he challeng'd Dr. Owen and some others in a Letter written in several Languages and that so learnedly that it was deem'd worthy the Consideration of the Convocation by whom he was censur'd as a Jesuit or some other of the best sort of Popish Education and thereupon imprison'd in the Castle Prison in Oxford where he pretended distraction and acted the Madman so rarely to the life that in few days some Friends of his procur'd his liberty He was seen several times running up and down the Streets with his Hat under his Arm full of Stones throwing at every small Bird he saw But e're long he was met by a Minister of the Church of England at the House of a Roman Catholick who there heard him Discourse so gravely learnedly and discreetly that he got not onely into an acquaintance but familiarity with him insomuch that this Gentleman being of Maudlin Colledge he there gave him several Visits in several Disguises But at length being again suspected and in danger of being apprehended he stole away privately for London To which place business calling the same Gentleman about six Months after he was no sooner come to Town but he had notice of a famous Preacher among the Quakers near Charing-Cross and the same day he met Whitebread the great man of Fame going to speak in an old fashion pink'd Fustian Jerkin clouted Shoes his Breeches fac'd with Leather and a Carter's Whip in his hand in that Garb altogether disguiz'd from his knowledge however he knew the Gentleman and spake to him and so they renew'd their acquaintance For that time however they took leave and he went forward upon his intended work but the next day he came to the Gentleman's Quarters in the neat habit of a London Minister and carried him to his own Lodging within the Precincts of the Middle-Temple where he gave the Gentleman a handsom Entertainment and a sight of the several odd Habits in which he disguiz'd himself to the several sorts of people into whose good Opinion he had insinuated himself There the Gentleman saw his Orders from Rome and an Instrument wherein he was assur'd of and had Orders to receive of certain Merchants in Town a Hundred Pound per Annum besides a yearly Pension of Eighty Pound from his Father He pretended to this Gentleman that he was born at Wittenbergh and that his Father's Name was John White and in the Writing he himself was stil'd Johannes de Albis by the Court of Rome He was both Jesuit and Priest in Orders for that to the same Gentleman's knowledge he celebrated Mass in one House in Southwark to more then Forty after which upon the same day he visited several Presbyterians and others The same Gentleman continu'd in his Company for about a Month till he was apprehended and by special Order from the Protector imprison'd in the Tower of London where he lay above six Months No wonder then that he stook closest to the Romish Church for she it seems was his best friend and gave him the fairest Allowance what signifi'd a little Imprisonment for her sake who gave him a hundred pound a year to support him in his tribulation The next day Mr. Langhorn was brought to his Tryal at the same Bar. A Councellor at Law and one who got his bread by that very Law which he was plotting to subvert An imprudent piece of Ingratitude to forego the Law of his Country which afforded him a substantial Employment to catch at the shadow of a Judge Advocate Generals place in treasonable Hopes The general sum of his Charge was High Treason for conspiring the Death of the King and endeavouring an Alteration both in Church and State The particular Charge against him was That in order to the accomplishing as much as in him lay these designs of his he had wrote two Letters to be sent to Rome and St. Omers to procure aid from the Pope and the French King on purpose to introduce a change of the Religion by Law establish'd in the Kingdom and to set up the Romish Religion in the stead thereof That he had wrote two other Letters to one Anderton Rector of the English Colledge of Jesuites at Rome and two others to be sent to St. Omers wherein he undertook to advise the means and ways by which the success of those Treasons might be made to answer their expectations That he had received several Commissions in writing transmitted to him by an Authority that deriv'd it self from the See of Rome which Commissions were for constituting Military Officers to command in an Army which was to effect their Treasons by force That he was privy to all the Consultations of the rest of the Conspirators for carrying on the grand design and that he had sollicited the Benedictine Monks for 6000 l. for the same purpose and had notice from time to time of the Treasons and Conspiracy's of the Confederates To make Good this Charge Mr. Dugdall and Mr. Praunce were both sworn to give a short evidence of the reality of the Design in general Which being done Dr. Oates was sworn to particulars who thereupon depos'd That upon his return out of Spain in November 1677. he brought Letters from Mr. Langhorn's sons the one in the Jesuites Colledge at Madrid the other at Valladolid and that when the Witness told him that he believ'd his Sons would both enter into the Society Mr. Langhorn shew'd himself not a little pleas'd saying that by so doing they might quickly come to preferment in England for that matters would not hold long in England as they were That upon his return to St. Omers he carry'd two Letters written by Mr. Langhorn one to the Fathers another to Mr. Le Cheese the King of France's Confessor as Mr. Langhorn expressed himself in order to our Affairs in England and to the same effect as Mr. Coleman had wrote to him before That not long after he wrote another Letter to the Fathers expressing his wonderful zeal for the Catholic Design declaring moreover that the Parliament began to cool in the business of the Protestant Religion and that therefore speaking of the present Opportunity Now was the time to give the Blow That though he were not at the Consults yet that the Witness was order'd to give him an account from time to time and that upon a pleasing report made by the Witness Mr. Langhorn with Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven Pray'd God to prosper them That the Report of the Witness was That the Death of the King was resolv'd upon and that Grove and Pickering were chosen out for the Execution of the Result That at the same time several Parchments were lying upon Mr. Langhorn's Study-Table which he found to be Commissions for the Lords Arundel of Wardour Powis Bellasis and Petre to be Chancellor Treasurer General and Lieutenant General Another for Coleman to be Secretary of State and another for himself to be Judge Advocate of the Army all which had the
setting up a Pardon to be a Bar against an Impeachment defeats the whole use and effect of Impeachments and should this point be admitted or stand doubted it would totally discourage the exhibiting any for the future Whereby the chief Institution for the preservation of the Government and consequently the Government it self would be destroy'd And therefore the case of the said Earl which in consequence concerns all Impeachments whatsoever ought to be determin'd before that of the five Lords which is but their particular case And without resorting to many Authorities of greater Antiquity The Commons desire your Lordships to take Notice with the same regard they do of the Declaration which that Excellent Prince King Charles the I. of blessed Memory made in this behalf in his Answer to the nineteen Propositions of both Houses of Parliament Wherein stating the several parts of this Regulated Monarchy He says The King the House of Lords and the House of Commons have each their particular Priviledges And among those which belong to the King he reckons Power of pardoning After the Ennumerating of which and other his Preaogatives His said Majesty adds thus Again that the Prince may not make use of this High and perpetual Power to the hurt of those for whose good he hath it and make use of the Name of public Necessity for the Gain of his private Favourites and Followers to the Detriment of the People the House of Commons an excellent preservative of Liberty c. is solely entrusted with the first Propositions concerning the Levying of Mony and the Impeaching of those who for their own ends though countenanc'd by any Surreptitiously gotten Command of the King have violated the Law when he knows it which he is bound to protect and to the protection of which they are bound to advise him at least not to serve him to the contrary And the Lords being entrusted with a Judiciary power are an excellent Skreen and Bank between the Prince and People to assist each against any encroachments of the other and by just Judgment to preserve the Law which ought to be the Rule of every one of the three c. Therefore the Power plac'd in both Houses is more then sufficient to prevent and restrain the Power of Tyranny c. III. Untill the House of Commons have right done them against this Plea of Pardon they may justly apprehend that the whole Justice of the Kingdom in the Case of the five Lords may be obstructed and defeated by Pardons of the like nature IV. And Impeachments are virtually the voice of every particular Subject of this Kingdom crying out against Oppression by which every member of that Body is equally wounded And it will prove a matter of ill consequence that the Universality of the People should have occasion minister'd and continu'd to them to be apprehensive of utmost danger from the Crown from whence they of right expect Protection V. The Commons exhibited Articles of Impeachment against the said Earl before any against the five other Lords and demanded Judgment upon those Articles Whereupon your Lordships having appointed the Tryal of the said Earl to be before that of the other five Lords and now having inverted the said Order gives a great cause of doubt to the House of Commons and raises a jealousie in the Hearts of all the Commons of England That if they should proceed to the Tryal of the said five Lords in the first place not only Justice will be obstructed in the case of those Lords but that they shall never have right done them in the matter of this Plea of Pardon which is of so fatal Consequence to the whole Kingdom and a new device to frustrate the public Justice in Parliament Which Reasons and Matters being duly weigh'd by your Lordships the Commons doubt not but your Lordships will receive satisfaction concerning their Propositions and Proceedings And will agree That the Commons neither ought nor can without deserting their Trust depart from their former Vote communicated to your Lordships That the Lords Spiritual ought not to have any Vote in any proceedings against the Lords in the Tower c. This Narrative and the Reasons being deliver'd as is already mention'd were the next day read and debated and then the Lords read their own Vote of the 13th of May and their Explanation thereupon and the Question being put whether to insist upon those Votes concerning the Lords Spiritual it was Resolv'd in the Affirmative Eight and twenty of the Lords dissenting What the issue of the dispute would have been is not here to be disputed but this is certain that while both Houses were thus contesting His Majesty himself put an end to their Debates For that very day being come in His Royal Robes into the House of Lords and seated in His Throne the Commons also attending His Majesty was pleas'd to give His Royal Assent to A Bill for the better securing the Liberty of the Subject A Bill for reingrossing of Fines burn'd in the late Fire in the Temple And A Private Bill concerning Charles Dale of Rutlandshire Esq And then having intimated His Resolution to the two Houses to Prorogue them till the 14th of August The Lord Chancellor Prorogu'd them accordingly by His Majesties Command Little else of moment was done this Sessions onely the House of Commons having order'd a Committee to inspect the Miscarriages of the Navy upon their report of the Heads of an Information against Sir Anthony Deane and Mr. Pepys Members of the House they were both by Order of the House committed to the Tower by virtue of which commitment they still remain under Bail Presently after the Prorogation of the Parliament came the News of the Rebellion that was broken out in the West of Scotland where they Proclaim'd the Covenant and set up a Declaration of which the substance was That AS it was not unknown to a great part of the World how happy the Church of Scotland had been while they enjoy'd the Ordinances of Jesus Christ in their Purity and Power of which we had been deplorably depriv'd by the reestablishment of Prelacy So it was evident not only to impartial Persons but to profess'd Enemies with what unparallell'd Patience and Constancy the People of God had endur'd all the Cruelty and Oppression that Prelates and Malignants could invent or exercise And that being most unwilling to act any thing that might import Opposition to lawful Authority though they had all along been groaning under Corruptions of Doctrine slighting of Worship despising Ordinances Confining Imprisoning Exiling their faithful Ministers Fining Confining Imprisoning Torturing Tormenting the poor People Plundering their Houses and Selling their Persons to Forraign Plantations whereby great Numbers in every Corner of the Land were forc'd to leave their Dwellings Wives and Children and to wander as Pilgrims none daring to Supply or Relieve them nor so much as to speak with them upon their Death-beds for fear of making themselves obnoxious
no less then 2000 l. Sterling by that Desolation In the Year 1676. a great Cabal was held in the English Covent of Benedictine Monks at Paris for the carrying on the great Work of subverting the Protestant Religion and introducing Popery into England For the accomplishing of which Design they could not imagin any means more probable then by continual Fires to weak'n if not utterly demolish the remaining Splendor of the City and Suburbs of London Affirming withall that they would never leave that heritic Heap till they had brought down her Pride by Fire and Py racy These Results being transmitted to their Correspondents in England were here with no less fervency debated and no less sedulous endeavours us'd to satisfie as well their own Cruelty as the longing Expectations of their Brethren in iniquity beyond Sea Of these Consultations the real Effects were those Fires near Limehouse Sept. 18. 1678. at Wapping where Blundell the Jesuit was the Master Engineer and St. Katherines design'd likewise for the burning of the Ships in the River as also in several other places which though they had not that success which they desir'd however shew'd the heat of their Zeal and their Kindness to the Kingdom The same Fate was destin'd for Westminster and that ancient Monunument of our Ancestors Magnificence who never intended that Noble Sructure for the spoil of Loyola's caitif brood This Fire was to have begun its progress near the Palsgrave's-head without Temple-Bar and having baited at the Savoy was to have been driven on again by the Benedictins on both sides of the way to White-hall from whence near the end of the Stone Gallery it was to have been convey'd by fresh Company to Westminster All which grand Contrivance was to have been put in execution in the time of the great Frost in the year 1676. But then it seems they were not well assur'd of the Assistance of the French King of which they were afterwards fully ascertain'd by Le Cheise Confessor to the said King and his Correspondent Mr. Coleman No wonder such hellish Designs were laid by men whose confidence almost exceeded Admiration For though the Plot were in some part at that time discover'd yet did they venture to carry on their Design and kindled a Fire near Limehouse the 18th of Sept. 1678 as is already mention'd which in three or four hours time consum'd and laid level with the ground between forty and fifty Houses and had questionless made a greater devastation had not the active Courage and unwearied Toil of the Seamen put a stop to the fury of the Flames Whence we may be well assur'd that they had resolutely intended the utter desolation of this Antient and Potent City in nothing more unhappy then in the largeness of her Extent had not the discovery of their Treasons and villanous Impieties warm'd them with such another kind of miraculous heat as melted their Cabals yet cool'd the violence of their fiery proceedings The Jesuits had soon the scent which only the smother made in their Noses having a smart Intelligence that Dr. Oates had been in company with a Protestant Minister This startl'd the Provincial Monsieur Whitebread and yet he had the confidence to write to Mr. Bedingfield not to take notice of what Keins it seems the whisperer of the unwelcom News had told him but to proceed in the business of the King and in the whole Affair as before Nay he was so Cocksure as to come to London the third of September The next day the Doctor went to visit him or rather to wait on him by order of his Superiors But then the Scene was alter'd the incens'd and sow'r Provincial chang'd both his Countenance and Behaviour For he not only revil'd the Doctor in words asking him With what face he could look on him that had plaid him such a treacherous trick but entertain'd him with blows and a courteous box o' the Ear for St. Peter may strike as well as teach as being charg'd for having been with the King and a Minister with him However that the Jesuits Trade might still go forward I mean Murder the good natur'd Provincial was willing to be reconcil'd to the Doctor on condition he would discover the Minister's Name and his place of abode to the end they might make him sure for they resolv'd to have kill'd him In the mean time the Doctor was order'd to march and within fourteen days to return to St. Omers and that he might not delude them with a slippery cheat they took upon them to pay for his Coach-hire and Provision upon the Road to Dover and at Calice order'd the Master of the Feathers to pay for his passage to St. Omers unwilling to trust him with so much Money at his own disposal There he was also to stay till farther Order from the Provincial and an excellent Office which was to be Surveyor of the firing of Wapping tak'n out of his hands and committed to the charge and industry of the more trusty Father Blundel But upon the sixth of September at night the Doctor attending at the Provincial's Chamber dore and just ready to go in overheard Monsieur White and some others whom by their voices he conjectur'd to be Mico and one Poole consulting how to dispose of a certain person whom he vehemently suspected to be himself The words not to be omitted were these This man has betraid us and therefore we will give a Coachman Twenty Pound to take him up and carry him directly to Rochester to Esquire Lee ' s house who lives near the Town and from thence to Dover by some by-way because he is acquainted at Sittinborn Adding withal That if they could but get him on the other side the Water they would torment him till he had confess'd to them who it was that had been with the King and had inform'd him of the Business These Words begat in the Doctor a rational fear so that he made all the hast he could down Stairs to avoid the danger and for his better security shifted his Lodging that night The next night as he was returning to his own Lodging for some Necessaries which he wanted the day following he met with one Grigson a Papist who inform'd him That the Jesuits were highly incens'd against him because he had not answer'd their Expectations in being true to them that they were dangerous persons and would ruin him if they could To which he added That he had known their Roguery these twelve or fourteen years The Doctor surpriz'd with this Caution went no further but staid with the said Grigson and lay that night at his Lodging where he had no sooner compos'd himself to rest but one Stafford a Son of Papistical Zeal whom he never knew nor ever in his life provok'd attempted to force open his Lodging but was constrain'd to retreat when he found himself discover'd by the Servants of the House so that from that time forward he grew more jealous of them and
eldest daughter the Lady Mary As for the long Declaration which he wrote as if he had been an actual Secretary of State and employ'd by some certain King his Master to justifie the Dissolution of his Parlament it was produc'd rather to shew his good intentions to his true Soveraign and as a circumstance to confirm the rest than otherwise To all this Mr. Coleman made the slenderest defence imaginable Only being charg'd that he was at a Consult with the Jesuites and Benedictine Monks in August at the Savoy he endeavour'd to prove that he was all that Month in Warwickshire but his witness which was but single not being able to make any positive answer to the questions demanded by the Court his testimony nothing avail'd him no more than his cavil with Doctor Oates that he did not charge him at the Council with all the matters in the Inditement For it was fairly prov'd by one of the Clerks of the Council that he charg'd him severely enough to have him committed to Newgate And that was sufficient for the Prosecutor to do till he came to give his full evidence at the Tryal As to the Letters he said they were only intended for the making the King and the Duke as great as could be as far as he thought it in his power to which end he desired the Court to consider the contexture and connexion of the things therein contain'd After this the Court took notice to the Jury of the Accusation it self and of the Evidence which was of two sorts Letters under his own hand and witnesses viva voce That as to the Letters he rather made his defence by expounding what the meaning was than by denying that he wrote them So that they were to examine what those Letters did import of themselves and what consequences were naturally to be deduc'd from them However it was the opinion and direction of the Court that the substance of the long Letter amounted to this that is so say to bring in the Romish Catholick Religion and to establish it here and to advance an interest for the French King be that what it would That his last Letters did more plainly expound his meaning and intention that when our Religion was to be subverted the nation was also to be subverted and destroy'd In regard there could be no hope of subverting or destroying the protestant Religion but by the subversion not the conversion of the three Kingdomes As to the Witnesses viva voce because the Jury had heard their evidence the Court did not insist upon it only directed the Jury to consider what the Letters did prove the prisoner guilty of directly and of what by Consequence what the prisoner plainly would have done and how he would have done it Upon this the Jury withdrew and after a short stay returning gave up their Verdict which was Guilty and so Mr. Coleman was for that day remanded back to the prison with order to the Keeper to bring him the next morning again to the Bar to receive Sentence The next day being the 28th of November the Prisoner was again brought to the Bar according to Order where being ask'd what he had to say for himself he insisted as to his Papers upon the Act of Grace As to the evidence viva voce he made the same exceptions he had done before only added that he wanted a book of accompts which had been seiz'd on among his Papers by which he could invalidate Dr. Oates's testimony by making it appear he was out of Town all August To the first it was answer'd that he could have no benefit of the Act of Grace in regard his Papers bore date in 74. and 75. since which time there had been no Act made And as for what he said concerning Mr. Oates it was urg'd in vain in regard the Jury had given their Verdict The Exhortations which the Court gave him were in short That whereas he was found guilty of conspiring the death of the King of endeavouring to subvert the Protestant Religion and to bring in Popery and this by the aid and assistance of foraign powers though he seem'd to disavow the matter of the death of the King he should not therefore think himself an innocent man For that it was apparent by his own hand that he was guilty of contriving and conspiring the destruction of the protestant Religion and the introduction of Popery by the aid and assistance of foreign powers from which no man could free him in the least And though it should be true that he would disavow that he had not an actual hand in the contrivance of the Kings death which however two witnesses positively swore against him yet he was to know that he that would subvert the Protestant religion here and consequentially bring in a foreign authority did an act in derogation of the Crown and in diminution of the Kings Title and soveraign Power and made it his endeavours to bring a foreign Dominion both over our Consciences and Estates So that if any man should endeavour to subvert our Religion to bring in that though he did not actually contrive to do it by the death of the King yet that he was guilty of whatsoever follow'd upon that contrivance He was further exhorted to repentance which was the only thing that remain'd And that if he could not with our Church have Contrition which is a sorrow proceeding from Love he would at least make use of Attrition which is a sorrow proceeding from fear For that he might assure himself there were but a few minutes betwixt him and a vast Eternity where would be no dallying no arts us'd And therefore that he should think upon all the good he could do in that little space of time that was left him which was all little enough to wipe off besides his private and secret even his publick offences He was admonished that Confession was very much practis'd in the Religion which he profess'd and that he would do well to exercise it but yet that as his offence was publick so should his Confession be Perchance said the Court he might be deluded with the fond hopes of having his sentence respited But he was exhorted not to trust to it for that he might be flatter'd to stop his mouth till his breath were stopp'd which it was fear'd he would find by the event These friendly and Christian-like Exhortations being concluded by the Judge he then proceeded to the final sentence of the Law which was that he should be Hang'd Drawn and Quarter'd The fatal sentence being past Mr. Coleman offer'd some few things to the Court the sum of which was this That he did admire the Charity of the Court and whereas the Court advised him to Confession he besought their Lordships to hear him some few words The Court indeed had the patience to hear him but what did all his fine words signifie They contain'd nothing but a florid justification of his own innocency in opposition
attempt the killing of the same Prelate in the chief street of Edenburgh in the face of the Sun and of all the multitude Who dying for the fact and with an obdurate and sear'd zeal owning and justifying the fact led others so far astray into the violation of the Law of Nature that upon the third of this month deluded Devotion adventur'd to murther the Arch-bishop in the ensuing manner The Arch-bishop it seems was returning in his Coach from a Village in Fife called Kennoway toward the City of St. Andrews it self and was got within two miles of the place near to another small village called Magus There it was that the Coachman having spy'd several Horsemen gave his Lord notice of them and ask'd him whether he should not drive faster But the Arch-bishop not dreading any harm thought it not convenient to mend his pace When they drew near the Arch-bishops daughter look'd out and seeing them with Pistols in their hands cry'd out to the Coach-man to drive on And he had certainly out-driven them had not one Balfour of Kinlock being mounted upon a very fleet horse cunningly got before the Coach into which they had already discharg'd several shot in vain This Balfour finding he could not wound the Coachman because the Coach-mans whip frighted his Horse wounded the Postillian and disabled the fore horses Upon which the rest coming up one of them shot the Arch-bishop with a Blunderbuss as he sate in the Coach while others reproachfully call'd to him in these words Come forth vile Dog who hast betray'd Christ and his Church and receive what thou hast deserv'd for thy wickedness against the Kirk of Scotland While he was in the Coach one ran him through with a Sword under the shoulder the rest pulling him violently out of the Coach His daughter went out fell upon her knees and beg'd for mercy to her father but they beat her and trampl'd upon her The Primate with an extraordinary calmness of spirit said to 'em Gentlemen I know not that I ever injur'd any of you and if I did I promise ye I will make you what reparation you can propose To which they return'd no better Language than this Villain and Judas Enemy to God and his people thou shalt now have the reward of thy enmity to Gods people which words were follow'd with many mortal wounds of which one was a deep one above his eye He labour'd to make them apprehensive that he was a Minister and pulling off his Cap shew'd them his grey hairs intreating them withal that if they would not spare his life yet that they would at least allow him some little time for prayer But their barbarous and inhumane answer was That God would not hear so base a Dog as he was and as to the desire of Quarter they told him That the strokes they were then about to give were those which he was to expect Notwithstanding all which inhumane usage and a shot that pierc'd his body above his right Pap and several blows that cut his hands while he was holding them up to Heaven in prayer he rais'd himself upon his knees and utter'd these few words God forgive you all After which by reason of many gashes that cut his scull in pieces he fell down dead At which time some of the Murtherers believing that they heard him groan return'd saying he was of the nature of a Cat and therefore they would go back and hack him a little better for the Glory of God And so having stirr'd about his brains with the points of their Swords they took an oath of the servants not to reveal their names and then bidding them take up their Priest they rode back to Magus crying out aloud That Judas was kill'd and from thence made their escape All this while at London the Parliament continue their prosecution of the Earl of Danby and in order thereunto the lower House resolve that the Pardon of the Earl of Danby was illegal and void and not to be allow'd in Bar of the Impeachment of the Commons of England Thereupon the whole House with the Speaker went up to the Lords to whom the Speaker made this following Address My Lords The Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament assembled are come up to demand Judgement in their own names and in the names of all the Commons of England against Thomas Earl of Danby who stands by them impeach'd before your Lordships of High Treason and diverse high Crimes and Misdemeanors To which he has pleaded a Pardon which Pardon the Commons conceive to be illegal and void and therefore they do demand Judgement accordingly Thereupon the Lords appointed a short day for hearing the Earl what he could say to make good the plea of his Pardon Nor was his Majesty himself less careful of the safety of the Nation who finding or at least fore-seeing the ill consequences of these continu'd debates thereupon sent a Message to the Commons wherein he desir'd them to secure the Fleet to proceed in the discovery of the Plot the Tryal of the Lords in the Tower and the Bill for securing the Protestant Religion For all which they appointed a certain day of consideration but before they proceeded they made an Address to his Majesty against the Duke of Lauderdale as a person who being in high trusts and employments about his Majesty had by his arbitrary and destructive Counsels tending to the subversion the rights and liberty of of the subject endeavour'd to alienate the hearts of his Majesties good subjects from his Majesty and Government and more particularly had contriv'd and endeavour'd to raise jealousies and misunderstandings between England and Scotland And therefore they most humbly besought his Majesty to remove him from his Counsels both in Scotland and England from all Offices Imployments and places of Trust and from his Majesties presence for ever And to shew that they did not this out of disobedience but affection presently after they declar'd in a full house That in defence of his Majesties person and the Protestant Religion they would stand by his Majesty with their lives and fortunes and that if his Majesty should come to any untimely end which God forbid they would revenge it to the utmost upon the Papists And now the Bill for the disbanding of the Army being compleated and having pass'd both Houses was confirm'd and receiv'd its last consummation by the Kings Royal Assent So that the Commissioners appointed by the house for that purpose had liberty to attend that particular service In the mean time the Commons perceiving that there was a day appointed for the Earl of Danby to make good the plea of his Pardon by Council order'd that no Commoner should presume to maintain the validity of the Pardon pleaded by the said Earl without the consent of the House and that the person so doing should be accompted a betrayer of the liberty of the Commons of England Next day the Earl appear'd and put in his
Petition into the House of Lords wherein he set forth that he was then attending their Lordships according to Order and expected to have met the Council assign'd him by their Lordships but that he had receiv'd a Message from every one of them that they durst not appear to argue for him by reason of a Vote which the house pass'd yesterday Who thereupon order'd that the Petition should be communicated to the House at the next Conference to know of them whether any such Vote were by them made or no. But here arose a new debate concerning the Bishops which much entangled the interest of the Earl of Danby and the other five Lords in the Tower in reference to their Tryals for the Commons would not prosecute the latter before the first nor the first before such and such things were concluded So that it will be necessary to relate the proceedings of both Houses against the Lords which at length happen'd to be the occasion that neither the one nor the other came to their Tryals as was expected The House having pass'd five resolves for the Impeaching Henry Lord Arundell of Warder William Earl of Pomis John Lord Bellasis William Viscount Stafford and William Lord Peter of Treason and several other Misdemeanors the same day five several Impeachments were accordingly carried up to the Lords but they did not desire they should be sequester'd from Parliament and committed to custody because they were at the same time under restraint in the Tower The Impeachments were first in general That for many years last past there had been contriv'd carried on a trayterous execrable Conspiracy and Plot within this Kingdom of England other places to alter change and subvert the ancient Government Laws of this Kingdom Nation to suppress the true religion therein establish'd to extirpate destroy the professors thereof which said Plot and Conspiracie was Contrived and carried on in divers places and by several ways and means and by a great number of Persons of several Qualities and Degrees who acted therein and intended to execute and accomplish the aforesaid wicked and traiterous designs and purposes That the said five Lords together with Philip Howard commonly called Cardinal of Norfolk and divers others Jesuits Priests and Friers and other Persons as false Traitors to his Majesty and this Kingdom within the time aforesaid had traiterously consulted contriv'd and acted to and for the accomplishing of the said wicked pernicious and traiterous Designs and for that end did most wickedly and traiterously agree conspire and resolve to imprison depose and murther his sacred Majesty to deprive him of his Royal State Crown and Dignity and by malicious and unadvised Speaking Writing and otherwise declared such their purposes and intentions To subject this Kingdom and Nation to the Pope and his Tyrannical Government To seize and share among themselves the Estates of his Majesties Protestant Subjects To erect and restore Abbeys Monasteries and other Convents and Societies which have been long since by the Laws of this Kingdom supprest for their Superstition and Idolatry to deliver up and restore to them the Lands and possessions now invested in his Majesty and his Subjects by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm That the said Conspirators their Accomplices and Confederates had and held several Meetings Assemblies and Consultations wherein it was contriv'd and design'd among them what means should be used and what Persons and Instruments imployed to murder his Majesty and did then and there resolve to effect it by Poysoning Shooting Stobbing or some such like ways and means offer'd rewards and promises of advantage to several Persons to execute the same and hir'd and employed several wicked Persons to Windsor and other places where his Majesty did reside to destroy and murther his Majesty which said Persons accepted such rewards and undertook the perpetrating thereof and did actually go to the said places for that end and purpose That the said Conspirators had procur'd accepted and deliver'd out several Instruments Commissions and Powers made and granted by or under the Pope or other unlawful and usurping Authority to raise Mony Men and Arms and other things necessary for their wicked and traiterous Designs namely to the said Henry Lord Arundel of Warder to be Lord High Chancellor of England to the said William Lord Powis to be Lord Treasurer of England to the Lord Bellasis to be General to the Lord Petre to be Lieutenant General to the Lord Stafford to be Paymaster of the Army That in order to encourage themselves in prosecuting their said wicked Plots Conspiracies and Treasons and to hide and hinder the discovery of the same and to secure themselves from Justice and Punishment the Conspirators and Confederates aforesaid did cause their Priests to administer an Oath of Secrecy together with the Sacrament and upon Confessions to give them Absolutions upon condition that they did conceal the Conspiracy That the better to compass their traiterous Designs they had consulted to raise and had procur'd and rais'd Men Money Horse Arms and Ammunitions and had made applications to and treated and corresponded with the Pope his Cardinals Nuncio's and Agents and with other forreign Ministers and Persons to raise tumults within the Kingdom and invade the same with forraign Forces to surprize seize and destroy his Majesties Navy Forts Magazines and Places of Strength to the ruine and destruction of the Nation That when Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey a Justice of Peace had according to the duty of his Oath and Office taken several Examinations and Informations concerning the said Conspiracy and Plot the said Conspirators or some of them by the advice councel and instigation of the rest did incite and procure divers persons to lye in wait and pursue the said Sir Edmund-Bury several days with intent to Murder him which at last was prepetrated and effected by them That after the said Murther and before the body was found or the Murther known to any but the Accomplices the said Persons falsly gave out that he was a-live and privately Married and after the Body was found dispersed a false and malicious report that he had Murthered himself Which said Murther was committed with a design to stifle and suppress the Evidence he had taken and had knowledge of and to discourage and deter Magistrates and others from acting in the farther discovery of the said Plot and Conspiracy That of their farther malice they had wickedly continued by many false suggestions to lay the guilt and imputation of the aforesaid Horrid and Detestable Crimes upon the Protestants that so they might escape the punishments they had justly merited and expose the Protestants to great scandal and subject them to Persecution and Oppression in all Kingdoms and Countries where the Roman Religion is receiv'd and professed All which Treasons Crimes and Offences were contriv'd committed perpetrated acted and done by the said Lords and every of them and others the Conspirators against our Soveraign