the King and inform'd him of the Business Whereupon conjecturing as well he might that they meant himself he privately got away with speed and absented himself from his Lodging in Drury-Lanâ— that night and returning thither next night for some necessaries was like to have been Assassinated by one Stratford On the 9th at Night he met Mr. Kirkby and Dr. Tonge at the Flying-Horse in Kings-Street Westminser whither for the present he had retired and then for his security went over with Mr. Kirkby to Fox-Hall where he and Dr. Tonge continued During this time Dr. Oates wrote fair Copies of his Informations and Dr. Tonge in vain sought to give in farther Informations to the Treasurer but were both and Mr. Kirkby also much perplexed with apprehensions of the danger they were in and discouragements they had met with Till on the 27th at Night one of the Treasurers Servants meeting Mr. Kirkby acquainted him he was come for Dr. Tonge to go to the Council who with Mr. Kirkby immediately went but the Council was risen before they came and order given them to attend next day Whereupon they resolved next Morning to get two more Copies Sworn unto that each man might have an Authentick Copy which accordingly they did being 28th of Sept. before Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey who would needs keep one of them having never before perused the said Informations Then first Dr. Tonge and Mr. Kirkby and afterwards Dr. Oates being sent for attended the Council who upon Examination of Dr. Oates were pleased to order both him and Dr. Tonge Lodgings in White-Hall for their Security and proceeded to examine and enquire further into the matter Post varios Casus post tot Discrimina Rerum Tendimus adversus Latium CHAP. VII The nature and scope of the Plot in general laid open SECT 1. THE design in general was by Fire and Sword when all other means fail'd to subvert the Establisht Government and Religion of these Kingdoms and to reduce the same to Popery so as no Toleration should be given to any Protestant but all to be Extirpated Root and Branch The chief Conspirators that design'd and were to carry on this were 1. The present Pope Innocent the Eleventh who in the Congregation de propaganda fide consisting of about 350 persons held about December 1677. Declared all his Majesties Dominions to be part of St. Peters Patrimony as forfeited to the Holy See for the Meresie of the Prince and People and so to be disposed of as he should think fit 2. Our English Cardinal Howard whom in pursuance of such Declaration his Holiness appointed as his Legate to take Possession of England in his Name he likewise made him Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with an augmentation of Forty-thousand Crowns a year for the maintenance of his Legantine Authority He had also Constituted Bishops and Dignitaries for all or most of the Sees and Ecclesiastical promotions in England As Perrot Superior of the Secular Priests to be Arch-Bishop of York Corker Bishop of London Whitebread of Winchester Strange of Durham Dr. Godden of Salisbury Napper a Franciscan Fryar of Norwich c. Removing all the Bishops in possession from their present Dignities 3. Johannes Paulus de Oliva Father-General of the Jesuits Society residing at Rome who was to give directions to the Provincial of the Jesuits in London how to proceed in this affair 4. Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba Provincial of the Jesuits in New Castile who was to assist with Counsel and Money and to mis-represent the Actions and Intentions of his Majesty of Great Britain in the Spanish Court to create Jealousies and Feuds between the two Crowns which likewise was to be done by a Jesuit that is Confessor to the Emperour in Relation to England and that Court 5. Le Chese a Jesuit Confessor to the French King with whom Coleman holding Correspondence discover'd to him all the Secrets of State he could and by his means endeavour'd to obtain a Pension from the French King for his good Services in betraying his Native Countrey 6. The Provincial of the Jesuits for the time being in England which of late was first Strange and then Whitebread 7. The Benedictine Monks at the Savoy ' where they had erected them a Colledge to such a degree of Confidence were they arriv'd 8. Jesuits and Seminary-Priests of whom there were about that time in England the number of Eighteen-hundred and were generally privy to the main design though perhaps not all acquainted with particulars 9. Several Lay-persons of Quality drawn in out of Zeal Ambition Covetousness Revenge c. to joyn with them to Command the Forces they were to raise and execute the great Offices of the Realm As the Lord Arundel of Warder to be Lord Chancellor of England The Lord Powis Lord Treasurer Sir William Godolphin Lord-Privy-Seal Edward Coleman Secretary of State Lord Bellasis General Lord Peters Lieutenant General Sir Francis Ratcliff Major General John Lambert Adjutant-General Langhorn Advocate-General c. who had Commissions sent them Sealed by Paulus d' Oliva from Rome The work was so great and in their apprehension so glorious that the most Eminent of the Popish Clergy in Europe were engaged in it so that it cannot be said to be an Act or Contrivance of any few particular persons but an Vnanimous undertaking of their whole Church and so it must be Recorded to Posterity to their everlasting shame SECT 2. The means whereby they resolv'd to accomplish it were 1. By Killing the King finding they could not work him to their purpose and therefore to remove him they laid several distinct Plots and all to be kept unknown to each other As 1. Grove and Pickering to Shoot him 2. Conyers and Anderton Benedictine Monks and four Irish Russians to Stab him 3. To Poison him for which purpose 5000 l. was entred in their Books as paid to Sir George Wakeman in part of 15000 l. Reward which he was to have for that Horrid work by vertue of a Contract made with him in the presence of Coleman and Dr. Fogarthy As for the Duke of York they concluded to make use of his Name and Interest if he would comply with them 1. To accept of the Three Kingdoms as a gift from the Pope and hold them in Fee of him 2ly If he would Confirm their Settlement of the Church and State 3dly If he would Exterminate all Protestants 4thly If he would Pardon the Murtherers of his Brother the Murtherers of the People and those who should Fire the remaining part of the City and Suburbs 2. For that was the second particular of their work to Fire London and Westminster and places adjoyning thereunto as also other the chief Cities and Towns of England immediately on the Killing of his Majesty and lay the whole load both of the Murther and Firing on the Presbyterians and Fanaticks thereby provoking the Episcopal men to joyn with them to cut them off that so Protestants being weakned by their own Feuds they might
then the Souldiers and Projectors shall be paid out of the Confiscations If the Countrey be too hard for the Souldiers then they must consequently Mutiny which is equally advantagious for us Our Superlative Design is to work the Protestants as well as the Catholicks to welcome in a Conqueror and that is by this means we hope instantly to dissolve all Trade and hinder the Building of Ships by devising probable Designs and put the State upon Expeditions as that of Cadiz in taking away the Merchants Ships and putting them in hopes of taking the West-India Fleet which is to seek a needle in a bottle of hay His Catholick Majesty shall not want our best Intelligences besides he hath Pinaces and Advice-Boats which are still abroad to discover so that you cannot be surprized in any Harbour When Trade is ruined and Shipping decayed what will become of Excise nay what will become of Noblemens and Gentlemens Revenues the poor Yeomen and Farmers in which consists the Infantry and glory of the Kingdom they will turn Rogues and resemble the Abject Peasants in France who are little better than Slaves Trade and Shipping is so much decayed already that London is as it were Besieged for want of Fewel for Sea-coals are at 3 l. the Chaldron When things are brought to this perfection which we hope will be by the time his Sacred Majesty hath setled his Affairs in Germany all the people in general will linger for a Conquerour missing other means and Revenues which should maintain them according to their several Ranks and Qualities Then we assure our selves that the Lands which were rent and torn from the Church by that ravenous Monster Henry the Eighth shall be re-sumed and restored by our mighty Protector his Catholick Majesty to the re-calling those who are Exil'd and delivering thousands of Souls which suffer Persecution at home for the Testimony of a good Conscience Joyn your Prayers with ours in importuning the Blessed Virgin and all the Hosts of Angels Saints and holy Martyrs to intercede for us and no question but God will hast to help us Thus hoping to see Count de Tilly and Marquiss Spinola here about July come Twelve month I rest In the mean time we pray for their happy success in Germany and the Low-Countries In this Letter we may behold the Cursed Designs of the Jesuits and Romish Party portray'd ad vivum by one of their own Pencils in a private familiar Correspondence with one of their Forreign Confederates their end here as in all other their attempts is to Subvert the Government of these Nations let in a Forreign Enemy to Conquer us Re-establish Popery and destroy the Protestant Religion The Mediums projected and pursued therein were the same mutatis mutandis reading France instead of Spain as they have prosecuted since viz. Fomenting mis-understandings between the King and his Parliaments promoting and exasperating Factions destroying Trade advancing Arminianism and other divisions in the Church and Arbitrary Government a standing Army and illegal Impositions in the State thereby bringing all into confusion at home and opening a door for an Invasion from abroad And can it be imagined that a sort of people so principled and affectionated and so eagerly set on such Traiterous Designes against King Charles the First in 1627 should ever become such Innocent Faithful and Loyal Subjects to him as they would be taken for in 1642 Let us trace their practices a little and see if we can ever gather Grapes of Thorns or Fig's of Thistles SECT 2. We shall silently pass by their clandestine Machinations in several subsequent years The frequent invasions of Propriety and Liberty the violent urging of indifferent and unnecessary Ceremonies on one side and peevish opposition thereof on the other the stirs in Scotland and the Seditious murmurs in England was not the hand of Joab in all this But we hasten to a more evident demonstration A Plot of theirs striking at no less than the Sacred Life of that Glorious Prince before ever they had sufficiently prepared the Factious Rabble here to attempt any such wickedness whence it may most rationally be collected and concluded that what afterwards was villanously perpetrated was by these Romish Blood-hounds originally contrived and promoted In the Month of September 1640. two Months before the fatal Parliament began Sir William Boswel being His Majesties Ambassadour in Holland at that time Resident at the Hague receiv'd intimation of a desperate Popish Plot from a person of good Quality at first at the second-hand but soon after avowed by the principal Party and the general scope delivered to him in Writing in a Letter in Latine directed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury taking an Oath of the said Ambassador not to discover any thing thereof to any but the Arch-bishop and His Majesty Accordingly Sir William in a Letter by an Express dated the 9th of September New stile 1640. transmitted the same to his Grace who sent it to the King then at York in a Letter which His Majesty sent back Apostyled with Instructions how to proceed therein whereupon Octob. 15. there was sent over a more large and particular Discovery in Latine from the Party being one Andreas ab Habernfeld a Doctor in Physick and Physician as many affirm to the Queen of Bohemia The general Contents whereof were 1. That there was then on foot a Plot laid by the Jesuits and Papists for Subverting the Realm and State of England and the destroying and Murthering his most Excellent Majesty p. 13. 2. That the Original Author of this Discovery was born bred up and had for many years been Dignified in the Romish Church and appointed by Cardinal Barberino to assist Con the Popes Legate in managing the said Conspiracy the cruelty and wickedness whereof so terrified his Conscience that he abandoned that Communion and embraced the Orthodox Religion 3. That the said Con was the chief Patron and Director of the business and had his Residence at London where he had endeavoured by various Arts to corrupt divers great men of the Kingdom and particularly sought to practice on the Arch-bishop by the offer of a Cardinals Cap but finding no good to be done upon him resolv'd to cut off both the King and him Art 6 7. 4. That in order thereunto they made it their business to inflame the Puritans in England and stir up the people in Scotland to Commotions Art 9. 5. That having thus embroil'd the Kings Affairs and reduced him to want of Money they would order things so that he should not obtain any but on condition to grant a general Liberty to Exercise the Popish Religion which if he should refuse then the King was to be dispatcht for an Indian Nut stuffed with most sharp poyson was reserv'd by the Society which Con at that time frequently in a boasting manner had shewed to the Informant wherein a Dose was prepared for the King after the example of his Father Artic. 10. 6. That the Chaplain
of the Marquess of Hamilton who oft was employed without effect by the King to appease the Scotish Tumults held Correspondence with Con who being once askt in joque by the Informant Whether the Jews also agreed with the Samaritans the said Con answered with a wish That all Ministers were but such as he 7. That one Tho. Chamberlain was sent over from Cardinal Richlieu and for four Months held Consultations with the Society how to exasperate these Northern heats to the best advantage 8. He discovers several of the Conspirators by name as Sir Toby Matthews a Jesuit whom he represents as a most indefatigable and dangerous Traitor one Captain Read a Scotchman dwelling near the Angel-Tavern in Long-Acre in whose House the Conspirators met usually once a day and there received and read their Letters from Rome and elsewhere and returned Answers where he saith the Gang might be surprized commonly every Friday He likewise names Porter Windebank Montague the younger and several others with divers circumstances corroborating his Information and particularly advises to intercept when the Post goes out weekly a Packet directed to Monsieur Strario Arch-Deacon of Cambray and another coming weekly from Rome which is brought under this Superscription To the most Illustrions Count Rosetti Legate for the time written in Characters but interpretable by the said Read whence farther light would be obtained All this was discovered to the Ambassador under an Oath of Secresie and the most importunate Requests to the King and Arch-bishop to keep it close till the business might be ripe and to conceal whence they had these Advertisements for otherwise the Discoverer would certainly be in danger of his life from the Confederates and their Associates And it appears by the Papers that both Sir William Boswel and the Arch-bishop were fully satisfied That it was real and of great importance care being ordered to be taken privately for the sounding the depth and further circumstances of the Design but the Disturbances in Scotland and afterwards in Ireland and England coming on apace branches of the same Treason being all assisted and fomented if not as most of them originally contrived by those Popish Incendiaries though disguised in other Factions 't is probable they might divert or forbear that part of the Poisoning the King and Bishop to attend the event of the other more general Plot of ruining these Nations which they saw then so hopefully advanced that they might conclude without haâ—arding themselves in the odium there were enough other Ill-spirits which they had conjured up â—eady to do that execrable work for them another way However the Original Papers of the Discovery and Letters relating thereto being kept by the Archbishop were when his Study was ransackt â—ound amongst his Writings and then Published and now lately Re-printed by Authority under the Title of The grand Designs of the Papists in the time of King Charles the First worthy the perusal of such as would be farther satisfied SECT 3. Next followed the horrid Butcheries in Ireland beginning 23 Oct. 1641. concerning which however some of the spawn of the barbarous Actors in that cursed Tragedy or others their Relations or Accomplices of the Roman brood would now palliate and excuse it yet nothing is more known to all the world than that it was an open direct and most Traiterous Rebellion on the score of their cursed bloody Religion against their lawful and most gracious Prince designing to usurp the whole Government into their own hands root out the English Nation and the Protestant Name and which was the main end of all establish Popery in that Kingdom as is testified upon Oath by several persons examined and their Depositions published by the Kings Warrant all this begun and continued by Papists Onely not one Protestant amongst them But the Pope himself the Head of their Church in the person of his Nuncio Rinuceini Generalissimo of all their Forces by Land and Sea and all the Tribes of his Ecclesiasticks contributing all Assistance and Encouragement imaginable thereunto proceeding with that Inhumanity that above one hundred thousand innocent Protestants were by them basely in cool blood and with exquisite Torments and un-heard 〈◊〉 Cruelties Murthered and otherwise destroyed And which was even yet worse than that to shew their malice as well as disobodience to his said Majesty with equal impudence and falshood they pretended that it was done by his Commission and vouched the Broad Seal for their Authority purposely to enrage his Protestant Subjects in England and elsewhere against him The Popes Nuncio assuming nevertheless and exercising there the Temporal as well as Spiritual power granting out Commissions in his own name breaking the Treaties of Peace between the King and as they then stiled themselves the Confederate Catholicks heading two Armies against the then Marquess now Duke of Ormond then Lord Lieutenant and forcing him at last to quit the Kingdom all which ended in the Ruine of His Majesties Government and Person which but upon occasion of that Rebellion could never have happened And was not all this a prodigious demonstration of their Obedience and Loyalty to King Charles the First and the Crown of England It was constantly observed that the lower and more unfortunate the King was in his Successes in England the higher were the demands of the Irish so that they used all their Treaties as Stratagems to trepan not to serve His Majesty In the year 1643. when a Cessation was concluded with them by the Kings Authority and both English and Irish engaged by Articles to transport their Armies to England for His Majesties Service the Irish onely pretended they would do it when the English were gone and then treacherously â—yet according to one of their old rules Nulla fiâ—â—es servanda cum Haereticis they plotted and attempted the ruine of the small remnant of English â—eft behind in Munster where the Lord Inchiquin Commanding by the Kings Commission and the English with him were necessitated to stand on their own defence against the Popish Army In 45. the said Confederate Catholicks having engaged their publick Faith to send 10000 men to serve His Majesty delayed neglected and failed â—herein to the great dis-service of His Majesty Did they not in 46. after a Peace concluded with them treacherously attempt to cut off the Lord Lieutenant and his Army who marched out of Dublin on security and confidence of that Peace did they not in 47 employ Commissioners to Rome France and Spain to invite a Forreign power into Ireland in the 9th Article of whose Instructions to be seen in my Lord Orrerey's Answer to P. W. they were ordered to make Application to his Holiness for his being Lord Protector of Ireland so that they were beforehand with the Phanaticks in England with the Title and if he should refuse then to offer the same to either of the Kings of France or Spain nay to any Popish Prince from whom to use their own words they might have
the University as some report or whether drawn in upon his Marriage as others alleage or to gratifie a Rich Vncle of that Persuasion as a third sort relate it on which or whether on some other occasion different from all these he revolted is not much material but revolt he did to the Roman Church and became a mighty Bigot to advance the same and gain Proselytes He was a Person of rare natural and acquired parts and so well conceited of himself that he once undertook to be one that should manage a Conference concerning Religion against the Learned Doctor Stillingfleet and another Divine of the Church of England which discourse is extant in Print But his Talent lay more in News and Policy than Divinity being for some time Secretary to her Royal Highness the Dutchess of York he was a Leading-man in this Horrid Conspiracy and a prime Promoter thereof by his great Correspondency abroad both at Rome and in the French Court. Concerning the manner of his Commitment an Account is given before Chapt. the 8th On Saturday the 23 of November he was Arraigned at the Kings-Bench Bar the Indictment being very Expressive and Significant we shall for Example sake See Colemans Tryal p. 2. recite part of it viz. That as a false Traitor against our most Illustrious Serene and most excellent Prince Charles by the Grace of God c. his natural Lord having not the fear of God in his heart nor duely weighing his Allegiance but being moved and seduced by the Instigation of the Devil his cordial Love and true Duty and natural Obedience which true and lawful Subjects of our said Lord the King ought to bear towards him and by Law ought to have altogether with-drawing and devising and with all his strength intending the Peace and common Tranquillity of this Kingdom of England to disturb and the true Worship of God within the Kingdom of England practised and by Law Established to overthrow and Sedition and Rebellion within this Realm of England to move stir up and procure and the cordial Love and true Duty and Allegiance which true and lawful Subjects of our Soveraign Lord the King towards their Soveraign bear and by Law ought to have altogether to withdraw forsake and extinguish and our said Soveraign Lord the King to Death and final Destruction to bring and put The 29th of Septemb. in the 27th year of the Reign of our said Soveraign Lord Charles the Second c. at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster Falsly Maliciously and Traiterously proposed compassed imagined and intended to stir up and raise Sedition and Rebellion within the Kingdom of England and to procure and cause a miserable Destruction amongst the Subjects of our said Lord the King and wholly to Deprive Depose Deject and Disinherit our said Soveraign of his Royal State Title Power and Rule of his Kingdom of England and to bring and put our said Soveraign Lord the King to final Death and Destruction and to overthrow and change the Government and alter the sincere and true Religion of God in this Kingdom by Law establish'd and wholly to subvert and destroy the State of the Kingdom and to Levy War against our said Soveraign Lord the King within his Realm of England And that to accomplish these his Traiterous designs and imaginations on the 29th of Septemb. in the 27th year of the King he Traiterously composed two Letters to one Monsieur Le Chese then Servant and Confessor of Lewis the French King to desire procure and obtain for the said Edw. Coleman and other false Traitors the Aid Assistance and Adherence of the said French King to alter the true Religion in this Kingdom Establish'd to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and Subvert the Government of this Kingdom of England c. Reciting his receiving an Answer from Le Chese his Correspondence with Monsieur Rovigni Envoy Extraordinary from the French King and Letters to Sir William Throckmorton in France Concluding in usual form That all this was done against his true Allegiance and against the Peace of the King his Crown and Dignity To this Indictment he pleaded Not Guilty and on Wednesday the 27th of Novemb. 1678. was brought to his Tryal To the Jury Empannel'd he made no Challenges Their Names were Sir Reginald Foster Baronet Sir Charles Lee. Edward Wilford Esq John Bathurst Esq Joshua Galliard Esq John Bifield Esq Simon Middleton Esq Henry Johnson Esq Charles Vmfrevile Esq Thomas Johnson Esq Thomas Eaglesfield Esq William Bohee Esq His Tryal as it held very long so it was managed with all Integrity and Moderation by the Court The Charge against him was made out two ways partly by Witnesses Vivâ voce and partly by Letters and Papers found at his House which he could not deny to be his own hand writing Dr. Oates was the first Witness produced to whom the Lord Chief Justice gave this grave Caution That he See Colemans Tryal p. 17. should speak nothing but the truth not to add the least tittle that was false for any advantage whatsoever mind him of the Sacredness of the Oath he had taken declaring that since the Prisoners Blood and Life was at stake he should stand or fall be justified or Condemned by truth The substance of Mr. Oates's Evidence was 1. That in Novemb. 1677. being brought acquainted with Mr. Coleman by one John Keins then Dr. Oates's Confessor who Lodged at Colemans House he carried some Letters for him to St. Omers in which were Treasonable Expressions of the King calling him Tyrant and a Letter in Latine enclosed to Monsieur Le Chese to whom Dr. Oates carried it from St. Omers to Paris in which there were thanks returned for the Ten thousand pounds by him remitted into England for the Propagation of the Catholick Religion and promising that it should be Imployed for no other purpose but that for which it was sent which was to cut off the King of England as appear'd by the Letter of Le Chese to which this was an Answer and which Dr. Oates saw and read 2. That Coleman was concern'd in the design of taking away the Sacred Life of the King for that when at the Jesuits Consult at the pag. 2. Whitehorse-Tavern in the Strand in April Old Stile and May New Stile and afterwards adjourned into several Companies It was resolv'd that Pickering and Grove should Assassinate his Majesty by Shooting or other means for which the latter should have 1500 l. and the former Thirty thousand Masses which at 12 d. a Mass amounted much what to the same sum This resolve was in his hearing Communicated to Mr. Coleman at Wild-House who did approve thereof and said it was well contriv'd 3. That in August 78. Mr. Coleman was present at a Consult with the Jesuits and Benedictine Monks in the Savoy for raising a pag. 23. Rebellion in Ireland and was very forward to have Dr. Fogarthy sent thither to dispatch the Duke of Ormond by
being swayed by such powerful Inducements That he might Lawfully say he Note ☞ was Innocent and so they were all which in Popish construction is not to deny that they Killed Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey for that according to their Divinity and what the said Priests had Solemnly declared was no Sin or Crime and consequently they might All in such their Catholick sense still be Innocent Yet this he must acknowledge he somewhat doubted because he had never been at Confession and received Absolution since the Fact Committed which all the rest as some of themselves had declared had done and so might more peremptorily persist as they did in averring themselves to be Innocent and he does ingeniously declare That had he received Absolution 't is his fear he he should never or not without extream difficulty have been brought to any acknowledgment These Circumstances together with a great distemper of Body contracted by the incommodities of Consinement want of Air c. occasioned that sudden revolt of his Reason and duty under that perplexity of Spirit but as soon as he had done it Conscience flew in his face and would no longer be laid asleep with any delusive Popish Charms When he began to recollect himself the power of truth dispersed all those Temptations of Interest Fear and Superstition If it were true that he might hazard his Life and lose his Trade if he did persist in the Confession of the Murther it was as true and he found it by experience that he should never have peace of Conscience if he denyed it And therefore he was no sooner returned from the King and Council to Newgate which comeing in a Coach 't is certain was not half an hour but he most earnestly requested Capt. Richardson who had been with him and heard what he had said that Morning for God's sake to go back and assure the King and that Honourable Board from him That the first Confession which he had made on Oath was true in all Circumstances and that whatsoever he had said before them that Morning to the contrary was occasioned only by the Consternation Fear and Perplexity of mind he was under which the Capt. immediately did and hath since declared the same upon Oath Thus far the words of Mr. Prances own Narrative well worthy the Readers perusal not only for his satisfaction in this behalf but also for the several notorious Villanies of a great number of Popish Priests therein by name exposed To which as a very confirming Circumstance we may add that falling very dangerously Ill. soon after he then when he had nothing but a certain prospect of approaching Death before his eyes he declared and asserted to divers his first Confession to be true in all points and also afterwards as soon as he recovered his Health he repeated the same with all stedfastness before the Kings most Excellent Majesty and the Lords of the Council Whereupon his Majesty was most gratiously pleased to grant him his Pardon From all which 't is most plain that all this Dust which the Priests and Jesuits have raised about this matter is fairly blown away and Truth is become perspicuous to any ingenious man that will but Impartially look into these Transactions and consider them as they are and not as they are represented by their false perspectives SECT II. On the 21th of December 1678. there was some Discovery relating to this Plot given into a Committee of the House of Lords by one Mr. Edmund Everard a Scottish Gentleman who had been kept four years Prisoner in the Tower the effect of which and the occasions and manner of such his Confinement was as followeth This Mr. Everard having been concern'd with the English Forces in France and there having the Honour to be acquainted with his Grace the Illustrious Duke of Monmouth was employ'd as Agent for the concerns of the English Militia at the French Court where he became acquainted with the Lady Ann Gourdon Sister to the Marquess of Huntly in Scotland living in a Popish Convent in Paris who being a Lady very Zealous for Popery of excellent Accomplishments and great Correspondence did in the moneth of Novemb. 1673. acquaint him That there was a grand design on foot in England for settling Popery there and a project either to dissolve the then Parliament or sow mis-understandings between his Majesty and it and that there was a considerable Party labouring to make the Duke of York King and that his Majesty would be made away and shortly would not be in a case to hurt any body After this he was entertain'd to Introduce Peter Talbot Popish Arch-Bishop of Dublin to the Marshal Bellefond and the French King into whose presence he was admitted and allow'd half an hours Conference presenting that King with a Letter and other Papers That the said Talbot then told Mr. Everard that the business he had to negotiate with that King mightily concern'd the welfare of all the Catholicks in England but those of Ireland more especially being to propose ways to the French King to relieve them of their present Persecutions and undertake their Protection some of which Expedients he declared were to Arm some of the Irish and secure a Sea-port Town in Ireland for the French for which Negotiation he said he had good Warrant and Commission from some of the greatest persons in England Mr. Everard immediately discovered all this to one Sir Robert Welsh hoping for his Assistance to Communicate it to his Majesty of Great Britain but it seems Sir Robert re-acquainted Colonel Talbot the said Bishops Brother both what Everard had said of his Brother and of the Lady Huntly and that he was designing for England to make known such their Correspondencies who thereupon threatned him That if he offered to do any such thing they would infallibly procure that he should forthwith be Committed to the Tower of London or the Gatehouse That notwithstanding Mr. Everard privately getting away not without great danger being desperately sought after and pursued in France came over into England but within three or four days and before he could get to speak with the Duke of Monmouth whom he intended to have Address'd himself unto he was suddenly sent for to one of the Secretaries of State and without any Examination or Crime proved Committed to the Tower where after some moneths he was Examined by the then Lieutenant to whom he declared all the said particulars of the Traiterous Conspiracy whereof he seem'd to take little knowledge but threatned to Rack him next day and afterwards Hang him if he would not Confess some design he had against the Duke of Monmouth and several other Examinations he had before other persons to that purpose but was continued Prisoner on this false and malicious suggestion occasioned by the Malice and Interest of the said Traitors beyond the Seas and thereby their Conspiracy lay Concealed for the space of four years till after the Plot was discovered by Dr. Oates and then