all the Lords unanimously took to defend King William and his Government against all the Attempts of his Enemies the Act of Association whereby all the Members oblige themselves to revenge his Death upon the Assassines in case he should come to a violent End the Bill by which the Parliament is to be continu'd tho' it should please God to afflict the Kingdom by the sudden Death of the King and the Clause inserted against suspected Persons by which it is made lawful for the King to apprehend all suspected Persons detain 'em in Prison and seize their Horses and Arms. All these things the Court of France looks upon with an evil eye These are new Degrees of Grandour Puissance and Authority which they never lookt for This encrease of Union and good Correspondence between his Majesty and his Parliament the earnest Applications and sincere Zeal of the English Nobility by which they all unanimously concurr to sacrifice their Estates and Lives for the Preservation of his Britannick Majesty All this I say extreamly perplexes the most Christian King and this is that which makes his Ministers give out That the Pretence of a Conspiracy has given the English an Opportunity to insert into a Publick Act a Part of an Oath which had been rejected c. To answer therefore in a word to all these Evasions I will say That the Experience of Things past has so well taught the Christian Princes to understand the Spirit and Cenius of the Council of France that all the Craft and Artifice of her Ministers will ne'er be able to disengage 'em out of the Labyrinth into which they have run themselves 'T is a Personal Stain that Sullies the Crown of the most Christian King and which will heap Infamy upon Him as long as He lives As for King James he is a Prince abandon'd to his Sanguinary Passions to Murders Violences and from his tender Years has breath'd nothing but Hatred and Fury against the Vnited Provinces and their Governours King William being then but Prince of Orange has had the cruel Experience of it to this very day And the Name of the Duke of York has always been so suspected to that Republick that She has always lookt upon Him as her greatest Enemy Witness the Pains he took in the Time of King Charles his Brother to exasperate Him to the Dutch Wars and to foment in Him an irreconcileable Hatred against this State by creating perpetual Quarrels between the English and Hollanders upon the account of Trade and by exciting King Charles to unite with France for the Destruction of this Republick and by using a thousand other Extremities which have render'd him odious and caus'd him to this day to be lookt upon as a Prince that never gave any other then base and mean Examples of a transported Bigot more Jesuite then Prince I cannot for bear reciting here one Passage in History which is in the Annals of the Republick of Holland by which the world may judge of the Inclinations of this Prince which always incens'd him to do all the Mischief that lay in his Power to the Republick of Holland At the beginning of the Year 1673 a detestable Enterprize was discover'd at Amsterdam the Design of which was to have burnt all the States Men of War The Person that was to have put this fatal Design in execution was one John Fraser a Scotchman The Duke of York who had been all along an irreconcileable Enemy of the Vnited Provinces had engag'd him by great Promises to go through with this treacherous Undertaking as the confess'd himself when he was apprenended without being put to the Rack This miserable Wretch was broken upon the Wheel and his Body expos'd upon the Wheel near Vootewyk But this is but only single a sketch of his Fury The whole Life of this Prince has been a continu'd Series of Attempts Treacheries Conspiracies and Murders with which the West of England rings to this day The sanguinary Passion which he learnt from the Jesuites who bred him form his Youth have exasperated him not only to do mischief to the Hollanders but all the Protestant Princes of Europe without sparing his Friends his Confederates and even his nearest Relations witness the precipitated End of Charles II. his Brother meerly out of a Desire of Reign For Princes who only consult their Prevailing Passion and ardent Thirst of Soveraignty will sacrifice all to attain their End Thus if we may believe a Great Archbishop of France Marie de Medicis Second Wife to Henry IV. concerted the Death of her Husband with the Jesuits and Ravillac out of impetuous Thirst after the Regency And when she was confirm'd she quickly shew'd what Princes or Princesses are capable of doing that are over-rul'd by that cursed Passion Catharine de Medicis was possess'd with that insatiable Passion all the whole course of her Life witness what we are going to recite though so much care was taken to conceal it She was as they well know that are vers'd in the History of France the Mother of Three Kings Francis II. Charles IX and Henry II. and might have been of a Fourth had the Duke of Alenson her youngest Son liv'd Francis II. being dead Catharine de Medicis obtain'd the Regency during the Minority of Charles IX her Son by means of those Artifices which she made use of Nevertheless the Civil Wars over whelm'd her with Business with Vexation and perpetual Disquiet and reduc'd her even to the point of seeing her self constrain'd to quit the Management of the Kingdom to the Prince of Conde gave her soon to apprehend that a Crown was a Burthen too heavy for a Woman In the midst of these Perplexities she retir'd to her Closet that she might wholly abandon her self to Solitude for some days giving order that no Person should come near her But at length she sent for M. de Mesme a Person of the Long Role for whom she had a particular Esteem as being one that had given her several signal Proofs of his extraordinary Zeal for her Service upon several Occasions To this Person the Queen deliver'd a Steel Box well lockt with a Key telling him at the same time that the Civil War affording her but ill Presages of her Destiny she thought it convenient to entrust in his keeping that Sacred Depositum which was the richest Treasure she had in the World with Orders never to open it or deliver it to any Person unless by her Command sign'd with her own Hand Now the Queen dying without ever sending for the Boy from M. de Mesme and he also deceasing not long after Catherine de Medicis the Heirs of de Mesme kept it a long time in their Family without opening it But at length Time which causes us to forget all things had bury'd the Queen's Commands in Oblivion insomuch that Curiosity would needs entice the Grand-children of de Mesme to open the Box in hopes to find some inestimable Treasure But
him to it By that means he gave a deadly Blow to France so much the rather because she little dreamt of such a Revolution Thereupon after that the most Christian King minds nothing but Revenge The Hatred which he had all along for that Prince could no longer be kept within bounds it must break forth and fling about its fiery Indignation And from that day forward his secret Council met with Orders to seek out some way to destroy this Prince as the only Person able to put a stop to his Great Designs So that since his coming to the Crown we may reckon up near 8 Conspiracies only this last exceeded all the rest The Conspirators in this never go about to conceal themselves They walk barefac'd at Noon-day and rely upon the Death of King William as upon a thing that cannot fail ' em After this I leave the World to judge how far the Fury and Resentment of a Prince will go who has sworn the Death of his Enemy I cannot here forbear to recite the words of Salust when he speaks of the Care that Princes ought to take of the Honour of their Dominions of which they ought to be as jealous as of their own Crowns The Duty of Kings says he consists in preserving the Liberty and Honour of a Kingdom But the most Christian King ne're troubles himself for the Honour of France He Sacrifices it with a good will provided his Designs do but succeed Where is that Liberty I would fain know which his Subjects enjoy'd in the Reigns of his Predecessors Are they not all at present Slaves within the Kingdom Where is the Honour of the Kingdom Is it acquir'd by Oppression Cruelty and Tyranny And when it is acquir'd is it preserv'd by the Assassination of Great Princes for whom they have a mortal Hatred If this be true I must acknowledge the Antients to have been very great Cheats for having made us such a Description of the Honour of a Kingdom so far different from that which Lewis the Grand gives us the present Pattern of This Prince pretends to be the greatest Model of Perfection this day in the World But with submission to him the Course he takes is not the way to attain to the Glory of those Great Hero's of which Pagan Antiquity has left us such Noble Exemplars After these Preliminaries let us come to the Particulars of matter of Fact and consider all the Circumstances that accompany'd this Conspiracy so lately discover'd After that we shall examine the Doctrine of the JESUITES which teaches the Art of Assassinating Kings and which they have taught the Authors of the present Conspiracy God by his Providence and the continual care which he takes for the preservation of his Majesty King WILLIAM has so order'd it that several of the Conspirators have discover'd of themselves the following Conspiracy the particulars whereof are These About the end of the month of August in the Year 1695. the most Christian King being at Versailles in a private Conference with K. James concerning the Events of the preceding Campagne the most Christian King out of a peculiar confidence in him told him That he saw no other way in the world to attain a speedy Peace then by labouring his Restoration to the Throne That all the Care which he had hitherto taken to wage War with his Enemies together with the immense Expences he had been at to support it had as yet produc'd nothing effectual Nevertheless that God had so sufficiently prosper'd his Arms by the Advantages he had won till the Death of Marshal Luxemburgh that he had no reason to complain But that which still troubled him and imprinted in his Mind but ill Presages of the Future was the present Union between the Parliament and the Prince of Orange which was so far from abating that it grew stronger and stronger That the Reputation of that Prince and the Forces which the Parliament had granted him would be fatal to the Peace and the Common Interests unless some sudden Course were taken K. James made Answer to the most Christian King That all that he had said was true that he saw but too well and with a deep Sorrow the Prosperity and growing Grandeur of his Enemy That 't was only his fault for that he himself was ready at that very instant to attempt his Return into England if his Majesty thought it convenient Nevertheless that he was asham'd to have so often abus'd his Kindnesses and that he was afraid his Evil Stars that follow'd him where e're he went would frustrate the justest Enterprize that he should undertake That both He and the Queen his Wife besought Almighty God in their most servent Prayers to bless the Arms of his Majesty their Protector and Restorer in whom next to God they plac'd all their Hopes and Confidence To this the most Christian King reply'd That it had not been his Fault hitherto that their Prayers had not been heard but that it was not yet too late and that it behov'd him to lay hold of the savourable opportunity that God had put into his hands to give their Enemy such a Blow as would prove fatal to him Nevertheless that it became him to trust in God and to arm himself with Resolution for the execution of the Enterprize K. James made Answer That he understood what his Majesty meant so that if no more were requir'd but the forming a new Plot he had Men anow at command provided his Majesty would lay out Money sufficient for the carrying on so great an Enterprize The most Christian King reply'd That all the Forces in the Kingdom were at his Service and that he should desire no other Reward then the honour of having contributed to his Restoration After this first Overture the two Kings agreed upon a day to make choice of the Conspirators which day being the 5th of September 1695. was no sooner come but the Accomplices were call'd one after another to a private Audience given 'em by K. James at St. Germains which at first was only to sound 'em and assure himself of their Fidelity At length K. James having made choice of about seven and forty Persons presented 'em to the most Christian King who assur'd 'em of his Royal Protection and of the Advancement of their Fortunes if the Business succeeded After which they were dismissed till further Order At first there were none but the two Kings and Father La Chaise who were Privy to the Secret For the most Christian King thought it convenient that when the Business was drawn into Form that the Intrigue and Management of it should be left to Father La Chaise To which K. James consented So that the Conspirators had Orders to repair to him two and two at a time for fear of making too much Noise to confer with that Seraphic Priest about the Time Place and Manner of putting the Design in Execution There were some of the Conspirators who offer'd their
to any of their Colledges without the Kingdom upon pain of incurring the Penalties of High Treason c. Having thus given you a description of the Disciple let us take a view of the Masters in the Art of Assassinating Princes John Guignard a Jesuite who was Regent of the Colledge of Clermont was apprehended by Commissioners whom the Parliament sent to the Colledge of Clermont to seize the Papers of that infamous Professor among which they found several written with his own hand wherein he asserted That it was lawful to assassinate Henry III. and gave Instructions in order to the murder of Henry IV. Upon which the Parliament made another signal Decree bearing date the 7th of January 1595. Having seen the Criminal Process exhibited against John Guignard Priest and Regent of the Colledge of Clermont in this City of Paris Prisoner for several Treatises by him written and containing among other things the Approbation of the most cruel and inhuman Murder of our deceased King and Motives to induce others to murder the King now Reigning the Interrogatories and Confession of the said Guignard the said Book represented and acknowledged to have been compos'd by him and written with his own Hand It shall be said That the Court has declar'd and does declare the said Guignard attainted and convicted of High Treason for having compos'd and written the said Books containing several false and seditious Arguments to prove That it was a laudable thing to commit the said Parricide upon the Person of Henry III. and that it was lawful to kill Henry IV. at present Reigning for which he is condemn'd to the Amende Honourable naked in his Shirt with a Rope about his Neck before the principal Gate of the City of Paris and there upon his Knees holding a lighted Wax-Taper weighing two Pounds in his Hands to say and declare That wickedly villanously and against the Truth he has written That the deceased King was justly kill'd by James Clement and That if the Reigning King did not die in the Wars he ought also to be murder'd Of which he repents and begs Pardon of God the King and Justice Which done he is to be carry'd to the Publick Place of Execution and there to be hang'd and strangl'd upon a Gibbet set up on purpose after which his Body to be consum'd to Ashes in a Fire kindled at the foot of the Gibbet and all his Goods to be confiscate to the King c. After such an authentick Piece which so fully exposes the Blackness of the Crimes which the Authors of the Doctrine that teaches the Art of Assassinating Princes commit in the World what is there which all the Princes of Europe have not reason to fear especially when this Doctrine is authoriz'd and supported with all the Fury and Power of the most Christian King and the utmost of King James's Ability Should this continue there is nothing to be expected but Butchery and Massacre all over Europe and a Pious Debonaire Magnanimous Prince belov'd by his Subjects must always carry Death in his Bosom All human Prudence will not be able to preserve him from the Attempts of Conspirators Nor does it concern Protestant Princes alone but the Roman Catholicks also to be careful of their own Preservation The 10th of the same Month the Parliament issu'd forth another Edict against Peter Chastel the Father of John Chastel and John Gueret the Jesuit who was John's Master The Substance of which Edict was That John Gueret should be banish'd for ever and that Peter Chastel the Father of the Ruffian should pay a Forfeiture of 2000 Livres be banish'd for Nine Years out of the Kingdom that his House should be pull'd down and the Place be consecrated to publick Use with a Prohibition that it should never be built upon again That a Pillar of Free-stone should be erected upon the void Space with a Plate representing in large Characters the detestable Paricide committed upon Hen. IV. to render the Memory of the Authors and Instruments which the Jesuites made use of to commit so black and enormous an Action infamous to Eternity In pursuance of this Edict a Pillar was Erected before one of the Gates of the Palace upon the Bridge call'd Pont au Change where the Ruffians House stood and there remain'd till the Return of the Jesuites into France Nevertheless this mark of Ignominy did no way discourage the Jesuites Barrier and Chastel had miss'd of their Blow and therefore the Authors who set 'em at work enrag'd that they had not atton'd their Fury by the total Effusion of that renowned Prince's Blood resolv'd to make a thild Attempt upon his Life But before we recount the Circumstances of the Assassination of Hen. IV. let us speak one word concorning James Clement who Assassinated Hen. III. Till the Death of Hen. IV. there was some reason to question who were the true Authors that set James Clement to work for that as soon as ever he had struck the Stroak he was kill'd by the Guards of Hen. III. which was the reason that it could never be understood from the mouth of the Murtherer who were the Authors and Accomplices of that detestable Action But the Death of Hen. IV. which follow'd not long after that of Hen. III. unfolds the Riddle and gave Justice those Illustrations which she was ignorant of before 'T was then found that the Jesuites were the Persons who had embru'd their Parricide Hands in the Blood of that Prince James Clement had been a Student in their Colledge where he had learnt their Doctrine and after all his great Learning was become a Jacobin Nor will it be amiss to take a view of the Memoirs which the Jesuite Guignard had drawn up and which afterwards fell into the Hands of Justice The Cruel Nero says he speaking of Hen. III. was kill'd by one Clement and the counterfeit Monk fell by the Hands of a true Monk The Heroick Act perform'd by James Clement as a Gift of the Holy Spirit so call'd by us Divines is justly applauded by the Prior of the Jacobins Confessor and Martyr and the Crown of France ought to be translated into another Family then that of the Bourbons And the Bearnois meaning Hen. IV. will be treated a little more gently then he deserves if they give him a Monks Crown in some well reform'd Convent there to repent for the Calamities he has brought upon France and to thank God for being so favourable to him as to spare him an opportunity to know himself And if he cannot be depos'd without a War let 'em make War upon him and if it cannot be done by War let him be kill'd Now let us observe the Circumstances of this great Princes Death so remarkable through the Conformity which they had with what so lately pass'd in the intended Assassination of of King WILLIAM had not God in his mercy averted the fatal Stroak by the Discovery of the Conspiracy Heury IV. had resolv'd upon the day of