A Short ACCOUNT Or STATE of Mr. Sheridans CASE Before the Late House of Commons In a LETTER to J. T. LONDON Printed for J. Hindmarsh at the Bull in Cornhill A short Account or State of Mr. Sheridan's Case before the late House of Commons in a Letter to J. T. SIR SOME Years since I sent you a long Letter under the Title of J. L. relating to an affair wherein Mr. S. was deeply concerned this gave you so much satisfaction that I have thence sufficient encouragement to venture another especially considering his vindication is much more necessary in the present instance and that you are still his Friend and the person to whom of all Men living he is perhaps the best known Under that Character you were mention'd in the Copy of a Letter carri'd among other of his Papers to the House of Commons writ in his favour to a great Minister by the late E. of Or. for whom living and for whose memory both your Gr. and he had and ever must have a just value and veneration You will find you may still own this Gentleman without blushing and to shew you were not deceiv'd in the opinion of his Integrity I have taken the pains for your sake as well as for his whose Friend I own my self to gather up and convey to you the History and occasion that has made him as publickly known in this as he was before in another Kingdom I promise you an impartial Relation and by it you will see that Envy and Malice where with he has been long assaulted have to little purpose spit their Venom You are not to learn the cause of his coming for England in June 1677. nor knowing his temper to wonder that haviâ—â— receiv'd some favours from his R. H. gratitude oblig'd him to an acknowledgment and honour and generosity to make and avow it in the time of that great Prince's adversity whom he found by the unsteddy course of Humane affairs and the craft and malice of designing Men fallen from being the Peoples greatest Favourite into their highest Displeasure Soon after when the D. in obedience to his Royal Brother's commands went into a temporary Exile which however otherwise uneasie was chearfully undergone by him who al-always resign'd his own to the will of his Prince Your Friend having little to hinder laid hold of that opportunity follow'd him to Bruxels and there spending most of the time he was abroad express'd his Obligations and Duty in the best manner he was able This and his openly owning himself devoted to his R. H's interest while consistent with Loyalty gave occasion to his Adversaries whom envy had encreas'd to vent their Spleen and endeavour to sully his Reputation of all things to him most dear by many false Insinuations and indeed Diabolical Inventions hoping thereby to disable him from rivalling them in any future pretension He is not ignorant of the Authors nor the train who the better to compass their honest Design hatch'd by one that Mole-like works under ground and he thinks in the dark they resolv'd at once his ruine by rendring him odious to the Publick to the Country to the King and to the Court and therefore he was no sooner brought before the House of Commons than he was represented to his Soveraign as one that had spoken ill of His Majesty and to the wonder of himself and others this was first whisper'd to and after suggested by a great Lord to whom Mr. S. owns himself oblig'd for several favours and in particular for a very kind recommendatory Letter some Years since to Mr. Secretary Coven But that which makes his surprize the greater is his not being able to find on his part any cause for the change of this Noble-man's greatly valu'd good opinion of which he hop'd â—â—mself still possest because certain he never disoblig'd his Lordship and defies any Man to make out that in word or action he ever spake or did irreverently or disloyally of the King whose Service you know no man has more zealously promoted nor less ineffectually according to his Station and Power However in the height of his-misfortune when to all he did not appear guiltless he had the happiness to have a Gentleman of Honour and Quality who by the recommendation of our deceas'd and never to be forgotten noble Friend several Years ago took him into his particular favour and acquaintance publickly to assert his Integrity his Service and his Loyalty An Act of Friendship he is bound by all the ties of Gratitude ever to remember and acknowledge few Men in this Age having the courage or the honesty to own any Man in adversity or to defend innocence when endeavour'd to be run down by faction nâ—ise and tumult The ground of this Discourse in publick at the King's Dinner was the Copy of a Letter found among Mr. S's Papers which plainly appears to have come from another but not to him to whom had it been directed he could not be therefore criminal it being in no Man's Power to prevent any Post-Letter And yet give me leave to say that ingenuity and good nature may easily and very naturally make a candid interpretation of this Paper wherein what ever Injury was contain'd they are mostly if not only guilty who since the seizing Mr. S's Writings have sent Copies of it to all the Coffe-houses of London But to give you the Story from the beginning you are to understand that the first week the Parliament met Mr. S. was told by a Person of Honour that he was design'd to be brought into Trouble This was overheard from several among whom were some Members then looking on at Mrs. C. standing in the Pillory whereupon he was advis'd to withdraw Receiving the same account from many others and yet confident in his Innocence he resolv'd not to stir Every day he was alarm'd afresh and told of great enquiries made after his Actions and himself censur'd for a Papist a Coleman and a Jesuit At length one Peter Norris makes complaint of his being Imprison'd at Daver by Mr. Secretary Jenkin's order Mr. Secretary said as I am inform'd what he did was not unknown to the King and Council Upon this occasion Mr. S. was nam'd and a Committee appointed to examin the matter Mr. S. appears and acknowledges he had given a description of Peter Norris to Mr. Secretary about the latter end of May last and acquainted him that he was told this Man knew as much of the bottom of the Plot as any in England and was gone into France to fetch over a Priest suppos'd equally knowing 'T is not necessary to entertain you withal the questions very forreign to this matter by some of the Committee put to Mr. S. 't is enough to tell you that he truly though perhaps not satisfactorily answer'd all attended their pleasures a whole week was thrice before them once with Dr. D. from whom as News he publickly had the story and after the Description as the Dr.
to Entrench upon or offer violation to any of their Soveraigns Prerogatives which as the great Coke sayes are as much the Peoples Safety as the Kings Honour And indeed it were highly preposterous that the King who is the Fountain Spring and Head of Law and Justice should be concluded by this act and the Commons should not who are the Lowest part in the Legislative Power and who have no manner of pretence to Judicature nor by Original Right even their own Members as is consonant to Reason being all equal and as such having no more Power over one another than Hartford-shire has over Essex or Oxford over Cambridge agreeable to that known Maxim in our own and the Laws of all Nations Paribus in pares non datur potestas It plainly appears that the Punishments of breach of Priviledge against any of the Commons was order'd upon their applications by the King or Lords and never any by themselves inflicted before the latter end of King Henry the Eighth's Reign when the case of Ferrers because extraordinary was referr'd to 'um by the Lords as you will see in Cromptâ—n's Jurisdiction of Courts And at this day 't is certain the Commons can force none into the custody of their Serjeant but in the case of Refractory Persons are under a necessity of begging the Kings assistance as is plain not only from Mr. Stowel's refulal to go along with their Messenger but likewise from their printed Votes of the 8th of this instant January concerning Sir John Lloyd c. However since concession or continued usage have given them Power over their own Members or over others guilty of Breach of Priviledge let them in Gods name enjoy it still but let them not Vote any thing they please a Breach of Priviledge since they are known and no other than what they ask at the beginning of every Parliament from the King's Grace and are recorded as first beg'd in Henry the Eighth's days by Sir Thomus Moor then Speaker To act otherwise is to set up an Arbitrary Power never to be endur'd by any English Man unless the most despicable of Cowards and Betrayers of his Country-Liberties For as the Commons are the Representatives of the Nation so they are chosen to defend not invade their own when out of that station as well as the Peoples Priviledges While this Process was on foot Mr. Sheridan had many Addresses and Advices to Petition a second time which he not only refus'd before at the Serjeants instance but after also at that of others and that you may be fully satisfi'd of this Truth read the following Letter on this occasion to one of the Members Sir R. C. SIR HAving been inform'd first by the Serjeant of Your House and after by my old Acquaintance Mr. Fermin of your Favour towards me I cannot without Ingratitude but return you my hearty and humble Acknowledgment for so great an Obligation But having formerly petition'd with great deference and respect to the Honourable House of Commons otherwise against my own judgment and reason and that not being read having no new matter to offer I will not give you the trouble of a second I am apt to think when any Cause is examin'd it will be found amongst the hardest Dr. D. a confest Papist and Author of the Story being discharged without Fees or Petition in two days and I a known Protestant kept Prisoner twenty five tho both committed for one and the same Cause or rather no Cause none being mention'd in the Warrant and for eight of those days kept closer than a Felon or a Traytor Had my first been dislik'd for matter of form I might have preferr'd another which now I think wou'd not be proper Besides my own sufferings my Cosen likewise taken into Custody for Copying a Paper containing no Criminal tho Reflective matter as a Breach of Priviledge because 〈◊〉 Member mention'd and yet four days after a Committee appointed to examine whether or no it was his Writing I hope Sir when these things and the Reflections unjustly thrown upon me are fully consider'd I shall have my liberty for which I will own my self oblig'd to you and on all occasions study to approve any self what I really am SIR Your most humble and very much oblig'd Servant T. S. I have industriously avoided in this Narrative the overtures I have heard were made Mr. S. because not to be mention'd without Reflection on one side or too much Honour on his T is enough that he resisted all manner of Temptations that cou'd betray or discover a Propension to dishonesty or cowardize and that as he had spoken and given it under his hand so he wou'd make his Actions justifie his words that he wou'd by all possible means promote the good and service of his King and Country without making Shipwrack of a good Conscience and that Reputation which though clouded for the present he neither cou'd nor wou'd forfeit I will add no more than to English what a wise French man in such an occasion has Recorded Si vous jegez surles apparences vous seriz souvent trompet Ce qui paeroist n'est presque jamais la verite If you wiâ— not be deceiv'd judge not according to Appearance but judge Righteous judgment He that has liv'd any time in the World ought in passing his Censure upon others to consider whether he himself has never been traduc'd or heard groundless stories if he have not he has had extraordinary good fortune if he have he ought to be very slow in giving credit to Reports which are sometimes rais'd upon very little and ofter without any grounds This has been notoriously Mr. S's Case no man was ever more loudly clamour'd against nor more without cause as appears in that after al scrutinies he is found Innocent insomuch that one may well say Here has been not onely a Great Cry and a Little but no Wool abundance oâ— Smoak without any Fire Though his envious Adversaries will have it that his Cunning only protected him I do not doubt but you will believe the contrary knowing from many years intimate Acquaintance no man is more free and open has less of craft or sebtilty and considering his ten pennone has more cause to study to preserve from danger the simplicity oâ— the Dove by the Wisdome of the Serpent A Caution if ever useful aâ— this time more particulary necessarly Through his Sides 't is well known a very great Person was shot at who perhaps will be found Invulnerable Dog Bark at the Moon in vain Some Spots there may be in that Great and Glorious Body but â—oâ— such as can render it useless or in significant to any man of Sence or Reason Conclude then of all men by your own experience and not upon the Relation of either Friends or Enemles the first are not more Partial then the last malicious I should play the Fool extreamly if I give you Advice who of all the World has the least need of any and therefore not having design'd this to you without begging your Pardon I will take the Liberty without further Apology abruptly to Subscribe my self what I truly am My Lord 〈◊〉 Your Grace's with all imaginable Respect and Sincerity L. C. London January the 20â—â— 1680 / 1. FINIS
the Letter subscrib'd by Fitz James I do sincerely protest I have no Acquaintance with any of the Name nor ever saw the Hand before nor the intended Messenger C. who not finding me left it with the Maid-Servant But in this there is nothing Criminal As to the Computations they are a Transcript from a Paper of Sir Peter Petts containing the number of Conformists Non-conformists and Papists throughout England taken by the Bishops order in or about the time of the General Indalgence and by him produc'd presently after the Plot upon the talk that there were fifty thousand Papists able to bear Arms within Temple-Bar and about Westminster a number near double to what at the taking this survey they were found Men Women and Children in the whole Kingdom For the Copy of my Cousin Wilsons writing I confess it the only thing I endeavour'd to evade having ingenuously and without reserve answer'd all other questions That individual Paper I never saw before the preceding night when meeting it in the Drawer of my Bed-Chamber always open whether I am at home or abroad I laid it uppermost with purpose of inquiring how he came by it and whether he knew the Author but not seeing him till next day in presence of the Members sent to search my Lodgings I cou'd not ask him and was surpriz'd to have so Indiscreet and Reflective a Paper found in his hand and among mine 'T is true that about three weeks before I found another of the same Contents in an old crabbed hand to me unknown which after I had read and concluded it might possibly be left by some of my Acquaintance in their Visits and being unable to guess at the person not knowing how long it had layn there being dated above a Month before I immediately threw it into the Fire Yet in this Paper which has made so great a noise there is neither Felony nor Treason and being the Act of another and never by me publish'd having neither Sub nor Super Scription nor Writ to nor from me nor Copy'd by my order cannot I presume be a Libel nor I hope imputed to me to whom it came perfectly by Accident If it were lawfull to speak ones guesses from the Contents it shou'd seem to have come from a Learned Gentleman one of your own Members then in the Country skill'd in the Spanish Tongue to which both my Cousin and I are perfect strangers nor was either of us out of London then or for some time before If I cou'd as well hit upon the Person as his Quality I wou'd give a more satisfactory account of this matter and I hope this Honourable Assembly will the sooner credit me when they reflect that upon seeing another Paper of my Kinsmans writing I wou'd not by a Lie deny this to be his hand As for my writing to Mr. Gadbury I refer my self to the Letter in Sir William Waller's hands I have told you the accidental occasion I desir'd from him whose Acquaintance I knew large even among the Members of that Parliament the most material of publick News I neither ask'd for Schemes or Figures I have ever laugh'd at the idle and ridiculous Art of Judicial Astrology invented at least practis'd to impose upon and pick the Pockets of the Ignorant and the Credulous And now as to the Cause of my Commitment The story Dr. D. told me as News of Peter Norris his knowing as much of the Plot as any man in England his going or being gone into France to fetch a Priest to be a Witness I can only say as near as I remember I gave the same account to Mr. Secretary not as an Informer but as News for not being look'd upon as such I was not desir'd to Swear nor cou'd I to a hear-say In this I call Heaven to witness I had no Sinister design but an Honest intention of having the full Truth brought to Light Nor do I know nor have I any reason to believe that Mr. Secretary's after proceedings were from any other principle Upon my telling him the Name of Norris and his saying he had never before heard it and commanding me to send the Doctor to him or the others Description As soon as I met with the Doctor which was several days after this Discourse and he as not knowing Mr. Secretary resusing to go I desir'd from him the Description which sometime after he brought me I gave or sent to Mr. Secretary for I cannot tell whether But of this I am certain that all I knew of the Affair was from the Doctor only and that I never communicated it to any but Mr. Secretary and that by what I writ under the Description appears to be near a Month after Norris his departure and consequently cou'd not be design'd to stop his Journey or prevent the Priests coming over or obstruct the fuller discovery of the Plot which no man living desires more than my self believing it the Interest of every honest Subject and Protestant out of which number I cannot be excluded to have all in 't from the highest to the lowest punish'd according to merit and that tranquility it has so long disturb'd re-settl'd in the Kingdom And now I hope none of the Members of this Honourable House can imagine I cou'd be guilty of so Horrid a Crime as having any knowledge of the Priests being poison'd as is suspected or given out he might be I am so ignorant of this or any part of the Conspiracy that I do not so much despise as decline because not needing it the generous offer of Mr. Speaker or other Members Intercession for my Pardon Lacknowledge as I ought the Favour with all fitting respect but I thank God I am so Innocent that I dare as now I do challenge the whole World to make out one partisular where in Word or Action in the whole course of my life I have done or spoken falsly or unjustly and yet no man ever suffer'd more Calumnies without any cause or the least shadow of Truth beyond the witty malice of those whose Eyes are blinded and Consciences sear'd by Envy and Intetest who from pretended Friends are become my real Adversaries contrary to Reason and Justice But surther none can believe I cou'd keep any dangerous Correspondence when it s well known that for these three years and a half all my Letters were no otherwise Directed than for me at the Reyal Coffee-house Besides it appear'd at the Committee by Norris his own Papers that this Priest Dowdall whose Name I never heard before died september laft was twelve month eight months before I heard there was such a man in the World as Norris and at a time when I was in another Country And since you have thought fit to acquit Dr. D. who was my Author and Principal and who own'd himself a Roman Catholick I hope you will not think it equal that I a known sincere Protestant and but an Accessary should stand Committed and Committed after such