to refuse their requests It 's likely that it was given out amongst and by themselves that there was such a Petition preparing and if they could but possess their own Party by that means so as to be in expectation of it it might serve to satisfie them about any report of an Insurrection and keep them from enquiring into that which they endeavoured to keep within the breasts of a few And this will serve to give light to what I have before said at the beginning of this Section viz. That more were concerned in this Conspiracy than were at that time publickly known that is more than we read of did know of the very manner of a Plot for the destruction of the King c. as those that were to surprize the next Heir and many more of a Plot to bring in and set up their Religion by force of Arms. To this purpose it was that care was taken at the first for assistance from abroad and that a continual Negotiation was maintained with Spain by the Jesuits as Watson and Clark did depose which they said they were sure tended to nothing but a preparation for a Forraign Commotion It 's true that King James speaks favourably in this case of Forraign Princes and their Ministers but if we may believe Osborn he saith that the King of Spain had an Army then in Flanders to land in the huge mist so black a Cloud must needs have caused over the Nation and that when the people heard that his Catholick Majesty sent an Agent on purpose to Congratulate King James ' s preservation he could not tell it the Cardinal d'Ossat without laughing in his face at so palpable a piece of flattery as he conceived it to be To this purpose was it that Prayers were appointed to be used by those that were Romishly affected throughout the whole Nation as not only Osburn relates but also as it hath been this last year confirmed from Sancta Clara's c. own mouth by Mr. S. in his Depositions before the Council and is yet to be seen in a Book of theirs wrote in the beginning of King James's Reign where are many passages relating hereunto in a consolatory Psalm as it 's there called its said Confirm your hearts in hope for your Redemption draweth nigh The year of Visitation draweth to an end and Jubilation is at hand England shall be called a happy Realm a blessed Country a Religious People Those which knew the former glory of Religion shall lift up their hands for joy to see it returned again Righteousness shall prosper and Infidelity shall be plucked up by the roots Again false Error shall vanish like smoke and they which saw it shall say where is it become The Daughters of Babylon shall be cast down and in the dust lament their ruin Proud Heresie shall strike her Sail and groan as a Beast crushed under a Cart Wheel The memory of Novelties shall perish with a crack as a ruinous House falling to the ground Repent ye Seducers with speed and prevent the dreadfull Wrath of the most Powerable He will come as a flame that burneth out beyond the Furnace his fury shall fly forth as Thunder and pitch upon their tops which maligne him So in the fifth Psalm of his composure They Enemies shall perish in thy Fury and melt like wax before the fire I have repeated the more from this Book because it was made about that season and also because it 's very hard to be got From which we may observe 1. That the Jubilee they expected was very near 2. That this was to be by the destruction of their Enemies 3. That it should be such a destruction as would render the Enemies uncapable of resistance or recovery 4. The manner is as much pointed out as a thing of that nature that was a Secret and charily to be kept as such could be Heresie shall vanish like smoak the memory of Novelties shall perish with a crack he will come as a flame that burneth out beyond a Furnace c. As the time drew on so they were more secure of success and more confident and open in their expectations of it Thus it was abroad for Henry Flood a Jesuit caused the Jesuits at Lisbon to spend a great deal of Money on Powder upon a Festival day a little before the Gunpowder-Treason in England to make experiment of the force of it and perswaded one John How a Merchant whom he had perverted and diverse other Catholicks to go over into England and to expect their Redemption there as he called it a while as we have the relation of it Thus it was also at home for a few days before the appointed time Garnet meets the other Traitors at Coughton in Warwick-shire which was the place of Rendezvouz whither they resorted out of all Countreys And upon the first of November Garnet openly prayeth for the good success of the great Action concerning the Catholick Cause in the beginning of the Parliament adding these Verses of an Hymn in the end of his Prayer Gentem auferte perfidam Credentium de finibus Vt Christo laudes debitas Persolvamus alacriter This Garnet never denied but pleaded that he went thither with a purpose to disswade Mr. Catesby when he should have come down An Answer most absurd as the Earl of Salisbury replied to him seeing he knew Catesby would not come down till the 6 th of November which was the day after the Blow should have been given and Garnet went into the Country ten days before If this had been his Errand it would rather have kept him in London where Catesby was than carried him from it As to the Prayer he used he had prepared this Answer as he told Hall in their secret Conference together It is true saith he that I prayed for the good Success of that great Action but I will tell them that I meant it in respect of some sharper Laws which I feared they would then make against the Catholicks And that answer shall serve well enough In which 1. he plainly grants that he had another end in reciting that verse than he would own to them that should examine him upon it 2. It appears that the end which he did it for was what he was very much afraid to have discovered As is evident from his own Letters in one of which he saith I know not how I shall satisfie them about my Journey to Coughton and in another there is a rumour of a Sermon preached by me at Hall I am afraid it 's that which I made at Coughton And he further said to Hall If I can clear my self of this which I hope to do I care not what otherwise they have to object against me c. And can we then think that it was by chance that he recited those Verses being used in the Octaves of All-Saints day as his Apologist saith
contrive and a few hands to execute and that part of it which required only the Match and the Tinder a Faux alone was sufficient for these might manage the more secret Negotiation But if that had succeeded there must many more have appeared upon the Stage to quiet or curb the multitude to keep things safe at home and maintain a fair Correspondence abroad And can it be thought that such persons as were found to have been imployed herein did not understand as much or when they understood could neglect it Can it be thought that such persons as ventured all they had in the World the Gentlemen their Estates and Honours the Jesuits their own and the Reputation of their Society and all of them the honour of their Religion and their own Lives would put all this into jeopardy without weighing the case and all circumstances relating thereunto Can it be thought that Catesby who was a cautious man as Thuanus saith and one not more eminent by birth than the endowments of his mind as another saith or Garnet who was one of a sharp Wit solid Judgment and of long Experience as another saith being several years Provincial of his Order and the rest could lay the whole stress of such an important Design upon so few as twenty Persons Can we think again such should be guilty of this omission who had been engaged in Plots from time to time and that they who could assure the King of Spain in the Spanish Treason that upon his Invasion the Catholicks of England would have in readiness for his use and Service 1500 or 2000 Horses could forget the like provision now or that they could think of Horses and provide no Riders for them It was without doubt upon a better Army than that of a few Servants and Horse-Boys as the Author of the Apology reckons them up that Sir Everard Digby was assured that if the Design had taken place there would have bin no doubt of other success and that there would have bin a League answerable to that in France The Persons concerned herein were not such Novices as to undertake so much upon no prospect of good and sufficient assistance This they well foresaw and did in the beginning advise about as Winter confessed Whilst we were together we began to fashion our business and discoursed what we should do after this Deed was done The first question was how we might surprize the next Heir c. and what we should do for Money and Horses which saith he if we could provide in any reasonable measure having the Heir Apparent and the first knowledg of four or five days was odds sufficient This we find them consulting how to do without suspicion for Garnet did hereupon write to Baldwin the Legier Jesuit in the Low-Countries in the behalf of Catesby that one should move the Marquess for a Regiment of Horse for Catesby not with any intent as it was agreed that Catesby should undertake the Charge but that under colour of it Horses and other necessaries might be provided without suspicion to furnish the Traitors This we find further that they had done for Watson and Clark Priests at their apprehension did affirm that there was some Treason intended by the Jesuits and then in hand as for other Reasons so for that they had collected and gathered together great sums of Money to Levy an Army therewith when time should serve and had both bought up store of great Horses about the Country and conveyed Powder and Shot and Artillery secretly to their Friends wishing them not to stir but to keep themselves quiet until they heard from them And it seems that they had met with good success in it for there was in June 1605 a Conference and Consultation betwixt Garnet Catesby and Tresham concerning the strength of the Catholicks in England to the end that Garnet might by Letters send direct Advertisement thereof to the Pope for that his Holiness would not be brought to shew his inclination concerning any such Commotion until such time as he should be certainly informed that they had sufficient and able Force to prevail By which they must suppose not only that the Catholick Party was strong in it self but also that that strength should be in readiness upon this occasion or else their message to the Pope had been to little or no purpose This Sir Everard Digby in his Papers often glances at For he saith I shall not need to clear any living body either private or publick for I never named any body but reported that those that are dead did promise that all Forces in those Parts round about Mr. Talbot would assist us but this can hurt nothing for they openly spoke it So again we all thought if we could procure Mr. Talbot to rise that and we had in our Company his Son in Law who gave us some hope of and did not much doubt it This I conceive to be Mr. Talbot of Peper Hill from what I find of him in a Manuscript in my possession Let us hear Sir Everard further as to this matter The greatest of our business saith he stood in the possessing the Lady Elizabeth who lying within eight miles of Dunchurch we would have easily surprized c. If she had been in Rutland then Stoaks was near and in either place we had taken sufficient order to have been possessed of her In either place we see was sufficient order but that could not have been without a Party in Rutland that we read nothing of Nay we find Sir Everard after his Imprisonment to be not without hopes of good Seconds and of making his terms by the fear which the Court might be in of them For thus he saith I have some guess that it worketh but the Lieutenant maketh all shew to me of the contrary for saith he the Catholicks are so few in number that they are not to be feared on any terms for on his knowledg there were not above 4000 in all England Besides he said they were easily pacified I would not at all argue the matter with him but if the number should be objected to me c. Whereby we may perceive what his opinion was in the case who could not but understand in some measure what the condition and strength of his Party was and what expectation they might reasonably have from it The Catholicks were in his Judgment many and to be feared and he did apprehend they would not be wanting to their Cause or them in that juncture Which agrees with what we find observ'd by the Secretary that by diverse Advertisements from beyond the Seas he understood that the Papists were making preparations for some Combination amongst them against this Parliament time for enabling them to deliver at that time to the King some Petition for Toleration of Religion which should be delivered in some such order and so well back'd as the King should be loth
in the Tower from the nearness of their Lodgings Robert Winter said to Faux that he and Catesby had Sons and that Boys would be Men and that he hoped they would revenge the Cause Nay that God would raise up Children to Abraham out of stones And they added that they were sorry that no body did set forth a Defence or Apologie of their Action but yet they would maintain the Cause at their deaths And so it 's likely they did for King James saith that some of them continued so obstinate that even at their death they would not acknowledg their fault but in their last words immediately before the expiring of their Breath refused to condemn themselves and crave pardon for their deed except the Romish Church should first condemn it Of this we have a particular example in Grant when being admonished just before his death by a learned and reverend Person to ask pardon of God for his offence he confidently and readily replied That he was so well satisfied that there was no sin in the case that on the contrary he thought that he deserved so well for that generous and brave Attempt that it would abundantly suffice for a satisfaction for all the sins of his whole life So little did they generally repent of the Fact and so little reason have we to think that what they confessed proceeded from compulsion of Conscience but rather that it was from some other reason as fear of the Rack or surprize or because others had confessed or that they themselves had given occasion from what they had before confessed for a further enquiry c. So it happened with Faux and Th. Winter who at the first accused none of the Jesuits but having confessed that they received the Sacrament that led the way to a further Examination about the Priests whom they at last confessed also This Sir Everard foresaw and therefore he took another course as is before observed and denied that he had received the Sacrament at all upon this occasion Now that what I have before said is true will appear from the behaviour of Stephen Littleton who though he had confessed that he sent to Hall after their defeat for advice whither to retire and had with others acknowledged that he and the rest had confessed to Hammond a little before yet he absolutely refused to answer whether he received Absolution from him for the Fact or had his Conscience satisfied by him about it and added that he would rather dye than reveal the secrets of that matter And Robert Winter who had at first confessed that all the Jesuits named were privy to and engaged with them in the Conspiracy yet as is before observed did maintain their Cause and resolve to defend it at his death Truly I find none of them that had any touch of Remorse but Rookwood and Tho. Winter and for the latter it is observable that when he said I shall set down mine own Accusation c. which I shall the faithfuller do since I see such courses are not pleasing to Almighty God Yet was so far from doing so that he speaks there not one word of Gerard whom upon a further Examination he discovered or any other Jesuit so that his Confession at that time seems rather to be owing to his second reason that he there gives than his first and that is because the most material parts had bin already confessed To conclude this when the Traitors did accuse their Confessors either they did this sincerely and because compelled by their Conscience or not if not as I have shewed then what doth the Argument signify that if the tenderness of their Conscience did compel them to expose their own Confessors then they would not have spared others But if they did thus confess them sincerely and out of Conscience then their Confessors were guilty of what these charged them with And then let them take their choice I shall now proceed to the consideration of the last Argument by which they would endeavour to prove that it was not a Popish Plot and that not any besides the abovesaid Conspirators were concerned in this Treason viz. that all the Catholick Lords were to have undergone the same barbarous Fate with the rest Supposing this was true as it is not yet is not the Pope's Interest to be promoted and the cause of the Jesuits maintained though the Nobility of their own way be destroyed Was there not a time when in an intended Invasion to be carried on by force from abroad and a secret Conspiracy at home that it was not the Persons they regarded but Interest It was to make room place and space for my Master said the Duke of Medina And might not this be the case in 1605 as well as it was in 88 And so their Religion be thereby settled and place and space made for the Master of Rome as well as Spain and Authority and Power gain'd to the Society it is no matter though the Innocent perish with the Nocent and Friends as well as Foes fall by the same Stroak This was foreseen in the present Conspiracy and when it was made a case of Conscience by Catesby it was resolved in the affirmative by Garnet that for the good and promoting of the Catholick Cause against Hereticks the necessity of time and occasion so requiring it was lawful among many Nocents to destroy and take away some Innocents also So that it might be a popish Plot though the Catholick Lords and all the Catholick Lords were to perish with the other But notwithstanding what these Writers do say that the Catholick Lords and all the Catholick Lords were to be thus barbarously dealt with yet we shall find that this is a great mistake in matter of Fact also The Confession of Thomas Winter if they had read it would have informed them otherwise for whilst we were in the Vault we discoursed saith he what Lords we should save from the Parliament which was first agreed in general as many as we could that were Catholicks or so disposed but after we descended to particulars And Sir Everard Digby doth give a clear account of this matter I dare not saith he take that course I could to make it appear less odious for divers were to have been brought out of the danger which now would rather hurt them than otherwise I do not think there would have been three worth saving that should have been lost To this purpose one of them that was privy to it took the way of writing to the Lord Monteagle Other Lords as the hour drew on might be admonished of it or called off as an Author of theirs saith they were to be or perhaps such a kind of Letter might have been thought of also as the Author of the Catholick Apology hath drawn up to serve upon such an occasion and which he thinks would certainly have kept the Person to whom
else to say but who can tell whether Hammond did not oblige them to lay down their Arms before he did absolve them or whether they did not bring such Arguments for continuing in them as might render it probable and then he was bound to absolve them But as to the former it is certainly otherwise for they not only continued in the same posture of Rebellion after absolution which they were in before But also Hammond advised Henry Morgan to defend the Cause to the utmost before he absolved him Which is further confirmed by what Stephen Littleton did say who when asked whether he was absolv'd for the Fact or had his Conscience satisfied by any about it viz. at that time answered that he would rather dye than reveal the secrets of that matter Which doth imply that he had bin thus absolved and was confirmed As to the latter viz. the Doctrine of a probable opinion it serves rather to condemn than excuse them for if the opinion of a Doctor or their own and the good of the Cause shall serve to procure both may make an Opinion probable then Jac. Clemen s and Ravilliac and all the Regicides in the World may be defended and defend themselves But yet even this will not salve the reputation of Hammond for Rookwood believed his concealment of this Treason to be a Sin and confessed it so to him but he absolved him from all his Sins notwithstanding without taking notice of this particular Rookwood thought it to be unlawful and yet Hammond absolved him as if he never had so thought Another of the Jesuits is Hall or Oldcorn who was privy to it and did satisfie Humphry Littleton that did begin to suspect the lawfulness of the Plot and to think God was not pleased with it from the disaster Catesby c. met with But Hall told him that we must not judg the cause by the event and gave him several instances to confirm it This Humphry Littelton did confess But saith the Apologist he did at his Execution beg pardon of Hall for it But if he did he must ask his pardon for what was true for Hall himself in the substance of it did confess what Littelton accused him of But how could that be that he should beg pardon of him at the place of execution when though they suffered the same day at Worcester yet not at the same time and Littelton was dead before Hall came thither 4. The Jesuits did not only satisfie the Consciences of others and absolve them but also were parties in the Treason themselves I shall not here insist upon what Smith the Bishop of Chalcedon said of Gerard that he boasted that he had largely sweat with working in the Mine because I find it not upon Record But there are several things laid to their charge that will sufficiently prove that they were actually concerned in it As 1. We find that at the first beginning they were present at their most private Consultations and so intimate in that juncture was Gerard with Catesby that he lodged with him in Percy 's house as Faux confessed 2 We find that some of them administred the Oath of Secrecy to the Conspirators So Gerard to Catesby c. and Greenwel to Bates 3. They were also busie in buying up store of Horses and Arms and Gerard was more particularly imployed herein as he had skill and pretended to teach the riding of the great Horse 4. That they had frequent consultations about it as Garnet with Catesby and Tresham about the strength of the Catholicks Greenwel with Garnet about a Protector And Garnet Gerard and Greenwel with Sir Everard Digby c. for they seem to be the Three whom Sir Everard is so careful to conceal and whom he therefore is so careful to conceal because of some particular charge that might be brought against them for what was said or done when together with him as may be collected from his Papers 5. When the Conspirators were in Arms Greenwel came to them from Garnet and so had Garnet come likewise but for fear his order might irreparably suffer by his appearance Greenwel went from them to raise a Party and make an Insurrection And Hammond continued with them Now if to satisfie the scrupulous and absolve the guilty and to oblige to Secrecy if Consulting Advising Assisting and accompanying with the Traitors will bring the Priests into the number then they will be guilty And it s not all their own Declarations or Apologies written by others on their behalf will make them innocent as long as such a Charge remains upon Record against them It is no wonder then that Garnet after all his confidence should profess that he would give all the world to clear his Innocency and that he that hoped at the first to escape for Want of proof should have nothing to say for himself when he was overwhelmed as he said with so great a Cloud of Witnesses From which evidence as he did at last confess what they could from other proof charge upon him so from his own confession given under his hand he was when he would have stray'd from the path of Truth at his death forced into it again by the admonition of the Recorder then present For a little to palliate his case and clear himself he said that what he knew in particulars was in Confession which was contrary to what he before had confessed in four points as the Recorder then shewed and how he could thus equivocate or worse and yet behave himself like a faithful Servant of Jesus Christ at his death as the Author of the Catholick Apology saith all mankind but themselves cannot I believe understand SECT IV. This Conspiracy was purely upon the account of Religion AS our Adversaries before have done what they could to cast off the odium of this Conspiracy from the Party in general and from the Jesuits in particular by making a few Gentlemen only and their dependents concerned in it So they use as much Art to clear their Religion from the guilt of it being sensible that if this be found faulty the others are not to be defended but the whole Party must fall under censure Therefore they labour might and main to acquit themselves well herein and tell us that as these persons were few in number so they did proceed upon discontent and not upon the score of Religion Sometimes they plead the King did before his coming into England give them good hopes of the exercise of their Religion which when deceived in they were exasperated Sometimes their Persecutions were so great that they almost hated life it self for their sake Or as the Author of the Catholick Apology words it That which drove these Gentlemen into this wickedness was the want of Christian patience or a despair of any ease by this King from Queen Elizabeth's cruel and horrid
A VINDICATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE Gunpowder Treason And of the Proceedings and Matters relating thereunto from the Exceptions which have been made against it And more especially of late years by the Author of the Catholick Apologie and Others To which is added A PARALLEL betwixt That and the Present Popish Plot. LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1681. Errata's in the History of the Gunpowder-Treason PAge 8.1 ult for 20 read 16. After p. 20 false paged P. 28. l. 23. r. Catesby P. 30. l. 19. f. Everard r. Gerard f. when r. where P. 31. l. 12. expunge that In the Vindication Page 17. lin 4. read reserve P. 32. Marg. l. 2. r. 9. P. 36. Marg. l. 14. r. 313. P. 40. Marg. f. ibid. r. Antilog p. 146. P. 47. Marg. dele l. ult P. 48. Marg. dele l. 9. P. 54. l. 1. r. Wykes P. 55. l. 18. r. Conjurationis P. 57. l. ult f. yet r. that Marg. dele Paper 418. P. 60. Marg. f. ibid. r. Proceeds P. 61. Marg. l. 8. r. 248 P. 63. l. 20. r. 338. To the Reader IN compiling the History of the Gunpowder-Treason published two Years since I had a particular respect to Brevity and Truth that I might neither burthen nor abuse the Reader How far I attained the former the Book it self doth shew and that I might not mistake in the latter I did with good heed and diligence consult not only the Histories foreign and domestick but also all other Books which I could meet with written pro and con upon that subject But all this while I had neither seen nor heard of the large Reply in Vindication of the Catholick Apology written by a Person of as great Wit as Honour in which I afterwards found there was a particular Discourse upon this Argument I must confess that the Honourable Author hath as well acquitted himself as could be expected in a Case of this nature and by the reviving and skilful disposing of what hath bin said by others and starting many things not taken notice of that I know of before hath put a pretty Varnish upon the Cause and made it passable with inconsiderate Persons But if what is there said be warily view'd I do not question but it will appear to be founded rather upon conjecture than solid History and to have more of fancy than truth in it But whether this be so or not or whether what I have here said will make it evident or no I must now leave to the Judicious and such as will be concerned impartially to inquire into the merits of the Cause If it should be expected that I should have taken notice of some other late Books of our Adversaries that touch upon this Subject I have only this to say that I have not willingly overlooked any and as for those that I have seen I find little or nothing which is not the same with what is said in the foresaid Reply and that hath not for the most part bin borrowed from it THE HISTORY OF THE Gunpowder-Treason VINDICATED THE Conspiracy of the Gunpowder-Treason carried in its front so much of unnatural cruelty that with all their Art the Party could put no colour upon it and therefore there hath been nothing wanting amongst them to vindicate themselves and their Religion from being concerned in it Sometimes they will slander Authority and make the Judges and Council to Conspire against them Sometimes the whole was the contrivance of a Minister of State Sometimes the Traitors were but very few and they such as were young and rash quick to resent a provocation and easily inclined to revenge it Sometimes it was in those discontent not Religion And if any or all of these will serve to stop the mouths of their Adversaries and protect themselves they will boldly stand up in their own vindication And that they have reason to say all this is what they do maintain I shall therefore consider their several pleas and do think that I shall take in all that they say and shew it to be very weak and insufficient if I make good 1. That this was a Plot of their own and not contrived to their hands by their Adversaries 2. That more were concerned in it than were at that time publickly known and accused 3. That those that fled and suffered for it were really guilty 4. That this Conspiracy was purely upon the account of Religion 5. I shall add that they never yet gave to the world any real and good satisfaction of their abhorrency of it Of what great use it will be if they could prove the whole to be anothers device I cannot well understand For if it could be made as clear as the day that a Minister of State drew the Conspirators into the nooze and had such as from time to time did give him intelligence how their affair stood will it serve to clear their innocency and make the Plot on their part to be none was there all the while no evil inclination of their own to work upon and no mischief intended by them were they drawn in without their consent or were they not drawn in at all but the whole accusation a Fiction and it no better than a seeming Plot as one suggests If not why is this so vigorously urged and so much enlarged upon by our late Apologists But yet how little shadow of proof there is for this will appear if we consider how inconstantly these speak as to this matter For if we will hearken to the man of 70 years when he died who is for that reason presumed to be a person of some credit in the case by the honourable Author above said he saith Fuit non levis suspitio c. that there was no light suspicion of a certain Peer's being acquainted with the Conspiracy long before its discovery who cunningly pretended ignorance that the more might be involved in it It was in his time it seems a suspicion and a suspicion that that Noble-man knew of the Conspiracy i.e. by the intelligence he kept with some of them But in the current of ten or twelve years from a suspicion it comes to a certainty from his being privy to it it comes to be his proper Invention For now it s said to be set a work by the discoverers to be a trick invented by the States-man and to be a seeming Plot and that they were drawn into it by the dexterity of a Protestant It was in More 's time some Noble man thus was suspected but now upon the sole credit of Mr. Osborn it must be the Treasurer meaning I believe Cecil tho at the time of this Treason he was Secretary only and he for his good service was made an Earl as our Author saith altho as luck would have it he was so created on the Saturday after St. George's day Ann. 1605 which was above six months before this Treason
broke out So inconsistent are Persons with themselves when they have not truth on their side and so apt are they to catch at any little thing when they serve a Cause or a Party For is it not an easie thing to raise such a report and have we not reason to believe such will do it whose interest it is to discharge themselves of it and who as they would deny it if they could so would to be sure extenuat it when it is not to be denied Can we think that they who contrived to cast the whole upon the Puritans if it had succeeded were not as able and willing when it miscarried to place the name of Cecil in their Register as the Master-workman as the above said Author saith that Sanderson doth acknowledg and to make him the deviser of it Furthermore is it not usual for such as would be accounted Men of Wit which the Apol. saith Mr. Osborn was noted for to allow little of that in others and for such as pretend to be Inquisitive Politicoes as the Apol. saith Tacitus did to have every thing a Mystery can we think that he that slubbers over what K. James did well and continually exposeth him in what he thinks he did ill that will hardly allow him to have any sense of Honour and Religion would not be shy also of allowing him one dram of sagacity above other men to find out a Riddle or any greater title to divine Providence to help him to unfold it Can we think that he that was a frequenter of company and inquisitive as this Author saith Osborn was could be ignorant of such rumours as were scattered at that time abroad by the party concerned if such there were or that he that had a spite at the Court would not maliciously improve them And is there any reason to believe the one or the other upon their bare affirmation I do not think that the credit of such will pass at this time abroad without better Certificates and therefore since this honourable Person is he alone that hath urged some Arguments for it as he affirms I shall consider what he hath said And in the first place I think what he hath said concerning the Letter sent to the Lord Monteagle to be very remarkable upon which he observes That it 's pleasant to see in most of the Relations and Accounts of this Business how the Letter appeared Nonsence forsooth to Cecil and with what a particular adulation he seemed all along to admire the King's Comment and Exposition for though his Majesty had as much Wit as any man living yet the Affair was so plain that one of a far less capacity could not miscarry in it Herein I must confess he is very singular and I am of his mind when he saith perchance I have bin the first that urged the present Arguments For to this day all the World hath bin of another opinion and without doubt whoever had seen the Letter before the event did unriddle it must have no more thought of such a design then those that read the Case that Del Rio put of powder being placed so that the Prince and all that are in the City would be thereby destroyed could think of the respect which that had to England Will we hearken to their stout Apologist he acknowledgeth that Rex ingenio per se acer periculo factus acrior c. the King naturally of a sharp wit and by his danger made more quick when he could conceive no other way by which the Parliament should be destroyed suspected as it was that it must be by some Mine and so caused the place to be searched If Barclay be to be heeded the King was Divinely inspired Nay if Bellarmine be to be credited it was not discovered without a Miracle of Divine Providence And after all these it will be of some Authority with Protestants not only that King James in his Speech on that occasion saith it was miraculous and that when a general obscure Advertisement was given of some dangerous blow at this time I did saith he upon the instant interpret and apprehend some dark Phrases therein contrary to the ordinary Grammar construction of them and in another sort than I am sure any Divine or Lawyer in any Vniversity would have taken them to be meant by this horrible form of blowing us all up by Powder But also the Lords and Commons in Parliament declared that the Plot would have turned to the utter ruin of this whole Kingdom had it not pleased Almighty God by inspiring the King 's most excellent Majesty with a Divine Spirit to interpret some dark phrases of a Letter shewed to his Maiesty above and beyond all ordinary construction thereby miraculously discovering this hidden Treason After all which whether I shall with the aforesaid Author say that the words of that Letter are obvious and which he by way of scorn calls the Miraculous Letter or with Sir Edward Cook in his Speech say upon the Authority aforesaid that the King was divinely inspired by Almighty God the only Ruler of Princes like an Angel of God to direct and point out as it were to the very place to cause a search to be made out of those dark words of the Letter concerning a terrible Blow I leave the world to judg But he will not only have the Letter plain for the matter of it but also undertakes to find out the Authour which he will needs have to be the States-man and thinks to come off with a pretty Query or two Is it possible saith he to imagin that any Man could be so mad after he and his Partizans had brought their Plot to that perfection had so solemnly swore by the Trinity and Sacrament never to disclose it directly or indirectly by word or circumstance and had resolved to blow up all the Catholick Lords and the rest of their Friends c. To fancy that a man should write a Letter that had more in it of a Plot against the State than the bare saving of a Friend Again Suppose this yet what need was there to write that God and Man would punish the Parliament c. and a hundred other circumstances not only suspicious but to no manner of purpose unless intended for the detection of the whole Intrigue Besides no man really engaged in the Treason had he bin never so great a Fool would have given warning ten days before the Plot was to be executed And so he goes on to shew how this warning was quite opposite to the designs of a Conspirator c. but beneficial to a Machiavilian From all which we may observe how much may be said by a man of Wit to baffle any Cause that he undertakes to overthrow since this that he hath said is in the ground of it false as hath elsewhere bin shewedâ— and what if I had