to the same Punishments And not only so but that they had been forc'd also to stoop under the Yoak of Oppression in their Civil Interests their Bodies Liberties and Estates So that all manner of Outrages had been exercis'd upon them through a tract of several Years past particularly in the Year 1678. by sending among them an Armed host of Barbarous Savages contrary to all Law and Humanity and by laying upon them several Impositions and Taxes by a prelimited and over-awed Convention of Estates in July 1678. for keeping up an armed Force entrusted for the most part into the Hands of avow'd Papist or their Favourers by whom sundry invasions had been made upon them and incredible Insolencies committed against them their Ministers and People being by them frequently hunted after and apprehended while meeting in Houses for Divine Worship So that being necessitated to attend the Lord's Ordinances in fields and desert places there they had also been hunted out and Assaulted to the Effusion of their Blood whereby they were inevitably constrain'd either to defend themselves by Arms at these Meetings or to be altogether depriv'd of the Gospel preach'd by their faithful Ministers That upon the first day of June last being the Lord's Day Captain Graham of Clover-House being Warranted by Proclamation to kill whom soever he found in Arms at field-Conventicles and making Resistance furiously assaulted the People there assembled and further to provoke them bound a Minister with some others whom he had found in Houses that Morning so that they were forc'd to stand to their own-Defence whereby it happen'd that several were slain on both sides Being therefore thus inevitably forc'd to betake themselves to the last Remedy in regard the Magistrates had shut the door of the Law against their Applications They thought themselves bound to declare That these with many other horrid Grievances both in Church and State were the true Cause of this their Lawful and Innocent Self-defence And they did most solemnly in the presence of God declare that the true Reasons of their continuing in Arms were candidly and simply I. The defence and security of the true Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Government founded upon the Word and summarily comprehended in the Confessions of Faith and established by the Laws of the Land to which King Nobles and People were solemnly engag'd by the National Solemn League and Covenant More particularly the defending and maintaining the Kingly Authority of Christ over his Church against all sinful Supremacy derogatory thereto II. The defence and preservation of his Majesty his Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of that true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom That the World might bear witness of their Loyalty and that they had no thought or intention to diminish his just Power and Greatness III. To obtain a free and unlimited Parliament and a free general Assembly in order to the redressing of their Grievances to prevent Popery and to extirpate Prelacy from among them This therefore being the Cause they appear'd for and resolv'd to own They humbly requested the King's Majesty to restore all things as he found them when God brought him home to his Kingdom Or if that could not be obtain'd then they heartily invited intreated besought and obtested in the bowels of Jesus Christ all who were under the same Bonds with them to meet in the Defence of the Common Cause and Interest And they requested their Country-men the standing Forces of the Kingdom of whom many were their Friends and Relations not to Fight against them lest in so doing they should be found Fighting against the Lord whose Cause and Quarrel they were sure he would own seeing they fought under his Banner who was the Lord of Hosts Upon the publishing of this Declaration the Numbers of the Rebels increas'd and they began to embody themselves to maintain their zealous Madness Insomuch that at the latter end of this Month about four-score of their Number well mounted and arm'd went to a place call'd Rugland and there Proclaim'd the Covenant and burn'd several Acts of the Scotish Parliament as the Act concerning the King's Supremacy the Recissory Act and the Act appointing the Anniversary of the twenty ninth of May. And that being done they affix'd a certain Scandalous and Traiterous Paper or Declaration on the Market-Cross of the same Town different from what has been already repeated and in the following scurrilous Terms The Declaration of the Rebels in the very words as it was design'd to have been put up by them at Glasgow and actually set up at Rugland AS the Lord had been pleas'd still to preserve and keep his Interest in the Land by the Testimony of some faithful Witnesses from the beginning so in our days some have not been wanting who through the greatest of hazards had added their Testimonies to those who have gone before them by suffering Death Banishment Torturings Finings Forfeitures Imprisonments c. flowing from cruel and perfidious Adversaries to the Church and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Land Therefore We owning the Interest of Christ according to the Word of the Lord and the National and Solemn League and Covenant desire to add our Testimony to the Testimony of the Worthies that have gone before though unworthy yet hoping as true Members of the Church of Scotland and that against all things that have been done prejudicial to his Interest from the beginning of the Work of Reformation in Scotland especially from the Year 1648. to the Year 1660. against these following Acts. As 1. The Act of Supremacy 2. The Declaration whereby the Covenants are condemned 3. The Act for the Eversion of the Established Government of the Church and for Establishing of Prelacy and for outing of Christ's Ministers who could not conform thereto by an Act Recissory of all Acts of Parliament and Assemblies for the Establishment of the Government of the Church of Scotland according to the Word As likewise that Act of Council at Glasgow putting that Act Recissory in Execution whereby at one time were violently cast out above three hundred Ministers without Legal Procedures Likewise the Act appointing a holy Anniversary to be kept upon the twenty ninth day of May for the giving thanks for the upsetting of a Usurping Power destroying the Interest of the Church in the Land which is to set up the Creature to be worshipp'd in the Room of our great Redeemer and to consent to the assuming the Power that is proper to the Lord alone for the appointing of Ordinances in his Church As particularly the Government thereof and the keeping of a Holiday and all other sinful and unlawful Acts committed by them And for confirmation of this our Testimony we do hereby this day being the twenty ninth of May 1679. publicly burn them at the Cross of Glasgow most justly as they Perfidiously and Blasphemously had burnt our holy Covenant through several Cities of the Covenanted Kingdoms We judge none will
ten miles from the City of London And the third was a Proclamation that no Officers or Souldiers of his Majesties Guards should be a Papist His Majesty also observing the affection of both His Houses towards His Royal Person and their zeal for the security of the Nation was pleased to make them a most Gratious Speech wherein he gave them thanks for the care which they took of his Government and Person promising to pass all Acts which they should make for preservation of the Protestant Religion During these Proceedings of Parliament and Council one Staley having out of the abundance of his Heart on the fourteenth of November 1678. spoken most desperate treasonable words against the King and being the next day apprehended for the same was brought publicly to his Tryal at the King's Bench Bar in Westminster Hall upon the twenty first of the same Month. This Staley was a Goldsmith in Covent-Garden and the reason of his inveteracy against the King is said to be for that being a Papist and a Goldsmith that dealt in money he found his Trade decay because the Catholicks with whom his chiefest dealings were call'd in their money faster than he desir'd upon the discovery of the Plot. The Treason urged against him was this that being at the Black Lyon in King-street in the new Buildings between High Holborn and Long-acre with one Fromante his Friend the said Fromante among other discourse was saying That the King of England was a great Tormentor of the people of God Upon which the said Staley flew out into a violent Passion and made answer with the addition of other irreverent words That the King was a great Heretick there 's the heart and here 's the hand I would kill him my self These words being spoken in French were distinctly understood by two English Gentlemen that over-heard and saw the said Staley when he spoke them the door of the Room being open And this also in the presence of another that did not understand French to whom the others immediately interpreted the words He was endited for Imagining and Contriving the Death of the King The Jury were Sr. Philip Matthews Sr. Reginald Foster Sr. John Kirk Sr. John Cutler Sr. Richard Blake John Bifield Esq Simon Middleton Esq Thomas Cross Esq Henry Johnson Esq Charles Umphrevil Esq Thomas Egglesfield Esq William Bohee Esq The Witnesses swore the words positively upon him and the Statute of this Kings Reign making desperate words to be Treason was read and urged against him But his defence was weak while he only endeavoured to evade the Crime by alledging a mistake of the Expression as if he had said I will kill my self instead of I will kill him my self But that shift would not serve for the Jury soon brought him in Guilty whereupon he was condemn'd to be hang'd drawn and quarter'd which Sentence was upon the 26th of the same month executed accordingly So that he had this honour to be the Popes first Martyr for the Plot. It was his Majesties pleasure that his Relations should have the disposal of his Quarters to give them a decent and private burial but they abusing his gracious favour with a publick and more than ordinary funeral Pomp his buried Quarters were ordered to be taken up and to be disposed by the Common Executioner upon the Gates of the City 1678. Next to him Coleman became the publick spectacle of his own conceit and Ambition He had been committed to Newgate by the Council upon the 30th of September which was the next day after Dr. Oates's first Examination He was brought to his Tryal upon the 27th of November before the Judges of the Kings Bench. The Jury were Sr. Reginald Foster Sr. Charles Lee Edward Wilford Esq John Bathurst Esq Joshua Galliard Esq John Bifield Esq Simon Middleton Esq Henry Johnson Charles Umphrevile Thomas Johnson Thomas Egglesfield William Bohee The general Charge of the Enditement was for an intention and endeavour to murder the King for an endeavour and attempt to change the Government of the Nation for an endeavour to alter the Protestant Religion and instead thereof to introduce the Romish Superstition and Popery The particular Charges were one or two Letters written to Monsieur Le Chaise Confessor to the King of France to excite and stir him up to procure aid and assistance from a Forreign Prince Arms and Levies of Men. That this Letter was delivered and an Answer by him received with a promise that he should have Assistance That he wrote other Letters to Sr. William Throckmorton who traiterously conspired with him and had intelligence from time to time from him The main things insisted upon for the Evidence to prove were first That there had been a more than ordinary design to bring in the Popish and extirpate the Protestant Religion That the first On-set was to be made by a whole Troop of Jesuites and Priests who were sent into England from the Seminaries where they had been train'd up in all the Arts of deluding the people That there was a Summons of the principal Jesuits the most able for their head-pieces who were to meet in the April or May before to consult of things of no less weight than how to take away the Life of the King That there was an Oath of Secrecy taken and that upon the Sacrament That there were two Villains among them who undertook that execrable work for the rewards that were promised them Money in case they succeeded and Masses for their souls if they perished That if the first fail'd there were also four Irish men recommended to the Caball men of mean and desperate Fortunes to make the same attempt when the King was the last Summer at Windsor That Forces Aids and Assistances were prepared to be ready both at home and abroad to second the Design That Mr. Coleman knew of all this and encouraged a Messenger to carry money down as a reward of those Murderers that were at Windsor That there were Negotiations to be maintain'd with publick persons abroad money to be procured partly from friends at home and partly beyond Seas from those that wish'd them well in all which Negotiations Mr. Coleman had a busie hand That this Conspiracy went so far that General Officers were named and appointed and many engaged if not listed and this not only in England but in Ireland likewise That the great Civil Offices and Dignities of the Kingdom were also to be disposed of and that Coleman was to have been Secretary of State and had a Commission from the Superiours of the Jesuits to act in that Quality That he had treated by vertue thereof with Father Ferrier and La Chaise Confessors of the King of France for the Dissolution of the Parliament and Extirpation of the Protestant Religion to which purpose he had penned a Declaration with his own hand to justifie the Action when the Parliament was dissolved That he kept intelligence with Cardinal Norfolk with Father Sheldon and
the Popes Internuntio at Brussels Lastly that he kept a Correspondence with Sr. William Throckmorton to the destruction of the King and Kingdom Being arraign'd for these crimes he insisted to have had Council allowed him which was deny'd for this reason for that the proof lay all on the other side which if it were plain there would be no need of Council As to the proofs of these Crimes by the two Witnesses Dr. Oates and Mr. Bedlow it was first proved by Dr. Oates alone That there was a general Consult or meeting of the Jesuits in April Old Stile and May New Stile at the White Horse Tavern in the Strand and afterwards they divided into Companies and in those Consults they conspired the death of the King and contriv'd how to effect it That to that purpose Grove and Pickering were actually imployed to murder the King and to pistoll him in St. James's Park For which Grove was to have 1500 l. in money and Pickering being a Priest thirty thousand Masses which was computed to be equal to 1500 l. That to this Contrivance and Conspiracy Coleman was privy and did well approve of the same It was also farther prov'd by the same Witnesses that four Irish men were provided by Dr. Fogarthy and sent to Windsor there to make a farther attempt upon the Royal Person of the King and fourscore Guinneys were provided by Harcourt to maintain the Assassinates at Windsor and that while this Conspiracy was in Agitation Coleman went to visit Harcourt at his Lodging but not finding him there and being inform'd he was at Wild House that he went and found him out there at which time Coleman asking what provision Harcourt had made for the Gentlemen at Windsor Harcourt reply'd that the fourscore Guinneys which lay upon the Table were for them and added that the person in the Room was to carry the money Upon which it was farther proved that Coleman should reply That he lik'd it very well and that he gave a Guinney out of his pocket to the Messenger who was to carry the money to Windsor to encourage him to expedite the business It was further sworn by Dr. Oates That in July last one Ashby a Jesuit brought instructions from Flanders to London that in case Pickering and Grove could not kill the King at London nor the four Irish men assassinate him at Windsor that then the sum of ten thousand pounds should be propos'd to Sir George Wakeman to poyson the King In this conspiracy Mr. Coleman was prov'd to be so far concern'd that by the Letters which pass'd between Whitebread and Ashby it appear'd that he should say he thought ten thousand pound was too little and that he thought it necessary to offer five thousand pound more which upon his admonition and advice was assented to by the Jesuites It was also further sworn by Dr. Oates that he saw Letters from the Provincial at London to the Jesuites at St. Omers that Sir George had accepted the Proposition The second witness was Mr. Bedlow who swore that he was imployed by Harcourt the Jesuite to carry Pacquets of Letters to Monsieur Le Chaise the French Kings Confessor and that he was at a Consult in France where the Plot was discours'd on for killing the King and that he brought back an answer from Le Chaise to Harcourt in London and that particularly on the 24th or 25th of May 1677. he was at Colemans house with father Harcourt and some other persons where Mr. Coleman falling into discourse concerning the design in hand said these words That if he had a Sea of blood and a hundred lives he would lose them all to carry on the design and if to this end it were requisite to destroy a hundred Heretick Kings he would do it The other part of the evidence consisted of Papers and Letters generally relating to prove the latter part of the Enditement viz. the extirpation of the Protestant Religion introducing Popery and subverting the Government This was plainly proved by a long Letter written by Mr. Coleman dated Sept. 29. 1675. and sent to Monsieur Le Chaise before named wherein he gave him an accompt of the transactions of several years before and of his correspondence with Monsieur Ferrier predecessour to the said Le Chaise wherein he asserted that the true way to carry on the interest of France and to promote the Catholick Religion in England was to get the Parliament dissolv'd which he said had been long since effected if three hundred thousand pounds could have been obtained from the French King and that things were yet in such a posture that if he had but twenty thousand pound sent him from France he would be content to be a sacrifice to the utmost malice of his enemies if the Protestant Religion did not receive such a blow that it could not possibly subsist The receipt of which Letter was acknowledged by Monsieur Le Chaise in an answer which he wrote to Mr. Coleman dated from Paris Octob. 23. 75. wherein he gave him thanks for his good service in order to the promotion of the Catholick Religion Another Letter was produced dated August 21. 74. written by the prisoner Coleman to the Popes Internuncio at Brussels wherein he said that the design prospered well and that he doubted not but that in a little while the business would be managed to the utter ruine of the Protestant party Other Letters were brought in Evidence wherein he wrote to the King of France's Confessor that the assistance of his most Christian Majesty was necessary and desir'd money from the French King to carry on the design But there was another without a date more material than all the rest written to Monsieur Le Chaise in a short time after his long Letter dated Sept. 29. 1675. wherein among other things the Prisoner thus express'd himself We have a mighty work upon our hands no less than the Conversion of three Kingdomes and the utter subduing of a pestilent Heresie which has for some time domineer'd over this Northern part of the World and we never had so great hopes of it since Queen Maries days In the close of which Letter he implor'd Monsieur Le Chaise to get all the aid and assistance he could from France and that next to God Almighty they did rely upon the mighty mind of his most Christian Majesty and therefore hop'd that he would procure both money and assistance from him And thus was the latter part of the Enditement fully prov'd upon him There was another Letter produced against him which he wrote to Monsieur Le Chaise in French in the Dukes name but without his privity or knowledge so that when he had the boldness to shew it to the Duke he was both angry and rejected it It contain'd several invectives against my Lord Arlington as being a great opposer of the Duke's designs and the chief promoter of the match between the Prince of Orange and the Dukes
take exceptions at our not subscribing this our Testimony being so solemnly gone about for we are ready always to do it if judg'd necessary with all the faithful suffering Brethren of the Land June 1679. This Declaration they intended to have put up at Glasgow but the Neighbouring Parts being hotly alarum'd by these ' proceedings Captain Graham of Clover-House upon intelligence of a great number of Men being gather'd together upon Loundoun Hill march'd thither with his Troop and a Company of Dragoons and there found a Body of Fourteen or Fifteen hundred Men well arm'd and in good Order The Foot were Commanded by one Weir the Horse by Robert Hamilton and three more whose names were Patton Balfour and Haxton of which the two last were deep in the Murder of the Archbishop of St. Andrews The Rebels upon the approach of Captain Graham sent out two Parties to skirmish with him which he beat into their main Body Upon which they advanc'd upon him with their whole Force Yet notwithstanding all their Number and though his own Horse were kill'd under him being soon mounted upon another he made good his ground till at last being overpower'd by Number after a great slaughter of the Rebels with the loss of his Cornet two Brigadeers eight Horse and twenty Dragoons he was forced to retreat toward Glasgow being after all this constrain'd to Fight his way thorow the Townsmen of Strevin who were got together to oppose him of whom he left ten or twelve dead upon the place The Rebels thus finding themselves superior in Force had the confidence the next day to attack the City of Glasgow at two several times But all the Streets were so well barricado'd by the Lord Ross and the Souldiers there put into so good and advantagious posture of Defence that the Rebels were beat off with a considerable loss besides many Prisoners that were taken Whereupon the Horse and Foot in the Town sally'd out upon them and forc'd them to retire But now to leave Scotland for a while let us return to London to which place Transactions no less signal call us back For upon the seventh of this Month the Marquis d'Auronches Embassador extraordinary from the Crown of Portugal made his public Entry having been receiv'd at Greenwich by the Earl of Kent and Sir Charles Cotterell Master of the Ceremonies and from thence brought by Water in the King's Barge with several others of his retinue to Tower-Hill Where when he Landed he was saluted with a discharge of several pieces of Cannon put into his Majesties Coach of State and conducted to Westminster His Equipage was very splendid consisting of six Pages who with the Gentleman of his Horse rod on Horsback and twenty Foot-men And his three Coaches one of which was more remarkable for its richness were follow'd by a numerous train of others with six Horses a piece Being come to his Lodging he was complimented from the King by the Lord Berkley of Stratton and from the Queen by Sir William Killegrew her Majesties Vice-Chamberlain The next day but one he was conducted to his Audience of their Majesties in the Banquetting-House by the Earl of Shrewsbury and Sir Charles Cotterell being splendidly attended from Westminster in the King's Coach of State As for the Papists they were still as great misbelievers as ever cry'd up the innocency of their own pretended Martyrs exclaim'd against the Injustice of their Condemnation and labour'd by all means imaginable to persuade the World into a concurrence with their pretended suggestions As that Religion seldom wants weak and improbable Arguments among the Wise to stumble mean and Vulgar Capacities Therefore it was now thought convenient to bring the rest of the crue that were in hold before the face of Justice that by their Tryals and Condemnations they might silence the folly of vain Insinuation and confirm the Impiety of those that had preceded them in Punishment To which purpose toward the middle of this month Thomas White aliàs Whitebread Provincial of the Jesuits in England William Harcourt the pretended Rector of London John Fenwick Procurator for the Jesuits in England John Gaven aliàs Gawen Anthony Turner and James Corker were brought to the Bar of the Session's-House in the Old-Baily As for Corker he presented a Petition to the Court setting forth that he was absolutely surpriz'd and unprepar'd for his Tryal and therefore besought the Court that he might not be try'd till the next Sessions To this the Court seem'd inclinable enough nor did the Attorney General gain-say it upon condition that he could really make it out that he wanted Witnesses without which he could not make his Defence However it was thought fitting that he should hear the Charge that was against him read to the end he might be able to give the Court an accompt what witnesses he had that might avail him in reference to his defence against it Which being done the former question was put to him again and then he nam'd a witness to prove that he was not in Town upon the 24th of April So that being respited till the next day the Court said nothing farther to him that sitting The other five stood charg'd of High Treason the particulars whereof were That upon the twenty fourth of April in the thirtieth Year of the King's reign they with others did Conspire to raise up Sedition and Rebellion to cause a most bloody Massacre of the King's Subjects to depose the King of his Government and bring him to an untimely Death to alter the Government and Religion establish'd by Law and to levy War against the King It was further lay'd to their Charge in the Indictment That in pursuance of their evil Intentions and the better to accomplish their Designs They met together held Consultations and agreed to murther the King and upon that bloody foundation to build the progress of their Villany which was to introduce the Superstition of the Church of Rome instead of the Religion establish'd by Law It was concluded that Grove and Pickering should commit the Murther for which Whitebread and the other persons Indicted Contracted with the one for such a number of Masses and with the other for a certain sum of Money That they did also make diligent enquiry for four other Persons unknown and when they came to them did both animate and embold'n encourage and abet them to kill the King at Windsor And all this advisedly and out of a Traiterous Malice and Hatred against the King and the National Government and Religion The Indictment being read Whitebread represented to the Court that in regard he had been try'd upon the 17th of December before upon the same Indictment at what time the Jury being impannell'd and the Evidence found insufficient which came in against him the Jury was discharged without a Verdict he was inform'd that no man could be try'd and consequently be put in jeopardy of his life twice for the same cause For which reason he made
he challeng'd Dr. Owen and some others in a Letter written in several Languages and that so learnedly that it was deem'd worthy the Consideration of the Convocation by whom he was censur'd as a Jesuit or some other of the best sort of Popish Education and thereupon imprison'd in the Castle Prison in Oxford where he pretended distraction and acted the Madman so rarely to the life that in few days some Friends of his procur'd his liberty He was seen several times running up and down the Streets with his Hat under his Arm full of Stones throwing at every small Bird he saw But e're long he was met by a Minister of the Church of England at the House of a Roman Catholick who there heard him Discourse so gravely learnedly and discreetly that he got not onely into an acquaintance but familiarity with him insomuch that this Gentleman being of Maudlin Colledge he there gave him several Visits in several Disguises But at length being again suspected and in danger of being apprehended he stole away privately for London To which place business calling the same Gentleman about six Months after he was no sooner come to Town but he had notice of a famous Preacher among the Quakers near Charing-Cross and the same day he met Whitebread the great man of Fame going to speak in an old fashion pink'd Fustian Jerkin clouted Shoes his Breeches fac'd with Leather and a Carter's Whip in his hand in that Garb altogether disguiz'd from his knowledge however he knew the Gentleman and spake to him and so they renew'd their acquaintance For that time however they took leave and he went forward upon his intended work but the next day he came to the Gentleman's Quarters in the neat habit of a London Minister and carried him to his own Lodging within the Precincts of the Middle-Temple where he gave the Gentleman a handsom Entertainment and a sight of the several odd Habits in which he disguiz'd himself to the several sorts of people into whose good Opinion he had insinuated himself There the Gentleman saw his Orders from Rome and an Instrument wherein he was assur'd of and had Orders to receive of certain Merchants in Town a Hundred Pound per Annum besides a yearly Pension of Eighty Pound from his Father He pretended to this Gentleman that he was born at Wittenbergh and that his Father's Name was John White and in the Writing he himself was stil'd Johannes de Albis by the Court of Rome He was both Jesuit and Priest in Orders for that to the same Gentleman's knowledge he celebrated Mass in one House in Southwark to more then Forty after which upon the same day he visited several Presbyterians and others The same Gentleman continu'd in his Company for about a Month till he was apprehended and by special Order from the Protector imprison'd in the Tower of London where he lay above six Months No wonder then that he stook closest to the Romish Church for she it seems was his best friend and gave him the fairest Allowance what signifi'd a little Imprisonment for her sake who gave him a hundred pound a year to support him in his tribulation The next day Mr. Langhorn was brought to his Tryal at the same Bar. A Councellor at Law and one who got his bread by that very Law which he was plotting to subvert An imprudent piece of Ingratitude to forego the Law of his Country which afforded him a substantial Employment to catch at the shadow of a Judge Advocate Generals place in treasonable Hopes The general sum of his Charge was High Treason for conspiring the Death of the King and endeavouring an Alteration both in Church and State The particular Charge against him was That in order to the accomplishing as much as in him lay these designs of his he had wrote two Letters to be sent to Rome and St. Omers to procure aid from the Pope and the French King on purpose to introduce a change of the Religion by Law establish'd in the Kingdom and to set up the Romish Religion in the stead thereof That he had wrote two other Letters to one Anderton Rector of the English Colledge of Jesuites at Rome and two others to be sent to St. Omers wherein he undertook to advise the means and ways by which the success of those Treasons might be made to answer their expectations That he had received several Commissions in writing transmitted to him by an Authority that deriv'd it self from the See of Rome which Commissions were for constituting Military Officers to command in an Army which was to effect their Treasons by force That he was privy to all the Consultations of the rest of the Conspirators for carrying on the grand design and that he had sollicited the Benedictine Monks for 6000 l. for the same purpose and had notice from time to time of the Treasons and Conspiracy's of the Confederates To make Good this Charge Mr. Dugdall and Mr. Praunce were both sworn to give a short evidence of the reality of the Design in general Which being done Dr. Oates was sworn to particulars who thereupon depos'd That upon his return out of Spain in November 1677. he brought Letters from Mr. Langhorn's sons the one in the Jesuites Colledge at Madrid the other at Valladolid and that when the Witness told him that he believ'd his Sons would both enter into the Society Mr. Langhorn shew'd himself not a little pleas'd saying that by so doing they might quickly come to preferment in England for that matters would not hold long in England as they were That upon his return to St. Omers he carry'd two Letters written by Mr. Langhorn one to the Fathers another to Mr. Le Cheese the King of France's Confessor as Mr. Langhorn expressed himself in order to our Affairs in England and to the same effect as Mr. Coleman had wrote to him before That not long after he wrote another Letter to the Fathers expressing his wonderful zeal for the Catholic Design declaring moreover that the Parliament began to cool in the business of the Protestant Religion and that therefore speaking of the present Opportunity Now was the time to give the Blow That though he were not at the Consults yet that the Witness was order'd to give him an account from time to time and that upon a pleasing report made by the Witness Mr. Langhorn with Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven Pray'd God to prosper them That the Report of the Witness was That the Death of the King was resolv'd upon and that Grove and Pickering were chosen out for the Execution of the Result That at the same time several Parchments were lying upon Mr. Langhorn's Study-Table which he found to be Commissions for the Lords Arundel of Wardour Powis Bellasis and Petre to be Chancellor Treasurer General and Lieutenant General Another for Coleman to be Secretary of State and another for himself to be Judge Advocate of the Army all which had the
careful of himself Thus much for the Preliminaries which give a fair insight into the Age and Series of this detestable Contrivance It will now be requisite to embody the Design and to display the whole Mystery that thereby the Crimes of every Malefactor for I cannot in Conscience call them Martyrs that has hitherto been justly Executed may more clearly appear The grand and general Design then of the Pope the Pious and Zealous Society of Jesuits and their Accomplices and Associates in this as disingenious and raskally as unchristian Conspiracy was to have reduc'd the flourishing Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland to the Romish Religion and under the Papal Jurisdiction To accomplish this the Pope had Entitl'd himself by way of Confiscation and Forfeiture to the Kingdoms of England and Ireland He had sent the Bishop of Casal in Italy into Ireland to make out his Title to that Kingdom and to take Possession in his behalf and had constituted Cardinal Howard his True and Lawful Attorney for the same intent and purpose in England But these fair Vineyards could not be enjoy'd so long as the right owner liv'd and had pow'r to defend his own Inheritance Therefore was the King himself by his Holiness impiously condemn'd and by the Consults of the Jesuits and Priests at London applauded and encourag'd by the Birds of the same Feather abroad dispos'd and destin'd to a lewd Assassination And to make good the Attempt the Papal Force in both Nations was to be Armed and that under Officers and Commanders commissionated by St. Peter's Authority given to the General of the Jesuits at Rome and by him convey'd to the Provincial of the same Order in England In this somewhat mannerly that the King was not to fall alone but to be attended by some of his nearest Relations and choicest Peers of which number was his own Brother if he did not fully answer their Expectations the Prince of Orange the Duke of Ormond and the Earl of Shaftsbury Into Scotland twelve Scotch Jesuits were sent by Order from the General of the Society and had a Thousand Pound given them by Le Cheese the French King's Confessor to keep up the Commotions in Scotland and had Instructions given them to carry themselves like Nonconformists among the Presbyterians the better to drive on their Design The Conquest and Subduing of Ireland was contriv'd and design'd by a general Rebellion and Massacre of the Protestants in that Kingdom for which the Actors had a late Precedent to go by For the carrying on whereof the Pope had been so liberal as to disburse Eight Hundred Thousand Crowns out of his own Treasury And for fear their own Power might not be sufficient there was a French Plot cunningly and a-la-modely interwoven with their English Conspiracies to bring in Foreign Assistance and Correspondencies held for that purpose between them and the King of France's Confessor at Paris But Heaven that saw and with indignation beheld the dark and infernal Practices of them that by acting contrary to all Piety and Virtue were bringing a Reproach and Scandal upon Heaven and Christianity it self would no longer suffer them to proceed in such an Execrable Tragedy A Crime that had it come to Execution Hell would have blush'd and the Devils in union among themselves might have had a prospect of some probability of Mercy beholding men more wicked then they The Discovery then being fully resolv'd upon in the Breast of Dr. Oates he makes his first Applications to Dr. Tongue both for his Advice and Assistance Who upon Monday the 13th of August 1678 acquainted Mr. Christopher Kirkby with the detection of a Popish Conspiracy against the King's Sacred Person and the Protestant Religion shewing him withall the Three and Forty Articles as he had receiv'd them in Writing from Dr. Oates and requesting him not to make the business known at first to any other person then the King himself Many difficulties shew'd themselves in the Management of this Affair which requir'd the more wariness in proceeding So that Mr. Kirkby not finding an Opportunity to speak in private with the King that Afternoon prepar'd a certain Paper to put into his hands the next Morning as he went to walk in the Park His Majesty having receiv'd and read it call'd Mr. Kirkby to Him who then only gave him this short Account That his Enemies had a design against his Life and therefore besought him to have a care of his Person for that he knew not but that he might be in danger in that very Walk which he was about to take desiring withall a more private place for a more particular Account Thereupon his Majesty commanded him to wait his return out of the Park At what time calling Mr. Kirkby into his Bed-chamber he commanded him to declare what he knew Mr. Kirkby thereupon inform'd the King that there were two persons that were set to watch an opportunity to Pistol him That his Friend was at hand and ready with his Papers to be brought before him when his Majesty should command In answer to this his Majesty appointed between the hours of Eight and Nine in the Evening at which time Mr. Kirkby and Dr. Tongue attended and being commanded into the Red Room deliver'd the Forty Three Articles or rather Heads of the Discovery to his Majesty who being to go to Windsor the next Morning was pleas'd to promise that he would transmit the Papers into the hands of the Earl of Danby then Lord Treasurer upon whom they were likewise order'd to attend the next day after That day about four of the Clock in the Afternoon they were admitted into the Treasurer's Closet who read the Papers and found them to be of the greatest Concern imaginable The third of September Mr. Kirkby went to Dr. Oates and having receiv'd from him what he had to communicate appointed to meet him the next morning Accordingly the next morning being the fourth of September Mr. Kirkby and Dr. Oates met at what time the latter told the former that Whitebread Provintial of the Jesuites was come to Town and had strucken him and charg'd him with having been with the King and with the discovery of the Plot which he deny'd it being true that he had not seen the King Upon this it was concluded that seeing the discovery was smoak'd Dr. Oates's Information should be sworn before some Justice of the Peace which was accordingly the first time done before Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey the sixth of September who nevertheless was not permitted to read the particulars of the Information it being alledged that his Majesty had already had a true Copy thereof and that it was not convenient that the business should be communicated to any body else as yet So that Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey was satisfied without reading them and only underwrit Dr. Oates's Affidavit That the Matters therein contain'd were true Dr. Tong at the same time making Oath that they had been made known to the King In
another nor interfer'd with those papers that have been found elsewhere or with those Informations that have been separately given in by other Persons Nor was it possible that the Grand Assembly of the Nation consisting of so many perspicacious Judgments and by whom he was fully examined should be so imposed upon by one Man as to Vote upon his Information that there was a Plot to Murder the King alter the Government and subvert the Religion established by Law had they not been highly satisfied in the Credit and soundness of the Evidence As to the time of his Discovery had he made it upon his first knowledge he had acted with less prudence and the Opposition he has met with plainly shews that the Kingdom might probably have lost the advantage of his delay had he come unprovided to attest those things which he could not so well have proved Nor was he at his own disposal when first he enter'd into their Society So that had he moved or acted either without or contrary to their Order he had presently been suspected watched and found out but as soon as he had enough to convince the World or at least the Rational part and that he was sent from Saint Omers into England he shewed his real intentions to preserve his Majesties Person and his Native Country from the bloody Contrivances of a bosom Enemy But what needs all this Justification Heaven it self assisted the Discovery and so directed their infatuated Councils that contrary to all the dictates of common Sence and Reason the Politic Jesuites rang that bloody peal themselves which wakened the drowsie unbelief of those that scarce gave credit to the Story and by closing the Eyes of one unfortunate Gentleman opened the Eyes of the whole Nation For understanding that Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex had taken the Discoverers Oath and Affidavit and presuming that much of the Plot might be confess'd and made known to him thinking to stifle his report in the Birth they concluded to commit a Murther that Villany laugh'd at and was Ridiculous to Folly it self The chief Instruments for there were several others unknown to the Discoverer set on and encouraged to act this fatal Tragedy were Father Girald and Father Kelly two Priests Robert Green Cushion-Man to the Chappel of Somerset-House Lawrence Hill servant to Dr. Goddin Treasurer of the Chappel Henry Berry Porter Lewson a Priest Philip Vernatti once belonging to my Lord Bellasis and Mr. Miles Prance by them deluded in to be an Assistant though soon after the Detector of the Fact and Persons These Men did not assign any particular reason for their malice but onely in general that Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey was a busie Person and going about to ruin all the Catholics in England and that it was necessary to destroy him or else they should be all undone This being their undoubted Maxim they laid several distinct Plots and employ'd divers separate Agents unknown to each other to accomplish their design Several Consultations they had at the Plow near Somerset-House and in other places but the ultimate Result of all their Debates was this That Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey should be dogg'd as he walk'd the Streets and that whoever of the Confederates should first lodge him in a convenient place should give the rest notice In pursuance of this Resolution having watched him several days and finding no opportunity at length upon Saturday the 12 of October 1678. in the Morning Hill Girald and Green went forth to observe his Motion and Kelley knowing what they were gone about went to Mr. Prance's House to acquaint him therewith and to charge him to be in a Readiness The first three went near to Sir Edmund-Bury's and while two stay'd at a distance Hill went up to the House and understanding he was within spake with him upon some pretended Story and so returned About ten or eleven a Clock Sir Edmund-Bury came forth all alone and his unknown Attendants dogg'd him with great diligence all the rest of the day to several places as his occasions led him till about six a Clock at night at what time he went into a great House in St. Clements where 't is thought he supp'd Then did Green leave the other two came to Mr. Prance and inform'd him that they had now set Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey in a House in St. Clements and bid him make all the hast down to the Water Gate belonging to Somerset-House where he should find Kelley the Priest and Berry the Porter Thereupon Prance went thither and found them walking in the Yard where they continued sometimes walking sometimes sitting till toward nine of the Clock About which time Sir Edmund-Bury coming out of the House aforesaid Hill ran before to give Notice that he was coming along and to wheedle him in he order'd that two should pretend to be a quarrelling Which done Hill returns to the Water Gate to expect his coming and entice him in In the mean time Kelly and Berry began a seeming quarrel but made no great Noise and Sir Edmund-Bury coming along just as he was passing by the said Water Gate Hill steps to him in a great deal of hast crying For God's sake Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey be pleas'd to come in for here are two Men quarrelling and I fear there will be Bloodshed between them Pugh-pugh said Sir Edmund-Bury refusing at first to trouble himself but Hill still urging and insisting that he was afraid there might be a great deal of mischief done and how glad he was to meet so opportunely with his Worship Sir Edmund Bury not suspecting any harm but desirous to prevent any mischance that might be occasion'd by a quarrel was persuaded to follow him Hill enter'd the Gate first Sir Edmund-Bury follow'd and behind him immediately clapp'd Girald and Green These all making down in this order toward the Rails near the Queens Stables where Kelley and Berry were pretending a quarrel Prance who stood close by the wall conceal'd goes up to secure the Water Gate while Berry slipp'd to secure the Stairs and Passage by the Chappel And now having got him safe Green who kept close behind and had a large twisted Handkerchief in readiness on a suddain threw it about his Neck and immediately Girald Kelly Green and Hill fell upon him secur'd his Sword threw him down and throtl'd him so that he could neither call out nor speak then drew him behind the Rail and gave him many violent punches on the Breast with their Knees After they had thus manifestly bereaved him of his breath Girald the Priest fearing he was not quite dead would have run him through with his Sword But the rest would not yield to that for fear of being discovered by the Blood However to make sure work Green got upon him and punching him with his Knee upon the Breast with all his force wrung his Neck quite round Thus fell this unfortunate Gentleman a needless
eldest daughter the Lady Mary As for the long Declaration which he wrote as if he had been an actual Secretary of State and employ'd by some certain King his Master to justifie the Dissolution of his Parlament it was produc'd rather to shew his good intentions to his true Soveraign and as a circumstance to confirm the rest than otherwise To all this Mr. Coleman made the slenderest defence imaginable Only being charg'd that he was at a Consult with the Jesuites and Benedictine Monks in August at the Savoy he endeavour'd to prove that he was all that Month in Warwickshire but his witness which was but single not being able to make any positive answer to the questions demanded by the Court his testimony nothing avail'd him no more than his cavil with Doctor Oates that he did not charge him at the Council with all the matters in the Inditement For it was fairly prov'd by one of the Clerks of the Council that he charg'd him severely enough to have him committed to Newgate And that was sufficient for the Prosecutor to do till he came to give his full evidence at the Tryal As to the Letters he said they were only intended for the making the King and the Duke as great as could be as far as he thought it in his power to which end he desired the Court to consider the contexture and connexion of the things therein contain'd After this the Court took notice to the Jury of the Accusation it self and of the Evidence which was of two sorts Letters under his own hand and witnesses viva voce That as to the Letters he rather made his defence by expounding what the meaning was than by denying that he wrote them So that they were to examine what those Letters did import of themselves and what consequences were naturally to be deduc'd from them However it was the opinion and direction of the Court that the substance of the long Letter amounted to this that is so say to bring in the Romish Catholick Religion and to establish it here and to advance an interest for the French King be that what it would That his last Letters did more plainly expound his meaning and intention that when our Religion was to be subverted the nation was also to be subverted and destroy'd In regard there could be no hope of subverting or destroying the protestant Religion but by the subversion not the conversion of the three Kingdomes As to the Witnesses viva voce because the Jury had heard their evidence the Court did not insist upon it only directed the Jury to consider what the Letters did prove the prisoner guilty of directly and of what by Consequence what the prisoner plainly would have done and how he would have done it Upon this the Jury withdrew and after a short stay returning gave up their Verdict which was Guilty and so Mr. Coleman was for that day remanded back to the prison with order to the Keeper to bring him the next morning again to the Bar to receive Sentence The next day being the 28th of November the Prisoner was again brought to the Bar according to Order where being ask'd what he had to say for himself he insisted as to his Papers upon the Act of Grace As to the evidence viva voce he made the same exceptions he had done before only added that he wanted a book of accompts which had been seiz'd on among his Papers by which he could invalidate Dr. Oates's testimony by making it appear he was out of Town all August To the first it was answer'd that he could have no benefit of the Act of Grace in regard his Papers bore date in 74. and 75. since which time there had been no Act made And as for what he said concerning Mr. Oates it was urg'd in vain in regard the Jury had given their Verdict The Exhortations which the Court gave him were in short That whereas he was found guilty of conspiring the death of the King of endeavouring to subvert the Protestant Religion and to bring in Popery and this by the aid and assistance of foraign powers though he seem'd to disavow the matter of the death of the King he should not therefore think himself an innocent man For that it was apparent by his own hand that he was guilty of contriving and conspiring the destruction of the protestant Religion and the introduction of Popery by the aid and assistance of foreign powers from which no man could free him in the least And though it should be true that he would disavow that he had not an actual hand in the contrivance of the Kings death which however two witnesses positively swore against him yet he was to know that he that would subvert the Protestant religion here and consequentially bring in a foreign authority did an act in derogation of the Crown and in diminution of the Kings Title and soveraign Power and made it his endeavours to bring a foreign Dominion both over our Consciences and Estates So that if any man should endeavour to subvert our Religion to bring in that though he did not actually contrive to do it by the death of the King yet that he was guilty of whatsoever follow'd upon that contrivance He was further exhorted to repentance which was the only thing that remain'd And that if he could not with our Church have Contrition which is a sorrow proceeding from Love he would at least make use of Attrition which is a sorrow proceeding from fear For that he might assure himself there were but a few minutes betwixt him and a vast Eternity where would be no dallying no arts us'd And therefore that he should think upon all the good he could do in that little space of time that was left him which was all little enough to wipe off besides his private and secret even his publick offences He was admonished that Confession was very much practis'd in the Religion which he profess'd and that he would do well to exercise it but yet that as his offence was publick so should his Confession be Perchance said the Court he might be deluded with the fond hopes of having his sentence respited But he was exhorted not to trust to it for that he might be flatter'd to stop his mouth till his breath were stopp'd which it was fear'd he would find by the event These friendly and Christian-like Exhortations being concluded by the Judge he then proceeded to the final sentence of the Law which was that he should be Hang'd Drawn and Quarter'd The fatal sentence being past Mr. Coleman offer'd some few things to the Court the sum of which was this That he did admire the Charity of the Court and whereas the Court advised him to Confession he besought their Lordships to hear him some few words The Court indeed had the patience to hear him but what did all his fine words signifie They contain'd nothing but a florid justification of his own innocency in opposition
concluding Conference having agreed to the Bill without further amendments and therefore desir'd the concurrence of the Commons Thus at length the Commons agreed to the amendments made by the Lords and sent a message to acquaint the Lords therewith This was done upon the fourteenth day of this month But upon the sixteenth a Message was sent by the Lords to acquaint the Commons that the night before the Earl of Danby had render'd himself to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and that being call'd to the Bar they had sent him to the Tower Thereupon a Committee was appointed to prepare and draw up further Evidence against him and such further Articles as they should see cause Soon after his Majesty was pleas'd to dissolve his Privy Council and to make another consisting of no more than thirty persons And for the management of the Treasury and Navy five Commissiones were appointed for the Treasury and seven for the Admiralty Then the Commons took into consideration the disbanding of the Army and having voted a supply of 264602 l. 17 s. 3 d. to that intent they then voted that Sr. Gilbert Gerrard Sr. Thomas Player Coll. Birch and Coll. Whitley should be Commissioners to pay the disbanded forces off But now to return to the Earl of Danby upon the 25th of this month a message was sent by the Lords to acquaint the Commons that the said Earl had that same day personally appear'd at the Bar of their House and had put in his plea to the Articles of Impeachment against him The Articles were these as they were deliver'd into the House of Lords in the name of the Commons of England by Sir Henry Capel December 23. 1678. I. That he had traiterously encroacht to himself Regal Power by treating in matters of Peace and War with Foreign Ministers and Embassadors and giving instructions to his Majesties Embassadors abroad without communicating the same to the Secretaries of State and the rest of his Majesties Council against the express Declaration of his Majesty in Parliament thereby intending to defeat and overthrow the provision that has been deliberately made by his Majesty and his Parliament for the safety and preservation of his Majesties Kingdoms and Dominions II. That he had traiterously endeavour'd to subvert the ancient and well-establish'd form of Government of this Kingdom and instead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical form of Government and the better to effect this his purpose he did design the raising of an Army upon pretence of a war against the French King and to continue the same as a standing Army within this Kingdom and an Army so rais'd and no war ensuing an Act of Parliament having past to disband the same and a great sum of money being granted for that end he did continue the same contrary to the said Act and mis-imploy'd the said money given for the disbanding to the continuance thereof and issued out of his Majesties Revenues great sums of money for the said purpose and wilfully neglected to take security of the Pay-master of the Army as the said Act required whereby the said Law is eluded and the Army yet continued to the great danger and unnecessary charge of his Majesty and the whole Kingdome III. That he trayterously intending and designing to alienate the hearts and affections of his Majesties good Subjects from his Royal Person and Government and to hinder the meeting of Parliaments and to deprive his Sacred Majesty of their safe and wholsom counsel and thereby to alter the constitution of the Government of this Kingdom did propose and negotiate a peace for the French King upon terms disadvantagious to the Interest of his Majesty and Kingdom For the doing whereof he did procure a great sum of money from the French King for enabling him to maintain and carry on his said traiterous designs and purposes to the hazard of his Majesties Person and Government IV. That he is Popishly affected and hath traiterously concealed after he had notice the late horrid and bloody Plot and Conspiracy contriv'd by the Papists against his Majesties Person and Government and hath suppress'd the Evidence and reproachfully discountenanc'd the Kings Witnesses in the Discovery of it in favour of Popery immediately tending to the destruction of the Kings Sacred Person and the subversion of the Protestant Religion V. That he hath wasted the Kings Treasure by issuing out of his Majesties Exchequer several branches of his Revenue for unnecessary Pensions and secret services to the value of 〈…〉 within two years and that he hath wholly diverted out of the known method and Government of the Exchequer one whole branch of his Majesties Revenue to private Uses without any accompt to be made of it to his Majesty in his Exchequer contrary to an express Act of Parliament which granted the same And he hath removed two of his Majesties Commissioners of that part of the Revenue for refusing to consent to such his unwarrantable actings therein and to advance money upon that branch of the Revenue for private uses VI. That he hath by indirect means procured from his Majesty to himself divers considerable gifts and Grants of Inheritances of the ancient Revenues of the Crown contrary to Acts of Parliament For which matters and things the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons in Parliament do in the name of themselves and of all the Commons of England impeach the said Thomas Earl of Danby Lord High Treasurer of England of High Treason and other high Crimes Misdemeanors and Offences in the said Articles contained And the said Commons by Protestation saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other accusation or Impeachment against the said Earl and also of replying to the answers of which the said Thomas Earl of Danby shall make to the Premises or any of them or any Impeachment or Accusation which shall be by them exhibited as the cause according to proceedings of Parliament shall require Do pray that the said Thomas Earl of Danby may be put to answer all and every the Premises that such proceedings Tryals Examinations and Judgements may be upon them and every one of them had and used as shall be agreeable to Law and Justice and that he may be sequester'd from Parliament and forthwith committed to custody To these Articles the Earl of Danby soon after put in his Plea as follows The Plea of the Earl of Danby late Lord high Treasurer of England to the Articles of Impeachment and other High Crimes Misdemeanors and Offences Exhibited against him by the name of Thomas Earl of Danby Lord High Treasurer of England THE said Earl for Plea saith and humbly offers to your Lordships as to all and every the Treasons Crimes Misdemeanors and Offences contained or mention'd in the said Articles That after the said Articles exhibited namely the first of March now last past the Kings most excellent Majesty by his most gracious Letters of Pardon under his
which was for the four Assassinates at Windsor in his own Chamber Mr. Dugdale Depos'd against him That he being pitch'd upon to be one of the King's Murderers was by Harcourt chosen to be dispos'd of at London for that purpose under the Tuition of one Mr. Parsons That there was a Letter written from Paris which pass'd through Harcourt's hands wherein Advice was given to the Conspirators in England so to order the Business that the Death of the King might be accounted a Presbyterian Plot and in case of his Miscarriage to engage the Protestants in a Revenge upon the Presbyterian Party as guilty of the Fact And after that to go on to a Massacre and those that escap'd it to be afterwards totally cut off by the Army That he had seen several Treasonable Letters striking at the Life of the King and the Protestant Religion which the Witness had intercepted and read at least a hundred of them all sent from Harcourt to Ewers under a Cover from Groves That the first Intelligence of the Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey which they had in the Country was sent from Harcourt which Letter came to Harcourt on Monday and bore date on Saturday upon the night of which day the said Murther was committed with these particular words This Night Sir Edmundbury Godfrey is dispatch'd Mr. Praunce being sworn Depos'd That Harcourt had told him above a year before as he was paying him for an Image of the Virgin Mary that there was a Plot upon the Life of the King Mr. Bedloe being sworn Depos'd That he saw Harcourt take the Fourscore Pound out of a Cabinet and pay the Money to the Messenger that was to carry it to the Ruffians at Windsor giving the said Messenger at the same time for Expedition a Guiney as from Coleman to drink his Health That the Summ of 1500 l. which was to have been Groves Reward for killing the King was agreed upon and appointed in Harcourt's Chamber That he was one of those that agreed and consented to the addition of 5000 l. to the first 10000 l. to be given to Sir George Wakeman That he was very well acquainted with the Witnesses bringing over divers Pacquets and Portmantles from beyond the Seas of which he had brought over several for himself That he had brought him several Letters from Wotton St. Omers Bruges Paris Valladolid and Salamanca all of them for carrying on the Plot of changing the Religion of England and overturning the Government what Men what Money in readiness and what more expected That the Contributions and Account lay generally in Harcourt's hands and that he had carri'd several Papers from Harcourt to Langhorn concerning the same matter The said Witness farther Depos'd That he carri'd a Consult to St. Omers from Mr. Coleman to whom Harcourt went with him and that in that Consult was the main of the Design and lastly That he saw Harcourt give Sir George Wakeman a Bill upon some certain Citizen for 2000 l. telling him at the same time that it was in part of a greater Sum. As to Gavan Doctor Oates Depos'd That he saw his Name to the Resolve though he could not Swear he was at the Consult of the 24th of April That he gave an account from time to time of the Affairs of Stafford-shire and Shrop-shire relating to the Plot and that coming to London he gave the same account to Ireland in his own Chamber and talk'd of Two or Three Thousand Pound that would be ready for the Design Mr. Dugdale Depos'd against Gavan That it was he who engag'd the Witness in the Plot upon the Life of the King and often persuaded and encourag'd him to it That at Ewers's and the Witnesses Chamber at Boscobell and other places several Consultations had been had about the Death of the King and bringing in of Popery Wherein Mr. Gavan was always a great Man having a good Tongue and the Faculty of moving the People That at the same Consultations he had heard the Massacre often discours'd of And that Gavan should say That though they were but in a low Condition themselves yet they would have Men and Money enough to spare for such a Design That the said Gavan had many times endeavour'd to convince the Witness of the Lawfulness if not the Merit of killing any person whatsoever for the advancement of their Religion As to Turner it was sworn by Dr. Oates That he was at the Consult at Fenwick's Chamber and Sign'd the Resolve Mr. Dugdale also Depos'd That Ewers had told him by word of mouth That Turner was to carry on the Design in Worcester-shire That the said Turner had met with Ewers Leveson and others in several places and had in every one of them given his consent to and assisted with his Counsel in the carrying on of the Grand Design of killing the King and Introducing of Popery This was the main of the Evidence for the King The main Defence of the Prisoners lay in seeking to invalidate the Testimoney of the Witnesses And indeed they thought they had done their business by calling over to their assistance a cluster of Birds of their own Feather a crue of young Seminarians nurtur'd up at St. Omers in all their own Principles and Lessons of Equivocation and Jesuitical Tongue-Jugling and Religious Velitation These were the Emets of Tunquin that were in one hour to eat down the Pillars of the King's Evidence by proving That Doctor Oates was at St. Omers upon the 24th of April and so not being ubiquitary he could not be at the same time at the White Horse in the Strand and then the Plot had vanish'd the Witnesses had been meer Accusers that is to say Diaboli indeed and they had been as Innocent as the Children unborn This flexible Flock were very punctual to their time and laid their Allegations home enough nay some of them were so positive that they affirm'd That Dr. Oates never lay but two Nights out of the Colledge from December till the middle of June So that when the Cloud that rain'd upon the King's Evidence came to be dissipated by the warm Testimony of Sir Richard Barker Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith all Scholars and Men of unbyass'd Repute and several others though of meaner Quality yet of honest Reputation it was a thing that could not be a little admir'd to see the Effects of blind Popish Education that so many young Declaimers should make such an early venture of their Credit as to out-brazen Truth it self in a matter which upon the manifest Contradictions of their Affirmatives it appear'd could not be unknown to themselves There is but one Consideration that pleads for them That as they were under Discipline they durst not but Swear in verba Magistri well knowing what Entertainment they were to expect at their return if they did not stand fast to their tackling Their Masters knew no better means then to oppose blind Zeal against blind Justice Having arm'd deluded Youth with
the Jesuit's Doctrine concerning Kings as believing it conformable to what the best Doctors of the Church have taught But why do I relate the testimony of one particular Prince when the whole Catholic World is the Jesuits Advocate For to them chiefly Germany France Italy Spain and Flanders trust the Education of their Youth and to them in a great proportion they trust their own Souls to be governed in the Sacraments And can you imagin so many great Kings and Princes and so many wise States should do or permit this to be done in their Kingdoms if the Jesuits were men of such damnable principles as they are now taken for in England In the third place dear Country-men I do attest that as I never in my life did machine or contrive either the Deposition or Death of the King so now I do heartily desire of God to grant him a quiet and happy Reign upon Earth and an Everlasting Crown in Heaven For the Judges also and the Jury and all those that were any ways concern'd either in my Tryal Accusation or Condemnation I do humbly ask of God both Temporal and Eternal happiness And as for Mr. Oates and Mr. Dugdale whom I call God to witness by false Oaths have brought me to this untimely end I heartily forgive them because God commands me so to do and I beg of God for his infinite Mercy to grant them true Sorrow and Repentance in this World that they be capable of Eternal happiness in the next And so having discharged my Duty towards my self and my own Innocence towards my Order and its Doctrine to my Neighbour and the World I have nothing else to do now my great God but to cast my self into the Arms of your Mercy as firmly as I judge that I my self am as certainly as I believe you are One Divine Essence and Three Divine Persons and in the Second Person of your Trinity you became Man to redeem me I also believe you are an Eternal Rewarder of Good and Chastiser of Bad. In fine I believe all you have reveal'd for your own infinite Veracity I hope in you above all things for your infinite Fidelity and I love you above all things for your infinite Beauty and Goodness and I am heartily sorry that ever I offended so great a God with my whole heart I am contented to undergo an ignominious Death for the love of you my dear Jesu seeing you have been pleased to undergo an ignominious Death for the love of me Gawen BEing now good People very near my End and summon'd by a violent Death to appear before God's Tribunal there to render an account of all my thoughts words and actions before a just Judge I am bound in Conscience to declare upon Oath my Innocence from the horrid Crime of Treason with which I am falsely accused And I esteem it a Duty I owe to Christian Charity to publish to the World before my death all that I know in this point concerning those Catholics I have conversed with since the first noise of the Plot desiring from the very bottom of my heart that the whole Truth may appear that Innocence may be clear'd to the great Glory of God and the Peace and Welfare of the King and Country As for myself I call God to witness that I was never in my whole life at any Consult or Meeting of the Jesuits where any Oath of Secrecy was taken or the Sacrament as a Bond of Secrecy either by me or any one of them to conceal any Plot against His Sacred Majesty nor was I ever present at any Meeting or Consult of theirs where any Proposal was made or Resolve taken or signed either by me or any of them for taking away the Life of our Dread Soveraign an Impiety of such a nature that had I been present at any such Meeting I should have been bound by the Laws of God and by the Principles of my Religion and by God's Grace would have acted accordingly to have discovered such a devillish Treason to the Civil Magistrate to the end they might have been brought to condign punishment I was so far good People from being in September last at a Consult of the Jesuits at Tixall in Mr. Ewer's Chamber that I vow to God as I hope for Salvation I never was so much as once that year at Tixall my Lord Aston's House 'T is true I was at the Congregation of the Jesuits held on the 24th of April was twelve-month but in that Meeting as I hope to be saved we meddled not with State-Affairs but only treated about the Governours of the Province which is usually done by us without offence to temporal Princes every third Year all the World over I am good People as free from the Treason I am accused of as the Child that is unborn and being innocent I never accused my self in Confession of any thing that I am charged with Which certainly if I had been conscious to my self of any Guilt in this kind I should not so frankly and freely as I did of my own accord presented my self before the King 's Most Honorable Privy Council As for those Catholics which I have conversed with since the noise of the Plot I protest before God in the words of a dying Man that I never heard any one of them neither Priest nor Layman express to me the least knowledge of any Plot that was then on foot amongst the Catholics against the King's Most Excellent Majesty for the advancing the Catholic Religion I dye a Roman Catholic and humbly beg the Prayers of such for my happy passage into a better Life I have been of that Religion above Thirty Years and now give God Almighty infinite thanks for calling me by his holy Grace to the knowledge of this Truth notwithstanding the prejudice of my former Education God of his infinite Goodness bless the King and all the Royal Family and grant His Majesty a prosperous Reign here and a Crown of Glory hereafter God in his mercy forgive all those which have falsly accused me or have had any hand in my Death I forgive them from the bottom of my heart as I hope my self for forgiveness at the Hands of God O GOD who hath created me to a supernatural end to serve thee in this life by grace and injoy thee in the next by glory be pleased to grant by the merits of thy bitter death and passion that after this wretched life shall be ended I may not fail of a full injoyment of thee my last end and soveraign good I humbly beg pardon for all the sins which I have committed against thy Divine Majesty since the first Instance I came to the use of reason to this very time I am heartily sorry from the very bottom of my heart for having offended thee so good so powerful so wise and so just a God and purpose by the help of thy grace never more to offend thee my good God whom I love
above all things O sweet Jesus who hath suffer'd a most painful and ignominious Death upon the Cross for our Salvation apply I beseech thee unto me the merits of thy sacred Passion and sanctifie unto me these sufferings of mine which I humbly accept of for thy sake in union of the sufferings of thy sacred Majesty and in punishment and satisfaction of my sins O my dear Saviour and Redeemer I return thee immortal thanks for all thou hast pleased to do for me in the whole course of my life and now in the hour of my death with a firm belief of all things thou hast revealed and a steadfast hope of obtaining everlasting bliss I chearfully cast my self into the Arms of thy Mercy whose Arms were stretched on the Cross for my Redemption Sweet Jesus receive my Spirit Turner GOod People I suppose you expect I should say something as to the Crime I am Condemned for and either acknowledge my Guilt or assert my Innocency I do therefore declare before God and the whole World and call God to witness that what I say is true that I am innocent of what is laid to my Charge of Plotting the King's Death and endeavouring to subvert the Government and bring in a foreign Power as the Child unborn and that I know nothing of it but what I have learn'd from Mr. Oates and his Companions and what comes originally from them And to what is said and commonly believed of Roman Catholics that they are not to be believed or trusted because they can have Dispensations for Lying Perjury killing Kings and other the most enormous Crimes I do utterly renounce all such Pardons Dispensations and withal declare That it is a most wicked and malicious Calumny cast on them who do all with all their Hearts and Souls hate and detest all such wicked and damnable Practises and in the words of a dying Man and as I hope for Mercy at the Hands of God before whom I must shortly appear and give an account of all my actions I do again declare That what I have said is most true and I hope Christian Charity will not let you think that by the last act of my Life I would cast away my Soul by sealing up my last Breath with a damnable Lye Fenwick THE OBSERVATIONS THe main Drift and Scope of these notorious Malefactors Speeches was to wipe away the Contamination of that Guilt which brought them all to be the publick Spectacles of Condign Punishment wherein they observe all the same Method of Appealing to Heaven of denying the Doctrine and Maxims of their Order and then praying for the King and themselves All which Oaths and Protestations had they been true they might have been thought Apostates from their Order and Desertors of the Religion they so zealously professed upon the Ladder Had they been such Weak and Pusillanimous Combatants with Death as not strenuously to have deny'd what they were so fairly convicted of they would have been deprived of those glorious Crowns of Martyrdom which were assured them by Him whom they call the only Lord of all the World the only Vice-God the only Emperour the only King the Most Holy Pope They thought it was much better to make but one Skip from the Cart to Jacob's Ladder and so to mount directly up to Heaven than to be condemned with an ignominious Load of Truth and Penitent Confessions of the Facts they Committed to the Whips and Scourges of a tedious Purgatory else it would seem strange to the World that in the midd'st of those solemn Protestations which they made to that God to whom their Souls were taking such a speedy flight as they pretended they should so boldly deny what so many Grand-Signiours of Jesuitism have so stifly maintained to all the World Nor did these their succeeding Disciples shew themselves such mild Receders from their Principles who durst so confidently adventure to Beard the Laws and Statutes of a Soveraign Prince within his own Dominions ipso facto Malefactors and Rebels to His Majesty when they first set Foot within His Territories As for their renouncing all Equivocations and Mental Reservations which is the Ground upon which they all tread that will signifie nothing when we consider the Nature and Quality of a true Jesuit which is tenaciously to hold and adhere to the Dictates and Positions of their Superiours as believing what they Teach to be all Inspiration Now their Heavenly Doctrine is no more than this That it is lawful for them not only to deny and conceal the truth but also piously and religiously to affirm to swear by and invoke God and their Salvation to attest those things which they know to be assuredly untrue Thus Toletus both a Jesuit and a Cardinal Lib. 4. of his Instructions to the Priests Cap. 21. If it be a secret Crime concerning which any one is examined he may make use of Equivocation As for Example If I be asked whether I did such a thing or No I may answer No with this reservation to my self I did not now do it Gregory de Valentia asserts the same If the Question saith he be not fit to be answered though you be upon your Oath yet shall no Perjury be committed though the Party swear contrary to the Intent of the Judge such a one does neither lye nor take the Name of God in vain when it is for his own Preservation Andreas Eudemon Johannes is another of the same Stamp Martin Azpilcueta of Navarr proves Equivocation to be lawful from the Example of St. Francis who being asked by certain Officers Whether such a Murderer did not run such away Put his Hands into his Sleeves and cried he did not pass this way meaning that he did not flie through his Sleeves The fore-mentioned Cardinal Toletus also affirms That if a Priest be asked by the Magistrate whether he saw such a one at any time He may answer No For he did not see him that he should tell the Magistrate or he did not see him in a Beatifical Vision or he did not see him at Venice c. Many more Examples might be brought out of the same and several other Printed Authors neither are the Equivocations of Tresham Garnet and others unknown to our selves as those of Richeome are in France who affirmed That he never heard the last deceased Henry called Tyrant by any of his Subjects though he had heard Henry Valois the last Murdered King often so reviled So that it may be well said to be the Jesuits Motto Jura perjura secretum prodere noli Thus while they pretend to renounce and detest Equivocations Mental Reservations and Dispensations Reason it self must needs perswade us that Men principl'd and Educated by such Instructors are guarded with a good Salvo for those very Equivocations which they seemed to abjure No less if not more apparent is the fallacy of their disowning and disavowing that Dismal Doctrine of killing Kings and Princes To which purpose Gawen fell
and from thence in his Barge to Deptford where after he had taken a view of a new Third-rate Frigat call'd the Sterling Castle he proceeded on to Sheerness and so forward to Portsmouth where he safely soon after arriv'd by Sea and having made a short stay in the Town return'd again by Land to Windsor August 1679. Soon after his return his Majesty was seiz'd by a fit of sickness which though Heaven kind to three Kingdomes was pleas'd not to suffer to grow upon him yet the short continuance bred no small terrour and consternation in the hearts of all his Loyal Subjects The City soon took the sad Alarm and immediately deputed two Aldermen to attend his Majesty during his sickness of whose attendance he was pleas'd to accept till the danger was over His Royal Highness the Duke of York also receiving the unwelcome news hasten'd out of Flanders to Windsor But in a short time these affrights were happily over September 1679. In the mean time Mr. Jenison had been several times examin'd and at length made publick a Narrative containing a farther discovery of the Plot with a confirmation of the truth of the Kings Evidence which Ireland had so fairly ventur'd at his death to invalidate at the expence of his Salvation Thereupon his Majesty was pleas'd to publish a Proclamation against the four Ruffians who were design'd to have murder'd him at Windsor Wherein he summon'd them by the names of Captain Levallyan .... Karney Thomas Brahall and James Wilson to render themselves before the twentieth day of October next or else to suffer the extremity of the Law with promise of a hundred pound to any person that should apprehend or discover any of them While the King continued at Windsor upon the noise of the Duke of York's being return'd several Citizens of whom the Chamberlain of London was the chief alledging their jealousies and fears arising as they said from the Dukes encouragement of Popery and the continu'd practices of the Enemies of the Protestant Religion made their applications to the Lord Mayor desiring that the guards of the City might be doubled His Lordship gave them thanks for their care and zeal and told them that he could not answer their desires of himself but that he would summon the Lieutenancy together which being done though neither Sir Thomas Player nor other person appear'd and the address of the absent Gentlemen being debated it was concluded that there was no necessity to put any farther charge upon their fellow Citizens at present as was desir'd till more urging causes of danger appear'd which was the determination of that grand affair But the City it self had a nobler design For the Lord Mayor and Aldermen having the week before order'd two of their members to attend the King at Windsor humbly to desire leave to wait on his Majesty to congratulate his happy recovery from his late indisposition they accordingly went in a full body toward the middle of this month with a fair Retinue to Windsor Where being introduc'd into the Royal presence the Lord Mayor set forth the exceeding joy of the City and of all his Majesties Protestant Subjects for so great a blessing declaring withal the happiness they enjoy'd in his Majesties most excellent Government and his preservation of the publick Liberty Property and above all the Protestant Religion To which his Majesty was pleas'd to return for answer That he had ever a high esteem of his City of London and would never omit any opportunity of giving them the marks of his kindness assuring them that he would employ his care to maintain them in peace and secure them in their properties and in the Protestant Religion and then admitted them to the Honour of kissing his hand After that his Majesty retiring out of the Royal Presence my Lord Mayor was ask'd whether he with the Aldermen would not wait on the Queen and Duke of York To which his Lordship answer'd that he had done all that was in his Commission but that he was heartily glad he had done so much as being with the rest of his brethren transported with an extraordinary joy to behold his Majesty in so good a condition of Health After the Ceremony was over the Lord Maynard by his Majesties Order entertain'd the Lord Mayor and Aldermen at a splendid Dinner which being done they return'd home the same night highly satisfy'd with the favour and treatment they had receiv'd On the 17th of this month His Majesty return'd to London with the Queen and Duke of York whereupon the Lord Mayor immediately gave order for the ringing of the bells and making bonfires which was perform'd with all chearfulness and joy by the Inhabitants Soon after that is to say upon the 27th of this month his Grace the Duke of Monmouth took shipping in one of his Majesties Yachts for Holland and the next day his Royal Highness the Duke of York departed for Flanders Whose said remarkable Departures out of this Land may well suffice to give a memorable conclusion to the story of these few last years wherein the Transactions have been so various and worthy observation that the like have rarely happen'd in a Kingdom notwithstanding all these violent underminings of her Tranquillity still bless'd with Peace and which the prayers of all good Men implore from Heaven may still continue so under the protection of a merciful God and Gracious King FINIS * Fairly promis'd when he was going to be hang'd Swear and Forswear But the main Secret to betray forbear