at any rate for she had ordered business for him the Tuesday next And first she furnishes him vvith mony to remove himself to the Kings-Bench by Habeas Corpus here he is releived by her again receiving twenty shillings in hand and twenty shillings per week with promises of a speedy Release but because the good of the Catholick Cause was the main end that must overrule lesser projects she had found a notable job of work for him there which was to practise upon one Mr. Strode then and there a Prisoner whose story will he taken up in due order here a peice of service was also enjoyned him with Captain Bedlow by the Lords in the Tower as Mr. Mounson told him viz. that he should send for the Captain and pretending he knew something of the Plot when he was in Flanders that he would gladly discover it if he might be examin'd which would be a great piece of Service to the Lords first being sworn an evidence for the King and then to swear such other matters as Mr. Mounson should instruct him in but because they could not Contrive any secure footing to proceed upon in his treating with Captain Bedlow the business fell Some while after being furnisht with Money as he deposes by the Lords Powis Petre Arundel Bellasis and Stafford to Compound his Debts and Five pound given him by M ris Cellier to clear his Fees Mr. Dangerfield is fully enlarged And being at Liberty after so long durance in several Prisons he lookt on himself a competent Undertaker in the greatest Affairs and was brought by M ris Cellier to the Lady Powis who thank'd him for his diligence in the business of the Kings-bench and withall told him that his faithfulness in that Affair should make his Fortune provided he would undertake other business which he promis'd to doe But now he must come under Discipline to make him tight to the Cause and accordingly is charged to continue steadfast in his Religion what that was perhaps every body perhaps no body knows to Confess once a Week to Mr. Mounson which he promised to doe And indeed when he was in the Kings-bench he was advised to scowre his Kettle that is to Confess and Receive but because his Practices would need a little latitude he was Indulged to be drunk with Strode and told it was no sin because it was for the good of the Cause Being thus prepared it was time he should be encouraged and so he was the Countess Powis sends him with a Letter to the Lord Castlemain who received him kindly and promised to make his Fortune if he would use his endeavour to support the Catholick Cause and presently returns him with a Recommendatory Letter to the Lady Powis to this purpose This person I like well and though he be no Scholar yet he may serve to instruct the Youths according as he shall be directed and in so doing I shall be eased of much suspicion And now Mr. Dangerfield must go into Buckingham-shire to Madam or Mounsieur Jeane for it was a Priest in Womans disguise and from him he receives the Rudiments of this Presbyterian Plott and comes up to the Lords in the Tower to have it reduc'd to a consistent Form And when Mr. Dangerfield was sent with a Letter to the Lady Tuke she seem'd to like him well and sent word he was fit to be employed and gave him two Guinneys and askt him If he was one that durst do any thing of desperate consequence He answers Yes But the Lady Powis meeting with some Rub in an Affair she had with a Noble Person and not being able to procure Mr. Mounson out of Prison to be an Assistant in this grand Intrigue tells Mr. Dangerfield I thought I could have got Mr. Mounson out but since it can no better be you must do all our business and from that night by order of the Lords sent by Mris. Cellier he was to fall upon the execution of this black Design 6. Mr. Dangerfield is now Plenipotentiary to manage the whole Negotiation under the Conduct of his great Lords and Masters and that he might the better expect success they consult how to prepare the People to receive and believe a Story so incredible that the Protestants would actually Rebell Their first attempt was by dispersing several scandalous Pamphlets written by Nevill and others against the Presbyterians to refresh the Peoples Memories with any old Actions of theirs which might render it credible And the next was that by several Agents assign'd to their respective Posts the Coffee-houses might ring of the general apprehensions of some Notorious Villanies ready to break forth from the Presbyterian party This Mr. Dangerfield deposes That he gave the Papers he received from Mr. Jean in Bucks to the Lady Powis who open'd and read them to this effect That good store of Pamphlets must be writ and spread abroad against the Presbyterians and persons must be employed to goe to Coffee-houses and rail against the Presbyterians and if they met with any that offer'd to contend matters of Treason or some such thing might easily be laid to their Charge and so have them secured but there must be many persons employed in these matters and it would be great prudence not to let them know one another nor any one to know more than the part he was to act And again From that night by the Lords Order sent me I began going about to Coffee-houses and had an Account from Nevill what to goe to and I chose Farrs Coffee-house whither I went every night till Mr. Kinnaston and I differ'd And here it seems for want of other idleness his discourse was as the Lords had instructed him That Sir Edm. Bury Godfrey was Murther'd by my Lord Danby 's Order who joyn'd with the Presbyterians to overthrow the Catholicks A story so incredible as might justly shake the credit of the rest amongst considering persons Then he was sent to drop the Danby Reflections and Timothy Touchstone and divers other base Pamphlets written by Nevill in the Coffee-houses and to send them sealed up in Papers to Man's Coffee-house to Farrs and to Proctors and others Let us note by the way that this Mr. Nevill was a person great in repute for the happiness of his Pen And I have been credibly informed from the Minutes of the Council that Mr. Dangerfield before the Honourable Board affirm'd Nov. 7. 79. Fryd afternoon That Mr. Nevill by the advice of the Lords in the Tower should be again confined forasmuch as when he was formerly in that Condition he had been very industrious in writing of Papers in their business but now he was at liberty he chiefly follow'd the Play-house But the Information of Mr. Bedford Nov. 4. before the Council is very remarkable That about six weeks before he went with Mr. Willoughby to one Thompson in Fetter-lane who was then printing The Presbyterian Unmasked in which famous piece if the Reader will consult it
one Mrs. Webb's at Peterley with a Letter to one Mrs. Jean and when he came thither he finds this Mrs. Jean not a Woman but a Man nay a Priest who immediately upon reading the Letter made him Confess and Receive the Sacrament to be true to the whole cause and this Jeane made up the Papers for the Plot against the Presbyrians which Paper was only the ground of it and was to be drawn up by the Lords and Mr. Nevil as he told Mr. Dangerfield And afterwards Mr. Woods told me the Lords had consulted together that before Oates was Indicted there should a Rumour be spread abroad of a Plot amongst the Presbyterians and something of it made appear and that I may not be tedious in a matter so acknowledged he further deposes That one Dowdel came to him with 27 Letters to be transcribed most of them written by Mr. Nevils own hand That Mr. Turner the Lord Powis his Priest desired Mrs. Cellier to get some Catholicks to write out several Copies which he then had accordingly she sent for one Singe a School-master who wrote there a week more or less The Contents of as many of them as I can remember says he are as follows ' That their business here at London went on very well and hoped theirs did the same in the Country and Commissions would shortly be ready mentioning in some Letters many Noble Persons Names and that we will now be our own choosers in matters of Government and take our own pleasures with Popery ' Many or most of them Importing the same sense with those taken by the Custom-House Officers c. These were to be sent into all parts of the Kingdom where any Presbyterians Lived to be put into their Houses privately and then by some other Persons the House to be searcht and these Papers produced in Testimony against them This is the fact so it was and so they projected the matter and judg'd themselves very politick in the projection for how readily would the sparks of such a suggestion take with great Multitudes against the Presbyterians when their old animosity did yet smoother nor could the old grudge be quenched And though many rayled at the Presbyterians out of custom because they had contracted an evil habit of rayling and could not leave it others from Example swearing and rayling because their Companions whetted their already too keen inclinations others perhaps out of Ignorance who neither knew what a Presbyterian nor Presbytery was yet it was a Common Theme to rail on and therefore were the more ready at it yet the Designers had a further reach to weaken the Protestant Cause by rendring so many of them unserviceable to the Interest of England which by such scandalous reflexions they must needs be 4. Another step I would make is this However the vogue carried it for a Presbyterian Plot yet the inside was a Protestant plot which if my proper Province were to Reason out the matter might be easily demonstrated for the Church of England is an object more adaequate to Papal Covetousness and Envy then the Dissenters and their Friends can show what great temptation is there in the Skins of a few half-starved Non-Conformists when the Revenues of the Church of England and fair Estates of the Nobility and Gentry of that Communion were a morsel that might awaken the dullest appetite but the fact is that I must clear let it therefore be noted of All those Noble Persons that they had nominated for a Council of State to manage this War against the Government not above one could be with any tolerable propriety of speech called Presbyterian none being more worthy Personages nor any more really and zealously devoted to the true Interest of this Church The Duke of Monmouth whom they created General over this terrible Army the Lord Grey the Lord Gerrard and his Son who with Sir Thomas Armstrong were Commissioned for Leiutenant Generals were none of them ever suspected of Presbyterianisme and should I look over the Clubbs where the Meal Tubb Intelligence informs us that the Persons who were there employed as Writers and Messengers into the Country when occasion should require were all to be Field Officers yet amongst these I cannot pick out half a dozen Presbyterians and its harsh to denominate an Army that must overturn the Government of three Kingdoms from so inconsiderable a Number but of this there will be further evidence when we come to exemplifie the platform of this design as it was laid in the above-mentioned Papers 5. Having got this general Idaea of the Plot in their Heads which yet was not a peice of exact proportion but left to more mature Counsels to be polished It was time to think and pitch upon fit Instruments for the executing of it that is to make it stick to those persons whose forward Zeal against the late Popish design against His Majesties Person Government and the Protestant Religion had made must obnoxious to their Malice and revenge And herein they proceeded with much caution as became their wisdoms who knew well that many well laid designes such as promised great hopes of a good issue had miscarried through the insufficiency of those to whose Hands the management was committed Madam Cellier by Calling a Midwife whose Employ chiefly was with Catholick Ladies and Gentlewomen was very serviceable in delivering the Catholick Cause of this birth wherewith it had gone so long and was now in the pangs and throws of bringing forth This Gentlewoman by the means of one Mrs. White was brought to Mr. Danger field than a Prisoner in Newgate She there examined his capableness for business and because Instruments may be used but cannot be formed for a trial of his Abilities Let me see says she how you can draw up Articles against Captain Richardson Hereupon she gave him Instructions who performed the first Essay of his Art to her satisfaction and then told him She had something of greater moment for him to undertake but Mr. Dangerfield being then a Prisoner some Expedient must be used for his Enlargement that he might enter upon his charge and to this end she advises him to Complain to Mr. Recorder in whom she would make such an Interest by Alderman Jefferies as to get his Petition granted Then she employs one Mr. Williams a Sollicitor to Bail him out which yet could not be effected in less then three weeks however Madam Cellier sent her Maid Margret every day to supply his wants with mony to support his Spirits with good words such as administred hope and not long after he was bailed after that this charitable Person through whose hands much of the Romish benevolence passed had cleared the Fees and expenses of the Prison But he was no sooner discharg'd from Newgate but he vvas Arrested and thrown into the Counter This surpriz'd Mrs. Cellier yet she sends her trusty Maid Margaret to assure him that if he vvould forthvvith be at Liberty she vvould purchase it
Fail to be there that present Night and therefore appointed them to come thither on Wednesday Morning That at the time prefixt they came and found Mr. Willoughby with his Friend in their Chamber that Mr. Willoughby took him aside and Whispered to him that the Goods were in the Room above-head and desired him to charge himself to Assist them That after a narrow Search finding no such Goods as were informed of Mr. Willoughby pointed towards the Bed which they drew out Three Foot from the Wall and Searched with all Exactness but still Mr. Willoughby pointing to the Beds-head Mr. Stretch went once more behind the Bed with a Candle but with the same Success At last Mr. Willoughby going behind the Beds-head alone call'd to the Officers What 's that hangs there Shewing them a Packet of Papers pinned to the Beds-Head The Officer taking them down Mr. Willoughby snatch't one of them out of his Hand and ere he could Read any thing cryed out Here is Treason The Officer taking another Paper and reading it there were Words to this Purpose I wonder at your Delay and that the Four Lords have left Us for now the Old tyrant has declar'd himself a Papist At which Words Mr. Willoughby cry'd out Ay That 's the King That 's the King he means Did not I tell you these were Treasonable Papers and that you ought to Secure them and the Person too if he had been here and carry them either before the Council or a Secretary of State Mr. Stretch also swears That these were the same Papers that were taken from behind the Beds-head and that he did verily believe they were put there by Mr. Willoughby It was now late and the Council rising ordered Mr. Willoughby to be Committed to a Messenger and Collonel Mansel with his Witnesses to appear the next Day at Four of the Clock in the Afternoon Fryday Octob. 24. Afternoon at the Council-Board THe Council being met Collonel Mansel put in his Humble Petition That the rest of his Witnesses might be heard Upon which His Majesty was pleased to order That the Cause should be heard the next Council-Day Mr. Willoughby moved that till that time he might stand upon Bail but an Order was granted That he should remain in the Messenger's Custody as before With which Order the Messenger acquainted him very Civilly But he storm'd and swore He was confident there was no such Order for he knew there were those within that would not suffer him to be so treated But the Messenger insisted upon his Order and demanded his Sword which he refused to deliver to him but to another Messenger However Mr. Willoughby was safely Conducted to the Messenger's House The Council that Night after a short Recess sate again And his Majesty was gratiously pleased to appoint the Collonel's Affair to be heard on Monday following at Four in the Afternoon And then a Motion he made That Collonel Mansel should also be Committed The Right Honourable the Lord Chancellor opposed the Motion and so it fell Monday Octob. 27 1679. At the Council-Board ABout Five or Six of the Clock in the Afternoon the Collonel and Mr. Willoughby were call'd in where after a short Repetion of the Charge against the Collonel imployed in the Papers he prepared to make his Defence Mr. Willoughby having received Instructions fresh out of the Mint in the Tower addressed himself to his Majesty with a peculiar Confidence affirming That there were Sixteen of these Papers found in his Chamber and therefore he desired to know what was become of all the rest As also of the Box of Treasonable Printed Pamphlets and Two or Three hundred Letters Adding that Mansel had got together a Company of Witnesses to disparage the King's Evidence and to palliate his own Treasonable Practises And desired he might have the Leave to ask the Collonel some Questions It was granted and Mr. Willoughby proceeded Whether did not the Collonel frequent the Angel Clubb behind the Exchange and divers others in the City Whether he did not keep a Clubb of his own at one Street's a Tallow-Chandler's House in the Market-place Westminster Whether he did not know one Disney Grange England L'isle and one Capt. Brown Whether he did not bring into his Clubb one Night a scandalous Pamphlet called A Word without Doors and there publickly read it And afterwards used Treasonable Words against his R. Highness The Collonel owned that he knew many of the Gentlemen by him mentioned but that they were all very honest Gentlemen and Loyal Subjects and all of them Inhabitants of VVestminster saving only Capt. Brown who had been Lieutenant to Major Russel's Troop of Horse in his R. Highnesses Regiment But all Treasonable Discourses with them or any other he utterly disavowed and was thereupon commanded to call the rest of his Witnesses Mr. Harris and Mrs. Harris first appear'd who witnessed as before That the Number of the Papers contrary to Mr. VVilloughby's Allegation were not Sixteen but Nine Mr. Bostock confirm'd the same and further That those Papers then before the Honorable-Board were the same Papers found behind the Beds-head And that he did verily believe Mr. VVillonghby had placed them there Mr. Stretch being Sick appear'd not but his Depositions were read tending to the same Effect Collonel Mansel then produced a Record to prove That Mr. VVilloughby had been Indicted at an Assize held at Salisbury for the County of VVilts in Three Indictments for uttering Counterfeit Guinnties to three several Persons That upon his Tryal he confessed all the Indictments and was Fined Five Pound upon each Indictment and further Sentenced to stand in the Pillory he broke the Goal ran away and escaped the Execution of the Third The Lord Chancellor and the Lord President asked Mr. VVilloughby What he Could say for himself VVho denyed that ever he had been at Salisbury in all his Life His Majesty was pleased to ask him VVhether he would take his Oath that he was never there He readily answered That he would not only take his Oath but take the Sacrament upon it also The Lord President replyed What will you swear against a Record Here 's a Record brought in against you Yet he persisted to deny that he was ever there Capt. Bedford his Friend was then called in who gave a full Relation how Mr Willoughby came to him on Tuesday Night before to desire him to Lodge with him at his New-Lodgings He confirm'd the Evidence of Mrs. Harris and the rest as to the manner of Searching the Collonel's Chamber and the finding of the Papers Adding further That going to Mr. Cellier's House to speak with Mr. Willoughby he told him what an Evil Thing he had done not only to the Collonel but himself to ingage him in so vile a Business which now was so clearly laid open And therefore desired him to discover the whole Truth and who had Engaged him in it To which Mr. Willoughby replyed Pish I doubt not to come off for