prime was because forsooth The Kingdom of England is a Fee of the Papacy and it was audaciously done of her to assume it without his leave See the History of the Council of Trent l. 5. And then in the next place he started her being Illegitimate which indeed onely he had reason to do for if her Fathers Marriage were good the Popes power of Dispensation one of the fairest flowers in the Triple Crown must be naught Fifthly yet again after all this his Successour Pope Pius the Fourth in his Letter by Parpaglia dated the fifth of May 1560 did own her and would have done any thing for her so she would but have owned him which she refusing the next Pope meerly for the same Anathematiz'd and Depos'd her as you have heard there not being the least mention in that Bull of Bastardy but onely for Heresie that is for being a Protestant and refusing to truckle to the Romish See Lastly the Roman-Catholicks of England in general in a large Petition to Queen Elizabeth in the Twenty seventh year of her Reign by them afterwards published in Print in a Book with this Jesuitical Title Protestants Plea and Petition for Priests and Papists p. 39. do say and swear the words following We do protest before the living God that all and every Priest or Priests who have at any time conversed with us have recognized your Majesty their undoubted and lawful Queen Tam de Jure quam de Facto as well in Right as Fact Wherefore 't is evident that their Conspiracies against her were not for any defect in her Title but on the score of her Religion And no less plain that their boasted services for the Queen of Scots were onely bottom'd on self-interest not affection to her Person and indeed so far from being of any advantage to her that they caused the untimely ruine of that gallant Princess Illegitimacy and the right of the Queen of Scots was so little regarded at Rome that his Holiness Pope Gregory the Thirteenth having a Bastard of his own James Buoncompagno to provide for and another of the Emperours viz. Don John to the first he gave the Kingdom of Ireland and equipp'd Stukely as aforefaid to win it for him to the last he gave the Kingdom of England and gave him leave to win it for himself and what then would have become of the Title of the Queen of Scots They indeed made the House of Scotland their Cloke and covered their Treasons for some time with pretences of gaining that Queens Liberty and advancing her Interest but being at last out of hopes of restoring their Religion by her or her Son whom they already perceived not to be for their turn began to set up a feigned Title for the King of Spain and employed one of their Society into England as is discovered by Pasquier a French Author to draw off the Gentry from fiding with her and to close with the Spaniard and closely endeavoured to precipitate her into those fatal Counsels which hastned her end for she being discovered to be privy to most of the former Conspiracies and found guilty of that of Babington was thereupon Condemned And afterwards a fresh provocation being given by the said Attempt of Moody which was found to have been designed on the same pretence Queen Elizabeth by the repeated importunities of the Parliament who had Ratified the Judgment was over-perswaded to sign the Warrant for Execution whereupon she was Beheaded the eighth of February following The Jesuits that none of her Kindred might give her any assistance haing at the same time engaged the Gâ—ises in new Enterprises against the King of Navar and Prince of Condé And their jugling Treachery towards her is abundantly apparent from the manner of the Discovery of what she was Condemned for the same being done by one Gilbert Gifford a Priest sent into England to put Savage in mind of his Vow to Assassinate Queen Elizabeth and to be a Messenger between the Queen of Scots and the Conspirators who presently goes and offers his service to Walsingham Secretary of State to discover all their Transactions so that by his perfidious practice their Letters were opened transcribed neatly sealed up and returned to the said Gifford who then conveyed them to the Queen of Scots or who else they were directed unto And this Discovery by him made must be supposed to be done out of pure love forsooth to his Queen and Country although but a little before he was one of those very men who instigated Savage to his Vow to Murder her The whole conduct whereof shews it to be a prosecution of their late-hatcht Spanish Design by removing the true Heir apparent and excluding the Scotish Race to make way for the forg'd Title which they had started for some of the Austrian Family Which is farther demonstrated by their subsequent carriage for after her Death whatever zeal they before pretended to her Title and Family there were not the least effects thereof shewed to her Son King James to whom her Right devolv'd but rather they used all Arts to put him by the Succession as we shall shew in the next Chapter In the mean time we must observe that still their Plots against Queen Elizabeth went on abroad by the Pope and King of Spain in Warlick preparations both for Land and Sea-service and at home by the Jesuits and other Emissaries in providing for their reception To amuse the English Council they publish a Book wherein their Brethren are very gravely admonished not to attempt any thing against their Prince but onely to make use of the old Christian Weapons Prayers and Tears humble petitions and patient sufferings c. And a Treaty of Peace desired and kept on foot by the Duke of Parma by the King of Spains order till in the memorable year 88 all things being compleated for execution the Pope begins the Invasion with a Bull by which once again The Queen is Cursed and proscribed her Royalty and Right to the Kingdoms of England and Ireland taken away her Subjects not only absolved from their Oaths and Allegiance to her but threatned under danger of the wrath of God not to assist her in any wise but to use all their power to bring her to wort by punishment And therefore commands all Inhabitants of these Realms to joyn with the Spaniards and be obedient to the Duke of Parma their General And finally out of the Treasury of the Church committed to his trust draws out his liberality and grants a full Pardon of all their sins to all those that should engage in this Expedition Which was to be looke upon as an Apostolick Mission against the Incorrigible Hereticks to reduce them to the Obedience of the Church and execute his Holinesses Sentence of Excommunication against that cursed Anathematiz'd Woman After which it was privately agreed between them That King Philip should hold these Kingdoms of the Pope in Fee as of the Holy See with the
Title of Defender of the Faith For the accomplishing this work the Spaniard had Equipped the greatest Navy that ever before that time swam upon the Sea for though there have been Fleets far more numerous yet for Bulk and Building of the Ships with the Furniture of great Ordnance and Provisions never the like consisting in all of 130 Vessels saith the Lord Baâ—on in his Considerations touching a War with Spain p. 41. whereof seventy two mighty Galiasses and Gallions like floating Castles But Cicarella in vitâ Sexti Vâ—reckons them 150 Ships of vast burthen besides an infinite number saith he of small Vessels Amongst these to let the world know it was an Holy War as the Pope had bestowed his Benediction on the whole Fleet so Twelve of the largest Ships were called by the Names of the Twelve Apostles This Invincible Armado for so the Spanish Pride had Intituled it was manned with Thirty Thousand Souldiers and Mariners and furnisht with all sorts of Provision for six Months And whilst this should as they did not doubt ride Master of the Seas they had a vast Army Fifty Thousand veterane Souldiers saith Bucon in Flanders under the Duke of Parma ready to be Transported in Flat-bottom'd Boats into England under the wing and protection of that great Navy But we are assur'd by Authority Divine That the Curse causeless shall not come the Popes Anatheina and Spains mighty Armade proved equally ineffectual and contemptible Though his Pseudo-Holiness had made Philip a grant of England he was not able to give him Livery and Seizin thereof His boasted Navy by a few of the Queens Ships is baffled battered and dispersed and almost totally ruined God himself whose Cause indeed it was fighting against them by Fire and Seas and Winds and Rocks and Tempests scattering and destroying most of them for Offenso Creatore offenditur omnis Creatura The Creator being offended as he cannot but be at such unjust ambitious and cruel Attempts every Creature is ready Armed to revenge his Quarrel In which respect he is â—â—â—â—ed The Lord of 〈◊〉 so that the saying of Holy Scripture was here verified They came forth against us one way and fled before us seven ways being chac'd by the English Fleer till they were forc'd to give them over for lack of Powder And having not so much as fired a Cottage of ours at land nor taken a Cock-bâ—â—â— of ours at Sea wandred through the Wilderness of the North-Seas about all Britain the Oreades and Ireland grievously afflicted with all kind of Disasters and Miseries scarce Forty ships returning to their own Harbors of all that prodigious Fleet which had been at least five whole years in preparing through Spain Italy Sicily Flanders c. and had cost as Thuanus heard the Spanish Ambassadour tell the French King above Twelve Millions of Growns A loss so fatal to the Spanish Monarchy that some think it languishes under ill-Influences thereof to this very day and amongst the prime causes of its declension since may reckon that disaster SECT 6. Yet had not this signal Providence any Impression on Popish Councils but still they go on in their cruel designs with an indefatigable as well as implacable and most impious malice onely finding by this Enterprize the difficulty of Invading England by open Force waved the prosecution thereof and applyed themselves to close and insidious Arts and pitiful base unworthy and unmanly practices to trouble the Estate and take away the Life of this Triumphant Queen Thus in 1593 Hesket endeavours to perswade the Earl of Darby to assume the Crown as descended from Mary Daughter of Henry the Seventh promising large assistance of Men and Money from the Spaniard and withal threatning him with sudden destruction if he did not do it and conceal the business which he honestly revealing was accordingly 't is thought not long after taken off by Poison according to their Menaces About the same time divers persons were suborned and sent into this Realm some English some Irish corrupted by Money and Promises and Resolved and Conjured by Priests in Confession to Murder the Queen of whom several were taken as Patrick Cullen an Irish Fencer Richard Williams and Edmond York which two last were engaged by Holt a Jesuite by Oath upon the Sacrament to perform it and he himself kissing the Consecrated Host swore That as soon as she was dispatcht they should be paid Forty thousand Crowns But amongst all these Execrable undertakings they relyed most upon Doctor Lopez sworn Physician of her Majesties Houshold who was practised with by one Andrada on the behalf of the King of Spain to Poison her for which he was to have Fifty thousand Crowns but the Letters from Count de Fuentes and Secretary Juara assuring the payment of the Money being fortunately intercepted The great service whereby should arise an universal benefit to the whole world for so those Letters expressed this intended Hellish Murder was prevented and Lopez having not so good luck as some of his Quality since was found guilty and hang'd at Tyburn As was likewise afterwards in the year 1598 one Edward Squire suborned to poison her by Walpoole and other Jesuits at Vallodolid encouraged thereunto by those Fathers on the score of Merit and promises of Eternal Salvation Thus we see that for the last three and thirty years of her Reign this good Queen was never free from one kind of Treason and Conspiracy or other and in all of them the Pope and Jesuits or some Priests or others of the Popish Party evermore principally concerned as the Instruments and the advancing the Roman Catholick Religion always the end of their wicked undertakings But neither the Popes Curses nor the Spanish Arms nor the Italian Arts could prevail for this glorious Princess victorious over all her Forreign and Domestick Enemies having out-lived Philip of Spain her bitter Antagonist Four French Kings and Eight Popes and having in spight of all the powers of Hell the Plots of Rome and wicked Machinations of men of most Traiterous Turbulent and Ancichristian Spirits defended the Purity of Religion at home and succoured oppressed Protestants abroad after an Illustrious Reign of Forty four years compleat most happy in the love of her Subjects and terrible to her Enemies laden with Honours and the Applauses of good men in peace and a good old Age exchanged this Temporal for an Eternal unmolestable Crown CHAP. III. Of Popish Treasons against King James SECT 1. AS for Popish Loyalty to King James we may consider it either before his coming to the English Crown or afterwards 1. Whilst yet he was in Scotland and Queen Elizabeth living besides what has been already said we may observe That the Papists having by various Instruments sounded his inclinations and finding his Resolution firm to maintain the Protestant Religion they not regarding his undoubted right nor at all respecting him for the merits of his Incomparable Mother whom their violent Councels had been instrumental to
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
of Winchester Henry Lord Marquess of Worcester Henry Earl of Arlington Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold James Earl of Salisbury John Earl of Bridgewater Robert Earl of Sunderland one of his Majesties principal Secretaries of State lately made in the room of Sir Joseph Williamson Arthur Earl of Essex first Lord Commissioner of the Treasury John Earl of Bath Groom of the Stole Thomas Lord Viscount Faulconberg George Lord Viscount Hallifax Henry Lord Bishop of London John Lord Roberts Denzil Lord Holles William Lord Russel William Lord Cavendish Henry Coventry Esq one of his Majesties principle Secretaries of State Sir Francis North Kt. Lord Cheif Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Henry Capel Kt. of the Bath first Commissioner of the Admiralty Sir John Earnley Kt. Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Chicheley Kt. Master of the Ordnance Sir William Temple Baronet Edward Seymour Esq Henry Powle Esq The 30th of April His Majesty made a Speech to both Houses of Parliament wherein he recommended three things to them The prosecution of the Plot The disbanding of the Army and the providing a Fleet which was followed by a larger signification of his Majesties mind by the Lord Chancellor That His Majesty had considered with himself That 't is not enough that his Peoples Religion and Liberty be secure during his own Reign but thinks he ows it to his People to do all that in him lies that these Blessings may be transmitted to Posterity And to the end that it may never be in the power of any Papist if the Crown descend upon him to make any change in Church or State his Majesty would consent to limit such Successor in these points 1. That no such Popish Successor shall present to Ecclesiastical Benefices 2. That during the Reign of such Popish Successor no Privy Councellors or Judges Lord Leiutenant or Deputy Leiutenant or Officer of the Navy shall be put in or removed but by Authority of Parliament 3. That as it is already provided That no Papist can sit in either House of Parliament so there shall never want a Parliament when the King shall happen to die but that the Parliament then in Being may continue Indissoluble for a competent time or the last Parliament Re-assemble c. But it seems all these Provisions were not thought a sufficient Fence for such dear and precious things as Religion and Liberty and that in the progress of their Debates upon this most important Subject they could not resolve upon any certain Expedient of safety less than the Exclusion of his Royal Higness For on Sunday April the 27th 1679. It was Resolved by the House of Commons Nemine Contradicente That the Duke of York being a Papist and the hopes of his coming such to the Crown hath given the greatest Encouragement and Countenance to the present Conspiracies and Designs of the Papists against the King and Protestant Religion And on Sunday May the 11th the better Day the better Deed we use to say but whether it will hold here will be the Question they Ordered That a Bill should be brought in to disable the Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of this Realm which was brought in accordingly and twice read in the House the preamble thereof being to this effect That forasmuch as these Kingdoms of England and Ireland by the wonderful Providence of God many Years since have been delivered from the Slavery and Superstition of Popery which had despoiled the King of his Sovereign Power for that it did and doth advance the Pope of Rome to a Power over Sovereign Princes and makes him Monarch of the Universe and doth with-draw the Subjects from their Allegiance by pretended Absolutions from all former Daths and Obligations to their lawful Sovereign and by many Superstitions and Immoralities hath quite subverted the Ends of the Christian Religion But notwithstanding That Popery hath been long since Condemned by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm for the detestable Doctrine and Traiterous Attempts of its Adherents against the Lives of their lawful Sovereigns Kings and Queens of these Realms Yet the Emissaries Priests and Agents for the Pope of Rome resorting into this Kingdom of England in great numbers contrary to the known Laws thereof have for several Years last past as well by their own Devilish Acts and Policies as by Counsel and Assistance of Foreign Princes and Prelates known Enemies to these Nations contrived and carried on a most Horrid and Execrable Conspiracy To destroy and Murther the Person of his Sacred Majesty and to Subvert the ancient Government of these Realms and to Extirpate the Protestant Religion and Massacre the true Professors thereof And for the better effecting their wicked Designs and encouraging their Uilainous Accomplices they have Traterously Seduced James Duke of York Presumptive Heir of these Crowns to the Communion of the Church of Rome and have induced him to Enter into several Negotiations with the Pope his Cardinals and Nuntio's for promoting the Romish Church and Interest and by his means and procurement have advanced the Power and Greatness of the French King to the manifest hazard of these Kingdoms That by the descent of these Crowns upon a Papist and by Foreign Alliances and Assistance they may be able to succeed in their Wicked and Uillainons Designs And forasmuch as the Parliaments of England according to the Laws and Statutes thereof have heretofore for great and weighty Reasons of State and for the publick Good and common Interest at this Kingdom directed and limited the Succession of the Crown in other manner than of Course it would otherwise have gone but never had such important and urgent Reasons as at this Time press and require their using of their said Extraordinary Power in that behalf Be it therefore Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this Parliament Assembled and by the Authority of the same And it is hereby Enacted accordingly That James Duke of York Albany and Ulster having departed openly from the Church of England and having publickly professed and owned the Popish Religion which hath notoriously given Birth and Life to the most Damnable and Hellish Plot by the most gracious Providence of God lately brought to light shall be Excluded and is hereby Excluded and Disabled c. On the 19th of May the House of Commons attended his Majesty with this following Address Most Dread Sovereign WEE your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Commons in Parliament Assembled do with all humble gratitude acknowledge the most gratious assurances your Majesty hath been pleased to give us of your constant Care to do every thing that may preserve the Protestant Religion of your firm resolution to defend the same to the utmost and your Royal endeavours that the security of that blessing may be transmitted to posterity And we do humbly represent to your Majesty That being deeply sensible that the
years is too well known to need here a Repetition that Oppression may make wise men mad is attested by the wisest of Princes yet far be it from us to patronize or palliate Rebellion on any pretext The first Overt act was the Murther of Doctor Sharp Archbishop of St. Andrews in his Coach on the Road May 3. 1679. by about a dozen Assassinates attended with such extraordinary horrid and barbarous Circumstances that seem'd to intimate something of a further Improvement as well as present Malice or as if there had been a Design to eclipse the Villany of the Popish Assassination on Sir Edmondb Godfrey by this more inhumane one committed by supposed Protestants 'T is certain the blame was laid upon the Whiggs or Nonconformists there for which there wanted not specious Reasons But Relations no less credible have given an Account that the principal Murderer acted merely on private Revenge for personal Injuries and 't is not impossible that a person of such bad Principles might be egg'd on to so villanous a Barbarity by insinuating Jesuits who like their Father the Devil take the advantage of mens Passions and by Temptations improve their Animosities to the perpetration of the blackest Crimes The next News was of an Insurrection in the West of Scotland May 29 1679. attended with a Declaration and other Insolencies of those Rebels equally extravagant and detestable To quell which his Grace the Gallant Duke of Monmouth June the 15th sets forward towards Scotland and with great Expedition Joyning and Heading the Royal Plost soon discomfited the Rebels at Bothwel-bridge and returned Victorious victorious That the Papists or some of their well-willers at least by their Counsel and contrivances had an hand in fomenting these disturbances is more than probable as well for the preparations they had made for it as aforesaid as for that nothing at this juncture could make more for their Interest to which they do not use to be wanting for hereby they startled the Government diverted the general odium from themselves and notably colour'd their clamours against the Presbyterians Besides 't is not unlikely that some who were justly apprehensive of being called in question about that time for their male-Administration of Affairs in that Kingdom might hope to bury the memory of their past severities or justifie them as necessary Policies by ostentation of this Rebellion the more liable to be suspected for a Contrivance for that it was not only not joyned in but generally dis-own'd and detested by the Dissenters both in Scotland and England and for that their Horse when the Duke came to engage them so soon betook them to flight as if they had onely designed to cajole in these miserable desperado's of the Infantry into destruction However since his Grace the Duke of Monmouth behaved himself with so much Zeal Conduct and Courage in that Action 't is hard to measure the Confidence of the Popish Conspirators that they should hope so soon after to set him up for a General of Rebellion in England over a like pretended Faction as he had but now routed and dissipated in Scotland and whereof several inferiour promoters and active instruments therein have since suffered Death Banishment and other punishments according to the Laws of that Kingdom And now Affairs sleeping as it were for a while the old Enemy takes advantage of that opportunity industriously to sow his Tares by spreading swarms of virulent Libels of which we shall give you a more particular account in the next Chapter against the Protestant Interest and the Reputation of the Kings Evidence who had they not been wonderfully supported by the hand of God the prayers of good men and their own natural courage must certainly have sunk and been over-whelmed with the various discouragements and mountains of Lies and slanders daily cast upon them But at last the Conspirators finding that all the Interest they had made for carrying Elections for their Tooth of Members to serve in the new Parliament summoned to sit the seventeenth of October could not prevail but that generally throughout the Nation men of approved Loyalty and Integrity to the Protestant Religion and weal of the Publick had notwithanding all their stickling and the vain efforts of a multitude of Laodicean Chemarims been chosen for that weighty Trust and particularly reflecting how shamefully they had been baffled in the Choice for the City of London Octob. the 7th they were now for stifling that Child which before they would have mis-begot and improved all their endeavours by a certain White-Powder that makes no noise probably some new French Invention to blow up the approaching Parliament which yet 't is hoped by the blessing of God and His Majesties Favour will continue sitting so long as may enable it to Countermine all their Plots and bring the Traytors as well Cedars as Shrubs to condign punishment so as to secure His Majesties Life from their villanous attempts for the future and settle the Protestant Religion and Property on a firm and durable Basis In the mean time viz. on the second of September the Anniversary Fast for the never-to-be-forgotten Burning of London by Popish Treachery and as 't is said about Two of the clock in the morning his Royal Highness the Duke of York arrived here from Flanders and forthwith went to the King who then to the great grief and affliction of all his good Subjects was very Ill at Windsor The Dukes coming as was then published by Authority in the Gazet was contrary to expectation and therefore he acquainted His Majesty That hearing of His Majesties Indisposition he thought he could do no less than to come to wait on him and see how he did adding That he was ready as soon as His Majesty pleased to depart for Flanders or any other part of the world that His Majesty should appoint And now the Popish Conspirators those Rooks in policy resolving to put the great Game upon us began notably to shuffle the Cards a Proclamation was published signifying That the Parliament which was to Convene on the seventeenth of October should thence be Prorogued till the thirtieth of the same Month. Out-cries and Alarums from Pulpit and Press and Coffee-houses were every where heard against the Presbyterians c the dangers the Government was in from a Fanatical Faction the grounds and broachers whereof we shall soon acquaint you with though 't is possible some innocent zealous Protestants might be inveigled in so far as to believe the thing real and might far from any ill design join in and promote the common clamour And now to the great surprize and grief of the people his Grace the Duke of Monmouth fell under the Kings disfavour and was commanded to withdraw himself out of His Majesties Dominions the occasion whereof was variously reported nor dare we presume to pry into the Cabinet of State so far as to conjecture the reasons though some subsequent Discoveries of Transactions at that instant on the wheel
Poison And at another time did say to Fenwick at the said Fenwicks Chamber in Dr. Oates's hearing that he had found a way to Transmit 200000 l. to carry on the Rebellion in Ireland 4. That in the same moneth of August Mr. Coleman knew of the four Irish Ruffians sent to Windsor to Kill the King and in his pag. 24. hearing askt Father Harcourt at Wild-House what care was taken for those four Gentlemen that went lastnight to Windsor who reply'd that there was 80 l. ordered to be sent them which he saw there on the Table most of it in Guinies and that Mr. Coleman was so Zealous to promote the work that he gave a Guinny to the Messenger who was to carry this Reward to expedite the business 5. That in July 78. Mr. Coleman was privy to the Instructions brought by Ashby sometimes Rector of St. Omers from Father pag. 25. Whitebread to Impower the Consulters to propose 10000 l. to Sir G. Wakeman to Poison the King provided Pickering and Grove fail'd to do the work That he read and Copied these Instructions and transmitted them to several others of the Conspirators who were gathering Contributions about the Kingdom and would thereby be the more encoâ—rag'd to give largely both because hereby they were assured the business would be soon dispaâ—cht and that they might see they had assistance from beyond the Seas and that Mr. Coleman was so far from disapproving this Treason that he said it was too little and advised to add 5000 l. more to it that they might be sure to have it done 6. That in May New Stile April Old Stile 78 he saw Mr. Colemans Patent or Commission to be Secretary of State from pag. 27. Paulus de Oliva General of the Society of Jesus by Vertue of a Brief from the Pope and that in Mr. Fenwicks Chamber in Drury-Lane he saw Mr. Coleman open it and heard him say it was a good exchange meaning to come from being the Dutchesses Secretary to be Secretary of State This was the substance of Dr. Oates's Testimony but by our merciful English Laws no man can be Condemned by a single Evidence But here was sufficient proof for in the next place Mr. Bedloe Witnessed 1. That Sir Henry Tichbourn told him he brought a Commission for Mr. Coleman to be principal Secretary of State when he brought pag. 27. over the rest of the Commissions for the Lords and others from the principal Jesuits at Rome by Order of the Pope 2. That in April 75. he carried over a large Packet of Letters from Mr. Coleman to Monsieur Le Chese about carrying on the Plot and brought back an Answer And May 24. or 25. 77. he received another Packet of Colemans to carry to Paris to the English Monks 3. That upon his return with Answers to the last Letters which were delivered to Coleman by Harcourt he heard Mr. Coleman at pag. 39. his House behind Westminster-Abbey at the foot of the Stair-case say That if he had an hundred lives and a Sea of blood to swim through to carry on the cause of the Church of Rome and to establish that Church in England he would venture it all and if there were an hundred Heretical Kings to be Deposed he would see them all destroyed This was the Oral Testimony in confirmation whereof in the next place were produced several of Mr. Colemans Papers taken at his House by Mr. Bradley the Messenger by vertue of a Warrant from the Council the 29th of Septemb. at which time he was not to be found but surrendred himself next day as aforesaid The Messenger Swore he seiz'd them there and Seal'd them up and brought them to the Clerks of the Council who Swore these were the same Papers and they were all that were made use of proved to be his own Hand-writing by Mr. Boatman his Servant and Mr. Cattaway a Sub-secretary that used to write many things for him and were both well acquainted with his hand and also by his own Confession so that it was impossible there could be any firmer proof And if there had been no other Evidence in the Cause his own Papers were as good as an hundred Witnesses to Condemn him Where also note by the way that one of these Servants acknowledged upon his Oath that a Packet of Letters from beyond the Seas was directed to Mr. Coleman two or three days after he was made Prisoner and that his Master kept a large Book of Entries for his Letters and News which he saw on Saturday the 28th of Septemb. but not since nor knew what was become of it by which it appears both that he still maintain'd a Correspondence beyond the Seas even to the time of his Commitment and that he had made away with most of his dangerous Papers however through hast or inadvertency he had left these behind which probably being old and long since laid by he might forget The first Paper read was the draught of a long Letter to Monsieur Le Chese dated the 29th of of Septemb. 1675. Subscribed thus Your most humble and most obedient Servant but no name This did contain a deduction of a three years History of his former Traiterous Negotiations for the most part with Father Ferrier the Predecessor of Le Chese by means of Sir William Throckmorton and has many insolent and dangerous exprssions as pag. 44. of the Tryal in which it is inserted Verbatim The fatal Revocation of the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience to which we owe all our miseries and hazards p. 45. I pressed all I could to persuade his most Christian Majesty to use His utmost endeavours to prevent that Session of our Parliament and proposed Expedients how to do it pag. 46. That it was his Royal Highnesses opinion that if his most Christian Majesty would make the same proffer to his Majesty of England of his Purse to dissolve this Parliament which he had made to his R. H. to call another he did believe it very possible for him to Succeed with the Assistance we should be able to give him here p. 47. Logick in our Court built upon Money has more powerful Charms than any other sort of Reasoning again speaking of the 300000 l. that he would have had of the French King he says Thereby the Condition of his R. H. and of the Catholick Religion which depends very much upon the Success of his most Christian Majesty would thereby have been delivered from a great many frights and real hazards p. 53. he says He would willingly be in everlasting disgrace with all the World if by the assistance of 20000 l. to be obtained from the French King he did not regain to the Duke his Master his former Offices and especially that of being Admiral of the Fleet. p. 54. If we can Advance the Dukes Interest one step forward we shall put him out of the reach of Chance for ever then would Catholicks be at rest and his
most Christian Majesties Interest secured with us in England beyond all apprehensions whatsoever We have two great designs this Sessioâ—â— to put the Fleet in his R. H's Care and to get an Act for general Liberty of Conscience If we carry on these two or either of them we shall in effect do what we list afterwards And if his most Christian Majesty would but help us with 20000 l. I would be content to be Sacrific'd to the utmost Malice of my Enemies if I did not succeed And then he speaks out presently afterwards for what end this design is and why he presses it so earnestly Because saith he in the same place our prevailing in these things would give the greatest Blow to the Protestant Religion here that ever it received sâ—nce its Birtâ— He draws to a Conclusion with these words p. 55. I have shewn you the present State of the Case which may by Gods Providence and good Conduct by made of such advantage to Goods Church that I can searce believe my self awake or the thing real when I think on a Prince in such an Age as we live in Converted to such a Degree of Zeal as not to regard any thing in the World in comparison of God Almighty's glory the Salvation of his own Soul and the Conversion of our poor Kingdom which has been a long time opprest and miserably harrast with Heresic and Schism These passages need no Comment to shew what he would be at in all these urgent Solicitations for Foreign Assistance viz. To Dissolve or Influence our Parliaments at his pleasure so as may most make for the French Interest and that of Popery to Convert our Nation from its present Heresie that is to give the fatal Blow to Protestantism An Answer to this Letter from Le Chese was read next dated the 23. of Octob. 1675. wherein he promises Mr. Coleman to assist in seconding his good intentions c. Then was read a Declaration which Mr. Coleman looking it seems upon himself already as establish'd in his Office of Secretariship had drawn up in the Name of the King for as he would have the Parliament Dissolv'd so this was to satisfie the People and give Reasons for its Dissolution promising to call another charging all persons to forbear talking Irreverently of the proceedings of his Majesty there and offering 20 l. to the discoverer of any Seditious Talker against it unto a principal Secretary whereof he counted himself one as aforesaid There was likewise produced and read a Letter written in the Name and Stile of the Duke of Y. to Monsieur Le Chese declaring that the Interest of the French King and those of his Royal H. were so clearly linkt together that those that opposed the one should be lookt upon as Enemies to the other That Propositions had been made to the French King that had regard to the Catholick Religion and to the use of his Purse and refers a further Account to be had from Throckmorton and Coleman who he says are firm to his Interest and may be treated with without any apprehension 'T is true upon a Committee of Lords going to Newgate and Examining Mr. Coleman touching this Letter he confessed That it was prepared without the Order or Privity of the Duke and that when he was so bold as to shew it to him the Duke was very angry and rejected it But it seems his displeasure did not long continue for Coleman remained still a Favourite and certainly had he not made some extraordinary Apology for such an Insolence as Counterfeiting a Letter in his Masters Name he must have lost his Royal Highnesses favour for ever But that which gave the most clear Light to his designs was a Letter to Le Chese without date but appearing to be written soon after his long Letter of the 29th of Septemb. wherein after his apprehensions of the approaching Session of Parliament and care taken for a Cipher and secret writing besides with juice of Lemon because their Correspondence would be of things not fit to be trusted even to a Cipher alone He hath these words We have here a mighty work upon our hands no less than the Conversion of three Kingdoms p. 69. and by that perhaps the utter subduing a Pestilent Heresie which has domineer'd a long time over great part of this Northern World There were never such hopes of success since the death of our Queen Mary as now in our days when God has given us a Prince who is become may I say a Miracle Zealous of being the Author and Instrument of so Glorious a work But the opposition we are sure to meet with is also like to be great so that it imports us to get all the aid and assistance we can For the Herbest is great and the Labourers but few That which we relie upon most next to God Almighty's Providence and the favour of my Master the Duke is the mighty mind of his most Christian Majesty whose generous soul inclines him to great undertakings so as I hope you will pardon me if I be very troublesome to you upon this occasion from whom I expect the greatest help we can hope for I must confess I think his Christian Majesties Temporal Interest is so much attracted to that of his R. H. which can never be considerable but upon the growth and advancement of the Catholick Religion That his Ministers cannot give him better Advice even in a politick sense abstracting from the considerations of the next world than that of our Blessed Lord To seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof that all other things may be added unto him Yet I know his most Christian Majesty has more powerful motives suggested to him by his own Devotion and your Reverences Zeal for Gods Glory to engage him to afford us the best help he can in our present Circumstances c. Scarce could any words more significantly express the whole Intrigue of the Plot For 1. Here is the immediate End they aim at The Conversion of these three Kingdoms that is destroying the Religion Establish'd and introducing Popery 2. Here is their main and ultimate scope that by thus reducing these Nations they may root out Protestant Religion throughout the world and by that perhaps the utter Subduing c. 3. Their Malice is shown by calling the Protestant Religion A Pestilent Heresie 4. The favourable Conjuncture for them Never such hopes of success since Queen Maries days whom for her good Bloody Services for the Roman Church he cannot mention without an endearing and appropriating title Our Queen Mary 5. The reason for such their confident hopes because they have Seduced his R. H. and made him Zealous for doing their drudgery 6. That they expect great Opposition but resolve to meet it so that of necessity here must War Blood-shed and Desolation ensue before they could accomplish this their mighty work 7. The means whereby they hope to over-bear this opposition and