THE DISCOVERY OF THE Popish Plot BEING The several Examinations of TITUS OATES D. D. Before the High Court OF PARLIAMENT The Lord CHIEF JUSTICE Sir EDMUND-BURY GODFRY And several other of His MAJESTY's JUSTICES of the PEACE London Printed 1679. Titus Oates D. D. his Journal and Affidavit of his Discovery of the Conspiracy before Sir Edmund-Bury Godfry Septemb. the 27th 1678. IMprimis Richard Strange Provincial John Keines Bazil Longworth John Fenwick and Mr. Hartcourt Jesuites did Write a Treasonable Letter to Father Sinman an Irish Jesuite at Madrid in the Kingdom of Spain in which was contained their Plotting and Contriving a Rebellion in Scotland of the Presbyterians against the Episcopal Government in order to which they have imployed one Matthew Wright William Morgan and Mr. Ireland to go and Preach under the Notion of Presbyterians and give the disaffected Scots a true understanding of their sad States and Conditions which they were in by reason of Episcopal Tyranny exercised against them and withall to tell them now they had a fair opportunity to Vindicate their Liberty and Religion and that it could be done by no other way but the Sword and that now the King was addicted to his Pleasure that he would and could take but little care of that Concern In the said Letter it was expressed they had gotten an Interest in His Royal Highness but they deal with him as they think fit and that they were resolved by all means to weaken the King of England's Interest by informing his Friends of his intent to betray them into the Hands of Forraign Powers viz. to send them to fall by the Sword in the French King's Service against the Confederate Princes which Letter bares Date April 19 27 1677. 2. That the Persons abovementioned gave the Deponent 10 l. to carry the said Letter to Father Sinman into the Kingdom of Spain to Madrid the said Sinman being the Provincial General for the Kingdom of England and Ireland and in order to which Message the Deponent Embarked himself in the Ship called the Bâ—sca Merchant whereof Luke Bath-Roch was then Master to go for Bâ—lboa and there took Mules for Valladolydd but staying a day at Burgos in Spain the Deponent broke open the said Letter and found these Contents in the same 3. That they of the Society of Jesus in the English Seminary at St. Omers sent a Mission of Twelve Students into the Kingdom of Spain viz. Eight to Valladolydd and Four to Madrid there being English Colledges in both places in order to Study Philosophy and Divinity which Missioners were sent by Richard Ashbey Richard Peter Nicholas Blundel and Charles Peter by the Patents of the several Missioners by which they had power to demand Admission into the respective Colledges to which they were sent which Missioners were obliged by the Jesuits of the Colledges to renounce their Allegiance to His Majesty of Great Britain in the hearing of the Deponent and those of Valladolydd were taught by Daniel Armestrong a Jesuite Minister of the English there That First the Oath of Allegiance is Heretical and Anti-christian and Divellish and that Charles Stuart King of England is no Lawful King but comes of aspurious Rase and 〈◊〉 his Father was a Black Scotch-man and not King Charles the First This was delivered in a Sermon the 29th of Sept. 1677. to the Students there which Sermon the Deponent did hear and in this Sermon the said Daniel Armestrong in plain words did say that the King of England was a Bastard now that Daniel Armestrong goeth in Spain by the Name of Joseph Munford in Spanish by John Montefortio 4. That the said John Munford alias Armestrong did bring Letters from St. Omers to the English Colledge at Valladolydd to the Father there in Latin by reason they were Spaniards in which was expressed and related from the Fathers at St. Omers that the Fathers of the Society of London hath procured one Father Beningfield to be Confessor to His Royal Highness but if they saw that His Royal Highness did not answer their expectation they would dispose of him as they did intend to dispose of His Brother the King which they hoped to effect within a year which Letter bares Date June 1677. and Subscribed by Richard Ashbey alias Shimbleby Rector of the English Jesuites at St. Omers Richard Peter Minister Edward Nevil Prefect of the Studies Ch. Peters Prefect of Sodality John Farmor Prefect of Manors which Letters the Deponent saw in the Month of September 1677. at Valladolydd in the Kingdom of Spain 5. That Father Sinman above mentioned Writ to the English Colledge and the Fathers there said that the King of England was Poysoned to the great Joy of the English Fathers and that they would serve King James so if he did not give them a good assurance of bringing in the Catholick Religion and of rooting out the Protestant this Letter bore Date July the And was seen and read by the Deponent at Valladolydd near the latter end of July 1677. 6. That one Father John Blake alias Cross who went with the Four Students to Madrid did bring Letters from Richard Strange Provincial of the Jesuits and one Father Gray a Jesuit and John Keines to Father Sinman above mentioned in which was specifyed the great diligence was used by the said Richard Strange Father Gray and John Keines to procure such persons to dispatch the King and to put a period to his dayes which Letter bore date June the 10. 1677. Stilo Novo And the Deponent being sent to Madrid in August read it in Father Sinmans Chamber he shewing it also at the same time to James Arch-Bishop of Tuam of the Kingdom of Ireland 7. That the said Father Sinman received another Letter July the 20. 1677. Stilo Novo from Richard Strange Father Gray John Keines Bazill Longworth John Fenwick Father Ireland and Father Hartcourt in which they did manifest they were very sorry for informing him that he might assure himself that the business was done there man William being faint harted could not then do it though he had 15000 l. promised for his pains of which Letters the English Missioners by one information that at Madrid by John Cross alias Blake and those of Valladolydd by Daniel Armestrong Jesuit which Letters the deponent saw in the Chamber of Mr. Synman at Madrid at the same time that he saw the Letters of the _____ June mentioned in the fore-going paragraph or number 8. That on the 3. of November Stilo Novo Father Petro Jeronymo de Cordela Provincial of the Jesuits in New Castle did write to Richard Strange and John Keines that if the business of dispatching of the King of England could be effected they should have 10000 l. which Letter the deponent brought from Valladolydd to Bilboa and imbarked in a Ship within 5 dayes after his Arrival thither and in five dayes more arrived at a little Town near Exeter and in five dayes more at London and delivered
in which it was ordered that if the said Father Confessor should not be ready to comply with the said Stapleton that Messengers should be forthwith sent to Father Sinman at Madrid to inform His Majesty of Spain of the said concern and to make the same relation of the business to the Arch-Bishop of Tuam in the Kingdom of Ireland now at the Court of Madrid That he the said Arch-Bishop and the said Sinman might jointly give an account to the King of Spain of the motion made or to be made to the said Father Confessor to the Duke De Villa Hermosa and also to advise the Spanish King to Seize the Estates of the English Merchants in several Factories in this Kingdom For that they have endeavoured to Transport them to England which would tend highly to the prejudice of Spain and for the Confirmation whereof they procured Letters from one Fausica sometimes an Agent in London to attest the same To which the said Fausica willingly condescended and sent his Letters to St. Omers to be sent to the Court of Spain that the Fathers might give their approbation which Letter was long and large with attestations therein made against the Merchants residents in their several Factories concerning the matter of Faith before mentioned and also other Letters to Daniel Armstrong at Valladolidd and John Armstrong at Madrid which they were ordered to Confirm this affirmation made or to be made by the Fathers in England and of the English Seminaries at St. Omers Or if the said Stapleton together with that of Fausica the above mentioned Spanish Agent now lives at Bruges in Flanders All which Letters bore Date the First Second of January 1678. Stilo Novo and were seen by the Deponent at St. Omers and in the Letters to the Two Fathers Armstrong and Cross in Spaein was contained a special Order that if the fermer could go to Madrid he should send his Attestation to Don John of Austria and to carry on which 200 l. was made over by Father Sinman and the English Fathers 16. That when the Lords came from England about the business before mentioned to St. Omers Edward Nevil and Thomas Farmer did say that they would not let this Black Bastard go so to His Grave in peace meaning the King of England for that he had cheated them so often and that now they resolved to be served so no more That this Deponent standing by said if the Duke prove slippery they both replyed that his Pas-Port was ready when ever he should appear to fail them These words were heard by the Deponent on the Third of January in the Afternoon in the Library of the Jesuits at St. Omers 17. That on the Fourth of January 1678. Stilo Novo Letters were sent from Richard Ashbey Edward Hall Edward Novil Christ Peters William Busby James Junior Thomas Farmer Michael Constable Jesuits of the English Seminary at St. Omers as also from Father Williams Rector of Watton and Master of the Novices there Sir Jo. Warner Barroner alias Clare Franois Samby alias Ditz-Biling to the Father-Confessor of the Emperours Majesty That His Majesty of Great Britain hath treatherously been the ruin of the Confederates especially of the Germain Empire and of his Catholick Princes under him and has under hand stirred up the Hungarian Rebellion against his Imperial Majesty and found them Money to go on in their Rebellion His design being not to keep any Alliance with his Imperial Majesty but only in shew that he might advance the Prince of Orange his Nephew and make him absolute and therefore prayed the States of Holland might have notice of it Which Letter was seen and perused by the Deponent it being writ in the Latine Tongue All which Letters were sent away by a Lay Brother who was a Dutch Man and when these Letters were sending away one of the Lay Brothers whose name was George did say the Prince of Orange was more fit to Roban Orchard than to be a General of an Army 18. That Letters bearing Date the 1. of January Stilo Novo arrived at St. Omers January the 20. from Arch-Bishop Talbot Arch Bishop of Dubline wherein it was expressed that the Fathers of the Society in Ireland were very vigilant to prepare the people to rise for the defence of their liberty and Religion and to recover their estates and if the Parliament that was to fit in England shall joyn with the King in declaring war against France and should put His Majesty to ingage in a War with France that a place in Ireland should be open to receive the French Kings Army when His Most Christian Majesty should think fit to Land one their And in the Letter he advised the Fathers of St. Omers to advertise Father Leshee of the same and other Jesuits that had an interest in the French King and that His Majesty of Great Britain was brought to that pass that if any Male content amongst them should not prove true to their designs His Majesty would never give ear to their information and prayed them to be diligent for now was the time or never Which Letter this Deponent saw and read and in order to the Fathers Compliance with the said Arch-Bishops Letters to Father Leshee to Paris and appointed Edward Nevil and William Busby to carry and deliver them to the said Leshee which Letters were answered with all speed by the aforesaid Messengers Jesuits as above The one of them being Prefect of Studies and the other Procurator for the Seminaries and by them writ Letters to Thomas White Provincial to the Rector of St. Omers viz. Richard Ashbey but of that to the Provincial the Deponent can give no account but of that to Ashbey the Deponent faith there was expressed in it that the General of the Society of the Jesuits would Contribute 500000. Crowns to be paid in June next coming and that his Holiness the Pope would not be wanting to supply them when they had made some progress in that glorious attempt 19. That another Packet arrived at St. Omers directed to Richard Ashbey Rector there the Date whereof is not well remembred by this Deponent but as near as he doth remember it was about the beginning of the Parliament for then came the Kings and Lord Chancellors Speeches and Votes of Parliament which were put into ridiculous Phrases in contempt of the King and both Houses of Parliament and for the Fathers and Scholars to Laugh at and then Translated into French and given to the Governor of St. Omers who sent them to the French King his Master and in the Packet was contained the account of the attempt of one Pickering a Lay Brother that waited on the Jesuites lying at Sommerset-house to Shoot the King as he was Walking in St. James's Park when he was at some distance from his Nobles and Attendants but the Flint of his Pistol being loose he did defer the Action till another opportunity and if he had done it and had
no further than Watton by reason of a Mischance they met withal in the way by which Missioners the said Thomas White did design to beget in the Dutch an evil Opinion of the Prince of Orange and to cause a Commotion there against the Prince Which Letter the Deponent saw and read in Fenwicks Chamber the Eleventh of August 1678. 39. Item That another Letter of the Master of the Augustins came to Blundel and because the Thames was Frozen over and the Sickness coming on they altered their purpose and in January 1675 6. they met with this Green again who closed with them in their design and that they might Ingratiate themselves the more with him furnished him with Thirty Pound he being Poor yet they found him an Active Man and fit for their purpose and the more to ingage the said Green they pretended to hold many Fifth-Monarchy Mens Principles which when Green perceived Judging them too zealous brought them acquainted with Eight others who were zealous in the business The aforesaid Jesuits were earnest to have the business done in February before the return of the Inhabitants to London But the said Green intreated them to suspend that resolution because that they should be the sooner discovered and such a design must have an uproar and besides that the King would not be much in Town if at all until the Plague was more abated whom the said Green did say must be Cut off too when the People were in a hurry by reason of the Fire and this Motion pleased the Jesuits and Dominicans well and it was put off in a very little time after the said Green and the rest of the Fifth-Monarchy Men together with those Four Jesuits above named and the Dominicans were suspected by the said West that kept the house at Puddle-dock and were forewarned the said house and presently after Green and his Eight acquaintance were clapt up in Prison But for what the said Strange did not tell the said Deponent upon the Imprisonment of these Nine Persons The said Jesuits did go to St. Omers and remain there till May after the Execution of Eight of these aforesaid Persons Green dying in Newgate one Fitz-Gerard an Irish Man and Jesuit and one Neal of White-Chappel did write to this Strange as the said Strange informed the Deponent that none of the Fathers names were mentioned in the business of these men and thought they might safely return so In the latter part of May they set forth for England and got to London the beginning of June and then concealing their Names and Lodgings they began afresh to consult about this Fire which was still carried on by the Jesuits in London in the absence of the said Persons and it was plotted by them in the Fire-time to Cut off the King that the number of the Beast might be accomplished in the uttering of which words the said Strange broke out into a great Laughter but said the said Strange To be short we got 50. or 60. Jesuits to ply the work and one Everard was very diligent in preserving the Fire-Balls which they had made and put into Granada-shells and the more to Palliate this they procured this Everard a Place in the Kings Service to look after the Ammunition that was to be carried down to the Fleet it being in the time of the First Dutch War and the said Strange told the Deponent that great Attempts we made at the Tower but without effect But said Strange to the return ordering our Affairs we were also in Fee with several French men who also were faithful in the business and all things being ready and the place pitched upon Strange removes his Quarters and got to lye in a house in Fanchurch-street and went by the name of Walker this he did in August 1666. and with him he took the aforesaid Kinmash the Dominican together with Pennington and Purton who lay at an Apothecaries house in Shooe-lane c. Fitz-Gerrard lay at Neales in Whitechappel but Neale was one to see the Fire carried on through Thames-street and so to the Tower In a word the said Strange told the Deponent they spent 700. Fire-Balls and when the Fire-Merchants were at work then others both Men and Women were at work to Plunder what they could and that they had a Ware-house in Wildstreet where some things so plundered were laid and other things they concealed in Sommerset-house as Holland Cambrick Fine Cloth and some considerable quantities of Plate and a Box of Jewels the Owners gave their Men to carry away and ordered his Servant to go along with him but they having increased their number ordered the Servant to be knocked down by the Fathers in London for not giving an account of what progress they made or to be made in the proposals to Sir George Wakeman and how he refused it if made and if not to do it for it would not be convenient to deferr it and told them that Ireland was safely arrived at St. Omers Who only told that the King was very secure and therefore he the Provincial admonished them to be very vigilant which Letter the said Blundel shewed the Deponent the 19. of August 1678. 40. Item That another Packet of the 15. of August from St. Omers from Thomas White Provincial to Father John Fenwick in the which were Letters inclosed to Father Jenison Father Hartcourt and others which Letters he did not see but that to Fenwick the Deponent saw and read and in it the said Thomas White did write that he hoped that the Figure 365. should lie as low as ever 666. did and that if Poyson did not take the King away Fire should for the Catholick Religion would never flourish unless I. H. S. took its Course Now the Deponent saith that the Figure 365. is meant Westminster and by 666. London it being the Character or Cypher for those places and the Letters I. H. S. Jesuits they using it always 41. That the Deponent was informed by John Fenwick and others of the Society then in his Chamber that the Jesuits had 60000 l. per annum good Rents and 100000 l. in Bank that he and the rest of the Society have in the name of their several Trustees lent Money out at 5 l. per cent the improvement of which Money in Bank is used about these practices and that it costeth them 400 l. per annum for intelligence besides their dayly Messengers on which vast summs of Money are spent and besides an other part is transported beyond-Sea by Bills of Exchange which the Deponent in a very great part knoweth himself to be true and of the rest they themselves have informed him several times all which tends much to the dammage of the Kingdom 42. Item That on Munday 5 15 of August Father Hartcourt John Keines John Fenwick and another of the Society whose names the Deponent remembers not did say they intended to raise a commotion in England and Wales which also did appear by
him Three Blows with his Stick and a Box on the Ear and charged him with being with the King and a Minister with him whom he suspected to have informed the King of these things because that Benningfield had related in a Letter to Blundel that the Duke of York had suggested some such thing to him and did therefore Judge that it must be so by the Deponent that must have been drawn in by some person to the same but at last the Provincial told the Deponent he was willing to be reconciled to him if he would discover who the person was his Name and place of abode to the end he might be secured of him and were resolved to kill him and in the mean time the Deponent was ordered to make himself ready to go Beyond-Sea within Fourteen days as the Provincial said and that the Deponent might not cheat them they were to pay for his Coach-hire and ordered him entertainment at Sittingborne and other places on the Road to Dover and there Mr. Coniers at the Kings-head was to pay for his passage to St. Omers where the said Deponent was to remain till further Orders from the Provincial and R. Blundel was to take care of carrying on the Fire at Wapping in the Deponents Room 78. Item on the Sixth of September Pickering told the Deponent that Coniers was gone to Windsor and he said after Ten days stay he would go to the Lord Brudnels House 79. Item That about Night the Deponent attending the Provincials door and about to go in he heard White and some others whom the Deponent supposes by their Voices to be Father Micho and one Mr. Pool consulting about the disposing a person he supposes to be himself their words were these this man has betrayed us and therefore we will give a Coach-man Twenty Pound to take him up and carry him directly to Rochester to Esquire Leeds house who lives near the Town and from thence to Dover by some by way because he was acquainted at Sittingbourn and said if they could get him beyond-sea they would torment him till he had confessed to them who it was that had been with the King and informed him of the business when the Deponent heard these words he made hast away and durst not lie that night in his own Lodgings 80. Item That the Seventh of September at Night the Deponent returned to his Lodgings where he intended not to lye but only to take some necessaries for his use the next day but meeting one Grigson a Papist at whose house he had formerly lodged near the Read-Lion in Drury-lane the said Grigson told him that the Jesuits were displeased with him because he answered not their expectations in being true to them and that the Jesuits are dangerous persons and would ruin him if they could and said further that the said Grigson had known their Rogeries this Twelve or Fourteen years and the Deponent being through discourse detained by him was forced to lye in his Lodging in Drury-Lane and when the Deponent was laid down in his Bed one Stratford a person utterly unknown to the Deponent discoursed with or any otherwise provoked endeavoured to break into the house where the Deponent lay and broke down a door to get into his Lodging but was forced back because he apprehended himself to be observed by the Servants and when he saw he could not come at him to Assassinate him as he verily believes he reviled him The Deponent and brake several Quarrels of Glass in a Window under his Lodging the Deponent being therefore verily perswaded that Stratford was set on by the Jesuits to do him a mischief made his escape thence easily on Sunday Morning but durst not return thither again because that Stratford threatned to kill him now the House where the Deponent lay is a School where Blundel usually Catechized every Sunday in the Afternoon 81. Item September the Eighth whilst this Deponent was going to attend Gods worship in the City of London a Papist who goes by the Name of Nevil met him in the Strand and told the Deponent there was great murmuring amongst the Jesuits against him because a complaint was made against them by some persons of whom he was suspected one The said Nevil did tell the Deponent that it was reported he must ruin the Jesuits or they him telling him moreover that the Bishop of Rochester was made acquainted with it and said he would lead them such a Dance as they never followed since the Fool their Founder came into the World to which this Deponent made no reply but taking this person to be a Trapan when asked for his Lodging gave no account The Names of the Conspirators and where they are Jesuits THomas White Provincial England Richard Strange late Provincial England Richard Ashbey alias Thimbleby England Mr. Hartcourt Mr. Jenison in England John Keines in England William Wright in England Richard Blundel in England Gregory Pool in England Micho in England Benningfield in England Langworth in England Morgan in England Richard Peters in England Dorrington in England Lacy in England Vaughan in England Every in England Sir Thomas Preston at Leige Sir John Warner at Watton Thomas Stapleton at St. Omers Thomas Farmor at St. Omers Mr. Egglestone at Watton Mr. Sanders at Leige Edward Hull at St. Omers Coniers in England Launell and Christopher Peters at St. Omers Jenison at Watton Marsh at Ghent John Peters in England Blake alias Cross in Spain Munford in Spain Wilkinson in England Woolfe in England Nevel in England Sabrand at St. Omers Walker at St. Omers Roper at St. Omers Constable at St. Omers Canny at Rome Crane at Watton Benedictines Howard at Doway Hilchcock at Doway Anderton in England Coniers in England Rumly in England Cocker in England Skinner in England Crosby in England Mr. Reeves at Doway Carmelites Doctor Hanson in England Mr. Trevers in England Mr. Kemball in England Franciscans Mr. Napper in England Doctor Armstrong in England Dominicans Joseph David Kinmash in England Dominick in England Collins in England Vincent in England Hidden in England Mansell in England Lynsdale in England Captain Busby in England Cooper at Rome Secular Priests Perrot in England Morgan in England Willmot in England Doctor Godden in England Jones Senior in England Jones Junior in England Woolfe in France These Seven only by Information Gerrard in England Herick in England Fisher in England Jackson in England Piâ—kerd in England Sharpe in England Doctor Preston in England Scotch Jesuits Lovell Saunders More Twelve Jesuits whose Names I know not lately gone into Scotland but their Persons I know Secular persons Doctor Foggerly Sir George Wakeman Mr. Coleman John Groves Assassinates Four Irish Pickering Lay-Brothers Smith Lay-Brothers Talbot and Lynn Arch-Bishops Jerom Sinman Sir William Godolphin Lord Embassador in Spain The Examination of Titus Oates before the Parliament WHo begins his Account from King James's Reign and tells them that he and His Son Prince Henry were both dispatched