sâ—wing such mischievâ—us Tares as these in the wholesom field of our Church of England and to guard the Vâ—spâ—tted Spâ—use of our Blessed Lord from that fâ—ul Accusation with which she justly chargeâ— other Churches of teaching their Children Loyaâ—ty with so many Reserves and Câ—nditions that they shall never wanâ— a Distâ—nction to justify Râ—bellion nor a Text of Sâ—ripture aâ— good as Curse ye Merez to encâ—urage them to be Traiâ—ors whereas our truly refâ—rmed Church knows no such Subâ—â—â—ties but teaches according to the simplicity of Christianity to submit â—â— every Ordinance of Mâ—n for â—odâ— sake according to the natural Signification of the Wâ—â—ds without Eâ—â—â—vocation oâ— Artificial Turns In order to which having thought to dissolve that body which we have these many years so tenderly cherished and which we are sure consists generally of more Dutâ—sal and Loyal Members we were forced to Prorogue our Parliament till November next hopeing thereby to cure those disorders which have been sown amongst the best and Loyallest by a fâ—w malicious Incendâ—aâ—ies But understanding since that such who have sowed that seditious Seed are as industriously careful to water it by their Cabâ—ls and Emissaries instructed on purpose to Poison our People with discourses in public Places in hopes of a great Crop of Confusion their beloved Fruit the next Session we have â—ound it absolutely necessary to dissolve our Parliament though with great Reluctancy and Violence to our Inâ—lination but remembring the Days of our Royal Father and the progress of Affairs then How from a cry against Popery the People went on to complain of Grievances and against evil Councellours and his Majesties Prerogative until they advanced into a formal Rebâ—llion which brought forth the most dâ—re and fatal Effects that ever were yet heard of among any Mâ—n Christians or others aâ—d withal finding so great a resâ—mblance between the Proceedings then and now that they seem both brâ—th of the same Brains and being coâ—siâ—m'd in that conceipt by observing the Actions of many now who had a great share in the Management of the former Râ—bâ—llion and their Zeal for Religion who by their Liâ—es gives uâ— too much reason to suspect they have none at all we thought it not sâ—fe to dally too long as our Royal Father did with Submissions and Condescentions endeavouring to cure Men infected without removing them from the Air where they got the Disease and in which it still rages and encreases daily for fear of meeting with no better success than he â—ound in suffering his Parliament to Challenge Power they had nothing to do with till they had bewitch'd the People into fond desires of such things as quickly dâ—strâ—y'd both King and Countrey which in us would be an intolerable Error having been warn'd so lately by the most execrable Murther of our Royal â—ather and the unhuman Vsage which we â—ur self in our Royal Person and Family have suffered and our Loyal Subjects have endured by such practices and least this our great Care of this our Kingdoms quiet and our own honour and safety should as our best Actions have hitherto been be wrested to some siniâ—â—er Sence and Arguments be made from it to scare our good People into any apprehensions of an arbitrary Government either in Church or State we do hereby solemnly declare and faithfully engage our Royal Word that we will in no case Ecclesiastical or Civil violate or alter the known Laws of our Kingdom or invade any Mâ—ns property or liberty without due course of Law But that we will with our utmost Endeavours preserve the tâ—ue Protestant Religion and Redress all such things as shall indifferently and without Passion be judged Grievances by our next Parliament which we do by Gods bâ—essing intend to call before the end of February next In the mean time we do strictly Charge and Command all manner of Persons whatsoever to forbear to to talk sedâ—tiously slightly or â—rreverentâ—y of our dissolving the Parliament of this our Declaration or of our Peâ—son or Government as they will Answer it at their Perils we being resolv'd to Prosecute all Offendors in that kind with the utmost Rigour and Severity of the Law and to the end that such Licentious Persons if any shall be so Impudent and Obstinate as to Disobey this our Royal Command may be detected and brought to due Punishment we have Ordered our Lord Treasiâ—er to make speedy Payment of twenty pounds to any Person or Persons who shall discover or bring any such Seditious Slight or Irreverent Talker before any of our Principal Secretaâ—ies of State There was another Letter that was sent to Laâ—haise and that is as follows Mr. COLEMAN'S Long LETTER SInce Father St. German has been so kind to me as to recomend me to your Reverence so advantagiously as to encourage you to accept of my Correspondency I will own to him that he has done me a Favour without Consulting me greater then I could have been capable of if he had advised with me because I could not then have had the Confidence to have permitted him to ask it on my behalf And I am so sensible of the Honour you are pleased to do me that though I cannot deserve it yet to shâ—w at least the sense I have of it I will deal as freely and openly with you this first time as if I had had the Honour of your Acquaintance all my life and shall make no Apology fâ—r so dâ—ing but only tell you that I know your Character perfectly well though I am not so happy as 〈…〉 your Person and that I have an Opportunity of putting this Letter into the hands of Father St. Germâ—n 's Nephew for whose Integrity and Prudence he has undertaken without any sort of hazard In order then Sir to the plainness I profess I will tell you what has formerly passed between your Reverence's Predecessor Fâ—ther Ferryâ—r and myself About three years ago when the King my Master sent a Troop of â—â—se Guards into his most Christian Majesties Service under the Command of my Lord Durâ—ass â—e sent with it an Officer called Sir William Throckmorton with whom I had a particular Intimaâ—y and who had then very newly embrac'd the Catholick Religion To him did I constantly Write and by him address myself to Father Ferryer The first thing of great Importance I presumâ—d to offer him not to trouble you with lesser matters or what passed here before and immediatly after the Fatal Revocation of the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience to which we owe all our Miseries and hazards was in July August and September 1673. when I constantly inculcated the great danger Catholick Religion and his most Christian Majesties Interest would be in at our next Sessions of Parliament which was then to he in October following at which I plainly foresaw that the King my Master would be forced to something in prejudice to his Allyance with France which I saw so evidently and particularly that we should make
their Case that there was no room left for a Retreat and rather than you and they would miss your Hopes you were resolved to stake your Lives and Fortunes and all upon a Venture You had taken so much Pains in the forming your Designs that you were resolved not to loose your Labour and thanks be to God you did not loose your Labour for you are well rewarded with the pleasant Air at St. Germains where you may abide till by the way of Avignon you may be obliged to trot to some other Place where you may spend the Remainder of your admirable Life These two Reasons are sufficient to justify any Man's Ends in such an Undertaking as this and as for the Undertaking it self to discover I am only accountable to God and my own Conscience though thus much I may say That in complying with the Church of Rome in her Worship and Service I nor no Man else can justify himself notwithstanding the Righteousness of those Ends I proposed to my self in the Management of that Affair And I therefore do tell you I would have no Man to follow my Example In doing Evil that the greatest Good may come thereof I do avow the Truth of my Testimony that I delivered but on the other hand I disavow all those Principles that I pretended to hold and maintain whilst I was as to outward appearance in Communion with that detestable Strumpet for I was in Judgment always a Protestant of the Reformed Religion and by the grace of God through Strength of Christ Jesus I will Live and Dye so This may satisfie you and all Men of my Truth in the Discovery and of my uprightness in the Delivery of my Testimony and of my Sincerity in this charge I have given here against you and your Villanous Party and had I not complied with your cursed Synagogue I would not in any measure have come at the knowledge of those things that I have formerly given in against the Criminals concerned in the Design nor have acquainted the World and refreshed your Memory with several Particulars in these four parts that I have Written that the Kingdom may both learn to watch against you and your Hell-born crew therfore I hasten to a ninth Particular proposed in the management of this Article I proceed to show you of what great use the Discovery of the Popish Plot might have been to King Charles the second if he had managed himself according to his Parliament and the Patriots of the Protestant Religion And that you shall see in these following Particulars as 1. We had been rid of all the Court Whores who by their Lewdness and Baseness had drawn the Heart of the then King your Brothe from his People which the Parliament plainly saw and therefore were very unwilling to part with any Money for to supply the vain and Exorbitant Expences of those impudent Womem who Consumed the publick Treasure of the Nation as fast or faster than then it could be given by Parliament or raysed and Collected when given and by this fair riddance of such Carrion the then King for ought I know might have enjoyed his Crown with Peace and Honour to this Day 2. You had been Excluded from inheriting the Imperiall Crown of this Realm which Exclusion had turned to a better Account to your self then the being an humble Slave and a pittifull Beggar a Fugitive and a Vagabond but you by opposing the full Discovery of the said Plot and Conspiracy carried on by you and your wicked Party carried your Point against the said Bill by which you was Emboldened in all and every of your wicked Practices against the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom but you have received in part the Wages of your abominable and unparalell'd Unrighteousness and much good may they do you with all my Heart I know no body that in the least that envies your blessed State and Condition into which by the providence of God you have put your self 3. The Nation had been discharged from the French Interest that mightily Prevailed in your Brothers Reign to the great danger and damage both to the Strength and Trade of the Nation and the Laws and Liberties and Religion thereof for as long as that Interest was Supporâ—ed and the Religion of Rome Countenanced it was impossible that England could be a Protestant Nation or her Inhabitants a free People This the Parliament long saw before your Plot was Discovered and had your Brother incouraged the Discovery thereof he had secured to himself the Glory of restoring to us our Liberties and making himself a Terrour to all his Enemies both at Home and Abroad but he joyning in the Conspiracy he became their Scorn and Contempt and as his Reign was wicked so his End was Miserable 4. Your Popish Party might have infallibly been destroyed and Rooted out from being a People but the said King not joining with his Parliament in making such an improvement of the discovery of the Popish Plot did Embolden that party to Exert it self almost to the ruin of the Protestant Religion and Interest and at last to Poyson the King himself to make way for you to Enslave the Nation and Subjugate it to Rome and France 10. I now come to show you how Fatal the Discovery of the Popish Plot was to your Popish Party notwithstanding the Villanous Usage the Nation received from that Party of Men by which it was much weakened both to its Strength and Wealth yet the Discovery of the Popish Plot put a new Life into the honest Party so that they became Unanimous to a high Degree the Dissenters that were then much Divided did in a great Measure unite against the common Enemy and joyned with the moderate Church Party in order to Extirpate that Romish Heresy that had so much inlarged its Borders and the Eyes of all Men were so opened that even in your Government Popery had been so maul'd that it could not stand upon its Legs notwithstanding the many cordial Incouragments it had received from you and your mighty Allies in order to its recovery again Nay the Princes of Christendom have Joyned as one Man to deliver England so that they themselves might not be swallowed up by you and your mighty Nimrod What a Sweat you are in Well have a little Patience my good Landlady will rub you down at Night What would you be at now What you would say a Comfortable Word on the Behalf of your Popish Crew and would have the World believe they were Innocent and so you mump those lockrom Jaws of yours and in Speaking one Word in the Behalfe of your Rogues you intend ten for your self Come speak out Man and tell us what you would have the Protestant Party of England believe concerning the Innocency of your self and Party we have a Sett of high Church Protestant Whelps that are blinded yet as not to give the Discovery of the Popish Plot its due Credit but they are a
some Reputation with these Coxcombs he hath flattered several people into a vain attendance and dependance upon Risings and Descents till the poor Dogs have spent themselves to their Shirts in waiting and preparing for their days of Jubilee and after many disappointments upon the back one of another they have brought themselves under a fatal despondency of any Relief at all and since Sir your contest is at an end I will tell you that had I been of your Party and Interest I should in spight of Scotch Robin and all his Politicks have advised you to have taken the Counsel of Sir Sweetface Tellpenny who would have told you the vanity of applying to wrong persons and in wrong methods and by wrong instruments You thought the method you used would take but alas instead of that some of your Rogues have been taken and made wry mouth at the West end of the Town for their pains and old Sir Timothy Stiff-Jaws if your people had but made due application to his Worship he would have told them that you ought to have retrenched your number at St. Germains and inspected into their Ability Credit and Morals and that you ought to have drawn your Commissions into fewer hands and fixed upon some men of Honour Quality and Interest to order and communicate in chief and not leave themselves to the mercy of so many forward and impertinent pretenders and hangers on who would certainly betray you as soon as they were pinched Now Sir you may remember that you bless'd us with two or three Declarations but all to no purpose but if upon the declaration of War between us and the French your mighty Ally instead of your Declarations had himself published a Manifesto to all the Princes of Europe in your favour and if he had protested that he aimed at nothing but your Restoration and to settle you in the legal possession of your Throne without the least encroachment upon the Laws of the Land or the Religion Liberties and Properties of the people without proposing to himself any other recompence than in the Conscience of so meritorious a work this might have gone a great way I 'le assure you had he and you but reputation in Europe but of two ordinary Porters especially if it had been so explicitly and exactly drawn as to make no room for a Reserve but the truth of it is you and he had so often violated your Words and Oaths that such Declarations would only have served for Bum-fodder and would have signified as little as your pimping Manifesto's did to the Popish and Protestant Princes of Europe You would have me deal plainly with you I suppose if you would not 't is all one I shall not be afraid to proceed to the Thirtieth Article therefore sit down and hear your charge with all the patience that becomes so foul a Criminal and then the World will abhor you as a detestable Wretch and England will be pittied by all the Princes of Europe in that we would not exclude you from inheriting the Imperial Crown of this Realm Your Villains do threaten me but I shall not be afraid to lay down the truth with all freedom and if I suffer for it it is no great matter for it is no new thing for me to suffer for acting the part of an honest man ARTICLE 30. 30. You stand charged with the fomenting a Popish Plot or Conspiracy for the Alteration of the Religion and Government and Countenancing those that were charged to be in that part that did relate to the life of your Brother Charles the second for the management of this Article 1. I will show what was done in order to this incouraging men to undertake and to engage in this design 2. What steps were taken in the design in order to effect it 3. Who assisted in it 4. Who were engaged here at home 5. The design it self 6. Concerning the discovery of it 7 I shall show you what evidence there was to prove it 8. What Credit it obtained in the Nation 9. Of what great use the discovery might have been to King Charles the Second if he had pleased to have managed himself according to the Counsel of Parliament and the Patriots of the Protestant Religion 10. What were the consequences of the discovery of the Popish Plot and how fatal it was to their Popish party 1. I will shew you what was done in order to the encouraging men to undertake and engage in this design the design bespoke it self for nothing but a cursed Jesuit and men of the same principles who might to all intents and purposes be the more paced in this holy undertaking of that villanous party The Jesuits that in conjunction with your self and wicked party of Papists and Popishly affected persons undertook this affair You know Sir that you no sooner was by the providence of God and the earnest desire of the people of England restored to the Land of your Nativity but the Popish party began to bestir themselves for the restoration of their Religion therefore they apply themselves to the Jesuits and Jesuited Priests and men of Arbitrary principles and protested their zeal for the Restoration of the Catholic Religion but they durst not enter upon any design in the years 1660 and 1661 till they were sure how the Parliament would steer their Course in relation to the uniformity of service here in England who should carry the point whether the Bishops or the Dissenting Protestants and therefore it was resolved by the Jesuits that nothing should for that present time be undertaken but the drawing in of some men into Conspiracies and to provide Rogues lustily and heartily to swear Treason against them in order to the destruction of some and to bring others into disrepute with the Parliament that they might be kept under by some severe Laws that might be made against them to the end that they might be in no condition to give any opposition to them in their designs that should be by them formed for the effecting so blessed a work besides all this they at that time were not sure of your Countenance because for several years you made a sort of profession of the Protestant Religion and received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper according to the usage of the Church of England with the King your Brother and he himself was not married and they thought it convenient that nothing should be so much as proposed till they might have the countenance of some Popish Consort and then it was thought that they might act the more safely if the King could be engaged in a War against the Dutch which they longed for with much impatience But Sir I must descend into some particulars and therefore I will undertake these two things 1. I will put you in mind of what happened to encourage the Popish Party in undertaking their villainous designs against the Protestant Religion and Government 2. I will shew you what encouragements you
inflaming the differences that were amongst Protestants you had as great a talent at this sort of business as any man could be supposed to have had your party kept pace with you to a hairs breadth for at your coming how did you endeavour to heighten the difference between the Conforming and Nonconforming parties how watchful were the Good men of the Episcopal party over the Dissenters judging them to be greater Enemies to their cause and Quarrel than the Papists because of their great numbers and being in a bodily fear that the Dissenters would not only out-live but out-preach them this was a great crime Sir in the poor Protestant Dissenters which high Church would never forgive for some of them cared as little for preaching as you did for fighting unless it were with an honest Protestant at the Old Baily or the Kings-Bench Court where you were always sure to get the better of them and then you very seldome gave quarter to any that lay at your mercy nay did not Castlemain pâ—ess the Bishops to revenge themselves upon the Dissenters for their severe usage of them and their Clergy for their scandalous lives and ignorance in the word of Righteousness nay he did not only advise in the matter but pusht on their taking revenge with Head and Horns together rather than the poor Dissenters should go unpunished or that the division should not be widened to the utmost therefore upon the whole let me ask you or any of those Traytors that were with you at St. Germains whether these differences thus influenced was not to betray us into the hands of your villainous Popish party for it was not your Province I suppose to strengthen the Protestant Interest against the Conspiracies of the Papists no you will not pretend to that for that would be a solicism with a vengeance or did you judge that the Papists could by their plottings do any great damage to a Protestant Interest firmly united truly it is plain that because of the strength of a united Protestant Interest you could have but a poor account of your well-laid designs in a word therefore it was the weakening the Protestant Interest you aimed at and nothing could weaken them but dividing them and then this point being gained to work you and your Rogues went to destroy both and had effected your design had you not met with an unlucky fellow that discovered all 4. There was a fourth step taken to effect your Popish and Trayterous designs and that was the engaging the high Church party to run in with the Popish party in arraigning the Dissenters for Traytors and Rebels nay tho several of them who had with much zeal fought under the late King your Father and your Papists were somenters of the said War and would have fought against the King in the service of the Parliament if their services might have been accepted of and if any of them did fight for the King it was because his Cause was like to the Gallows received all and refused none it is well known that it was the folly of some of those you aspersed that brought your Brother home for which I think they have well paid for it but what doth all this tend to why they were to be battered at by the Church and Popish party together but that they might the more effectually be destroyed and then the Popish party with reason might expect the more easily to carry their point against high Church it self whom they judge Hereticks as much as they do the Dissenters and this I must say that our high Church if they had been destroyed by you and your party they might have thanked themselves for their ruine though I must confess I should have been sorry that so great a number of men should so heartily contribute to their own destruction and reject our Brethren that would so heartily have joyned in with them to have destroyed you and your villainous party in order to have preserved the Protestant Religion 5. There was a fifth step you made to effect your design by creating in many unthinking people especially in many of our Baal's Priests that the Kingdom did enjoy a sufficient security for our Laws Liberties and Religion and therefore how your party used to quarrel with those men that were apprehensive of our dangers in those cases your Brother apprehended that our Religion and Laws tho I should have thought that his apprehension of the danger of the Protestants had risen from Nell s wanting of Money to buy Cloaths to wipe down her Mistresses Stairs or from her Mistresses wanting some new rigging if none had thought of the danger that we were in but himself but we had four Parliaments that saw the danger as well as himself and did not only see the danger with which we were encompassed but with what great difficulty we were like to meet withal in order to prevent it till their eyes were opened you went on with a full career in your Plots and Conspiracies and met with great success suitable to that zeal to which you were as Coleman saith converted in a very high degree the plain truth is that you had a mighty work in hand and a mighty mind to it and therefore it was fit you should take mighty steps to effect the same 6. Another step you took to effect your wicked design on foot was to create and preserve a Jealousie in the King of the faithfulness and loyalty of the People and a jealousie in the People of the sincerity and good affection of the King to them so that they seeing they could not keep up a War between the King and the States General yet they would maintain a War between the King and the People of England and truly they had their ends for they brought your Brother in a manner to set up his Standard and proclaim a War against his honest Subjects by the frequent Rapes he committed in the time of his Reign upon the Laws and Liberties of the people witness his quitting his legal power and setting up of a French mode of Government and laying aside those Laws by which he was to have governed his people so that he became universally hated by the honest party of the Nation and thereby the more exposed to the vengeance of your cut-throat Crew who to destroy him would ordinarily expose his Government that they might so divest him of friends in such a measure as that none might appear to avenge his death but rather rejoyce in his destruction as you and your party did when you had done his business and I must say this of him he died more lamented than you thought for and less lamented than most Kings of England that died before him 3. I come now to show you who assisted in this Conspiracy you could not carry on any design without some great assistance therefore it is necessary that they should be pointed out that the World may know them from other men and
surrender'd and to aggrandize the Merriment there comes over some great Personages from France and were very much pleased with the Court and the secret Devices suddenly to be put in execution after the next meeting of Parliament was agreed on all was well with you the Whores â—risking about Nell and her Mistris and the rest were as merry as the Maids and all your roguing Banditti hugg'd themselves with the great Happiness they were to enjoy Well Sir I do believe they were merry about their Mouths and they had a great deal of reason for all things went on in a sweet harmony and so it did at Belshazar's Feast till the Hand appear'd writing upon the Wall and then they were all confounded and amazed So it was with you for in the midst of all your Merriment in the Month of August all on a sudden a black Cloud appear'd which did prognosticate a Storm to fall upon you even in the height of all your Expectations and tho' it seem'd to you and your Cut-throats to be but a Triâ—le and small at the beginning yet by degrees it encreased extreamly and that was the most secret Devices of you and your Conspirators for your introducing Popery and Arbitrary Government came in some small measure to be discover'd by an old hearty Friend of yours but you had your Penniworths out of his Carcass for his Service in that particular Well to be plain with you it was my own dear self that makes this modest Address to you and if any one say that ever I gave you one good word in my Life I will be his humble Servant that proves it Before I quit this Point I must answer two Questions that have been ask'd me by several persons 1. What was the Opportunity I had of making this Discovery and 2. Why or to what end I made the Discovery 1. What the Opportunity was that I had of making the Discovery And truly this I must say and take Shame to my self the course I took to get into the Secrets of the Jesuites was no way warrantable from the Word of God for I dissembled my self to be a Papist and yet was none one that pretended Zeal for their Religion and at that time was an avowed Enemy to them and their Religion I have asked God forgiveness and all true Protestants I am sure God hath pardon'd the Sin of his Servant since he had no other thing before his Eyes but the Good of his Country and the Honour of God tho' I confess to do the least Evil that the greatest Good might come of it is unlawful and I am sure there is no true Protestant in England but what will not only forgive my doing that Evil in joyning with the Church of Rome to discover the Designs carried on by you and your Conspirators but will stand by my Truth that I did at that time discover I have reason to bless God for that they have given good Testimony of their Zeal for the Cause of God upon my account and reliev'd my Necessities and visited me when sick and in Prison and were not asham'd of my Chain But I would not have any man to think that tho' God was pleas'd to bless my poor Labours for the good of the Publick to follow my Example in joyning with that cursed Communion tho' his design be never so honest lest God in Justice leave him to the Counsel of their own Wills But it may be you are impatient and therefore I shall hasten to my intended business which is to declare my self fully to you concerning the Opportunities I had of discovering the cursed Intrigues of the Jesuites and the cursed Plot you carried on for the destruction of our Laws Liberties and Religion I must tell you that the acquaintance I had with some considerable Papists in the Year 1670 made me suspect a Design carried on by them to advance their Religion and to pull down ours but I little thought they had a design of murdering the King which in process of time I found out there was one Cotton that was at Mr. Guildford's in Kent this Gentleman was a free-spoken man and would be often tempting me to come over to their Church For said he it will not be long before you must either burn or turn therefore come over to us in time that your Coming may be meritorious This Cotton I in time found out to be a Priest of the Jesuites Order and one that was engaged in the Popish Plot and when I was engaged Sir with your Coleman and the Society I had with him a better acquaintance From him at first I found that the Popish Party had a Design then on foot to promote their Religion and were making what Proselytes they could in order to enlarge their Interest and Power in this Kingdom I from that time had a great desire to get into them to see whither their Designs tended being very fearful that they design'd no less than the total subversion of our Religion and Government for this Cotton had the Impudence to tell me That your Brother was engag'd with you and the Catholick Party to advance your Cause and Religion and was resolv'd to bring in Popery it being a Religion that was most consistent with Monarchy and that your Brother was resolv'd to be like his Neighbour Princes This was in the Year 1670 about Christmas which Discourse I discover'd to Mr. Walter Drury whom I did assist in the Service of his Cure at Sandhurst in the County of Kent and he told me that Mr. Cotton had talked as plainly or rather worse to him but he had sufficiently told him his own so that Cotton was shy of having any farther Discourse with him about those matters and withal Mr. Drury having threatned to complain of him Mr. Cotton did withdraw from that Family and another came in his room In the Year 1672 I was acquainted with one Keimash who used very perswasive Arguments to me to have brought me over to their Church he then frequented Arundel House in the Strand and was a Fellow that had insinuated himself into the acquaintance of several Divines of the Church and bragged That he had reconciled above thirty Ministers of the Ch. of England but I found him a debauch'd lewd fellow and so my acquaintance ceased with him for it was a hard matter unless in a Morning to find him â—ober I found him afterwards to have been Chaplain to the old Countess of Arundel with whom he liv'd several Years under the notion of her Steward In the Year 1672 I left Mr. Drury's Cure and held a Living of my own upon which I resided for some time call'd Bobbing in Kent and from thence I went and serv'd the King at Sea as a Chaplain where I found many difficulties by reason of sickness of Body I refreshed my self at Tangier where was one Gerard an Irish Dominican that upon the first sight of me enquir'd whether the Catholick Religion was establish'd in England
that your being a Papist and the Hopes you gave the Popish Party of coming such to the Crown had encouraged them in this wicked Conspiracy and though in Civility to your Brother they did not impeach you for your Treasons yet they thought it necessary to prevent your coming by a Bill of Exclusion but on the contrary had not your Designs been discovered the Nation must have sunk by your Trayterous Designs and have been ruined without any impossibility of recovery but tho' the discovery had not its desired Effect yet it did so much affect you that when you invaded the Throne by the murther of your Brother that you could not make that considerable Progress in your Work for then you saw plainly you had received a deadly wound of which you could by no means be cured for the Nation saw who they were you had espoused and therefore they were aware both of you and them and made your own Conspiracy to be a Plague to you Obj. But you may say how can this be a good Ground or Reason for the discovery of such a design When there was but few that believed it and that the King your Brother laught at the Plot as a matter wholly Fabuloâ—s and that the Parliaments were but a parcel of Factious Men and therefore what could the Nation judge of those Men that I espoused since the matter of Fact was false with which they stood charged To this I answer 1. It is well known that your Brother laughed at the Plot and would have made some to have believed that it was Fabulous but he well knew that he was engaged in every part of it but that of his own Life and that he was too conscious to himself he had disobliged you and your party by being so loose and negligent in the performance of those promises he had made to you and your Party and to get a sum of Money from the Paliament he would let the Parliament worry your Friends nay rather than go without it he would himself give your Cause a gentle Stab witâ—ess his passing the Test Bill in the year 1673 and refusing to sign Coleman's Declaration in the â—â—rs 1674 1675 1676. But suppose that he did laugh at the Plot he hath laugh'd at the Sacrament of the Altar and would be witty upon the Superstition of the Church of Rome yet at that very time he was a Papist and had receiv'd the Sacrament of the Church of Rome nay he was many times prophanely witty upon the Gospel it self and would speak very slightly of Religion you know he was a witty man and could make a Jest of any thing in the World But who shall we believe Charles Stuart or Charles King of England Shall we take notice of what he said in his private Capacity before what he said in his publick Capacity I tell you Sir I must and so must any man in the World that hath but a grain of Sence take that to be his that he spake in his publick Capacity and this well consider'd will satisfie any thinking man Ans 2. I pray observe your Brother's Proclamation Octob. 30 1678 where he called your Conspiracy a Bloody and Trayterous Design of Popish Recusants of which Sir you were the Head against his Person and Government and the Protestant Religion Again in his Proclamation of November the 20th 1678 did he not declare That the Popish Priests and Jesuites lurking within the Realm had contrived and set on foot divers trayterous Plots and Designs against his Person and Government and the Protestant Religion by Law establish'd Again observe Sir his Proclamation for a Fast March the 28th 1679 where he declar'd That through the impious and malicious Conspiracy of the Popish Party there was a Plot not only intended to the Destruction of his Royal Person but the total Subversion of the Government and of the true Protestant Religion within the Realm by Law establish'd Obj. There might be a Conspiracy against the Religion and Government of England but not against the King's Person Ans That is a Contradiction in plain terms for how could the Religion of a Nation and the Government be subverted but by the destruction of its Head See what my Lord Chancellor saith in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament Mar. 6. 1678 9 wherein he assures both Houses That His Majesty's Royal Person hath been in danger by a Conspiracy against his sacred Life maliciously contriv'd and industriously carried on by the Seminary Priests and Jesuites and their Adherents who thought themselves under some Obligation of Conscience to effect it and having vow'd the Subversion of the true Religion amongst us found no way so likely to compass it as to wound us in the Head and kill the Defender of the Faith Can any one that believ'd the King your Brother to be a Protestant think that a number of Men should conspire against his Religion and not destroy his person that was a Defender of it And on the other hand those who knew him or judged him a Papist had incurr'd the Displeasure of that Party by his notorious Miscarriage to them in his many breaches of Word and Royal Promise as I have mention'd before Ans 3. to the main Objection That few believed the Popish Plot Which is as false as any thing can be true for the Plot was believ'd as I shall shew in its proper place And as for the Parliaments being a number of factious Men it was your usual Dialect and we know what Love you had for Parliaments therefore what you say in that case you may wipe your Sâ—out and hold your Tongue for what you or your Party says against them passes for nothing So that I may again say that there was a necessity of discovering of that Plot in order to shew to the whole Nation what those men were with whom you herded and were engag'd in order to our destruction and I insist the more upon it because of the great Loyalty to which they pretended and for which they were countenanc'd by your Brother and you in opposition to all Law and Reason whilst other faithful men with their Families were left to perish for want of Bread who had serv'd your Father your Brother and you without the least recompence for their Service and that the Nation might be undeceiv'd in that respect as well as in others that they might see they were no Changelings but were full of the same Devil their Forefathers had and if they did conceal him it was for want of an Opportunity and they were about to shew what they would be at but I was beforehand with them and then the Nation was fully satisfied concerning their Loyalty What! do you grin and shew your Teeth I am sure you cannot bite no more than your dead Dog Mumper I pray let us have your Thought for once I warrant you you have some impertinent Question to ask it may be you still insist upon being satisfied why
Bastard endeavour'd by a Book under the counterfeit name of Doleman by the Approbation of Cardinal Allen and Sir Francis Inglefield to disprove his Title to the Crown but he being in despight of all the Contrivances of the Papal Vermin establish'd on the Throne they shew'd the First fruits of their Loyalty to him they welcom'd him with a Conspiracy contriv'd by Watson and Clark two secular priests but wheedled into that Contrivance by the Jesuites but this scribbling Conspiracy of theirs failing the Jesuites who were unwearied Enemies to the peace of Mankind and are so still they I say commenc'd another Plot and that was one that was to all intents and purposes an evident demonstration of their Principles and a Testimony of their Good-will to the Protestant Interest in England therefore that they might do all their business at once they attempted the blowing up of the King Lords and Commons and were quickned in this Design in two Breves from your Roman Grandsire but you know they were disappointed in that piece of Villany the greatness of which awaken'd the Kingdom to provide against that Party of Men by many wholsome Laws made in the Reign of the said King James your said Grandfather And tho' the whole World stood amaz'd at the blackness of this Conspiracy and many of the Papists in a most hypocritical manner expressed their detestation of the same and of the Principles that produced it but it was indeed because it wanted the success they desir'd yet the Pope and Court of Rome took all imaginable care to have the Traytors magnified and honour'd especially Garâ—et the Provincial of the Jesuites who tho' he confessed under his own Hand that he dy'd for Treason yet his Name was inserted in the Book of their Villanous Martyrs and precious Relicks made of his Bones and his miraculous Picture kept at St. Omer's and a glorious Picture of his set over their Altars And two other Principal Jesuites that escap'd the Halter were by the then Pope caresâ—ed with Preserments at Rome And when upon this occasion the Oath of Allegiance was enacted to be impos'd upon the Subjects of your said Grandfather Pope Paul the Fifth publish'd several Bulls against the said Oath and several of the Româ—sh Communion wrote against it as Becanus and Bâ—llarmin c. Another Instance of their villanous practices was against your Father who tho' he had been a Bosom friend of theirs yet he was not thought sit to live as you may see in Habâ—râ—field's Discovery to Sir William Boswell then your Father's Ambassador at the Hague And who but men of such Villanous Principles could have engag'd your Mother to have fomented that unnatural War in your Father's ancient native Kingdom of Scotland which was the Foundation of the never to be forgotten Civil War in England And wheâ— the King your Father was by the just Judgment of God brought to Prison because he made some Concessions not out of Choice but of Necessity against that party of Men the Jesuites condemn'd him before he was brought to his Tryal and when dead Dr. Gâ—ffe a Priest of the Oratory brandish'd his Sword over his Head saying Now is the Enemy of God fallen But that of the Massacre in Ireland was a bloody demonstration of their Faith and Zeal there was no other reason that ever they could give but that those whom they murder'd were Protestants and that in killing them the Cathâ—lick Cause was promoted for at no time did thâ— Irish enjoy their Estates and the exercise of their Religion with greater peace than when they broke out into that dreadful Rebellion Nor was that Quiet and Security they possess'd the fruits only of a Connivance but the effects of many Acts of Grace which had a little before passed in favour of them They attempted the betraying your Brother in his escape at Worcester and to root out your whole Family if the then Protector would have but given them liberty by a Law they would have murder'd him at Bruxels too to have obliged you with the Crown Is not this Evidence enough against them that they had in conjunction with your self their Head design'd as well to destroy his Person as his Government and our Religion I pray consider this Topick while you are in the peaceable enjoyment of your Apartment at St. Germains before you are forced to take up your Bed and walk 3. A third Witness that appear'd to prove the Popish Conspiracy is the impudent Claims that the Bishop of Rome makes to the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland It is noâ— Sir unworthy of your Observation what your Bellarmine hath written upon that point The King of England â—aith he is subâ—â—ct to the Pope by a twofold Right first by reason of his Apostolick Power and secondly by right of proper Dominion Sir your Rascally Crew do not only plead Henry the second 's submitting his Crown to the Pope but also King John's resigning his Crown to the Pope and receiving it again as a Fee oâ— the Church of Rome And as for Scotland you know that Pope Boniface the Eighth did make a Claim to that Kingdom And at Madrid in the Year 1677 there was a Scotchman that was Robed and call'd the King of Scotland and he in the Jesuites College there resign'd into the Hands of James Lynce the pretended Archbishop of Tuam of the Kingdom of Ireland and took the Crown of the Kingdom of Scotland from the said Archbishop to revive the Claim of Pope Boniface over that Kingdom all which was done by vertue of a Bull from Innocent the Eleventh for that purpose And as for the Kingdom of Ireland it is matter of Fact that Henry the third did swear Homage to the Bishop of Rome for that Kingdom and did oblige himself to pay him Tribute for it in recognition of the Right of that Prelate You may mimp up those Canvas Chaps of yours but it is certain that you promis'd to your Jesuites to hold the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland as a Fee of the Papacy or else they would have made bold to have sent you the same way they design'd to send your Brother and did at last accomplish their Design by your gracious aid and assistance And had Popery been establish'd in England in the time of your gracious Tyranny and had the People been brought under the Soul-sanctifying Conduct of the Jesuits who as they have been true Dragoons to the Chair of Rome in the pervertion of the Nation we should have found how they would have improv'd these Claims for the service of the Romish Antichrist In case any difference should have risen between him and you your Bellarmine tells you roundly That these Kingdoms are the Dominions of the Church of Rome and that the Pope is our natural Lord and that the King at best is but his Vassal And in the time of the Rebellion you cannot but have heard that Innoceâ—t the Tenth did not only claim these three
the Protestant Party Truely Sir Coleman's Letters were such pregnant Proofs of your villanous Designs and his Declaration drawn up and prepared for your Brothers Signature were testimony enough without the Addition of any further Evidence but I will put you in mind of some short Notes of that Saint of yours and then set down the Letters as they have been published for the Satisfaction of Mankind by which Sir it is manifest that by your order under your self he was the great Director of the Affairs of the Popish Party here in these three Kingdoms as you may see by the Correspondence he maintained with the Pope himself by the means of Cardinal Howard and his Correspondence with the Popes Internuncio at Bruxels and Father Sheldon at Doway and the Monks there and with your dear Fathers at St. Omers to whom he gave an exact Account of the debates of your Council at St. James's and of the Affairs of the Government at White-hall â—ay let me tell you that your Brother the King had such an Opinion that when you had obtained a Promise from him of dissolving the Parliament he would have none but Coleman to draw it up but he being of the Opinion of Lewis of France that Princes by no means ought to be slaves to their Promises the dissolving of the Parliament was moved in hopes of gaining Mony from them to supply his Wants he had such an Interest with Lachaise that he did obtain the summ of 20000 l. for himself and 300000 l. for you and the promise of 300000 l. a year till you could bring your designs to bear and an Army was through his Sollicitation promised to be landed in Ireland and England as soon as peace was concluded between the French King and the then confederate Princes as being the time that his most Christian Majesty would be at leasure to assist you in this mighty work of converting these three Kingdoms you know then the dragooning Apostles were to come over to preach here in order to convert us to Romes Religion and the French Government by these â—ou were to do the work with the Assistance of your Cut-throats at home both in England and Ireland Now Sir it will not be amiss that we offer to your Consideration the Letters themselves with which Sir you cannot but be highly pleased since they were the Hopes of your Family if the design specified in them had taken effect first then here is the long Letter that this blessed Saint and Mâ—rtyr wrote to Father Lachaice SInce Father St. Germain hath been so kind to me c. This Letter puts us in mind of the great Correspondence that this Villain held with one Ferrier by your Order in Order to subvert the Laws Liberties and Religion of these three Kingdoms and the said Ferrier going to his place St. Germain a notorious French Jesuit recommended Coleman to Father Lachaice for to renew this Correspondence that did for some time â—â—ase by reason of the death of the said Ferrier there are several things in this Letter that are remarkable as 1. That the sending of the Troop of Horse Guards into the service of the French King and the Care that was taken to send with it an Officer called Sr. William Throgmortoâ— with whom Coleman had a particular Intimacy this was the person that Coleman made choice of by whom he might correspond with Ferrier This Throgmorton was once a dissolute Protestant and being a person but of a mean or a broken Fortune was by Coleman perverted to the Church of Rome and as a reward for his coming over to your Church he was made an Officer in this Troop of Guards but indeed he was rather sent a Spy upon the English Gentlemen and when he died Nevil Pain took that Province upon him and gave an Account to Court and especially to your self as William Throgmorton had done before of their Carriage 2. I observe that the recalling of Liberty of Conscience was fatal to you and your Cut-throats to that you did owe all your Miseries and Hazards and therefore Sir I hope that you will allow me that great Truth which I delivered to you that Liberty of Conscience was the first great Step your Brother and you made to establish the Roman Catholick Religion here for nothing hurts it like the recalling of that Indulgence and making peace with the Dutch provided it had been a good one though Aâ—â—ington when he was Embassadour there perswaded the French King for some time that your Servant Coleman was much out in his Politicks as well as your self 3. That Peace was much to be desired between the French King and the Confederate Princes of Europe and that nothing could procure a good one for the French King but the Dissolution of the then Parliament who tho' they had been laterally by you and your Rogues well bribed to give many an ill Vote yet at last they began like English Men to fly in the Kings Face and roar against Popery especially upon an empty Pocket and if Fortune had not sent them a seasonable shower or two in a Session to cultivate their Inclinations to act according to the bent of the then Court and till this peace was made between the French King and the Confederates little could be done towards the revival of the Catholick Cause after its recovering that fatal stroke by recalling the Liberty of Conscience and setting up that damnable Doctrine of a Protestant State Purgatory which hindred many an honest Apostolical Cut-throat from having a Place at Court but you will say Why should the Dissolution of our Parliament procure a Peace The Reason is plain for the Confederate Princes had unluckily got an Interest in our theâ— Parliament as bad as it was and they depended more upon their Power and Interest they had in that Parliament than in any thing in the world and I will give you a Reason for that because from them the Confederate Princes received the greatest Encouragement to continue the War and so that in case the Parliament were dissolved the aforesaid Confederates would be necessitated to a peace upon the Terms the French King should give which would facilitate his joyning with you in the blessed Conversion of these three Nations and subduing the Northern Heresie that had so long domineer'd in this Northern World so that the Troops of Guards and the other Forces that were sent into the Service of the French were only to learn the way of converting these three Kingdoms and also to the end that they might joyn with your French Apostles in that Work of which you so earnestly desir'd to be the Author and Instrument Of this I said before Coleman by the means of the Earl of Arlington when he did reside at the Court of France was much discourag'd and was forced to leave off for a time to argue the case with the French King by Ferryer and took up the post of railing at Arlington but railing did not do
the business then Coleman falls to arguing again with your new Correspondent Father Lachaise who succeeded Ferryer in the Office of a Confessor to the French King your Ally with whom he so prevail'd that the French King was wholly of Coleman's Opinion and your own and testified it in a Letter to your self which â—ore date June the second and I suppose you was so much a Gentleman as to answer his Letter you being a most humble Admirer of the said French King that you would not only write to him but also to his Father Confessor in these words as follows Your Letter to Monsieur Lachaise the French King's Confessor THE Second of June last past his most Christian Majesty offer'd me most generously his Friendship and the use of his Purse to the Assistance against the Designs of my Enemies and his and protested unto me that his Interest and mine were so clearly link'd together that those that opposed the one should be look'd upon as Enemies to the other and told me moreover his Opinion of my Lord Arlington and the Parliament which is That he is of Opinion that neither the one nor the other is in his Interest or mine and thereupon he desir'd me to make such Propositions as I should think fit In this conjuncture all was transacted by the means of Father Ferryer who made use of Sir William Throgmorton who is an honest man and of Truth who was then at Paris and hath held Correspondence with Coleman one of my Family in whom I have great Confidence I was much satisfied to see his most Christian Majesty altogether of my Opinion so I made him answer by the 29th of June by the same means he made use of to write to me that is by Coleman who address'd himself to Father Ferryer by the foremention'd Knight and entirely agreed to his most Christian Majesty and that it was necessary to make use of our joint and utmost Credits to prevent the Success of those evil Designs resolv'd on by the Lord Arlington and the Parliament against his most Christian Majesty and my self which of my side I promise really to perform of which since that time I have given reasonable good Proof Moreover I made some Proposals which I thought necessary to bring to pass what we are obliged to undertake assuring him that nothing could so firmly establish our Interest with the King my Brother as that very same Offer of the help of his Purse by which means I had much reason to hope I should be enabled to the dissolving of the Parliament and to make void the Designs of my Lord Arlington who works incessantly to advance the Interest of the Prince of Orange and the Hollanders and to lessen that of the King your Master notwithstanding the Protestations he hath made to this hour to render him Service but as to that which was proposed 't was at a stand by reason of the Sickness of Father Ferryer so our Affairs succeeded not according to our Designsâ— only Father Ferryer wrote to me the 15th of the last Month That he had communicated those Propositions to his most Christian Majesty and that they had been very well liked of but as they contain'd things that had regard to the Catholick Religion and to the Offer and Vse of his Purse he gave me to understand he did not desire I should treat with Monsieur Revigny upon the first but as to the last and had the same time acquainted me that Monsieur Revigny had Order to grant me whatsoever the conjuncture of our Affairs did require and have expected the effects of it to this very hour but nothing being done in it and seeing on the other hand that my Lord Arlington and several others endeavour'd by a thousand Deceits to break the good Intelligence which is between the King my Brother his most Christian Majesty and my self to the end they might deceive us all three I have thought fit to advertise you of all that is past and desire of you your Assistance and Friendship to prevent the Rogueries of those who have no other design than to betray the Concerâ—s of France and England also and who by their pretended Service are the occasion they succeed not As to any more I refer you to Sir William Throgmorton and Coleman whom I have commanded to give you an account of the whole state of our Affair and the true condition of England with many others and principally my Lord Arlington's Endeavours to represent to you quite otherwise than it is The two first I mention'd to you are firm to my Interest so that you may treat with them without any apprehension This Letter your Cattle would have to be counterfeited by Coleman but your Brother saw the Copy of the French King's Letter and might have seen the Original if he had been as honest as I was earnest to have your Papers seiz'd as well as Coleman's But that Letter was full of very gracious Expressions to you and in it he blamed your Friends for not having done the Great Work which that King said would embarrass all your Affairs and what that was a Man might easily guess for the Reason he gave was an explication of it that there was not the least Trust to be put in him No sooner had King CHARLES read this Letter but he was very much startled Now the destruction of the Prince of Orange was pointed at in plain words at length and it 's well known that the French King then would not agree to the Summ of Three hundred Thousand pounds for your Brother's Use but for your own and the Pension of Three hundred Thousand pounds per Annum was setled upon you Now this Summ and this Pension was not the Pension that your Brother aimed at for this was fixed three Years before that was sought And Coleman had his Twenty thousaâ—d pounds which he truly made use of for the Ends for which it was given him and that you well knew and blamed Coleman for his parting with such a sum of Money in so little a compass of time as eighteen Months but when he had given you to give him his due a true account you â—old him That he had been a faithful Servant and that he should never want such a summ of Money to serve the Cause And it 's well known that none lived at a more noble rate than Coleman considering his Quality and well he might he having so good a Pension from France and not an inconsiderable one from Rome The next thing I present you withall to bite upon was his Declaration Prepared for the dissolving the long Parliament of which I suppose you know no more then you did of the long Letter or of that you Wrote to Lachaise and how that devilish band of Pensioners are Treated the world may see if they will be but as diligent in Observing as you was Vigilant in Carrying on your Cursed Designs against our Laws Liberties and Religion they will find that
Parliament had very often Checked your Proceedings nay so often and to that degâ—â—e that they without the help of any further discovery had endangered the destruction of your hopful Plot and therefore it was highâ—ime to disband them and none but Coleman was thought fit to draw up this Declaration The DECLARATION which Mr. Coleman prepared thereby Shewing his Reasons for the Dissolution of the PARLIAMENT WE having taken into our serious Consideration the Heats and Animosities which have of late appeared among many of our very Lâ—yal and Loving Subjects of this Kingdom and the many Fears and Jealousies which some of them seem to lye under of having their Liberties and Properties invaded or the Religion alteâ—ed and withal carefully reflecting upon our own Government since our happy Restauration and the End and Aim of it which has always been the Ease and Security of our People in all their Rights and Advancement of the Beauty and Splendor of the true Protestant Religion established in the Church of England of both which we have given mâ—st Signal Testimonies even to the striping our self of many Royal Prerogatives which our Predecessours enjoyed and were our undoubted due as the Court of Wards Purveyances and other Things of great Value and denying to our Self many Advantages which we might reasonably and legally have taken by the Forfeitures made in the Times of Rebellion and the great Revenues due to the Church at our return which no particular Person had any Right to Instead of which we Consented to an Act of Oblivion of all those baâ—barous Vsages which our Râ—al Father and our Self had met withal much more Fâ—ll and Gracious than almost any of our Subjects who were generally become in some Measure or other â—bnoxious to the Laws had confidence to ask and freely Renouncâ—d all our Title to the profit which we might have made by the Church Lands in Favour of our Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Ministers out of our Zeal to the Glâ—ry of our Protestant Church which Clemenâ—y towards all and some even high Offenders and Zeal for Religion we have to this day constantly continued to Exercise Considering all this we cannot but be sensibly Afflicted to see that the frowardness of sâ—me â—â—w tumultuous Heads should be able to infect our Loyal and good People with Apprehensions Destructive of their own and the general quiet of our Kingdom and more especially their Perverssness should be powerful enough to Distract our very Parliament and such a Parliament as has given us such Testimonies of its Loyalty Wisdâ—m and Bounty and to which we have given as many Marks of our Affection and Esteem so as to make them Misconster all our Endeavours for to Preserve our People in Ease and Prâ—sperity and against all Reason and Evidence to Represent them to our Subjects as Arguments of Fear and Disquiet and under these specious Pretences of securing Property and Religion to demand unreasonable things manifestly Destructive of what they would be thought to Aim at and from our frequent Condescentions out of our meer Grace to grant them what we conceived might give them Satisfaction though to the actual Prejudice of our Royal Prerogative to make presume to propose to advance such Extravagances into Laws as they themselves have formerly declared Detestable of which we cannot forbear to give our truly Loyal Subjects some Instances to undeceive our innocent and well-minded People who have many of them of late been too easily misled by the factious Endeavours of some turbulent Spirits For Example we having judged it necessary to declare War against the States of Holland during a Recess of Parliament which we couldnot defer longer without losing an advantage which then presented it self nor have done sooner without exposing our Honour to a potent Enemy without due preparation we thought it prudent to unite all our Subjects at home and did believe a general Indulgence of tender Consciences the most proper Expedient to effect it and therefore did by our Authority in Ecclesiasticks which we thought sufficient to warrant what we did suspend Penal Laws against Dissenters in Religion upon Conditions expressed in our Declaration out of reason of State as well as to gratifie our own Nature which always we confess abhorred rigour especially in Religion when tenderness might be as useful After we had engaged in the War we Prorogued our Parliament from April to October being confident we should be able by that time to shew our People such Success of our Arms as should make them chearfully contribute to our Charge At October we could have shewn them Success even beyond our own hopes or what they could possibly expect Our Enemies having lost by that time near 100 strong Towns and Forts taken in effect by us we holding them busy at Sea whilst Our Allies possest themselves of their Lands with little or no resistance and of which the great advantage would most visibly have been ours had not the Feuds we now complain of which have been siâ—â—e unhappily started and factiously improved disunited our People distracted our Councels and render'd our late Endeavours vain and fruitless so that we had no reason to doubt of our Peoples ready and liberal concurrence to Our assistance in that Conjuncture Yet Our Enemies proposing to us at that time a Treaty for Peace which we were always ready to accept upm Honourable Terms and considering with Our self that in case that Treaty succeeded a far less Sum of Money would serve our Occasions than otherwise would be necessary we out of Our tender regard to the ease of Our People prorogued our Parliament again to February to attend the Success of our Treaty rather than to demand so much Money in October as would be fit to carry on the War But we soon finding our Enemies did not intend us any such just Satisfaction saw a necessity of prosecuting the War which we designed to do most vigorously and in order to it resolved to press our Parliament to supply us as speedily as may be to enable us to put our Fleet to Sea early in the Spring which would after their Meeting grow on apace and being informed that many Members were dead during the long Recess we issued out ouâ— Writs for new Elections that our House of Commons might be full at the first opening of the Sessions to prevent any delay in our public Affairs or dislike in our People as might possibly have risen from the want of so great a Number of their Representatives if any thing of moment should be concluded before it had been supplyed having governed our Actions all along with such careful respect to the Ease of our Subjects We at the Meeting of our Parliament in February 1672 expected from them some suitable Expressions of their Sense of our Favours but quite contrary found our selves alarm'd with clamorous Complaints from several Cabals against all our Proceedings frighting many of our good Subjects into strange câ—nceits of what they must look for
might have saved him if he had pleased to have taken it for Sir it was Evident that your being a Papist was the Fountain of all the Atâ—empts of your Popish Cuttâ—roats upon his Life and the main rise of all those dangers to which his Person was Exposed and not only so but you it appeared from that Letter was heartily engaged in the said Design to Remove the great Obstruction that delayed your Work the mighty Work upon your Hands to Convert three Kingdom and Subâ—â—â— the Northern Heresie truly it was a mighty Work for that which you and your Cutthroats called Heresie was then not only the Religion of the Kingdom but it was become a great parâ—â—â— the Policy thereof and an essential ingâ—edâ—ent of the Constitution of our legal Government and therefore Sir it would have been Impossible for you and your party to have supplanted our Religion which was and is still our legal Right without overthrowing all those Laws which sâ—cure it to us So that having you on their side were the King once dead their Religion would be exalâ—ed to its greatest Grandâ—ur and Flourish in these Nations as much as at any time since the Conqueâ—â— is in effect to say that our whole Government should be overturned and all our Laws subverâ—â—d which iâ—â—itled us to the Protestant Religion truly when these Things wâ—re disâ—â—vered to the Parliament it was thought that your Brother and his Parliament would have mâ—â—e Provision in order to the Nations Security buâ— this I must sâ—y That if in the aforesaid Letter there was any thing worthy of Consideratiâ—n iâ— dâ—th appâ—â—r that if there had â—â—en any such Provision made you and your Accâ—mplicâ—s did 〈◊〉 design any â—enâ—fit to Accâ—uâ— to us but on the other Hand the 〈◊〉 of our Laws and the removal of the Obstruction of all your Designs 2. Noâ—withstanding your despâ—ir of being able to Establish your Romish Faiâ—h and Worship as long as â—our Brother lived by reason of his Unsteadiness and what not yet your Secretary was considâ—nt of seeing all this Accomplished you had never greater hopes since your Queen Maries Time than at that Juncture you might as well have told uâ— That you were resâ—lved to Remove him but you and Coleman in the two last years Letters were Pâ—â—in and Pithy and there you tell us That you were resolved upon the Point Nay Coleman was so sure of his Point That he told Godfrey that is was out of the Power of Mâ—n to Baffle the Design and laughed at the Discovery as a very Vain undertaking but this and other Hints at several Times cost Jusâ—ice Godfrey his Life for if he had lived he could have testified very much of what he had revealed to him and had promised to make a considerable Discovery of your Sirs Proceedings in his Correspondences and Negoâ—iations abroad 3. If that we had the Benefit of the two last years Correspondency we should have found how Strong and Powerful your Confâ—deracy had been against the Protestant Religion and Interest within these Kingdoms for it could not be the Jesuits alone nor your foreign Combination that could give you the hopes of such a Change in the Government or had you not intended the Death of the King your Brother and Coleman himself owned in one of those Letters that all his former Correspondency was but fooling till they came to resolve of removing the main hinderance to the effecting their Design 't is true you had the Engagement of the most Eminent Persons of the Kingâ—om that were of that Communion but they were not a foundation sufficient for you to build your hopes upon of Establishing Rome's Religion and French Slavery till you had destroyed the King your Brother for as long as he lived he did through his Cunning and Cowardize put many Remoras in your way he was good at undertaking but when any thing came to be put in Execution then he commonly quitted the Pit as loving to sleep in a whole skin whether with or without his Whores nay rather than he would have the least Trouble he could part with the Popish Religion which he loved most of all 4. That though your Brother was of your Religion and had been a Dog in a String to you in all your accursed Plots and Conspiracies even to merit the greatest care and duty from you yet because for the lucre of 1250000 l. he had mâ—de Concessions against your party that pleased you not therefore like your self you were filled with Rage and vowed to revenge your Self upon him all which we should have seen in wordâ— at Length the old Lord Anglisey had them in keeping but you had wheedled your Brother to take that Paladium out of his Costody and to put it into Sir Philip Floyds in Order to preserve them for the Parliaments Consideration then sitting but there were so many Passages that would have Exposed you to the Censure of a Parliament even to the Hazard of your Head and many of your Brothers Faults would have been Published in the said last two years Correspondence that it was rather thought fit to Commit them to the Flames or otherwise to Stifle them than that they should be made Public we had Sir Philip Examined before the Committe of Lords that then sat in the Lord Privy Seals Lodgings and then he promised to give Them and the House of Peers Satisfaction concerning the said Letters buâ— the Parliâ—ment was dissolved and through your Procurement the use of Parliaments laid aside then I and my Friends persued the Villainâ— to the Councel he was so Guiâ—ty in that Affair that the then Villainous Councel did think him fit to be removed and he was for some time suspended but you never left your Brother till he was restored aâ—d so all was lost and the Nation could never have the Benefit of the Discovery those Letters had made of your villainous Undertaking in Relation to your Brothers Blood but you dâ—d the business at last and invaded the Crown and held it till you run away so that at long 〈◊〉 you made us an amends for all the Villainies you had Committed 7. A seventh Testimony was the Lord Barkshires Letters they were so Plain that the said Noble Lord thought fit to Rub of as not being able to Sâ—and the rest of them and upon his Death-Bed did Confess the Design that was then carrying on by you and your Accomplices for the Great and Fatal Blow I Challenge all the World that heard those Letters read in the Committe of Lords then sitting in the Lord Privy Seals Lodgings whether there could be a 〈◊〉 Demonstration of your Conâ—piracy I am sure all that heard them preâ—ended at 〈◊〉 time to be fully sâ—tisfiâ—d and 〈◊〉 Confidenâ— were your Brother now alive he would no◠〈◊〉 the world that 〈◊〉 Letters hastened the Proâ—ogation and Dissolution of the long Parliament and of the sending you into Flanders 〈◊〉 the Sâ—orm that threatned you was blown over for no sooner
Party 10. A great number of Officers that were Papists had been imployed and several under half Pay and many other Things of the like Nature All which Particulars laid before your Brother in this Address justify the Credit the Evidences of the Popish Plot had in Parliament But that I may not leave you so I pray peruse the Address it self it was a Swinger I 'll assure you and much to the purpose The humble Address of the Commons in Parliament assembled Presented to his Majesty Munday the 29th of Nov. 1680. May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE your Majesty's most Obedient and Loyal Subjects the Commons in Parliament assembled having with all Duty and Regard taken into our serious Consideration your Majesty's late Message relating to Tangier cannot but account the present Condition of it as your Majesty is pleas'd to represent in your said Message after so vast a Treasure expended to make it useful not only as one Infelicity more added to the afflicted Estate of your Majesty's faithful and loyal Subjects but as one result also of the same Counsels and Designs which have brought your Majesty's Person Crown and Kingdoms into those great and imminent Dangers with which at this Day they are surrounded and we are the less surprised to hear of the Exigencies of Tangier when we remember that since it became a part of your Majesty's Dominions it hath several Times been under the Command of Popish Governors particularly for some Time under the Command of a Lord impeach'd and now Prisoner in the Tower for that execrable and horrid Popish Plot that the Supplies sent thither have been in a great Part made up of Popish Officers and Soldiers and that the Irish Papists amongst the Soldiers of that Garison have been the Persons most countenanced and encouraged To that part of your Majesty's Message which expresses a Reliance upon this House for the Support of Tangier and a Recommendation of it to our speedy Care we do with all Humility and Reverence give this Answer That although in due Time and Order we shall omit nothing incumbent on us for the Preservation of every Part of your Majesty's Dominions and advancing the Prosperity and flourishing Estate of this your Kingdom yet at this Time when a Cloud that hath long threatned this Land is ready to break upon our Heads in a Storm of Ruin and Confusion to enter into any further Consideration of this Matter especially to come to any Resolutions in it before we are effectually secured from the imminent and apparent Dangers arising from the Powâ—r of Popish Persons and Counsels we humbly conceive will not consist either with our Duty to your Majesty or the Trust reposed in us by those we represent It is not unknown to your Majesty how restless the Endeavors and how bold the Attempts of the Popish Party for many Years last past have been not only in this but other your Majesty's Kingdoms to introduce the Romish and utterly to extirpâ—te the Protestant Religion The several Approaches they have made towards the compassing this their Design assisted by the Treachery of perfidious Protestants have been so strangely successful that 't is matter of Admiration to us and which we can only ascribe â—o an over-ruling Providence that your Majesty's Reign is still continued over us and that we are yet assembled to câ—nsult the Means of our Preservation This bloody and restless Party not content with the great Liberty they had a long time enjoyed to exercise their own Religion privately among themselves to partake of an equal Freedom of their Persons and Estates with your Majesties Protestant Subjects and of an Advantage above them in being excused from chargeable Offices and Employments hath so far prevailed as to find Countenance for an open and avowed Practice for their Superstition and Idolatry without controul in several Parts of the Kingdom Great swarms of Priests and Jesuits have resorted hither and have here exercised their Jurisdiction and been daily tampering to pervert the Consciences of your Majesty's Subjects their Opposers they have found means to disgrace and if they were Judges Justices of the Peace or other Magistrates to have them turned out of Commission and in contempt of the known Laws of the Land they have practised upon People of all Ranks and Qualities and gained over divers to their Religion some openly to profess it others secretly to espouse it and most conduced to the Service thereof After some time they became able to influence Matters of State and Government and thereby to destroy those they cannot corrupt The Continuance or Prorogation of Parliaments has been accommodated to serve the Purposes of the Party Money raised upon the People to supply your Majesty's extraordinary Occasions was by the prevalence of Popish Counsels imployed to make War upon a Protestant State and to advance and augment the dreadful Power of the French King though to the apparent Hazard of this and all other Protestant Countries Great Numbers of your Majesty's Subjects were sent into and continued in the Service of that King notwithstanding the apparent Interest of your Majesty's Kingdoms the Addresses of the Parliament and your Majesty's gracious Proclamations to the contrary Nor can we forbear to mention how that at the beginning of the same War even the Ministers of England were made Instruments to press upon that State the acceptance of one Demand among others from the French King for procuring their Peace with him That they should admit the publick Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion in the Vnited Provinces the Churches there to be divided and the Popish Priests to be maintained out of the publick Revenue At home if your Majesty did at any time by the Advice of your Privy Council or of your Two Houses of Parliament command the Laws to be put in due Execution against Papists even from thence they gained Advantage to their Party while the Edge of those Laws was turned against Protestant Dissenters and the Papists escaped in a manner untoucht The Act of Parliament enjoining a Test to be taken by all Persons admitted into any publick Office and intended for a Security against Papists coming into Employment had so little effect That either by Dispensations obtained from Rome they submitted to those Tests and held their Ofces themselves or those put in their Places were so favourable to the same Interests that Popery it self has rather gained than lost Ground since that Act. But that their Business in hand might yet more speedily and strongly proceed at length a Popish Secretary since executed for his Treasons takes upon him to set a foot and maintain Correspondencies at Rome particularly with a Native Subject of your Majesty 's promoted to be a Cardinal and in the Courts of other foreign Princes to use their own form of Speech for the subduing the pestilent Heresy which has so long domineer'd over this Northern World that is to root out the Protestant Religion out of England and
sort of Vermine that are branded for infamous Rogues and so it is no great matter what they say but for the generality of Protestants they have received the Discovery of the Popish Plot with Hearts that were thankeful both to God and their Deliverers And let me tell you for all your Sneering that our sober Protestants are Men of as much Learning and Knowledge and as acute in Judgment as ever your Party were since the Usurpation of the Bishop of Rome Sit down and once in your Life time look like Men. Protestants are Men free from silly Superstition Men of a clearer and more noble Religion which inspires a clearer and a more Illuminated Reason that ever Popery could ever pretend to do and truly you and your Party must Imagine that the sence of the Protestant Party within these three Kingdoms was so stupid that they could not understand Truth from Fals-hood without the assistance of your gracious Vindication but Truly you had better have let the business alone for you and your Popish Crew have so weakly defended the Point of your Innocency that you have Spoiled your Cause but you have your Reward for the great peice of Service you did your selfe and Party and so good Night Mr. Innocency and let us heare what you have further to say to this Charge in hand why the World should not believe you and your Party guilty of carrying on that Horrid Design to Murder the King your Brother and subvert our Laws Liberties and Religion Obj. 2. You and your Papists used to say that it is not the Clamour of the Hainousness and Horrour of a crime impuâ—ed but the Guilt and cleare Conviction of a crime proved that renders Man accountable to Justice What a prâ—tty sort of an Irish Evasion you have found ouâ— One would think that Tom Jenner or Franck Wyâ—hens or old Robin Wright your famous Chief Justice had been teaching you some weak Rudiments of that little cunning they had to help you in the time of Need but whether they had or have not it s much alike to me let me aske you this one fair Question Did Coleman and the rest of those Traytors that suffered for that Conspiracy lie only under the single imputation of a Crime Were not some indicted fairly tryed fully heard and were not wanting to themselves in the least to make their Defence Nor did the Courts Judicatures want patience to heaâ— them and they were upon full Evidence Convicted and Condemned others impeached in Parliament by the Commons of England why sure Mr. Wise-acre you will not make this a single Imputation Nay I will appeal to Jack Carâ—yll himself if this be not many degrees beyond a single Imputation come Sir by your leave and the leave of Mrs. Pugg and his Welsh Highness it was no Clamour that prosecuâ—ed your Villaines but by a Proof allowed by all the Courts of Justice and by the High Authority of both Houses of Parliament bring but half so much proof of your Honesty for ought I know you may yet do mighty things for your Self and Party Obj. 3. That as Treason is the worst of Crimes so is the stain of Innocent Blood when shed by Perjury hard to be washed of Ans. I suppose you â—udge this to be a Peice of Newes I pray Sir was it not put into the last Paris Gazette or into your friend Dyers News Letter I suppose you thinke the Sons of Men here as ignorant as you and your Party have been foolish and Knavish but to put the Matter out of doubt you and your Crew say no thing but what all the World knowes already But where was â—your Proof of any Act of Perjury Committed its true you by your St. Omers Boyes did make three or four Attempts up on me and by a number of Whores and Rogues you battered at me twice and you were defeated and your forces fled to the place from whence they came in six or seven Years after when my Witnesses were Dead or durst not Appear and you having two Villanous Juries you made a fresh Attack Rallied all your Forces and then you carried your Point by the help of your four â—ambskin Rogues then sitting in the Kings Bench and you paid dear for it it cost you 3037 l. 9 s. 6 d. besides the Subornation Money old Hodge received to make him and his inferiour Bumms merry and for half the Money with such Judges and two such Juries a Man might have Convicted twenty Men of a far greater and better Reputation in the World then ever I could pretend too nevertheless I defie the worst of my Enemies to charge me with any hard Thing that was in my Power to have avoided But pray Sir what was my being in Town or my not being in Town in the Month of April or Irelands being in Town or not being in Twon in the Month of August 1678 to the whole Discovery of the Popish Plot though Truth of both those Points for which you like a Villain Suborned Witnesses against me so that I suffered the greatest Barbarities that ever were heard of or seen since the supposed Conquest What I say was all this to the purpose to Colemans Letters and those of the then Lord Berkshire that Confest upon his Death-Bed the whole Conspiracy therefore you and your Party shall not need to make such a stir about the Convicting of me of two pretended Perjuries but you might as well have Convicted me for being one of my Lord Mayor of Londons Coach Horses or Jack Gibbons for writing a Traytorous Letter against your Brother that was never blessed with the Gift of Writing and Reading in his whole Life time yet he was Accused upon Oath by some of your Suborned Crew and lay in Prison upon the said Accusation for six Months and you would have blessed the poor honest Man with a decent hanging had not the Villany of your self and Party been detected but as I said before so I say again I shall stand by the Truth of what I have Sworn to the last Minute of my Life and could you have brought five Parliaments to have owned and justified your Honesty and your keeping your Coronation Oath you took or should have taken you would not have been driven ouâ— of your native Country from the enjoyment of your Crown you acquired by the Murther of your own Brother to be a Fugitive and Vagabond as a just reward for all your Perjuâ—y and villanous Conspiracy against the Religion Laws and Liberties of these three Kingdoms Therefore you have no such Cause if the matter were well examined to make such a noise about Perjury and my being Convicted for Perjury nor nor Mr. Prate-apace your broken Colonel nor Mr. Wind and stink your Logger head of a Warden nor Dr. Tickle-pitcher his Name-sake no nor Mr. Pass-maker That was so lewd that he was capable of nothing but the Priesthood for being to bold with a certain Seal of a Friend of his when he
assured the Fathers of the Society here in England that the then Pope would not be wanting when any considerable progress was made in that undertaking you know what it was and it shall be laid before you in its proper place that you might not fail of the Popes assistance you had Sir Henry Tichhorne whom you constituted an Agent at Rome to negotiate your affairs with the Pope and Cardinal Howard was always ready to do his part but was much concerned to see that you made such use of Peter Talbot who was an impudent false fellow and always spoiled the business in which he was engaged and that the Pope did not much approve of Talbot's being made privy to any thing of weight but alas nothing could wean you from him and therefore it was to no purpose to perswade you but come to the point there was never yet any Conspiracy carried on but that Romish Prelate hath been at one end or another of the same I pray observe Sir what disturbances and fatal mischiefs the claim and exercise of the Papal Authority and Jurisdiction hath occasioned both to Princes and People that were of the Church of Rome therefore you might have reasonable hopes that the Pope would give you his assistance to convert three Kingdoms that had so long groaned under the burthen of Heresie and Schism for certainly when you were pleased to communicate your zeal to accomplish so mighty a work he had the same mighty mind which he expressed by his Tears when he read your Letters not for Grief but for the great Joy that the good old Gentleman had conceived for the great progress you had made in the advancement of the Catholick Religion and withal engaged to write to the French King to persevere in his good intention of furthering so good a work which Letters were carried by Tichborne and were graciously and most humbly received by Lewis your friend who was much encouraged when he saw your Brother and you blest with such an Ally Barrillon acquainted your Brother with the Pope's zeal for his being delivered from the Parliament it is well known that he closes in with every part of the design but that of his own life that your party did not communicate to him lest he shauld have begged their pardon and not have consented to be so far engaged I dare say you could not blame him it is necessary to put you in mind that Coleman made the same propositions to Cardinal Howard as you had done to the French King and he by your direction signified the great sence you had of the friendship of Lewis your Ally and of the great readiness there was in you to make such improvements of that his friendship with all those good Offices that you were capable of all which was by him the said Cardinal to be communicated to the Bishop of Rome nay he pressed the said Cardinal to use his Interest with the Pope to press the French King to engage the King of England if possible to dissolve that Parliament that was so great a Bar to your carrying on your design for the advancement of the Catholick Religion and in order to this work the Pope was accordingly pressed and he wrote to the French King to press the King your Brother to dissolve the Parliament and further to encourage him with the offer of his Purse as he had done to you but the Pope when the Cardinal discoursed him concerning a new Parliament judged no Parliament of England would ever engage in the design of restoring the Cotholick Religion therefore he thought that what was to be done must be without a Parliament and that the French King ought to consider what an advantage it would be to his greatness to be liberal in a work of this importance for whereas an old Parliament hath been hurtful to the Catholicks a new Parliament can never be supposed to do them any good therefore the good old Gentleman would by no means hear of a Parliament and so his opinion and yours was much alike but wondered at the Earl of Arlington concerning whom he was pleased to say in his Letter to the French King that he was represented to him to be a good Catholick notwithstanding the heavy charge you brought against him the said Arlington to his most Christian Majesty and withal the Cardinal by the express command from his Holiness did assure you of his Holiness his Friendship and withal he sent you his Benediction And when your design was ripe and almost ready to be put in execution the Fathers were assured that the Bishop of Rome would supply you with a competent summ of Money when he was satisfied that you had made some progress in the mighty work that you had upon your hands and truly Sir it was an expression of very great zeal in the Bishop of Rome if you will consider how he supplied the Emperour against the Male-contents in Hungary tho the Apostolic Chamber was then much in debt as it was a signal manifestation of his zeal to stand by you with his Purse so it is a proof not to be denyed that he was a mighty assistant to you in this mighty work 4. You had the Crown of Spain for your assistance in this mighty work for though Don John of Austria and the then Queen Regent of Spain was at difference about some things in relation to the Government and their own private interests yet they both agreed to joyn with you in this work of changing both the Religion and Government of this Kingdom and Circular Letters were by them both dispatched throughout the dominions of Spain and with some difficulty they raised two hundred thousand Dollars for the service of that part of the design which was to be carried on in Ireland and was paid by some Irish Merchants residing at Galloway at which Coleman was angry and thought that you ought to have had the management of the Money since that you were at the head of the design of restoring the Catholick Religion in the three Kingdoms but you reprehended Coleman since the Merchants there had paid in the Money to the Popish Arbhbishop of Dublin who was ready at your command to transmit the Money whenever you should see iâ— necessary and besides all this your Brother had a great desire at that time to borrow that very Money of you which you could the more readily deny whilst it was out of your power 5. Another support you had for the carrying the mighty work upon your hands was the Crown of Portugal and Russel the English Bishop of Portlegrah pressed the Prince of Portugal to contribute to the carrying on of the great design then in hand and had his Messengers sent about to the Religious of that Kingdom when you had raised for you the summ of fifty thousand pounds and a certain Lady was much concerned that no greater summ could be raised thence since she had prevailed with the Generals of the respective
to the Murther and Plot made such Discoveries that the two Houses began to look about them with more diligence and caution than ever in regard it plainly appear'd that you as well as the Jesuites were at the bottom of all this Villany or the Wheel within the Wheel which some of your Protestant Rogues were not privy to Well here you have an account of the Discovery Prance confesseth the Murther Dugdâ—le comes in and Jennison and Smith and many others I shall speak of them in their proper places Methinks you droop take a Glass of true Nants and give Mrs. Pugg another if it be not good for her Milk it may be good for her Water and so it 's all one bring the Sucking bottle to the little Welch Cub that we may have no noise for if he doth I will call for Will. Fuller your Puggs Page of Honour to jerk the young Kâ—ave if he be not quiet for he is as intimately acquainted with his true Mother if the Gentleman says the Truth or can speak Truth as your sweet self I suppose he was one of your Privy-Councellors once at St. Germain's and may pretend to have Authority in that case But I must stick to my point and come to a second thing I promised and that is to shew the reason of this Discovery 2. Was there such a Design on foot to destroy the King extirpate the Protestant Religion and subvert the Government and ought not this to be discover'd What if the Queen-Dowager were in it and you and the Court-Whores and the Court pimps and Court-Bawds and some of the Ministers of State and Justice and your villanous Council at St James's must they not be detected Were we to be afraid to speak the Truth No Sir it was not high time to speak Truth Yes Sir it was high time and more than high time But yet your Brother good man to save you and your party did in the month of November 1678 offer me at Secretary Coventry's Apartment the Bishoprick of Chichester and also promised me the Favour of advancing me if I would desist this Enterprize as he call'd the discovery of the Popish Plot assuring me that it would not be for his Service because of the heat it would put the people into and further told me That the Parliament would forsake me and not do any thing for me and if I had a Thought of complying with him I should meet him at the Prince's Lodgings but I went to the Prince and told him what the King had said who when he heard me give him an account of what the King had offer'd me and upon what terms The poor man said the Prince doâ—h court his own Ruine the most of any man I know And the Prince advis'd me not to meddle nor make with any thing of that Nature for said the Prince either he will cheat or expose you or if he be real there is an old Wife in the case who will be set on you to draw you off from the good work you have began or perhaps to do that which is worse and so I refused that offer and let me tell you farther that upon the discovery of the Plot several Papers were found at the House of one Jolliff a Taylor I did observe that CHARLES I. of Blessed Memory had commissionated several of the Irish to Rise and withal I saw the Instructions that were given to them to give the English no quarter and I saw a Letter of your Fathers to the Bishop of Casal as near as I can remember wherein he promised his Catholick Subjects that if he were driven through the necessity of Affairs to cause a Cessation of Arms it should not be for the Disadvantage of his Irish Catholick Subjects but to let them have a little time to breath so that they might be the better able to serve him and themselves against the Factious English there if there should be any remaining amongst them all which were carried to White-hall and what became of them I know not I saw also in those Papers found as aforesaid at the House of the said Jollife several Passes given to those of the Rebels that fled out of Ireland upon the reducing of that Country and notwithstanding they had shed much Protestant Blood they were by your Brother and you recommended to several Ministers of the Court of Spain and several other Princes of the Romish Religion as persons that had served your Father in reducing their Country to the Obedience of the Catholick Church and that had contributed much to the destroying of the English Hereticks that had planted themselves in that Kingdom Give me leave to observe farther to you that the Jesuits did tell me that the coming over of the Princess Henrietta was in order to make way for restoring the Catholick Religion here in England and that the Breach of the peace with the Dutch was by you and her contrived and by the late King consented to in order to reduce those States to the Catholick Faith and that it was thought fit to begin the Exercise of the Romish Religion in Ireland and to grant a general Toleration here in order to which sixteen hundred Priests of all orders were sent over from divers Nations and that the most of 'em were kept here on a maintenance for secret Service and others by your self in half Pay as disbanded Officers but this being all defeated by Parliament by your Brothers Assent they were much irritated against the King your Brother and so was your sweet self and furthermore the Jesuits acquainted me that the King your Brother had dispatched an Envoy to the King of Poland to engage him in the Catholick League for at that time the Catholick Princes as he said were resolved to extirpate the Protestant Religion and that the French King and your Brother and your self were Heads of this League which League they said your Brother had not carefully kept and observed but had given way to his impertinent Parliaments but that they might not hinder this good Design the French King had agreed to your Request of 300000 l. per Ann. for 3 years if by any means your Brother might be dispatched out of the way there being no manner of trust to be put in him and that he was not only unfaithful in all his Promises and Oaths made to them the said Jesuits and Catholicks but was an Apostate from the Catholick Religion and therefore not to be endured any longer This Negotiation of the mony Part of the Conspiracy and killing your Brother was carried on by the Lord Powy's and the late Earl of Berkshire and Coleman and St. Germain the Jesuit by and with the advice of the Jesuits and those of your Council at St. James's and your good worthy self It will not be inconvenient to put you in mind that your Brother was a mortal Hater of the Protestant Religion and the way of Governments by Parliaments for do but observe a Letter
yet if you had not come up to the point of killing your Brother you must have been destroy'd as well as he and I do believe that they never was sure of your arriving at that pitch of Courage for I will tell you that there were some of the Blackwan Papists that were for the destroying of you both but their Counsel was rejected for that you were heartily engag'd in that part of the design which related to your Brother's death but they always fear'd that you would not be much capable of their Counsel and Advice whenever you came to the Crown but truly you deceived them all for you Thanks be to God proved as thorow paced a Tyrant as our Hearts and Souls could desire and it was that and only that which did deliver us from you 5thly Give me leave to add a fifth Observation which is well worth your Judicious Consideration for I know you to be a man of great Sense and Ingenuity therefore it will not be amiss to put you in mind and observe to you they did not only preach against all the Princes of Europe in general but against your Brother in particular that he was an Heâ—etick and therefore condemned to what to Death by whom By the Jesuits all over Christendom and the whole Church of Rome for what cause Because he had engaged to set up the Catholick Religion and had broke his word he had received the Sacrament on Easter Day in the morning from Ireland your Jesuit and then from the Church of England at noon he had wounded the Catholick Cause to death by the Test Bill therefore in the first place they declared him a Bastard then a Heretick and then commanded their Young â—ry not to pay Obedience to an Heretical Prince and had I not been Privy to their Design I should have argued thus with my self that since there are so many Protestant Kings and Princes in Christendom why then should they aim thus at the King of England more than the rest of the Protestant Princes but truely I found that it was but a brave Adventure The Jesuits and you well knowing that the rest would follow of Course for they used to say that neither of the two Northern Crowns were worth there contending for till England was gained and if England was once subdâ—ed to the Catholick Faith the rest could not hold out against them therefore as a Prologue to that the war against Holland was commenc'd that with more ease they might extirpate Heresie and had that Potestant State been ruined what could the rest of the Princes of Europe do against France and England these were the Summ and Substance of the debates of your Councellours at St. James's which we had from your Servant St. Coleman you may say what reason had these men to propose to themselves this Advantage whence was this to arise to this I answer 1. You was the next in view after Charles the second that was to sâ—cceed to the Crown and you being a Papist it was no matter of surprize to me nor do I think that it is now to any rational thinking man that they to further and hasten your Succession should with you conspire the destruction of the King your Brother who was the only Obstacle in your way to the Throne I hope thâ—â— you have some about you that are not so unacquainted with the History of England as not to know that your Great Grandmother the Queen of Scots was engag'd with the Popish Party in several Conspiracies against Q. Elizabeth in order to the said Queen of Scots coming to the Crown she being next in descent to the said Queen Elizabeth and truly as long as the Scottish Queen lasted our Queen Elizabeth was never out of Danger Hence it was that our Fore-fathers were so sensible of the Queens Danger which made them to enter into an Association throughout all the Kingdom even in an interval of Parliament in which Association they mutually obliged themselves in case the said Queen Elizabeth should be taken off by any undue means to avenge it upon the Papists and they were not for this taunted at bythe Queen for a parcel of Factious and Rebellious Rogues but received as her dutiful and loyal Subjects and the Parliament passed it into a Law by the Consent of the said Queen Truely Sir your Rogues well knew that should they lose that Opportunity and Advantage of your being a Papist and having Hopes of your Coming such to the Crown for the Re-establishment of the Popish Religion they might never enjoy such an Opportunity again these your Villains perceived that the King your Brother was in all Humane Judgement more likely to live longer than you therefore it was highly necessary to anticipate the course of Nature and not trust matters of such Consequence as the Restoration of the Romish Religion to such a Contingency as your Brothers dying in a natural way before your sweet self nay rather than they would be ouâ— your Popish Astrologer was consulted and the Judgement that he gave was that the King in the Course of Nature would out-live you then you and your Party were resolved that he was to be cut off that his Life might not prevent the great Glory of Englands having a Catholick King which would be of such Advantage to the Holy Chair that you and they purposed to employ such Case harden'd Villains as should not boggle at striking the fatal Blow and though you was pleased to smile at that time upon some that called themselves Proteâ—tants yet they found themselves out in their Accounts when you came to the Crown they saw that they had foolishly sâ—attered themselves with the vain Hopes of having high Church secured for Sir you well knew that it did not become a Man of your Religion to be a Slave to your Word and Faith especially to those you judged Hereticks 2. They well knew that you was not only of the Popish Religion but that you was bigotted to that Religion give me leave to wipe that â—notty Nose of yours with a little passage of your St. Câ—leman God hath given us a Prince said that Holy Traytor who is become to a miracle zealous of being the Author of so glorious a Work Now Sir that Work this great Saint and Martyr of your making Points at was the Conversion of three Kingdoms that was the mighty Work upon your Hands and as you had a mighty work so you had a mighty Zeal for the carrying on that work I am Sir of an Opinion that your Cut-throats would have been contented to have had a Papist of an indifferent Zeal upon the Throne provided they would but have kept him Steady but to have such a Prince that was converted to that degree of Zeal as that he valued nothing in the world in Comparison of his Religion was of far greater Consequence to them than the High Church Cox-combs at that time were sensible of there have been Kings that have been
by their seditious and false Constructions of what we had so candidly and sincerely done for their Good and surprised with a Vote of our House of Commons against our Writs of Elections which we intended for their Satisfactions against many presidents of ours or without any colour of Law of their side denying our power to Issue out such Writs addressing to us to Issue out others Which we consented to do at their request choosing rather to yield to our Subjects in that Point than to be forced to Submit to our Enemies in others hoping that our Parliament being sensibly touched with that our extraordinary Condescention would go on to consider the public Concern of the Kingdom without any further to do But we found another use made of our easie Compliance which served to encourage them to ask more so that soon after we found our Declaration for indulging tender Consciences Arraigned voted Illegal though we cannot to this day understand the Consistences of that Vote with our undoubted Supremacy in all Ecclesiastics recognizing by so many Acts of Parliament and required to be Sworn to by all our Subjects and Addresses made to us one after another to recal it which we condescended to also from hence they proceeded to us to weaken our self in an actual War and to render many of our Subjects of whose Loyalty and Ability we were well satisfied inoapable to serve us when we wanted Officers and Souldiers and had reason to invite as many experienced Men as we could to Engage in our Arms rather than to Incapacitate or Discourage any yet this also we gratified them in to gain their Assistance against our Enemies who grew high by these our differences rather than expose our Country to their Power and Fury hoping that in time our People would be confounded to see our concessions and be ashamed of their Errours in making such demands But finding the unfortunate Effects of our Divisions the following Summer we found our Parliament more Extravagant at the next meeting than â—ver Addressing to us to hinder the Consummation of our dear Brothers Marriage contrary to the Law of God which forbideth any to separate any whom he hath joyned against our Faith and Honour engaged in the solemn Treaty obstinately persisting in that Address after we had acquainted them that the Marriage was then actually ratified and that we had Acted in it by our Ambassadour so that we were forced to separate them for a while hoping they would bethink themselves better at their meeting in January instead of being more moderate or ready to consider our wants towards the War they Voted as they had done before not to Assist us still till their Religion were effectually secured against Popery Aggreivances redressed and all obnoxious Men removed from us which we had reason to take for an absolute denyal of all Aid considering the Indefiniteness of what was to proceed and the Moral impossibility of effecting it in their Sences for when will they say their Religion is effectually secured from Popery if it were in Danger then by reason of the insolency of Papists When our House of Commons which is made up of Members from every corner of our Kingdom with invitations publicly posted up to all Men to accuse them has not yet in so many years as they have complained of them been able to Charge one single Member of that Communion with so much as a Misdemeanor or what security câ—â—ld they possibly expect against that body of Men or their Religion more than we had given them Or how can we hope to live so perfectly that Study and Pains may not make a collection of Grievances as considerable as that which was lately presented to us than which we could not have wished for a better Vindication of our Government or when shall we be sure that all obnoxious Men are removed from us when common Fame thinks fit to call them so which is to every body without any proof sufficient to render any Man obnoxious who is Popishly affected or any thing else that is ill though they have never so often or lately complyed with their own Tests and Marks of Distinction and Discriminations finding our People thus unhappily disordred we saw it impossible to prosecute the War any longer and therefore did by their advice make a Peace upon such conditions as we could get hoping that being gratified in that darling Point â—hey would at least have paid our Debts and enabled us to have built sâ—me Ships for the future security of our Honour and their own Properties but they being transported with their success â—n asking were resolv'd to go on still that way and would needs have us put upon the removing of our Judges from those charges which they have always hitherto heâ—â— at the wâ—â— and pleasure of the Crown out of our Power to alter the ancient Laws of trying of Peâ—â—s and to make it a Premunire in our Subjects in a case supposed not to sight against our self nay some â—ad tâ—e heart to ask that the Hereditary Succession of our Crown which is the Foundation of alâ— our Laws should be changed into a sort of Election they requiring the Heir to be qualified with cerâ—ain conditions to make him capable of succeeding and out-doing that Pâ—pish Doctrine which we have so long and so loudly with good reason decryed that Heresâ—â— incapacitates Kings to Reâ—gn They would have had that the Heir of the Crown marrying a Papist though he continued never so orthodâ—x himself should forfeit his Right of Inheâ—itance not understanding this paradoxical waâ— of securing Râ—ligion by destroying it as this would have done that of the Church of England which always taught obedience to their Natural Kings as an indâ—spensable duty in all good Christians let the Religion or Deportment of their Pâ—ince be what it will and not knowing how soon that impediment which was supposed as sufficient to keep out an Heir might be thought as fit to remove a Possâ—ssâ—ur And comparing that Bill which would have it a Prâ—muniâ—e in a Sheriff not to raise the Posse Comâ—â—atus against our Commission in a case there supposed though we our self should Assist that our Commission in our Person for not being excepted is â—mpâ—â—ed with the other made by this very Parliament in the 14th year of our Reign which all our Subjects or at least many of them were obliged to Swear viz. That the Doctrine of taking up Aâ—ms by the Kings Authority against his Person was detestable and we soon found that the design was level'd against the good Protestant Religion of our good Church which its Enemies had a mind to blemish by slâ—â—ing in sâ—â—â—y thâ—se daâ—â—nable Doctrines by such an Authority as that of our Parliament into the profession of our Faith or Practices and to expâ—se our whole Religion to the Scorn and Reproaâ—h of themselves and all the World we therefore thought it our duty to be so watchful as to prevent the enemy
reasoning But to secure his most Christian Majesty from any hazard as to that point I propos'd his Majesty should offer that sum upon that condition and if the condition were not perfomed the Money should never be due if it were and that a Peace would certainly follow thereupon which no Body doubted his Majesty would gain his Ends and save all the vast expences of the next Campaign by which he could not hope to better his Condition or put himself into more advantagious Circumstances of Treaty then he was then in but might very probably be in a much worse considering the mighty opposition he was like to meet with and the uncertain Chances of War But admitting that his Majesty could by his great strength and Conduct maintain himself in as good a Condition to Treat the next year as he was then in which was as much as could then reasonably be hoped for be should have saved by this Proposal as much as all the Men he must needs lose and all the charges he should be at in a year would be valued to amount to more than 300000 l. sterl and so much more in case his Condition should decay as it should be worse then it was when this vvas made and the Condition of his R. H. and of the Catholic Religion here vvhich depends very much upon the success of His most Christian Majesty delivered from a great many frights and real hazards F. Ferryer seem'd to be very sensible of the Benefit all parties vvould gain by this Proposal But yet it vvas unfortunately delay'd by an unhappy and â—edious â—it of sickness vvhich kept him so long from the King in the France Comte and made him so unable to vvait on his Majesty after he did return to Paris But so soon as he could compass it he vvas pleased to acquaint his Majesty vvith it and vvrote to the Duke himself and did me the Honour to vvrite unto me also on the 15th of September 1674. and sent his Letter by Sir William Throckmorton vvho came express upon that Errand In these Letters he gave his R. H. fresh assurance of his most Christian Majesties friendship and of his Zeal and Readiness to comply with every thing His R. H. had or should think â—it to propose in favour of Religion or the business of Money And that he had commanded Monsieur Rouvigny as to the latter to Treat and deal with his R. H. and to receive and observe his Orders and Directions but desired that he might not at all be concerned as to the former but that his R. H. would cause what Proposition he should think â—it to be made about Religion to be offered either to Father Ferryer or Mounsieur Pompone These Letters came to us about the middle of September and his R. H. expected daily when Monsieur Rouvigny should speak to him about the subject of that Letter but he took no notice at all of any thing till the 29th of September the evening before the King and Duke went to Newmarket for afortnight and then only said that he had Commands from his Master to give his R. H. the most firm assurance of his Friendship imaginable or something to that purpose making his R. H. a general Complement but made no mention of any particular Orders relating to Father Ferryer's Letter The Duke wondering at this proceeding and being obliged to stay a good part of October at Newmarket and soon after his coming back hearing of the Death of Father Ferryer he gave over all further prosecuting of the former Projects But I believe I saw Monsieur Rouvigny's policy all along who was willing to save his Masters Money upon assurance that we would do all we could to stave off the Parliament for our own sakes that that we would struggle as hard without money as with it and we having by that time upon our own Interest prevailed to get the Parliament Prorogued to the 13th of April he thought that Prorogation being to a day so high in the Spring would put the Confederates so far beyond their Measures as that it might procure a Peace and be as useful to France as a Dissolution Vpon these Reasons I suppose he went I had several discourses with him and did open my self so far to him as to say I could wish his Master would give us leave to offer to our Master 300000 l. for the Dissolution of the Parliament and shewed him that a Peace would mâ—st certainly follow a Dissolution which he agreed with me in and that we desir'd not the Money from his Master to excite our wills or to make us more industrious to use our utmost powers to procure a Dissolution but to strengthen our Power and Credit with the King and to render us more capable to succeed with his Majesty as mâ—st certainly we should have done had we been fortified with such an Argument To this Purpose I press'd Mounsieur Pompone frequently by Sir William Throckmorton who returned hence again into France on the 10th of November the day our Parliament should have met but was Prorogued Mounsieur Pompone as I was informed by Sir William did seem to approve the thing but yet had Two Objections against it First That the Sum we proposed was Great and couâ—d be very ill spared in the circumstances his Most Christian Majesty was in To which we Answered That if by his Expending that Sum he could procure a Dissolution of our Parliament and thereby a Peace which every body agreed would necessarily follow His Most Christian Majesty would gain his Ends and save Five or Ten times a greater Sum and so be a good Husband by his Expence and if we did not procure a Dissolution he should not be at that Expence at all for that we Desired â—â—m only to promise upon that Condition which we were content to be Obliged to perform first The Second Objection was The Duke did not move nor appear in it Himself To that we Answered That he did not indeed to Mounsieur Pompone because he had found so ill an effect of the Negotiation with Father Ferryer when it came into Mounsieur Rouvigny 's hands but that he had concerned himself in it to Father Ferryer Yet I continued to prosecute and press the Dissolution of the Parliament detesting all Prorogations as only so much loss of time and a means of strengthning all those who depend upon it in Opposition to the Crown the Interest of France and Catholic Religion in the Opinion they had taken That our King durst not part with his Parliament apprehending that another would be much Worse Second That he could not live long without a Parliament therefore they must suddenly Meet and the longer he kept them Off the greater his Necessity would grow and consequently their power to make him do what they listed would increase accordingly And therefore if they could but maintain themselves a while the day would certainly come in a short time in which they should be
a sum as 20000. l. sterling which is no very great matter to venture upon such an undertaking as this I would be content to be Sacrificed to the utmost Malice of my Enemies if I did not Succeed I have proposed This several times to Mounsieur Rouvigny who seemed always of my Opinion and has often told me that he has Writ into France upon this Subject and has desired me to do the like But I know not whether he will be as Zealous in that point as a Catholick would be because our prevailing in these things would give the greatest Blow to the Protestant Religion here that ever it received since its Birth which perhaps he would not be very glad to see especially when he believes there is another way of doing his Masters Business well enough without it which is by a Dissolution of the Parliament upon which I know he mightily depends and Concludes that if that comes to be Dissolved it will be as much as he needs care for proceeding perhaps upon the same manner of Discourse which we had this time twelve months But with submission to his better Judgment I do think that our Case is extreamly much altered to what it was in Relation to a Dissolution for then the Body of our Governing Ministers all but the Earl of Arlington were entirely united to the Duke and would have Governed his Way if they had been free from all Fear and Controul as they had been if the Parliament had been Removed But they having since that time Engaged in quite different Councels and Embark't themselves and Interests upon other Bottoms having declared themselves against Popery c. To Dissolve the Parliament simply and without any other step made will be to leave them to Govern what way they list which we have Reason to suspect will be to the prejudice of France and Catholic Religion And their late Declarations and Actions have Demonstrated to us that they take that for the most Popular way for themselves and likeliest to keep them in absolute Power whereas if the Duke should once get above them after the Tricks they have plaid with him they are not sure he will Totally forget the Vsage he has â—ad at their hands Therefore it imports us now to Advance our Interest a little further by some such Project as I have Named before we Dissolve the Parliament Or else perhaps we shall but Change Masters a Parliament for Ministers and continue still in the same Slavery and Bondage as before But one such step as I have proposed being well made we may safely see them Dissolved and not fear the Ministers but shall be Established and stand Firm without â—â—y Opposition for every Body will then come over to us and Worship the Rising Sun I have here given you the History of three years as short as I could though I am afraid it will seem very long and troublesometo your Reverence among the multitude of affairs you are concern'd in I have also shewn you the Present State of our Case which may by Godâ— Providence and good Conduct be made of such advantage to Gods Church that for my part I can searce believe my self awake or the thing real when I think on a Prince in such an age as we live in converted to such a Degree of Zeal and Piety as not to regard any thing in the World in comparison of God Almighty's Glory the Salvation of his own Soul and the Conversion of our poor Kingdom which has been a long time opprest and miserably harrast with Heresy and Schism I doubt not but your Reverence will consider our Case and take it to heart and afford us what help you can both with the King of Heaven by your holy Prayers and with his Most Christian Majesty by that great Credit which you most justly have with him And if ever his Majesties affairs or your own can ever want the service of so inconsiderable a Creature as myself you shall never find any body readyer to obey your Commands or faithfuller in the Execution of them to the best of his power than Your most Humble and Obedient Servant By all this we may see that you were deeply ingaged not only in the Plot in general but also in the particular design of the great work for the not doing of which you were much blamed by Lewis the French King this much affrighted the King your Brother who himself by that great work Judged you engaged with Coleman and the Jesuits to destroy him and was once of Opinion that it was necessary to have secured you but his Opinion was altered and you escaped but iâ— that the two last Years Letters of Coleman had not been by you Stifâ—ed you would have then let the world have seen Four main Points 1. That the Life of your Brother the King was by you and your Cut-throats Judged to be the main Obstruction to the compleating your Designs and whilest he lived all your Affairs would be Embarassed if not Defeated for against his Promise and his Allyance made with Lewis the French King he had recalled Liberty of Conscience passed the Test Bill made Peace with the States General and refused to Comply with his own Word and Promise of Dissolving the Parliament by which the French King would have gained a more Advantageous Peace and would sooner have been in a Condition to have let you have had his Aid as well as his Purse well then it seems your Cut-throats did in some measure appear as despairing of carrying your Point during his Life can you Imagine then that we must not Conclude without the breach of good Manners that you and they were hastening his Death this therefore made the Life of the King more dear to his People and it ought to have made him more careful of his own Safety but that Prince that God designs to destroy is delivered up to strong and strang delusions to the end he may be destroyed for not receiving the Truth that relaâ—â—s to his own Peace and Safety I remember in a Letter of this Colemans to Lachaise upon the Marriage of the Prince of Orange he saith thus That the Catholics of England are sorry for the Match but if things were so managed that he may be removed that stands in the gap the Catholic Religion must needs flourish again in England for as much as his Masters Stedfastness and hearty-Zeal of Accomplishing that great Work was not a whit abated and that he did not question but to remove the main Obstacle in time nay he gave such an Incomium of the Queen's Zeal for the Catholic Religion that she would be brought to any thing and plainly said that it was more than time That the French King should Conclude a Peace to joyn in with them this Sir is no laughing Matter this very Passage gave your Brother such sad Apprehensions in the Princâ—s Lodgings that I thought he would have dyed away but the Prince gave him such Advice as
ruine any Man that stands in either of your ways the Doctrine you have been taught will induce any thinking Man to believe your Practice and both your Practises and his do sufficiently prove the Damnableness of the Doctrin you have received 3. A third Testimony that I shall urge in this case is the Evidence that was given in by William Johnson and Joseph Wright upon the Fifteenth day of May 1679 before the Lords Committees sitting in the Lord Privy Seals Lodgings who say that one Jonathan Smith a Papist supposing these two Informants to be of the same Religion said that he knew the King was a Papist and the rest of the Nobles of the Kingdom also and that there was scarce one of them but that had Romish Priests in their Houses this Smith also declared that he had his Maintenance from the Lord Stafford's House that Mr. Smith the then Steward to the Lord Stafford was his Uncle and believed that several Priests were in the Lord Stafford's House Upon which the Lords Ordered to search the Lord Stafford's House and to seize all dangerous Papers and Persons but notice being given to the Conspirators the Priests and Papers were conveyed to St. Jameses to be graciously disposed of as you should think fit and when the Lords had notice of it there could be nothing further done in the Affair because your Brother the King to give the Rogues a Taste of his Royal Favour raised the Parliament and sent them home when they were in the midst of their Work in Discovering the horrid Villanies of your self and Party 4. That Evidence that Mr. Prance gave in to the then Marquiss of Winchester now Duke of Bolton on the Nineteenth of March 1678 9 The said Marquiss being then One of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex and City and Liberty of Westminster THIS Examinant saith That he and Mr. Maddison a Barber in Holborne and Mr. Staley were Drinking at the Cross Keys Tavern over against Staleys House about a Fortnight before the said Staley was taken where complaining of the great Persecution that the Papists lay under and if that they did not take some speedy course to destroy their Enemies they should be ruined the said Staley and Maddison resolved to Kill the Earl of Shaftsbury as the ring leader of the Mischief that would fall upon them Maddison said that he would engage three to wit Adamson a Watchmaker and Prosser a Silversmith and Bradshaw an Upholster and the said Maddison coming afterwards to this Deponents Shop shewed the Deponent a Pistol he had prepared for that Purpose this Deponent further saith That meeting the said Adamson at one Pettleyes at the White-posts in Veres-street and discoursing of News Adamson said they should be undone if they did not look about them therefore they were resolved to Kill the Lord Shaftsbury he also speaking the same thing to this Deponent at the Grid-iron in Holborn this Deponent further saith That the aforesaid Prosser told him he was undone and that he intended to Kill the Lord Shaftsbury for he with other of the Lords intended to undo the Lord Arundel of Wardour who was one of his best Customers the said Prosser telling the said Deponent another time That he was to be an Ensign under the Lord Arundel this Deponent further saith That Bradshaw in discourse with him saith that he would make no more to kill a Protestant than to kill a Dog or a Cat and that he was resolved to Kill some of the busie Lords but the first should be the Lord Shaftsbury and the said Bradshaw also shewed him the Deponent a Pistol at the same time this Deponent further saith that he the Deponent and Mr. Messenger Prosser and Maddison were at Bradlies in Holborn about five weeks before Staley was taken where the said Messenger was complaining of the severity of the Laws against the Papists and much fearing they would be put in Exeâ—ution against them by some that were no lovers of them and particularly by the Lord Shaftsbury who did most busie himself about them said that there must be speedy Course taken to prevent it And this Deponent further saith that some time after the said Prosser told him that the said Messenger was the Person that Promoted the killing the Lord Shaftsbury the Deponent further saith That Mr. Goseen told him both in Covent Garden and in the Deponents Shop that the King and Parliament would undo them and that if he were to kill a Man he would as soon kill the King as any Man and if he had him in Spain he would have killed him ere this This Deponent further saith that about six Months since he heard Mr. Matthews the Lord Peters Priest say that his Lord and the Lord Belasys with some other Lords would have a great Army and that he hoped the Catholick Religion would be setled in England This Deponent further saith That about a Year since he heard Mr. Singleton a Priest say in the presence of Mr. Hall that he hoped he should be setled in a Parish Church before a twelve month and that he did not fear but that the Catholic Religion would Reign in England and that he would not make any more matter of Stabbing forty Parliament Men than to eat his Dinner This Deponent saith that he hath also heard Mr. Byflet and Dr. Guilding say several times that they turned divers People from the Protestant Religion and that they hoped they should turn many more the Deponent also believeth that the said Hall knows where the said Singleton Byfleet and Guilding are for that they used to be always at Halls house and the said Hall always received the Money for the said Singleton which was to be distributed for Masses for the Dead This Deponent further saith that Mr. Groves told him that this was no Plot but a Plot of the Protestants own making and when his Vncle was Condemned he said they were all Rogues that Swore against him the Deponent then asking him what he thought of the four thousand Men which he knew were to be raised the said Groves replied that might be in Jest the Deponent further saith that Mr. Ridley a Chyrurgeon at the Lord Baltimores house in Wild-street told him several times that he hoped to be Chyrurgeon to a Catholic Army in England and that the Lord Belasis would stand his Friend in the Concern This Deponent further saith that the Lord Arundel of Wardours Butler told him that Mr. Messenger was to kill the King and that he was to have a good Reward if he saved his Life and if he were killed the said Reward should be distributed amongst such Friends as he should appoint by the Lord Arundel the Earl Powys and the rest of the Lords that were in the same Plot This Deponent further saith that meeting with Mr. Messenger after that he asked the said Messenger why he would kill the King the said Messenger answered who told you of it the
theirs that might tend to the fixing of their Religion upon such a sure Foundation as should not be in the Power of any number of Men to destroy and in good sooth Landlord you was resolved to keep pace with these Villains rather than you would hazard the destroying an old rotten Carcase by any remisness in obeying the commands and following the Councels of your Ghostly Hell-born Crew 3. That your Prosecution of me for Perjury upon that Point was most illegal and unjust and could never have been contrived against an English Gentleman but by a parcel of Villains that valued neither what they said or swore and incouraged by your self that had vowed a revenge against me for discovering and breaking the neck of so fair a Design in which you and they were ingaged but God hath pretty well rewarded you for your Grace and Favour to me in that point in this World what he may do in the next he knows best you would do well to sit down and consider with your self the charge and pains you were at in that Affair and if you would have turned but a Jew for half the Money with the help of your lewd Priest that prates in the Neighbourhood of that Religion you might have convicted me of being a circumcised Mahumetan 7. Another Testimony that I shall produce is Mr. Oliver de Fequett and Francis Verdier concerning Colombiere a Jesuit and Preacher to Mrs. Modena your old Comrade who acquainted the Parliament that he had communication with Coleman who endeavoured to pervert Fiquett to the Popish Religion saying that he knew the King to be a Catholick in his Heart and that the Parliament should not always be Master but in a little time all England should change and furthermore he diverted Fiquetâ— from going to Oxford to his Study promising to recommend him to Father Lachaise the French Kings Confessor he further testifyed that you good Sir expressed much satisfaction in it at which this Fiquett was much surprised but my old Landladies Priest told him that he ouâ—ht not to wonder at that seing you were a Roman Catholic and often received the Sacrament which was confirmed by this said Câ—lombiere his Servant with many other Particulars and Verdier was perswaded to become a Roman Catholick by the saying that the King was a Papist in his heart this Evidence was given to the House of Lords by these two Men. 8. Another Testimony that was produced to prove this Devilish Design of yours was Captain William Bedloe who testified that several of your Jesuits with Coleman and others were in frequent Consultations about the introducing of Popery and he named several Jesuits as Whitebread Ireland Fenwick Harcourt all which he charged home and your Servant Coleman in a most especial manner for whom he carried over a Packet of Letters to Father Lachaise to which he brought an Answer this Coleman did say in the hearing of Mr. Bedloe that he would venture any thing to bring in the Popish Religion and that if he had a â—undred Lives and were to go through a Sea of Blood he would venture all to further the Cause of the Church of Rome that itâ— Religion and Worship might be Established here in England and that he valued not the destruction of one hundred Herâ—tical Kings and if the said Bedloe had lived he would have given the World an Account of a Consult held at Sommerseâ— House at which were several Persons which would have turned up your Plot by the roots you know there was a little Woman concerned there as well as you but a Word is enough to the Wise But since it pleased God to take the poor Man out of the World its fit but you should have an Account of what that villain of Cheif Justice S. Francis North I mean was pleased to bless us withal but as it is I pray take it he tells you that at his first coming to one Mr. Rumsey's House where he was to lodge at Bristol upon Munday 16. of August 1680. in the afternoon being the first day of the Assizes Sir John Knight came to the Judge and said that Mr. Bedloe lay dangerously ill of a Feavor and had little hopes of Life and desired him that he would give him a visit that he might impart something of great Consequence before his death and the Judge â—â—ld Sir John that he would give Mr. Bedloe a visit that night after Supper about nine of the Clock provided that he might be Satisfied of two things 1st that there was no infection in his Distemper 2ly that the time would not be Inconvenient but that Mr. Bedloe might discourse him the Judge without prejudice to his Condition after some time two Physitians came to the Judge and assured him that there was no danger of infection and that the time he had appointed would be most proper for commonly he took his repose in the Afternoon and at nine a Clock he would in all probability be refreshed and fit to discourse with him thereupon the Judge declared his resolution of going and desired the Company of the two Sheriffs and his worthy and trusty Brother Roger North and ordered his Marshal William Janes to go with him as these Persons were upon the way Mr. Grossman a Minister in that City acquainted this Judge that Mr. Bedloe desired him to wait upon the Judge to this Mr. Bedloes House the Judge said it was very well he should be glad of his Company whereupon they went altogether and being come into the Room where Mr. Bedloe lay the Judge saluted him and said that he was extream sorry to find him so ill assuring him that he came to visit him upon his own desires and did Imagin that Bedloe might have something to impart to him as a privy Councellour and therefore if he thought fit the Company might withdraw but Bedloe told the Judge that needed not yet for he had much to say that was proper for the Company to hear and having saluted the Sheriffs and Mr. Crossman he discoursed to this effect or purpose That he looked on himself as a dying Man and found within himself that he could not last long but must shortly appear before God to give an Account of all his Actions and because many Persons had made it their business to baffle and deride the Plot he did for the Satisfaction of the World there deâ—lare upon the Faith of a dying Man and as he hoped for Salvation That whatever he had testified concerning the Plot was true and that he had wronged no Man by his Testimony but had testified rather under than over what was Truth and that he had nothing that lay upon his Conscience upon that Account he said that he had many Witnesses to produce who would make the Plot as clear as the Sun and that he had other things of great importance â—o discover These dying Words of Mr. Bedloe did go a great way with all true Protestants and indeed some of your own
Family should be brought to publick Justice within the Memory of Man that would be an unpardonable Fault but what could not be done in 78 was done in 88 and so it 's all one in the Original only a parcel of honest Men were murdered to please your good Worship that you might not bid England Farewell with dry Lips but Sir some of your Ignorant Crew might ask why you would consent that it might be so much a Plot of the Jesuites truly Sir the necessity of Money to pay your Popish Army and Sir John Whitelips thought you would do well to consent to that or else you could not have found a Cripple in all Westminster no nor in White-Hall or the Cockpit and a Cripple you must have or not one Penny would be given therefore the Project was tryed to see what a Cripple the Popish Plot would make therefore when your Brother had opened old Veracity with his Lockram Jaws began to tell the Parliament of a Plot ay and a Plot of the Jesuites and the old Coxcomb made such a Stir with the Plot as if be were resolved that the Plot was to be a Cripple for nothing else but to countenance you and your Cattle in some further Roguery or to get Money at least but the Parliament instead of resolving upon Money they joyn together with the Lords and resolved if possible to get to the bottom of it and turning it over and over they found my Testimony to be very full against five of your Popish Lords and the Earl of Barkshire's Letters made a Sixth notoriously Guilty but he did in 1678 fairly rub of for he was as much affraid of being called to an Account by the Government as you in 1688 was of being called to an Account by the Prince of Orange notwithstanding your being born free your Popish Lords were the Viscount Stafford the Lord Arundel of Wardour the Earl of Poâ—is the Lord Petre and the Lord Belasys against these I was a witness and therefore I shall put you in mind of what I testifyed against those Impudent Traitors and I will give you a Particular of the Charge I gave in against every one of them As for Stafford I will not trouble you with any further matter against him but put you in mind that he was to have been your Paymaster General of your Popish Army and no doubt but he might have been as dexterous in that Affair as your old Greasie Guts was who I think is famous to this day for nothing but his cheating of three Kings and to give him his due I think there is no great hope of his being better unless his young Mistress's Pranks can do any good upon him as for old Stafford you had dipt him in and the poor Fellow hath paid the Debt due to his Faults and therefore I shall say no more of him 1. The said Lord Arundel in a Memoâ—ial of his to Thomas Whitebread that was hanged for this Conspiracy which was to be turned into Latin and sent to the Memorial of the Jesuits wherein an Account was to be given to the said Father General of the Progress that was made in the Affairs of England for the carrying on of the Design or the mighty Work you then had upon your mighty Mind and mighty Hands which Memorial consisted of these nine Particulars 1. That he with others of your Council at St. James's had procured several zealous Protestants who Persecuted the Papists to be turned out of the Commission of the Peace in Wiltshire and several other Counties in the Kingdom and that care would be taken to clear the Commissions of such Men as should not stand well affected to the Catholick Party 2. That the Laws made since the coming in of the King your Brother relateing to Religion excepting the Test Bill did rather tend to the disadvantage of the Phanatiques then Catholicks 3. That the Lord Powis had endeavoured to procure several Governours in and about Wales and had procured some to deliver up their Government into the hands of Catholicks when others in the Dominion of Wales by giving them several Summs of Money and that he did not Question but that he should procure the Interest of the Isle of VVhite and Portsmouth because that Sir Robert Holmes would appear in any Circumstance his Lordships humble Servant and a word was enough to the Wise and to Encourage them he was pleased to tell them that he was so sure of Portsmouth that there would be no resistance when the French Fleet should come 4. That most of the Justices of the Peace then in Commission especially about the North were Men easy to be drawn on to Countenance the Proceedings of the Catholicks 5. That the General of the Jesuits should be assured that Sir William Godolphin your Ambassador in Spain had been very true to the trust Committed to him by the Fathers of the Society of the Kingdom of England and Ireland 6. That the Lord Arundel would venture his Life and Fortune to Satisfye the expectations of the General of the Society of Jesus and the whole Order That a Stone should not be left unturn'd to promote the Catholick Religion and if that you had not complied with them as you did they would have served you the same Sauce as they designed for your Brother for that they were as sure of the Aid and Power of the French King as ever you was and would have compleated their Design without you had not you given them fresh Instances of your Resolutions to bear up in the Cause then in hand and to tell you the truth they could have been contented that you had been more â—it for their purpose than indeed you were and the Reason the Lord Arundel gave was because that you was not a Man either â—it to Govern or Receive advice but what you wanted in Understanding you made up in your Zeal and therefore they were the more willing to join with you but your Brother had cheated them so often that there was no trust to be put in him 7. That he was confident that they might begin to build Colleges and erect Schools before a Year to an end and that he himself had procured several Catholick Schoolmasters to be connived at especially a School near to VVinchester the Masters name of which was Taytour 8. That he wondred that he had received nothing from the Pope when as there were such assurances made to Mr. Coleman by Cardinal Howard in the Month of July 1677. 9. That he was an humble Servant to Father General and the whole Society and desired that his Humble Duty might in a most especial manner be Presented to him and thanked him for his last kind remembrance of him 10. That though he had spent several Hundreds of Pounds upon repairing his House in Wiltshire yet he would not be wanting to appear in carrying on the Design This Memorial you were Privy to excepting to assign that Clause in the sixth Particular
very Obsequious to the Strumpets that were about him yet do but observe what Credit the Parliament of England gave the Witnesses and that through the Power of Truth and Energy that was in the Testimony they gave 1. Upon the Testimony they received from me when I was a single Testimony upon the first of November 1678 the Lords and Commons past this Vote viz. Resolved Nemine Contradicente That upon the Evidence that hath already appeared to this House that this House is of Opinion that there hath been and still is a Damnable and Hellish Plot Contrived and Carried on by the Popish Recusants for the Assassinating and Murthering the King and for the Subverting the Government and Rooting out and Destroying the King To which Vote the Lords agreed Nemine Contradicente 2. The Lord Chancellour Finch that famous Tool reported upon the 28th of November 1678 the effect of a Conference desired by the Commons that upon hearing of the Testimony of Mr. Bedloe and my self that they were in an Amazment when they considered in what danger the Person of the King your Brother was and his Government whereupon they prepared an Address to be presented to the King your Brother to which they desired the Concurrence of the House of Lords and they had the Concurrence of the House of Lords in the said Address and it was accordingly presented to the said King on the 29th by both Houses so that you and your Villains may see that the Discovery of the Popish Plot was not so small a Matter as you would seem to make of it 3. Observe the Address of Parliament on the 21st of March 1679 in which the Parliament did lay before the King your Brother the great Sence they had of the sad and Calamitous Condition of this Kingdom occasioned chiefly by the Impious and Malicious Conspiracies of the Popish Party who had not only Plotted and intended the Distruction of the King your Brother but the total Subversion of the Government and the true Religion established amongst us and therefore they Prayed that a Day might be set a part for Fasting and Prayer and accordingly a Day was set apart but I suppose though you knew of that Day you nor none of your Villains ever kept it 4. Observe the Vote of the 24th of March 1679 Resolved Nemine Contradicente by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and by the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled That they are fully satisfy'd by the Proofs that they have heard that there now is and for divers Years last past hath been a horrid and Treasonable Plot and Conspiracy contrived and carried on by those of the Popish Religion for the Murthering of his Majesties Sacred Person and for the Subverting of the Protestant Religion and the ancient and well established Government of this Kingdom To which Vote Sir give me leave to remind you of the Impeachment of the five Popish Lords upon which Impeachment the Lord Viscount Stafford was tried and found Guilty and suffered the Pains of Death as a Traytor to the King and Kingdom and so fully satisfyed was the Parliament of the Integrity and Truth of the Witnesses that they intended to have proceeded against the rest of the Traytors that none of them could have escaped the Justice of the Nation had not they been dissolved in a most Arbitrary manner 5. Observe the Proceedings of the Parliament against Nathaniel Reading Esq who Corresponded with the Lords in the Tower that stood Impeached for the Popish Plot in their Address to the King your Brother upon the 8th of April 1679 in which they set forth the Inquiry they had made into the Hellish Design that was carried on by the Papists against the Person and Government of the King your Brother and upon Examination they found that he the said Reading had used his utmost endeavours to prevent and suppress the Kings Evidence and as much as in him lay to stifle the Discovery of the said Plot and and thereby to render the same Fallacious and of no Reality and by such undue Means to prevent the Malefactors from coming to Justice therefore they prayed that a Commission of Oyer and Termâ—er might be issued forth for the trying of the said Reading for that Offence Reading was tried and was found Guilty and therefore would have you take notice of what was said by the then Lord chief Justice North when he gave Judgment upon the said Reading I will tell you says he your offence is so great and hath such a Relation to that which the whole Nation is concerned in because it was on attempt to baffle the Evidence of that Conspiracy which if it had not been by the mercy of God detected God knows what might have befallen us all by this time and still the Parliament have it under their Consideration how to prevent any farther mischief by it but this Villain of a Cut-throat had the grace to join with your Brother and you to stifle it as I shall shew you in the next Part of this your sweet Picture 6. Observe the Address of the House of Commons upon the 14th of May upon the Assurance that the King your Brother had given the then Parliament of his constant Care to do every thing that might preserve the Protestant Religion and Government they did upon the said Assurances represent to the King your Brother the deep Sense they had of the state of Religion and shewed the King that the Papists by their Designs against his Person and Government which the said Parliament was resolved to defend gave themselves hopes of Success therefore the Parliament were resolved to apply themselves to the making such Laws as might defeat those Popish Adversaries of their Hopes of gaining any Advantage by any Attempt they should at any time Form against the Person of the King your Brother 7. Another Instance of the Credit the Discovery of the Popish Plot had you may see in this Address of the House of Commons to the King your Brother The ADDRESS to his Majesty from the Commons Saturday Nov. 13 th 1680. May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE your Majesty's most loyal and obedient Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled having taken into our most serious Consideration your Majesty's gracious Message brought unto us the Ninth Day of this instant November by Mr. Secretary Jenkins do with all Thankfulness acknowledg your Majesty's Care and Goodness in inviting us to expedite such Matters as are depending before us relating to Popery and the Plot. And we do in all humility represent to your Majesty that we are fully convinced that it is highly incumbent upon us in discharge both of our Duty to your Majesty and of that great Trust reposed in us by those whom we represent to endeavour by the most speedy and effectual Ways the suppression of Popery within this Kingdom and the bringing to publick Justice all such as shall be found guilty of the horrid and damnable Popish
Plot And though the Time of our Sitting abating what must necessarily be spent in the chusing and presenting a Speaker appointing grand Committees and in taking the Oaths and Tests appointed by Act of Parliament hath not muâ—h exceeded a Fortnight yet we have in this Time not only made a considerable Progress in some Things which to us seem and when presented to your Majesty in a Parliamentary Way will we trust appear to your Majesty to be absolutely Necessary for the Safety of your Majesty's Person the effectual Suppression of Popery and the Security of the Religion Lives and Estates of your Majesty's Protestant Subjects But even in relation to the Tryals of the Five Lords impeached in Parliament for the execrable Popish Plot we have so far proceeded as we doubt not but in a short Time we shall be ready for the same But we cannot without being unfaithful to your Majesty and to our Country by whom we are intrusted omit upon this Occasion humbly to inform your Majesty that our Difficulties even as to these Tryals are much encreased by the evil and destructive Counsels of those Persons who advised your Majesty first to the Prorogation and then to the Dissolution of the last Parliament at a Time when the Commons had taken great Pains about and were prepared for those Tryals And by the like pernicious Counsels of those who advised the many and long Prorogations of the present Parliament before the same was permitted to sit whereby some of the Evidence which was prepared in the last Parliament may possibly during so long an Interval be forgotten or lost and some Persons who might probably have come in as Witnesses are either dead have been taken off or may have been discouraged from giving their Evidence But of one mischievous Consequence of those dangerous and unhappy Counsels we are certainly and sadly sensible namely That the Testimony of a material Witness against every of those Five Lords and who could probably have discovered and brought in much other Evidence about the Plot in general and those Lords in particular cannot now be given Viva voce Forasmuch as that Witness is unfortunately dead between the calling and the sitting of this Parliament to prevent the like or greater Inconveniences for the future we make it our most humble Request to your Excellent Majesty that as you tender the Safety of your Royal Person the Security of your Loyal Subjects and the Preservation of the true Protestant Religion you will not suffer your self to be prevail d upon by the like Counsel to do any thing which may occasion in Consequence though we are assured never with your Majesty's Intention either the deferring of a full and perfect Discovery and Examination of this most wicked and detestable Plot or the preventing the Conspirators therein from being brought to speedy and exemplary Justice and Punishment And we humbly beseech your Majesty to rest assured notwithstanding any Suggestions which may be made by Persons who for their own wicked Purposes contrive to create a Distrust in your Majesty of your People that nothing is more in the Desires and shall be more the Endeavours of us your faithful and loyal Commons than the promoting and advancing of your Majesty's true Happiness and Greatness In which the Parliament laid before the King your Brother these following Particulars 1. The grateful Sense they had of his Care in his Message to them by Jenkins his Secretary inviting the Parliament to expedite the Matters that were then before them relating to Popery and the Plot. 2. That they were convinced that it was a Duty incumbent upon them to suppress Popery and to bring to Justice all such as should be found Guilty of the horrid and damnable Popish Plot. 3. That the King by his frequent Prorogations and Dissolutions of his Parliaments had rendered the Tryals of the Popish Lords more difficult by reason that a material Witness was dead 4. That the Person of the King your Brother was not safe till the Criminals in the Popish Plot were brought to Justice 5. That notwithstanding the wicked Suggestions of your self and villanous Party they were resolved to be true and faithful to the King your Brother 8. Observe the Address of the House of Commons to the King your Brother on the 29th of Nov. 1680. upon the Message he sent to the House of Commons about the Affair of supplying Tangier in which they laid before the King these following Particulars worthy of your remembring 1. They laid before the King that since Tangier had become part of his Dominions it had been formerly under the Command of Popish Governours but more particularly it had been for some time under the Command of a certain Lord that stood impeached by Parliament and a Prisoner in the Tower for the execrable and horrid Popish Plot. 2. That the Supplies sent thither were made up of Popish Officers and Irish Papists and that the Popish Party there were the Persons most countenanced and incouraged 3. The restless Endeavours of the Popish Party within this Kingdom to introduce the Romish Religion and to extirpate the Protestant Religion 4 The Assistance they had received from some perfidious Protestants in the Approaches they made for the Compassing their Designs viz. The Devil's Brokers and their nasty Passive Obedience Vermine that it was a Wonder of Wonders they had not dispatched old Pious for some time before 5. That the Popish Party made use of their being discharged from Offices by their not taking the Test to give themselves up to the practising their Idolatry and Superstition without controul in many Parts of the Kingdom and great Swarms of Priests and Jesuits had resorted hither in order to carry on the Plot and exercised their Jurisdiction and had been daily tampering to pervert the Consciences of the Subjects of England and the Judges and Justices of the Peace that had opposed them were in disgrace and turned out of the Commission in contempt of the known Laws of the Land and if they could not corrupt Men they attempted nothing less than to destroy them 6. That several Papists to serve a Popish Turn had not only taken the Oaths but subscribed the Test and held the Offices themselves or else there were those put in that were so favourable to the Popish Interest insomuch that Popery had rather gained Ground since the making the Test Act than lost 7. The Correspondences that your Secretary held with Cardinal Howard and the Courts abroad 8. That when the Plot began to be discovered the Popish Party began to smother it by the Murther of a Justice of the Peace within one of the King's Palaces 9. That the Papists reckoned the Life of the King your Brother the only Obstacle in the way and having you in their Eye whom they had gained to their Religion and Interest they were resolved to begin with the Assassination of the King your Brother and to carry it on with the Murther of the Protestant
the said Duke should succeed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm nothing is more manifest than that a total Change of Religion within these Kingdoms would ensue For the Preservation thereof be it Enacted by the King 's most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That the said James Duke of York shall be and is by the Authority of this present Parliament excluded and made for ever incapable to inherit possess or injoy the Imperial Crown of this Realm and of the Kingdoms of Ireland and the Dominions and Territories to them or to either of them belonging or to have exercise or injoy any Dominion Power Jurisdiction or Authority in ihe same Kingdoms Dominions or any of them And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if the said James Duke of York shall at any Time hereafter challenge claim or attempt to possess or enjoy or shall take upon him to use or exercise any Dominion Power or Authority or Jurisdiction within the said Kingdoms or Dominions or any of them as King or chief Magistrate of the same that then he the said James Duke of York for every such Offence shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures as in Case of High Treason And further That if any Person or Persons whatever shall assist or maintain abet or willingly adhere unto the said James Duke of York in such Challenge Claim or Attempt or shall of themselves attempt or endeavour to put or bring the said James Duke of York into the Possession or Exercise of any Regal Power Jurisdiction or Authority within the Kingdoms and Dominions aforesaid or shall by writing or preaching advisedly publish maintain or declare That he hath any Right Title or Authority to the Office of King or chief Magistrate of the Kingdoms and Dominions aforesaid that then every such Person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and that he suffer and undergo the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures aforesaid And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if he the said James Duke of York shall at any time from and after the Fifth of Nov. 1680. return or come into or within any of the Kingdoms or Dominions aforesaid then he the said James Duke of York shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures as in case of High Treason And further That if any Person or Persons whatsoever shall be aiding or assisting unto such Return of the said James Duke of York that then every such Person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer as in cases of High Treason And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That he the said James Duke of York or any other Person being guilty of the Treasons aforesaid shall not be capable of or receive Benefit by any Pardon otherwise than by Act of Parliament wherein they shall be particularly named And that no Noli prosequi or order for stay of Proceedings shall be received in or upon any Indictment for any of the Offences mentioned in this Act. And be it further Enacted and Declared and it is hereby Enacted and Declared That it shall and may be Lawful to and for any Magistrates Officers and other Subjects whatsoever of these Kingdoms and Dominions oforesaid and they are hereby enjoyned and required to apprehend and secure the said James Duke of York and every other Person offending in any of the Premises and with him or them in case of Resistance to fight and him or them by force to subdue for all which Actings and for so doing they are and shall be by Virtue of this Act saved harmless and indemnified Provided and it is hereby Declared That nothing in this Act contained shall be construed deemed or adjudged to disenable any other Person from inheriting and injoying the Imperial Crown of the Realms and Dominions aforesaid other then the said James Duke of York but that in case the said James Duke of York should survive his now Majesty and the Heirs of his Majesty's Body the said Imperial Crown shall descend to and be injoyed by such Person or Persons successively during the Life of the said James Duke of York as should have inherited and injoyed the same in case the said James Duke of York were naturally dead any thing contained in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That during the Life of the said James Duke of York this Act shall be given in charge at every Assizes and General Sessions of the Peace within the Kingdoms Dominions and Territories aforesaid and also shall be openly read in every Cathedral Church and Parish Church and Chappels within the aforesaid Kingdoms Dominions and Territories by the several respective Parsons Vicars Curates and Readers thereof who are hereby required immediately after Divine Service in the Forenoon to read the same twice in every Year that is to say on the 25th of December and upon Easter Day during the Life of the said James Duke of York Which Bill was Read thrice and Passed the House of Commons and upon its being Rejected in the House of Peers behold this Address to the King your Brother The humble Address of the House of Commons presented unto his Majesty upon Tuesday the 21 th of December 1680. in answer to his Majesty's Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament upon the 15 th Day of the same December May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled having taken into our serious Consideration your Majesty's gracious Speech to both your Houses of Parliament on the Fifteenth of this instant December and do with all the grateful Sence of faithful Subjects and sincere Protestants acknowledg your Majesty's great Goodness to us in renewing the Assurances you have been pleased to give us of your Readiness to concur with us in any means for the Security of the Protestant Religion and your gracious Invitation of us to make our Desires known to your Majesty But with grief of Heart we cannot but observe That to these Princely Offers your Majâ—sty has been advised by what secret Enemies to your Majesty and your People we know not to annex a Reservation which if insisted on in the Instance to which alone it is applicahle will render all your Majesty 's other gracious Inclinations of no Effect or Advantage to us Your Majesty is pleased thus to limit your Promise of concurrence in the Remedies which shall be proposed That they may consist with preserving the Succession of the Crown in its due and legal Course of Descent ond we do humbly inform your Majesty That no Interruption of that Descent has been endeavoured
by us except only the Descent upon the Person of the Duke of York who by the wicked Instruments of the Church of Rome has been manifestly perverted to their Religion And we do humbly represent to your Majesty as the Issue of our most deliberate Thoughts and Consultations That for the Papists to have their Hopes continued That a Prince of that Religion shall succeed in the Throne of these Kingdoms is utterly inconsistent with the Safety of your Majesty's Person the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Prosperity Peace and Welfare of your Protestant Subjects That your Majesty's Sacred Life is in continual Danger under the Prospect of a Popish Successor is evident not only from the Principles of those devoted to the Church of Rome which allow That an Heretical Prince and such they term all Protestant Princes excommunicated and deposed by the Pope may be destroyed and murthered but also from the Testimonies given in the Prosecution of the horrid Popish Plot against divers Traytors attainted for designing to put those accursed Principles into practice against your Majesty From the Expectation of this Succession has the Number of Papists in your Majesty's Dominions so much increased within these few Years and so many been prevailed with to desert the true Protestant Religion That they might be prepared for the Favours of a Popish Prince as soon as he should come to the Possession of the Crown And while the same Expectation lasts many more will be in the same Danger of being perverted This it is that has hardned the Papists of this Kingdom animated and confederated by their Priests and Jesuits to make a common Purse provide Arms make Application to foreign Princes and solicit their Aid for imposing Popery upon us and all this during your Majesty's Reign and while your Majesty's Government and the Laws were our Protection It is your Majesty's Glory and true Interest to be the Head and Protector of all Protestants as well abroad as at home but if these Hopes remain What Alliances can be made for the Advantage of the Protestant Religion and Interest which shall give confidence to your Majesty's Allies to join so vigorously with your Majesty as the state of that Interest in the World now requires while they see this Protestant Kingdom in so much Danger of a Popish Successor by whom at the present all their Counsels and Actions may be eluded as hitherto they have been and by whom if he should succeed they are sure to â—e destroyed We have thus humbly laid before your Majesty some of those great Dangers and Mischiefs which evidently accompany the Expectation of a Popish Successor the certain and unspeakable Evils which will come upon your Majesty's Protestant Subjects and their Posterity if such a Prince should inherit are more also than we can well enumerate Our Religion which is now so dangerously shaken will then be totally overthrown nothing will be left or can be found to protect or defend it The Execution of old Laws must cease and it will be vain to expect new ones The most sacred Obligations of Contracts and Promises if any should be given that shall be judged to be against the Interest of the Romish Religion will be violated as is undeniable not only from Argument and Experience elsewhere but from the sad Experience this Nation once had upon the like Occasion In the Reign of such a Prince the Pope will be acknowledged Supreme though the Subjects of this Kingdom have sworn the contrary and all Causes either as Spiritual or in order to Spiritual Things will be brought under his Jurisdiction The Lives Liberties and Estates of all such Protestants as value their Souls and their Religion more than their secular Concernments will be adjudged Forfeited To all this we might add That it appears in the Discovery of the Plot that foreign Princes were invited to assist in securing the Crown to the Duke of York with Arguments from his great Zeal to establish Popery and to extirpate Protestants whom they call Hereticks out of his Dominions and such will expect performance accordingly We further humbly beseech your Majesty in your great Wisdom to consider Whether in case the Imperial Crown of this Protestant Kingdom should descend to the Duke of York the Opposition which may possibly be made to his possessing it may not only endanger the further Descent in the Royal Line but even Monarchy it self For these Reasons we are most humble Petitioners to your most Sacred Majesty that in tender Commiseration of your poor Protestant People â—â—ur Majesty will be graciously pleased to depart from the Reservation in your said Speech and when a Bill shall be tender'd to your Majesty in a Parliamentary Way to disable the Duke of York from inheriting the Crown your Majesty will give your Royal Assent thereto and as necessary to fortify and defend the same That your Majesty likewise will be graciously pleased to assent to an Act whereby your Majesty's Protestant Subjects may be enabled to associate themselves for the Defence of your Majesty's Person the Protestant Religion and the Security of your Kingdoms These Requests we are constrained humbly to make to your Majesty as of absolute Necessity for the safe and peaceable Enjoyment of our Religion Without these Things the Alliances of England will not be valuable nor the People encouraged to contribute to your Majesty's Service As some farther means both of our Religion and Property we are humble Suiters to your Majesty That from hence-forth such Persons only may be Judges within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales as are Men of Ability Integrity and of known Affection to the Protestant Religion And that they may hold both their Offices and Salaries Quam diu bene se gesserint That several Deputy Lieutenants Justices of the Peace fitly qualified for those Employments having been of late displaced and others put in their Room who are Men of Arbitrary Principles and Countenancers of Papists and Popery such only may bear the Office of a Lord Lieutenant as are Persons of Integrity and known Affection to the Protestant Religion That Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace may be also so qualified and may be moreover Men of Ability of Estates and Interest in their Country That none may be imployed as military Officers or Officers in your Majesty's Fleet but Men of known Experience Courage and Affection to the Protestant Religion These our humble Requests being obtained we shall on our part be ready to assist your Majesty for the Preservation of Tangier and for putting your Majesty's Fleet into such a Condition as it may preserve your Majesty's Sovereignty of the Seas and be for the Defence of the Nation If your Majesty hath or shall make any necessary Alliances for defence of the Protestant Religion and Interest and Security of this Kingdom this House will be ready to assist and stand by your Majesty in the Support of the same After this our
humble Answer to your Majesty's Gracious Speech we hope no evil Instruments whatsoever shall be able to lessen your Majesty's Esteem of that Fidelity and Affection we hear to your Majesty's Service But that your Majesty will always retain in your Royal Breast that favourable Opinion of us your Loyal Commons That those other good Bills which we have now under Consideration conducing to the great Ends we have before mentioned as also all Laws for the Benefit and Comfort of your People which shall from time to time be tender'd to your Majesty's Royal Assent shall find Acceptance from your Majesty If this be not Demonstration that the Discovery of the Popish Plot had an universal Credit over all England I will never undertake to make any out for the future And this I must say That it is beyond Contradiction no Man of Sense ever standing in Opposition to that which is as plain as the Sun shining at Noon Day Therefore I will proceed in the tenth Place 10. The Judges of England gave it Credit Let me put you in Mind of what Judge Scroggs said at Irelands Tryal in his Charge to the Jury he saith thus It is most plain the Plot is Discovered and that by these Men that it is a Plot and a most Villanous one nothing is more plainer and when the Jury had found Ireland Pickering and Grove Guilty observe what he said to them you have done Gentlemen like very good Subjects and very Good Christians that is to say like very good Protestants and now much good may their thirty Thousand Masses do them Again in the Tryal of the Five Jesuits he saith thus This Gentlemans Blood lies upon you speaking of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and some have being Executed for it it must be yet further told you that in what you did you have given us a Specimen of what you would do we have a Testimony that for promoting your Cause you would not stick at the Protestants Blood the Letter saith he that was found in Harcourts Papers doth farther confirm Oats in all the great and considerable Matters that he says that there was a Plot and that that Plot was called by the name of a Design which was to be keep Close and Secret This is an Evidence that cannot Lye 2. Observe what your never to be forgiven Villain Jefferies said upon the Justices finding the five Jesuits Guilty of Treason Gentlemen you of the Jury There hath been a long Evidence given against the Prisoners at the Bar they were all Indicted Arraigned and farely Tryed and fully heard for High-Treason depending upon several Circumstances they can none of them pretend to say and I take the Liberty to take notice of it for the satisfaction of them and all that here present and all the World that not a Person among the Prisoners at the Bar were either wanting to themselves to offer or the Court to them to hear any thing that they could say for themselves but upon a long Evidence and a full Discussing the Objection made against it and a Patient hearing the defence they made they are found Guilty and I think every honest Man will say they are unexceptably found so and that it is a just Verdict you have given Again upon his giving Judgment upon Langhorne and the five Jesuits he said thus But your several Crimes have been so fully proved against you that truely I think no Person that stands by can be in any doubt of the Guilt nor is there the least room for the most Scrupulous Men to doubt of the Credibility of the Witnesses that have been examined against you and sure I am you have been fully heard and stand fairly conviâ—ced of those Crimes you were Indicted for I could give farther instructions of this Nature but I now come to an Eleventh instance which is the Credit the Witnesses had with the Lord Chancellour Finch who at Staffords Trial when he gave Judgment upon that Traytor he told him that now it was out of dispute who fired London and who it was that Murthered Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Answer Give me leave to observe a third thing to you by way of answer look back a little and reflect upon the Behaviour of the King your Brother in that Affair mistake not your self Sir the King your Brother did believe the Popish Plot and issued forth several Proclamations made several Speeches in Parliament that did shew his belief but Sir if he did not believe it his discourse of it was sutable to his Company he kept but this I must say that had he joined in with his Parliament in the discovery of it he might have been much more easâ—y in his Government and might have been upon the Throne and your head upon London Bridge for ought I know but this I will say your Villanous Party could never recover the blow they received by the discovery of that Plot and it was the first and chief moving Cause of the late Revolution and the bringing our King to the Throne and delivered the Nation from Popery and Slavery and notwithstanding my ill Usage I have received from unreasonable Men I shall not Repent of any thing that I have said or done concerning the Testimony I have given relating to the Villanous Rogues and Traytors therein concerned and your Worship was the chief of those never to be forgotten and never to be forgiven I say I shall not Repent though I have received the worst of Villanous usage from this best of Government and have been left to Starve I having been now deprived of the greatest part of my Pension these five or six Years against all manner of Justice to please one malevolent Rogue who never did one good Act in all his Life unless it were to cheat the old Rogue his Father out of an Estate 2. I come to answer a second Question and that to shew you to what end I made the discovery and 1. The first Reason was that the Body of Mankind might be undeceived concerning your self and Party that the impudent Lies of your Baals Priests made in your Praise and Commendation both as to your Religion Royalty and Love to the Nation might sufficiently be laid open so that they might not any longer deceive the People in that Point as they had done in the Doctrins of Passive-Obedience and Non ressistance 2. That the Nation might be so awakned to provide in a legal way for its own security and the security of its Laws and Religion for in Truth the Lethargy that the generality of this Nation then lay under which amazed some thinking Men and encouraged you and your vigilant Villains for some thought that upon the discovery of the Gun-powder Treason and upon the late Restoration of your Brother that the Popish Party had laid all their Designs aside but alas they pursued their designs more industriously since we were Cursed with your Brothers Company and yours than ever before and your Red-Letter'd Scoundrels had so started