true notwithstanding Mrs. Simmonds Ignorance of it for we all know all Men do not think fit in Undertakings of such danger and difficulties as this was of Printing and Correcting a Book of this nature to make their Wives acquainted with every thing they do in order to save themselves but what is this to Mr. Clifford's Evidence As to Mr. Odert's Transcribing of it and they printing it by his Copy and no other which as Mr. Milbourn the Printer has since assured me came all at once to them which wholly spoyls that Assertion of Dr. Walker's of bringing some of the last sheets to the Press by Dr. Gauden's Order Further What is this to Dr. Jerem. Tayler's getting leave by Letter of the King to change the Title from the Royal Plea with which they printed the first sheet into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Reasons Mr. Clifford in this Narrative asserts which wholly routs Dr. Gauden's Excuse to Dr. Walker when he thought he could not with a good Conscience write such a Book in the KING's Name and he Answered Look upon the Title who draws his own Picture These Accounts of Mr. Clifford ought to have been disproved by this Answerer or else the Evidence is as clear as the Sun at Noon and so I do not doubt will continue notwithstanding all this foolish barking at it but it is common when Men want Reason they fall to little and contemptible Cavils as our Author has here done Another thing I name for the weaking Dr. Walker's Assertion that Dr. Gauden was the Author of that Excellent Book of the King 's is what passed betwixt Dr. Meriton and Dr. Walker at the late Lord Mayors Sir Tho. Pilkington's I say Dr. Meriton told me that he put Dr. Walker to silence with the Story of Mr. Simmonds lending Dr. Gauden the Book and Dr. Gauden's transcribing it and so returning it to Mr. Simmonds again and that Mr. Marryot stood by heard the debate and did justifie Dr. Meriton's Conquest of Dr. Walker And what says my Adversary to this Why here he claps his Wings and Crows and says I have committed two Mistakes that the Discourse was not at dinner but after dinner and that Dr. Meriton began the discourse with Dr. Walker and not Dr. Walker with Dr. Meriton and by these two things he vainly fancies he has invalidated the whole Testimony Now suppose I did mistake as to these two petty Circumstances which I am pretty well assur'd I did not for Dr. Meriton told the story as occasioned by meeting together at my Lord Mayors dinner and did not as far as I can remember descend to such Minute particulars Pray good Reader What is this to the story it self namely The affirming he did so silence Dr. Walker that he had not a Word to say for himself Which is so true and will be upon just occasion attested by others as well as my self that I do here in the face of the World challenge Dr. Meriton or Mr. Marryot to deny one syllable of the substance of it either as to the one his telling his success in the dispute and the other justifying of it as really true The next thing I produce against Dr. Walker is Mr. Long 's Evidence and his attesting in two Letters to Dr. Goodall that Dr. Gauden did affirm to him that he was fully convinced that the Book was entirely the King 's own Work and what says my Answerer to this stabbing Evidence For for truly it is and I am sure gives the Faction a great deal of Vexation and foaming Rage why truly the Reply to this is very diverting Mr. Long writ the Vox Cleri and Mr. Long is against Free Prayer and Comprehension c. and what then is Mr. Long not to be believ'd because of his Opinion as to these things Has Mr. Long by any art of Immorality Sedition or Rebellion wholly forfeited his Credit or Reputation so that his Word is not to be taken No Reader upon a just Enquiry I find him to be a grave learned serious and pious Divine in that esteem amongst his Brethren that I will venture again to say That it is no disparagement to Dr. walker's Memory to assert that his Testimony is to be heeded and believed before Dr. Walker's and I am not willing to be provoked because the one of them is dead to give my Reasons for it There are two things more I give the World an Account of in my Defence of this Great Mans being the Author of that Book which were too hot for my Adversaries fingers and therefore he durst not touch them The one is Major Huntington's Story told from his own mouth by a Non-conformist-Minister to my self Namely That some of those Papers that were part of that Book were taken at Nazeby kept by General Fairfax and obtained from him by the Major and afterwards by him presented to the King and here I challenge him or any Man to deny the Truth of this Story and that because that Non-conformist-Minister is of such esteem and credit in London that I am sure they will blush to deny what he asserts if I should name him which I am ready to do when called by Authority The other Story is about Dr. Dillingham's asserting That he saw and read part of this Book of the King 's and that long before Dr. Gauden pretended to send it to the King Now know Reader that this Account was given me by a Reverend and Learned Minister in London as well as he could remember it and therefore that we might have a more full and satisfactory Relation of it I got him to write to Dr. Dillingham's Son a Minister and to desire him to let us know what Communications his Father had made to him about this Matter who civilly returned this ensuing Answer which I am sure will not be unpleasing to all those who are Friends to Truth and Justice I Have heard of that Controversie you mention and have now in my hands Dr. Hollingworth's Book wherein there is something said concerning my Fathers bearing Witness to the Truth of King Charles being the Author of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though there might be something added to that Relation as to the time and place when and where he was a Eye-witness of it An Account whereof as near as I can remember from what I have had from his own mouth is as follows While the King was at Holmeby my Father went from Cambridge to wait upon this Earl of Montague's Father who was then with the King there while the King was at Dinner one of the Bed-Chamber shewed my Father the King's Closet wherein was his Library and Papers while he was there he that came with him was accidentally called away when my Father seeing a Black Box on the Table that was lock'd but not very close spyed a corner of a Paper hanging out and took the boldness to draw it so far out as that he could read several Sentences it was newly written
and Influence that they found it had amongst and upon all the wise and considering men of the Kingdom and therefore I expect to hear no more of this base Story for the time to come or if they will take the boldness to raise it again I hope Reader I have furnished thee with a sufficient Answer to it Some short Remarks upon a Lewd Book called Ludlow no Lyar. Reader AFter a certain bold Libeller had sent into the World a Second Arraignment of King Charles the First by way of Letter to my self I being touch'd with the Sence of the ill Effects that Book might have upon the credulous and unthinking part of the Nation did think it convenient to let the world know the false Imputations he had laid at the King's door and therefore in order to it did consult and make use of such Authorities as I thought unquestionable and I am sure are for the most part so except one which I have been but lately Convinced of and which is one of their own and which they make no little use of but let the Authorities be what they will this Wicked Man is resolved to be in the right as long as there is any rude Vote or scandalous Libel Remonstrance or false Story to be found in print and to be communicated to this present Age and neither Friend nor Enemy if they write any thing in behalf of the great King ought to be believed if he may have his Will and let what Acts of Parliament be quoted for the Justification of that Prince yet he still was a Tyrant and a Man neither of Honour nor Religion But to my main design in which I promise to be very short First Reader I must desire thee to take Notice That I have Dedicated my Second Defence to the Arch Bishops Bishops Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commons of the Nation in which I tell them of the Books that have been Printed since this last Revolution against the Constitution both of Church and State which did sufficiently shew the Design on Foot to which not one Word of Answer is this Libel I further tell them what Destruction this Spirit once backed with power will make of them and all they have of which no Notice taken for which indeed I do not blame him for he knows in his Conscience all I say is true and I hope the Body of the Nation for the time to come will be so wise and provident as not to let things run so far as to make a Second Tryal of that Spirit by which they have suffered and that so smartly already In the beginning of my Defence I do honestly upbraid him for taking upon him the Name of that Traytor Ludlow and tell him that he ought to suffer in his stead being so forward to Represent him and Vindicate those Actions for which he stands Condemned and this he is pleased to pass by too no doubt being convinced if he had his due he would quickly be put out of Capacity of poysoning the Nation with such Infamous Pamphlets The next thing I shall make a few Remarks upon is the Letter of the Prince of Wales to the Pope I tell him in my Defence that as the Letter is in Rushworth his Accusations of that Great Prince from that Letter are false and made up of Lyes upon which he grows great in his own eyes and triumphs over me as if he had got a compleat Victory leaving me dead upon the spot for he produces another Letter in which is contained all he Charges upon the Prince The Truth is I had heard a little before his Libel came out from a Reverend Neighbour of mine that Mr. Rushworth in his First Edition Dedicated to Rich. Cromewel then called Protector had put in this Letter of his but afterwards in those Editions after the Restoration not being able to justifie the Letter put this in the room of it both which I have good Reason to believe are alike true that is they are both of them spurious and I Challenge this bold Writer or any of his Party to name a man that ever saw or took either of these Letters out of any Archive or Publick Record at Rome Madrid or London that there was a Letter sent to the Pope I grant but that it was pleasing to the Pope I deny and that for this very Reason because the Pope did so greatly delay the Dispensation for the Marriage which I dare say he would not have done if he had had such hopes of making England Catholick as they call it again as such a Letter as this from such a Person that was next to the Crown did give him The Pope of Rome knew England so well and the Advantages of it to the Papal Chair that I am sure he would have granted an hundred Dispensations at first asking for such an opportunity as this But good Reader I must entreat thee to observe that this Libeller though he makes such a Noise about a Letter which could not all Circumstances considered be avoided yet he takes no Notice of what I assert as to the Princes answering the Spanish Favourite that he came for a Wife and not for a Religion nor of Mr. Rushworths Attestation of his steadiness to his Religion nor of Mr. Johnsons Account of his fixedness to his Principles notwithstanding all the Applications of the Priests to him No no these things do not answer the ends of this man and his Party which in short are to destroy Church and State and therefore not one Word of them or any other Vertues of this Prince I will warrant you and therefore the Old Cry of one of his Judges is still among them Blacken him blacken him as this man has done to purpose with his Lyes and false Accusations As for the Story of Prynne Bastwicke and Burton with whose Sufferings he endeavours to bespatter the Reign and Spirit of King Charles I. I will onely answer him over and above what I said in my Answer to his lewd Libel with this true Account which I promise to make good when ever called to it by my Superiours Namely That Mr. Prynne being in discourse with a Friend of mine after the Happy Restoration told him to this purpose That the Crimes of himself and his Fellow Sufferers were so great that if the Justice of the Nation had cut off their Heads instead of their Ears they had had nothing but what was due to them by which Mr. Prynne who knew his and their Deserts better than this Defender of them either does or will shewed himself a true Penitent and one that would have scorned as well as grieved for such an Advocate as this wicked man is The next thing he falls foul upon me is for speaking favourably of Arch-bishop Laud whom he treats with all the scurrility imaginable now I must confess though I believe that great and learned Man was mistaken in the temper of the Nation and did somethings with too great an
in a fair hand which he judged to be the King 's own and he told me when he real the King's Book in print he found in one Chapter the very same things word for word as far as he could remember with that Manuscript Paper What Chapter the King was then writing of I cannot tell neither did I ever ask my Father but if I may conjecture of it at this distance I should guess it might be that wherein he Complains of being deprived of his Chaplains for while my Father was there the Parliament sent down some Chaplains of their own to attend upon Him Thus Sir you have what I can recollect concerning this Matter Be pleas'd not only in this but in whatsoever else I can serve you to Command Your ready Servant and Faithful Friend Tho Dillingham A little before this Letter came to my hands I had another from a Learned Fellow of Trinity College in Oxford with an enclosed Paper in it taken by his own hands from the Original now in the possession of the Gentleman 's own Son Fellow of Exeter College which enclosed was this IF any one has a desire to know the True Author of a Book Entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I one of the Servants of King Charles I. in his Bed-Chamber do declare when his said Majesty was Prisoner in the Isle of Wight That I read over the above-mentioned Book which was long before the said Book was printed in his Bed-Chamber writ with his Majesties own hand with several Interlinings Moreover his Majesty King Charles I. told me Sure Levet you do design to get this Book by heart having often seen me reading of it I can Testifie also That Royston the Printer told me that he was imprison'd by Oliver Cromwel the Protector because he would not declare that King Charles I. was not the Author of the said Book Signed and Sealed Octob. 16th 1690. Wil. Levet And again understanding that one Mr. Hearne now Schoolmaster of Amesbury and formerly Amanuensis to Sr. Phillip Warwick who waited upon the King at the Isle of Wight as a Clark and Writer as did also Mr. Odert and Mr. Whitaker could give me some Account from Sr. Phillip as to this Book I went to him when he was last in London and desired to know what Assistance he could give me as to the proving the Truth of the Books being the Kings who presently with his own hand gave me this following Testimony I Robert Hearne formerly Servant to Sir Phillip Warwick do Attest That I have often heard my said Master Sir Phil. Warwick as likewise Mr. Odert and Mr. Whitaker declare That they had Transcribed Copies of the late King Charles the First 's own Copy of his Book Entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written with His said Majesties own hand Witness my hand In the Presence of Phil. Mist Fr. Shipton Robert Hearne I have but one thing more to take notice of as to this Matter and that is a Story of this Authors concerning Mrs. Gaudens declaring to Bish Nicholson of Gloucester upon receiving the Sacrament that her Husband wrote the Book how far this man is to be credited as to any Story he tells I leave the Reader who has looked his Book over impartially to judge but however seeing he is so fond of and so apt to pick up any thing that he thinks will serve his wicked design even to the very Mistakes of the Press as is apparent in the Words Barking and Recalled with which he makes such ridiculous Work I will give him a Rowland for his Oliver and will Answer this Story with another quite contrary to his from the same Gentlewoman There is a Reverend and Learned Minister now of London who does assure me that a Lady of good Quality told him sixteen Years agoe That being in discourse with Mrs. Gauden she told her that she had a great Concern for the Eternal State of her Husband because he pretended to be the Author of that Book when to her knowledge he never writ it the Reverend Person tells me he has forgot the Ladies Name or else he would freely have had his own mentioned but the Story it self he very well remembers and I am sure he is to be credited as much as any man that wears a Gown And thus good Reader thou hast here Sir John Brattle's Testimony for the Book in 47 Mrs. Simmondses that her Husband dyed asserting the Book to be the Kings own Dr. Meriton's declaring his putting Dr. Walker to silence with his Story of Mr. Simmonds Mr. Cliffords Account of Mr. Simmonds committing it to the Press by the King's Command together with Alteration of the Title by Dr. Jerem. Tayler and his Composing and Correcting it not from Dr. Gauden's but Mr. Odert's own Copy Mr. Long 's Letters positively declaring Dr. Gauden's confessing it to be the King 's own Book Major Huntington assuring a Non-conformist Minister that he presented some of the same Papers that made up part of the Book taken at Nazeby Fight which was three years before Dr. Walker pretends Dr. Gauden sent it to the King Dr. Dillingham's reading some of the Book presently after the King came from Newcastle Mr. Levet's seeing and reading the Book in the Isle of Wight a great while before it was printed and Mr. Hearne's Testimony from Sir Phil. Warwick Mr. Odert and Mr. Whitaker who all attended the King in his Imprisonment as Clerks and Writers and if all these will not weigh down the vain Tattle and confident Say-so of single Dr. Walker from single Dr. Gauden then the Lord have Mercy upon us for we must needs be got to an almost Jewish State of Incredulity From which good Lord deliver us Good Reader there is one thing more to take Notice of which had almost slipt my Memory and that is this bold mans triumphing over King Charles I. upon the score of a Prayer taken out of Sir Phillip Sidney's Arcadia made to an Heathen God and as he impudently assert made use of by him in the time of his Captivity Now I must desire thee to observe the Spight as well as Falsity of this Reflection for if Dr. Gauden made this whole Book as Dr. Walker asserts and the Copy he sent to the King was never returned nor made use of in any of the Impressions then the Prayer was put in by Dr. Gauden and the King no ways concerned in it and consequently it is a Scandal founded in the greatest Malice and ill Will to the Reputation and Vertue of this Great Man but as I deny and have fully proved that Dr. Gauden was not the Author of this Book so I must acquaint thee that this Prayer which this man makes himself and his Party so prophanely merry withal was not printed in the first Edition by that Copy sent by Mr. Simmonds to the Press but was foisted in afterwards by some crafty and designing Person on purpose to expose the Book and to lessen that deserved Credit
Heat and Zeal yet upon reading his Story I do believe that as he was a great Scholar so he was a very pious Man and a thousand times more abus'd by a Generation of men than he did deserve he lived strictly and dyed with a Courage Comfort and Satisfaction of Mind suitable to his holy and severe Life and for the Proof of this I desire thee Reader to read over his Speech he made in defence of himself upon his Tryal before the few Lords that took upon them to be his Judges and that holy Discourse he made upon the Scaffold just before that fatal Blow that severed his Head from his Body And whereas he stands in his Assertion That Bishop Laud sent the Common-Prayer-Book to the Pope and Cardinals for their Approbation and quotes one Gage a Fryar for the Truth of it I must beg thy leave Reader to tell thee that I do not believe the Story and that because such a man as Gage reports it and especially at that time when Usurpers were in the Chair and with whom as other Popish Converts were wont to do he was resolved to curry favour and I believe this man the less because he was so silly and so spiteful as to vindicate Bishop Lauds Death as just when he could not but know if he understood any thing of our Legal Constitution that Bishop Laud was cut off by a Warrant that no Law of England justifies for it was done without the Kings Consent or Hand and consequently in plain terms that he was murder'd and he that Vindicates the Breach of the Sixth Commandment his Testimony shall have no Credit with me nor will I am sure with any good and undesigning man throughout the Kingdom Another thing I Answer his former vile Paper withal is what is said by Mr. Whitelock concerning the Scotch Rebellion who tells us though a Friend to the Party what Condescentions the King made how He kept his Word and the Rebels broke theirs after a solemn Agreement betwixt them both who tells us of their Signing a Letter to the French King to come in to their Aid against their lawful Soveraign And what says my Adversary to these things Why he quotes several Defences they made nothing to the purpose as to what Mr. Whitelock asserts and indeed such things as any Rebels may say for themselves and he knows there never yet was so bad a Cause but Wit and Malice could invent and draw up something that dazzled the eyes of the Vulgar and served to keep ignorant or designing men in a Body together But good Reader I pray take Notice That whereas I give an Account from Mr. Whitelock how far Cardinal Richelieu interested himself in this Rebellion of the Scots and how he sent Chamberlaine his Chaplain and Hepburn his Page to blow up the Coals both in England and Scotland amongst the Puritans yet my Adversary is pleased here to be utterly silent and to pass it by no doubt because it was so notorious and villainous a Correspondence as would admit of no manner of Justification The next thing I Advocate for this Great King for are his many and gracious Favours and Condescentions in passing so many Bills for the first Year of the Parliaments sitting down which he would make the World believe were no Favours but what he was bound to do and consequently for which no Thanks were due to him by which he takes off all Obligations to Their Present Majesties and their Successors from the People as to any future Acts of Grace they grant for which I am sure he deserve no Thanks from the Crown and indeed for which he ought to be look'd upon as a downright Enemy to the future Intercourse and good Understanding betwixt Their Majesties and their People and I doubt not but this saucy Assertion will be so thought of both by King and People and the Loyalty of him and his pretending Party will be looked upon accordingly I further in my Defence vindicate the King's Scruple of Conscience as to the Execution of the Earl of Strafford and to shew the reasonableness of the Scruple which he basely makes sport withal recite and print the Preamble of the Act of Parliament by which the Attainder of that Great Man and White Soul as Bishop Vsher who attended him upon the Scaffold calls him was taken off in which they acquit him of Treason And what says this Pamphleteer to this Not a Word but according to his usual Modesty calls him Traytor and consequently Arraigns the Wisdom and Justice of the Nation which indeed to me is no wonder considering the Venemous Spirit of the man throughout his whole Book Further I Vindicate the King and that from his own Declaration which I have printed in words at length from any design of bringing up the Army to plunder the City of London which Declaration he says little or nothing to but flies presently to a Committee and their Examinations of the thing which truly considering how at that time some men were allured with hopes others affrighted with Frown and Threats I can give but little heed to and I will be so hardy as to tell the World that I will believe the Assertions of King Charles I. before Twenty Committees of those days considering the designs then on foot and the resolutions to carry them on and I must confess ever since I read Whites Centuries the Witnesses received and the ruine of so many Families upon such Testimonies I have had but a very slender Value for what was printed from those Committees let this man answer what the King says upon this Account in his own Defence and what the Officers of the Army say in their Petition in their behalf and then he will act like a clear Answerer and deserve a further Consideration Another thing I Charge this modest and mannerly Gentleman withal is his false Account he gives in his former Libel of the Rabble running down to Westminster in a riotous and tumultuous manner who he says went only armed with Petitions in their hands in a peaceable way as to which I tell him and that truly that he contradicts all the Historians of that Age and that they were so far from such a decent Carriage as he asserts that they with Clubs and Staves in their hands cryed out they would have no Groom-Porters-Lodge at Whitehall but would speak with the King himself when they pleased that they beset the House of Lords door and cryed Justice Justice that they broke the Organ and tore the Vestments of the Church of Westminster in pieces threw stones at the Bishops and endangered the Bishop of Durham's Life And what says he to these things in his Reply Why truly not one Word but still sillily and against all Truth would make the World believe the King was not at all affronted and had no Reason to leave Whitehall which he must be a great Stranger to Matters of Fact that gives any Credit to such bold
Assertions and I am sure this man in this particular if any man believe him must be beholden to his blind Credulity and not to his Skill in History Another thing I call this man to Account for is his bold asserting the Kings burning by the Hang-man his own Pacification with the Scots when he came to London which I refute by a Passage out of Bishop Burnets Memoirs of the two Hamiltons it is true the Figures are mistaken but the Story is truly related as it is in that Bishops Book but to convince the World of the Malice as well as Falseness of this Reflection I shall present them with a greater Authority than the Bishops and that is an Act of State against the Scots concerning a scandalous Paper dispersed by them which the Reader may find at large in the Council table-Table-Book On Sunday the Fourth of August 1639. His Majesty being in Council was pleased to acquaint the Lords with a Paper he had seen at Barwicke Entituled Some Conditions of His Majesties Treaty with his Subjects of Scotland which Paper being in most parts full of falshood dishonour and scandal to His Majesties Proceedings in the late Pacification All which Consider'd the whole Board unanimously became humble Petitioners to His Majesty that this false and scandalous Paper might be burnt by the Hang-man to which Petition the Earl of Pembrooke Salisbury and Holland afterward known Enemies to the King's Cause Consented And now I hope this will stop this mans and his Friends mouths as to this particular for the time to come though considering the Malice of the man to the Memory of King Charles I am apt to question it As to what he and I both say concerning the Proclamations about the Irish Rebellion I shall pass it by at present and refer thee Reader to the Vindication I make by two undoubted Papers of the King's Innocency as to that horrid Rebellion at the latter end of this Paper The last thing I assert in the behalf of this Great and Vertuous Prince is what he says himself upon the Scaffold as to the first beginning of that unhappy and indeed needless War on the Parliaments side where he Clears himself by calling GOD to Witness unto whom he was shortly to give an Account that they began the War with him for the Truth of which he refers to the Dates of both their Commissions to which I have not one Word of Answer from this bold Libeller but in a shuffling way talking of pawning Crown Jewels which for what ends it was done or designed to be done it is not fit for him and I to judge for the Actions of Princes are above our Reach and ought not to be so narrowly pryed into yet I dare say it was not to begin a War because the Good Man so often protests against any Intention of War because so small a Sum of Money in comparison would so little have answered an Undertaking against so great and powerful an Enemy as the Parliament then was and though the King afterwards made that use of the Money after the War was actually commenced against him yet that is no Argument That that was the Primary Design And now Reader having given thee these short Remarks upon this filthy and scurrilous Book I have little more to entertain thee withal than to tell thee That this Author has with a great deal of Boldness and Falshood declared notwithstanding the honest Account I have given of my self from the Age of Twenty One and of my being Ordained by the hands of Bishop Saunderson as soon as by Law I was capable namely at the Age of Twenty Three that I was a Presbyterian but to Answer this in short I do here declare in the Presence of God that I never was a Presbyterian in my Life and further by God's Grace that I never will be one for I neither like the Principles of that Government nor the Spirit of too many of that Party for I abhor all Bitterness and Cruelty As for what he repeats out of Manvel which were made against Dr. Parker I pray God forgive him it is a Description that belongs not at all to me as all those know who have been acquainted with the course of my Life nor yet do Dr. Wildes Verses against Dr. Lee reach me at all for I bless God ever since I came to a competent Understanding I have loved the Constitution of the Church of England and done what in me lay to promote its true Interest and which I will never cease to do as long as I have Tongue to speak and a Pen to write I shall conclude this part of my Discourse with hearty Prayers to God for my Adversary that God would open his Eyes and change his Heart before he dies that so this Iniquity may not be for his Eternal Ruine The Irish Rebellion falsly and scandalously imputed to King CHARLES the First TO make good which I onely desire thee Reader carefully to peruse the Two following Accounts The one is a Letter by that Kings own Order by the Hands of Secretary Vane to the Lords Justices of Ireland Borelase and Parsons above half a year before the Rebellion giving them to understand the Intelligence the King had from abroad of some dangerous Designs by the Popish Party against the Peace of that Kingdom that so they might be awakened to take all possible care to prevent them The other is an unfolding the whole Mystery of the pretended Commission with the King 's Broad Seal to it which the Enemies of that King have and do still charge that gracious Prince withal and by Vertue of which they do lay all the innocent Blood then so barbarously spilt at his door and consequently do endeavour thereby to render his Name odious to all succeeding Generations the Account is by Dr. Ker Dean of Ardagh and as I am assured by a considerable Dignitary of that Kingdom yet alive Sir Henry Vane's Letter to the Lords Justices concerning some Informations of Danger in Ireland Right Honourable HIS Majesty hath Commanded me to acquaint your Lordships with an Advice given him from abroad and confirm'd by his Ministers in Spain and elsewhere which in this Distemper'd Time and Conjuncture of Affairs deserves to be seriously consider'd and an especial care and watchfulness to be had therein which is That of late there have passed from Spain and the like may well have been from other Parts an unspeakable number of Irish Church-men for England and Ireland and some good old Souldiers under pretext of asking leave to raise Men for the King of Spain whereas it is observed among the Irish Friars there a whisper runs as if they expected a Rebellion in Ireland and particularly in Connaght Wherefore His Majesty thought fit to give your Lordships this notice that in your Wisdoms you might manage the same with that Dexterity and Secresie as to Discover and Prevent so pernicious a Design if any such there should be and to have