as I am concerned must beg Leave to tell the World what I have to say for my self and what I have to say in Bar to the Truth and Credit of this Book so much admired by a Party of men who will cry up any thing that serves their Lusts against Monarchy and Episcopacy for that is in short the sum total of the thing and was there no Hopes of overturning the Government once again and engrossing the whole Power of the Nation into their hands King Charles's Ashes might lye still in the Grave without any disturbance or molestation The Title Page of the Book is A True Account of the Author of a Book entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Portraiture of his Sacred Majesty in his Solitude and Sufferings With an Answer to all Objections made by Dr. Hollingworth and others in defence of the said Book The Author is Dr. Walker of Essex who if God the Avenger of the Injured and Oppressed had not called him to an account before his Book was published I should have been so bold as to have given and that by undeniable Proofs such Instances of the man as would have invalidated his whole Testimony and made him and his Book too a Scorn to the World but he is dead and therefore I will as much as I ought in this Case forbear him and let his Ashes lye easier in the Grave than he has the Ashes of King Charles the First The design of the Book is to tell the World that that Book that hath for 43 years together gone under the Name of King Charles was none of his but drawn up by Dr. Gauden Well But how must we be satisfied in this For truly there ought to be mighty clear and home Proofs that a Book writ in so lofty noble and so agreeable a Stile to all the other acknowledged Writings of this great King a Book so full of Accounts of Political and State-Affairs that no man hardly could be acquainted withal but himself a Book so full of Divine Thoughts and Meditations so suited to the various Conditions and Afflictions he was in and indeed a Book as the present Bishop of Rochester said in a Sermon must needs be his because it was impossible any one should write it but himself I say there ought to be mighty clear Proofs such a Book was none of his Witnesses upon Witnesses and those very honest and known upright men who make Conscience of the Appearance of Evil ought to be brought into Court to make this good to convince the World this so celebrated a Book was none of his I but here is no such thing Dr. Gauden made the Book and told Dr. Walker so and therefore 't is true and who ought to doubt it And this most of the Dissenters about Town say too Why truly with the Worlds good Leave I am one that doubts it nay that scorns to believe it and the more because Dr. Walker asserts it who was he not dead which upon this account and no other I am truly sorry for as I said before I would give Reasons sufficient to satisfie any man why I do not believe it upon his Authority Well further Dr. Gauden shew'd him some of the Heads of Chapters and afterwards told him that he had made Bishop Duppa acquainted with it and sent it by the Hands of my Lord Marquess of Hartford to the King This is all fine indeed and yet notwithstanding both the Marquess and Bishop Duppa survived the Calamities of the War and saw King Charles the Second's Restauration and felt the good Effects of it the one by being made Duke of Somerset and the other Bishop of Winchester yet poor and yet so highly deserving Dr. Gauden was fain to sit down contented with the small Bishoprick of Exeter though over-and-above he had wrote against the very Covenant he as Dr. Walker said had taken and never durst desire as by the Sequel appears either Marquess or the Bishop to recommend him to the particular and great Opinion of King Charles the Second for the Dr. tells us pag. 5 that Dr. Gauden did not know whether the King knew it yea or no nor yet did he ever as by Dr. Walker's further Account appears give himself the Pleasure and Satisfaction to understand from the Marquess whether King Charles the First received it approved it and made use of it in his Retirements as he pretended to design it which certainly he might have done by a word speaking to the Marquess after the Restauration for he lived till October following And this to me makes it a plain Case that it is all Sham and that if Dr. Gauden had dared at that time to have told such a Falshood he must have sate down contented with his Living at Barking without any Expectations from the Court without either being Bishop of Exeter or living in hopes of the Bishoprick of Winchester And Sir Dennis Gauden might have spared the Cost and Charges of building an House upon Clapham Common for his Brother the next Bishop of Winchester that was to be A Story all things considered enough to make a very melancholy man to smile but 't is such a one as Dr. Walker was accustomed to That Sir Dennis Gauden should lay out five or six thousand pounds upon an House for his Brother when Bishop of Winchester which he was to have for writing a Book and yet neither he nor his Brother knew neither King Charles the Second had nay knowledge of his writing the Book at all So that in short the whole thing lies within this compass Dr. Gauden made the Book and told Dr. Walker so I say on the other side if Dr. Gauden said it he did but jest with him or else did something worse which I will not name for I will prove by and by under the hand of a more creditable man than ever Dr. Walker was without any Disparagement to his Memory that Dr. Gauden had another opinion of the Author of that Book and did so declare it Well he says he believes upon this Say-so of Dr. Gauden that it was his Book and would have others upon his bare credit believe the same and there are Thousands of Designing men have upon this man's Assertion greedily swallowed it down though I hope either to shame or silence them before I have done And therefore on the other hand I say I have better and greater Testimonies to the contrary which I now come to offer to the World which when I have done I will leave my self in the hands of all unprejudiced dispassionate and uninterested men to judge which of us upon true Evidence and Proof ought to be believed And thus I begin I tell the World in my Postscrip to the Defence of King Charles the First that being in Conversation with Sir John Brattle a worthy person and who hath long enjoy'd a considerable Office in the Royal Mint and discoursing with him about King Charles the First and particularly of
was not her Husband's Hand and therefore asked him whose it was which he turning her off with bidding her mind her own Business she desisted from any further Enquiry after which he sending or else giving it with his own hands to Mr. Royston to print The said Book was printed as I shall shew by and by and the Proofs corrected by himself but the thing getting some Air the Souldiers came and seized upon a great part of the Impression so that what were left of that Impression were sold for Twenty Shillings a piece The King's Murther quickly after following she told me her Husband never joyed himself those were her very words but fell sick and died the 29th of March following and throughout his whole Sickness declared the Book was the King's Book which upon reading the Spirit and Temper the Religion and Piety the holy Courage and undaunted Zeal the Simplicity and Sincerity of the man throughout all his Writings for King Charles I am confident he would never have attested upon his Death-bed if the Book had been composed by any but King Charles himself and which upon the Characters I have read of the Lord Marquess of Hartford and Bishop Duppa I also firmly believe of them both of them no doubt scorning to assist their Royal Master's Righteous Cause by such a Cheat as a Book writ in his Name by Dr. Gauden for true Church-of England-men governed by conscientious Principles scorn to carry on their Designs by Lyes and Forgeries by Tricks and Devices that are only fit to serve a bad and wicked Cause the King himself was a man of too great Wisdom and Piety of Understanding and Learning to want the help of such a man as Dr. Gauden and I dare say the two aforesaid Lords scorned to propose such a thing to him or if they had he would with all worthy Disdain have rejected it But to put this thing further out of doubt understanding who compos'd and printed this Book and they both being now alive I went to the one and sent to the other he I went to was Mr. Thomas Milbourn Printer just by Jewen-street and enquiring of him what he knew of King Charles's Book he told me before a sufficient Witness That in the year 48 he was Apprentice to Mr. John Grisman a Printer at which time Mr. Simmonds by Mr. Royston sent the King's Book to be printed and that his Master did print it and that Mr. Simmonds alwaies had the name of sending it to the Press and that it came to them as from the King and they understood it no otherways and that they had printed several other things with C. R. to them and that it looked to them like the same Hand and the same sort of Paper with others that were so marked and looked upon as the King's Papers for the King as all Kings no doubt do kept the Original by him and Mr. Odert the Secretary transcribed them Which after I writ down I read to him and he before witness declared to be true but withal he informed me that there was one Mr. Clifford belonging to the Church of St. Paul's and Reader of Prayers at Serjeants-Inne in Fleetstreet that assisted him in composing and correcting the aforesaid Book who could give me a further account of the thing upon which the same day April the 28th in the Afternoon I sent a Letter to Mr. Clifford desiring him to give me the favour of his company that Afternoon or to come to me the day following who sent me an Answer That his Business was so that he could not come that Evening but he would come to me the next day which accordingly he did and after Dinner before Witnesses I writ down what he said to me upon Knowledge of the King's Book which I after read to him and he set his Hand to The words were these I James Clifford do upon my Knowledge declare to Dr. Hollingworth that I was an Actuary in several things published by King Charles particularly the Letters between him and Mr. Alexander Henderson who endeavoured to seduce the King to favour the Presbyterian Government and that there was a man of known Fidelity Mr. Simmonds by Name Chaplain to the then Prince of Wales who was employed by the King to take care of his Book because he had writ the Vindication of the King so well and that the King entituled his Book The Royal Plea but Dr. Jeremiah Taylor coming accidentally to Mr. Royston's Shop he having a great and assured Cofidence in him shewed him the first Proof from the Press which when the Dr. viewed under that Title he told him that the Title would betray the Book whereupon Dr. Tayler did undertake to write a Letter to his Majesty to let him know it would be in danger of being suppressed for the Titles sake there being as he understood two crafty Informers by name Cheltenham and Jones who would understand the Book by the Title and therefore he thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would be a better Title and the less taken notice of by the Informers being Greek and withal it agreeing with the Title of his Father's Book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon which Letter the King immediately consented to the alteration of the Title as Dr. Tayler proposed And withal I do declare that the King for fear the Original should miscarry ordered Mr. Odert Secretary to Sir Edw. Nicholas Principal Secretary of State to transcribe it and lodged the Original in the Lord Marquess of Hartford's own Hands and by the Copy of Mr. Odert's Mr. Milbourn and my self it being the way of Livelihood I took to being turned out of Magdalen College in Oxford for my Loyalty did print the said Book after the printing of which a great part was seized in Mr. Simmonds's Lodgings and he though in a Shepherd's Habit was so far discovered as that he was pursued into Great Carter-lane by the Rebels where he took Refuge and the bloody Villains fired two Pistols at him which frighted him up Stairs and out of the Garret Window he made his escape over the Houses And I do further say that I never heard nay that I am sure that Dr. Gauden never was concerned in that Book by which Mr. Milbourn and my self printed it and that we had no part of the Copy from Dr. Walker for it was that transcribed by the aforesaid Mr. Odert we printed it by Teste Jac. Clifford In the Presence of Luke Milbourn Clerk and Margaret Hollingworth And now I think this is enough as to Mr. Simmonds there is but one thing worthy of Remark for the other about Colonel Rich is trifling and that is That Mr. Simmonds was gone from Raine some years before 48 and therefore could not send for Dr. Gauden as a Neighbour to communicate the King's Book to him This Story though true in the main was not so punctually delivered as it ought to have been and I quickly saw my Error after the Book was out
the Suspicions of the Truth of his Book he frankly told me and assured me the Truth of this Story That in the year 47 the King having drawn up the most considerable part of this Book and having writ in some loose Papers at different times desired Bishop Juxon to get some Friend of his whom he could commend to him as a trusty person to look it over and put it into an exact method The Bishop pitched upon Sir John's Father whom he had been acquainted withal for many years who undertaking the Task was assisted by this his Son who declared he sate up some Nights with his Father to assist him in methodizing these Papers all writ with the King 's own Hand Which Story upon the coming out of my Book did so nettle the Enemies of King Charles that Sir John was presently pestered with Penny-Post Letters the usual way of that Party when any thing crosses their Designs and gave him such a disturbance that presently they raised a Story about Town that Sir John had denied the thing and consequently I had abused the World with a Tale of my own inventing upon hearing of which I went the next morning to Sir John's House in the Tower and not finding him at home by good Providence in my return met him under Aldgate and walking with him down towards Crouched Fryers I told him what I had heard and desired to know whether he had said any such thing Sir John presently without haesitation told me that all I had printed was true but was troubled at my printing of it because of the Trouble he had with these Penny-Post Letters at which I was not so much concerned because I thought it an Honour to Sir John to have any hand in vindicating his old Master and did think the Cause I was engaged in would defend me from any Imputation of Undecency in not asking his Leave to print a Story which he told without any Obligation to silence and in company of another person a worthy Citizen as well as my self but to do Sir John Justice I must acknowledge that what he said to me as to the truth of what I writ in his Name he hath said to all my Friends ever since that have had the opportunity of conversing with him and talking about this Affair And now let us see what Dr. Walker says to this why truly he does as good as tell me that I have contradicted my self when I assert the Book was delivered by the King to Bishop Juxon and the same Book sent by the King to Mr. Simmons He says They cannot both be true if that not this if this not that they are so contrary pag. 2. Good God! how fast will some men shut their Eyes when seeing the Light would make them write and speak Truth A man of very ordinary Parts and of an honest Mind might at first sight fee no manner of inconsistency in these two Stories for in plain terms I tell you Bishop Juxon received the most considerable part of the Book to methodize by his Friend Dab as he in familiarity called Sir John's Father in 47 and the King sent it to Mr. Simmonds in 48 so that here is a full Years difference betwixt the one and the other But poor Dr. Walker knew very well what sort of mens Cause he was carrying on and that a bare telling of them I had contradicted my self would be enough for they presently run away with a Scandal though never so gross and groundless without any further examination Further he questions Sir John's Memory and talks of his Youth to invalidate the Story but that is so great an Affront to all the young Gentlemen and Apprentices in London who at the age of Nineteen are so very much employed and trusted in their Masters Books and Accounts that I leave them to vindicate Sir John upon the score of helping his Father in a thing of such a Nature as this was at such an Age. And as for his doubting whether Bishop Juxon ever saw the King from the beginning of the War till his Murther pray who can believe that a person who had been so obliged by his Master as Bishop Juxon was would not take a days Journey to visit his Royal Master at Hampton-Court when the Army caressed him at that great rate and suffered access to him by all forts of Persons even the Marquess of Ormond himself who had so stoutly appear'd against them And this is all I have to say as to Sir John Brattle and that he told me this I will depose upon Oath whenever I am lawfully recalled The next thing I shall discourse upon is the Story of Mr. Simmonds I say in my Postscript That King Charles sent his Book to Mr. Simmonds to peruse and correct he having writ so excellent a Vindication of him as indeed it is the best I ever saw and which I wish were reprinted and that Mr. Simmonds upon the reading of it sent for Dr. Gauden shewed it him and who was so taken with it that he borrowed it transcribed it and so returned it back to his loving Neighbour again which Story I had from the Reverend and my Worthy Friend Dr. Meriton who does not use to tell Stories of this high nature without very good Grounds but that which confirmed me in the belief of this Account was this namely That Dr. Meriton dining the latter end of the last year with the late Lord Mayor Sir Thomas Pilkington happened to meet with Dr. Walker at the same Table where Dr. Walker was pleased with his usual Confidence to assert Dr. Gauden the Author of the King's Book upon which Dr. Meriton turned upon him with this Story of Mr. Simmonds communicating the whole thing to Dr. Gauden upon which he was so confounded that he had nothing to say for himself and though if none but Dr. Meriton himself had declared to me the issue of their Debate it would have satisfied me Yet the further satisfaction I had from my Worthy Friend Mr. Marriot then Chaplain to the Lord Mayor and Minister of the Parish Church in Rood Lane who stood by and heard the whole Discourse and withal the Silence he put Dr. Walker to which he professed to my self gave me so full a satisfaction that upon that account I ventured to give the World an account of it in Print After this in January last a Reverend Friend Mr. Jonas Warley Vicar of Witham in Essex coming to Town was pleased to let me know by a Paper of Directions where Mrs. Simmonds the Widow of the aforesaid Loyal Sufferer lived whom according to the Directions I found at the same place where after telling her that I heard she was such a man's Widow once and she acknowledging it I asked her whether she knew any thing of the King's Book and how far her Husband was concerned in it she presently answer'd me that going into her Husband's Study she saw upon the Table a Book in writing which she knew
though I did not say that Mr. Simmonds sent for the Dr. to Raine the Living out of which he was sequestred for his Loyalty in 43. Now you must understand that Dr. Gauden was presented to the Living of Bocking in 41 and as I am well informed he had his first presentation from the Parliament but not looking upon it as a safe Hold for so great and reputable a Benefice which is called a Deanery he by the Intercession of Friends at last procured a Presentation from Archbishop Laud the rightful Patron to it then in the Tower at which place he contracted a Friendship with as well as became a Neighbour to Mr. Simmonds at Raine which I am told is not Two Miles from Bocking and it was in London after he had received the King's Book that he sent for his former Neighbour Gauden and communicated and lent him for some days that Book And pray what mighty Error is there in this for Dr. Walker to take such an Advantage from I wish he had committed no greater throughout his whole Book and then I am sure it would have not swelled to 37 Pages for if he had writ nothing but Truth a Nut-shell would have held it all And thus much for Mr. Simmonds's Story in which I hope by Living Testimonies I have made good what I asserted and proved Dr. Walker's Say-soes but meer Fictions of his own I but still Dr. Gauden said he composed and framed the whole Book to serve the King and that Good that Pious man Dr. Walker does assert it and his words weigh more with us say the Common-wealths-men than a Thousand though living Testimonies to the contrary I but soft and fair Gentlemen I say and will prove it by a better Evidence than Dr. Walker's can be supposed to be that Dr. Gauden after he was Bishop of Exeter did say the quite contrary and did justifie it to be the King's Book and that if ever he told Dr. Walker he made it he spoke that which is false to one or the other and therefore his Credit ought not to be rely'd on at all Dr. Walker hath forced me to this or else Bishop Gauden's Ashes should for me have lain peaceably and honourably in the Grave but Dr. Gauden's Reputation is a meer Trifle when put in the Scales with the Honour of King Charles the First Know therefore Reader that understanding the Reverend Mr. Long Prebendary as I take it of Exeter was well acquainted with Dr. Gauden when Bishop of Exeter and had many free Discourses and Communications with him and sometimes about King Charles the First and more particularly about his Book to whom Bishop Gauden declared it could be the Book of none but the King himself hearing of which before I ever thought of so bold a Man and audacious a Slanderer as the Essex Dr. proved afterwards by his Book to be I made bold the 21st of April the very day after the publishing of Walker's Book to write to Mr. Long desiring him to let me know whether Dr. Gauden had ever declared and asserted any such thing in Conversation with him who was pleased to answer mine by the next Post and to referr me to his Letters he had sent to Dr. Good all the Physician in Charterhouse-yard upon whom I waited and who was pleased upon my desire to give me out of Mr. Long 's two Letters these two Transcripts I Had the Hap to be acquainted with Bishop Gauden as long as he was our Diocesan and I have heard him often affirm that he was fully convine'd that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was entirely that King's Work Exon March 23. 1691 2 Tho. Long. And in another Letter thus I Can affirm on my own Knowledge that Bishop Gauden did affirm it to be his full Belief that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the King's own Work Exon April 15. 1692 Tho. Long. And if the Reader of these two Accounts be desirous to know who Mr. Long is I must tell him that he is an Ancient Grave Reverend Divine well known for his Truth and Honesty one who as he is a professed Member of the Church of England so he hath alwaies been true to the Doctrin and Discipline of it in his Preaching and Practice and not like my Adversary who I know for I was personally acquainted with him was an Encourager of and a Comrade principally with those who had no kindness for the Church at all I have but one thing more which is matter of Fact to answer and that is his Story about Major Huntington He tells you how he met him at Tunbridge upon what account he visited him and what passed betwixt the Major and himself when the rest of the Company were engaged in their Divertisements in which he takes great care of not being contradicted by any Stander by for still his bare Word and Credit are the only things to be relyed upon so vain a thing is Man Well the purport of the Discourse is That the Major denies all that was said of him by Sir William Dugdale or any others as to the Papers relating to the King's Book Well done Dr. Walker if thou ever hadst a man alone with thee undoubtedly he was alwaies on thy side and thou wert alwaies in the right and when the man was dead wouldst assume the confidence to print it Now What must a man say in this case Must he give the famous Dr. Walker the Lye and say the Major never said these words and that because he said the contrary to others who have attested it in the most solemn and serious manner Truly this looks very hard upon the Memory of such a man say the Common-wealths-men as Dr. Walker Well but by the good Leave of all Dr. Walker's Believers and Admirers I will here in the Fear and Presence of God tell this Story That the last year when Dr. Walker by living in London at Alderman bury had been by his vain and rash his false and undutiful Talking an occasion of the Clergy-mens and others Defence of the King's Book amongst other Confirmations of the Truth of the Book this Story was told me by a certain Nonconformist Minister to wit what Major Huntington told him with his own Mouth that he procured some Papers that made up part of his Royal Book afterwards from the Hands of my Lord Fairfax the Parliaments General which were taken after Nazeby Fight and kept by my Lord Fairfax himself and that afterwards he the said Major Huntington presented them to the King with his own Hand This Story I remember as well as any thing I saw done or heard spoken all the last year I spare the man's Name for particular Reasons but if ever I be called by Authority to name him I will do it and depose the Truth of his saying so upon my Oath I have now and I hope to all good mens satisfaction made out Matter of Fact against Dr. Walker's Assertions and doubt not but from henceforth if