two Petitions concerning Reasâ—ns of Religion and Complaint of their Suffâ—rings which points had been offered to his Father King Iames In both which they at present received Satiâ—faction Upon which the King obtained two Subsidies to be paid by Protestants and four by Papist Laiety and three from the Clergy On the 11th of Iuly 1629. the Parliament was Adjourned â—ill August the 1st when the King declared to them the necessity of setting forâ—h a Fleet for the Recovery of the Palatinate The Lord Treasurer insâ—anced the several Sums of Money King Iames died Indebted to the City of London this occasioned very warm Debates in the House of Commons who alleadged That Evil Councils guided the King's Designs That the Treasury was misimployed That it would be necessary to Petition the King for Honester and Abler Councilâ— Thaâ— it was not usual to grant Subsidies upon Suâ—sidies in one Parliament and no Grievances Redressed with many other of the like nature And being incensed against the Duke of Buckingham they began to think of divesting him â—f his Office and to require an account of the publick Money c. To prevent whichâ— the King Dissolved the Parliament And now the King 's put upon taking up Money upon Loan of such Persons as were thought of Ability to Lend To whom Letters were Issued out in the King's Name to exâ—ite them to it But this not answering the King Summons a Parliament to Siâ— Feb. 6. and being Meâ— they â—ell immediately â—pon Debate of the publick Grievances much the same as the former Then the House of Commons were very busie in searching the Signet Office for the Original of a Leâ—ter under the Signet written to the Mayor of York for Reprieving divers Priests and Jesuits This was Reported by Pim Chair-Man to the Committee for Religion but the King immediately demanded a supply for the English and Irish Forces This was highly resented by the Commons and several sharp Speeches were made in the House But notwiâ—hâ—â—anding the Commons aâ— last Voted Three Subsidies and Three Fifteenâ— and the Bill shall be brought in as soon as the Grievances which were Represented were Redressed But the King observing they did not make the hasâ—e he expectâ—d sends a sharp Message to them complains against their Grievances and
and the House of Commons Vote That the Kings Person should be dâ—manded of the Scots and that their whole Army return home upon Receiâ—â— of part of thâ—ir Arrears the rest to be sent after them And a Committee is appointed to Treat with the Scotch Commissioners about drawing up Propositions to be sent to the King wherein much time was spent in wrangling whilst the English deny the Scots to have any Right in the Disposal of the King of England and the Scots as stifly alledged He was their King as much as of the English and they had as good Right to dispose of the King in England as the English could Challenge in Scotland But at last they agreed on Sixteen General Propositions which were presented to the King at New-Castle Iuly 27. 1646. But these Propositions were such that the King did not think fit to comply withal The Scots general Assembly sent a Remonstrance to the King desiring him to settle Matters in England according to the Covenants c. But all this did not do and therefore the Scots who had hiâ—herto so sharply disputed about the Disposal of the Kings Person are content upon the Receipt of Two Hundred Thousand Pounds to depart home and leave the King in the Power of the Parliament who Voted him to Holmby-House and sent their Commissioners to receive him from the Scots at New-Castle to whom Feb. 8. 1646. He was accordingly delivered and the Scots returned home Some Petitions from Essex and other Places are presented to the Parliament inveighing against the Proceedings of the Army which much vexed the Soldiers who sharply Apologize for themselves And now the Army to the great Terror of the Parliament march towards London and came as far as St. Alban's notwiâ—hstanding a Message from Both Houses not to come within Twenty Five Miles of the City which the General excused saying That he Army was come thither before they received the Parliaments Desire And here he obtains a Months Pay The Parliament then drew up Propositions of Peace to be sent to the King at Hampton-Court the same in substance with those offered at New Castle and had the like effect The Business of Episcopacy being always the main Objection which the Parliament were resolved to Abolish And the King preferring that before all other Respects would rather loose All than consent thereunto The Scots Commissioners send a Letter Novemb. 6. 1647. to the Speaker of the House of Commons aâ—d require That the King may be admitted to a Personal Treaty or at least That he should not be carried from Hampton-Court violently but that Commissioners of both Parliaments may â—reely pass to and from Him to Treat for the Settlement of the Kingdom After which divers Mesâ—ages past between the King and the Parliament and several Conferrences were set on Foot particularly that of Henderson's but they proving â—ruitless the Parliament with most of the Officers of the Army that joyned with them brought the King to a Tryal by a Judicature of their own setting up which proved his Ruine THE SECRET HISTORY OF King CHARLES II. WHEN Charles the Second was restored to the Thrones of England Scotland and Iroland never any Monarch in the World came to the Possession of so large a Dominion with more Advantages to have done good sor Himself to his Subjects at Home and to his Allies Abroad The People all experienced in Maâ—tial Discipline as having but newly sheathed the Sword of Civil War and Foreign Conquest so that their Valour was dreaded abroad where-ever he should have menaced an Enlargement of his Territories Besides all this he had the Love of his Subjects Equal if not Superior to any Prince that ever Reigned before him And he had the Affection of his Parliament to the highest degree But after all this he was no sooner settled in his Throne but through the Influence of Evil Counsellors upon a Disposition naturally Vitious and easily corrupted with Esseminate Pleasures he abandoned himself to all manner of Softness and Voluptuous Enjoyments and harbouring in his â—osome the worst of Vices base ingratitude betraâ—ed Himself that he might betray his People for where the Constitution of a Nation is such That the Laws of the Land are the Measures both of the Soveraign's Commands and the Obedience of the Subjects whereby it is provided That as the one is not to invade what by Concessions and Stipulâ—tions is granted to the Ruler so the other is not to deprive them of their lawful and determined Rights and Liberties There the Prince who strives to Subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Society is the Traytor and the Rebel and not the People who endeavour to Preserve and Defend their own Nor must we ascribe the Miscarriages of his Reign altogether to the Remissness of his Nature but to a Principle of Revenge which his Mother had infused into him not so much for the loss of her Hâ—sband but out of her inbred Malice to the Protestant Religion which no where flourished in that Splendor as in England fostered and cherished by the vow'd Enemy of this Nation his Brother the Duke of York who had been openly heard to declare in his Bed-Chamber at St. Iames's That he was resolved to be revenged upon the English Nation for the Death of his Father and what an Ascendant this Brother had over over him the whole Kingdom has felt by sad and woful Experience For indeed the King had all along an Affection for him so entire and baneful to the Nation that he could only be said to Reign while his Brother Ruled With all these Royal Vertues and imbred and fomented Animosisies to render him at his Return a Gracious Soveraign to this Kingdom let us trace him from his Cradle to find out those Princely Endowments which invisibly encreasing with him as he grew in Years dazzled in such a manner the Eyes of doâ—ing Politicians of that Age to recal him against that known and vulgar Maxim of Common Prudence Regnabit sanguine multo Ad Regâ—um quisquis unit â—b eilioâ— When he was but very young he had a very strange and unaccountable Fondness to a Wooden Biâ—let without which in his Arms he would never go abroad nor lie down in his Bed From which the more observing sort of People gathered that when he came to years of Maturity either Oppresâ—ors and Blockheads would be his greatest Favourites or else that when he came to Reign he would either be like Iupiter's Log for every Body to deride and contemn or that he would rather chuse to command his People with a Club than Rule them with a Scepter And indeed They that made the first and last conjectures found in due time they were not altogether in the wrong For the Throne was no sooner empty by the Death of his Father before he could be permitted to sâ—at himself in it but he gave the World a plain Discovery what sort of People they were who when he came to Reign were most
likely to have the principal Room in his Favour and Trust and by whose Assistance he was in hopes to Tyrannize oâ—er his Eâ—glish and Scotch â— Subjectâ— particularly those of the latter For when the Parliament of Scotland sent for him as he was then Cruising about Guernsey to treat about receiving him to be their King he would not so much as transact with them till he had first sent into Ireland to assure himself whether those Rebels who had murthered no less than Two Hundred Thousand Protestants were in a Condition or no for him to cast himself upon their Assistance But those hopes failing in regard they were in a fair way to be subdued themselves he was at length inclined to entertain the Overture made him by the Scots And yet even then was his Mind so full fraught with the thoughts of Despotical Dominion and purposes of introducing Popery inâ—o his Territories that had it not been for the Prince of Orange he would never have complyed with the Terms which the Scots had ordered to propose though no other than what were necessary for the Security of the Lives Liberties Laws and Religion of his People And how he employed his Wooden â—illet afterwards may easily be understood by his many Acts of Barbarous Tyranny` over those poor People This Prince began early in Hypocrisie and Breach of Promise For the Confirmation of which to be a certain Truth there needs no more than to lay the Foundation of the Proof upon his own Words and solemn Engagements For in the King's Letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons just before his Restauration he has these Words We assure you upon ourâ— Royal Word That none of our Predecessors have had a greater Esteem for Parliaments than We have as well in Our Judgment as from our Obligation We do believe them to be so Vital a part of the Constitution of the Kingdom and so necessary for the Government of it that We well know neither Prince nor People can be in any tollerable degree happy without them and therefore you may be confident That We shall always look upon their Counsels as the best We can receive aud shall be as tender of their Peiviledges and as careful to Preserve and Protect them as of that which is most near to Our self and most necessary for Our own Preservation This in part demonstrates his Prevarication with Man Now for his Prevarication with Heaven we must produce another Paragraph of the same Letter wherein he uses these flattering Expressionsâ— If you desire the Advancement and Propagation of the Protestant Religion We have by Our constant Profession of it given sufficient Testimony to the World That neither the Unkindness of those of the same Faith towards Us noâ— the Civilities and Obligations from those of a contrary profession could in the least startle Us or make Us swerve from it and nothing can be proposed to manifest Our Zeal and Affection for it to which We will not readily assent And we hope in due time Our self to propose something to you for the Propagation of it that will satisfie the World that We have always made it â—oth Our Care and Study and have enouâ—h observed what is most like to bring Disadvantage to it Now as for his Veneration of Parliaments or his Zeal for the Reformed or truly any Religion the Succeeding transactions of his Reign which are to be related will plainly make it appear how far those words were from his Heart when dictated by his Lips To shew that this Prince was a great Lover of Comedies and Enterludes and could act his part with e're a Moon or Lacy of them all there is a Story must not be omitted which may serve to light us into the occasion how he came to gain the addition of Pious Otherwise as it is impossible for us to give any Account why Virgil so often gives the Epithet of Pious to his Hero AEâ—eas after he had so dishonourably cheated and broke his Faith with Queen Dido so it is as little to be expected that we should afford a reason why Charles the Second should be so universally dignified with the name of Pious after such a prank of Hypocrisie as we are going to relate This Story is this While he lay at Breda daily expecting the English Navy for his Transportation the Dissenting Party fearing the worst thought it but reasonable to send a select number of most eminent Divines to wait upan his Majesty in Holland in order to get the most advantageous Promises from him they could for the Liberty of their Consciences Of the number of these Divines Mr. Case was one who with the rest of his Brethren coming where the King lay and desiring to be admitted into the King's Presence were carried up into the Chamber next or very near the King's Closet but told withal That the King was busie at his Devotions and that till he had done they must be contented to stay Being thus left alone by contrivance no doubt and hearing a sound of groaning Pietâ— such was the curiosity of Mr Case that he would needs go and lay his Ear to the Closet Door But Heavens How was the good old Man ravish'd to hear the Pious Ejaculations that fell from the King's Lips Lord Since thou art pleas'd to restore me to the Throne of my Ancestors grant me a Heart constant in the Exercise and Protection of Thy true Protestant Religion Never may I seek the Oppression of those who out of his tenderâ—ess of their Consciences are not free to conform to outwarâ— and indifferent Ceremonies With a great deal more of the same Cant which Mr. Case having over-heard full of Joy and Transport returning to his Brethren with Hands and Eyes to Heaven up-lifted fell a Congratulating the Happiness of Three Nations over which the Lord had now placed a Saint of Paradice for their Prince After which the King coming out of the Closet the deluded Ministers were to Prostitute themselves at his Feet and then it was that the King gave them those Promises of his Favour and Indulgence which how well he after performed they felt to their Sorrow Soon after he arrived into England where he was received with all the Pomp Splendor and Joy that a Nation could express but then as if he had left all his Piety behind him in Holland care was taken against the very first Night that his Sacred was to lie at White-Hall to have the Lady Castlemain seduced from her Loyalty to her Husband and enticed into the Aâ—ms of the happily restored Prinâ—e Thus from the first hour of his Arrival into these Kingdoms he sat himself too much by his own Pâ—rswasion and Influence to withdraw both Men and Women from the Laws of Nature and Morality and to Pollute and Infect the People with Debauchery and Wickedness He that ought to have shown like the North-Star in the Firmament of Royalty to direct his Subjects in the Paths of Vertue was the
Sovereign Igniâ— fatuus to misguide them into all the Snares of Ruine and Perdition Execrable Oathes were the chief Court-Acknowledgments of a Deity Fornications and Adulteriâ—â— the Principal Tests of the Peoples Loyalty and Obedience Certain it is That the Kingdom was never in a better Posture for the King to work upon it than at the time of his return into England For such were the Contests for Superioriâ—y among those who had taken upon them the Government after the Death of Oliver such the Confusions and Disorders that from thence arose that no body could probably see where would be the end of the general Distraction unless it were by reducing all things to their primitive Condition under a Prince whose Title was so fair to the Crown For which all Parties were the more inflamed by the King 's reiterated Oathes Promises and Declaâ—ations to those of the Church of England to maintain the Protestant Religion to the Dissenters That he would Indulge their Tender Consciences with all the Liberty they could rationally desire And so inâ—atuated they were with these Ingratiating Wheedles that should all that knew him beyond-Sea both at Colen and in Flanders have spoken their Discoveries with the Voices of Angels nay should the Letter which he Wrote with his own Hand in the Year Sixty Two to the Pope have been shewn them in Capital Letters they would have been all looked upon but as Fictious and Inventions to obstruct the Happiness of the Nation The king was not ignorant that in order to bring his intended Designs about he was furnished already with a Stock of Gâ—ntlâ—men who being forced to share the misfortunes of his Exiles and consequently no less imbitteted against those whom they looked upon as their Oppressors he had moulded many of them to his own Religion and Interest by Corrupting them in their Banishment with them insomuch that a certain Gentleman offered to prove one day in the Pensionary House of Commons That of all tâ—e Pâ—râ—ons yet Persons of all Ranks and Qualities who sojourned with the King Abroad there were scarce any then alive except Prince Rupert Lord M. and Mr. H. Coventry who had not been prevailed upon by His Majesty to Nor could their being restored to their â—states at his Return separate them from their Master's Interest for that besides the future expectations with which the King continually fed them they had bound themselves by all the Oaths and Promises that could be expected from them to assist and co-operate with him in all his Dâ—signs though they were dispensed with from appearing bare-fac'd So soon therefore as the Parliament that gave him Admittance into the the Kingdom was Dissolved the King call another the first of his own Calling and so ordered the matter that the greatest part of the Masked Revolters got in among the real Protestants By which means all things went Trim and Trixy on the King's sideâ— They restored him the Milltia which the Long Parliament took from his Fatherâ— They Sacrificed the Treasure of the Nation to his Profuseness and Prodigality They offered up the Righâ—s and Liberties of the People by advancing â—is Prâ—rogative and what was most conducing to the King's P. Designs they made him by private Instructions those Penal Statutes which divided the Two prevailing Protestant Parties and set them together by the Ears by Arming one Party of the Protestants against the rest such a darl-advantage to the Papists and upon the obtaining of which he set so high a value that neither the necessity of his Aâ—â—airs at any time afterwards nor the Application and Interposure of several Parliaments for removing the Grounds of our Differences and Animosities by an Indulgence to be past into Law could prevail upon him to forego the Advantages he had got of keeping the Protestants at mutual Enemy one with another and making them useful to his own Designs Nor was this all But that he might carry on his Popish Designs the more saâ—ely and covertly under the cursed Masque of Hypocrisie he procured the passing of an Act in his Pensionary Parliament 1662. whereby it was made Forfeiture of Estate and Imprisonment for any to say The King was a Papist or An Introducer to Pâ—pery Nevertheless notwithstanding he was thus become a Protestant by the Law of the Laâ—d to repeat how he exerted the Power given him by the Parliament how he Persecuted and Prosecuted the Protestant Nonconformists throughout the Kingdom how he caused to be Excommunicated Imprisoned and Harrased when not a Papist in the Three Kingdoms was so much as Troubled or Moleâ—ted is a thing that would be altogether needless as being so well known to the World I had almost forgot another great kindness which the Parliament did him which was at the private Instance of the King to Abrogate the Trienial Act by which the Sitting of a Parliament once in Three Years was infallibly secured to the Kingdom So well did this Monarch know where the Shoe pinched him and so crafty was he to take his Advantage from the Delirium and Frensâ—e the Nation was in upon his Restoration to obtain the repealing of the Principal Laws by which his wrigling into Arbitrary Government would have often been curbed and restrained But whether it were that the prodigall Zeal of those Members began to cool conscious perhaps that they had already opened too large a Gap to Tyrannous Invasion upon the Liberties of the People which they had so Treacherously laid at the King's Mercy or whether it were that the King resolved to quicken his to Arbitrary Rule to the end he might see Popery flourish in his own days certain it is that the next attempt was to make Parliaments themselves the Ministers and Instruments of his own Popish Ambition and our Slavery In order hereunto He falls a Buying and Purchasing at certain and Annual Rates the Vote of the Members at what time the greatness of the Number of those that stood ready for Sale as well as their Indigencies and Lusts made the Price at which they were to be bought so much the easier Now being thus hired by His Majesty with their own free Offerings of the Nations Money How many Bills did they pass into Acts for Enslâ—ving and Ruining a Third part of the Kingdom under the Notion of Phanaticks and Dissenters And all this in graritude of their Sallaries and to accomplish the Will and Pleasure of their Lord and Master the King whose Bought and Purchas'd Vassals and Slaves they were All this while what can we say or think other but that the Purchaser as well as the Sellers were guilty of betraying the People who had intrusted them And then to make a President by Law for Tyranny these Hirelings empowered the Justices of the Peace to disleize Men of their Estates without being Convicted and found Guilty by Legal Juries of the Transgressions whereof they stood Accused By which they not only overthrew all the Commons and Stature Law of the Land but they
For which Reason it was thought best to Assault him by way of Surprise and to hurry him to Prison upon a pretended Conspiracy which People would be astonished at but not have time â—â— unravel For the King and his Brother were assured That the Convicting of the Earl of Shaâ—tsâ—ury upon a Charge of Levying War and Conspiring to seize his Person would be a kind of Moral proof against every other Person whom they had a mind to accuse of the same Crime Since People would be easily persuaded That a Person of his Prudence and Câ—nduct would not easily embark himself in such a dangerous Enâ—erprise without a proportionable number of Persons who by their Power Quality and Interest might be supposed to be able to carry it on So that all the Noblemen and Gentlemen of England that ever had any converse or acquaintance with the Earl supposing them to be Persons obnoxious to the Court were involved in his Ruine But it will remain an eternal Monument of Reproach upon R. Subordination That after all the Industry of the Court and their obsâ—quious Instruments after all their layiâ—g their Heads together to form cohering and probable Proofs of the Charge intended to be laid against him after an illegal Trick devised to have tryed him within their own Jurisdiction on the Verge which was so contrary to Law that it was exploded by their own Bene placito Lambskin Men that at length he was acquitted by a Grand Jury the most Substantial for Estates Integrity and soundness of Judgment that had been returned for many Years in the City to the never dying praise of the Two Sheriffs Mr. Pilkinton and Mr. Shuâ—e A Disappointment which so inceâ—sed the King and his dear Brother That they resolved to make an Istington Village oâ— the chief Metropolis of the whole Nation and what they could not do by Fire to effect by wresting from them their Franchises and Priviledges â—ar more ancient than the descent of those that wrested them for a time out of their Hands For this reason the Attorney General was ordered to bâ—ing a Quo Warranto against the City Charter under the pretence of their petitioning for the Sitting of the Parliament a thing so far from being a Crime that it was the undoubted Right of the Nation And yet such was the awe which the antiquity and legality of the Charter had upon the Judge that the Fountain of Justice was forced to shift his Chief Justice till he could fix upon one that durst to adventure to pronounce Sentence against it Which as it was the greatest Invasion that could be against the ancient and fundamental Constitution of the Kingdom so it plainly laid open the King`s pious Intentions of Governing by Law which according to the new Interpretation of the Court was the downright subverting of all that was most Sacred and Valuable in the Nation to the end the King might have it in his Power to violate the electing of a Parliamâ—nt and nominate and obtrude upon all Persons of the Kingdom his own Slaves and Creatures Papists and Traytors to their Country so by reducing one of the most ancient Corporations and levelling it with one of the meanest Villages in the Kingdom that he might command the Mayor and Sheriffs and by their means the Juries of the City on purpose to have the Lives of all his Protestant Subjects at his Mercy And that this was his end was apparent by the Consequences for when once the King by the overthrow of the Charter had made sure of his own Sheriffs and Juries Heavens How were the Laws of God and the Kingdom wrested by misinterpretation How were the Precepts even of Morality it self transversed The Wiâ—nesses for the King caressed and countenanced in their known Subordination The Testimonies for their pretended Criminals brow-beaten and all the Arguments of Law and Reaâ—on urged by the most Learned Council of the Nation over-ruled by Hectoring and Swaggering Judges to take away the Lives of the L. Russel Col. Sidney Armstrong and several others meerly to gratifie the Rage of Popish Revenge Such were the Violences of the Court at that time in defiance of Justice as if all fear of giving account to future Parliaments had been thrown off or that they never intended to be troubled with them more till they had framed the Nation into such a posture as to chuse such Members as would not only forgive such Villanies but go sharers with them in the spoil of the Kingdom But then followed the Barbarous and Horrid Murther of the Earl of Essex which how far it could be laid to the King's Charge we shall not here pretend to determine tho it seem somewhat strange that the King could find no other Morning to accompany his Brother to the Tower but that very Morning that the Earl was Murthered will no doubt very much augment the Suspition of future Ages and it will be as odly looked upon that when Letters and Proposals were sent to some great Persons near the King That if his Majesty would but grant a Pardon to Two or Three Men that shyuld be named when the Favour was granted the whole Mystery of the Contrivance should be discovered and the Contrivers and Actors be particularly derected such a Proposal should be slighted and neglected Now after all these Tricks and Stratagems of the King to introduce Tyranny and Slavery to stifle the Popish Plot by throwing it upon his Protestant Subjects after such an obstinate and stedfast Conjunction with the Sworn Enemy of the Nation the French King for the Subversion of our Laws Liberties and Religion after so many Slights and Contempts to put upon the grand Council of the Kingdom which he never assembled but to empty and drain the Purses of the Nation But to shut the Door against all Objections that can be made in his behalf there is one proof yet remaining behind which must be an undeniable convincement to all the World of the Truth of what has been hitherto said as standing still recorded under his own Hand if the Original of the Instructions be extant and that is the following Memorial of his Ambassador to the King of Poland in the Year 1667. Most Illustrious Prince THE King my Master has Commanded me to let Your Majesty know the Resolutions he has taken in All Points to concur with the mosâ— Christian King in giving your Majesty all possible Assistance for the Establishing your Majesty's Title in such â—ays as your Majesty shall think most Effectual for the sâ—curing your Crown and Digâ—iâ—y and further Honâ—ur of your Queen and Royal Issue The King my Master being truly sensâ—ble of tâ—e great Misfortuneâ— of those Pâ—inces whose Powâ—r must be bouâ—ded and Reason regulated by the Fantastick Humour of their Subjects Till Prince can be â—reed from these Inconveniencies The King my Master sees no possiblâ— prospect of establishing the Roman Catholick Religion If thiâ— be not enough to discover his Inclinations and the whole drift of
his intriguing Reign there can be nothing sharp enough to penetrate the stupid and besoâ—ted Bigortry of those that stand in his Justification But notwithstanding the willful blindness of such People it is to be hoped that other Men less byassed and having the same just pretences to common Understanding have a greater value for their Reason than to forfeit it to prejudice and an Interest now exploded by all the sober part of the World And having once disintangled their Judgments from the Incumbrances of Iure Divino Nonsense they will then find That the whole course of his Reign was no more than what this Memorial discovers and that the frequent Breaches of his Word and Promises both to his Parliaments and People were but the Effects of the Religion he Professed and owned in his Ambassadors Memorial one of the chief Principles of which it is Not to keep Faith with Hereticks and by which he was obliged to be more faithful to the King of Poland than the King of Heaven Hence it was that notwithstanding his Declaration at Breda design'd and penn'd to obtrude a seeming appearance of Truth and specious Face of Integrity upon the Nation after he came to be restored and settled we found our selves deceiv'd in all that we expected from the Faith and Credit of his Royal Word To which we may subjoin that other Famous Declaration upon shutting up the Exchequer Wherein tho his Sacred Word and Royal Faith were in plain and emphatical Terms laid to pledge for Repayment yet the Events in the Ruine and Impoverishing of so many Families did no way consist with his Gracious and Solemn Promises As for the Covenant whatever the Oath were it matters not here to dispute but they who were Witnesses of his taking it observed that if ever he seemed sincere in what he did it was in binding his Soul by that Soâ—emn Oath and yet he not only openly and avowedly broke it but câ—used it to be burnt in all the Three Nations by the hands of the Common-Hang-man Where can we find a more matchless piece of Dissimulation than in his Signing that Declaration in Scotland which he published under the Title of A Declaration of the King's Majesty to his Subjects of the Kingdom of Scotland England and Ireland Charles the II. having long trifled with the Papists his beloved Friends and indeed had so carried himself that neither Papist nor Protestant could tell what to make of him yet the Papists resolved they would be no longer dallied with by him And therefore so soon as he had made all Things ready for his Brother's Exaltation after he had prevented his Exclusion from the Thrâ—ne and put all the Power of his Dominions into his hands to give way for him that truly Reigned while he but only wore the Name of King he was struck with an Appoplexy as it was given out for let the true â—ause be what it will a Prince always dies of some Disease or other in the Physicians Catalogue but such were the Circumstances of his Death that Men began to discover their Suspitions freely to the World before he was cold However it were certain it is that he was Absolved from all his Sins by his great Friend John Huddleston and that the Priests gave him Extream Vnction At what time one of his Relations forcing his way into the Room and seeing them at it could not forbear saying That now they had Oyl`d and Greas'd his Boots they had made him fit for his Journey And this is yet more remarkable That all the while he lay upon his Death-Bed he never spoke to his Brother to put him in mind of preserving the Laws and Religion of his People but only recommended to him the Charitable Care of his Two Câ—ncubines Portsmouth and poor Nelly Nor was it a small Aggravation of the general Suspition to find him hurried to his Grave with such â—n Vngrateful Secrecy in the dead of the Night as if they had feared the Arresting of his Corps for Debt not so much as the mean pomp of the Blue-Coat Bâ—yst Sâ—ng him to Heaven Insomuch that he was hurried by his Brother whom he had so highly obliged with far less decency then was perrmitted for the Funeral of his Father by his Capital Enemies that had beheaded him But that perhaps might be so ordered by Providence to signiâ—ie that he was not worth the publick Lamentation of the People whose Religion and Liberties he had been always designing to subvert THE SECRET HISTORY OF King IAMES II. TO him succeeded Iames the II. not more pernitiously desining but more eagerly bent in the Chase of National Ruine and Destruction He came into England full freighted with his Mothers Religion and her Malice to the People of the Nation but wore at first the same Vizard Mask of Protestantism which his Brother did But tho he were fitter for the Business they both designed yet he understood not how to manage it so well so that had he been the Elder Brother we may undoubtedly presume to say he would have been much sooner thrown out of the Saddle greatly to the saving both the Honour and Treasure of the Nation and the Life of many a worthy Gentleman and true Lover of his Country 'T is well known and a thing confirmed by Two Letters yet to be seen wherein one of the Kings own Chaplains then upon the spot when it was done imparâ—s and laments it to a Bishop That the Duke of York while he was yet but very young made a solemn Renunciation of the Protestant Religiâ—n and was reconciled to the Church of Rome while he sojourned with his Mother in France in hopes by the assistance of the Papists to have defeated his Eldeâ— Brother of his Right of Inheritance tho he had all the Indulgence imaginable to conceal his Convulsion where it might be for his private Advantage and the general good of the Cause And so eaâ—ly was this Ambition of his to supplant his Elder Brother that when â—he Scots were treating with the exil'd King to restore him to the Throne of Scotland That he was at that very time practising with such as remained faithful to the King's Title here that they would renounce his Elder Brother and chuse him for their Sovereign And for that Reasoâ— it was that the Duke forsook him at Bruxels and withdrew into Holland so that the King was necessitated not only to command him upon his Allegiance to return but was constrained to send the Duke of Ormond and some other Pesons of Quality as well to threaten as persuade him before he would go back And as he was an early Traytor to his Brother ' so he did no less treacherously attempt the disowning of his first Wife For finding her extraordinary Chastity to be such that he could not be admitted to her Bed but upon the lawful score of Matrimony he was at last Married to her but so very privately that only the King and some very few
another part of his Declaration wherein he no less solemnly engaged to maintain the Protestants in all their Properties and Possessions as well of Church as Abby-Lands as of all other their Properties whatsoever Notwithstanding all which how he turned these Gentlemen out of their Legal Freeholâ—s by the Arbitrary Power of his High Commission how he violated the Constitutions of the deceased Founders and with what an embittered rage and fury he rated them like Dogs when they lay prostrate at his Feet more like a Pagan Tyrant than a Christian King is notoriously known and all this to make a Popish Seminary of one of the most noble and best Colledges in the University And this Peters looked upon as one of his great Master-pieces as appears by a Letter of his written to the French King's Confessor Father La Chese wherein he had the vauntidg expression I bave gained a great point in perswading the King to place our Fathers in Magdalen Colledge in Oxford where they will be able to tutor the young Schollars in the Catholick Religion Nor was it thought sufficient to turn the Proprietors out of their Freeholds but under pretence of Disobedience to the King's Commands they were also made uncapable of any Ecclesâ—â—tical Preferment or of the Exercise of Holy Orders and deprived of all those other ways and means of Livelyhood for which their Education had qualified them Which as it was a piece of Inhumanity without Parallel so it was a plain Demonstration of the main drift and design of the King and his Popish Furies first to draw the Protestant Clergy into the snare of Disobedience and then under pretence of Obstinacy and Stubborness totally to suppress and silence them And yet after all this for the King so publickly to give himself the Lie by proclaiming to all the World as he did such a notorious Untruth as That he had never invaded the Property of any Man since his coming to the Crown was such a piece of Dissimulation that Oliver Cromwell himself with all the Irreligion laid to his Charge was never guilty of Unless his Father Confessor designed it for a Miracle to be Recorded among Popish Wonders That he who had done nothing else from the beginning of his Reign but invaded the Liberties and Properties of his Subjects should be so confident as to deny it But whatever through the frailty of his memory he had till then forgot he was resolved it seems for the future to make amends for his Omission To which purpose he was now provided with such a Gun-powder-Plot that had it taken Effect would ere a few months had gone about have blown up all the Properties of the whole Clergy of England without Exception of any Person that had eiâ—her Honour or Conscience and the greatest part of the Bishopricks and Livings of England would have been pronounced void to make way for Saâ—dals and shaved Crowns This was that cunning Declaration for Liberty of Conscience whereby he undertook to dispense with the Laws by the sole vertue of his Prerogative An Attempt wherein his Brother had miscarried being forced to surreeder up and Cancel the Illegal Contrivance he had prepared for a Tryal But King Iames puâ—â—ed up with the great Exploits he had in Person performed upon Hounslow-Heath and the Glorious shew his Army made there Rendezvouzed at the same time in the same place to add terror to his Commands resolved to make all Opposition to bow the Knee to Baal In pursuance of those Resolutions he Orders his Declaration to be Printed requires the Bishops to cause it to be destributed through all their Diocesses and to take Care that it should be Read in all the Churches and Chappels throughout the Nation Upon this the Bishops Petition the King setting forth the Illegality and the ill Consequences of it to the whole Nation both in Church and State and beg the King not to insist upon the Reading it This so inâ—ensed Peters and the rest of the furious Hotspurs and oonsequently provoked the King to that degree That the Court-Lawyers are presently consulted who adjudge the Petition Tumultuary and Libellous and thereupon the Archbishop of Canterbury together with the Bishop of Asaph Ely Chichester Bath and Wells Peterborough and Bristol are first sent to the Tower and then Arraigned and Tryed for Mutiners against the King's Popish Government being Charged with an Information for Publishing a Seditious Pernitious and Scandalous Libel But notwithstanding all that the King's Council and the C. J. Wright and Alibone the Papist could do Judge Holloway and Judge Powel to the Eternal praise stuck so close to their Protestant Principles aud so strongly oppos'd the King's Dispensing Power for which they were turn'd out the next day that the Bishops were acquitted to the general Joy and Satisfaction of the whole Nation and particularly the Soldiers upon Hounslow-Heath whose Shouts and Acclamations upon the News of their Acquital were so harsh and unpleasant in the King's Ear that â—rom thence forward he began to wish he had more Irish and fewer English in his Army But notwithstanding this Fatal Blow the most undanted High Commissioners drove on furiously sending forth their Mandates to the Chancellors Arch-Deacons c. of the several Diocesses to send them an exâ—ct account of all such Ministers as had refused to Read the Declaration And there is no question to be made but thaâ— the severity of that Imperious Court would in a short time have swept the Kingdom clear of all the Protestant Clergy had not indulgent Heaven put a stop to their impetuous Career That which follows is so Romantick that it looks more like a Novel than a Story fit to gain Credit hardly carrying so much Probability with it as the Fable of Bacchus cuâ— out of Iupiter's Thigh and which looks more Romantick than all the rest That the King himself should believeâ— and urge it for an Argument to delude the World That he who had suffered so much for Conscience sake could not be capable of so great a Villany to the prejudice of his Children and in â—orcing the same Argument yet further by saying That it was his Principle to do as he would be done by therefore would rather dye a Thousand Deaths than do â—he least Wrong to his Children When the World was convinced that he could not have suffered such an Affront to have been put upon him but for the very Reason he alledged and that as for his doing as he would be done by it was apparent by all his Actions that he could not speak those Words from his Heart without some Mental Expositions reserved to himself Certainly therefore since it was for the Preservation of the Roman Catholick Religion that the Contrivance was set on foot it argues that his Conscience was under the most dreadful Subjection to his Popish Confessors or that his Zeal was no less strangely Govern'd by an Imperious Woman that for the sake of Popery he should consent to a Conspiracy
about him and expose the English to the usual Dangers of sâ—oad-beaâ—ers Which together with their ununwillingness to Engage the Deliverers of their Country so alienaâ—ed their Hearts from him that they deserted him by Troops and Regiments Despoâ—ding at this and more terrified with a little bleeding at the Nose than he had been with all the innocent Blood which he had caused to be spilt â—e returns back to London and having sent his Queen and her Babe beâ—ore which was sufficient Warning for Dada Peters and the rest to provide for themselves he withdrew from the City but being taken rifled and seized by the Country People near Feversham before they knew him he was brought back to White-hall where having his Choice given him to stay in England or to go beyond Sea he rather chose by a voluntary departure to abâ—icate the Realm To which he was advis`d by his Council that assured him The Distractions of the Kingdom would make way for his Return in a little time Which God forbid And thus to the surprize of all Men came to pass a Revolution so Sudden so Great and Unexpected that History cannot parallel It seem`d a Laybyrinth of Providence to which the Belov`d of Heaven WILLIAM HENRY only had the Clue while Prudence and Fortitude were the Araidnes that gave him their Assistance to subdue the Minotaur that devoured our Religion and Liberties Two conspicuous Examples at once of Heaven`s Indignation and the Almightyâ—s Favour the one pursuing to his downfal an Apostate from God and an Oppressor of his People and exposing him among unbelieving Bâ—g-Trotters upon the lingring Death-bed of his gasping Glory the fettered Vassal of the once fawning Confederate The other prospering with Miracles of Success the Generous Redeemer of the True Reformed Religion from the devouring Jaws of that double headed Monster Popery and Slavery By whose Auspicious Conduct two late languishing Kingdoms groaning under the heavy weight of Misery and Tyranny enjoy a Jubilee of Peace and Tranquility and freed from the dâ—ily fears of Masâ—acre and Destruction in the fair way to recover their Pristine Glory have now no more to do but to repay their Praises to Heaven and their due acknowledgments to them that have approv'd themselves the truly indulging Father and Mother of their Country A Prince the wonder of His Age a Princess the Miracle of Her Sex in whom all Virtues as in their proper Centre meet rendring the Nation happy in Two in One as the whole World is blest in Three in One and upon whom next under Heaven depend â—he Hopes of all that cordially desire the Welfare and Prosperity of Christendom Here ends the Secret History of the Four Last Monarchs of Great-Britain AN APPENDIX Containing the Secret History OF King IAMES the II. Since his Abdication of England Continued to this present November 1692 3. Being an Account of his Transactions in Ireland and France With a more particular Respect to the Inhabitants of Great-Brittain WHen one looks back and reflects upon the continued Conduct of our late Monarch both before and after his Accession to the Crown and the dismal Consequences thereof to these Three Kingdoms and at last to himself I cannot but regret the Fate of those Princes that abondon their true Interest Reason Conscience and Honour to Iesuitick Councils and enslave themselves to a Party justly abominated by the better part of the Romish Church it self for their gross Encroachments upon Religion Morality and all that 's Sacred among Men. When I look back to the many Tragedies acted by that Fraternity both in this and the last Age scarce a Kingdom or State in Europe where their Villanies have not come up to the utmost reach of depraved Nature When I call to mind the horrid Desolations Murders and Wars they have been instrumental of in the most remote parts of the World witness some Millions of Souls in Iapan and other parts of Asia Sacrific`d not many Years ago to their Ambition and Intrigues under the Notion of propagating the Catholick Faith I say when I consider all these things I am the less surprized with the dismal Effects of their Councils in England since the same Fate attends them every where But I must confess that among all the Martyrs to Loâ—ala`s Principles the late King Iames is the Subject of Admiration To see a Prince imposed upon by these jealous Bigots to trample upon the Religion and Liberties of his People contrary to the Fundamental Laws and the most solemn Promises and Oaths under the false Mask of Piety and Zeal to the Catholick Faith and at length to find him seduced to abandon his Kingdoms and thereby an absolute necessity put upon the Representatives of the People to fill up his Throne vacated by his own Fault is a Subject that naturally displays the Vanity of humane Greatness And I may add That the unaccountable Doctrine of Passive Obedience as it was the Source of a great many Mischiefs among our selves so what has bâ—â—allen thâ—â— King may be partly imputed to it for the bâ—â—â—â—ing That without controul he might do what he pleased encouraged him to take such â—easures as have brought upon him all his Misfortunes Soon after the late King Iames's Abdicating of England and retiring to France it was judged by him and his doubly Deputy Fyrconnel the â—ittest time to put the long contrived Designs of Subâ—erting the Protestant Religion and iâ—troducing Popery into full Execution in the Kingdom of Irelâ—nd â—otwiâ—hstanding the ill Success the like Attempt had met with in England upon which in December 1689 there was a Moâ—ion made in Couâ—cil for disarming all the Prâ—testants of that Kingdom that had any Arms left them which being known and most concluding that as soon as their â—rms were taken there being then a hot discourse of a general Massâ—cre 't was only to leave them more naked and exposed so as that it might have its full Effects more easily and with less opposition upon them which alarm'd the Protestants so that many Thousands came flocking over to avoid that fatal stroke Now were the few Protestants who liv`d disperst left to shift for themselves In the mean time the Lord Tyrconnel who still had the Sword undemanded and undisposed of to any other issues new Commissions not only to the Roman Catholicks who had some Estates bnt to all who were willing to stand up for the Cause that were Men of broken Fortunes and worse Fame that could influence the Rabble and raise Companies only with this Salvo that they should maintain them for three Months at their own Cost and Charges and then they should have their Commissions given them by which it was adjudged in regard there was but little Money in the Treasury they should be fitted for Service against King Iames should come or send them Money or that if the Deputy found an Army ready to Land out of England what Money was there would be little enough to bear his Charges and
to Iean Nimport of Brest or to such other Persons as shall have Authority from Us to receive the same Signed Melsort Given at Our Court at the Castle of St. Germans Feb. 22. 1691 2. Here you find instead of a more warrantable Ambition of recovering Three Kingdoms he poorly descends to grant his Commissions to Privateers to Rifle and Spoil all the Subjects of England Scotland and Ireland indifferently to Burn Sink and Fire their Vessels c. and all this without respect of Persons Interests or Religion The severest Roâ—anists or most violent Iacobiâ—e without exception is to be swept in the common Doom So that instead of pretending all his former promised Impurity and Tenderness to the People of England or instead of Bravely grappling at his Royal Rival in the Imperial Seat he vilely assumes little less than a common Pyrat Authorizes the Depredations of the Eâ—glish Merchants even by the very Hands of English Men. This last poor Spirited Meanness must either plainly tell us that he has utterly renounced all Hopes of Recovery of his Kingdoms and so under that Despair he resolves to play at a small Game rather than stand out which indeed is the best Title I can give it and consequently like the famous Dyonisius sumed Pedagogue when he can scourge Kingdoms no longer he prepares his lesser Rods for a more Tyrannick Lash or else that forgetting that he ever was a Monarch and therefore blushing at nothing though never so Unprincely he contents himself with being under-Secretary to the French King whilest the little Iames is bâ—t a Subscription to the Great Lewis The French King deputes him as his Emanuensis to Copy Commissions for him and the contented Receiver of that high Favour is paid to officiate in the Trust. It was Remarkt of him that at his first Departure from England upon his Transport from Feversham he uttered this Expression That he had rather be a Captain of Light Horse under the French King than Reign King of England udder the Lâ—sh and Countroul of Parliaments A Captain of a Troop of Horse is no over-high Post But truly of the two 't is much the more Honourable than the Granting of such Commissions But indeed all these tend to the aggradizing of the French King the Poorer the Subjects of England the stronger the Grand Lewis his inviolable Zeal and Fidelity therefore to the most Christinn so titled Nero supercedes all other Considerations and fas aut nesas Right or Wrong Honourably or Infamous nothing comes amiss that carries the least Shadow of Service to that darling Idol One thing is very remarkable in the Ianus Faces of King Iames's Preâ—ences This very Commission found on Board a Prize taken on the West of England the last Summer was dated at St. Germans the 22 th of Febr. 1691 2 which pray observe bearing date before his intended Invasion impowers this Privateer to enter into any Port or River of England Scotland or Ireland and commit all those Hostilities of Fireing Sinking Burning â— Aâ—l Trâ—ders Vessels whatever at the same time that this Declaration prepared for his Reception in England intimated all the Affection and Tenderness imaginable to the Interests Property and what not of his Subjects of England viz. That he was coming only to recover his own Right Establish and Restore their Laws and Liberties and yet at the same time he gave out Commissions to Wastâ—e Ruin and Destroy the most innocent Traders of the Kingdom possibly no wayâ— interested in the Titles and Disputes of Princes in Parties or Causes but on the contrary only endeavouring a peaceable Acquisition of their Bread by their honest Commerce and Industry To conclude From all this Prince's Actions in the whole Series of his Life it is no difficult matter to make a Judgment of what we may justly expect from him if ever Divine Judgment as the Reward of our Ingratitude for so great a Deliverance should permit us to fall again under the heavy Yoke of a Popish Prince whom we have so justly and happily thrown off King Iames is of a Religion that has infamous Council decreed That no Faith is to be kept with Hereticks much less with Subjects that he looks upon us as so many and will not miss to treat them as such when-ever they give him the Opportunity of doing it For his greatest Admirers do not run to the heighth of Idolatry to imagine him so much Angel as norâ— to take all Methods to revenge such an Affront and secure himself at our Cost from such Treatment for the future The Apprehensions of which Resentmentâ— would strike such a Terror in Mens Mind that nothing would be capable to divert them offering up All for an Attonement and Popery and Slavery will be thought a good Bargain if they can but save theâ—r Lives Then we might lament our Miseries when it would be out of our Power to help them for a Prince of Orange is not always ready to rescue us with so vast Expence and hazard of his Person And I must say if ever our Madness should hurry us thus far we should become rather the Objects of Laughter than of Pity In short if there be any of the Prostant Perswasion so strangely infaâ—uated as but to wish his Return I shall entertain them with no other Answer but the recommending to theâ— the Ninth of Ezra v. 13 14. And after all that is come upon us for our evil Deeds and for our great Trespass seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our Iniquiâ—ies deserve and hast given us such a Deliverance as this Should we again break thy Commandments and jâ—â—n in affinity with the People of these Abominations wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no Remnant nor escaping FINIS