Selected quad for the lemma: order_n
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A55464
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The Popish Plot taken out of several depositions made and sworn before the Parliament.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing P2956; ESTC R8779
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6,995
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4
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afterwards betrayed by them were all specified to the Parliament Where note the Gazette in April 1666 tells the World that eight persons were Executed at Tyburn for designing to burn the City the 3d of Sept. following only as a colour of that Wicked Act they intended to commit that it might be cast upon the Fanaticks whose Interest was all the World knows to preserve this place for a shelter and hiding place to them Richard Strange a Jesuit sometimes Provincial of that Society did inform this whose Information and the Execution do very well agree together The Society of Jesuits employed Groves and three Irish Ruffians procured by Dr. Fogarty to fire Southwark for which they had 1000 l. that is Groves had 400 l. and the Irish Ruffians had 200 l. a-piece and yet the Society got by the Bargain for whilest the Fire rages they have their Instruments to plunder houses and steal what Goods they can which they carry to their Ware-houses in Wild street and Somerset-house In the firing of Southwark they got 2000 l. in the burning of London they got 14000 l. as Strange the Jesuit confessed The Society of Jesuits designed lately to burn Westminster Wapping and the remote parts of the Subburbs Blondel a Jesuite had his post at Wapping where he began his work but the â—ire was by God's mercy prevented in other places That this was done upon design is evident for it was fore-told upon Oath 12 days before that such a day Wapping should be set on Fire as it came to pass This Blondel is the Jesuits Ordinary at Newgate where he endeavours to pervert the Prisoners condemned by promising them pardon and feeding them with hopes of Transportation those whom he finds Wicked enough for his purpose he entertains in his Service At present it is necessary to give this short Account to satisfie the World because notwithstanding the Votes of both houses of Parliament that they were satisfied with the Information given them that there was a Plot to murder the King alter the Government and subvert Religion establisht by Law the Papists impudently deny the thing or extenuate it that very few were concerned in it and that it was not so bad as the World makes it In this their impudent lying they were much confirmed and encouraged by the Office sent out by the Bishops to be used on the Fast appointed the 13th of November last wherein there was no mention of this Plot so that the people might be easily run down by the impudency of the Papists that there was no Plot at all nor design upon his Majesty's person The Papists lay aspersions on Oates's person the fifst Discoverer of this Plot that he is a debauched Fellow turned out of the College at St. Omers and doth all this out of Revenge They suggest that his Information must needs be fictitious because it is improbable he should come in so short a time to a distinct knowledge of so many particulars or if he had heard or seen them that he should remember them and that if he went amongst them with an intent to discover them why did he not do it sooner and lastly they say it is not likely that those who mingled their Blood with that of his Majesty's best Protestant Subjects in the late Wars should now as one Man have the least thoughts of murdering the King they had fought for and destroy the liberty of the Nation they had vindicated with their lives these insinuations seem plausible but when we look into them we shall find they are either palpably false or frivolous As to Titus Oates's Education he was bred a Student in S. John's College in Cambridge that he is a Schollar appears by his proceeding Doctor in Divinity in Salamanca in Spain no mâ—an University where he did all his Exercise more difficult than that performed by us here He was sometimes Minister at Chichester and at last Chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk In all these Stations he was a person of a sober life and Conversation and never charged with Debauchery and dares appeal to the Jesuits themselves in this particular who would never have esteemed him so much nor trusted him so far had they not found him a sober man and fit for their purpose When he was the Duke of Norfolk's Chaplain he over-heard some whisperings among the Priests that there was some great Design on foot but could not learn what it was He had heard from his Protestant Friends and had read in Sir Hammand L'Estrange's History of King Charles the First that the Papists had carryed on a Design for many years to introduce Popery again into these Nations which created in him an itching desire to see the depth of it and if it were possible to countermine it to this end he seemed to some Priests as if he were dissatisfied in some things as to our Church and desired an opportunity to discourse with some of their Jesuits which the Priests procured upon this condition that he would not betray them After sundry Conferences with them in which he suffered himself to be overcome he was formally reconciled to the Church of Rome after his Reconciliation he begged the Fathers of the Jesuits that they would give him their Order which was granted him after three days consideration They then told him because he was a Man of years being about 28 they would not employ him as usually they did Novices in drudgery for the first two years but he should spend that time in being a Messenger for their Society This exactly fitted his design so that he was sent with Letters into Spain those he opened and by them began to smell something of their Hellish Designs and managed his business so dexterously that after a little time he was taken into their Consult as they call it and so had an opportunity to see all that was acting at the present and liberty without suspicion to enquire how any thing past had been carryed on more particularly he made it his business to inform himself of the beginning progress and conclusion of the late Wars in all which he found the Jesuits had a great hand By this means he understood that the City was fired by their contrivance and was told how the Plot was laid and who were the Actors in the several Scenes of it which he might confidently believe because he saw how they burnt Southwark and designed to burn the Temple Westminster and the rest of the Suburbs He kept short Notes of all things of moment that occurred from the time he was admitted into their Society with an intent to produce them when they might be of use by this means he is able to give so exact an account of all occurrences which are confirmed by other Circumstances and Collateral Evidence that in many hundred particulars no one thing hath interfered with another nor with those Papers that have been found elsewhere or with those Informations that have been given in by other