him in his Chamber on January 2. Item XIV That in the said Letters of December the 26th it was specified that Richard Nicholas Blundell was constituted by Pattent from the Provincial to be Ordinary at Newgate to go and visit the Condemned Prisoners and to reduce them to the Catholick Faith and Religion and to Catechize some Youth in the City of London and every day in the week he hath his several places where he Teacheth the Youth Treasonable and Mutinous Doctrines against the Interest and Person of His Sacred Majesty and giveth certain summs of mony to their Parents if poor to incourage them to send their Children to be thus instructed which passage was contained in the aforesaid Letters and afterwards practised in London ITEM XV. That another Packet came to Richard Ashby to Saint Omers from Thomas White John Keines and others of the Society of Jesus in London in which Letters from them and others were inclosed Letters to Father Thomas Stapleton Procurator at Brussels to perswade the Father Confessor of Duke de Villa Hermosa to inform that his Majesty of Great Britain did not intend to assist his Majesty of Spain but to stand a looker on till he was ruined by the French King which Letter being not sealed was seen and heard read by Richard Ashby then Rector of Saint Omers in which it was further ordered that if the said Father Confessor should not be ready to comply with the said Stapleton that messengers should be forthwith sent to Father Swiman at Madrid to inform his Majesty of Spain of the said concern and to make the same relation of the business to the Arch-Bishop of Tuam in the Kingdome of Ireland now at the Court at Madrid that he the said Swiman and he the said Arch-Bishop might jointly give an account to the King of Spain of the motion made or to be made to the said Father Confessor of Duke de Villa Hermosa and also to advise the Spanish King to seize the estates of the English merchants in the several Factories in his Dominions for that they had endeavoured to transport their Estates and did transport them to England which would tend highly to the prejudice of the Kingdome of Spain and for the confirmation thereof they procured Letters from one Fonseca sometimes an Agent in London to attest the same to which the said Fonseca willingly condescended and sent his Letter to Saint Omers to be sent to the Court of Spain that the Fathers might give their approbation which Letter was long and large attestations therein made against the merchants resident in their several Factories concerning the matter of Fact before-mentioned and also other Letters to Daniel Armstrong at Valledolid and to John Cross at Madrid in the which they were ordered to confirm this affirmation made or to be made by the Fathers in England and of the English Seminary at Saint Omers and of the said Stappleton together with that of the said Fonseca the abovementioned Spanish Agent who now liveth at Bruges in Flanders All which Letters bore date the first or second of January 1678. Stilo Novo and all of them the Deponent saw at Saint Omers and in the two Letters to those two Fathers in Spain viz. Daniel Armstrong and John Cross was contained an especial order that the former if he could not go to Madrid should send his attestations to Don Juan of Austria for the carrying on of which two hundred pounds sterling was transmitted by bills of Exchange to the said father Swiman and the said English Fathers ITEM XVI That when the Letters came from England about the business afore-mentioned to Saint Omers Edward Nevil and Thomas Fermor did say that they would not let this black Bastard go to his grave in peace meaning the King of England for that he had cheated them so often and that now they were resolved to be served so no more But the Deponent standing by said what if the Duke should prove slippery They both replyed his pasport was ready when ever he should appear to fail them These words were heard by the Deponent on the third of January in the afternoon in the Library of the Jesuits of Saint Omers ITEM XVII That on the fourth of January 1678. Stylo novo Letters were sent by Richard Ashby Edward Hall Edward Nevil Charles Peters Michael Constable William Busby James Janon and Thomas Fermor Jesuits of the English Seminary at Saint Omers as also Francis Williams Rector of Watton and Master of the Novices there Sir John Warner Baronet alias Clare Father Sanches alias Ditchling to the Father Confessor of the Emperours Majesty to advise the Emperours Majesty that his Majesty of Great Brittain had treacherously ploted the ruine of the Confederates especially of the German Empire and of his Catholick Princes under him and had under hand stirred up the Hungarian Rebels against his Imperial Majesty and found them money to go on with their rebellion and that his design was not to keep any alliance with his Imperial Majesty but onely in shew that he might advance his Nephew the Prince of Orange and make him absolute and therefore prayed that the States of Holland might be acquainted with it Which Letter was seen and perused by the Deponent it being written in Latine all which Letters were sent away by a Lay-Brother that was a Dutch-man and when these Letters were sending away one of the Lay-brothers whose name was George did say That the Prince of Orange was more fit to rob an Orchard than to be General of an Army ITEM XVIII That Letters bearing date January the first 1678. Spylo novo arrived at Saint Omers January the twentieth from Talbot Arch-bishop of Dublin wherein it was expressed that the Fathers of the Society in Ireland were very vigilant to prepare the people to arise for the defence of their Liberty and Religion and to recover their Estates and that if the Parliament that was to fit in England should joyn with the King in declaring War against France that a place should be open to receive the French Kings Army in Ireland when his most Christian Majesty should think fit to land one there And in the Letter head advised the Fathers of Saint Omers to advertise Father Leshee of the same and other Jesuits that had an interest in the French King And that his Majesty of Great Brittain was brought to that pass that if any Male content amongst them should not prove true to their design his Majestie would never give ear to their information and therefore prayed them to be dilligent for now was the time or never which Letter the Deponent saw and read and in order to the Fathers compliance with the Letter of the said Arch Bishop they dispatched away Letters to Father Leshee to Paris and appointed Edward Nevil and William Busby to carry and deliver them to the said Leshee which Letters were answered with all speed by the aforesaid messengers Jesuits as above the one of
TITUS OATES D. D. the first discoverer of the Popish Plott A TRUE NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid PLOT AND CONSPIRACY OF THE POPISH PARTY Against the LIFE of His Sacred Majesty THE GOVERNMENT AND THE Protestant Religion With a LIST of such NOBLEMEN GENTLEMEN and others as were the CONSPIRATORS And the HEAD-OFFICERS both Civil and Military that were to Effect it Published by the Order of the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in PARLIAMENT Assembled Humbly Presented to His Most Excellent MAJESTY By TITVS OTES D. D. LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst and Thomas Cockerill at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel and at the Three Legs in the Poultrey MDCLXXIX Die Mercurii 9º Aprilis 1679. UPon Report made by the Earl of Clarendon from the Lords Committees for Examining Matters relating to the Discovery of the late Horrid Conspiracy That Mr. Titus Oates complains That Mr. Basset hath not given him satisfaction for the Printing and Publishing his Narrative of the said Conspiracy imperfectly and desires that he may Reprint his own Narrative thereof which the said Lords Committees judg to be Reasonable It is Ordered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled That the said Titus Oates be and is hereby Authorized to Print a Perfect Copy of his own Narrative of the said Conspiracy Jo. Brown Cleric Parliamentor BY virtue of this Order I appoint Thomas Parkhurst and Thomas Cockerill Citizens and Stationers of London to Print this Narrative containing Eighty one Paragraphs TITUS OTES April 10. 1679. TO HIS SACRED MAJESTY CHARLES the II. By the Grace of God Of Great-Britain France and Ireland KING Defender of the Faith GREAT SIR THIS Narrative of the present Horrid Plot against Your Majesty and Government which was first heard and narrowly discussed before Your Sacred Majesty and Council and afterwards by Both Houses of Parliament with universal assent to the power of Truth herein is at last to appear abroad for the satisfaction of these Nations and Europe perhaps touching the mystery and consequence of such Designs I hope I have good equity on my side to presume to dedicate the same to Your Royal Name and Patronage and to no other because I am well assured both the rise and progress thereof hath wholly sprung from an inbred indelible love and loyalty to Your Majesty and Kingdoms as its support and success to be owing under Gods extraordinary and miraculous appearance for his people in its defence to Your Majesties Gracious pardon of several human frailties in the management Great and many are the Arts and Hoverings that have been and may yet be used in vain both at home and abroad to suppress and traduce the Evidence by those who are more zealous and industrious not to be thought or suspected rather than really not to be very Traytors and Rebels against their King and Country whose many past Treasons and Encroachments upon several Princes for these last Thousand years in the World will prove their inclinations for future whereof there are as many tragical instances against Your Majesties own Family and Person within fresh memory and to be made out by new proofs out of their own mouths and Records if need as against any other of Gods Anointing and Appointment Your Grandfather King James though he escaped their Powder is well known not to have escaped their Poyson Your other Grandfather Henry the Fourth of France was basely and villainously stabbed in the Heart which he had designed and bequeathed after his death unto them notwithstanding all the Indulgences and Immunities that the heart of man could wish or desire which he had granted them in his life Who besides these were the first Authors and contrivers of the late unnatural War by their known diabolical art of inflaming Parties and Passions against each other and of Your Royal Fathers unspeakable Sufferings and barbarous Usage It was these that brought Him to His end and fourished Swords and triumphed over his dead Body whom they durst not approach when living What shall I say of Him who then cryed out Now is the Enemy of God and of his Church fallen I believe Your Majesty hath been well-informed of the Trayterous Executioners but hardly at all of the Putney-Projectors who were in most if not all the Councels that contrived his ruine What broke the Vxbridge-Treaty but the Romish Interest and Policy Who continued to baffle all designs of peace and settlement to this Nation and prosperity to Your Majesties Family but those Incendiaries It may not be inconvenient to remind with what zeal and interest they did perswade the Scots in 1650 to impose that upon Your Majesty which Your Royal Law hath forbidden others for the effecting whereof some Thousands of pounds were spent and given by them After Your Majesties escape at Worcester how did they above all men endeavour to betray and sacrifice Your Majesty into the hands of Your Enemies And who was it that was to pay the Thousand pound promised for Your being discovered and taken but Father Joseph Simmonds and Father Carleton Compton both Jesuits It 's true that one or two of the Komish perswasion amongst many loyal and faithful Protestants male and female might then have contributed to Your Majesties deliverance But have not such been well lessened and reproached and called Fools by their own party for this grain of Loyalty more owing to their English Blood than Romish Principles The Popish Lord is not forgotten or unknown who brought a Petition to the late Regicides and Usurpers signed by about Five hundred principal Papists in England wherein was promised upon condition of a Toleration of the Popish Religion here by a Law their joint resolution to abjure and exclude the Family of the Stuarts for ever from their undoubted right to the Crown Who more disheartned the Loyalty and patience of your best Subjects than their confident Scriblers White and others And Milton was a known frequenter of a Popish Club. Who more forward to set up Cromwell and to put the Crown of our Kings upon his head than they Give me leave to tell Your Majesty that his new fangled Government was contrived by a Popish Priest and Lambert a Papist for above these Thirty years Who betrayed Your Majesties Secrets and Councels during your Exile but they even the Benedictine Monks whereof a whole Convent was maintained with a large Annuity by the late Usurper for such use and purpose And he * Manning that was caught and executed by Your Majesties Justice for such treachery was of the same Red-Letter and had Masses sung for him after his death as an usual Reward and Plaister After Your Majesties escape from England what promises did they make to Cromwell to perswade the French King for Your banishment out of France and what interest they made use of in order thereunto can be made appear to their disgrace I shall leave it to Your Majesty to call to mind their usage of your
Print the same to my great wrong and detriment It was presented to His Majesty the Thirteenth of August last by the means and introduction of that worthy and honest Gentleman Mr. Christopher Kirkby as likewise sworn upon Oath on the sixth of September following before Sir Edmondbury Godfrey by my self and the Twenty eighth of the same Month before the Lords and others of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council and the proceedings afterwards made upon the same being sufficiently known I shall not trouble thee with at present but leave the whole to thy Candid consideration taking my leave of thee at present and will ever appear April the 15th 1679. Thy hearty Well-wisher and Servant in Jesus Christ TITVS OATES A True and Exact Narrative OF THE Horrid Plot and Conspiracy OF THE POPISH PARTY Against the LIFE of His Sacred Majesty THE GOVERNMENT AND THE Protestant Religion Imprimis RIchard Strange Provincial John Keins Basil Langworth John Fenwick and Mr. Harcourt Jesuits did write a Treasonable Letter to one Father Suiman an Irish Jesuit at Madrid in the Kingdom of Spain in which was contained their Plotting and Contriving a Rebellion in Scotland of the Presbyterians against the Episcopal Government In order to which they had employed one Matthew Wright and William Morgan and one Mr. Ireland to go and Preach under the notion of Presbyterians and give the disaffected Scots a true understanding of their sad state and condition in which they were by reason of the Episcopal Tyranny exercised over them and withall to tell them they had now a fair opportunity to vindicate their Liberty and Religion and that it could be done by no other way but by the Sword and that now the King was so addicted to his pleasures that he would and could take but little care in that concern And in the said Letter it was expressed that they had gotten an interest in His Royal Highness but they would deal with him as they thought fit and that they were resolved to use all means to weaken the King of England's Interest by informing his friends of his own intent to betray them into the hands of a Forein Power to wit to send them to fall by the Sword in the French King's Wars against the Confederate Princes which Letter bore date of April 19th Old Style 1677. and 29th New Style Item II. That the persons abovementioned gave the Deponent ten pounds to carry the said Letters to the said Father Suiman into the Kingdom of Spain to Madrid the said Father Suiman being their Procurator general for the Kingdom of England and Ireland and in order to which message the Deponent embarked himself in the Ship called the Biscay Merchant whereof Luke Roch was then Master to go for Bilbao and there took Mules for Valladolyd but staving a day at Burgos in Spain the Deponent broke up the said Letters and found these Contents in the same Item III. That they of the Society of Jesus in the English Seminary at St. Omers sent a mission of twelve Students into the Kingdom of Spain viz. eight to Valladolyd and four to Madrid there being English Colledges in both places in order to study Philosophy and Divinity which Missioners were sent by Richard Ashby Richard Peters Nicholas Blundell and Charles Peters as appeared by the Patents of the several Missioners by which they had power to demand admission in the respective Colledges to which they were sent which Missioners were obliged by the Jesuits of the Colledges to renounce their Allegiance to His Majesty of Great Britain in the hearing of the Deponent and those of Valladolyd were taught by Daniel Armstrong Jesuit Minister of the English Colledge at Valladolyd that the said Oath of Allegiance is Heretical Antichristian and Devilish and that Charles Stuart the King of England is no lawful King but comes of a spurious Race and that his Father was a Black Scotch-man and not King Charles the first this was delivered in a Sermon Septemb. 29. 1677. to the Students there which Sermon the Deponent did hear and in this Sermon the said Daniel Armstrong in plain words did say that the King of England was a Bastard now this Daniel Armstrong goeth in Spain by the name of Joseph Mundford in Spanish P. Joseph Montefortio Item IV. That the said Daniel Armstrong alias Joseph Mundford did bring Letters from St. Omers to the English Colledge at Valladolyd to the Fathers of that Colledge written in Latine they being Spaniards in which it was expressed and related from the Fathers of St. Omers that the Fathers of the Society in London had procured one Father Beddingfield to be Confessor to His Royal Highness but if they law His Royal Highness did not answer their expectations they would dispose of him as they did intend to dispose of his Brother the King which they hoped to effect within a year Which Letters bore date June the 10th 1677. and subscribed by Richard Ashby alias Thimbleby Rector of the English Seminary of the Society of Jesus at St. Omers Richard Peters Minister Edward Nevill Prefect of the Studies Charles Peters Prefect of the Sodality Thomas Fermor Prefect of Manners Which Letters the Deponent saw and read in the month of September at Valladolyd in the Kingdom of Spain Item V. That Father Suiman above-mentioned wrote to the English Colledge to the Fathers there that the King of England was poisoned to the great joy of the English Fathers and that they would serve King James so if he did not give them good assusurance of bringing in of the Catholick Religion and of rooting out Protestant Religion this Letter bore date July the first 1677. and was seen and read by the Deponent at Valladolyd in the month of July near the latter end Item VI. That one Father John Blake alias Cross who went with the four Students to Madrid did bring Letters from Richard Strange Provincial of the Jesuits and one Father Gray a Jesuit and John Keines to Father Suiman above-mentioned in which was specified that all diligence was used by the said Richard Strange Father Gray and John Keines to procure some persons to dispatch the King and to put a period to his daies which Letter bore date June the 10th 1677. Stylo novo And now the Deponent being sent to Madrid in the month of August read it in Father Suiman's Chamber he shewing it also at the same time to James Archbishop of Tuam in the Kingdom of Ireland Item VII That the said Father Suiman received another Letter bearing date July the 20th 1677. Stylo novo from Richard Strange Father Gray John Keines Basil Langworth John Fenwick Father Ireland and Father Harcourt in which they did manifest that they were very sorry for informing him that he might assure himself that the business was done their man William being faint-hearted could not then do it though he had fifteen hundred pounds promised him for his pains of which Letters the English Missionaries were one by one informed
of the Clock at Mr. Keines his Chamber And at four of the Clock the Deponent met where he saw Dr. Fogarty who shewed him a Letter written to Mr. Bedingfield by his own hand And likewise the Deponent saw Letters from Blundell and John Fenwick with one from Father Ireland at St. Omers That of Dr. Fogarty to Mr. Bedingfield did contain in it an account of Eighty Letters that were written to the Jesuits in England some of which were delivered to the Post-office in Russel-street others to the Post-office General others were sent by private Messengers and one to Mr. Peters a Jesuit that liveth now with Sir Charles Shelly in Sussex that married the Relict of the Baron of Abergaveny In which the said Peters was ordered to meet the Provincial at London about the Designe in hand which if it took not effect at Windsor speedily then John Keines was to go to Windsor to meet with Coniers who was designed to go out of Town on the 20th of August with Mr. Anderton to 440 which number is by them put for Windsor And after their business was done in Keines his Chamber the Deponent left them LXVIII Item That the Deponent being to meet with Dr. Tonge on the 22th of August at the Kings head in Grays-Inne-lane about six of the Clock at night accordingly went and finding that the said Doctor was not there he walked in Grays-Inne-walks and there he met with Coniers who was supposed to be gone to Windsor The Deponent asked him how it happened that he did not go his Journey he replied that his horse fell so lame that he could scarce carry him five miles on the way and so was forced to return and that he himself was taken ill with the Sciatica which had given him great trouble for all the night before The Deponent was then urgent with him to tell him how he would kill the King seeing he did laugh at the means the Fathers intended to use viz. by shooting him Then the said Coniers by reason of the Deponents importunity shewed him a Dagger or Knife two edged with a very sharp point and it was broader and broader towards the haft which was of Buckhorn and was a foot long in the blade and neer half a foot in the haft With this said he the Villain shall fall to the ground if possible Coniers demanded of the Deponent what he thought it might cost him the Deponent said he could not tell Coniers replied Ten shillings or thereabouts The Deponent told him it was too dear he replied Nothing could be too dear for the King The Deponent asked him where he bought it Coniers replied Of the old Cutler in Russel-street The Deponent asked him why he would have it so long he replied That the Villain might fall by it The Deponent asked How he replied Through my Cloak will I stab him The Deponent asked him how he thought to escape Coniers answered that he doubted not but to obtain a Pardon if he were not knockt on the head upon the place The Deponent after some discourse went to the Kings head where he met with Dr. Tonge between six and seven of the Clock LXIX Item That the Deponent did on the 22th of August about nine of the Clock meet with Blundell and seeing him have a Bag asked him what he had and he replied Tewxbury Mustard-balls a notable biting Sawce and would furnish Westminster when he had enough of them The Deponent saith that by Tewxbury Mustard-balls we are to understand Fire-balls LXX Item That on the 24th of August Blundell told the Deponent in Fenwick's Chamber that it would be so ordered by the Society that the Catholicks of England would advance the designe of shortning the Kings days and bad the Deponent be of good Cheer for Protestant Religion was on its last legs LXXI Item That the Deponent met with Blundell on August the thirtieth who told him that he must shew him what Westminster and the houses on both sides the Water were to be done withal and carried him to Fenwick's Chamber and there drew out of a Paper-Case a Paper in which was the manner of Firing Westminster and Wapping Toolies-street Barnaby-street and St. Thomas Apostle First for Westminster if the wind blew nothernly then they were to begin at the next house to the Palsgraves-head Tavern where the Jesuits and their Agents were to carry on the Fire to the Savoy and then the Benedictines and they to carry it on both sides to Charing-Cross and then the Fire was by them and their Agents to be carried to Whitehall and neer the end of the Stone-gallery another Company is to begin and carry it on to Kings-street and Channel-Row which was first designed to be acted in the time of the great Frost in the year 1676 but then they were not assured of the French Kings assistance of which they are now assured by Leshee the French Kings Confessor At the same time Wapping and the Ships in the River were to be burnt and the said Fire in case the Wind blow up the River is to begin at a place neer Bugbies-hole or Limehouse-hole and is to be carried on by four men of whom they had made choice to Wapping middle-stairs and then four or five more were to carry it up higher And the Deponent found himself with seven more ordered to ply about the Armitage and his business was to encourage the seven men committed to his care and for his reward One thousand pound was therein promised him besides Eighty pound for his former services But the Deponent saith if the Wind stood contrary they were to change the Commencement of the Fire At the same time others were to have the Charge in Barnaby-street Toolies-street and St. Thomas Apostles on the other side of the Water committed to them and the Fire was to begin at Redriff when it was begun on Wapping-side And this is to be done when the Water is low that the Ships might not get off from the Keys In order to the Deponents managing that part of the Fire that was to be begun about the Armitage he was ordered to remove his Lodging into Wapping as soon as order was given him and he should have a Priest come and say Mass unto him in his Chamber every day for a good success on the Designe But the Deponent saith he did not know he was to be an Agent in the business till he saw that Paper which Paper was signed by the Provincial Tho. White in the name of the whole Society LXXII Item That the Deponent saith the Pope hath issued out a Bull a Copy of which Blundell shewed the Deponent on the said 30th of August and as neer as the Deponent doth remember it bears date either the month of November or December last in which the Pope hath been pleased to order and dispose of Bishopricks of England and other Dignities of the same as followeth ARCHBISHOPS Canterbury Cardinal Howard with an Augmentation of 40000