by their seditious and false Constructions of what we had so candidly and sincerely done for their Good and surprised with a Vote of our House of Commons against our Writs of Elections which we intended for their Satisfactions against many presidents of ours or without any colour of Law of their side denying our power to Issue out such Writs addressing to us to Issue out others Which we consented to do at their request choosing rather to yield to our Subjects in that Point than to be forced to Submit to our Enemies in others hoping that our Parliament being sensibly touched with that our extraordinary Condescention would go on to consider the public Concern of the Kingdom without any further to do But we found another use made of our easie Compliance which served to encourage them to ask more so that soon after we found our Declaration for indulging tender Consciences Arraigned voted Illegal though we cannot to this day understand the Consistences of that Vote with our undoubted Supremacy in all Ecclesiastics recognizing by so many Acts of Parliament and required to be Sworn to by all our Subjects and Addresses made to us one after another to recal it which we condescended to also from hence they proceeded to us to weaken our self in an actual War and to render many of our Subjects of whose Loyalty and Ability we were well satisfied inoapable to serve us when we wanted Officers and Souldiers and had reason to invite as many experienced Men as we could to Engage in our Arms rather than to Incapacitate or Discourage any yet this also we gratified them in to gain their Assistance against our Enemies who grew high by these our differences rather than expose our Country to their Power and Fury hoping that in time our People would be confounded to see our concessions and be ashamed of their Errours in making such demands But finding the unfortunate Effects of our Divisions the following Summer we found our Parliament more Extravagant at the next meeting than â—ver Addressing to us to hinder the Consummation of our dear Brothers Marriage contrary to the Law of God which forbideth any to separate any whom he hath joyned against our Faith and Honour engaged in the solemn Treaty obstinately persisting in that Address after we had acquainted them that the Marriage was then actually ratified and that we had Acted in it by our Ambassadour so that we were forced to separate them for a while hoping they would bethink themselves better at their meeting in January instead of being more moderate or ready to consider our wants towards the War they Voted as they had done before not to Assist us still till their Religion were effectually secured against Popery Aggreivances redressed and all obnoxious Men removed from us which we had reason to take for an absolute denyal of all Aid considering the Indefiniteness of what was to proceed and the Moral impossibility of effecting it in their Sences for when will they say their Religion is effectually secured from Popery if it were in Danger then by reason of the insolency of Papists When our House of Commons which is made up of Members from every corner of our Kingdom with invitations publicly posted up to all Men to accuse them has not yet in so many years as they have complained of them been able to Charge one single Member of that Communion with so much as a Misdemeanor or what security câ—â—ld they possibly expect against that body of Men or their Religion more than we had given them Or how can we hope to live so perfectly that Study and Pains may not make a collection of Grievances as considerable as that which was lately presented to us than which we could not have wished for a better Vindication of our Government or when shall we be sure that all obnoxious Men are removed from us when common Fame thinks fit to call them so which is to every body without any proof sufficient to render any Man obnoxious who is Popishly affected or any thing else that is ill though they have never so often or lately complyed with their own Tests and Marks of Distinction and Discriminations finding our People thus unhappily disordred we saw it impossible to prosecute the War any longer and therefore did by their advice make a Peace upon such conditions as we could get hoping that being gratified in that darling Point â—hey would at least have paid our Debts and enabled us to have built sâ—me Ships for the future security of our Honour and their own Properties but they being transported with their success â—n asking were resolv'd to go on still that way and would needs have us put upon the removing of our Judges from those charges which they have always hitherto heâ—â— at the wâ—â— and pleasure of the Crown out of our Power to alter the ancient Laws of trying of Peâ—â—s and to make it a Premunire in our Subjects in a case supposed not to sight against our self nay some â—ad tâ—e heart to ask that the Hereditary Succession of our Crown which is the Foundation of alâ— our Laws should be changed into a sort of Election they requiring the Heir to be qualified with cerâ—ain conditions to make him capable of succeeding and out-doing that Pâ—pish Doctrine which we have so long and so loudly with good reason decryed that Heresâ—â— incapacitates Kings to Reâ—gn They would have had that the Heir of the Crown marrying a Papist though he continued never so orthodâ—x himself should forfeit his Right of Inheâ—itance not understanding this paradoxical waâ— of securing Râ—ligion by destroying it as this would have done that of the Church of England which always taught obedience to their Natural Kings as an indâ—spensable duty in all good Christians let the Religion or Deportment of their Pâ—ince be what it will and not knowing how soon that impediment which was supposed as sufficient to keep out an Heir might be thought as fit to remove a Possâ—ssâ—ur And comparing that Bill which would have it a Prâ—muniâ—e in a Sheriff not to raise the Posse Comâ—â—atus against our Commission in a case there supposed though we our self should Assist that our Commission in our Person for not being excepted is â—mpâ—â—ed with the other made by this very Parliament in the 14th year of our Reign which all our Subjects or at least many of them were obliged to Swear viz. That the Doctrine of taking up Aâ—ms by the Kings Authority against his Person was detestable and we soon found that the design was level'd against the good Protestant Religion of our good Church which its Enemies had a mind to blemish by slâ—â—ing in sâ—â—â—y thâ—se daâ—â—nable Doctrines by such an Authority as that of our Parliament into the profession of our Faith or Practices and to expâ—se our whole Religion to the Scorn and Reproaâ—h of themselves and all the World we therefore thought it our duty to be so watchful as to prevent the enemy
yet if you had not come up to the point of killing your Brother you must have been destroy'd as well as he and I do believe that they never was sure of your arriving at that pitch of Courage for I will tell you that there were some of the Blackwan Papists that were for the destroying of you both but their Counsel was rejected for that you were heartily engag'd in that part of the design which related to your Brother's death but they always fear'd that you would not be much capable of their Counsel and Advice whenever you came to the Crown but truly you deceived them all for you Thanks be to God proved as thorow paced a Tyrant as our Hearts and Souls could desire and it was that and only that which did deliver us from you 5thly Give me leave to add a fifth Observation which is well worth your Judicious Consideration for I know you to be a man of great Sense and Ingenuity therefore it will not be amiss to put you in mind and observe to you they did not only preach against all the Princes of Europe in general but against your Brother in particular that he was an Heâ—etick and therefore condemned to what to Death by whom By the Jesuits all over Christendom and the whole Church of Rome for what cause Because he had engaged to set up the Catholick Religion and had broke his word he had received the Sacrament on Easter Day in the morning from Ireland your Jesuit and then from the Church of England at noon he had wounded the Catholick Cause to death by the Test Bill therefore in the first place they declared him a Bastard then a Heretick and then commanded their Young â—ry not to pay Obedience to an Heretical Prince and had I not been Privy to their Design I should have argued thus with my self that since there are so many Protestant Kings and Princes in Christendom why then should they aim thus at the King of England more than the rest of the Protestant Princes but truely I found that it was but a brave Adventure The Jesuits and you well knowing that the rest would follow of Course for they used to say that neither of the two Northern Crowns were worth there contending for till England was gained and if England was once subdâ—ed to the Catholick Faith the rest could not hold out against them therefore as a Prologue to that the war against Holland was commenc'd that with more ease they might extirpate Heresie and had that Potestant State been ruined what could the rest of the Princes of Europe do against France and England these were the Summ and Substance of the debates of your Councellours at St. James's which we had from your Servant St. Coleman you may say what reason had these men to propose to themselves this Advantage whence was this to arise to this I answer 1. You was the next in view after Charles the second that was to sâ—cceed to the Crown and you being a Papist it was no matter of surprize to me nor do I think that it is now to any rational thinking man that they to further and hasten your Succession should with you conspire the destruction of the King your Brother who was the only Obstacle in your way to the Throne I hope thâ—â— you have some about you that are not so unacquainted with the History of England as not to know that your Great Grandmother the Queen of Scots was engag'd with the Popish Party in several Conspiracies against Q. Elizabeth in order to the said Queen of Scots coming to the Crown she being next in descent to the said Queen Elizabeth and truly as long as the Scottish Queen lasted our Queen Elizabeth was never out of Danger Hence it was that our Fore-fathers were so sensible of the Queens Danger which made them to enter into an Association throughout all the Kingdom even in an interval of Parliament in which Association they mutually obliged themselves in case the said Queen Elizabeth should be taken off by any undue means to avenge it upon the Papists and they were not for this taunted at bythe Queen for a parcel of Factious and Rebellious Rogues but received as her dutiful and loyal Subjects and the Parliament passed it into a Law by the Consent of the said Queen Truely Sir your Rogues well knew that should they lose that Opportunity and Advantage of your being a Papist and having Hopes of your Coming such to the Crown for the Re-establishment of the Popish Religion they might never enjoy such an Opportunity again these your Villains perceived that the King your Brother was in all Humane Judgement more likely to live longer than you therefore it was highly necessary to anticipate the course of Nature and not trust matters of such Consequence as the Restoration of the Romish Religion to such a Contingency as your Brothers dying in a natural way before your sweet self nay rather than they would be ouâ— your Popish Astrologer was consulted and the Judgement that he gave was that the King in the Course of Nature would out-live you then you and your Party were resolved that he was to be cut off that his Life might not prevent the great Glory of Englands having a Catholick King which would be of such Advantage to the Holy Chair that you and they purposed to employ such Case harden'd Villains as should not boggle at striking the fatal Blow and though you was pleased to smile at that time upon some that called themselves Proteâ—tants yet they found themselves out in their Accounts when you came to the Crown they saw that they had foolishly sâ—attered themselves with the vain Hopes of having high Church secured for Sir you well knew that it did not become a Man of your Religion to be a Slave to your Word and Faith especially to those you judged Hereticks 2. They well knew that you was not only of the Popish Religion but that you was bigotted to that Religion give me leave to wipe that â—notty Nose of yours with a little passage of your St. Câ—leman God hath given us a Prince said that Holy Traytor who is become to a miracle zealous of being the Author of so glorious a Work Now Sir that Work this great Saint and Martyr of your making Points at was the Conversion of three Kingdoms that was the mighty Work upon your Hands and as you had a mighty work so you had a mighty Zeal for the carrying on that work I am Sir of an Opinion that your Cut-throats would have been contented to have had a Papist of an indifferent Zeal upon the Throne provided they would but have kept him Steady but to have such a Prince that was converted to that degree of Zeal as that he valued nothing in the world in Comparison of his Religion was of far greater Consequence to them than the High Church Cox-combs at that time were sensible of there have been Kings that have been
of the Faith of the Church of Rome that were not of the Faith of the Court of Rome and therefore though they gave all manner of Encouragement to the Romish Religion yet by great Caution and Vigilance they have very much prevented the undermining the Temporal Authority they had over their Subjects Our former Kings of England though they were of that Faith and did countenance their Subjects in that worship yet they would not let them be enslaved by any pretended Papal Jurisdiction but your Villains were blessed with a man that would not only allow the Bishop of Rome his rascally Worship but also allow him to enslave the Nation with a Power he challenged in the temporal Government this your Cut-throats were assured of and therefore they would not in good manners to your great Zeal be in the least behind hand to joyn with you to hasten the Exit of your Brother who would by no means keep pace with them to their horrid Designs and therefore they judged that he was their only Let or Hinderance in compleating that mighty work 3. You was not only a Papist but a bigotted papist and being such you put your self under the Conduct of the Jesuits this Confederacy of yours with those zealous Sons of the Synagogue of Sâ—than could not be otherwise than very fatal to the Kingdom as to its Religion and Government and the person of the King your Brother for you arriving to that Pitch of Zeal and putting your self under their Conduct they in gratitude to you could not but endeavour the hastning your Accession to the Crown of which you were as ambitious as they were zealous and therefore you both joyned to destroy your Brother that was converted to the Religion of Rome but not zealous enough in driving on the Jesuits Designs had you Brother's Zeal been as fierce as yours he might have been cooling his Heels at St. Germains as well as your self and good Company there It was not for want of good will to your Religion but for want of a galloping Zeal which was no ways consistent with his voluptuous Living that you and these villanous Jesuits and the Popish Party conspired his death these were the three Advantages on which your Cut-throat Party did build their Hopes which made your Jesuits in the most considerable part of the Kingdom and in many places abroad to preach their King murthering Doctrine the better to prepare those of their Communion to joyn with you in the Fatal Blow that you and your Council at St. James's had designed to give the King your Brother 6. A sixth Testimony that appeared against you and your Party was the Trayterous Correspondencies that was maintained in order to carry on a Rebellion in Scotland and Ireland for Scotland your Villains took the Advantage of the great Heats that were created in that Kingdom by the dreadful Tyranny of Duke Lauderdale who acted by your Director and used all those Methods that might provoke a Rebellion and your Servant Coleman who had a great Interest in Lauderdale was often with him by which the Jesuits understood what Measures to take and a Party was appointed to incense the Villainous Bishops of that Kingdom against the poor Protestants there whereby their Lives were made very miserable and the Usage of their Ministers who by providence were driven upon the Coasts of England and came to the House of Lords where an Account was given to the Parliament that sat in the year 1678 in the month of December and the Parliament took their Cause into Consideration and dismissed them of their Irons and Thumckins and addressed your Brother against Lauderdale and as you had a Party of men that acted their part with the Episcopal Party in Scotland thus to vex and torment the afflicted Protestants in Scotland so your Jesuits they entertained another party of Rogues of the same Complexion to assocIate themselves with these poor Protestants in order to keep up their Animositie against the Prelatique Party withal urging them that they at that time had a fair Opportunity to vindicate their Liberty and Religion and that it could not be done but by the Sword and whereas that the King had received many of their Addresses yet he was so addicted to his pleasures that he neither would nor could take little or no care of redressing their intolerable Grievances and the great Cause of their ill Usage proceeded even from the King himself by which Sir it appeared their great Design in Conjunction with you was to weaken your Brothers Interest in that Kingdom for they urged that if they did not stir in time they would be put under some Forreign Force which would be more vexatious to them and you found your Design so well that your Jesuits received an Account from Scotland dated Feb. 7. 1677 that all Diligence was used to put the Potestants in that Kingdom of Scotland upon opposing Duke Lauderdale and his Villains and questioned not but that all things should be so ordered that a Rebellion should be raised in Scotland and a little before you went down to Windsor you knew that Messengers were sent down to Scotland to press the poor people to a resentment of the Tyranny they lived under by the Male-Administration of Duke Lauderdale and such that were of the Ministry in that Kingdom and especially since they could not obtain the Liberty of Conscience notwithstanding all their humble Supplications to the King therefore the Sword must do it a Rebellion at last you obtain'd in order to destroy these poor Wretches the Consequence of which was the total enslaving that Kingdom the better to fit it for its Submission to the Romish Religion As for Ireland I have already at large not only in this but in the first Memorial laid open your Practices in that Kingdom 7. Call to mind Colemans Letters and say that you knew nothing of them if you dare there it is said that you had a mighty work upon your Hands no less than the Conversion of three Kingdoms Come Sir deal freely was it to be brought about by Arguments from the Scripture no Sir I did never find the Knowledge of the Scriptures abound in the most learned of them all we have scarce a Protestant Cobler but is able to cope with if not to baffle a Romish Priest it could not be that these three Kingdoms could be converted by these sorts of Arguments with which your Cut-throats were little acquainted and their preaching is generally too silly and empty to prevail with Protestants to change their Religion unless some few weak Debauchees and weaker Whores Well you were to convert three Kingdom I pray how was not your Conversion and Conviction by enlightening the eyes of the Protestant Party by a Faggot and by the powerful and irresistible Arguments of the Dagger those Letters of Coleman's tell the world that the design prospered so well that there was no doubt but that it would be managed to the utter Ruine of
of Commerce the said Lord Protector had made to the great advantage of the English Nation and graciously left his people to be treated in their trade to France at the pleasure of the French King In a word your Brother was no sooner sixt at Whitehall and you at St. James's but the French King was become your Confident and the King of Spain slighted which as it was against justice and humanity so it was against the maxims of Policy and Prudence the French Nation being natural Enemies of the English and the next Neighbour to it and of all Nations the most formidable all these considerations should have made you to have made a firm alliance with Spain at that time for their condition was very low being brought to that sad state in a great measure upon the account of your Family both in your Grand fathers and Fathers Reigns insomuch that notwithstanding the largeness of the Dominions of that King yet out of them all he could not find an Army to fight against the Portuguese this I must say that God did visit that Crown with severe Judgments for their unjust dealings with the Americans both in respect of the War they made with them and the cruelties they exercised towards them You will say the King of Spain was poor yes so he was and the Proverb was good That Vermin will quit a falling house you well knew that the Popish party could not bear up in their undertakings in the design of changing our Religion into Popery nor our Government into Slavery upon the Credit Purse and Interest of the King of Spain but upon the Purse Interest and Credit of the French King your party thought they might with the better success and with more ease accomplish their wicked designs and purposes against the Religion Laws and Liberties of these three Kingdoms Let me tell you Sir that notwithstanding all the efforts the Popish party made in the years 1660 and 1661 they all proved abortive for they have not their expectation fully answered for they wanted some considerable person to head them but you know your Brother and you thought it convenient to be plaguy Godly for a little time and therefore the Red-Letter-men were to expect a little longer 4. That all might not be lost for want of looking after your Mother comes from France to give those of the Church of Rome some countenance and to be head of that Council that was appointed to sit at Somerset-house you know the pretence of her coming over was a Treaty with her Son about the Marriage of Madam her Daughter with the Monsieur of France but the real cause was to make earnest solicitations on the behalf of the Popish party that they might in some measure receive the benefit of those promises your Brother and you had made to them and to most of the Popish Princes in Christendom upon their account and though you could not engage your self to appear bare-faced you at that time wearing a Protestant face as did also your dear Brother the King so that she to encourage them came over and resided here in England for some time and that the interest might be strengthened the Marriage of her Son the King with the Daughter of Portugal was no less designed than that of her Daughter with Monsieur Give me leave to tell you in this affair the Queen your Mother did testifie more love to her Daughter your Sister than she did to the King your Brother and more like a Daughter of France than a Queen Mother of England by her coming over she did not only secure the interest of France in England but she secured all the Popish party to be true to the French interest and secured the French King to be their great friend that would not cease to do all good offices between them and his dear Brother the King of England and they might be assured of you in a short time and also by her coming a great number of Priests Jesuits Monks and Fryers came over who were caressed with part of the Treasure of the Nation amongst whom was one Kirton a Fryar that had two hundred pound a year Pension given him the pretence was that he was an excellent Chocolate-maker for your Brother the King She also spurred on the Council that sat at Somerset-house to use that diligence that became them that they might answer those ends that their meeting together required This plainly shews what encouragement the Popish party received by the coming of your Mother from France 5. Your Brothers Marriage with the Daughter of Portugal was another considerable encouragement for though she brought no considerable Fortune to the Crown yet still she strengthened the French interest the French King in order thereunto proposed and promoted the Match for never was one word said of it till the Arrival of the Queen Mother and then you know that affair was driven on with all the Zeal imaginable insomuch that if any of the Church of Rome that were of the Spanish Faction had offered any thing against the Match with Portugal he or she or they were in danger of being forbid the then Court at Somerset-House Sir Kenelm Digby was one of the Council at Somerset-House and he was in danger of losing your Mothers favour and his place at that board only for expressing himself not with the due respects that she expected to the intended Match with Portugal and the Lord Castlehaven was forbidden her presence for asserting that Match could never tend to the Honour and Advantage of the English Nation and the late Duke of Norfolk though he was a Papist and Loyal enough yet because he was not of the French Interest and was against the Match your Mother did but look sowrely upon him nay you may remember that for some time all the Honour he could get was but to be made the Son of a Duke and it was some time before he could obtain that mark of Royal Favour The Match was concluded on and over came that peice of Portugal Flesh for His Majesty's use and she was no sooner arrived and fixed at St. James's but behold another Council was appointed there upon the account of the Catholicks and so they had now two Councils one at St. James's and one at Somerset-House and truly all things run on merrily on their side they having two Queens to Espouse their Cause then finally you were reconciled to the Church of Rome and so your Brother and you being both of a Religion what greater incouragement could that villainous party of Men expect and then came all the Ambassadors Envoys Agents they had the Priviledge of open Chapels so that London it self was made a Nursery for Popery 2. You now may see what encouragements the Popish party had to engage in the design of changing our Religion and Government in order to bring in Popery and Arbitrary power when you being reconciled to the Church and See of Rome did establish a third Council
on the behalf of the Popish party which became wholly yours they owning you for their head your business therefore was to strengthen their interest at Court by having the King your Brother always ready to heap his favours upon them and to enlarge their Interest in the Country by obtaining such Immunities for them as no Protestant Dissenter could ever obtain in all your Brother's Reign notwithstanding they were more quiet under their pressures and provocations than the other were under your Brother's favours and caresses your party before your arrival at your last reconciliation to the Church of Rome had met with these encouragements to engage men in this design I pray Sir let us compare Notes a little and let us see what encouragement you gave those that were ingaged in the design of subverting our Religion and Government give me leave to put you in the mind of these in their order 1. The first encouragement that you gave them you procured them employments in the Government nay if it were a place but of 20 l. per Annum a poor Catholic was preferred before another if he stood in competition with him you did espouse that party with that zeal which put your friend Coleman into a sort of a Religious extasie when he considered what a Prince God had given them who was become to a miracle zealous of being the Author and Instrument of so glorious a work of converting three Kingdoms and by that perhaps the utter subduing of a pestilent Heresy which hath domineered over great part of the Northern part of the World a long time and that there were never such hopes as in this time notwithstanding the opposition you were like to meet withal and truly Sir I could not blame Coleman for this rapture of his for the providing for your friends was a good sign of your conversion to that degree of Zeal that Secretary of yours spake of Now Sir the getting of your friends into employments did strengthen their hands that they might be fit for business or else Sir Patrick Trant might have continued in the Black-guard for ought I know to the day of his Death but your conversion converted him not only to your Church but also converted him from being a Black-guard-boy to wear a great name and place I pray Sir to what end was Sir George Ratcliffe to have had a Patent for to be a Baron of England but that the Popish party might be more strengthened in the North that the little ones might be encouraged and their numbers encreased by the protection he might give them in your name you were so successful in this that you boasted to Beddingfield and to others before him that were your Confessors that you did not question but that in a short time you could raise an Army of your Cotholick friends to establish the Catholick Religion Obj. Why might not the Son of Charles the First shew himself greatful to Roman Catholicks and procure them an Interest at Court had not they an universal esteem for their Loyalty to Charles the First and Charles the Second Why in such a heat good Sir where was the Loyalty of your Servant Manning where was the Loyalty of those that petitioned Cromwel for Liberty of Conscience and promising in lieu of so great a favour to destroy your Family alas Sir here is Loyalty for you besides all this behold it was they that had a hand nay a great hand in your Fathers death where was the Loyalty of the Irish murderers that renounced your Fathers Authority after they had performed his Gracious Command of murdering of one hundred and fifty thousand Protestants 'T is true they went into your Fathers Interest but not to serve him but to be protected by him from the Justice the Parliament would have inflicted on them for the wicked War they had in conjunction with that Villain Laude fomented against the Scotch and had also contributed to the same and not only so but had commenced that wicked War of the King your Father against the Parliament of England they were the Authors of our Civil War But Sir suppose they had been great sufferers upon your Father's account was that an argument why they were so well provided for alas Sir if that were an argument why was it not an Argument for the old Cavaliers no they were too generous to engage in any design against the good English Government for they thought that when they engaged with Charles the First that they had fought for the Protestant Religion and Liberties of England and therefore many times wondered the Papists herded with them and were much displeased to see Popish Councils and Councellors perferred before their Faces and they scarce suffered to have the Kings Ear therefore Sir you know well enough these men were not sit for your work and service on the other hand you were sure of the faithfulness of your Popish crew their Religion being security enough to you that they would engage in the design with you and therefore they were to be encouraged These Rogues had not one drop of Cavalier Blood in them no not one drop of any Blood but that of the Whore of Rome the poor Cavaliers were therefore to be starved and these fellows suffered to Revel and Surfeit upon their calamities this was the first encouragement they received from you viz. their Interest at Court 2. Your second encouragement you gave them was the check that you gave to those who opposed them especially the old Cavaliers for Sir you may remember that upon the coming in of the King your Popish party made them themselves very fine nay they resolved that none should be so fine as they but the old Cavaliers were resolved not to be out-done but they would be as fine though they did not live to pay the Taylors but when they showed themselves at Court your Brother and you scarce knew them though the Papists at that time had all the demonstrations of affection shew'd them to the great astonishment of the poor Cavaliers but when they had recovered themselves they fell into a desperate rage with the Papists asking them what they did there and began to arraign them for their former Rogueries but you was pleased to tell one that had signalized himself in your Father's service that it was not for him nor any other to malign the Roman Catholicks who had been your Brother's best friends and therefore we might easily see since that few or none durst appear so against them to suggest any thing that might bring them under the least jealousie lest they should be said to asperse the only friends of the Government and I truly have stood amazed that the little Credit the Papists had got by shrouding themselves under the protection of the King your Father should be so highly improved nay it was scarce credible till the World saw the design in which with you they were engaged then we plainly discovered the reason why they that
opposed them were severely treated by your Brother and your self not for any service they had done but for some future villany they were to perpretate the reducing the Nation to the yoke of France and Rome this was the reason why they were so dear to your Brother and you and upon this account you thought they were men that were not to be opposed by any 3. You gave them a third encouragement which was the peace they enjoyed in their Persons and Estates in the Countries where they lived so that they did not only escape those legal arraignments upon the account of their Religion but also upon the account of their many Traiterous designs against the Nation and they lived in peace and quietness notwithstanding their being obnoxious to many penal Statutes so that since the return of your Brother till their damnable design was discovered who lived more comfortably in the enjoyment of themselves and their Estates than they and truly none but the poor old Caalviers envied them for when we saw the end for which they had this countenance that it was that in time they might the more easily engage with you in the destruction of the King s person and the Government of England then all Protestants began to look about them and no other expedient could be found but the extirpation of those that were in such a damnable design as this and led to it by villainous principles suck'd in from their Priests and Jesuites the Parliament address'd several times for the restraining the number of those Vermin but you know for the peace and quietness of the best friends of yours few of them were put in execution nay Sir when they were indicted for not coming to their Parish Church once a month a noli pros was obtained on their behalf that they might not be disturbed in the profession of their Religion 4. A fourth encouragement you gave them was your strengthening them with the favours and friendship of several Prelates of the Church and your Brother's Ministers of State but as for the former they were very careful to engage their Clergy not to preach against Popery but against the Fanaticks for that the Papists and the Church of England did differ but in things nd points that were not material hence it was Sir that your first Dutchess was seduced to the Synagogue of Rome by the filthy treachery of Bishop Morley and Bishop Shelden by the help and aid of the fantastical quibbles of old Gunning There were three that seeing the insolency of the Church of Rome did make bold to give her a scratcht face and wrote both learnedly and severely against that filthy Whore and therein did the Protestant Religion very great and signal service for which reason none were by your Brother or you made Bishops in the Church but died unproffered excepting one who out-lived both you villainous Reigns and is now a Prelate of the Church I would fain know of that man whether or no he was not sometimes Brow-beaten by your Brother or you your Brother twice in my hearing said he should never be a Bishop in his Reign he made his words good and if you had said it it would have been never the worse But thanks be to God we have neither a Portsmouth nor a Cleveland to be Bishop-makers in our Court Our King hath made several and none of them a Scandal to their profession you made not half so many and what they were I will not here say any thing but only this that they are older now than they were ten years ago one of them I suppose knows the price of a Bowl of Grains but after all by restraining the Clergy from preaching against Papists and Popery gave them great incouragement to engage with your design levelled against the Religion Laws and Liberties of these three Kingdoms and the Death of the King your Brother Deny this if you can and let any of your Patriots stand forth and answer what I now write and convince me of any untruth if they can 5. Another incouragement you gave the Popish Party that they might engage in the said design was that you and they had Created in the King such a trust in you that he committed the administration of affairs to your self and the leading men of your Popish party and what they durst not advise the King of at Whitehall that they would advise you at St. James's and there were very few of their projects that related to Popery and the French interest but were readily put in Execution as the first and second War against the Dutch and many other things shall in their proper places be insisted on and as for your power with the King it is so plain that all the Nation saw that there was nothing done without your approbation and consent 6. Another incouragement you gave the Popish party was that if any male content should happen to discover your Wicked designs of Subverting the Government and of killing the King your Brother he would by no means believe them and so that they would all of them come off with impunity which made that villainous party grow very bold and daring and to carry themselves with that insolency that they were not to be suffered to live in a Protestant Kingdom this I say will be further made appear in its proper place 2. I come now in the second place to put you in mind what steps you took to effect your design of changing the Government into downright Slavery and the Religion of the Nation into downright Popery and for the destruction of the Kings person this is worthâ—y of your consideration since God in his mercy to this Nation hath placed you in that admirable Climate at St. Germains where you have time enough to consider of these things I pray that if the little Welsh Gentleman can understand any thing that he may be taught these things it may be he may have as much a regard to you as if he were your own dear Child 3. The first step you took for the effecting your cursed designs was the debauching of the Nation this I have touched upon in the first part of this memorial you may remember that upon the 11th of May 1660 both Houses sent Commissioners to invite your Brother home and Admiral Montague with the Royal Fleet to convoy him over and in his Company came your self and your younger Brother and such a Crew along with you as if you intended to take up with Newgate for your head quarters rather than St. James's or Whitehall truly Sir this I may say and call God to Witness that I never heard an oath sworn in all my Life till the day of your blessed restoration truly the day that you arrived in London was rather a day of madness than of prudent mirth and rejoicing for your being delivered from your low estate and entring into a state of luxury and ease you presently began to change the face of the
Nation the Poor Cavalier party under the persecution of their adversaries the Parliamenteers lived quietly upon that part of their Estates which was permitted them after their composition and there was a face of Religion in the Nation whereas upon your return all sortâ— of men even some professors themselves did too much imitate the prodigality and luxury of the Court which scarce entertained any but upon these terms then to Crown all to humour the King your Brother the publick Theatres were stuffed with the most obscene and filthy actions and interludes one would have thought that Laude had been raised from the dead and his Brother Mazarine to have written Books on the behalf of these proceedings to prove that for the King's comfort they might be more obscene to justifie that two Priests had the management of the Play-house and to grace the business had engaged their new Gracious Master to be present at the first opening those Scenes of filthiness persons brought to such a degree of prophaneness and ungodliness came in little time to be of no Religion whatever their profession was before and therefore indifferent to seem to be of any further than Interest and Temptation should incline them so no man will have much list or any considerable propensity to be of that Religion that shall condemn those practices they are resolved upon now it is evident that there is no perswasion in the World that so much countenanceth debauchery and prophaneness as the Religion of the Church of Rome and so you had the success you expected in debauching the Nation for how many turned Papists to gratify their own and your lusts at once but enough of this in the sixteenth Article 2. The second step you took was a wicked Oath you imposed upon the Nation the Oath was in these words I A. B. do declare and believe that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous position of taking Arms by his Authority against his person or against those who are Commissionated by him so help me God Truly Sir you are a pretty Gentleman I pray let me have you pretty picture with this Oath coming out of your Mouth and I do believe it would make a pretty show and if I should be so happy as to see such a sight I would say that this well contrived Test was of the first impression for I never met with any of our antient Laws that ever obliged any to swear to an opinion or belief for I humbly conceive not without some reason that if swearing could determine all Controversies and beliefs all learning reasonings and instruction would be at an end I wonder therefore our Prick-eared Priests would ever ascend a Pulpit or our Bishops in Charles s time took so much pains in the alterations and additions of that useful Book that takes up its quarters so near the Bible in the Churches if swearing to beliefs and opinions was of such use in your Brother's Government since he that swore the most had the Mastership of more Logick and Religion than his non-swearing Brethren you designs could not well have gone on till you had sworn the members of Corporations not to give your Crew any opposition for they had been so often beaten by the Non-swearers of those times that they never love fighting and because they were a parcel of cowardly fellows they were resolved to forswear fighting and that they might not meet with such rugged exercise from others they instead of fighting made them take up this more gentle trade of swearing that they would not fight and when you had tied up their hands from that sort of practice by this new Oath you go to work to destroy us believing that none would give you any opposition since they had so lustily promised to be quiet by this pretty Oath they had taken and in time Sir you had improved the point to such a pitch that a Member of Parliament could scarce enter upon any debate of any expedient for the defence of the Laws and Liberties of his Country but his Nose was wiped with this Oath and looked upon as criminal if he should vote for an Act of Parliament to borrow the Militia of the King it looking like entering into an actual War against the King you and your Traiterous party thought to have done wonders with this Oath and truly they went a great way with it but it never did a Tyrants business yet nor never will For do but remember that there was a Test that passed the Convocation in the short Parliament that met in April 1640 to preserve the Hierarchy of the Church of England your Companions you have with you will tell you that it did not for the very next Parliament within the compass of a Year dismiss'd the Bishops sitting in the House of Lords at which some of them gnashed their Gums they having no Teeth to exercise that gift withal for which they caged a goodly Troop of them in the Tower with his Majesty's Lyons not for their Lamb-like carriage in the high Commission Court or their Dove-like behaviour in the Star Chamber nay the poor Deans and Arch-deacons they had a share in their favour for the Parliament eased them of all Temporal Jurisdiction nay here was worse than all this England and Scotland entring into Covenant to extirpate that order of Men the Covenant that was crowded out by the engagement the engagement made its exit upon the Protector 's assuming the Government truly a Man that had but an Irish understanding might have thought that Men had sworn so long till they cared not what they swore or to whom Old Monk before he came out of Scotland caused all the Scots to renounce and abjure your whole Family and so he did the Irish Brigade at his coming to London nay the abhorring and detesting of your Family was a great part of the last Speech and Confession of the dying Rump and within a short time in came your Family with several squadrons of Oaths as if your Government had been to have been supported with those Forces truly you made them serve to adorn your Government but this little Whipper Snapper of an Oath was to be its sweet Anchor but it did not do the business for though you had taken that Oath to your Brother it proved no antidote against his being poisoned nor you from being walked out of the Kingdom by your high Church Crew but to give you your due you and your Popish crew went as far with this Oath in your Conspiracy against the Lives and Liberties of England as Men could do for all men you judged were to obey and not to resist therefore you would give all diligence to secure the point to Pox us all with your French Power and Romish Religion there were several other Tests not worth the notice of any Man 3. A third Step you made to effect your design was the
England should ever be reconciled At which words Bishop Gulston took offence and departed There were others of the same Kidney but your inferiour Clergy were without number there was your Thompson of Bristol and your rascally Chaplains and others Rogues of a deep dye These I say Sir were your reverend Assistants in the mighty Work upon your hands though they did not foresee the evil Consequences of this their Carriage in reference to the Interest of England both as to its Religion and Government Nay I hope they did not fully see into your Designs if they did you I hope will judge of them according to their Merits 5. You being so well guarded and regarded you were in a little time resolved to set up and shew your self and wicked Party what you would be at but Sir I took pity upon you and would not let you discover your self and therefore I laid it open and the Design of your Pope French King General of the Jesuites and the Society and your Brother and your self which was the reduction of England Scotland and Ireland by the Sword to the Romish Religion and the French way of Government To effect this glorious Design you and your Brother gave the then Pope Authority to entitle himself to the Kingdoms of England Ireland and Scotland to have the absolute Power and Government of the Church In order to this he dispatched his Legate into Ireland and Cardinal Howard was to have come for England and your Brother 's trusty and well-beloved Cuckold and Councellor was to have had a Cardinals Hat and was to have gone for Scotland to have taken Possession of the Ecclesiastical State of that Kingdom in the behalf of the Bishop of Rome the two others were to do the like in England and Ireland Moreover sir by your Brother and you it was contrived and agreed on that the General of the Jesuites should derive a pretended Power from the Bishop of Rome with which Project the French King was highly pleased According to this Project the Bishop of Rome did grant a Commission to the said General of the Jesuites and this Authority the said General did derive to Thomas White the Provincial to issue forth the Commissions of him the said General of the Jesuites and accordingly be with the Counsel of the Jesuites in London did issue forth such Commissions to Captain-Generals Lieutenant-Generals and Colonels Lieutenant-Colonels Majors Captains and the Advocate-General Richard Langhorn and to your Secretary of State Coleman you have a whole List of them in my Narrative already printed and published for your special service altho' not by your Royal Command Further to carry on your wicked Designs your Jesuites by the same Authority consulted concerning your Brother and because he was not a Galloper in your Cause he was by them condemned to death and that was to be executed either by stabbing shooting or poysoning him To this your Servant Coleman was privy and say you know nothing of the matter if you dare to this part of the Conspiracy The Court of Claims in Ireland if they had then been sitting would have declared him Innocent upon your Letter as they did the Marquis of Antrim upon your Brother 's nay Sir if they had carried their Point then you were to have received the Crowns as forfeited by your Brother to the Pope as of his Gift and you was to have been obliged to have such Prelates and Dignitaries in the Church and such Officers in Commands and Places civil naval and military as he had and should commissionate and you had agreed both with him and the French King to extirpate the Protestant Religion and to consent to the Assassination of the King your Brother and to massacre by the help and assistance of the French King the Protestants to Fire our Towns that stood in opposition to these cruel designs of yours You agreed to pardon the Assassines Murderers and Incendiaries and in case you died without Issue male these three Kingdoms were to be made three Provinces of France and become Subjects of that Crown for ever Here your Brother and you were engaged to the French King And that the Prince of Orange might not pretend to the same he was also condemned and designed against by Name by the Proviso and Consent of the Pope French King your Brother and your self and how you appear'd in the Design against him I have already set forth in my first Memorial to you Truly you your self must not have escaped if you had not heartily comply'd to follow such Steps and Counsels as should have been at any time proposed by your Counsellors at St. James's You have here laid before you the design in short and it was a black one God knows and What say you to it now Sir if you will let the little Gentleman of Wales learn to read I have a good Schoolmaster for him he may see here the true Picture of your sweet self which he may spell over by degrees for I would not have the Boy have too much load at a time laid upon him lest he should be disabled from serving the Tyler his true Father with a Hod of Mortar or so in order to its conformable Livelihood 6. Concerning the discovery of this Plot of yours 't is fit a word should be spoken to that point because I believe the revival of this Story will much oblige you and your ragged Crew at St. Germain's and your Saints you have left behind you You may remember that your design prosper'd so well and your damnable Arâ—y were so insolent that notwithstanding the fair pretences your Brother and you used for the keeping them up and your old Parliament briber put your Brother upon the asking of more Mony and no War with France notwithstanding they had so largely paid for the War they had advised to be begun with that mighty Monarch and they consider'd that an Army without a War would be of dangerous and pernicious consequence to the Nation therefore they agreed to this Vote in answer to your Brother's Speech made to them some time before Resolved That the House taking into consideration the state of His Majesty's Affairs and the great charge and burthen His Majesty and the Nation lies under by the Army now in being we humbly are of opinion that if His Majesty pleases to enter into a War with the French King the House is and always will be ready to support and assist in that War but if otherwise then they will proceed to the consideration of providing for the speedy disbanding of the Army And truly dear Sir you could not well blame the Parliament for this Vote for your design in general did to them appear notwithstanding the plausible Arguments your Villains used for the keeping up of that Popish Army tho' you know this disbanding the Army was not the thing you aimed at for you never designed it from the first moment that it was raised for it being Officer'd to your
to the Murther and Plot made such Discoveries that the two Houses began to look about them with more diligence and caution than ever in regard it plainly appear'd that you as well as the Jesuites were at the bottom of all this Villany or the Wheel within the Wheel which some of your Protestant Rogues were not privy to Well here you have an account of the Discovery Prance confesseth the Murther Dugdâ—le comes in and Jennison and Smith and many others I shall speak of them in their proper places Methinks you droop take a Glass of true Nants and give Mrs. Pugg another if it be not good for her Milk it may be good for her Water and so it 's all one bring the Sucking bottle to the little Welch Cub that we may have no noise for if he doth I will call for Will. Fuller your Puggs Page of Honour to jerk the young Kâ—ave if he be not quiet for he is as intimately acquainted with his true Mother if the Gentleman says the Truth or can speak Truth as your sweet self I suppose he was one of your Privy-Councellors once at St. Germain's and may pretend to have Authority in that case But I must stick to my point and come to a second thing I promised and that is to shew the reason of this Discovery 2. Was there such a Design on foot to destroy the King extirpate the Protestant Religion and subvert the Government and ought not this to be discover'd What if the Queen-Dowager were in it and you and the Court-Whores and the Court pimps and Court-Bawds and some of the Ministers of State and Justice and your villanous Council at St James's must they not be detected Were we to be afraid to speak the Truth No Sir it was not high time to speak Truth Yes Sir it was high time and more than high time But yet your Brother good man to save you and your party did in the month of November 1678 offer me at Secretary Coventry's Apartment the Bishoprick of Chichester and also promised me the Favour of advancing me if I would desist this Enterprize as he call'd the discovery of the Popish Plot assuring me that it would not be for his Service because of the heat it would put the people into and further told me That the Parliament would forsake me and not do any thing for me and if I had a Thought of complying with him I should meet him at the Prince's Lodgings but I went to the Prince and told him what the King had said who when he heard me give him an account of what the King had offer'd me and upon what terms The poor man said the Prince doâ—h court his own Ruine the most of any man I know And the Prince advis'd me not to meddle nor make with any thing of that Nature for said the Prince either he will cheat or expose you or if he be real there is an old Wife in the case who will be set on you to draw you off from the good work you have began or perhaps to do that which is worse and so I refused that offer and let me tell you farther that upon the discovery of the Plot several Papers were found at the House of one Jolliff a Taylor I did observe that CHARLES I. of Blessed Memory had commissionated several of the Irish to Rise and withal I saw the Instructions that were given to them to give the English no quarter and I saw a Letter of your Fathers to the Bishop of Casal as near as I can remember wherein he promised his Catholick Subjects that if he were driven through the necessity of Affairs to cause a Cessation of Arms it should not be for the Disadvantage of his Irish Catholick Subjects but to let them have a little time to breath so that they might be the better able to serve him and themselves against the Factious English there if there should be any remaining amongst them all which were carried to White-hall and what became of them I know not I saw also in those Papers found as aforesaid at the House of the said Jollife several Passes given to those of the Rebels that fled out of Ireland upon the reducing of that Country and notwithstanding they had shed much Protestant Blood they were by your Brother and you recommended to several Ministers of the Court of Spain and several other Princes of the Romish Religion as persons that had served your Father in reducing their Country to the Obedience of the Catholick Church and that had contributed much to the destroying of the English Hereticks that had planted themselves in that Kingdom Give me leave to observe farther to you that the Jesuits did tell me that the coming over of the Princess Henrietta was in order to make way for restoring the Catholick Religion here in England and that the Breach of the peace with the Dutch was by you and her contrived and by the late King consented to in order to reduce those States to the Catholick Faith and that it was thought fit to begin the Exercise of the Romish Religion in Ireland and to grant a general Toleration here in order to which sixteen hundred Priests of all orders were sent over from divers Nations and that the most of 'em were kept here on a maintenance for secret Service and others by your self in half Pay as disbanded Officers but this being all defeated by Parliament by your Brothers Assent they were much irritated against the King your Brother and so was your sweet self and furthermore the Jesuits acquainted me that the King your Brother had dispatched an Envoy to the King of Poland to engage him in the Catholick League for at that time the Catholick Princes as he said were resolved to extirpate the Protestant Religion and that the French King and your Brother and your self were Heads of this League which League they said your Brother had not carefully kept and observed but had given way to his impertinent Parliaments but that they might not hinder this good Design the French King had agreed to your Request of 300000 l. per Ann. for 3 years if by any means your Brother might be dispatched out of the way there being no manner of trust to be put in him and that he was not only unfaithful in all his Promises and Oaths made to them the said Jesuits and Catholicks but was an Apostate from the Catholick Religion and therefore not to be endured any longer This Negotiation of the mony Part of the Conspiracy and killing your Brother was carried on by the Lord Powy's and the late Earl of Berkshire and Coleman and St. Germain the Jesuit by and with the advice of the Jesuits and those of your Council at St. James's and your good worthy self It will not be inconvenient to put you in mind that your Brother was a mortal Hater of the Protestant Religion and the way of Governments by Parliaments for do but observe a Letter
that your being a Papist and the Hopes you gave the Popish Party of coming such to the Crown had encouraged them in this wicked Conspiracy and though in Civility to your Brother they did not impeach you for your Treasons yet they thought it necessary to prevent your coming by a Bill of Exclusion but on the contrary had not your Designs been discovered the Nation must have sunk by your Trayterous Designs and have been ruined without any impossibility of recovery but tho' the discovery had not its desired Effect yet it did so much affect you that when you invaded the Throne by the murther of your Brother that you could not make that considerable Progress in your Work for then you saw plainly you had received a deadly wound of which you could by no means be cured for the Nation saw who they were you had espoused and therefore they were aware both of you and them and made your own Conspiracy to be a Plague to you Obj. But you may say how can this be a good Ground or Reason for the discovery of such a design When there was but few that believed it and that the King your Brother laught at the Plot as a matter wholly Fabuloâ—s and that the Parliaments were but a parcel of Factious Men and therefore what could the Nation judge of those Men that I espoused since the matter of Fact was false with which they stood charged To this I answer 1. It is well known that your Brother laughed at the Plot and would have made some to have believed that it was Fabulous but he well knew that he was engaged in every part of it but that of his own Life and that he was too conscious to himself he had disobliged you and your party by being so loose and negligent in the performance of those promises he had made to you and your Party and to get a sum of Money from the Paliament he would let the Parliament worry your Friends nay rather than go without it he would himself give your Cause a gentle Stab witâ—ess his passing the Test Bill in the year 1673 and refusing to sign Coleman's Declaration in the â—â—rs 1674 1675 1676. But suppose that he did laugh at the Plot he hath laugh'd at the Sacrament of the Altar and would be witty upon the Superstition of the Church of Rome yet at that very time he was a Papist and had receiv'd the Sacrament of the Church of Rome nay he was many times prophanely witty upon the Gospel it self and would speak very slightly of Religion you know he was a witty man and could make a Jest of any thing in the World But who shall we believe Charles Stuart or Charles King of England Shall we take notice of what he said in his private Capacity before what he said in his publick Capacity I tell you Sir I must and so must any man in the World that hath but a grain of Sence take that to be his that he spake in his publick Capacity and this well consider'd will satisfie any thinking man Ans 2. I pray observe your Brother's Proclamation Octob. 30 1678 where he called your Conspiracy a Bloody and Trayterous Design of Popish Recusants of which Sir you were the Head against his Person and Government and the Protestant Religion Again in his Proclamation of November the 20th 1678 did he not declare That the Popish Priests and Jesuites lurking within the Realm had contrived and set on foot divers trayterous Plots and Designs against his Person and Government and the Protestant Religion by Law establish'd Again observe Sir his Proclamation for a Fast March the 28th 1679 where he declar'd That through the impious and malicious Conspiracy of the Popish Party there was a Plot not only intended to the Destruction of his Royal Person but the total Subversion of the Government and of the true Protestant Religion within the Realm by Law establish'd Obj. There might be a Conspiracy against the Religion and Government of England but not against the King's Person Ans That is a Contradiction in plain terms for how could the Religion of a Nation and the Government be subverted but by the destruction of its Head See what my Lord Chancellor saith in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament Mar. 6. 1678 9 wherein he assures both Houses That His Majesty's Royal Person hath been in danger by a Conspiracy against his sacred Life maliciously contriv'd and industriously carried on by the Seminary Priests and Jesuites and their Adherents who thought themselves under some Obligation of Conscience to effect it and having vow'd the Subversion of the true Religion amongst us found no way so likely to compass it as to wound us in the Head and kill the Defender of the Faith Can any one that believ'd the King your Brother to be a Protestant think that a number of Men should conspire against his Religion and not destroy his person that was a Defender of it And on the other hand those who knew him or judged him a Papist had incurr'd the Displeasure of that Party by his notorious Miscarriage to them in his many breaches of Word and Royal Promise as I have mention'd before Ans 3. to the main Objection That few believed the Popish Plot Which is as false as any thing can be true for the Plot was believ'd as I shall shew in its proper place And as for the Parliaments being a number of factious Men it was your usual Dialect and we know what Love you had for Parliaments therefore what you say in that case you may wipe your Sâ—out and hold your Tongue for what you or your Party says against them passes for nothing So that I may again say that there was a necessity of discovering of that Plot in order to shew to the whole Nation what those men were with whom you herded and were engag'd in order to our destruction and I insist the more upon it because of the great Loyalty to which they pretended and for which they were countenanc'd by your Brother and you in opposition to all Law and Reason whilst other faithful men with their Families were left to perish for want of Bread who had serv'd your Father your Brother and you without the least recompence for their Service and that the Nation might be undeceiv'd in that respect as well as in others that they might see they were no Changelings but were full of the same Devil their Forefathers had and if they did conceal him it was for want of an Opportunity and they were about to shew what they would be at but I was beforehand with them and then the Nation was fully satisfied concerning their Loyalty What! do you grin and shew your Teeth I am sure you cannot bite no more than your dead Dog Mumper I pray let us have your Thought for once I warrant you you have some impertinent Question to ask it may be you still insist upon being satisfied why
if it were so necessary to have it known that your Crew were not men of that Loyalty they pretended why then were not the Witnesses better receiv'd by the King your Brother who the last moment of his Life was satisfied of the Innocency of the Roman Catholicks Truly Sir there were several reasons why the King your Brother it may be might not receive the witnesses so well and believe them as he ought to have done 1. Because he was engag'd in the whole Conspiracy of introducing Popery and Slavery but was not privy to that part which related to his own Life 2. Your Brother lov'd to appear a Prince of Mercy and Clemency tho' he had not one dram of those Princely Virtues but what his meer Cowardice compel'd him to 3. The Nature of the Evidence given 4. The Interest of the Conspirators These you shall have in due time and not before tho' you cry your Eyes out 3 Reason why it was necessary that your Conspiracy should be discover'd was to prevent your coming to the Crown for certainly it could be neither safe nor proper to set a Popish Head over a Protestart Interest especially since you had made so many Attempts upon the Protestant Religion to destroy it and in order to its destruction made such an Alliance with France as I have at large already made out in which I think you are as fully expos'd as your Heart and Soul can wish and therefore Sir I think you noâ— your Party can never blame those Parliaments that intended and attempted your Exclusion when you was Duke of York 4 That I might discharge a good Conscience and that such Malefactors might be brought to publick Justice It is well known Sir that the King your Brother was a Favourer of the Popish Interest as being the greatest Favourers of Monarchy and he was pleas'd himself to offer to reconcile me to that Party and told me That if I would engage upon the word of a Minister not to bear any Testimony against those I had accused before the Council but would be rul'd by him I should have Ten thousand pounds to buy me an Annuity and if I would I should retire to any College in either University and live there quietly urging to me that a Parliament would never gratifie me and that it was in his power only to shew me Favour and therefore advised me to follow his Directions and if I did it would be impossible for me to miscarry To this I thus reply'd I humbly thank your Majesty for your Grace and Favour and I should willingly accept of your Royal Offer were it not the highest Breach of Trust reposed in me by your Commons in this Parliament besides Sir said I your Nobles in the House of Peers must and so will all Mankind judge me the worst of Men if I should so basely desert my Cause It is plain that the Popish Party have a Design against your Majesties Life and all our Lives Liberties and Religion and therefore by the Grace of God I will stand by the Cause to the uttermost of my power to the last minute of my Life I bless God for the Grace of Perseverance I have discharg'd a good Conscience and tho' I was left by your Brother and persecuted by you yet your Villains were some of them brought to publick Justice and made Examples for their many notorious Treasons against the Religion Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom 7. I now come to shew you what Evidence there was to prove this Conspiracy that you were engag'd in for the destruction of the Person of the King and for the bringing in of Popery and Aâ—bitrary Power Your Popish Traytors were so impudent in their ways that there was no manner of difficulty of finding Proof against them had but your Brother and you stood Neuters but you were both equally engag'd with Lewis the French King to bring in Popery and Slavery But that it may appear to all the World that the Popish Plot was not short of being duly proved but on the contrary it was made so plain and evident that the Lords and Commons of England did receive the Proofs and the Evidence upon no terms could be contradicted therefore now I shall produce the Evidence of the Guilt of those who were accused to be concern'd in the same 1. The constant bloody Principles of the Church of Rome was a Testimony sufficient to have convicted them of being guilty of such a horrid Conspiracy for do but remember how that Apostatical Synagogue of Satan will not bear with any Kingdom Common-wealth or Community of Men that differs from them in Matters of Religion and declares against them as Antichristian and Idolaters but those who so declare are immediately pronounced Hereticks and de jure they are excommunicated as such according to the Council of Lateran in the time of Pope Innocent the third and by an Edict of Pope Paul the fourth in the Year of our Lord 1558 and if that be not sufficient you may remember that we are in the Bulla Coena Domini which your Holy Father at Rome causeth to be read every Maunday Thursday and there we are solemnly cursed and thereupon Sir your bloody Party and your self and all other Papists living under the Dominions of Protestant Princes were not only discharg'd from all Allegiance to Protestant Princes but all of you were and still are bound by the strictest Bond of Conscience upon pain of being damn'd to depose such Heretical Princes And Vrban the third hath taught you and them that they are so far from being guilty of Murder that they are obliged to kill any who stand excommunicate and are bound to extirpate Hereticks as they would be esteem'd Christians themselves Nay further do but observe the Bull of Clement the tenth wherein you may if you please see plainly that it is a Crime of the deepest dye for a Roman Catholick to be loyal to a Protestant Prince nay such are publickly cursed in the view of the World so that it is apparent that no Protestant Government can be safe where such a number of Men have a Being and are in any manner countenanc'd Again Bellarmin your great Cardinal tells you in words at length and is so impudently plain that a man of an Irish Understanding may know his meaning his words are these Hereticks are to be destroy'd Root and Branch if it can possibly be done but if it appears that the Catholicks are so few that they cannot conveniently with their own safety attempt such a thing then in such a case it is best to be quiet de Laicis Lib. 3 Ep. 22. Lest upon opposition made by Hereticks the Catholicks should be worsted And from hence Bannes another of the Supporters of your murdering principles hath no other Apology to make for the English Papists why they do not forcibly rise up against a King and his Subjects proâ—essing the Protestant Religion but that they are not powerful enough for such an
Undertaking and therefore the Attempt would be to their own prejudice and damage So that ever since the English Nation was blest with the enjoyment of your happy return to England the whole Protestant Party only held their Lives at your Courtesie and the Courtesie of your Cut-throat Papists till you were in a condition by numbers and strength to destroy and extirpate them I cannot by this time but admire your good-natur'd Bloodhounds that did for seventeen Years together forbear to destroy us it was because that one of our Lives would have cost three of yours You may remember Sir that in the Year 1678 you had got at several times from 1674 to that Year about 20000 Men that were able to draw the Sword of your own Religion to reside in and about London who were under your pay to rise as soon as the word was given which word was the Death of your Brother the King they being Officer'd with your Popish Crew were to have joyn'd with your Army that was encamp'd at Hoâ—nslow-Heath and in order to this the French King had promis'd you to land an Army in Ireland and another in England at the same time when you were resolv'd to push for it and then we should have tasted of the Good nature of your Popish Crew as our Friends in Ireland did in your Father's Reign It is to be observ'd that you wanting numbers at home and knowing that 20000 men were not sufficient to do the mighty Work upon your hands which was the extirpation of Hereticks and the ruine of the Protestant Party but wanting a back for your edge you therefore applied your self to France for his Aid and Assistance which you had obtain'd sooner had not that bloody Monster been engag'd in a villanous War with his Neighbors but as soon as he had made a peace with them then you were resolv'd upon the aforesaid mighty Work but by that time your Designs were discover'd and the French King was obliged for that time to change his measures and so were all the Popish Princes of Christendom Your villanous party of the Synagogue of Rome did at that time judge it convenient to draw in their Horns and conceal these foregoing principles or suffer them for a season to lye dormant by them Yet to give you your due you never suffer'd us to be any considerable time without some Testimony of your Good-will to us to shew us how ready you and your Cut-throats were to do thâ—â—e meritorious Offices of converting us with a Baptism of Blood and of Fire But God I hope will keep this Land from the one and London from the other 2. This brings me to the villanous Practices of your Church and your Party in all Ages which are living Testimonies against your villanous Crew to this day I pray call to mind the vast numbers of Christians that have been butcher'd by the Roman Inquisition of which it is reported that Pope Paul the fourth should say That the Authority of the See of Rome depended upon it and that it was settled in Spain by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost not that which came down from Heaven but that which was sent to Rome in a Cloak-bag Remember what infinite slaughters were committed upon the Servants of Christ by the Crusades and Holy Wars Authentick Authors tell us That in France alone Ten hundred thousand Persons were slain in the persecution against the Waldenses and upon no other occasion but their dissenting from the Church of Rome What think you of the Parisian Massacre by which in a few days there were murder'd above Forty thousand persons for no other reason but because the Church of Rome had adjudg'd 'em Hereticks I could give you â— thousand Instances of their Attempts abroad but my point is to put you iâ— mind of their Attempts here at home I pray call to mind that upon the Reformation of Religion in the time of King Edward the sixth how many Rebellions were raised against the King and the then Government at the instigation of the Priests and Fryars It would not be amiss for you to read at your leisure the Chronicles of England that testifie the same the number of the Rebels may be judg'd by the account we have of those that were slain and those that were taken Prisoners at some of the Defeats that were given unto them Of those that did rise in Devonshire and Cornwal about Five thousand were slain and taken Prisoners and in the Râ—bellion in Norfolk and Suffolk about Five thousand were slain that were in Rebellion in those Counties besides those who were taken Prisoners and the Rebellion in Yorkshire in which many were destroy'd After the death of King Edward the sixth you may remember that Queen Mary mounted the Throne tho' some say that she was in her own nature merciful yet her Religion obliged her to those Cruelties which left an indeleble stain upon her Memory For her sake as well as for your own the Commons of England endeavour'd to exclude you We remember also that tho' her Reign was but short yet like yours it was very bloody for in the campass of three or four Years there perish'd in the Flames near Three hundred and as many if noâ— more perish'd in Prison through Torment and Famine and all barely upon the score Religion Upon her Death and upon the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the Crown Religion was again reform'd and notwithstanding the hard usage she had met withal from the Popish Party and the Cruelty that had been us'd upon the poor Protestants she not only buried all resentments but was willing to suffer the Papists to live quietly both in the enjoyment of their Estates and in the private exercise of their Religion Surely you then cannot but with the greatest Horror consider by how many ways the Pâ—pists attempted to destroy her Person and overthrow the Government by Assassinations Conspiracies Rebellions at home and Invasions from abroad In pursuance to their bloody Designs Pius the Fifth did not only excommunicate and damn her and all her Protestant Subjects but likewise curst all the Papists that should give any Obedience to her or her Laws the whole Bull proceeded upon her being a Heretick and the said Pius in a most holy and reverend manner deprived her of all her Dominions and Dignities and absolved all her Subjects from any Obligation of Allegiance and included them under the same Curse tho' Papists that should yield any subjection to her And have not your villanous Crew exemplified this Doctrine by their Practices obeying the Commands of their Roman High-Priest for I may say the Treasons against that great Queen were more in number than the Years of her Reign but through the Goodness of God all their wicked Designs and Purposes were defeated and she died in peace much lamented by all her Protestant Subjects King James your Royal Scotch Grandfather succeeded her the same course they took with him Parsons that impudent
Kingdoms but did actually usurp a Royal Power over that Nation and accordingly gave forth all kind of Commissions by the hands of his Nuncio and you know that the wiâ—ty Knaves about Town said that the late Nâ—â—câ—o that was with you came to get his Countrywoman with Child but Sir to be plain with you I cannot â—ell what secret Service there might be to bring the Gentlewomans Milk but this I aâ— sure that the Nuncio that was with me in disguise with Keins the Provincial and Ned Petre and trusty Charles of Limestreet and Ned Neviâ—e told me That he expected to have found the Nation dispos'd to be reconciled to the Church of Rome and that his main business was to take your Homage to the See of Rome for your holding these three Kingdoms and that if the Nation had been reconciled that business would have been done So that it was plain that you were not only in a Plot to destroy your own Brother but to subjugate these Nations to the Obedience of the See of Rome and France 4. The Doctrines they publickly preach in their Churches and teach in their Schools to their young Students to be educated under them for it is as plain as the Sun at Noon day that the Popes pretend to have a power to depose Kings and that no King reigns but at the pleasure of the Pope And from hence Sir give me leave to observe two things 1. That by reason of the Doctrin they have taught and do still teach they publish themselves not only Rogues ready for any Design against the Peace and Safety of any Kingdom where-ever they shall be admitted but also publish themselves Traytors of the deepest dye and ought to have been proceeded against as such tho' never convicted of any Action suitable to such Principles for the Principle it self is the highest Treason that any foreign Power should have power to depose a Prince that owes him neither suit nor service tho' there be no Overt Act for the condemning such Villains And it is well known to your self that so far as the Popish Religion hath only an inâ—luence upon the future state of Men it was never punish'd with Death in England it is only upon the score of those damnable Doctrines which instruct and countenance them to over-throw the State and Government that your villanous Priests were justly made liable to suffer and therefore the Priests that were arraign'd in the time of the Discovery of the Popish Plot and were condemn'd and executed without being proceeded against for any thing but their being Priests and their withdrawing the Subject from the Religion by Law establish'd were as real Traytors as those which were executed for having a Design in conjunction with you to murder your Brother 2. Could any Government be secur'd of the Loyalty of such a person who taught such pernicious Principles as these No surely I will give you a home Instance of this There were some Irish Papists since the Year 1660 had in a Remonstrance prepar'd for the perswading the Government that they were persons of great Loyalty and owned King Charles their lawâ—ul King and that the Pope had no power to depose him you know that thereupon they were told from Rome that they had renounc'd the Catholick Faith and that they were fallen under the condemnation of the Apostolick See I pray sir put on your Irish Yokes and read the Letter from Bruxels bearing date July 21. 1662 where the Pope's Nuncio who wrote that Letter tells them how that their Remonstrance being examin'd at Rome by the Cardinals and Divines was found to contain Propositions condemn'd by Paul the fifth and Innocent the tenth an Acquaintance of yours and that Alexander the seventh then Pope was so far from approving it that he did not so much as permit or connive at it and therefore condemn'd as a thing that could not be kept without breach of Faith according to the Decrees of Paul the fifth and that it denied the Pope's Authority in matters of Faith according to the Decree of Innocent the tenth Sir give me leave to tell you and Mrs. Pugg my quondam â—andlady that your Rogues went farther in their Doctrines they taught those they had under their care and conduct in Rome in order to be sent to England to preach the same Doctrine that it was not only lawful to depose Heretical Kings excommunicate and declar'd to be Hereticks but also it would be a meritorious act to kill such they being unfit to live especially if they are Apostates Now you mâ—mble about your Mouth and slabber as if you had got a bunch of Thistles there and say that this was the prate of two or three â—ash Block-heads that knew no better Come come when you go to visit the bawdy Cardinal d' Este now Duke of Modena he can â—ell you other tydings so that you are as much out in this as you was in marrying my old Friend his Sister nay you your self can tell if there be any truth in you that this Doctrine was not preached by two or three but that it is the common received Doctrine of your damn'd Synagogue of Rome especially of the Jesuites under whose management you were and are still to this day And the little Welch Cubâ— is in the same condition and may improve in the knowledge of that point unless God provide better for him and 〈…〉 is Hâ—art as you used to say and incline him as graciously to return to his own dear Father's Trade But hence I must observe to you four things 1st That your Brother who was too loose a Papist â—ay by them condemned of Apostacy and Persidiousness to their Cause and Party was as much hated by them as if he had been the most zealous Protestant in the World so that his person was expos'd to the Mercy of any one that under the encouragement of meriting Heaven will dare to assassinate him whether in a Coach or in his Quarters at Newmarket or at Windsor or in St. James's Park or at White-hall by Pistol or Poison or Dagger or by Blunderbuss or what you please they are the main Arguments they us'd to convert Princes that were Hereticks to the Catholick Faith And why so good Sir why must Kings be so serv'd tho' they are Protestants And must your Brother be slain in this or that way tho' he did not refuse the passing the Test-Bill or sign Coleman's Declaration for the dissolving the Parliament Truly there was good reason for it said your Jesuites he had broke his word with the Catholicks all the World over and therefore he was excommunicate or if he was not his many Miscarriages entituled him to nothing better than a violent death For his Life would hinder the carrying on your design This I say was not the Doctrine only of a few that such Princes are ipso facto excommunicate and therefore may be destroy'd for if you will but read or let me send for your old Crackfart
Parliament had very often Checked your Proceedings nay so often and to that degâ—â—e that they without the help of any further discovery had endangered the destruction of your hopful Plot and therefore it was highâ—ime to disband them and none but Coleman was thought fit to draw up this Declaration The DECLARATION which Mr. Coleman prepared thereby Shewing his Reasons for the Dissolution of the PARLIAMENT WE having taken into our serious Consideration the Heats and Animosities which have of late appeared among many of our very Lâ—yal and Loving Subjects of this Kingdom and the many Fears and Jealousies which some of them seem to lye under of having their Liberties and Properties invaded or the Religion alteâ—ed and withal carefully reflecting upon our own Government since our happy Restauration and the End and Aim of it which has always been the Ease and Security of our People in all their Rights and Advancement of the Beauty and Splendor of the true Protestant Religion established in the Church of England of both which we have given mâ—st Signal Testimonies even to the striping our self of many Royal Prerogatives which our Predecessours enjoyed and were our undoubted due as the Court of Wards Purveyances and other Things of great Value and denying to our Self many Advantages which we might reasonably and legally have taken by the Forfeitures made in the Times of Rebellion and the great Revenues due to the Church at our return which no particular Person had any Right to Instead of which we Consented to an Act of Oblivion of all those baâ—barous Vsages which our Râ—al Father and our Self had met withal much more Fâ—ll and Gracious than almost any of our Subjects who were generally become in some Measure or other â—bnoxious to the Laws had confidence to ask and freely Renouncâ—d all our Title to the profit which we might have made by the Church Lands in Favour of our Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Ministers out of our Zeal to the Glâ—ry of our Protestant Church which Clemenâ—y towards all and some even high Offenders and Zeal for Religion we have to this day constantly continued to Exercise Considering all this we cannot but be sensibly Afflicted to see that the frowardness of sâ—me â—â—w tumultuous Heads should be able to infect our Loyal and good People with Apprehensions Destructive of their own and the general quiet of our Kingdom and more especially their Perverssness should be powerful enough to Distract our very Parliament and such a Parliament as has given us such Testimonies of its Loyalty Wisdâ—m and Bounty and to which we have given as many Marks of our Affection and Esteem so as to make them Misconster all our Endeavours for to Preserve our People in Ease and Prâ—sperity and against all Reason and Evidence to Represent them to our Subjects as Arguments of Fear and Disquiet and under these specious Pretences of securing Property and Religion to demand unreasonable things manifestly Destructive of what they would be thought to Aim at and from our frequent Condescentions out of our meer Grace to grant them what we conceived might give them Satisfaction though to the actual Prejudice of our Royal Prerogative to make presume to propose to advance such Extravagances into Laws as they themselves have formerly declared Detestable of which we cannot forbear to give our truly Loyal Subjects some Instances to undeceive our innocent and well-minded People who have many of them of late been too easily misled by the factious Endeavours of some turbulent Spirits For Example we having judged it necessary to declare War against the States of Holland during a Recess of Parliament which we couldnot defer longer without losing an advantage which then presented it self nor have done sooner without exposing our Honour to a potent Enemy without due preparation we thought it prudent to unite all our Subjects at home and did believe a general Indulgence of tender Consciences the most proper Expedient to effect it and therefore did by our Authority in Ecclesiasticks which we thought sufficient to warrant what we did suspend Penal Laws against Dissenters in Religion upon Conditions expressed in our Declaration out of reason of State as well as to gratifie our own Nature which always we confess abhorred rigour especially in Religion when tenderness might be as useful After we had engaged in the War we Prorogued our Parliament from April to October being confident we should be able by that time to shew our People such Success of our Arms as should make them chearfully contribute to our Charge At October we could have shewn them Success even beyond our own hopes or what they could possibly expect Our Enemies having lost by that time near 100 strong Towns and Forts taken in effect by us we holding them busy at Sea whilst Our Allies possest themselves of their Lands with little or no resistance and of which the great advantage would most visibly have been ours had not the Feuds we now complain of which have been siâ—â—e unhappily started and factiously improved disunited our People distracted our Councels and render'd our late Endeavours vain and fruitless so that we had no reason to doubt of our Peoples ready and liberal concurrence to Our assistance in that Conjuncture Yet Our Enemies proposing to us at that time a Treaty for Peace which we were always ready to accept upm Honourable Terms and considering with Our self that in case that Treaty succeeded a far less Sum of Money would serve our Occasions than otherwise would be necessary we out of Our tender regard to the ease of Our People prorogued our Parliament again to February to attend the Success of our Treaty rather than to demand so much Money in October as would be fit to carry on the War But we soon finding our Enemies did not intend us any such just Satisfaction saw a necessity of prosecuting the War which we designed to do most vigorously and in order to it resolved to press our Parliament to supply us as speedily as may be to enable us to put our Fleet to Sea early in the Spring which would after their Meeting grow on apace and being informed that many Members were dead during the long Recess we issued out ouâ— Writs for new Elections that our House of Commons might be full at the first opening of the Sessions to prevent any delay in our public Affairs or dislike in our People as might possibly have risen from the want of so great a Number of their Representatives if any thing of moment should be concluded before it had been supplyed having governed our Actions all along with such careful respect to the Ease of our Subjects We at the Meeting of our Parliament in February 1672 expected from them some suitable Expressions of their Sense of our Favours but quite contrary found our selves alarm'd with clamorous Complaints from several Cabals against all our Proceedings frighting many of our good Subjects into strange câ—nceits of what they must look for
Edmund Bury Godfrey And how doth it appear that I was Concerned in it Before I answer these Questions I must put you in mind of one Thing since you could not be Content to Murder him but you also endeavoured to Stifle his Murther and not only so but you would have Murthered his Reputation when Dead for your main Business as I told you just now was to have him brought in a Felo de se but you failing in that and found that the People were in a great rage against you as a Principal and the then Queen Consort as a wicked Abettor of this Horrible Murther there was by you and your Party great care taken to lay this Noise by giving out that it was impossible that he should be destroyed by the Papists for said they he was an intire Friend to the Papists and that he had performed the uâ—most Service in their behalf that friendship it self could suggest truly Sir your Rogues might as well have said that Sir Edmund was a Papist as that he was a Friend to Papists or the Popish interest but what can be said to this Matter more than to tell you that your party were a provoking Generation of Rogues and your Villainous Aspersion of the Name of that worthy Magistrate did I say abuse the Patience of all that knew that Gentleman and were Masters of Sence and Honour when ever the black Mouths of your clamourous Rogues thus opened against Justice Godfrey who that he was a Protestant no Man gave greater Demonstrations than himself so that he was far enough from being Inrolled in the number of the Friends of your Villainous Crew I must needs say of that poor Gentleman That he little thought that a professed Member of the Church of England and a bold Assertor of the Protestant Doctrine and a constant Reliever of those of the Reformed Religion not only so but One that Expected to be the first Martyr under the Popish Rage should be to Posterity marked as a Cordial Friend to those avowed Enemies of his own Religion what Impudence Had your Rogues to call him a principal Confident of your Hell-born Crew that were Enemies to our Laws and Liberties for the Preservation of which he was a watchful Magistrate Sir to be Plain with you what Truth or what thing like Truth could we Expect from you or your Villains who after you had Murdered in a most barbarous Manner an Innocent Gentleman you were not Contented with that but by a second Assassination you did Endeavour to Murder him in his Credit and Reputation I cannot forbear to admire the Wisdom of our good God to the Nation that gave you and your wicked wretched Party up to vent your Lies that were so Palpable that the Credulous Party of Mankind might the better be prepared and fortified against those other Reports which then your Devils such Liars in one thing they were not by them to be Credited in any other thing unless they brought better Proof then their bare Testimony now Sir I will Answer you two Questions that you just now Huffed and Bounced withal 1. How it did Appear that Godfrey was Murthered by the Papists you cannot have Forgotten that he was a very Useful and an Active Justice of the Peace and that he had taken more Examinations of the Popish Plot than you were willing the World should be blest withal and was very Diligent in finding out those who had been Active in this Plot of yours and from the Sixth of September to the day of his Death he had employed much of his Time in serving the Public in Relation to that Conspiracy some of the Priests and Jesuits and eke your sweet self foreseeing your own Danger and the overthrow of your blessed Design you and they had been Carrying on for so many Years your Councel at St. Jameses had several Consultations with you how to prevent the Discovery and as you and your Party did never use to stick at Blood but rather counted it Meritorious to shed it though never so unjustly when your Cause and Church might be Profited by it you did resolve to secure your Self and Party by the taking away his Life and in order to this your Popish Priests and Jesuits and others had several meetings where they debated the necessity of taking away the Life of this worthy Gentleman therefore 1. Let me observe to you what Sir Edm. Godfrey told me and to introduce that Discourse you may remember that upon the Sixth of September 1678 I did go before Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey and there upon Oath I gave in several Depositions after that the said Godfrey had sworn me upon them he delivered them again to me and after that I had taken two or three Copies of those Depositions I went on the 28th of the same Month again to Sir Edmund and Sir the 28th at Night all those Depositions were laid open and made out before the then Councel and I was Examined by the King your Brother the 29th of September and upon Munday the 30th of September he told me that several Persons of Quality had Threatned him for being so Zealous in the Discovery of the Popish Plot and also told me that others who were well wishers to the Discovery did think he had not been quick enough but too Remiss and that they would Complain of him in Parliament which was to sit the 21st of October following at which he was much concerned but I told him that I knew how diligent he had been and that he need not fear a Parliamentâ— and the Week before he was missing he came to me and told me that the day before you went to Newmarket that you had severely Threatned him and several others some of whom were shut up in the Tower for that Grace in your Church which we call high Treason in ours and asked him what he had to do with it In a Word he told me that he went in Fear of his Life by the whole Popish Party and that he had been Dog'd several days upon which I Advised him â—o get a Stout Fellow to Attend him but he valued not a Mans waiting upon him but said he Feared no Man if they came fairly to Work but Sir that was not the business of your Cut-throats they were to do him a Mischeif and that in the most bass and cowardly Mannery they could for if they had gone fairly to Work they would have spoiled all for they as well as you knew he was a Man of Courage therefore it was the more easie to lay a Trap for him 2. I pray call to mind the Evidence that Sir Thomas Robinson cheif Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas gave who had been Acquainted with Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey above Forty Years and was with him brought up a Westminster School and continued in his Acquaintance all along till the breaking out of the Civil Wars and after the Restoration their Acquaintance was again renewed and were for many
was impossible that Godfrey had murdered himself because his Neck was broke before his Sword was run through his Body nay your good Brother the King saw you so earnest that he was ashamed at your Zeal which made the Prince swear to the D. of Buckingham that you carryed your self with that heat that a small Evidence would make him if you were brought to a Tryal to find you guilty of the said Murder Sir your behaviour in that particular was so nauseous your actions so plain and yet so pernicious that I stand amazed that your hand stopt there in short Sir the Sence I have of your guilt in that base Murder hath hardened my Heart against you and your villainous party for the many Insolencies that they at that time did offer and the secret Murders they Committed and were by you countenanced that all Men cryed shame and stood more amazed that you were not called to an Account for that Murder than they did at the impudence of the Murder it Self though God he knows that that Murther was of it self astonishing enough but to conclude this Head I pray take two things along with you which I shall leave you as my Legacy 1. What greater Satisfaction can the World have of your Guilt in this Affair if the Sons of Men will but give themselves a little time to consider these Circumstances that I have laid before you had I been so unfortunate as to have been privy to the Murder I would have been no more affraid to have charged you with it than your murdering Crew was to strangle that innocent Magistrate you will do well now to acquit your self of it if you can 't is true you are now out of the reach of the Law and since it is so I pray God keep you so during your Life but this I will tell you that these Circumstances entitle you to the Guilt of that Fact and whilst this Gentleman's Blood lies upon you I cannot forbear observing to you that in what you did to him you gave the world a Specimen of what you would have done to others and made many Men believe That the Earl of Essex came to his end by that way of Charity so that we have had great Testimony that for promoting your Cause you would not stick at the Protestants Blood you began with that honest Gentleman and you did not end in the Earl of Essex you killed Godfrey in his Person but the whole Nation in him was murdered in â—ffigie your hands were imbrued in his Blood but your black Hell-born Soul was dipt in the Blood of us all and since we are convinced that you murdered him and Essex I cannot but be convinced that you poysoned your Brother and had you had but time you would have made all away that stood in the way of your damn'd Religion you would have converted us with Blood and baptized us with Fire your nature and actions testifyed the one and London in a dreadful manner felt the other 2. Let me observe to you the Folly of your murdering this Magistrate certainly Sir it was one of the greatest pieces of Folly that you and your Party could be guilty of for what could be your end in it did you think that if Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey could not escape your murdering Crew that we could not find one in his room yes Sir to your great comfort there was a Gentleman that succeeded him that Harazed your Rogues to as good purpose as a Mans heart and soul could wish and if a Man could but have seen into your cursed Soul we might have found that you had the same Grace and Favours for and intended the same act of Charity to him as you did to Justice Godfrey but he escaped your Blessing and is yet alive to give you an Account of his Stewardship in Print if he pleases and of some of your Royal Misdemeanors into the bargain I pray Sir how do you And how do you like your self by this time how will you come of Therefore to conclude all Is there not here a monstrous Evidence of your whole Popish Plot For in truth we cannot prove it better than by such Practices as these that this Man was killed why either he knew or had discovered to him something that you and your Villains would not have him tell or you did it in defiance of Justice and in Terror to all them that then durst execute it upon them which I say is a great Evidence in its self I leave it with you after you have mumbled over your Mattins you may consider it whilst you have opportunity and leisure 9. I shall in proof of your Popish Plot offer to your consideration the Oral Testimony that was given so that you may see that we were not overhasty in our Proceedings upon those Malefactors that were charged to be in that villainous Conspiracy therefore I will give you their Names in order as follows 1. You have Richard Gastrel of the Grange in Gloucestershire I pray look upon him and see how you like him well sit down and hear what he saith to you in an Examination taken before the Lord Bishop of London a zealous Protestant I assure you and a Justice of the Peace so that you may see we had more good Justices besides Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey and this Richard Gastrel's Information was as follows THIS Deponent saith That in the year 1675 he travelled to Râ—me and being there he was by many arts and perswasions inveighled into the Romish Religion after which he was entertained by Cardinal Barbarini as one of his Gentlemen where after he had continued about five Months he was pervailed withal by several English there and by the said Cardinal to put himself into the English Seminary where after he had continued about two years and a half he returned home but whilst he continued in the said Colledge viz. in Lent last he discâ—ursed with Gerrard Ireland and William Dormour Priests now in England the said Iâ—eland told him that the Catholicks of England had expected long enough from his Majesty withâ—ut Effect and that it was in vain to expect any longer That the King had been much obliged to the Catholics and that he had now forgot their Kindness That he did no Good in England nor did deserve to be King but was a shame to all Princes and that it was no Sin to Kill him to which one Sergeant a Schollar replied Why The said Ireland answered bâ—cause it would be for the Good of the whole Church if the King were Dead the Catholic Religion would soon be brought into England And discoursing further of their going into England the said Ireland and Dormour said they hoped each of them to get a good fat Parsonage there this Dâ—ponent further saith That having an Audience of the Pope in the company of â—our Priests and another secular Gentleman all Students of the same Colledge the Pope understanding they were going for England and
ruine any Man that stands in either of your ways the Doctrine you have been taught will induce any thinking Man to believe your Practice and both your Practises and his do sufficiently prove the Damnableness of the Doctrin you have received 3. A third Testimony that I shall urge in this case is the Evidence that was given in by William Johnson and Joseph Wright upon the Fifteenth day of May 1679 before the Lords Committees sitting in the Lord Privy Seals Lodgings who say that one Jonathan Smith a Papist supposing these two Informants to be of the same Religion said that he knew the King was a Papist and the rest of the Nobles of the Kingdom also and that there was scarce one of them but that had Romish Priests in their Houses this Smith also declared that he had his Maintenance from the Lord Stafford's House that Mr. Smith the then Steward to the Lord Stafford was his Uncle and believed that several Priests were in the Lord Stafford's House Upon which the Lords Ordered to search the Lord Stafford's House and to seize all dangerous Papers and Persons but notice being given to the Conspirators the Priests and Papers were conveyed to St. Jameses to be graciously disposed of as you should think fit and when the Lords had notice of it there could be nothing further done in the Affair because your Brother the King to give the Rogues a Taste of his Royal Favour raised the Parliament and sent them home when they were in the midst of their Work in Discovering the horrid Villanies of your self and Party 4. That Evidence that Mr. Prance gave in to the then Marquiss of Winchester now Duke of Bolton on the Nineteenth of March 1678 9 The said Marquiss being then One of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex and City and Liberty of Westminster THIS Examinant saith That he and Mr. Maddison a Barber in Holborne and Mr. Staley were Drinking at the Cross Keys Tavern over against Staleys House about a Fortnight before the said Staley was taken where complaining of the great Persecution that the Papists lay under and if that they did not take some speedy course to destroy their Enemies they should be ruined the said Staley and Maddison resolved to Kill the Earl of Shaftsbury as the ring leader of the Mischief that would fall upon them Maddison said that he would engage three to wit Adamson a Watchmaker and Prosser a Silversmith and Bradshaw an Upholster and the said Maddison coming afterwards to this Deponents Shop shewed the Deponent a Pistol he had prepared for that Purpose this Deponent further saith That meeting the said Adamson at one Pettleyes at the White-posts in Veres-street and discoursing of News Adamson said they should be undone if they did not look about them therefore they were resolved to Kill the Lord Shaftsbury he also speaking the same thing to this Deponent at the Grid-iron in Holborn this Deponent further saith That the aforesaid Prosser told him he was undone and that he intended to Kill the Lord Shaftsbury for he with other of the Lords intended to undo the Lord Arundel of Wardour who was one of his best Customers the said Prosser telling the said Deponent another time That he was to be an Ensign under the Lord Arundel this Deponent further saith That Bradshaw in discourse with him saith that he would make no more to kill a Protestant than to kill a Dog or a Cat and that he was resolved to Kill some of the busie Lords but the first should be the Lord Shaftsbury and the said Bradshaw also shewed him the Deponent a Pistol at the same time this Deponent further saith that he the Deponent and Mr. Messenger Prosser and Maddison were at Bradlies in Holborn about five weeks before Staley was taken where the said Messenger was complaining of the severity of the Laws against the Papists and much fearing they would be put in Exeâ—ution against them by some that were no lovers of them and particularly by the Lord Shaftsbury who did most busie himself about them said that there must be speedy Course taken to prevent it And this Deponent further saith that some time after the said Prosser told him that the said Messenger was the Person that Promoted the killing the Lord Shaftsbury the Deponent further saith That Mr. Goseen told him both in Covent Garden and in the Deponents Shop that the King and Parliament would undo them and that if he were to kill a Man he would as soon kill the King as any Man and if he had him in Spain he would have killed him ere this This Deponent further saith that about six Months since he heard Mr. Matthews the Lord Peters Priest say that his Lord and the Lord Belasys with some other Lords would have a great Army and that he hoped the Catholick Religion would be setled in England This Deponent further saith That about a Year since he heard Mr. Singleton a Priest say in the presence of Mr. Hall that he hoped he should be setled in a Parish Church before a twelve month and that he did not fear but that the Catholic Religion would Reign in England and that he would not make any more matter of Stabbing forty Parliament Men than to eat his Dinner This Deponent saith that he hath also heard Mr. Byflet and Dr. Guilding say several times that they turned divers People from the Protestant Religion and that they hoped they should turn many more the Deponent also believeth that the said Hall knows where the said Singleton Byfleet and Guilding are for that they used to be always at Halls house and the said Hall always received the Money for the said Singleton which was to be distributed for Masses for the Dead This Deponent further saith that Mr. Groves told him that this was no Plot but a Plot of the Protestants own making and when his Vncle was Condemned he said they were all Rogues that Swore against him the Deponent then asking him what he thought of the four thousand Men which he knew were to be raised the said Groves replied that might be in Jest the Deponent further saith that Mr. Ridley a Chyrurgeon at the Lord Baltimores house in Wild-street told him several times that he hoped to be Chyrurgeon to a Catholic Army in England and that the Lord Belasis would stand his Friend in the Concern This Deponent further saith that the Lord Arundel of Wardours Butler told him that Mr. Messenger was to kill the King and that he was to have a good Reward if he saved his Life and if he were killed the said Reward should be distributed amongst such Friends as he should appoint by the Lord Arundel the Earl Powys and the rest of the Lords that were in the same Plot This Deponent further saith that meeting with Mr. Messenger after that he asked the said Messenger why he would kill the King the said Messenger answered who told you of it the
theirs that might tend to the fixing of their Religion upon such a sure Foundation as should not be in the Power of any number of Men to destroy and in good sooth Landlord you was resolved to keep pace with these Villains rather than you would hazard the destroying an old rotten Carcase by any remisness in obeying the commands and following the Councels of your Ghostly Hell-born Crew 3. That your Prosecution of me for Perjury upon that Point was most illegal and unjust and could never have been contrived against an English Gentleman but by a parcel of Villains that valued neither what they said or swore and incouraged by your self that had vowed a revenge against me for discovering and breaking the neck of so fair a Design in which you and they were ingaged but God hath pretty well rewarded you for your Grace and Favour to me in that point in this World what he may do in the next he knows best you would do well to sit down and consider with your self the charge and pains you were at in that Affair and if you would have turned but a Jew for half the Money with the help of your lewd Priest that prates in the Neighbourhood of that Religion you might have convicted me of being a circumcised Mahumetan 7. Another Testimony that I shall produce is Mr. Oliver de Fequett and Francis Verdier concerning Colombiere a Jesuit and Preacher to Mrs. Modena your old Comrade who acquainted the Parliament that he had communication with Coleman who endeavoured to pervert Fiquett to the Popish Religion saying that he knew the King to be a Catholick in his Heart and that the Parliament should not always be Master but in a little time all England should change and furthermore he diverted Fiquetâ— from going to Oxford to his Study promising to recommend him to Father Lachaise the French Kings Confessor he further testifyed that you good Sir expressed much satisfaction in it at which this Fiquett was much surprised but my old Landladies Priest told him that he ouâ—ht not to wonder at that seing you were a Roman Catholic and often received the Sacrament which was confirmed by this said Câ—lombiere his Servant with many other Particulars and Verdier was perswaded to become a Roman Catholick by the saying that the King was a Papist in his heart this Evidence was given to the House of Lords by these two Men. 8. Another Testimony that was produced to prove this Devilish Design of yours was Captain William Bedloe who testified that several of your Jesuits with Coleman and others were in frequent Consultations about the introducing of Popery and he named several Jesuits as Whitebread Ireland Fenwick Harcourt all which he charged home and your Servant Coleman in a most especial manner for whom he carried over a Packet of Letters to Father Lachaise to which he brought an Answer this Coleman did say in the hearing of Mr. Bedloe that he would venture any thing to bring in the Popish Religion and that if he had a â—undred Lives and were to go through a Sea of Blood he would venture all to further the Cause of the Church of Rome that itâ— Religion and Worship might be Established here in England and that he valued not the destruction of one hundred Herâ—tical Kings and if the said Bedloe had lived he would have given the World an Account of a Consult held at Sommerseâ— House at which were several Persons which would have turned up your Plot by the roots you know there was a little Woman concerned there as well as you but a Word is enough to the Wise But since it pleased God to take the poor Man out of the World its fit but you should have an Account of what that villain of Cheif Justice S. Francis North I mean was pleased to bless us withal but as it is I pray take it he tells you that at his first coming to one Mr. Rumsey's House where he was to lodge at Bristol upon Munday 16. of August 1680. in the afternoon being the first day of the Assizes Sir John Knight came to the Judge and said that Mr. Bedloe lay dangerously ill of a Feavor and had little hopes of Life and desired him that he would give him a visit that he might impart something of great Consequence before his death and the Judge â—â—ld Sir John that he would give Mr. Bedloe a visit that night after Supper about nine of the Clock provided that he might be Satisfied of two things 1st that there was no infection in his Distemper 2ly that the time would not be Inconvenient but that Mr. Bedloe might discourse him the Judge without prejudice to his Condition after some time two Physitians came to the Judge and assured him that there was no danger of infection and that the time he had appointed would be most proper for commonly he took his repose in the Afternoon and at nine a Clock he would in all probability be refreshed and fit to discourse with him thereupon the Judge declared his resolution of going and desired the Company of the two Sheriffs and his worthy and trusty Brother Roger North and ordered his Marshal William Janes to go with him as these Persons were upon the way Mr. Grossman a Minister in that City acquainted this Judge that Mr. Bedloe desired him to wait upon the Judge to this Mr. Bedloes House the Judge said it was very well he should be glad of his Company whereupon they went altogether and being come into the Room where Mr. Bedloe lay the Judge saluted him and said that he was extream sorry to find him so ill assuring him that he came to visit him upon his own desires and did Imagin that Bedloe might have something to impart to him as a privy Councellour and therefore if he thought fit the Company might withdraw but Bedloe told the Judge that needed not yet for he had much to say that was proper for the Company to hear and having saluted the Sheriffs and Mr. Crossman he discoursed to this effect or purpose That he looked on himself as a dying Man and found within himself that he could not last long but must shortly appear before God to give an Account of all his Actions and because many Persons had made it their business to baffle and deride the Plot he did for the Satisfaction of the World there deâ—lare upon the Faith of a dying Man and as he hoped for Salvation That whatever he had testified concerning the Plot was true and that he had wronged no Man by his Testimony but had testified rather under than over what was Truth and that he had nothing that lay upon his Conscience upon that Account he said that he had many Witnesses to produce who would make the Plot as clear as the Sun and that he had other things of great importance â—o discover These dying Words of Mr. Bedloe did go a great way with all true Protestants and indeed some of your own
by us except only the Descent upon the Person of the Duke of York who by the wicked Instruments of the Church of Rome has been manifestly perverted to their Religion And we do humbly represent to your Majesty as the Issue of our most deliberate Thoughts and Consultations That for the Papists to have their Hopes continued That a Prince of that Religion shall succeed in the Throne of these Kingdoms is utterly inconsistent with the Safety of your Majesty's Person the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Prosperity Peace and Welfare of your Protestant Subjects That your Majesty's Sacred Life is in continual Danger under the Prospect of a Popish Successor is evident not only from the Principles of those devoted to the Church of Rome which allow That an Heretical Prince and such they term all Protestant Princes excommunicated and deposed by the Pope may be destroyed and murthered but also from the Testimonies given in the Prosecution of the horrid Popish Plot against divers Traytors attainted for designing to put those accursed Principles into practice against your Majesty From the Expectation of this Succession has the Number of Papists in your Majesty's Dominions so much increased within these few Years and so many been prevailed with to desert the true Protestant Religion That they might be prepared for the Favours of a Popish Prince as soon as he should come to the Possession of the Crown And while the same Expectation lasts many more will be in the same Danger of being perverted This it is that has hardned the Papists of this Kingdom animated and confederated by their Priests and Jesuits to make a common Purse provide Arms make Application to foreign Princes and solicit their Aid for imposing Popery upon us and all this during your Majesty's Reign and while your Majesty's Government and the Laws were our Protection It is your Majesty's Glory and true Interest to be the Head and Protector of all Protestants as well abroad as at home but if these Hopes remain What Alliances can be made for the Advantage of the Protestant Religion and Interest which shall give confidence to your Majesty's Allies to join so vigorously with your Majesty as the state of that Interest in the World now requires while they see this Protestant Kingdom in so much Danger of a Popish Successor by whom at the present all their Counsels and Actions may be eluded as hitherto they have been and by whom if he should succeed they are sure to â—e destroyed We have thus humbly laid before your Majesty some of those great Dangers and Mischiefs which evidently accompany the Expectation of a Popish Successor the certain and unspeakable Evils which will come upon your Majesty's Protestant Subjects and their Posterity if such a Prince should inherit are more also than we can well enumerate Our Religion which is now so dangerously shaken will then be totally overthrown nothing will be left or can be found to protect or defend it The Execution of old Laws must cease and it will be vain to expect new ones The most sacred Obligations of Contracts and Promises if any should be given that shall be judged to be against the Interest of the Romish Religion will be violated as is undeniable not only from Argument and Experience elsewhere but from the sad Experience this Nation once had upon the like Occasion In the Reign of such a Prince the Pope will be acknowledged Supreme though the Subjects of this Kingdom have sworn the contrary and all Causes either as Spiritual or in order to Spiritual Things will be brought under his Jurisdiction The Lives Liberties and Estates of all such Protestants as value their Souls and their Religion more than their secular Concernments will be adjudged Forfeited To all this we might add That it appears in the Discovery of the Plot that foreign Princes were invited to assist in securing the Crown to the Duke of York with Arguments from his great Zeal to establish Popery and to extirpate Protestants whom they call Hereticks out of his Dominions and such will expect performance accordingly We further humbly beseech your Majesty in your great Wisdom to consider Whether in case the Imperial Crown of this Protestant Kingdom should descend to the Duke of York the Opposition which may possibly be made to his possessing it may not only endanger the further Descent in the Royal Line but even Monarchy it self For these Reasons we are most humble Petitioners to your most Sacred Majesty that in tender Commiseration of your poor Protestant People â—â—ur Majesty will be graciously pleased to depart from the Reservation in your said Speech and when a Bill shall be tender'd to your Majesty in a Parliamentary Way to disable the Duke of York from inheriting the Crown your Majesty will give your Royal Assent thereto and as necessary to fortify and defend the same That your Majesty likewise will be graciously pleased to assent to an Act whereby your Majesty's Protestant Subjects may be enabled to associate themselves for the Defence of your Majesty's Person the Protestant Religion and the Security of your Kingdoms These Requests we are constrained humbly to make to your Majesty as of absolute Necessity for the safe and peaceable Enjoyment of our Religion Without these Things the Alliances of England will not be valuable nor the People encouraged to contribute to your Majesty's Service As some farther means both of our Religion and Property we are humble Suiters to your Majesty That from hence-forth such Persons only may be Judges within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales as are Men of Ability Integrity and of known Affection to the Protestant Religion And that they may hold both their Offices and Salaries Quam diu bene se gesserint That several Deputy Lieutenants Justices of the Peace fitly qualified for those Employments having been of late displaced and others put in their Room who are Men of Arbitrary Principles and Countenancers of Papists and Popery such only may bear the Office of a Lord Lieutenant as are Persons of Integrity and known Affection to the Protestant Religion That Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace may be also so qualified and may be moreover Men of Ability of Estates and Interest in their Country That none may be imployed as military Officers or Officers in your Majesty's Fleet but Men of known Experience Courage and Affection to the Protestant Religion These our humble Requests being obtained we shall on our part be ready to assist your Majesty for the Preservation of Tangier and for putting your Majesty's Fleet into such a Condition as it may preserve your Majesty's Sovereignty of the Seas and be for the Defence of the Nation If your Majesty hath or shall make any necessary Alliances for defence of the Protestant Religion and Interest and Security of this Kingdom this House will be ready to assist and stand by your Majesty in the Support of the same After this our