is no Security or Safety for the Protestant Religion the King's Life or the Well-Constituted and Established Government of This Kingdom without Passing a Bill for Disabling James Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging and to Rely upon any other Means and Remedies without such a Bill is not only Insufficient but Dangerous Here 's the Horrid Popish English Plot made the Ground for the Excluding of the Duke and keeping the King short of Mony according to the Intent of the Votes of Ian. 7. 1680. above-mention'd And That 's made the Foundation likewise for the Refusal in the Address before-Cited in the very Syllables of the said Address That your Majesties Sacred Life is in Continual Danger under the Prospect of a Popish Successor is Evident not only from the Principles of Those Devoted to the Church of Rome but also from the Testimonies Given in the Prosecution of the Horrid Popish Plot against Divers Traytors Attainted for Designing to put Those Accursed Principles into Practice against your Majesty There needs no Subtlety of Quirking or Reasoning upon this Case of MONY the Spite of it lying so Open that Every Common Eye sees thorough it and that the Terms the Republican Cabal Treated upon in some of those Parliaments were no other then a Tryal of Skill to see if they could bring his Late Majesty to a Composition for his Crown For the King was to have No Mony but upon Conditions of Disinheriting his Brother and more yet as I shall shew in Due Place Contrary to all the Tyes of Conscience Gratitude Iustice and Prudence And All for fear of a Damnable Hellish Popish Plot. We shall see now how they Dealt with his Majesty likewise in the Matter of Power No Power THE Power of a Prince Exerts it self in the Means of an Ample Revenue to Answer all the Necessities of the Crown to Pay his Troups and to Reward Honourable Services In the Privileges of Sovereign Authority the Love and the Reputation that he has in the Hearts of his People In the Arms of his Militia the Command of his Subjects and the Chearfull Obedience of his Friends They had allready Maim'd and Disabled his Late Sacred Majesty in the First Great Point of his Revenue That which comes-on Next is to see how they dealt with him in respect of his Power of Prerogative in General and as to his Forces both by Land and by Sea in Particular and whether the whole Proceeding was not still Grounded upon the Damnable Bug-bear of the Popish Plot. How they us'd him upon the Matter of his Credit and Friends shall come-on in due Time. But to Proceed now to an Enquiry how they handled him upon the Subject of his Prerogative First in the Case of the Earl of Danby The Kings Prerogative of Pardoning Question'd REsolved That an Humble Address be made to His Majesty Representing to his Majesty the Irregularity and Illegality of the Pardon mentioned by his Majesty to be Granted to the Earl of Danby and the Dangerous Consequence of Granting Pardons to Any Persons that lie under an Impeachment of the Commons of England Here 's the Kings Power of Life and Death shaken at the very Root and what 's the Unpardonable Crime at last but This among Others That he is Popishly-Affected and hath Trayterously Conceal'd after he had Notice of the Late Horrid Plot or Conspiracy Contrived by the Papists against his Majesties Person and Government and hath Suppress'd the Evidence and Reproachfully Discountenanced the Kings Witnesses in the Discovery of it in favour of Popery Immediately tending to the Destruction of the Kings Sacred Person and Subversion of the Protestant Religion There happen'd no Evil under the Sun in those Days but the Late Horrid Plot or somewhat like it had still a Finger in the Pye But from Pardoning in my Lord Danby's Case they proceeded afterward to a Bolder Step in my Lord Staffords and to make a Moot-Point of it whether the King by his Prerogative could so much as Remit any Part of the Sentence but Sir W. I. gave his Opinion upon 't in Favour of the Prerogative upon a very Weighty Reason This House says he lyeth not under any Obligation to Offer at any Opposition nor concern themselves herein Especially at This Time when such a Dispute may End in Preventing of the Execution of the said Lord Stafford And therefore I do humbly Conceive you may do well to give your Consent that the said Writ be Executed according to its Tenor. The Short of the Bus'ness was This Sentence of Death was pass'd in Form upon my Lord Stafford and the Kings Writ to the Sheriffs Commanded only his Head to be Sever'd from his Body Bethel and Cornish the then Sheriffs of London and Middlesex Apply'd themselves by Petition to the Lords to know whether they should Obey the Writ or Not The Lords found the Scruples Vnnecessary and Declar'd That the Kings Writ ought to be Obey'd After this to the Commons Stating the Matter under These Four Following Quaeries I speak upon the Credit of the Collection of Debates above-mention'd 1. Whether the King being neither Iudge nor Party can Order the Execution 2. Whether the Lords can award Execution 3. Whether the King can Dispense with any part of the Execution 4. If the King can Dispense with some part of the Execution why not with All Upon the Debate it was in the Conclusion Resolved That This House is CONTENT That is to say it does VOVCHSAFE and with MVCH A-DO too that the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex do Execute William Late Viscount Stafford by Severing his Head from his Body only The Story of these Insolencies will never be Believ'd in After-Ages but however we are upon the Foot still of the Trayterous and Execrable Conspiracy for the Imprisoning Deposing and Murdering his Sacred Majesty and the Raising and Disposing of Men Monys Arms and other Things Necessary for their Wicked and Trayterous Designs and Namely a Commission for William Viscount Stafford to be Paymaster of the Army HEre 's a Dreadfull Bus'ness as the Good Woman said about this same Trayterous and Execrable Conspiracy Pray the Lord it be all True at Last for the Government was Mightily off the Hinges about it and the Fountain of Mercy and Power seem'd to be quite Dry'd-up The Sheriffs were become the Peoples Officers and the Commons made Iudges of the Validity of the King 's Writ The Style of Authority was no longer We Charge and Command but Resolv'd upon the Question and the Power of the Keys dropt into St. Stephens Chapel Parliamentary as well as Pardoning Power Encroch'd upon AND that they might not seem Partial to One Prerogative more then Another They struck at the King's Power of Parliaments as well as of Pardons and finding that an Everlasting Parliament Agreed so well with their Predecessors
draw from This Preposterous way of Proceeding is that the Whole Story from End to End was a Practice that the Suborners of the Perjury were also the Protectors and the Patrons of it Both under One And that they had their Accomplices in the House of Commons upon This Crisis of State that play'd the same Game which their Fore-fathers had done upwards of Forty Years before The Earl of Shaftsbury a Busie Man in our Late Troubles BUt after the History of the Wickedness of These People it will be Needfull to look a little into the Woe they Wrought us Or at least to Compute upon the Calamitous Infelicities of That Season and Whence they took theâ—r Rise The Man knows little of the Histoâ—y of Our Troubles that 's a Stranger to the Life Practice and Character of the Late Earl of Shaftsbury who had the Wit in All Changes and Revolutions of State still to Turn Tail to the Weather and Swim with the Tyde And he did This too by Nature as well as by Application for beside the Advantages of a Mercurial Humour a Ready Tongue And a Dext'rous Address he had none of Those Vulgar Barrs upon him of Honour Shame or Conscience to put any Checque to the Impetuous Course of his Ambitious Lusts I am not upon the Story of his Life but it shall serve My Purpose to say that thorough All the Vsurpations from Forty to Sixty he came Sailing down still before the Wind and so from that time forward steer'd by the same Compass ON November 17. 1672. His Lordship being already Chancellour of the Exchequer and one of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury was further Advanc'd by his Majesty to the Keeping of the Great Seal with the Title of Lord Chancellour of England And upon the 8th of November 1673. He was Discharg'd of That Commission Upon the Opening of the Parliament Feb. 5. 1672. His Lordship in a Large and Elegant Speech Blesses God and the King as follows LEt us Bless God that he hath given us such a King to be the Repairer of our Breaches both in Church and State and the Restorer of our Paths to dwell in That in the midst of War and Misery which Rages in our Neighbours Countrys our Garners are full and there is no Complaining in our Streets c. Let us Bless God that he hath given This King Signally the Hearts of his People and most Particularly of This Parliament Let us Bless the King for taking away All our Fears and leaving no room for Jealousies for those Assurances and Promises he hath made us Let us Bless God and the King that our Religion is Safe That the Church of England is the Care of our Prince That Parliaments are Safe That our Properties and Liberties are Safe What more hath a Good Englishman to Ask but that This King may Long Reign and that This Triple-Allyance of King Parliament and People may never be Dissolv'd HIs Lordships Matters as yet went Merrily on and his Good Humour kept pace with his Good Fortune But so soon as ever the Wind came about All these Blessings were thrown over the Left Shoulder The Clouds began now to Gather and soon after Discharge themselves in a Storm upon Papists and Publique Ministers In This Mood they brought-on the Bill about the Test whereof Andrew Marvel for the Honour of his Noble Patron gives This Account The Parliament having met the 5th of Feb. 1672. Prepared an Act before the Mony-Bill Slipt thorough their Fingers by which the Papists were Obliged to Pass thorough a New State-Purgatory to be Capable of Any Publique Employment Vpon this Occasion it was that the Earl of Shaftsbury though then Lord Chancellor of England yet Engaged so far in Defence of That Act and of the Protestant Religion that in due time it Cost him his Place and was the First Moving Cause of all Those Mis-adventures and Obloquy which since he lies ABOVE not UNDER IT deserves a Note the Libellous Deduction Marvel gives the World of the Kings Administration of Affairs as well Before as After This Celebrated Exploit of my Lord Shaftsbury's in a flat Contradiction to his Lordships Character of the King and to his Report of the Happy the Safe and the Peaceable State of the Government For whoever reads That Pamphlet will find it only an Artificial Scandal Imposture Cast-out to the Multitude upon set Purpose to make his Majesty Odious to his People One would have thought that the Gaining of the Test-Bill should have set their Hearts a little at Ease but That was not sufficient without calling for Fast upon Fast Raising the Militia Voting down the Guards Enquiring into Publique Grievances c. which being Said and Done with a Noverint Vniversi in the Eyes and Ears of the Nation is all one in many Cases with Ringing the Bells Backward and Firing the Beacons as if the Town were a Burning or an Enemy Landed and as far as Black-Heath in their March to London And all upon the Old and Everlasting Ground of Iealousie and Apprehension still That is to say BECAVSE The Restless Practices of Popish Recusants threatn'd the subversion both of Church and State. The Wheel was now in Motion and they drove like Iehu 'till they Dropt at last into Otes's Bottomless Plot. Shaftsbury had been a long time at the Trade of Fast and Loose and what with Industry Craft Malice and Experience the Fittest Man perchance in the Three Kingdoms to be the Head of a Faction And he was the Fitter for 't because his very Inclination prompted him to Mischief Even for Mischiefs sake It was his Way and his Humour to Tear All to pieces where he could not be the First Man in Bus'ness Himself And yet All this while his Faculty was rather a Quirking way of Wit then a Solidity of Iudgment and he was much Happier at Pulling-down then at Building-up In One Word He was a man of Subtlety not of Depth and his Talent was Fancy rather then Wisdom His Arts were Popular and after All his Politiques he was as great an Hypocrite in his Vnderstanding as in his Manners But the Best Incendiary yet upon the Face of the Earth for he had an Excellent Invention and a Protesting Face without either Faith or Truth Now when the Common People are to be Couzen'd One Imposture puts off Another and False Conclusions follow Naturally upon False Premises This is the Brief of his Character from those that knew and understood him Best and a man cannot do Right to the History without giving the Next Age a True Account of a Person that had so Great a Hand in the Confusions of This 'T is with the Mobile as with the Waters the very Blowing upon them makes them Troublesom and Dangerous and in the End to Overflow their Banks His Author sets him forth as the Great Advocate and Champion for the Bill of the Test and makes him Effectually
This Lamentably-Complaining Address the Old Vein I perceive of Popery and Calamity Conspiracy and Destruction runs quite thorough it And what Misery soever has either Threatn'd or Befall'n the King the Government the Church or the People is All-Charg'd upon the score of This Almighty Plot as the First Cause and Mover of it And which was the spite on 't no Averting of Those Impending Miseries but by the Kings Parting with his Honour his Crown Natural Affection Humanity Gratitude In short His Ministers His Friends His Prerogative Reasâ—n and Iustice 'T is Urg'd that the Councels were Evil and Destructive that Mov'd his Majesty to a Prorogation and Then to a Dissolution of the Foregoing Parliament How could it be Evil and Destructive in the Advising and not so in the Doing too Or what matters it whether it be done Without Advice or With it so long as the Venom of This Address Wounds the King Equally under the Cover of his Ministers The Want of That Advice and Resolution in the Parliament of One and Forty Cost the Royal Father his Life and the Son Probably upon such a Concession would not have come-off much Cheaper Unless it shall be Imagin'd that he might have found Better Quarter in the House then in the Field from the very same Persons that were Now in Councell and Afterwards in Arms against him It is pretended that the Commons were ready for the Tryal of the Five Lords at the Dissolution of the Last Parliament Now This was only Bubbling the Multitude for the Commons Themselves would not Yield to 't unless the Earl of Danby might be Try'd First But to say All in a word The King was Vndone if he did Not Prorogue and the Republicans if he Did. As to the Possibility of more Witnesses Coming in it cannot be Deny'd that according to the way of Summons that was then in Fashion the Common Iayles nay Newgate it Self in the Case of Prance were Consulted for Evidence and they could not well fail of as many Witnesses as either Malice Faction Countenance or Reward could Prevail upon to Forswear themselves But a Material Evidence it seems was lost by 't Bedloe they mean. A Fellow known for a Blasphemous Atheistical Wretch A Thief a Cheat and in fine a Scandal to the very Alms-Basket What a Dismal VNFORTVNATE Loss was This now of so Material an Evidence in Good Time upon the Plot in General which Material Evidence in the True Intent of it is no Other then a Rogue that would Swear any thing But against the Five Lords they say in Particular And if there had been Five times Fifteen Hundred more of them he should have Sworn against 'em All at the Same Price I can hardly look back upon the Parting Complement without Thinking of the Addresses and Declarations of One and Forty for the making of Charles the First a Glorious King they are so Very Very Alike But so much for the Bus'ness of Prerogative And now for the Other Great Point the Matter of Exclusion let the Bill Speak for it self 'T is Long But it Carries the Heart in the Face on 't and 't is Pity but Posterity should have it Entire The Bill amended as the House had order'd was read Intituled An Act for securing of the Protestant Religion by disabling James Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging WHEREAS James Duke of York is notoriously known to have been perverted from the Protestant to the Popish Religion whereby not only great Encouragement hath been given to the Popish Party to enter into and carry on most Devilish and Horrid Plots and Conspiracies for the Destruction of his Majesties Sacred Person and Government and for the Extirpation of the True Protestant Religion But also if the said Duke should succeed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm nothing is more manifest then that a Total Change of Religion within these Kingdoms would ensue For the prevention whereof Be it Enacted by the King 's most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in present Parliament Assembled and by the Authority of the same that the said James Duke of York shall be and is by the Authority of this present Parliament Excluded and made for ever uncapable to Inherit Possess or Enjoy the Imperial Crown of this Realm and of the Kingdoms of Ireland and the Dominions and Territories to them or either of them belonging or to have exercise or enjoy any Dominion Power Iurisdiction or Authority in the same Kingdoms Dominions or any of them And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if the said James Duke of York shall at any time hereafter Challenge Claim or attempt to possess or enjoy or shall take upon him to use or exercise any Dominion Power or Authority or Iurisdiction within the said Kingdoms or Dominions or any of them as King or chief Magistrate of the same That then he the said James Duke of York for every such offence shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures as in case of High Treason And further that if any Person or Persons whatsoever shall assist or maintain abet or willingly adhere unto the said James Duke of York in such challenge claim or attempt or shall of themselves attempt or endeavour to put or bring the said James Duke of York into the Possession or Exercise of any Regal Power Iurisdiction or Authority within the Kingdoms and Dominions aforesaid or shall by Writing or Preaching advisedly publish maintain or declare That he hath any Right Title or Authority to the Office of King or Chief Magistrate of the Kingdoms and Dominions aforesaid That then every such Person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and that he suffer and undergo the pains penalties and forfeitures aforesaid And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that he the said James Duke of York shall not at any time from and after the 5th of November 1680. return or come into or within any of the Kingdoms or Dominions aforesaid And then he the said James Duke of York shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer the pains penalties and forfeitures as in case of High Treason and further that if any Person or Persons whatsoever shall be aiding or assisting unto such return of the said James Duke of York that then every such person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and suffer as in cases of High Treason And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That he the said James Duke of York or any other Person being Guilty of any of the Treasons aforesaid shall not be capable of or receive benefit by any Pardon otherwise than by Act of Parliament wherein they shall be particularly named and that no Noli prosequi
Before smelt out a Contrivance Himself and was the First Man that Complain'd of it So that He that was Marked out for the Traytor by That Providence became the Discoverer The short of the Business was This. Father Bedingfield was going to Monsieur De Puy and seeing the Maile ask'd if they had any Letters for him They look'd and there being a great Pacquet they quickly found it and gave it him Upon Perusal of the Papers he observed the Subscriptions not to be the Hands of the Pretended Subscribers suspected some Villany in the Bottom and so Carry'd the Papers Immediately to His Royal Highness and Deliver'd his Own Thoughts upon them The Duke shew'd the Letters to His Late Majesty and what opinion the King Himself had of This Discovery we shall see by and by Monsieur De Puy in This Interim went to the Post-Office and for a Countenance asked if they had any Letters for Him They said No and that if there had been any they should have been sent him He Demanded Then if they had any Letters for one Mr. Bedingfield They told him what a Mighty Do there had been about that same Mr. Bedingfield and they knew not how many People to ask for Letters for Him. Before I proceed any further upon This Story it should be known by the way that among Other Particulars that were deliver'd in Charge to Sr. William Iones to advise upon there were Articles against Iohn Grove under the Name of Honest William and against one Pickering as two of the Assassins that were in a Conspiracy to Murder the King. I Pitch upon These Two by Name because I find Their Part and the Transaction about the Windsor Letters very Clearly and Orderly set forth in a Discourse call'd An Impartial State of the Case of the Earl of Danby c. It was Printed in 1679. and speaks very Expressly to the Points here in hand Mr. Christopher Kirkby and Dr. Tonge Presented his Late Majesty Aug. 13. 1678. with Forty Three Articles of Otes'es True Narrative falsly so called in the Hand-writing of Tonge which the King going to Windsor the Day following sent to the Earl of Danby Appointing them to Attend his Lordship the Next Morning Upon Tong 's Application to the Earl of Danby about the Pretended Popish Plot his Lordship put several Questions to him and Received his Answers in Manner following Quest. Whether the Dr. knew Those Men who were Called Honest William and Pickering who were Named in Those Papers the Narrative as Men Design'd to Assassinate the King. Answ. That they us'd to walk frequently in St. Iames's-Park and if any Body were appointed to keep him the Dr. Company it was Two to One but he should have an opportunity of letting that Person see One or Both of them in a Little Time. Quest. If he knew where they Liv'd for that it would be Necessary to Secure Those Men forthwith Answ. He knew not at That time but would Inform himself and let his Lordship know very Speedily Hereupon his Lordship went Immediately to Windsor and Acquainted the King That Dr Tong had been with him according to his Majesties Directions And Enform'd his Majesty of All that had Pass'd shewing allso the Additional Paper to those which had been sent his Lordship by his Majesty and that he had left a Servant at London purposely to get a sight of Honest William and Pickering in order to the Apprehending of them if his Majesty thought fit At This time his Lordship desired the King That one of the Secretaries might send a Warrant for the Apprehending them and that the matter being of such Danger to his Majesties Person some more of the Council might be acquainted with it But his Majesty would Neither let the Men be Apprehended 'till he were more Inform'd of the Design nor would he suffer the Earl to speak One Word to any Body of it but on the Contrary Commanded the Earl should not speak of it so much as to the Duke of York only said he would be very Carefull of himself 'till he heard more The Earl went from Windsor to his House at Wimbleton directing that if the Dr. had any thing more to say unto him of That Matter he should come to him thither or send away That Gentleman the Earl had left to stay with him to see the Men and Learn their Lodgings and to be Diligent in bringing any Intelligence which Required Haste Accordingly That Gentleman did go from London to Wimbleton every Day and back to the Doctor at Night and did sometimes bring Additional Papers to the Former and brought Enformation of the Dwellings of Honest William and Pickering and brought word also from the Doctor that he should be able to give his Lordship Certain Notice before-hand when any of them were to go to Windsor Of All which the Earl never failed to give his Majesty an Account from time to time Among other Enformations the Dr. went one Night to Wimbleton himself and told his Lordship that some of the Intended Assassinates were to go the next morning to Windsor but that he could order it so that the Earls Gentleman should go in the same Coach with them or if the Coach should be Full he might go on Horse-back in their Company and watch them so as to give Notice of their Arrival and take them more Conveniently that way upon the Place where they would not be able to give any account what they had to do there Hereupon the Earl order'd this Gentleman to Observe the Drs. Directions and went immediately himself to Windsor where he acquainted his Majesty with All This and order was taken for seizing These Men at their Arrival at Windsor But instead of That the Gentleman brought word from the Dr. that Something had Prevented their going that Day but that they intended their Iourney the day Following or within Two Days at farthest but then also News was brought that they were again Prevented by one of their Horses being slipt in the Shoulder or some such Accident Whereupon his Majesty who before would not give Credit to it did then take it for so Meer a Fiction that Notwithstanding all the Earl could say to get the Bus'ness Communicated to Others besides himself the King was more Positive not to Permit it saying He should Allarm all England and put thoughts of Killing him into Peoples Heads who had no such thoughts before The Earl having done All that lay in his Power and having Business into Oxfordshire askt leave of his Majesty to go thither being but Twenty Two Miles from Windsor whither he could return in half a day and left Order at Wimbleton to have any thing Dispatch'd to him that should come from Dr. Tonge Accordingly in Three days after came a Letter from the Doctor to the Earl giving Notice of a Pacquet of Letters from Jesuits Concern'd in the Plot which were to go to the Post-House in Windsor Directed to
did if it were not that I find his Enformations strengthen'd and Supported by other Concurring Evidences and by the very Tenour of the History of That Season and if it were not likewise that Notwithstanding the Blasted Infamy of his Charaâ—ter and that his Credit was then at Lowest they were Glad yet to make Fair Weather with him without putting him to the Stress of Proving his Enformations which at That time probably might have been made out by Other Hands It may be made a Question perchance in the Next place What Warrant I have for the Vouching of These Papers of Old Tong 's to be Authentique either as Originals or as True Copies To which I can only say that there was a Trunk of Dr Tongs Papers Seiz'd at Colleges which was brought to Me a Long Time after the Taking of them to be Open'd and Examin'd and so they were and Attâ—sted in the Presence of several Justices of the Peace and Other Gentlemen These were the Papers that Simson Tonge says were Taken at Colleges where the Dr Dy'd And it appears from the very Quality of These Papers that there were others of Greater Consequence Convey'd away which Confirms what Simpson Tong says further about the Administration and the Conveying away of the Other Writing The much Greater Part of the Papers in the Trunk were Whimsyes of Project Calculations about Anti-Christ and the Number of the Beast Snaps of Chimistry Political Speculations Rough Draughts of Cases Petitions and Addresses Several Copies of a Sort But among Others there were Abundance of Dirty Fragments of Paper with a Confusion of Minutes and Memorials upon them of Times Dates Places and Persons and Particularly several Passages according to those Circumstances that I find in the Narrative which Manifestly shews that they were ratâ—er Matters Concerted toward the Making of a Narrative and the Adjusting of Articles that might Hang together then any Report of Otes'es upon the Point of Narration and Fact. In One Word These Broken Snaps of Writing were undoubtedly Forgotten or Not Heeded rather then laid up in this Trunk and a man might easily gather from what was Left that there had been a Cull made out of them Before For there was enough remaining as I have said already to give Light to the Subject and Design of Those that were either Remov'd or Destroy'd But the Doctors Hand is as Distinguishable from any Other Character that I ever saw as ever One mans Face was from Anothers One of the Iesuits Letters says Tonge in his Petition is in my Fathers Hand And any man that has a mind to Compare That Iesuits Letter with the Other Papers of the Doctor 's that I have Cited in These Remarques will no longer be able to Doubt that they were Both Written by the Same Hand And This I suppose may pass for a very Reasonable Account both of my having These Papers in my Possession and of the Credit of them CHAP. IX The Design of Tong 's Plot was upon the Duke of York THe Main and Principal Design says Young Tong in one of his Letters was to Disinherit His Royal Highness Popery was the Colour The Duke of York was brought in Consequently as the Head of the Roman Catholiques The Queen not Spar'd and the Late King Himself more then Innuendo'd into the Conspiracy Plain-Dealing Otes gives his Late Majesty a Touch on 't in the Preface to his Narrative And if it be True as it comes from a very Good Hand and I believe it when Bedloe was Press'd to say Whom he saw about the Murder'd Body of Sr Edmundbury Godfrey he did Heroically Declare that he would not Name the Man Nay and though he was Adjur'd to do it by an Eminent Patron of the Cause that is now in the Grave His Answer was Short and Resolute that there was He and He and a Tall â—lâ—ck Man but he would go no Further So that the King and the whole Royal Family were brought into the Toyle as well as His Royal Highness For Excluding for Popery Involves Deposing and Monarchy it self was to Fall too with his Majesty Witness the Association that was render'd Inseparable from the Exclusion and Carry'd in the Project of it the very Lines and Method of a Common-Wealth Simpson Tong follows the Blow at His Royal Highness with some Particular Names which out of Decency and Respect I shall forbear making Mention of the Lord Shaftsbury c. by whom the Matter was Publiquely and in Truth Carry'd-on But it was no Great Wonder when a Company of Fools had put so many Shams together and given them the Countenance of a Discovery or a Narrative for a Pack of Crafty Blades to Vernish it over afterwards and to put Popular Glosses upon it As to Tongs Aversion to the Duke of York with a Regard both to his Title and Religion the Vein of it runs quite thorough All his Papers where-ever he can but bring in That Subject thougâ— by Head and Shoulders particularly in the Bus'ness of Mr Coleman and in the Cheat of the Five Windsor Letters where he lays the Blasting of That Discovery at the Door of his Then Royal Highness by Possessing his Majesty against the Belief of Bedingfields Letters and over-ruling the Credit of them whereas it is made Sufficiently Notorious already that when the Faction afterward were Audacious and Powerfull enough to â—ress and to Procure his Banishment to Attempt his Exclusion Impeachment nay the making a Traytor of him they had not yet either the Face or the Heart to venture so much as One Syllable of All These Letters into Evidence But One Instance shall serve for All. In Tong 's Iesuits Assassins being the Enformation of One Green a Weaver drawn up and made Parliament-Proof by Dr Tong he brings in a Discourse betwixt One Mr â—oyer and Green a Weaver concerning the Titles of the Duke of York and Duke of Monmouth If there be a Difference says Green between the Duke of York and the Duke of Monmouth and the Parliament do not Settle it I believe that All the Protestants in England will venture theiâ— Bloud before the Duke of Monmouth shall lose his Birthright and We lose the Liberty of Our Religion too Bâ—yâ—r And We will Venture All our Lives and Fortunes on the Behalf of the Duke of York and for the Interest of Our Religion Green. What can You do for You be Nothing to Vs. Boyer Do not you Think so for although we are but Thin here yet there be Many in Other Places and Powerfull Persons too I will raise a Company c. I am now gotten into the Acquaintance of them by whose Assistance I can get a Commission from the Duke of York as well as Another fol. 2. And now comes Tong with a Politique Nota Bene upon 't N. B. This agrees well with Mr Jenisons Relation of a Commission promised Him c. And here it may be Noted by what False Sly and Pernicious Suggestions and
him to get acquainted among the Papists and when he had done so then my Father told him there had been many Plots in England to bring in Popery and if he would go over among the Jesuits and Observe their ways it was possible it might be One now and if he could make it out it would be his Preferment for ever But however if he could get their Names and a little Acquaintance from the Papists it would be an Easy matter to stir up the People to fear Popery And again My Father and He Dr. Otes went and Lodg'd at Fox-Hall at one Lamberts a Bell-Founder which House was call'd by the Neighbours the Plot-House And there Otes 's Narrative was Written whereof several Copies were Written very Different from the Other and the Four Jesuits Letters wherein Oates pretended was the whole Discovery were Counterfeits c. To the Instances above I shall Add One More for the Further Reputation of All the Rest which is That when Otes'es Credit ran High and the Faction as Bold as Ever upon May the 15. 1682. I Publish'd This Following Advertisement And it went down without either Check or Controll If any Man Woman or Child will be so Kind and Generous as out of an Affection to the Protestant Religion and the Vindication of Dr. Otes to call Simpson Tonge to a Legal Account for Endeavouring to Destroy the Credit of the said Doctor and his Evidence by Scandalous Reflexions upon Both Roger L'Estrange does hereby offer Himself out of a Zeal to the Publique Good to Furnish Authentique Papers and Memorials toward the Prosecution of the Work. THe Whole Party were as Mute as Fishes after This Publication which they would never have been if they durst have put the Reputation of Otes'es Evidence to the Test. To say Nothing of the Congruity betwixt the Method and the Drift of their Open Proceedings in the Case and the Scope of Tonge's Private Enformations For the Father and Otes Acted the Same Part before the Commons which Young Tonge said they did betwixt Themselves and the Mortal Malice of the Cabal struck at the Duke of York too just according to the Report of His Papers Insomuch that while His Royal Highness was Wounded for the Pretended Sake of the Roman-Catholiques The Romanists Themselves were likewise to be Sacrific'd for the sake of the Duke of York and Both for the Common Interest of the Change they Design'd After this Preparatory to a General Vnderstanding of the Case here under Consideration it will be Proper and Needfull to set forth what such a Plot Is before I come to a Resolution that This Damnable Hellish Popish Thing of Otes'es was in Truth such a Plot That is to say a Plot upon the Life of the King The Frame of the Government and the Destruction of the Protestant Religion And to This End Parliamentary Uotes will be as Good in Payment I hope as Fox-Hall Narratives and as Current in the Uindication oâ— the Royal Family as the Other were to the Defaming of it The Plot-Faction Design'd the Ruine of the Late King and to Compass it by leaving him neither MONY POWER CREDIT nor FRIENDS WHat 's a Prince I would fain know without MONY without POWER without CREDIT without FRIENDS And what are Those People that Endeavour to Robb and to Strip their Sovereign of All These Necessary Supports Or what can any man do More toward the Execution of the Malice of the Pretended Popish Plot then to enter into a League and to Ioyn in a Conspiracy to All These Execrable Ends If the Project of doing All This may be call'd a Plot If to Labour the Doing of it be to be In a Plot And if This was upon the Wheel and Actually a Doing by Otes and his Confederates and Founded upon His Counterfeit Plot too And if I make All This Out from Publique Acts and Orders as Credible as Records the Question and the Reputation of This Sham is at an End for Ever And so I shall Proceed to the Four Heads above mentioned in Course as they lye No Mony. AS to the Matter of MONY How many Addresses were made by a Prevalent Majority of the House of Commons for Reward to the Discoverers of Godfrey's Murder Five Hundred Pound Reward to Bedloe Dangerfield to be Pardon'd and Rewarded And so for Turberville Bourk Sampson Macknamarra Eustace Commins c. Beside the Horrible Charge of Pensions for the Entertainment of Otes Bedloe Dugdale and Forty more But after all these Expences not a Penny to be either Supply'd by Bill or so much as Borrow'd upon Anticipations unless upon Terms Worse then Death as by These following Votes will Appear Resolved That his Majesty in his Last Message having Assured This House of his Readiness to Concurr in all other Means for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion This House doth Declare that untill a Bill be likewise passed for Excluding the Duke of York this House cannot give any Supply to his Majesty without Danger to his Majesties Person Extreme Hazzard of the Protestant Religion and Vnfaithfulness to Those by whom This House is Intrusted Resolved That whosoever shall hereafter Lend or Cause to be Lent by way of Advance any MONY upon the Branches of the King's Revenue arising by Customs Excise or Hearth-Mony shall be Adjudged to Hinder the Sitting of Parliaments and shall be Responsible for the same in Parliament Resolved That whosoever shall Accept or Buy any Tally of Anticipation upon any Part of the Kings Revenue or whosoever shall pay such Tally hereafter to be Struck shall be Adjudged to hinder the Sittings of Parliaments and shall be Responsible therefore in Parliament In the Address of Decem. 21. 1680. The Commons Insist upon the Excluding of the Duke of York and an Act of Association Or otherwise see what Follows Without these Things the Allyances of England will not be Valuable nor the People Encourag'd to Contribute to your Majesties Service From hence it does abundantly Appear that his Late Majesty was Driven upon Expence and Hinder'd of Supplys by All Arts and Shifts Imaginable and the Readiest way of finding to what End All this was done will be to look into the Grounds and Reasons of their so doing The Lords sent down a Vote to the House of Commons for their Concurrence Declaring that their Lordships were fully Satisfy'd that there was a Horrid and a Treasonable Plot Carry'd-on by the Papists in Ireland Unto which Vote the Commons Agreed with an Addition in Manner Following This House does Agree with the Lords in the said Vote with the Addition of These Words That the Duke of York being a Papist and the Expectation of his Coming to the Crown hath given the Greatest Countenance and Encouragement thereto the Irish Plot that is as well as to the Horrid Popish Plot in This Kingdom of England Resolved That it is the Opinion of This House that there