wherein he says The Design prospered so well that he doubted not but in a little time the Business would be managed to the utter Ruin of the Protestant Party And by other Letters he writes to the French King's Confessor that the Assistance of his most Christian Majesty is necessary and desires Mony from him to carry on the Design But there was one Letter without Date more bloody than all the rest which was written to Le Chese in some short time after the long Letter of Sept. 29 1675. wherein among many other things Mr. Coleman expresses himself thus We have a mighty Work upon our hands no less than the Conversion of three Kingdoms and the utter subduing of a Pestilent Heresy which hath for some time domineer'd over this Northern Part of the World and there never were such hopes of success since the Death of our Queen Mary as now in our days And in the Conclusion of this Letter he implores Le Chese to get all the Aid and Assistance he can from France and that next to God Almighty he did rely upon the mighty Mind of his Most Christian Majesty and therefore did hope Le Chese would procure Mony and Assistance from him Then Dr. Oates at the desire of the Prisoner was call'd again concerning the time of the Consult Coleman offering to prove that he was the most part of that Month in Warwickshire offering something to excuse himself from the Guilt of Treason but being clearly convic'd in both Points Sir Francis Winnington his Majesty's Solitcior General sum'd up the Evidence to which Serjeant Pemberton added something and then the Lord Chief Justice Scroggs spoke to the Jury who presently brought the Prisoner in Guilty who on the Morrow Morning being brought to the Bar offered again something as to his being out of Town and pleaded the King's Act of Grace the insufficiency of which as to him being shewn the Ld. Ch. Justice directed a very excellent and Christian Speech to him pronouncing Sentence upon him to be hang'd drawn and quartered And on Tuesday Decemb. 3. following he was accordingly drawn on a Sledg from Newgate to Tyburn where he declared that he had been a Roman Catholick for many Years and that he thanked God he died in that Religion and he said he did not think that Religion at all prejudicial to the King and Government The Sheriff told him if he had any thing to say by way of Confession or Contrition he might proceed otherwise it was not seasonable for him to go on with such like Expressions And being asked if he knew any thing of the Murther of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey he declared upon the words of a dying Man he knew not any thing of it for that he was a Prisoner at that time Then after some private Prayers and Ejaculations to himself the Sentence was executed upon him The Trials of William Ireland Thomas Pickering and John Grove at the Sessions-house in the Old-Baily on Tuesday December 17 1678. THen and there were Arraigned Thomas White alias Whitebread William Ireland John Fenwick Thomas Pickering and John Grove upon an Indictment of High-Treason for conspiring to murder the King To which they pleaded Not Guilty Their Jury were Sir Will. Roberts Bar. Sir Phil. Matthews Bar. Sir Charles Lee Kt. Edward Wilford Esq John Foster Esq Joshua Galliard Esq John Byfield Esq Thomas Eaglesfield Esq Thomas Johnson Esq John Pulford Esq Thomas Earnesby Esq Rich. Wheeler Gent. To whom the Indictment was read and Sir Creswel Levinz opened it Sir Samuel Baldwyn opened the Charge and Mr. Finch all of Counsel for the King in this Cause opened the Evidence And Dr. Oates being sworn deposed That in December last VVhitebread receiv'd a Patent from the General of the Jesuits at Rome to be Provincial of that Order That after that he ordered Conyers to preach against the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy at St. Omers upon St. Thomas of Canterbury's day That he sent several Letters thither to Ashby about Assassinating the King and in February a Summons to the Consult held April 24 upon which nine did appear at London and the Consult was begun at the White-Horse Tavern in the Strand and afterwards adjourn'd into several little Meetings wherein a Resolve was drawn up by Secretary Mico for Pickering and Grove to go on in their Attempt to kill the King for which Grove was to have 15000 l. and Pickering 30000 Masses and this Resolve was signed by Whitebread Fenwick Ireland and others whom he saw sign it That in June the Witness was sent over to murder Dr. Tongue for translating the Jesuits Morals out of French that he met with Fenwick at Dover whose Box being seiz'd by the Searchers then said that if they had search'd his Pockets they would have found Letters as might have cost him his Life That soon after Ashby who had been sometime Rector of St. Omers brought Instructions from VVhitebred who was then looking after his Charge as Provincial beyond Sea that Care should be taken for the Murder of the Bishop of Hereford and Dr. Stillingfleet and that 10000 l. should be proposed to Sir Geo. VVakeman for poysoning the King and that nevertheless Pickering and Grove should go on still in their Attempts That the 10000 l. was proposed to but refused as too little by Sir George whereupon VVhitebread writ from St. Omers that 15000 l. should be proposed which was both proposed and accepted whereof 5000 l. was paid by Coleman or his Order That in August at a Consult of the Jesuits with the Benedictines the four Ruffians were recommended by Dr. Fogarthy to which Fenwick being present consented and they were sent away to VVindsor and the next day 80 l. was sent after them That in this Month other Letters came from VVhitebread ordering Harcourt to send one Moor and Sanders alias Browne into Scotland to carry on the Design which Fenwick and Ireland had plotted of a Rebellion there That Pickering and Grove did accept the Terms and Grove took the Sacrament and Oaths of Secrecy upon it after the Consult was over in VVhitebread's Chamber That he saw Pickering and Grove several time walking in the Park together with their Screw'd Pistols that they had Silver Bullets to shoot with which he had seen and Grove would have had the Bullets to be champt for fear the Would to be given by them might be curable That in March last these Persons having followed the King several Years Pickering had a fair opportunity but that the Flint of his Pistol being loose he durst not venture to give Fire for which Negligence he underwent Penance and had twenty or thirty strokes of Discipline and Grove was chidden for his Carelesness That Fenwick was by when the 80 l. was sent by Harcourt to VVindsor for the four Ruffians That he received the Oath of Secrecy which VVhitebread administred upon a Mass-Book Mico holding the Candle That VVhitebread issued out several Commissions and particularly one for
let him rot in Goal this being the Complaint of Harris and the Disparagement of all these Hummers and brave Fellows that seem to espouse the Cause and affront the Government And that hereby they had now ruin'd and undone Care if so be he were found Guilty whom otherwise he should have thought a more favourable Sentence might have serv'd The Jury then withdrawing for about an hour brought the Defendant in Guilty and the Ld. Ch. Justice and Mr. Recorder told them They had done like honest Men. The Trial of Elizabeth Cellier at the King's-Bench Bar on Friday June the 11th 1680. THen and there the Prisoner appearing and the usual Formalities being passed and the Jury sworn but their Names not inserted in the printed Trial the Indictment was read which was for High-Treason for conspiring the Death of the King and subversion of the Government and Protestant Religion And to this end expending divers Sums of Mony to several Persons to procure them to kill the King and to impose the said Treasons upon the Presbyterians c. For the Proof whereof Mr. John Gadbury deposed That he knew nothing of this Plot nor of any Contrivance of Mrs. Cellier's to kill the King but rather the contrary she being concern'd to bring Sir Robert Peyton over to the King's Interest and told him that one Smith and Phillips were willing to tell some Stories of Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedloe and that he had heard Mr. Dangerfield talk of a Nonconformist's Plot that would take off the Popish Plot. That upon the going over of one Clay she said she heard there were several Priests and Jesuits coming over That she fear'd the Nation would be destroy'd before the Popish Plotters were because abundance of the best of the Nation went into other Nations and spent their Mony abroad which weakened the Nation That meeting him in Westminster-Abbey she in discourse said that place had been filled with Benedictine Monks as the Temple had with Fryers and said she what if it should be so again That he had been acquainted with her 10 or 12 Years and when the King was ill at Windsor she did move some Questions to him about the Life of the King but he refused to tell her any thing and then she said she would consult some other Astrologer at the same time discoursing him about Dangerfield how to get him out of Prison Then Mr. Dangerfield came forth as a Witness against her whom she excepted against for that he had been Whipp'd Transported Pilloried and Perjured and by a Witness proved his Conviction of Felony c. To which he pleading the King's Pardon was sent away to fetch it and in the mean time Thomas Williamson deposed That Mrs. Gellien employed him to get Dangerfield out of Prison whosoever staid behind Margaret Jenkins swore She never saw Mrs. Cellier and Dangerfield together but twice and it was a Year ago at the Lady Powis's House and she never heard any Discourse about the Plot. Susan Edwards swore That she had oft seen them together and had heard her say That the Popish Plot would turn to a Presbyterian Plot. Bennet Dowdal swore That he had oft seen them together but never heard them talk of the Plot. Then the Court expected Mr. Dangerfield's return and in the mean time a Copy of a Record from Salisbury was read of his standing in the Pillory for uttering false Guinies as also a Copy of a Record of an Outlawry for Felony After about half an hours stay Mr. Dangerfield returned and brought his Pardon which was read and the word Felony omitted and his Pardon being thereby judged defective his Evidence was laid aside And so there being but one Witness the Jury return'd her Not Guilty so she was acquitted and Dangerfield for want of present Bail was committed The Trial of Roger Earl of Castlemain before the Ld. Ch. Justice Scroggs at the King's-Bench Bar at Westminster on Wednesday June 23. 1680. ROger Palmer Esq Earl of Castlemain in the Kingdom of Ireland having been Arraigned at the King's Bench Bar June 16. 1680. for High-Treason in conspiring the Death of the King the subversion of the Government and introducing of Popery and Arbitrary Power c. To which he pleaded Not Guilty He was now brought again by the Lieutenant of the Tower to the Bar to receive his Trial. And his Jury were Sir John Cutler Kt. Bar. Sir Reginald Foster Bar. Henry Herriott Esq Richard Cheney Esq Thomas Johnson Esq John Roberts Esq Francis Dorrington Esq Hugh Squire Esq Charles Good Esq John Pulford Esq Edward Claxton Esq Francis Mayhew Gent. To whom the Indictment being read Mr. Bonithon of Counsel for the King in this Cause and Mr. Attorney General opened the same Then Dr. Oates was sworn who deposed That when he returned out of Spain in Novemb. 1677. he brought a Letter thence from the Fathers to the Prisoner wherein was expressed That the Fathers in Spain were very zealous to concur with the Fathers here in England in the Design the Letter being shewn him before it was sealed Which Letter he delivered to Strange the then Provincial to give to the Prisoner And that in December following the saw a Letter at St. Omers from the Prisoner to the Fathers wherein he gave them an account of his Letter from Spain and was glad the Fathers there had so good an Opinion of his Integrity in the Cause That in March he saw another Letter of the Prisoners to the Fathers at St. Omers importing his dislike that the Secular Clergy should be trusted with the Design That in April he came over into England to the Consult soon after which he saw the Prisoner come and enquire about the Copies of some Letters to be sent up into Germany and did desire that an Agreement between them the Jesuits and the Monks might be made up that so they might have the Assistance of that Order to carry on the Design That afterwards he heard the Prisoner and Mr. Langworth and Mr. Fenwick talking in Fenwick's Chamber about the Transactions of the Consult and how unanimous the Fathers were in signing of it and the Prisoner then said That now he should be reveng'd for the Injuries done to him That he saw in Strange's Hand an Account of a Divorce that was between the Prisoner and Barbara Dutchess of Cleveland And that he heard the Prisoner say he had been at great Expence about a Divorce and a Priest's Chamber being searched there was a Paper found wherein the whole Case was stated Then the Prisoner and the Ld. Ch. Justice cross-examin'd Dr. Oates a long time to have catch'd him but were not able Then Mr. Dangerfield was called but the Prisoner opposed his being sworn because he had been Out-lawed for Felony and burnt in the Hand for Felony and the Records were produced But Mr. Attorney General shewed his Pardon by which he was restored But this the Prisoner desired his Counsel might speak to Whether a Man branded and
Sir John Gage of Sussex which the Witness saw to be an Officer in the Army That in August there was a Consult whereat Fenwick was wherein there was a Design laid for killing the Duke of Ormond and raising a Rebellion in Ireland to which VVhitebread also consented when he came over as appears by their Entry-Books That in September VVhitebread having had Intimation from one Beddingfield of the Plots being discover'd and of the suspicion they had of the Witness being waited upon at his Lodgings upon his coming over by the Witness he beat affronted and reviled the said Witness commanding him to go beyond Sea again assaulting him in his Lodging afterwards to have murthered him being jealous that he had betrayed them He deposed also that Grove did go about with one Smith to gather Peter-Pence and that he saw the Book wherein it was entred And confessed to him that he with three Irish Men did fire Southwark for which Grove had 400 l. and the other three 200 l. a piece Then Mr. Bedloe deposed That he had been five Years almost employed by the Jesuits and the English Monks in Paris to carry and bring Letters between them from and to England for the promoting of this Plot Relating how Harcourt began to employ him and naming the particular places whither he had been sent to shew the Reasons of his knowledg in this matter saying that in all their Consults wherein he was it was always concluded on That they would not leave any Member of any Heretick in England that should survive to tell in the Kingdom hereafter that there ever was any such Religion in England as the Protestant Religion Then he proceeded to depose that in August last there was a Consult at Harcourt's Chamber about killing the King as Pritchard inform'd him and of sending the four Ruffians to Windsor who failing it was afterwards concluded Pickering and Grove should go on and Conyers be joyned with them to assassinate the King in his Morning-Walks at New-Market this he heard in Harcourt's Chamber in August also Grove and Pickering and Pritchard and Fogarthy and Harcourt and the Witness being present And Grove being more forward than the rest said Since it could not be done clandestinely it should be attempted openly That those that fell had the Glory to die in a good Cause But if it were discovered the Discovery could never come to the heighth but their Party would be strong enough to bring it to pass That Grove was to have 1500 l. and Pickering a considerable number of Masses That there was a Discourse at the same time of a design to kill several Noble Persons Knight was to kill the Earl of Shaftsbury Pritchard the Duke of Buckingham Oneile the Earl of Ossory and Obrian the Duke of Ormond Then a Letter was produced and read in Court sworn by Sir Thomas Doleman to have been found among Harcourt's Papers four or five days after Dr. Oates had given in his Informations from one Edward Petre giving account when the Consult was to be as ordered by their Provincial Whitebread mightily confirming Dr. Oates's Evidence as to that particular Then the Seals also were shewn in Court that were made use of to sign Commissions taken out of VVhitebread's Chamber Then the King's Counsel here ending their Evidence the Lord Chief Justice took notice to the Jury that there had only one Witness sworn against Whitebread and Fenwick Bedloe charging them with nothing of his own knowledg and that therefore he would discharge them of them and accordingly he sent them back to the Goal And the other three were called upon to make their Defence which was only a bare denial of the Matter of Fact Only Ireland being charged in August laboured very much to prove that he was out of Town all that Month by the Testimony of his Mother and Sister and one Harrison Sir John Southcott's Coachman and one Gifford His Mother and Sister saying expresly that he went out of Town August 3d and Harrison that he saw him at St. Albans August 5th and continued in his Company to the 16th and Gifford that he saw him at the latter end of August and beginning of September at Wolverhampton tho it was reproved by very good Circumstances and upon Oath for the King by Sarah Pain Servant to Grove that she saw him at his own door in London about the 12th or 13th of the same Month. His next Defence was a weak Reflections upon Dr. Oates's Credit to which purpose an Indictment for Perjury never prosecuted was urged against him but the Attourny-General made slight of it as of a thing that had nothing in it Neither was that which Sir Dennis Ashbournham said of greater force concerning the Irregularities of his Childhood which he said would have staggered his Belief of what the Doctor had deposed if the matter had depended solely upon his Testimony but being so corroborated with other Circumstances he was convinced of the Truth of what he had discovered nor did he think any thing could be said against Dr. Oates to take off his Credibility The Lord Chief Justice then summ'd up the Evidence smartly inveighing against the Principles and Doctrines of Popery After which the Jury retired for a very little while and then brought those three Prisoners in Guilty And then the Court Adjourn'd till the Afternoon when being met about five a Clock Mr. Recorder the Judges being gone home made an excellent Speech against Popery to the Prisoners sentencing them to be drawn hang'd and quartered which accordingly was executed upon them at Tyburn on Friday Jan. 24th following The Trials of Robert Green Henry Berry and Laurence Hill at the King's-Bench-Bar at Westminster on Monday Feb. 10th 1678. THE Prisoners there appearing were indicted for the Murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey Kt. one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex to which they pleaded Not Guilty on Wednesday Feb. 5. and were ordered to be brought the next day to their Trials But Mr. Attourny-General the next day moved the Court that it might be deferred till Monday Feb. 10. that the King's Evidence might be the more ready which was granted On Monday therefore they were brought to their Trials and the Jury impanell'd were Sir Will. Roberts Bar. Sir Rich. Fisher Bar. Sir Mich. Heneage Kt. Sir Tho. Bridges Kt. William Avery Esq Char. Vmphrevile Esq John Bathurst Esq Richard Gowre Esq Thomas Henslowe Esq John Sharpe Esq John Haynes Esq Walter Moyle Esq To whom the Indictment being read Sir Thomas Stringer Serjeant at Law and of Counsel for the King in this Cause opened the Charge and Sir William Jones Attorney-General opened the Evidence Then Dr. Oates being sworn deposed That in September Sir Edmondbury Godfrey in Discourse did tell him what Affronts he had received from some great Persons for being so zealous to take Examinations concerning the Plot And that others who were well inclin'd to have the Discovery made did think that
Secresy as to time and place it appearing of its own Nature necessary The other was a Letter from one Christopher Anderton dated from Hilton by which was meant Rome Feb. the 5th 1677 8. wherein mention was made of the Patents being sent thence both which Letters the Prisoners strugled much to vindicate by such forced Constructions of the matters they contained as all the Court rejected Against Gavan Dr. Oates deposed That he saw his Name to the Resolve though he could not swear he was at the Consult of the 24th of April That he gave an account from time to time of the Affairs of Staffordshire and Shropshire relating to the Plot and that coming to London he gave the same account to Ireland his own Chamber and talk'd of two or 3000 l. that would be ready for the Design Mr. Prance then deposed that Harcourt had told him above a Year before as he was paying him for an Image of the Virgin Mary that there was a Plot upon the Life of the King Mr. Dugdale deposed against him that it was he who had engaged him in the Plot upon the Life of the King and often perswaded and encouraged him to it That at Ewer's and his Chambers at Boscobel and other places several Consultations had been had about the Death of the King and bringing in of Popery wherein Mr. Gaven was always a great Man being a good Orator to perswade People in the Design That at the same Consultations he had heard the Massacre often discours'd of And that Gaven should say That tho they were but in a low condition themselves yet they would have Men and Mony enough to spare for such a Design That the said Gaven had many times endeavoured to convince him of the Lawfulness if not the Merit of killing any person whatsoever for the Advancement of their Religion As to Turner it was sworn by Dr. Oates that he was at the Consult of Fenwick's Chamber and sign'd the Resolve Mr. Dugdale also deposed that Ewers had told him that Turner was to carry on the Design in VVorcestershire That the said Turner had met with Ewers Leveson and others in several places and had in every one of them given his consent to and assisted with his Counsel in the carrying on of the grand Design of killing the King and introducing of Popery This was the main of the Evidence for the King The Prisoner's defence lay chiefly in seeking to invalidate the Testimony given against them and to prove Oates perjured they produced these St Omers Witnesses who testify'd that he was not in England in April viz. Mr. Hilsley William Parry Doddington Gifford Palmer Cox who differed in his Testimony from all the rest and caused two great Laughters in the Court Thomas Billing Townley Fall John Hall Butler Cooke a Taylor some of which were so positive that they affirmed that Dr. Oates never lay but two Nights out of the Colledg from December till the middle of June And to prove further that he did not come over with Sir John VVarner and Sir Thomas Preston as he had deposed elsewhere one Bartlet a Dutchman Carlier Verron Baillee who spoke by an Interpreter John Joseph and Peter Carpenter appear'd Then Gaven produced two Witnesses to prove him to be at VVolverhampton in Staffordshire at the time of the Consult viz. one Mrs. Kath. VVinford at whose House he there lodged and Mary Poole a Servant in the House the latter of whom was so lame in her Testimony as caused both Laughter and Shouts He produced four more that affirm'd him to be in VVolverhampton the last week in July but none that could speak to the other three weeks in that Month. However he protested his Innocency and desired to put himself upon the Trial of Ordeal Then VVhitebread in his defence offered to prove D. Oates mistaken in his Evidence at Mr. Ireland's Trial which the Court would not allow Harcourt endeavoured to prove Dr. Oates mistaken as to Ireland's being with him in his Chamber in August One Gifford the Lady Southcott Sir John Southcott Mr. Edward Southcott his Son Mrs. Harewel her Daughter Eliz. Keeling Pendrel and his Wife two Mrs. Giffords and one Mr. Bedloe affirming him to have been most of that Month in Saffordshire Fenwick offer'd to invalidate Mr. Bedloe's Evidence from his having been an ill Man c. Then Sir Creswel Levinz of Counsel for the King summ'd up the Prisoners Defence and to clear Dr. Oates's Evidence about Ireland he called Sarah Pain who swore that she saw Ireland in London about the middle of August And for the Proof of Dr. Oates's being in England at the time he said he was Mr. VValker a Minister Mrs. Ives Mrs. Mayo Sir Richard Barker Philip Page Butler his Servants Mr. Smith Schoolmaster of Islington and Mr. Clay a Popish Priest all deposed as to his being seen in April and May 78 to which the Prisoners only opposed the Number and Innocency of their Evidence being most young Boys After which the Ld. Ch. Justice directed the Jury and in summing up the Evidence insisted particularly on Dugdal's Evidence concerning Sir Edmondbury Godfrey's Death as a mighty Confirmation of the Plot. Then an Officer was sworn to keep the Jury who withdrew and the Judges also went off from the Bench leaving Mr. Recorder and a competent number of Commissioners there to take the Verdict and about a quarter of an Hour after the Jury brought them all in Guilty Then the Prisoners were carried back to Newgate and the Court adjourned till eight next Morning And then Mr. Langhorn was tried and found guilty After which they were all six brought to the Bar together and received Judgment to be Drawn Hang'd and Quartered which accordingly was done upon these 5 Jesuits and Priests on Friday June the 20th at Tyburn The Trial of Richard Langhorn Esq Counsellour at Law at the Old-Baily on Saturday June the 14th 1679. HIS Indictment was for conspiring the Death of the King Subversion of the Government and Protestant Religion whereto he pleading Not guilty the Jury were impannelled for his Trial who were Arthur Yong Edward Beeker Robert Twyford VVilliam Yapp John Kirkham Peter Pickering Thomas Barnes Francis Neeve John Hall George Sitwel James VVood Richard Cawthorne To whom the Indictment being read Roger Belwood Esq of Counsel for the King in this cause opened the Indictment and Sir Creswel Levins proved the Charge And Then Mr. Dugdale was first called to give Evidence of the general Design from which afterwards it would be brought down particularly to Mr. Langhorn who therefore deposed that he had been in several Consultations for alteration of this present Government and for the introducing of Popery and Murther of the King that he was to have a Sum of Money to be one of them that should kill the King being put upon it by Mr. Ewers Mr Gavan Mr. Luson and Mr. Vavasor all Jesuits that there was then to have been a Massacre of the Protestants and
King of England so easy and the French King so powerful they must not miss such an Opportunity That about a Year and an half since Mr. Harcourt sent him with another Pacquet of Letters to Mr. Langhorn to Register wherein were two Letters that he before had brought from Spain the one from Sir William Godolphin to the Lord Bellasis the other from the Irish Colledg of Jesuits in Salamanca That the Letter from the Rector did specify That they would have the Lord Bellasis and the rest of the Lords that were concerned and the rest of the Party in England to be in readiness and to have this communicated with all expedition for that now they had provided in Spain under the Notion of Pilgrims for St. Jago some Irish cashier'd Souldiers and a great many of Lay-Brothers to be ready to take Shipping at the Groin to land at Milford-Haven there to meet the Lord Powis and an Army that he was to raise in Wales to further this Design That also he met with Father Keins he brought a Letter from Mr. Langhorn in his Hand which he said was a chiding Letter from the Secretary de propaganda Fide Cardinal Barbarino to Mr. Langhorn and the rest of the Conspirators for going on no faster when they had so fair an Opportunity Then Thomas Buss the Duke of Monmouth's Cook was sworn who being out of the way before now deposed to the Plot in general That he in September last being at VVindsor heard one Handkinson bid one Anthony a Portuguese and the Queen's Confessor's Man who was then drinking in their Company that he should have a special care of the four Irish Gentlemen he brought over with him for that they would do their Business whom since he had seen Coleman's Trial he supposed to be the four Irish-Men that were to kill the King Then this Anthony was sent for by the Court to be took up but Handkinson was return'd beyond Sea Then the Prisoner in his own defence offer'd to the Court that the two Witnesses against him Oates and Bedloe were Parties to the Crime which was laid to his Charge and therefore he desired to know whether they had their Pardon or no Which tho it were sufficiently made out yet the Court for his further satisfaction declared That whether they had or had not yet they were good Witnesses or else they should not have been admitted Whereupon the Prisoner started another Question Whether having had their Pardons they might not fall under the same prospect in Law with an Approver not as being Approvers but as under some equivalence of reason for them From whence he would have inferr'd That if the Approver be pardoned the Appellee ought to be discharg'd To which the Court replied That an Approver was ever allow'd Maintenance and that there ought to be a proof of corrupt Contract or Subornation to invalidate a Testimony Then the Prisoner desired to know whether they had ever received or did not expect Gratifications and Rewards for their Discoveries To which Dr. Oates declared That he was 6 or 700 l. out of Pocket and knew not when he should see it again The Prisoner urged That Mr. Reading had told him that Mr. Bedloe had received 500 l. But the Court inform'd him that was for the discovery of the Murderers of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey Then these little Passes being all put by and he having nothing to answer to the Fact to invalidate the Witnesses he called in the St. Omers Gang which had all been heard and baffled but the day before to prove that Dr. Oates did not come over with those Persons he deposed he did nor at that Time but was at St. Omers in April and May which was the only Months they could answer any Questions about because as one of those Witnesses very honestly confess'd the Question that he came for did not fall upon any other Time Others of them contradicted themselves as to what they had spoke the day before one calling it the 24th of April New-Stile who yesterday call'd it Old-Stile another June who yesterday said July And the Woman of the VVhite-Horse Tavern affirming her House to be little and that there was never a Room therein that could contain near so many as Dr. Oates had deposed had met there at the Consult several in the Court presently contradicted her affirming that Fifty might dine at once in some of her Rooms Then Mr. Langhorne would have urged something against the Witnesses which they had said at other Trials the unreasonableness whereof the Court shew'd him Then several substantial Witnesses being sworn whereof one was a Papist deposed That they saw Dr. Oates in London in April and May 1678. which quite contradicted the St. Omer's Evidence Then Mr. Langhorn urg'd the St. Omer's Testimony notwithstanding against Dr. Oates's Evidence and affirm'd that he had never seen Mr. Bedloe before that day and that it was improbable that one that was in his way of Practice should become a Clerk to register Letters and that there was no proving a Negative disclaiming all Principles of Disloyalty leaving the rest to the Jury Therefore the Ld. Ch. Justice then summ'd up the Evidence and directed the Jury And then a Letter found among Harcourt's Papers five or six days after Dr. Oates had given in his Information to the King and Council was produc'd and read in Court to confirm Dr. Oates's Testimony about the Consult Then an Officer was sworn to keep the Jury who withdrew to consider of their Verdict and the Judges also went off from the Bench. After a short space the Jury returned and brought the Prisoner in Guilty upon which there was a very great Shout Then the five Prisoners cast the day before were all brought to the Bar and received Sentence together To be Drawn Hang'd and Quarter'd Mr. Recorder applying himself first to them in a very handsom Speech Which Sentence after a Month's Reprieve was executed upon him at Tyburn The Trials of Sir George Wakeman Bar. William Marshall Benedictine Monks William Rumley Benedictine Monks James Corker Benedictine Monks At the Sessions-House in the Old-Baily on Friday July 18. 1679. THen and there these Prisoners were Indicted for High-Treason for conspiring the Death of the King subversion of the Government and Protestant Religion whereto they all pleaded Not Guilty Their Jury were Ralph Hawtrey Esq Henry Hawley Esq Henry Hodges Esq Richard Downton Esq John Bathurst Esq Robert Hampton Esq William Heydon Esq John Baldwyn Esq Richard Dobbins Esq William Avery Esq Richard White Gent. William VVayte Gent. To whom the Indictment being read Edward VVard Esq of Counsel for the King in this Cause opened the Indictment and Sir Robert Sawyer opened the Charge And then Mr. Dugdale was first called to give a general Account only of the Plot. Who therefore being sworn deposed That for these seven Years he had known of the Plot and for two Years particularly and that in order thereto the best way was
that Robinson and his Wife upon their Examinations before a Justice of the Peace said they did not know him Then the Statute of 27. Eliz. Cap. 2. was read and the Ld. Ch. Justice summ'd up the Evidence and the Jury brought him in Guilty Then VVilliam Atkins was set to the Bar having been Arraigned for being a Romish Priest and his Indictment read to the same Jury Then VVilliam Jackson being sworn said He could say nothing Francis VVilden deposed That he heard him say Prayers in an Unknown Tongue in a Surplice and had seen him give the Sacrament to seven or eight according to the manner of the Church of Rome in a Wafer at Mrs. Stamford's House in VVolverhampton Then John Jarvis being called refused to be sworn saying He was troubled with a Vision last Night But the Ld. Ch. Justice told him he mistook for Old Men dream Dreams 't was Young Men see Visions and that he was an old Man Bidding him speak the Truth and he 'd warrant him he should not be troubled with Visions any more this being a Trick of the Priests So he being sworn deposed That he had often been relieved by this Atkins and had heard him say somewhat in an Unknown Tongue and had Confess'd to him and often received the Sacrament from him he being in a Priests Habit. Henry Brown also deposed That he was almost turned from the Protestant Religion to that of the Church of Rome but never went further than Confession and that was to this Man and then he left them Then Thomas Dudley deposed That he likewise was given that way and had been at Confession with one Atkins whom he believed to be this Man and had seen him perform several Rites of the Church of Rome at VVell-Head at Ham. Then the Statute was read and the Prisoner saying He had neither any Witnesses to call nor any thing to say The Ld. Ch. Justice summ'd up the Evidence and the Jury brought him also in Guilty And the Ld. Ch. Justice sentenced them both to be Drawn Hang'd and Quarter'd ON Monday Aug. 4. 1679. at Hereford Charles Kerne was brought to the Bar and being Arraigned he pleaded Not Guilty to the Indictment which was for being a Romish Priest Then the Jury being sworn whose Name 's are not inserted into this Trial only that one VVill. Barret was Foreman the Court proceeded to call the Evidence against him And first Edward Biddolph was sworn who deposed that he did not know the Prisoner that he had seen one of that name 6 Years agone at Mr. Somerset's at Bellingham but would not say this was he Then Margaret Edwards deposed That she had known Kerne five or six Years That the first time she ever saw him was at Mr. VVigmore's of Lucton who told her it was he That she hath seen him several times since twice or thrice at VVoebly and the last time was the 29th of May was Twelvemonth at Sarnsfield at Mrs. Monington's where she saw him deliver the Wafer and remembred the Words Corpus Christi to four persons that were there but she her self did not receive She gave also an account of the Reason of her then coming thither it being at the request of one Harris of Lempster whose Wife was sick to seek some Remedy from Mrs. Monington for her Telling how the Maid brought her up to the Mistress how she acquainted her with her Errand what advice was given her and how Mrs. Monington understanding she was a Papist took her into the Chappel whereof she gave a Description Then Mary Jones deposed That she knew Mr. Kerne about eight Years ago when she lived at Mr. Somersets and that Mr. Kerne lived in the House about half a Year That she hath seen several Persons come thither And that one Sunday Morning she saw several Persons go up with Mr. Kerne and listning she heard Mr. Kerne say something aloud which she did not understand there being but a Wall between them That also there was a Child Christned in the House and no one there but Mr. Somerset and his Wife Mr. Latchet and his Wife and Mr. Kerne to do it but she did not see him do it though she heard his Voice And that once she wash'd a Surplice but knew not whose it was Then the Prisoner in his own Defence called one Mr. Hyet who said That Margaret Edwards had denied to him that she knew Mr. Kerne but not being on her Oath when she said so it was not regarded Mr. Weston's maid affirmed That she saw Margaret Edwards and Mary Jones talking together and Marg. Edwards instructed the other what she should say but being called they both denyed it upon their Oaths Then Mrs. Monington appear'd who said She neither knew Marg. Edwards nor James Harris and Mrs. Monington's Maid denied that ever she saw her at her Mistresses House Then the Statute being read of 27 Eliz. the Prisoner urged that Persons that are not Priest's may say Mass except that of Bread and Wine and Christen too in extremis Then the Ld. Ch. Justice summ'd up the Evidence concluding Margaret Edwards to be a Positive Evidence but leaving the other doubtful to the Consideration of the. Jury who brought the Prisoner in Not Guilty The Trial of Thomas Knox and John Lane at the King's-Bench Bar on Tuesday Novemb. 25. 1679. before the Lord Chief Justice Scroggs and the other Judges of that Court. THen and there the Prisoners were indicted for a Conspiracy to defame and scandalize Dr. Oates and Mr. Bedloe thereby to discredit their Evidence about the Horrid Popish Plot. To which having pleaded Not Guilty the Jury was sworn viz. Sir John Kirke Thomas Harriot Henry Johnson Simon Middleton Hugh Squire Francis Dorrington John Roberts Rainsford Waterhouse Thomas Earsby Joseph Radcliffe James Supple Richard Cooper To whom the Indictment being read Trenchard Esq of Counsel for the King in this Cause opened the Indictment Serjeant Maynard pursued the Charge and Sir Creswel Levinz his Majesty's Attorney General opened the Evidence Then the Attainders of those Persons executed for the Plot and the Impeachments of the Lords in the Tower and of the Earl of Danby mentioned in the Indictment being allowed Robert Radford one of his Majesty's Yeomen of the Guard being call'd and sworn deposed That Richard Lane who was a Yeoman of the Guard extraordinary and Father of this John Lane told him about a Year ago that Doctor Oates did attempt many times to Bugger his Son but knowing him to be a lying Fellow he durst not speak of it again for fear he would have put it upon him Mr. Thomas Allen only deposed that in December last when Lane was out of Dr. Oates's Service he desired him to interceed for him which he did till he was admitted again Mr. Samuel Oates the Doctor 's Brother deposed That in April last about a Fortnight before Lane went from his Brother he heard him say having before wished for 1000 l. that he questioned not
end of February last and desired him to get him a Copy of his Master's Papers and take a Journal of his Actions and the Names of the Persons that came to him and that the Lord Treasurer would incourage him for his pains saying That Oates and Bedloe were two great Rogues and that the King knew them to be so and believed not a VVord they said and as soon as he had heard all they could say they should be hang'd Then Mrs. VViggens deposed the same as being present all the time that Knox was with her Son who refused that her Son should consent or go then with him as Knox motion'd to the Lady Danby for assurance of Encouragement and any Place in her Lord's disposal Then Mr. Palmer a Yeoman o th' Guard and one that attended Mr. Bedloe and got VViggens into his Service deposed That Mr. Wiggens made a discovery to him of what Knox had said to him for to acquaint his Master with which he did Then Mr. Thomas Dangerfield deposed That he in June was imployed by the Lady Powis to look after the Prisoners Lane and Knox in the Gate-House and did furnish Lane with Mony and got him bail'd out after which he was entertain'd at Powis-House and then removed and had 10 s. a week allowed him and was clothed That Knox afterward got his Liberty by the means of one Mr. Nevil who was furnished with Mony from the Lords in the Tower for that end From this Knox he received several Papers which were Informations against Oates which he sent to the Tower and thence they were sent to Mr. Nevil to enlarge upon and after to the Ld. Castlemain and then to him again by Mrs. Celier with an Order to draw up an Affidavit according to those Directions and get Lane sworn to the same which he did before Sir James Butler it being about Buggery and then he deliver'd the Papers so enlarged to Knox again Who some time after inform'd the Witness that he had got Osborne sworn also to the same Informations and shew'd him the Affidavit whereof he gave an Account to the Lady Powis who understanding his Poverty order'd him Encouragement and accordingly he has 40 s. from the Witness which he believed came from the Tower as also that 10 s. a Week allowed for Lane An Indictment was hereupon to have been drawn up against Oates by the Advice of Mr. Nevil and this Witness against this Term. Then the King's Counsel moved for the reading of these Information The Justices swore them and then the Information of Knox was read which was a relation how Osborne and Lane brought him the Information against Oates desiring him to assist them in getting them sworn to them A Second Paper was offered to be read but there appearing Scandalous Matter to be in it reflecting on the King the Court thought not fit to suffer any more to be read And so the Counsel for the Defendants were called upon to speak Accordingly Mr. VVithens Mr. Saunders and Mr. Scroggs endeavoured to defend their Client Knox by throwing the Guilt upon Lane and Osborne as if they had induced him in and he only acted for them out of Simplicity and great Innocency And to this end they produced Lane's Mother and Sister to shew that Lane and Osborne applied themselves to Knox first Mr. Holt. and Mr. VVilliams were of Counsel for the Defendant Lane who endeavour'd in requital to throw the Guilt upon Knox as being tâ—â— Inducer making it a Battel Royal where every one has two Enemies to oppose But the Case being clear the Court thought it needless to sum up the Evidences or the Jury to go away from the Bar so laying their Heads together they presently declared them Guilty At which the People gave a great Shout and the Prisoners were taken into the Marshal's Custody The Trials of Lionel Anderson alias Munson William Russel alias Napper Charles Parris alias Parry Henry Starkey James Corker William Marshal and Alexander Lumsden a Scotchman at the Sessions-house in the Old-Baily on Saturday Jan. 17 1679. THese Prisoners then and there appearing their Indictment was for High-treason as Romish Priests upon the Statute of 27 Eliz. cap. 2. David Joseph Kemish who was arraigned with them for the same Offence after he had pleaded was set aside by reason of Sickness Corker and Marshal both pleaded that they had been already tried and acquitted for this Offence but the Court convinc'd them to the contrary it being another Fact The Jury then sworn were John Bradshaw Lawrence VVood Matthew Bateman John Vyner Francis Mayo Martin James Anthony Hall Samuel Jewel Richard Bealing Thomas Hall Richard Bromfield Samuel Lynne To whom the Clerk of the Crown read the Charge against Lionel Anderson all the rest being set away and Roger Belwood Esq opened the Indictment Sir John Keiling pursued the Charge and Serjeant Strode all of Counsel for the King in this Cause managed the Evidence And then Mr. Dangerfield swore against him That when he was a Prisoner in the King's-Bench for Debt this Anderson shew'd him a Letter from the Lady Powis which was to desire the Witness to scour his Kettle which was to confess and receive the Sacrament to be true to the Cause The next day accordingly he went into Anderson's Chamber to Confession and received Absolution and the Sacrament from another to whom Anderson sent him that was saying Mass at that time After which returning to Anderson again he told him that he as a Priest did give him free Toleration to go and be drunk with one Stroude being for the good of the Cause he being to bring over this Stroude to be a Witness for the Lords in the Tower to invalidate Mr. Bedloe's Testimony Dr. Oates deposed that he was a Priest a Dominican Friar that he had heard him say Mass seen him consecrate the Sacrament been at Confession with him and seen his Letters of Orders as a Priest which he confess'd to him he had from Rome and that he was an English-Man and the Son of an English Gentleman Mr. Bedloe deposed That he was a Priest and an Englishman and Mr. Anderson's Son of Oxfordshire and he was told that he had heard him say Mass and seen him administer the Sacrament at some the Embassadors House Mr. Prance deposed That he had heard him say Mass several times at VVild-house and had seen him there take Confessions and give the Sacrament having known him seven Years To this Prisoner pleaded that it had not been proved that he was an English-man tho his Speech betrayed him and confess'd his Father was a Lincolnshire-Man and that he had been countenanc'd by the King and his Council and known to most of the dignify'd Clergy-men and if the Parliament had not been dissolved he had been protected by them for his writing against the Temporal Power of Rome and that he was therefore excommunicated by the Church of Rome and had not said Mass in any Parish Church this ten Years
herein till he had been in France in 1677 and there seeing the slavery of the French People he thought it were better the Devil should reign over them than the French-Man Edmond Murfey hesitated much in giving his Evidence tho he had given it in the fullest of any to the Grand Jury but afterwards he ran away and was found at the Spanish Ambassadors though he owned that the Prisoner was to get 60 or 70000 l. for the establishing Popery But because he fenced in his Evidence the King's Counsel desired he might be committed which was done accordingly John Mac-Legh a Parish Priest in the County of Monagham in Ireland deposed That the Prisoner had received several Sums of Mony there and he had raised and paid him some for Arms and Ammunition for the Papists That he was at Vicar Bradey's House when Bishop Tyrrill came thither And that in France he had seen the Conditions upon which the Prisoner was made Primate which was to raise Men to join with the French to destroy the Protestant Religion John Moyer a Regular Priest and Begging Frier deposed That in 1672 he met with a Letter of the Prisoners in Caprennica directed to the Secretary of the Colledg De Propaganda Fide which he opened and copied producing the Copy wherein was said That 't was more proper for the Catholick Princes to agree together to extirpate Heresy than to vary among themselves that now was the time for there were 60000 Men ready to rise upon such an Invasion That in 1674 when he came into Ireland he told the Prisoner of this Letter and that he had seen it who thereupon pray'd him to be secret for what he did was not for his own Good but for the publick Good of the Catholicks who proffered him high Promotions if he would further the Design That he was at a Consult afterwards where the Primate Bishop Tyrrel and others were where they concluded to send Capt. Con O-Neale to France and Barcellona with certain Instruments wherewith the Captain shortly went and the two Bishops undertook to view Munster and Vlster and that this was in 1676. To all this the Prisoner only protested his Innocency complaining that his Witnesses and some Records he had not had time to procure and that the Jury were Strangers to him and the Witnesses and that by being brought out of his Country his Life was in danger where these Witnesses would not have been believed against him Then Mr. Sollicitor General and Serj. Jefferies having summ'd up the Evidence and the Lord Chief Justice giving the Charge the Jury withdrew for a quarter of an Hour and then brought the Prisoner in Guilty And on Wednesday June 15. after the Prisoner had pleaded the same things over again and informed the Court that now his Witnesses were come as far as Coventry being shew'd the insufficiency of such a Plea after so long time the Court had given him before his Trial the Lord Chief Justice sentenc'd him to be Drawn Hang'd and Quartered Which accordingly was execcuted upon him together with Fitz-Harris at Tyburn on Friday July 1. following The Trial of Sir Miles Stapleton at the Assizes at York on Monday July the 18th 1681. THen and there the Prisoner appearing having been arraigned and pleaded Not Guilty to Indictment of High Treason for conspiring the Death of the King and Subversion of the Government and Protestant Religion after several challenged on both sides the Jury sworn were Sir Barrington Boucher Kt. Sir John Jennings Kt. Richard Hutton Esq VVelbrough Norton Esq Tobias Hodgson Esq John Beverly Esq Anth. Frankland Esq John Adams Esq Francis Battery Esq Francis Fuldgam Esq Humphry Brooke Esq Thomas Lee Esq To whom the Indictment being read and then opened by Sir Thomas Stringer of Counsel for the King in this Cause the King's Witnesses were Mr. John Smith who being sworn told what he knew of the Plot in general much like what he related at the Trial of my Ld. Stafford to which the Reader is referred As to what he knew of the Plot in Yorkshire was that while he lived with Mr. Jennison Mr. Thwing the Priest who had suffered as a Conspirator much perswaded him to intreat Mr. Jennison to send his Daughters to Dolebank where a Nunnery was to be erected and he knew several that were there That he told him Sir Miles Stapleton was very zealous for promoting Popery and had contributed largely to it and was engaged with several others for making a Founder for Dolebank Then Mr. Robert Bolron deposed his Knowledg of the Plot just as he had done before at Thwing's Trial charging the Prisoner to have been at that Consult at Barnborow-hall in 1677 and thereat promised to give 200 l. towards the killing of the King It being then resolved to be done and Pickering mentioned to do it and it was said that if the D. of York did not please they would serve him as they would serve his Brother That one Sherborn told him that Sir Miles was to be a Privy-Councellour and that they would procure the Dukes consent to it That he was also at a Consult at Barnborow June the 13th 1678. and there it was agreed upon taking of Hull the letting in of the French there discoursing that the Ld. Bellasis had caused the Block-Houses to be almost ruin'd that the French might more easily come in and they had all Pardons for their Sins and that he had seen a collusive Conveyance of the Prisoner's Estate Then Mr. Lawrence Mowbray deposed that Sir Miles was at the Consult in 1676 at Rushton's Chamber where Rushton gave him the Oath of Secrecy and he promised to be true to the Design and would venture his Life and Estate for the promoting of so good a Cause Then Mr. Bayns was sworn who only depos'd that he had seen Sir Miles at several meetings at Barnborough-hall but knew nothing of what was discoursed thereat Then Sir Miles Stapleton began his Defence protesting his Innocency and having cross examin'd only Bolron he called Mr. Lowther to prove he did not accuse him when he was examin'd by him Yea Mr. Lowther said he told him that he knew nothing against Sir Miles but believed he was clear But afterwards he told him that Mowbray could accuse him and of what which Bolron denied both Then Sir Thomas Yarbrough testified that Bolron told him also Aug. 10 1679. that he knew nothing of Sir Miles's being concern'd in the Plot but believed him to be a very honest Gentleman only he knew he had made a collusive Conveyance of his Estate as most Papists he believed had done for Security Bolron denied this and deposed that he accused Sir Miles to the Council not in his first but second Information which was after the 10th of August The Lady Yarbrough then gave in the same Testimony with her Husband Mr. Normanton testified that in June 1679. Bolron told him that Sir Tho. Gascoyne would give 1000 l. for killing the King and the
Reading should direct as also for giving the said Mr. Bedloe 50 Guinies in Hand and promising him greater Rewards for the Ends and Purposes aforesaid To which he pleaded Not Guilty in Thought Word or Deed. Then the Jurors sworn were Sir John Cutler Joshua Galliard Esq Edward Wilford Esq Thomas Henslow Esq Thomas Earsby Esq John Serle Esq Thomas Casse Esq Rainsf Waterhouse Esq Matthew Bateman Esq VValter Moyle Esq Richard Pagett Esq John Haynes Esq Mr. Reading at first challeng'd Sir John Cutler as being in Commission of Peace and labour'd very much to have made his Challenge good But the Court over-rul'd it in regard Sir John was not in the particular Commission then sitting and for that he could not challenge him peremptorily the Indictment not endangering his Life as it might have been laid but only for a Misdemeanour Thereupon the Court proceeded and the Indictment being read to the Jury Edward VVard Esq of Counsel for the King in this Cause opened it and Sir Creswel Levinz opened the Charge After which Mr. Reading to save time admitting those Publick Passages laid in the Preamble of his Indictment as that Coleman Ireland c. were Executed for Treason and that the Lords in the Tower were accused and impeached in Parliament for this Plot Mr. Bedloe was sworn and deposed That Sir Trevor VVilliams brought him first acquainted with the Prisoner who began with him as a friendly Adviser in publick always pressing him to discover what he knew of the Plot but in private advising him to be cautions and not to run at the whole Herd of Men intimating as if the Ld. Ch. Justice also seemed displeased at his forwardness saying that he would make the Parliament his Friends by proving the Plot the King his Friend in not charging all the Lords and the Lords his Friends by being kind to them That the Persons Mr. Reading most sollicited for were the Lords Petre Powis and Stafford and Sir Henry Tichborn Mr. Roper Mr. Caryl and Corker That he should have Mony and an Estate by the negotiation of the Prisoner at the Bar to shorten the Evidence and bring them off from the Charge of High-Treason That he and Mr. Reading had several Consultations about this matter none of which he did conceal but revealed them presently to the Prince the Earl of Essex Counsellor Smith Mr. Kirby and several others And that he did not give in his full Evidence against VVhitebread and Fenwick a Ireland's Tryal because he was then treating with Mr. Reading who had made him easie That the Prisoner in assurance of his Reward told him he had order to draw blank Deeds to be sign'd in ten days after the discharge of those for whom the Sollication was made That he and the Prisoner had a private Consultation in his Bed-chamber March 29. last when Mr. Speke and his own Man Henry VViggens were hid privately in the Room and over-heard the main of the Consultation and Overture of Mr. Reading At what time Mr. Bedloe was to pen his Testimony as the Prisoner should direct him for the mitigation of the Evidence That when that Paper was finished the Prisoner carried it to the Lords to consider of it And that after they had consider'd of it and mended it as they pleas'd Reading return'd with the Emendations written with his own hand and deliver'd them to Mr. Bedloe in the Painted-Chamber who held them so behind him that Mr. Speke as it was agreed took them unobserved out of his hand Which Paper being then Produced was read in open Court Then Mr. Speke was sworn who deposed That on Saturday morning March the 29th last he was hid behind the Hangings between the Bed's-head and the Wall in Mr. Bedloe's Chamber as was agreed on before and there he heard Mr. Reading's and Mr. Bedloes Negotiation together That Mr. Bedloe asked the Prisoner what the Lords said to the Business and what the Lord Stafford said to the Estate in Glocestershire To which the Prisoner answered That the Lord Stafford had faithfully promised him to settle that Estate upon Mr. Bedloe and that he had Orders from that Lord to draw up a blank Deed in order to the Settlement which the said Lord had engag'd to Sign and Seal within 10 days after he should be discharg'd by Mr. Bedloe's contracting of his Evidence And that the Lords Powis and Petre and Sir Henry Tichbourn had faithfully engag'd and promis'd to give Mr. Bedloe a very fair and noble Reward which should be suitable to the Service he should do them in bringing them off from the charge of High-Treason To which when Mr. Bedloe answer'd that he would not rely upon their Promises only but expected to have something under their Hands Mr. Reading reply'd That they did not think it convenient so to do as yet but that Mr. Bedloe might take his Word as he had done theirs and that he would engage his Life for the performance With much other Discourse all tending to the same effect That on the Monday morning he saw Mr. Reading deliver the Paper to Mr. Bedloe from whom he received it and he and Mr. Wharton read it immediately in the Lord Privy Seal's Room After him Henry Wiggen's Mr. Bedloe's Man deposed That he was concealed under the Rugg upon his Master's Bed at the same time and to the same intent as Mr. Speke was giving the same Evidence as to what had been discours'd of between the Prisoner and his Master in the Chamber which afterwards he and Mr. Speke writ down And that he saw Mr. Reading deliver the Paper to his Master in the Painted-Chamber and saw Mr. Speke take it who went with another Gentleman into the Lord Privy Seal's Room with it After this Mr. Reading began his Defence Protesting his own Innocency producing Mr. Bulstrode only to testify that the occasion of his going to the Lord Stafford was his sending for him which yet he did not without leave from the Committee of Secrets That then he was employ'd by the Lords only to get them their Habeas Corpus's And Sir Trevor Williams being called by him declared how he only recommended Mr. Bedloe to him for his Advise about having his Pardon as perfect as could be The Prisoner owning his being in Mr. Bedloe's Chamber at that time and taking his Evidence and carrying it afterwards to the Lords but that it was purely out of Conscience and to prevent Perjury and the Shedding of Innocent Blood and the Deed discoursed of was only for 200 l. to be paid him by the Lord Stafford within 10 days after he should be discharged pro Consilio impenso impendendo to be secured upon an Estate in Glocestershire the which Mony the Lord Stafford indeed told him when he had received he might dispose of it as he thought fit which Confession the Court declared amounted to the Confession of the whole Charge Then he endeavour'd the bespattering the Witnesses Relating how Mr. Bedloe had vilify'd Dr. Stilling-fleet
Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Lloyd and that he heard him say he had by him several Witnesses that would swear whatever he bid them and that he laid in Provisions of Fire Coals and Billets behind the Palsegrave-Head Tavern and hard by Charing-Cross to burn the City of VVestminster which he produced one Mr. Palmer to swear and that he lent him Mony as also he had Mr. Speke which was yet unpaid which proved to be 6 s. 8 d. for an Order which was for Mr. Speke's Brother aspersing them with being Eves-droppers multiplying words to little purpose His Defence therefore being Artificial as the Lord Chief Justice told him because nothing to the purpose Nay Mr. Justice VVild told him he disgrac'd his Profession by making so weak a Defence And Bedloe own'd some of the Crimes he bespattered him with as part of the Guilt for which the King had given him his Pardon and farther Depos'd That Mr. Reading was to have 100 l. a Year out of every 1000 l. a Year of Bedloe's Reward The Ld. Ch. Justice summ'd up the Evidence to which the Ld. Ch. Baron added some little and then the Jury after a short recess brought the Prisoner in Guilty And then the Court Adjourn'd for half an hour when being met again and the Prisoner at the Bar The Ld. Ch. Justice Sentenc'd him to be Fined 1000 l. to be imprisoned for the space of a whole Year and to be set in the Pillory for the space of one hour in the Palace-Yard in VVestminster On the Monday following he was Pillored accordingly the Sheriff having a particular Charge of his Person that nothing but Shame and Infamy might befal him to which he had been condemned and did deserve as well as any Man that ever was convicted The Trials of Thomas White alias Whitebread Provincial of the Jesuits in England William Harcourt pretended Rector of London John Fenwick Procurator for the Jesuits in England John Gavan alias Gawen and Anthony Turner all Jesuits and Priests At the Sessions-house in the Old-Baily on Friday June 13 1679. THen and there the Court being met and all the Judges of England present Proclamation was made of Silence and Attention whilst the King's Commission of Oyer and Terminer and of Goal-Delivery were openly read then the Prisoners being set to the Bar James Corker a Priest and Jesuit brought thither to be tried with them presented to the Court a Petition setting forth that he was absolutely surprized and unprepared for his Trial and therefore besought the Court that he might not be tried till the next Sessions To which the Court seemed inclinable enough nor did the Attorney General gain-say it upon condition that he could really make it out that he wanted Witnesses without which he could not make his Defence However it was thought fitting that he should hear the Charge that was against him read to the end he might be able to give the Court an account what Witnesses he had that might avail him in reference to his Defence against it which being done the Indictment being in general for High-Treason in conspiring the Death of the King the Subversion of the Government and Protestant Religion the former Question was put to him again and then he named one Alice Gatton now at Tunbridg as a Witness to prove that he was not in Town upon the 24th of April so that being respited till the next day the Court said nothing farther to him that Sitting Immediately after the Indictment was read VVhitebread represented to the Court that in regard he had been tried upon the 17th of December before upon the same Indictment at what time the Jury being impanell'd and the Evidence found insufficient which came in against him the Jury was discharged without a Verdict he was informed that no Man could be tried and consequently put in Jeopardy of his Life twice for the same Cause For which reason he pray'd for Counsel to direct him upon that Point in matter of Law He urged that his Life was in danger as being deliver'd over in Charge to the Jury and to make it out he alledg'd the Case of Sayer in the 31 Eliz. who having pleaded to a former Indictment for a Burglary was indicted a second time upon which it was the Opinion of the Judges that he could not be indicted twice for the same Fact He likewise desir'd a sight of the Record and that he might be informed whether or no when a Person comes upon his Trial he ought not either to be condemned or acquitted Upon the whole matter and his Motion together the Court declar'd to him that the Jury being discharg'd of him his Life was in no danger For that the Jury being sworn to make a true deliverance or the Prisoners in their Charge their Charge could not be full till the last Charge of the Court after Evidence Moreover he was told that such a Plea as he produc'd could not be supported without a Record and it was certain there was none here because there was no Verdict and besides this was not the same Indictment in regard it contain'd new matter Then Fenwick offered the same Plea his Case being the same appearing before with Whitebread upon his Trial but the Court returning the same Answer to him as to the former they both submitted and so all of them pleaded severally Not Guilty to the Indictment Then the Jury being to be impanell'd they unanimously excepted without naming them aganist all those Persons that had serv'd before as Jury-Men in the same Cause which the Court allowed them as but reason And the Jury therefore that were sworn were these twelve Thomas Harriott William Gulston Allen Garraway Richard Cheney John Roberts Thomas Cash Rainsford Waterhouse Matthew Bateman John Kain Richard White Richard Bull Thomas Cox To whom the Indictment being read Mr. Belwood of Counsel for the King in this Cause open'd the Indictment and Sir Creswel Levinz proved the Charge and then Dr. Oates was first called and being sworn he deposed That Whitebread was made Provincial the last December was twelve Month and by virtue of his Authority order'd one Conyers to preach in the English Seminary upon St. Thomas of Becket's-day that the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy were Heretical Antichristian and Devilish which accordingly was done That in January or February he wrote Letters to St. Omers concerning the State of Ireland of which he had an account from Arch-bishop Talbot who wrote him word that there were several thousands of Irish ready to rise when the Blow by which was meant the King's Murther should be given in England and he hoped it would not be long ere it was given That he sent over two Jesuits into Ireland in January to see how Affairs stood there of whose return he writ an account to St. Omers in April and of the Consult to be that Month at which he was and signed a Resolve at Wild-house that Pickering and Grove should go on in their design to dispatch
1684. was brought from thence by Habeas-Corpus to the Bar at the King's-Bench at Westminster where being Arraign'd he was told of his being Indicted and Outlaw'd and thereby Attainted for High-Treason and ask'd what he had to say why Execution should not be awarded against him upon that Attainder To which be reply'd that since he had made an Ingenuous Confession to his Majesty of all that he knew of any manner of Conspiracy against him he hoped That would render him Capable of Mercy and Pardon Upon which the Attorny-General offer'd him a Trial that if he had any thing to say he Defend himself from the Indictment but he Confessing himself Guilty of many things therein declin'd it and threw himself wholly upon the King's Mercy But the Court telling him that the King was the Dispenser of his own Mercy and that they were only to Execute his Justice gave a Rule for his Execution upon Wednesday Sevennight after there being no other Judgment to be pronounced in such Cases as the Court told the Attorny-General when he moved for it the Outlawry it self being the Judgment Which accordingly was Executed upon him on Wednesday the 30th of April 1684. at Tyburn Proceedings in the Court of King's-Bench against Sir Thomas Armstrong June 14. 1684. Sir George Jefferies being Lord Chief Justice SIR Thomas Armstrong Kt. was upon the 14th of June 1684. brought by a Writ of Habeas-Corpus from Newgate to the Bar of the Court of King's-Bench at Westminster and there Arraign'd upon an Outlawry of High-Treason for conspiring the Death of the King c. And being ask'd what he had to say for himself why Sentence should not be awarded against him upon that Attainder pleaded his being beyond-Sea at the time of the Outlawry and desired to be tried upon the Indictment Which the Court refusing to grant him he pleaded the Statute of the 6th of Edw. the 6th which gives the Person Outlaw'd a Year's time to reverse the Outlawry and desired it might be read which accordingly was done But it appearing by the Statute That the Person Outlaw'd ought to render himself to the Chief Justice of England within a Year's time Sir Thomas was told this did not concern him for he had not rendred himself but was taken and brought thither against his Will To which he answered That the Year was not then expir'd fie was there and did now render himself and pray'd Counsel might be assign'd him to argue it in Point of Law but the Court over-rul'd him in it telling him There was no such Doubt or Difficulty in the Matter as to need any such thing Upon which insisting much upon his Innocency and offering to make proof of it if he might be admitted to a Trial he produc'd Holloway's Case as a Precedent for it who had but a little before been offer'd it at the same Place but the Court told him that what had been done therein was meerly from the King's Grace and Mercy and that the King might extend the same Mercy to him also if he so pleas'd but since he had not done so and it not being their Business they must proceed to award Execution upon the Outlawry Upon which Mrs. Matthews Daughter to the Prisoner call'd out to the Court not to Murder her Father For which the Chief Justice caus'd her to be committed to the Marshal and accordingly she wishing that God Almighty's Judgments might light upon them was carried away the Chief Justice saying That he thanked God he was Clamour-proof After which the Attorn Gen. offered to shew the Reasons why the King extended that Grace to Holloway but ought not to extend it to Sir T.A. as not at all deserving any sort of Indulgence or Mercy but that having relation to the Evidence and not to the Outlawry the Court refus'd to hear any thing of it and so proceeded to give a Rule for his Execution the Friday following telling him upon his earnest pressing to have the Benefit of the Statute he had cited the he should have the Full Benefit of the Law And accordingly on Friday the 20th of June he was Executed at Tyburn Mrs. Matthews upon a Petition being before releas'd out of Custody without Fees The Trial between Sir William Pritchard Kt. and Alderman of the City of London Plaintiff and Thomas Papillon Esq Defendant in an Action upon the Case at the Sessions of Nisi Prius holden for the Court of Kings-Bench at the Guild-hall in the City of London on Thursday the 6th of November in Michaelmas Term in the 36th Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second 1684. Before Sir George Jefferies Kt. and Baronet then Lord Chief Justice of the said Court of Kings-Bench SIR William Pritchard late Lord Mayor of the City of London having in Easter Term last brought an Action upon the Case for falsly maliciously and without probable cause procured him to be arrested and imprisoned in his Mayoralty against Thomas Papillon Esq The Defendant pleaded Not Guilty and thereupon issue being joined it came this day to be tried before the Lord Chief Justice Jefferys and the Jury sworn to try this Cause were these Bartholomew Ferryman Thomas Blackmore Thomas Symonds William Whatton John Green Thomas Amy Joseph Baggs Daniel Chandler John Reynalds John Allen Joseph Caine William Withers jun. Then Mr. Munday being of Counsel for the Plaintiff opened the Case to which Mr. Attorney General added something And then Mr. Solicitor General called Mr. Keeling who being sworn deposed That on April the 24th he being sent for by a Letter from Mr. Goodenough came to Mr. Russel's a Cooks-shop in Iron-monger-lane to meet him where were 30 or 40 Persons together By whom while he was gone for a little while his Name was put into a Warrant to be a special Bailiff to arrest the Lord Mayor which he seeming unwilling to do was urged thereto for fear of displeasing the Discontented Party which he said were such as he and the Goodenoughs were of even such as would have killed the King and the Duke that being prevailed upon he went along with the Coroner Mr. Burton and Mr. Francis Goodenough to Grocers-hall where Sir William Pritchard kept his Mayoralty to whom the Coroner came up and said he had a Warrant against him and therefore pray'd him to give an Appearance at the Suit of Mr. Thomas Papillon and another at the Suit of Mr. John Dubois whereupon some Words passed between them and the Lord Mayor refusing to give any Appearance the Coroner bid us execute our Warrants upon which he came up to the Lord Mayor and touched him upon the Shoulder telling him that he did arrest him at the Suit of Thomas Papillon Esq and one Ferdinando Burley arrested him then again at the Suit of Mr. John Dubois and then the Coroner dismissing them and taking the Lord Mayor into his own Custody he went thence to Sir Henry Tulse's and arrested him also Then Sir Henry Tulse being called and sworn deposed that about