of the Messenger who was gone about a Month before they heard any thing of him though the Letter he carried could have done no great hurt had it been taken because it was written in a kind of a Cant under the disguise of a Plantation in Carolina That all this Debate at the Lord Russel's went without contradiction all there present giving their consent That as for raising Mony every one was put to think of such a way that Mony might be collected without Administring Jealousie That after this the Deponent met no more with them but when he return'd out of the Country he was inform'd Aaron Smith was come back and that Sir John Cockran Was also come to Town Then Attherbury the Kings Messenger deposed That the foresaid Cambel and his Son were taken in London making their escape out of a Window in a Woodmongers House four Days after they had been in Town during which space they confess'd they had chang'd their Lodgings three Times and that they and Mr. Baillie of Jerviswood came to Town together Against this Evidence the Lord Russel's defence besides some Objections in point of Law wherein he was over-ruled by the Opinion of all the Judges there present was to this purpose That the two times they met was upon no form'd Design only to talk of News and of things in general That the Lord Howard having a voluble Tongue they delighted to hear him discourse That he knew of no such Council of Six chosen for who should chuse them That the Witnesses against him swore to save their own Lives and therefore could not be credible That Romzey was notoriously known to have been highly obliged by the King and the Duke and it was strange he should be capable of such a Design as to Murder the King that no Body then could wonder if to save his own Life he should endeavour to take away anothers That the time by the 13th of the King was clapsed since the Prosecution was not made in the six Months That a Design of Levying War is no Treason except it appear by some Overt Act That there was but one Meeting at Shepara's House nor was he ever there but once That then he came late staid not above a quarter of an hour tasting Sherry with Shepard and that there ought to be two Witnesses to one and the same thing at the same time Then he produced Witnesses to prove that the Lord Howard before he was taken declar'd He believ'd the Lord Russel innocent and knew nothing against him The rest of his Justification consisted of the Testimony of several Persons concerning the Virtue and Sobriety of his former Life As to what concern'd the Lord Howard's saying He believed the Lord Russel not to be guilty it was answer'd by the Lord Howard himself That he confess'd he had said so being then himself not accused so that he intended to out-face the thing both for himself and the Party but now his Duty to God the King and his Country requir'd it he must say the Truth and that though the Council of Six were not chosen by any Community yet they did erect themselves by mutual Agreement one with another into that Society The rest was answer'd by the Kings Learned Council at Law That he was not Try'd upon the 13th of the King but upon the 25th of Edward the Third That to Raise a Conspiracy within the Kingdom is what is call'd Levying War by that Statute That to Design to seize on the King or to depose him or to raise the Subjects against him hath been setled by several Resolutions of the Judges to be within that Statute and Evidences of a Design to kill the King That in Cases of Treason it is not necessary there should be two Witnesses to the same individual Fact at the same time but if there he two Witnesses of things tending to the same Fact though at several times and upon several occasions it is sufficient That if there be one Witness of one Act of Treason another of a second another of a third they will be enough to Convicta Man of High Treason That so it was determin'd by the Opinion of all the Judges in England and by the Lords in Parliament in the Lord Stafford's Case It was farther urged That the Witnesses against the Lord Russel were not profligate Persons nor Men who wanted Faith and Credit before that time but such against whom there had been no legal Exceptions made by himself That there was no Contradiction no Correspondence or Contrivance at all between them and that it cannot be imagined such Men should Damn their own Souls to take away the Life of a Gentleman against whom they had no Quarrel As for Romzey's being much obliged to the King and the Duke That it was apparent by many Instances that no such though the greatest Obligations had hinder'd ill Men from Conspiring against His Majesty For was not the Earl of Essex were not divers others of the Conspirators in like manner obliged and advanced in Estate and Honour by the King As to their coming only to Shepard's to taste Wine it was said That could not have been the end of their Meeting Why did they then come so privately Why then did they order none of the Servants to come up It was plain the Design they met on requir'd only such Persons to be present as had an Affection for the Cause It was also urg'd That it is not a good Objection against a Mans being Evidence in High Treason that he himself was engaged in it but that such Men are the most proper Persons to be Evidence none but they being able to detect such Counsels As for the several Divines and Men of Honour and Quality produced to testifie the Virtue and Sobriety of the Lord Russel's Conversation it was answer'd That an Affectation of Popularity has often proved a Snare strong enough to tempt many Men who have otherwise been of great Temperance and Virtue Nor indeed can there be any more dangerous Enemies to a State or Kingdom than such as come sober to endeavour its Destruction Which old and true Observation was signally exemplified in this particular Case of the Lord Russel For West deposed That the Underacters in the Treason most depended on the said Lord for this very reason because they look'd on him as a Man of great Sobriety Upon the whole Process he was found guilty of High Treason But in stead of Drawing Hanging and Quartering the usual and legal Penalty of that Crime the Execution was by His Majesties Clemency chang'd into that of Beheading Though it is well known this very Prerogative of the Kings having it in his Power to alter the Punishment of High Treason had been vehemently disputed by the Party and particularly by the Lord Russel himself in the Lord Stafford's Case The said Lord Russel at the time of his Death which was the 21st of that Month deliver'd a Paper to the Sheriffs and left other
one of the Ten Commandments and the best way to prevent shedding Christian Blood In these their private Cabals the Matters they promiscuously treated of were either a general Insurrection or the Assassination of the Kings and his Royal Highnesses Persons Of the Assassination divers ways were consulted till they fix'd on that of the Rye The Insurrection was proposed to be made at the same time in England and Scotland The adjusting that part of it which related to Scotland was chiefly under the care of the Council of Six and manag'd by Commissioners of both Nations sitting in London All which Particulars are so circumstantially set forth so often repeated and demonstrably confirm'd in the ensuing Evidences that it will be sufficient here only to direct the Readers Observation by giving a brief Summary of the whole Towards an Insurrection throughout England they laid the greatest stress on the City of London not doubting but if that were once secur'd to them the rest of the Nation must of course fall in taking incouragement and example in this as in many other things from the cursed Methods of the Unnatural Rebellion in the late Kings time The City of London therefore was carefully divided by them into Twenty parts and to that purpose one of the largest Maps of the City and Liberties was hung up in West's Chamber the most usual place of their Rendezvouzes the making the several Partitions and Allotments of the whole being committed to Richard Goodenough who by reason of his universal acquaintance as having been so often Under-Sheriff was judg'd the fittest Man of the whole Party for that Work The City being thus divided it was agreed that every Division should be assign'd to some one Principal Man of geatest Trust Courage and Conduct each of those Twenty was to chuse Nine or Ten or more in whom they could conside These were to have the inspection of the several Under-walks and from time to time to make returns of their Numbers and Strength and when the List was finish'd it was to be communicated to the supreme Managers By this means they made no question but they should have a select Body of at least Eight or Ten Thousand approved and well appointed Men to make the first Onset Goodenough alone having assur'd them that out of seven Divisions only there were 3000 Resolute Men prepar'd to be ready at an hours warning For the increasing their Numbers and drawing in new Converts this one general Rule was carefully prescribed That the bottom of the Design should in the beginning be warily conceal'd from all Persons with whom they treated First their Inclinations were to be try'd by gradual Insinuations and plausible Discourses at a distance till they had gain'd a full assurance of their Fidelity They were to be ask'd What they would or could do in case of a Foreign Invasion When it was answer'd They would readily assist against any Common Enemy Then it was next to be demanded Whether they would contribute the assistance of their Persons or Purses or both That being also determined it was to be farther inquired What Furniture of Arms Horses and Money they had in readiness What Friends they could Engage And if these Questions were resolved according to their Minds then the whole Mystery of the Villany was to be frankly disclosed They were to be told in down-right terms That there was already an Oppression and Force upon all they had That there was an actual Invasion on the English Liberties Properties and Consciences That the only Obligation the Subject has to the King is a Mutual Covenant That this Covenant was manifestly broken on the Kings part That therefore the People were free from all Oaths or other tyes of Fealty and Allegiance and had the Natural Liberty restored to them of asserting their own Rights and as justly at least against a Domestick as against Foreign Invaders The way being thus made to sound and prepare the Dispositions of ill Men for any Violent Enterprize the next thing that came under Deliberation was Mony For that several of the particular Conspirators declared they had considerable Sums of their own or deposited with them which were ready and might be call'd for on Occasion That great Subscriptions had been made of divers Thousands of Pounds which when the time of Action drew neer were to be distributed amongst the Chief of the Twenty Divisions That this would be enough to make provision for a sudden Push But if the business succeeded Half a Years Rent of the Chimney-Mony would be due besides what the Excise-Office and the Custom-House might afford That all the Mony and Plate in Lumbard-street and what was in the possession of the Bankers Goldsmiths and other Wealthy Men in London or the Suburbs was either to be seiz'd on as a just Forfeiture or Borrowed under the Name of the Old and Antiquated Cheat of the Publick Faith Particularly Ferguson whose constant Custom it was in all their Consults to out-do all the rest by some peculiar Circumstance of Cruelty of his own Invention added on this Head That little or nothing was to be expected from the Old Rich Citizens that therefore Five or Six of them were to be kill'd at first and their Estates given to the Mobile to terrifie the rest The next necessary Provision they debated on was Arms. And it is notoriously known the whole Party had for a long time before been gathering great abundance of all Sorts All probably with the same prospect and in the same Proportion for their Parts in the Conspiracy as the Lord Gray had done for his though they happen'd not all to be so manifestly detected For a good while before any Conspiracy was suspected by His Majesty or his Ministers the said Lord was found to have by him hid under other Common Furniture in a dark Garret above Fourscore Compleat Arms in his Private City-House where no open Robbery or Assault could be fear'd and by consequence there could not be the least shadow of pretence that they were laid in there for his own lawful use or defence But besides these Stores which they had every one made for themselves it was resolv'd at the very first to attempt the Publick Magazines in and about the City Particularly that in the Artillery-Ground where a considerable Number of Excellent Arms were commonly kept without a Guards for the frequent exercises of the Citizens Many thoughts also were spent how to engage the Seamen to their Side To this end several Riotous Meetings were made at Wapping the greatest Men amongst them not disdaining there to Feast and Cajole the Rabble often styling that Scum of People they there met with their honest Wrapping Friends Besides this some Sea Captains were tamper'd with and a Golden Ball was proposed to be hurl'd upon Black-Heath none questioning but the Seamen assembled at that sport would declare for them as one Man upon a groundless fancy that they were of themselves highly discontented and ready to
might be upon the place to Head the Faction at the first arrival of the News But whilst they were thus wholly intent on this barbarous Work and proceeded securely in its Contrivance without any the least doubt of a prosperous success Behold on a sudden God miraculously disappointed all their Hopes and Designs by the terrible Conflagration unexpectedly breaking out at Newmarket In which extraordinary event there was one most remarkable passage that is not so generally taken notice of as for the Glory of God and the Confusion of His Majesties Enemies it ought to be For after that the approaching fury of the Flames had driven the King out of his own Palace His Majesty at first removed into another Quarter of the Town remote from the Fire and as yet free from any annoyance of Smoke and Ashes There His Majesty finding he might be tolerably well accommodated had resolved to stay and continue his Recreations as before till the Day first named for his Journey back to London But His Majesty had no sooner made that resolution when the Wind as conducted by an invisible Power from above presently chang'd about and blew the Smoke and Cinders directly on his new Lodgings making them in a moment as untenable as the other Upon this His Majesty being put to a new shift and not finding the like Conveniency else-where immediately declared he would speedily return to Whitehal as he did which happening to be several days before the Assassines expected him or their preparations for the Rye were in readiness it may justly give occasion to all the World to acknowledge what one of the very Conspirators could not but do That it was a Providential Fire Now upon the first notice in Town of the Fire at Newmarket and that by consequence the King would be necessitated to come home sooner than was imagin'd the principal Assassines were summon'd by Ferguson to a Meeting that very Night They at first receiv'd the News with various Apprehensions and Motions of Mind looking on one another with much Astonishment and Confusion Amongst the rest Walcot acknowledg'd He thought it an Expression of Gods disapproving the Vndertaking whilst Ferguson without any sign of the least relenting said That he perceiv'd God had reserv'd His Majesty for his own Judgment However that Evening they generally agreed That since Arms Horses and Men could not be provided in so short a space because the King was daily expected and the day of his coming uncertain therefore all farther thoughts of the business should be laid aside for that time Yet the next Morning the Company being again assembled upon Reports spread abroad that His Majesty purpos'd to retire to Cambridge and stay there some days Ferguson vehemently insisted That the Design should instantly be reassum'd That what could be should be done in so narrow a time And particularly Armstrong offer'd himself to go down in person to the Rye in order to it if a Sum of Mony could be presently rais'd and a competent number of Men got together But the noise of the Cambridge Journey soon vanishing put an end to those Deliberations though it was a constant expectation and whisper among the Party that some hing extraordinary would be done on the very day of His Majesties coming home In these uncertainties they remain'd till the King came and some days after R. Rumbald returning from the Rye increas'd their rage for this defeat by telling them That he saw His Majesty and his Royal Highness pass by his House but very slenderly guarded only with five or six Persons and those tired and ill appointed so that he doubted not but with the like number of stout and well-arm'd Men he might easily have taken them both off Upon this presently after at their next Meetings it was agreed That to prepare against any such disappointment for the future a sufficient Number of Arms should be bought and kept in readiness for any other opportunity if such could be found during any of His Majesties Journies that Summer or at farthest in his next going to Newmarket To this purpose West told them he was acquainted with a very good Gun-smith and took upon himself to provide the Arms Ferguson engaging to pay the Mony for them Accordingly West bought Thirty Case of Pistols Thirty Carabines and Ten Blunderbusses of one Daft a Gun-smith in Sheer-Lane and Ferguson paid him for them about three weeks before the Discovery West's pretence of buying so great a quantity of Arms was to send them into America where he had a Plantation and to disguise the business the better he caus'd them to be sanguin'd in shew to preserve them from Rust in so long a Voyage and had them made up in Sea-Chests as ready to be Transported So they continu'd till after the noise of Keeling's having betray'd all Then West to avoid suspicion sent them to a Sea-Captain setting Sail for the West-Indies but without any Bill of Lading or Consignment as is usual in whose Custody the Arms were seiz'd and delivered into His Majesties Stores to be there kept for a better use In these their several Consults many casual Discourses interven'd relating indifferently either to the Insurrection or Assassination As What Commissions were at first requisite to be given out and in what style they were to run What Declaration was to be immediately publish'd to justifie the Fact What Project of Government to be pitch'd on and setled afterwards It was agreed that the Commissions for this Nation should be issued forth in the Name of the Confederate Lords and Commons of England For preparing a Declaration divers of their Number were order'd to bring in their Conceptions apart out of all which Collection a compleat Remonstrance was to be gather'd by some of their ablest Heads The main drift of the whole was to amuse the Peoples Fancies for a Time with new Chimera's of Freedom from Taxes and Advantages for Trade and Moderation of Law Expenses and a Toleration of all Sects then to calumniate the Royal Family for divers Generations past to asperse His Majesty as a Tyrant and Oppressor and to accuse all his Faithful Subjects as servile Instruments of Arbitrary Power and Betrayers of their Country Whilst they and their Party were to be magnified as the only Asserters and Restorers of Liberties Properties and the True Protestant Religion Their design in all this being the same that has been constantly put in practise by all Promoters of Sedition and Treason in all Ages Who have always thought they have done more than Half their business if they can but once appropriate to themselves all the Good and pleasing Words of things plausible and popular and fasten on the Government the Names and Titles of things vulgarly odious or contemptible Touching the new Form of Government to be set up in stead of the old they were not altogether so unanimous that being also natural to all Schisms and Factions that tho they may sometimes agree in what they would ruine
Romzey also upon notice of Armstrong's being taken made Oath in these very words Sir Thomas Armstrong did come to me the Sunday-night after the Fire at New-market and told me That he just came from Ferguson and that notwithstanding the King and Duke were to return so soon yet Ferguson did not doubt to have Men ready by that time to do the Business and desired me to go with him to Ferguson's Lodging in his Coach which I did When I came there Ferguson told me the same but that they wanted Money Upon which Sir Thomas desired me to Lend some and he would see me Repaid and added That if he had been in Stock he would have done it himself After this the King could not think himself in the least bound to go out of the way of the Law for shewing any distinguishing Act of Grace to Sir Thomas Armstrong especially when it is manifest there was scarce a Man living who had more Personal obligations to His Majesty than he had and yet no Man had made more ungrateful returns for them than he had done Nor could His Majesty forget how many other Persons and some very near his Majesty Sir Thomas Armstrong had been the Chief Instrument of perverting Upon which account His Majesty had reason to look on him as the Author of many more Treasons besides his own There is now scarce any thing material left unmention'd relating to the Proof either of the Assassination or Insurrection but what may be readily supplied by any intelligent Reader out of the Original Records of Informations and Confessions whereof by His Majesties Command there are Copies an next to this Narration for an Authentick Confirmation of its Truth Only the King is pleas'd that a more particular account should be given than has been hitherto made Publick of the Duke of Monmouth's rendring himself of the Reasons then moving His Majesty to grant him his Pardon and of what 's toriety of the Fact and all the Circum what happen'd immediately upon it which occasion'd the said Dukes final Disgrace and Banishment from His Majesties presence As to the late Earl of Essex's Murdering himself in the Tower some few days after his Imprisonment there His Majesty cannot think it becomes Him to descend to any particular Justification of his own or his Ministers Innocency in that Calamitous Accident Though His Majesty is not ignorant that divers most Malicious Pamphlets have been lately spread abroad in English and other Languages which with an unparallell'd Impudence have accus'd several Persons of eminent Virtue and Honour about His Majesty not sparing even his Royal Highness nay scarce freeing the King himself from being Personally Conscious of so Base and Barbarous an Action But after the Truth of the whole Matter has been carefully examin'd and asserted by the Coroners Inquest whose proper Business it was and after Braddon has suffer'd the Punishment of the Law for Suborning even Children to bear false Witness in the Case and after the Notoriety of the Fact and all the Circumstances of it have been so clearly made out that there is not a Man in all England of an honest Mind or sound Sense who does in the least doubt it His Majesty disdains to enter into dispute with every Petulant Scribler or to answer the villanous Suggestions and horrid Calumnies contain'd particularly in the Libel call'd The Detection and in the Epitome of it the one written by Ferguson the other by Danvers both infamous Men and mortal Enemies to His Majesties Government and Person Yet His Majesty cannot but think it deserves Observation That when the late Earl of Essex had so many considerable Relations and Alliances with divers the greatest Families in the Kingdom and when neither his Lady nor Brother nor any one of all his Numerous Friends and Noble Kindred who were most nearly concern'd did ever express the least Jealousie of foul dealing or ill practise upon the said unfortunate Earl and when all Mens Eyes are open'd and scarce a Man of their own Party has any scruple in his Thoughts about that Business yet that now at last their old Advocate of Treason Ferguson should come forth in Print to out-face so clear a Demonstration of Truth and should try still to turn the Envy of that unhappy Stroak on the Court and the King and his dearest Brother It cannot but seem a prodigious Confidence and Presumption that Ferguson should be their chosen Champion in this Cause The Man who by so many Depositions stands Outlaw'd and Convict of having had the greatest share in the blackest part of the Conspiracy The Man in accusing whom almost every Witness both Scotch and English consented so that his Crimes have been proved by more than Twenty plain Evidences particularly the Duke of Monmouth himself having confess'd to His Majesty That in all their Debates Ferguson was always for Cutting of Throats saying That was the most Compendious Way That this very Ferguson should so far make good his own words at parting when he vow'd He would never be out of a Plot as long as he lived That now in his Banishment under the load of so many undeniable Treasons he should still appear as the great Patron of the Old Cause and should presume he can impose on the World in a matter of Fact so fully try'd so clearly prov'd and determined mined What can be a greater Impudence than that Ferguson should still expect that he could make any Man living believe the King himself or the Duke of York could ever be induced to practice his Compendious Way on the Earl of Essex However from this one instance the King hopes the World will judge how most Injuriously and Barbarously he has been used by his Adversaries in their other Libels against him in most of which it is well known the same venemous Pen was employ'd As for the deplorable end of the said Earl His Majesty freely owns there was no Man in his Dominions more deeply afflicted with it than himself His Majesty having been thereby deprived of an extraordinary Opportunity to exercise his Royal Clemency and to testifie to all his Loyal Subjects and Old Friends how highly he valued the Memory and Sufferings of the Lord Capel Next himself His Majesty thinks he is also bound in common Justice to declare That his entirely beloved Brother was most tenderly concern'd and griev'd at that lamentable Effect of the Earl of Essex's Despair His Majesty being best able upon his own knowledge to vouch for the Duke of York That he never deserv'd ill of the said Earl and was always most readily inclined for both their Fathers sakes to have forgiven whatever ill the Earl of Essex had done to him Now touching His Majesties Pardoning the Duke of Monmouth and what followed upon it the King is pleased this Account shall be given The World needs not be told with what extraordinary regret to His Majesty the said Duke was of late Years perverted from that sense of his Duty
and Allegiance His Majesty might justly claim from him upon many more Obligations besides that of being his Subject But it was one of the first and principal Artifices of the Earl of Shaftsbury's Malice after his own disgrace at Court to be reveng'd on the King by afflicting him in so tender a part and by sly Insinuations to wrest from his Bosom a Person who he knew had so great a share in His Majesties Affections This was indeed a Talent peculiar to the Earl of Shaftsbury That of all Men living he could most easily turn himself into all shapes and comply with all Dispositions positions having by long practice got the skill to cover his Hooks with Baits fitting every Humour The Covetous who are no small Number of the pretended Godly Party those he was wont to feed and deceive with hopes of Wealth and new Sequestrations The Ambitious with Praise and Vain-Glory The Nonconformist Zealots with Promises of Liberty in Religion sometimes not refusing to stoop lower and even to serve and assist the Pleasures and Debauches of Men that way inclin'd if he found them any way useful for his purpose Wherefore the said Earl observing in the Duke of Monmouth a Mind rash unsteady and ambitious soon made him an easie Prey to his wicked Subtilty disguised under fair and plausible Colours On the one side puffing up his Youthful Thoughts with a vain Ostentation of Honour and the Temptation of Fame to be gotten by Asserting and Defending his Countries Liberties and Religion always pretended by him to be in imminent danger whilst He was out of place On the other inflaming him with imaginary Suspicions of the Duke of York's irreconcilable Hatred to his Person Which was so far from having any real Foundation that on the contrary His Majesty who best knows does freely here testifie for his dearest Brother in this particular That the Duke of Monmouth till he made himself uncapable of his Friendship never had a more entire or fast Friend about His Majesty and there was scarce ever any Honour or Benefit conferr'd on him but it was obtain'd of His Majesty by his Royal Highnesses Intercession However by such groundless Jealousies and empty Conceits was the Duke of Monmouth insensibly drawn to desert his only true Interest and to give himself over to the Delusions of His Majesties mortal Enemies This the King apparently perceiving and foreseeing how in the Event it would tend to the said Dukes inevitable Ruine His Majesty tryed by all imaginable ways of Kindness to cast forth the Evil Spirit in him and to rescue him out of their Hands At length when no milder course would serve His Majesty required him on his Allegiance to go beyond the Seas and there to remain till his farther pleasure was signified His Majesty still hoping that at so great a distance the Poyson would be lest effectual and that by his absence the said Duke would be kept Innocent of the Treasonable designs which his New Associates were furiously carrying on against the Government But in that expectation His Majesty was unfortunately disappointed The Duke of Monmouth presently shew'd how much his False Friends and Treacherous Flatterers had prevailed over his unwary Youth and how different they had taught him to be from the Obedience which at the same time was practised by his Royal Highness For the said Duke of Monmouth soon return'd into England contrary to His Majesties express Command The discontented Party having thus got him again and made him surer to themselves by this new Affront to His Majesty began now to take new Life and Vigor by his presence With insufferable Boldness and Contempt of Authority shewed him every where to the Rabble Leading him about with insolent Pomp through many Countries openly owning and crying him up as the Head of their Cause the unhappy Young-Man all the white not understanding that he was only a Property By these fatal steps he was was at last brought into the most pernicious Counsels and Undertakings And whilst nothing less was intended by his Tempters but the subversion of all that is well-settled and sacred in Church and State they deluded him into the very same Designs by popular Shews and empty Names of the Protestant Duke the great Champion and Protector of the Privileges of the Subject and the Reformed Religon Which under His Majesty can never want any other Protector nor can ever stand in need of such Champions as many of late have vaunted themselves to be of whole Religion there can be given no better Account than of their Loyalty Such then was the state of things when upon the first breaking forth of this Horrid Conspiracy His Majesty with inexpressible Surprize and Grief Found by undoubted Evidence the Duke of Monmouth very deeply engaged and therefore had but too just reason to put him into a Proclamation among the other Conspirators After that the said Duke had withdrawn himself from His Majesties Justice and so long was become incapable of his Forgiveness In this obstinate defiance the Duke of Monmouth continued till the Outlawry against him and other his Complices began to draw to an Issue Then His Majesty receiv'd from him the first Letter In which His Majesty fancy'd he saw a greater Spirit of Ingenuity than afterwards proved However finding in it so clear and full expressions of the said Dukes remorse for his former Disloyalty to His Majesty and Ingratitude to the Duke of York and so frank Professions of his Resolutions to amend for the future joyn'd with the greatest Imprecations on himself if he should wilfully violate his Promises therein made His Majesty did thereupon immediately return this Answer written with his own Hand that His Majesty might not be wanting on his part to lay hold on any good and probable Opportunity of reducing him to Reason and saving him from utter Ruine If the Duke of Monmouth desires to make himself capable of my Mercy he must render himself to the Secretary and resolve to tell me all he knows resigning himself entirely to my Pleasure This determinate Declaration of His Majesties Will drew from the Duke of Monmouth a second Letter wherein with vehement and pathetick Words he aggravates his Distraction and Torment for having offended His Majesty Confesses Himself in fault betray'd into fatal Mistakes misled into Mischiefs whereof he did not at first in the least suspect the Consequences declares That his Crime appear'd to him in so terrifying a shape that he preferr'd even Death before his present sense of it implores His Majesties Pardon no otherwise but if he may receive it by his Royal Highnesses Mediation professes To speak this not only in outward Form but with the greatest Sincerity in the World resigns Himself to His Majesties Disposal not only now but for the remainder of his Life engages Absolutely to put his very Will into His Majesties Hands for the future which he acknowledges had been so ill a Guide to him in times past concluding That
it was to take by it the advantage of entring more securely on a pew course of Disobedience The King has thus condescended to set-forth an Impartial Relation of the Beginning Proceeding and Defeat of that whole detestable Conspiracy His Majesty has so long delay'd the Publication of it chiefly in Consideration of many of the Criminals themselves how ill soever ever they may have deserv'd of him For the Law allowing them the space of a whole Year after the Outlawry to render themselves before they were to be look'd on as Men absolutely condemn'd His Majesty was willing to stay till the full time was expired still hoping that some of them would come voluntarily in and stand a Legal Tryal and if possible prove themselves Innocent But since not one of the Persons Outlaw'd has all this while ventured himself on the Laws of his Country His Majesty has now thought it not fit any longer to suppress the Evidence against them And what is here publish'd though it be not near the whole of the Informations given in upon Oath yet will be found abundantly sufficient to Convict every Man of them either of the intended Insurrection or Assassination Both which His Majesty knows are made out with as much clearness of Testimony and strength of indubitable Records as any Humane Affair is capable of What now remains But that His Majesty should engage himself before God and the whole World to make a right use of so great a Blessing as his Deliverance from these desperate Treasons and should with the Authority of a King and with the tender Affection of a true Father of his Country require and admonish all his Subjects of all Parties and Opinions to do the like For himself his Majesty cannot but be deeply sensible he has been now once more preserv'd by the immediate Hand of God and therefore looks on himself as afresh obliged to manifest his Gratitude to Heaven by promoting the Glory of his Preserver in continuing to consult above all things the Welfare of his Church and the Peace and Happiness of this great People committed to his Charge And His Majesty declares he will improve this new Advantage the Divine Favour has so marvellously put into his Hands not in Acts of Severity and Revenge which his Nature utterly abhors but by imitating the Divine Goodness as in a regular Course of strict Justice to all obdurate Impenitents so which he much rather desires in his usual method of Mercy and Kindness to as many as shall give sincere Proofs of Penitence and Reformation of their past Crimes Virtues which His Majesty has too much Reason to believe his and his Fathers Enemies have hitherto been very little acquainted with As for those His Majesties misguided Subjects who after all this persevere to be disaffected to His Government His Majesty has reason to expect that now at length they would be convinc'd by that very Providence which used to be their own principal and best-beloved Argument whenever it seem'd to be never so little on their side and that henceforth they would quietly submit to and follow the same Providence since it has so signally appear'd against them and much more wonderfully declar'd it self for than ever Mr. Sydney had reason to say it had declar'd against His Majesty If there can possibly still remain any well meaning Men in their Party led away by the specious Delusions of good Words abused to the worst things if any such have really thought their Lives and Fortunes Laws and Consciences at any time in Danger under His Majesties Government let them but Remember and consider sadly what was the Issue of the very same Jealousies Murmurs and Tumults against His Royal Father of Blessed Memory whether the first and most eminent Instruments of subverting for a time this Renown'd and ancient Monarchy were not themselves beguil'd by the same methods into the meanest Slavery both Spiritual and Temporal Out of which they were compell'd at last to confess they could be no other wise redeem'd but by returning again into the very same constitution of things they had so unwisely overthrown Or if the Experience of time past so dearly bought can prevail nothing on them let them but seriously reflect on their present Condition Instead of hardening to what wicked and designing Men under the most deceitful Colours suggest to them for Sinister Ends let them guide their Opinions by their own plain and sensible Observation Let them but fairly and indifferently compare the present State of all Nations round about them with their own And then let them refuse if they can to bless God and the King for their inexpressible advantages above all others Whilst dl His Majesties Subjects find they may if they will securely injoy Peace Plenty Liberty and the best Religion why should any Torment themselves or disquiet others with wild imaginations and Fears of future Evils Which nothing can be so ready a way to bring upon them as their own Fears Henceforth therefore let no vain pretence of Liberty and Property once more push them on to the same desperate Designs wherein when they had formerly success which they cannot always promise themselves yet even then it turn'd within a few Years to the Ruine of their own Pretences Let no mistaken Zeal of Conscience seduce them again to Disobedience since the only Obligations of a True Christian Conscience lead all to Obedience none to Rebellion Let them no longer be infatuated by the false Shews and Insinuations of Popularity Rather let them learn once for all who is the only true Patriot what is truly Popular what not Let them know That whoever complies with the common Peoples sudden Humors and changeable Passions against their solid Interest Whoever labours to make the whole Government obnoxious to any single Sect or Party Whoever strives to divide the Country or City from the Court Whoever endeavours to enlarge disputable Priviledges to the hazard of known Prerogatives In fine Whoever would pervert Liberty into Licentiousness that Man can never be a True Patriot all that is false Popularity It is indeed equally as Destructive to the People as to the Prince Those Counsels only are and ought to be esteem'd really Popular which proceed on sure and legal Foundations to confirm the Monarchy where it is strong to strengthen and support those parts of it which by length of time may have been somewhat weaken'd and decay'd those Persons only are the True Patriots and design their Countries Good the best and only sure way who make it their Business to keep the King in a condition to protect his People There is no true commendable English Popularity but true English Loyalty Thus much His Majesty vouchsafes to advise all His Enemies and discontented Subjects though even to them he has done all the Good in this World to oblige them not to be so There is one sort of these whom the King acknowledges he once thought he should never have had just Reason to