Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	england_n	king_n	queen_n	3,439	5	6.9536	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25883	The arraignment, trials, conviction and condemnation of Sir Rich. Grahme ... and John Ashton, Gent. for high treason against ... King William and Queen Mary ... at the sessions ... holden ... on the 16th, 17th and 19th days of January, 1690 ... : to which are added two letters taken at Dublin the 4th of July, 1690.	Preston, Richard Graham, Viscount, 1648-1695, defendant.; Ashton, John, d. 1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing A3768; ESTC R22452	178,632	142

Edmund Elliot as false Traitors against our Soveraign Lord and Lady King William and Queen Mary not weighing the Duty of their Allegiance the 29th of December in the Second year of their now Majesties Reign at the Parish of St. Clements Danes in this County of Middlesex did Conspire Consult and Imagine to Depose Their Majesties from the Throne and Government of these Kingdoms and to bring the King and Queen to final Death and Destruction and to Levy War within this Kingdom and procure an Invasion to be made here and that to bring their Treasons to pass they did prepare and compose and cause to be prepared and composed divers Treasonable Letters Notes Memorandums and Instructions in Writings which were to inform the French King and his Subjects and other Enemies of the King and Queen of the Number Force and Condition of Their Majesties Ships and how some of them were Mann'd and the Names of several of the Commanders of them and how the Castles and Forts of Portsmouth South-Sea and G●sport within this Kingdom were fortified and how they might be Seized and Surprized by the King's Enemies as also to inform them of the time places ways and means how they might Invade the Kingdom Depose Their Majesties and Fight with their Ships against Their Majesties Ships and cause and procure great Forces to be raised against the King and Queen and fend Ships to plague the City of London and War and Rebellion within the Kingdom to procure and that they did knowingly and secretly prepare and conceal two several Bills of Exchange for the payment of Money to the King's Enemies and got these Bills of Exchange Letters Notes and Memorandums into their Custody and afterwards the 30th day of December for the Sum of One hundred pounds by them or some of them paid they did hire a Ship to carry them and the said Bills of Exchange Letters Notes Memorandums and Instructions into parts beyond the Seas to and among their Majesties Enemies and did also prepare a Boat which was to carry them to the Ship and accordingly they went into the Boat and went on Board the Ship with the Bills of Exchange and Papers aforesaid and being on Board they set Sail and made away towards France with those Bills of Exchange and Papers with intention to disperse them and to perfect their said Treasons And the Indictment further sets forth that there was and is a War between Our King and Queen and the French King and the People of those parts under his Dominions who are Enemies of the King and Queen the Prisoner together with those other two named before as false Traitors did adhere to the Enemies of the King and Queen and to bring about this Treason they did procure such Bills of Exchange Letters Notes Memorandums and Instructions and did hire such Ship and Boat to carry them and those Papers into France and did go on board the said Ship and Sailed away for France with intention to aid and assist the King's Enemies in Counsel and Intelligence by those Papers and Bills of Exchange as I before opened unto you and this is laid to be against the Duty of his Allegiance against the Peace of Their Majesties Their Crown and Dignity and against the Form of the Statute in that Case made and provided To this Indictment Gentlemen the Prisoner Pleaded he is Not Guilty and for his Tryal hath put himself upon his Country which you are if we prove him Guilty it is your Duty to find him so Mr. Sol-Gen My Lords and Gentlemen of the Jury the Indictment hath been opened to you at large and I do not doubt but you have observed it It consists of two Parts which are formed upon two several Branches of the Statute of the 25th of Edward 3. the one is for compassing and imagining the Deposing and Destruction of the King and Queen the other aiding and assisting the King and Queens Enemies Treason Gentlemen consists in the imagination of the Heart but because that imagination of the Heart can be discovered no other way but by some open Act therefore the Law doth require that some Overt Act manifesting that Intention and Imagination be assigned and proved I doubt not but you have observed that there are several Overt-Acts of both these kinds of Treason assigned in this Indictment Gentlemen the general Design of the Conspiracy as will appear by the Evidence was this The King and Queen were to be Deposed and this was to be effected by a French Army and a French Fleet. It will be easily Granted that nothing more dreadful can enter into the Imagination of an English-man than the destruction of our Fleet and the Conquest of the Kingdom by the Arms of France But yet it will be part of the Evidence that we shall offer to you that the Prisoners and others of the Conspirators seem to be of another Mind for amongst the Papers which were taken with the Prisoners you will see one which is styled The Result of a Conference wherein they pretend to shew the possibility of Restoring King James by the Power of the French King and yet to preserve the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom They themselves went no farther than to think it possible and I believe it will be hard to perswade any other English-man that it is possible unless one Instance could be given that the French King ever employed his Arms for setting up any Body but himself his own Religion and his own Government I never heard that he did pretend to Form any part of his Glories upon the virtue of Moderation or Self-denial And there can hardly be imagined a greater Instance of Self-denial than for the French King after he had destroyed the Dutch and English Fleets and subdu'd our Forces at Land not to make use of his Success so as to add these Three Kingdoms to his Conquests and possess himself of the uncontested Dominion of the Sea for ever but only to Intitle him at so great hazard and Expence to become a Mediator between King James and the People of England and by his Mediation to establish the Protestant Religion and the Liberties of the People And yet as absurd as this seems you will find this to be the Result of one of their Conferences I did never think it was the part of any who were of Counsel for the King in cases of this Nature to endeavour to aggravate the Crime of the Prisoners by going about to put false Colours upon Evidence or to give it more than its due weight and therefore I shall be sure to forbear any thing of that Nature But I think it my Duty to give you some Account of the Nature and Course of the Evidence to be produced to you which consisting of several sorts it will be in some sort necessary to open it that you may the more clearly apprehend it and with more ease make your Observations upon it Gentlemen we shall

he shall have rid the Nation of those Foreigners that had invaded us and trampled upon the Laws So that Gentlemen here is a Paper in this Pacquet that has plainly laid open and proved the Design and shews the meaning of it was to seduce their Majesties Subjects from their Allegiance it was to be in such general Terms making general Promises hoping thereby that People would be the more easily imposed upon to renounce their Allegiance to their present Majesties But Gentlemen the Declaration imports farther that the Realm was to be invaded by Foreigners and to palliate it it is pretended that Foreigners were only to be brought in to rid the Nation of Foreigners and you know who are meant by that So that this Project was only to colour a Foreign Invasion and this Declaration was to direct them how and upon what pretences they should Invade this Kingdom Gentlemen there is no manner of doubt but this is a Treasonable Declaration and if any Person had this in his Possession and was going into France to carry with an intention there to make use of it that is Treason though it be coucht under specious Pretences of restoring People to their Liberty It was plainly a Design to Invade England by a French Army L. Preston My Lord that Paper was not found about me L. C. J. Holt. No no my Lord it was not but good my Lord give me your favour I will certainly observe every thing that is sitting but I tell you I cannot do it all at once Then Gentlemen there is another Paper found in the Pacquet that is said to be the result of a Conference that was had between divers Lords and Gentlemen as well Tories as Whiggs as they call them to prove it possible to restore the late King by French Arms and how this may be effected were Proposals made Yet still it was pretended to preserve the Protestant Religion and the Civil Administration according to Law And that it might be brought to pass the Credulous were to be imposed upon and made to believe that the French King would not conquer England for himself no but he would conquer it for the late King he would be at that vast Charge that great Expence of Men and Arms to restore King James and make no Profit of it himself And it was proposed how to seduce the People of England into a belief of the French King kindness He was to indulge the English Protestants in France and let them have the exercise of their own Religion there at their own Charges and this to satisfy the English Protestants that his Persecution of the Hugonots in France was not out of aversion to the Protestant Religion but only because of their Antimonarchical and Resisting Principles So that they were proposing among themselves what they were to do to make the People believe the French King had no dangerous Design against our Religion and Liberties and if they could meet with Persons to believe this that was a probable way thought upon in this Conference to get a great many Adherents to the French King thereby his Invasion to be facilitated and the whole Project rendred more successful There is another thing Gentlemen in this Paper and that is this they complained of the mismannagement of their Affairs at St. Germains that though they did earnestly desire the restitution of the late King yet there was always some Foolish thing or other that came from St. Germains that obstructed their Design What that Foolish thing is I can't say it does not appear but whether it were not too great a Discovery of their Zeal for Popery and the advancement of the Popish Religion is worth your consideration And something is to be done for satisfaction of the People as to that and it is advised that there should be Seven or Nine or such a Number of English Men that should go over and be received into favour at St. Germains and they should be of the Councel there and these were to be Protestants and that was to be a colour and pretence that the late King was reconciled to the Protestant Interest because he chose Protestant Counsellors and had received them at St. Germans and was advised by them This says the Paper will make the World believe he is ours and that we have gained him which was to delude a great many of the People of England that they should not be affrighted in case there should be such an Invasion of England but invited rather and encouraged to joyn with the French when they came But Gentlemen the Three last Papers that have been produced to you are Papers that do somewhat more nearly concern my Lord Preston The First Paper contains several Memorandums It begins with Lady D. 2000 l. who that Lady D. is I must leave it to you to imagine tho' perhaps it may not be hard to guess It takes notice that the English and Dutch were like to joyn and these Memorandums do also shew a design and purpose of something to be done for the prevention of that Conjunction They seem also to be Instructions to be made use of upon going into France to negotiate or transport some matters of dangerous consequence L. Preston My Lord I hope that your Lordship will observe that these Memorandums are broken kind of Notes incongruous and incoherent L. C. J. Holt. Ay my Lord they are so they are but broken things but I say still they are Memorandums that were to be used for some purpose Now I leave it to the Jury to consider of the matter of them What can be plainer than what is there expressed The French are to come in time before the Dutch and the English joyn they are to watch their opportunity and come betimes and they are to fight at the Chops of the Channel and not to come so far as Beachy L. Preston This is all but presumptive Evidence my Lord. L. C. J. Holt. I appeal to your Lordship if it was not in the Paper and I appeal to the memory of the Jury whether I misrepeat it or not The Paper mentions Gennings and Strickland and Trevannion that they were to come from St. Mallo's in one Night the King meaning the late King was not to be on Board and there were Ships to lye at Newcastle to plague London It is easy to understand what they meant Among these Memorandums it is made as a remark that the London Clergy are the worst It gives an account how Portsmouth was fortified and Gosport and what number of Men were in them and of the state and condition of our Navy what rates our Ships were and how many and who were to be the Commanders L. Preston I beg your Lordship to observe this is not Treason L. C. J. Holt. I shall tell you that my Lord by and by I am now stating the Evidence Gentlemen my Lord Preston insists upon it that these Papers were not found about him It is true they were

deliver the Sacrament to him there Dr. Fitz-Williams No I did not Jury-M Pray Doctor were the Prayers that were used at that time altered as they are now in the Common-Prayer-Book Dr. Fitz-Williams I cannot say they were L. C. J. Polexfen Did you ever see him Drink King James's Health Dr. Fitz-Williams I do not use to Drink Healths I came here only to do an Office of Justice and Kindness to Mr. Ashton to testifie about his Religion and Conversation Mr. Serj. Tremain But answer the Question Did you ever see him drink K. James's Health Dr. Fitz-Williams I cannot remember I ever did Jury-M Was King William and Queen Mary Pray'd for in those Prayers Dr. Fitz-Williams I cannot say they were Mr. Just Eyres But the Jury-M Question was whether King William and Queen Mary were Pray'd for and whether the Prayers were as they are now altered Dr. Fitz-Williams My Lord I say I don't remember there was any Names mentioned as the Prayers are now altered Mr. Serj. Tremain That 's very well Dr. Fitz-Williams I did neither read the Prayers Sir nor Administer the Communion at that time L. C. J. Polexfen But you were not at the Prayers as they are now altered I perceive Dr. Fitz-Williams Yes I have several times Mr. Serj. Thompson Not with that Gentleman Mr. Ashton Dr. Fitz-Williams But I have been an hundred times at the Prayers as they are now altered Mr. Ashton I desire Dr. Lake who is there upon the Bench that he may be asked what he knows of me Mr. Ser. Tremain But I have one question to ask of Dr. Fitz-Williams before he goes L. C. J. Holt. What will you ask him Mr. Serj. Tremain I would ask you Sir one question Have you taken the Oaths to this King and Queen Dr. Fitz-Williams No I have not Sir that 's my Unhappiness but I know how to submit and live peaceably under them Mr. Ashton But there is one Dr. Lake that has taken them he 'll give you an account what he knows of me Dr. Fitz-Williams If any one can say I have done or acted any thing against the Government I will readily submit to be punished for it L. C. J. Holt. Well Dr. Lake what say you Dr. Lake My Lord I have known Mr. Ashton above these sixteen Years we liv'd together in the same Family several of them I always observed him to be a Person of exemplary Piety and singular Devotion he duly came to the Prayers of the Church twice a day and to the Sacrament once a Month he has taken occasion that I know several times both at St. James's and at Edinburgh to testifie his Zeal against Popery and I am apt to think that he has suffered sometimes for doing so Mr. Ashton Dr. Bursh Pray as to my Religion I beg you to give an account what you know of me particularly something you may remember of me of my perhaps over-heat against Popery Dr. Bursh My Lord I have long known Mr. Ashton the Prisoner at the Bar and till within these two years frequently conversed with him and while I did so I believed him a good Protestant and I have so many Instances of it and particularly before some upon whom his Fortune depended but as to any thing of late I can say nothing because our Conversation has ceased Mr. Serj. Thompson Dr. Bursh have you known any thing of Mr. Ashton's Conversation for two years past Dr. Bursh No Sir L. C. J. Holt. Have you any thing more Mr. Ashton Mr. Ashton No my Lord I have nothing more unless your Lordship desire any thing more of this Nature L. C. J. Holt. Call whom you will Mr. Ashton Here is one Mr. Tomlinson L. C. J. Holt. Come what say you Sir Mr. Tomlinson My Lord I waited upon Major Gen. Worden when he was Sick and there read the Prayers of the Church and Mr. Ashton was a constant Attender upon the Publick Prayers at the Visitation of the Sick and was very Devout that 's all I can say L. C. J. Holt. When was this Mr. Tomlinson It was in the Sickness of Major Gen. Worden L. C. J. Holt. How long ago was that Mr. Tomlinson It was about half a year ago L. C. J. Polexfen Were those Prayers as they are altered now or not Mr. Tomlinson It was only the Visitation of the Sick and the Collect for the Morning and Collect for the Evening because the General 's Sickness was such that he could not bear long Prayers L. C. J. Holt. Sir have you been acquainted with the Prisoner any time Mr. Tomlinson About eight Months L. C. J. Holt. Have you any more Witnesses Mr. Ashton Mr. Ashton No my Lord. L. C. J. Holt. Then I would have you to answer me this one thing why were you so desirous and used such Importunity that the Papers should be thrown over Board Mr. Ashton My Lord that is a Point I ought to have spoke to to clear my self L. C. J. Holt. It seems material and I would not have it forgot if you can answer it Mr. Ashton I humbly thank your Lordship and whatsoe'er my Fate is I cannot but own I have had a fair Tryal for my Life and I thank your Lordship for putting me in mind L. C. J. Holt. And take this other thing with it why did you desire Captain Billop to go along with you where you were going Mr. Ashton He has Sworn it my Lord that I did so but as I hope for Salvation if I were to dye immediately I do not know that I spoke to him of any such thing how was it possible that I should prevail with him or how was it likely that I should force him to go along with us when he had about twelve or fourteen Men with him Armed and we unarm'd L. C. J. Holt. Nay it was not Forcing it was but Perswading him to go Mr. Ashton My Lord I do not know any thing of it I 'll assure you but as for endeavouring to perswade him to throw the Packet over-board I must own I did endeavour to perswade him to it and I do presume there is no body in Court that had been engaged with a Person so Unfortunate that would not have done the same thing for any common Friend not knowing what the Contents of those Papers were seeing them in that Posture especially when I saw some body else so near me so uneasie and concern'd to have them seen L. C. J. Holt. Then Mr. Ashton there 's another thing which you open'd which I would have you prove you say you were to go into France upon the Affairs of Col. Worden's Family first you say Col. Worden had a great account to make up how will you make that out Mr. Ashton My Lord if your Lordship please I will prove here in Court though it is a sort of surprize upon me that there is a great Account depending I believe I may appeal to Mr. Sollicitor himself who knows that there is a Petition in the

to me and it was Wednesday before I did see any body of them and so I had but Wednesday and Thursday to consult with them in On Friday I was brought here and I endeavour'd to procure a Copy of the Pannel that I might inform my self of the Characters of the Men that were to be my Jury and my Lord I would desire you to give me leave to clear one Point which through Inadvertency slipt from me about the time that I desir'd to send to enquire about the Jury I did not mean as was apprehended to send to them to take them off but I only meant to enquire after their Characters this was done upon Friday I had not a Copy of the Pannel till last Friday when we were Arraigned in Court it was Two of the Clock before the Pannel was given us it was between Three and Four when we came to Newgate we were to come upon our Tryal the next Morning by Eight of the Clock so that before the Copies could be transcribed for us there were left but six Hours for us to enquire into the Morals of so many Men of whom some liv'd eight some ten some fifteen Miles out of Town for my part I was not able to enquire after any one and that your Lordship may think by my taking the first Twelve that appeared and believing my self Innocent of this matter I resolved to put my self upon my Tryal by any twelve indifferent English-Men I only beg if I have omitted any thing in reference to my self or misbehaved my self with respect to the Bench that you would please to set me right and consider that I stand here for my Life and to grant me your Pardon for any thing wherein I have offended your Lordships to whom and to the Jury I refer my Cause only I beg leave to call two or three Witnesses I know it hath been allowed before in such cases to give some short account of my Life and Conversation because it hath been reflected upon me that I was a Papist because I designed to go into France but I believe there is not any Man whose Devotion to the Protestant Religion established by Law is greater than mine hath been or to whom that Religion is Dearer than to my self L. C. J. Holt. You are not accused of any such thing no body pretends you are a Papist but call whom you will Mr. Ashton Pray call Dr. Bursh Dr. Lake Dr. Fitz-Williams and Dr. Davenant There is Dr. Fitz-Williams I beg the Favour of you Dr. Fitz-Williams to give the Court an account of your Acquaintance with me and particularly about my Religion Dr. Fitz-Williams Will your Lordship give me leave my Lord L. C. J. Holt. Ah! Come what do you know of Mr. Ashton Dr. Fitz-Williams I suppose my Lord that he calls me in as a Witness to his Religion and to his Morality I think so with my Lord's Permission I will give the truest Testimony I can I have known him some time he used to be frequently at the Service of the Church in the Protestant part of the Family at St. James's where I was Chaplain during the time I was there I observed him to be a frequent Receiver of the Holy Communion and as far as I could observe lived answerable to what he professed to be a Sincere Member of the Church of England and a Serious Christian for his Sincerity and Zeal for the Protestant Religion I can give this Instance he had an Aunt that had a Relation to that Family one Mrs. Du-pee whom he thought did warp a little towards Popery and he desired me about five Years ago to have recourse to her and desired to know if she were dissatisfied with any Point of Religion in the Church of England in Communion with which she lived visibly and I would do my endeavour to satisfie her as I do not doubt but I could She was desirous to know who was the Person that sent me I told her I came of my own Head in the greatest part but I suppress'd the Interposition of Mr. Ashton for several Reasons and told her I had great Suspition of her inclining the other way and I had great reason for it because of her Husband who was a Papist and the great Resort of Popish Priests to their Lodgings She told me then she was satisfied in every thing and if she had any Dissatisfaction she would send for me and give me an account Some Months after I came to St. James's to wait and observing her to be absent more than usually before from Prayers in the Chappel I went to her and asked her the reason She told me it was because she was making some Linnen for her Master King James which was to be made in haste But she then design'd to go for Flanders quickly and Mr. Ashton about that time or two or three days after told me his Aunt was gone to France and spoke it with very great concern and that he believed under the Pretence of calling over her Younger Son she was gone to declare her self a Papist and he was very much troubled at it This I know for his Zeal for the Protestant Religion L. C. J. Holt. When was this Doctor Dr. Fitz-Williams This was my Lord about five Years ago Mr. Ashton That is as to the business of my Aunt I suppose I know not how he comes to mention it but as to my Life and Morals you can give a later account Dr. Fitz-Williams My Lord I have Administred the Sacrament to him L. C. J. Holt. What Questions do you farther ask him Mr. Ashton or can you say any more Doctor Dr. Fitz-Williams No my Lord I can say no more but that he received the Sacrament about half a Year ago Mr. Serj. Thompson We have not objected any thing as to his Religion at all Mr. Ashton But I know it has been a Reflection that has gone about of me that I am a Papist therefore I beg leave to prove my Religion and Conversation L. C. J. Holt. Nay call whom you will you shall not be hindered take what Course you please Mr. Serj. Tremain Pray Doctor you say he has received the Sacrament lately when was that and where Dr. Fitz-Williams It was at Ely Chappel within this six or seven Months L. C. J. Polexfen Have you been lately conversant with him Dr. Fitz-Williams Truly my Lord I have not been very lately L. C. J. Polexfen Pray what have you heard him say concerning his Affection to King William and Queen Mary Dr. Fitz-Williams I do not remember any thing at all of that L. C. J. Polexfen Have you heard him say any thing to the contrary Dr. Fitz-Williams No I cannot remember that Mr. Serj. Tremain What have you heard him say about his Affection to K. James L. C. J. Holt. Do not ask him that there may be a Snare in that Question Jury-M You say Doctor that he received the Sacrament six Months ago in Ely Chappel Did you