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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	earl_n	lord_n	sir_n	21,670	5	6.9416	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53183	The observator prov'd a trimmer: or, Truth and justice vindicated in the history of the murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, and the several popish shams since made use of to amuse the world about it. Being a full answer to certain late pamphlets, intituled, Observators; wherein the evidence of that gentlemans being murthered by papists, is very falsly stated; and the positions and practices of the Church of Rome, too favourably represented. Humbly dedicated to the clergy of England.		1685 (1685)	Wing O123JA; ESTC R220290	48,608	47

Papinian told the Emperour Caracalla when he required him to palliate by an Oration the killing of his Brother That it was more easy to commit than excuse a Murther so hitherto all their Attempts have been vain Just Providence as we doubt not He will ever do that is the Avenger of Blood and God of Truth turning all their Lying and Crafty Invention to their greater shame and confusion One of their first Attempts besides railing at the Witnesses in several Libels was as I remember in a Printed Pamphlet Intituled Reflections c. about the beginning of July 1679. Wherein by advancing several notorious Falsehoods and thence like our Observator deducing plausible but altogether fallacious Arguments blind hints and Inuendo's they endeavoured to raise jealousies and suspicions upon a Noble Protestant Lord The E. of D. who being then not only Confined but under a popular Odium they thought it seems that the most groundless improbabilities would be believed of him The persons that handled that villanous Paper to the Press that good Catholick Gentlewoman that Midwif'd it abroad and distributed them and the Printers one that refused and another that did it are not unknown or if they were by the thing it self the Language Arguments and Scope 't is evident that it came out of the Roman Forge hammered on purpose to serve a turn for that Party But the same soon after being fully detected and confuted by the publication of Mr. Kirkbies Narrative vanisht like an ignis fatuus and left only a loathsom stinch of Popish Impudence behind it See Kirkbies Narrative and the Impartial State of the Case of the E. of D. After this about the month of September 1680. comes Mrs. Celier a Roman Catholick too and flusht with an acquital she had then late before obtained on an Indictment of Treason she publishes a Libel Intituled Malice Defeated c. owned by her but supposed and charged in Print to be written by Munson a Condemned Popish Priest then in Newgate which was never that I know of denyed or disproved wherein amongst many other impudent reflections on the King and the Protestant Religion and the publick Justice of the Nation She affirms Prance to have been Rackt and grievously Tortuard in Newgate and thence would insinuate That all his Testimony touching Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Murther was by those means extorted from him for which Seditious Libel upon the Prosecution of Mr. Robert Stephens Messenger of the Press being brought to Tryal at the Old Baily on Saturday the 11th of September 1680. upon a full hearing That false and scandalous Allegation of Prances being Rackt or Tortured being fully disproved and she not so much as offering the least shadow of Testimony to make it good she was found guilty and on Monday the 13th of the same month Sentenced to be put on the Pillory three times at several places and fined 1000 l. and so stand Committed in Execution till the same paid Accordingly she did stand on the Pillory and remained a considerable time in Newgate and how at last she became discharged I have not inquired But these words of the then Mr. Baron Weston who chiefly managed her Tryal are worthy an Observators notice viz. There was a horrid barbarous Murther Committed here and which certainly did fix the Accusation of the Plot fuller upon them the Papists then all the Evidence that was given besides The Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey a Magistrate who in doing of his duty was most barbarously Murthered and BY WHOM is Evidenced by one Prance It hath been the whole Labour of the Party to cast his Murther upon other persans and take it off themselves for they find if that Accusation stick upon them it is a thing of so Hainous a Nature that it will make the Popish Party odious to all Mankind And therefore this they Labour at MIGHTILY and this Task she hath taken on her self c. The next that Tampered with this matter was one Fitz-Harris an Irish Papist since Executed for Contriving a most Horrid and Treasonable Libel who to save his own Stake when desperate offer'd at the same Game started by the Author of the Reflections before-mentioned And upon his Oath there was a Bill found by the Grand Jury against one Depree or Depuy or some such name and the E. of D. as Accessaries before the Fact upon which Subject the OBSERVATOR Numb 141. has this Gloss You cannot forget what Stickling there was amongst the true Protestants themselves to ease the Papists of the Murder and turn it upon that Noble Earl who is known to be a Protestant of the Church of England even of the highest form That the Earl is a Protestant I never heard denyed But the OBSERVATOR would have done well to have named those true Protestants that made this Stickling to case the Papists and burthen that Noble Lord He says indeed Numb 141. That a near Relation of Sir Edmund was Fore-man of the Jury which found that Bill what he designed to insinuate by this is not hard to guess But as the thing it self is utterly false the Fore-man of that Jury being no nearer a Relation to Sir Edmund then to the OBSERVATOR viz. a small Cozen to both on Adam's side so upon inquiry I cannot hear of any Relations to the Martyred Gentleman but what were like himself sound Protestants of the Establisht Church of England But what means the man when in the same Paper he says The charging of my Lord at that time of the day lookt as if THEY were still groping after the Truth of the matter And was constructively improved into a tacit discharge of the Papists No Mortal certainly but the Papists themselves except it should happen to be the Observator who has shewed himself so ready to improve that way any thing though never so inconsequent or Extravagant 2. As to the Charging of the Earl here intended 't is plain 't was done by Fitz Harris a Trayterous Irish Papist which I suppose Mr. Observator could not be ignorant of being to this day no stranger to a near Relation of his who as I have heard forfeited what Estate he had for being concerned in a certain Scuffle in Ireland between Whig and Tory about the year 1641. wherein a small parcel of about two hundred thousand Hereticks had their throats cut But let that pass The Truth of the story which the Observator thus constructively improves to a tacit discharge of the Papists from the guilt of Godfrey's Murther is thus Fitz-Harris upon his Arraignment in the Kings-Bench for his Trayterous Libel having put in a Plea to the Jurisdiction of that Court because an Impeachment he alledged was pendent against him in Parliament The Court on the 11th of May 1681. Over-rul'd it and gave him notice to prepare for a Tryal on the ninth of June following On the 13th of May a motion was made for Fitz-Harris to be brought up by Habeas Corpus to the Bar to give Evidence

THE OBSERVATOR Prov'd a TRIMMER OR Truth and JUSTICE VINDICATED IN The HISTORY of the MURTHER OF Sir Edmundbury Godfrey And the Several POPISH SHAMS Since made Use of to amuse the World about it BEING A Full Answer to certain late Pamphlets Intituled OBSERVATORS Wherein the Evidence of that Gentlemans being Murthered by Papists is very falsly Stated and the Positions and Practices of the Church of Rome too favourably Represented Humbly Dedicated to the CLERGY of England The fourth Impression Corrected Non recipit Mendacium Veritas nec patitur Religio Impietatem D. Hil. LONDON Printed for J. Allen and are to be Sold by most Booksellers 1685. TO THE Most Reverend Right Reverend And Reverend CLERGY OF THE Church of England By Law Establisht My Lords And Venerable Sirs AS these Animadversions are made Publick without the least malice to the Person of the Observator or design to gratifie any Faction or undervalue any Services his Papers may have heretofore done the Church or State But to Rectifie certain things which he has lately advanced that may if they pass uncontrouled prove injurious to the Honour and Interest of both so they address not to you for Protection any further than your Justice and Piety is always wont to favour Truth And therefore humbly cast at your feet are submitted to your grave and impartial Considerations and Censure as being under God and His Majesty the Watchful Overseers whose especial Concern it is in your several Stations to take Care Ne quid detrimenti Capiat Ecclesia AN ANSWER TO Some late Pamphlets ENTITULED OBSERVATORS In which the Evidence of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's being Murthered by Papists is grossly misrepresented and maliciously slandred 'T IS one of the Observators own Maximes That nothing but Print can answer Print Obs Vol. 1. Numb 473. Therefore not only excusable but necessary to Print a few Honest Loyal Animadversions on some late Printed passages of his which are false and scandalous concerning the Murther of Sir Edmbundbury Godfrey For since the Observator after so many desperate and unsuccessful Attempts of others is pleased once more to bring that Affair upon the Stage though not in any Judicial Course or Form but by way of Argumentation and Libel and make that Gentleman's Assassination a Subject of his Sport and Railery and expose the belief of his being kill'd by Papists as ridiculous in the highest degree since he was so liberally exercised his Talent on the Witnesses and musters up a multitude of imaginary Contradictions which he avows they positively have sworn to c. What remaines but that we take leave to examine the weight of his Allegations the occasions Proofs Circumstances and Ends of all this unseasonable noise and Clamour And if we find them to have no Colour of Truth or Probability and that they are meer Malitious Imputations We hope it will be no Offence modestly to tell the World so much and demonstrate the Particulars thereby doing Right as much as lies in a private Capacity to injur'd Truth and the Honour of our Country checking the Progress of Lies and Shams and rescuing the present Age from such confident Delusions as well as preventing their Influence on Posterity But in this whole Disquisition the Reader must excuse us from that Gaiety of Humour which usually sparkles in an Observator especially where there is any Witness of the Popish Plot in the case and renders his Scribbles so taking with the Mobile of Witlings for there are Gallants that can laugh at Trajedies and scoff even at mnipotency and Ridicule the most sacred and serious things yet certainly amongst all that are in good earnest Christians or Loyal Subjects Murthers and Assassinations Oaths upon the Holy Evangelists Solemn Examinations before his Sacred Majesty and his most Honourable Privy Council and afterwards in the House of Peers one of the most August and Honourable Courts under Heaven the legal Proceedings of Sworn Judges and Juries in case of Life and Death and the Execution of Convicted Murtherers are matters which as they should not rashly be determined of censur'd questioned or medled with by any private persons so much less ought they to be made the common Theams of wanton Droll and scurrile Buffoonry But lest any already should have forgot or in after times be ignorant of the mature Cautions vigilant and prudent Proceedings used in the Examinations touching the Discovery of the before-mentioned Gentlemans Murther and against those Executed for the same and other publick Transactions that have since happened relating thereunto I think it convenient in the first place to give a brief yet true and impartial state of the matter of Fact On the 6th of September 1678 Titus Oates did repair to Sir Edmundbury Godfrey being one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace and before him did swear to his Information touching the Popish Plot yet without permitting him then to read the Particulars only assuring him in general that it contained matter of Treason and other high Crimes and that his Majesty had a Copy of it On the 28th day of the same month two more of the said Copies were sworn to by the said Oates before Sir Edmundbury Godfrey who then would needs keep one of them having never before perused the said Information See Mr. Christopher Kirkby's Narrative of the Discovery of the Popish Plot to his Majesty p. 2. and 3. On the 12th of October following Sir Edmundbury going forth as he used to do and not returning at night not being heard of for several days his Servants Friends and the whole Town were much alarmed thereat But many Stories were industriously buzz'd up and down about him You cannot but remember saith the Reverend Dr. Lloyd now Bishop of St. Asaph in his Funeral Sermon Octob. 31. which was before any Discovery made of the Murtherers You cannot but remember the dust that was raised in the week when the search should have been made Those Calumnies and those various Reports that went about it were on purpose to hinder the Discovery One while he had withdrawn himself for Debt another while he was Married and not very decently another while he was run away with a Harlot even what the Father of Lies put into their Heads at last when they knew what they intended to do with him they prepared you to expect it by giving out THAT HE HAD KILLED HIMSELF you know how impatient they were to have this believed I was told it some Hours before the Discovery that he was found with his own Sword through his Body others could tell that he had two Wounds about him These things were found to be true some Hours after So far that excellent and Reverend Person For on Thursday Octob. 17. near the Evening the Body was accidentally found in a Ditch near Primrose-Hill with his Sword run through him his Gloves and Scabbard lying not far off on the Bank Gold and Silver in his Pocket nothing missing but his Band and Papers The next