where led by my extraordinary Curiosity in this Affair I was not a little inquisitive to learn if possible the Catastrophe of this unfortunate Gentlewoman as indeed I had been all along little other than a Spy upon her and her concerns relating to that Young Child I confess I had but small occasion of given my self this needless trouble of making the aforesaid Inquiry For Father Sabran who I forgot to tell my Reader was Chaplain to the Young Prince and is now his Tutour did frankly own to me the same Evening they left her That he believed she would not be alive the Day following nor was it fit she should live I might have rested satisfied with what Sabran told me it being undoubtedly too much of Truth However as it could not enter into my heart to think it possible there should be such Inhuman Barbarity in the World as to Murder a poor Woman in cold Blood and that too by the Commands of Crowned Heads my own good Nature in Tenderness for the poor Creature inclined me to the said inquiry about her Besides my own knowledge in this Affair there have been several Letters and Papars found in Mrs. Labodies Fathers's Trunk now still to be produced Relating to this Gentlewoman besides several corroborative Proffs from divers Persons of Quality of Ireland and others as also Capt. Wright that brought her over from Ireland and the other Capt. that carried her over into France that are able to give a great Light into the Discovery of this Grand Imposture Nor were the Managers of this Affair any ways wanting in providing of Two Big-Bellied Women together that if One String failed the other might hit As for the Child he is a very Brisk and Airy no ways Deformed in his Limbs but a Ruddy Complexion fair Hair and Dark coloured brisk Eyes He when but Two Years Old was a great lover of Musick and could distinguish several particular Tunes when Played he is a notable Fighter and does not only beat his young Play-Fellows on the least Distaste But the Dauphin of France going one Day to Kiss his Highness and his Welch or Irish Blood being up he gave the Dauphin a Blow on the Face with his Hand with all his Might None dare cross him for he is so Refractory that upon the least Occasion he will hold his Breath to that degree that the Queen and all about him have thought him really Dead As to my first Introduction to this Trust and Knowledge into the Affairs of the late Court I must inform my Reader that by Sir John Burrows a Zealous Roman Catholick and my particular Patron and the Marquess of Powis to whom by the Mother side I had the Honour to be a little Related I was prefered to be a Page to the Countess of Melford From her Service I was introduced into the Marquess`s Family and from thence as before mentioned I was advanced to the late Queens Service And here to begin with my first Trust and Commands received from her said late Majesty The Sunday before Christmas in the Year 1688. I Embark'd with the late King Jame's Queen her pretended Son the Prince of Wales the Marchioness of Powis the Lady Strickland Mrs. Labody and Count De Lazon with several Others in a Barge from White-Hall And the next Day following arrived at Calais in a Yatch where the said Queen was received by the Governor and Garrison in Arms and continued there Three Days â—â—takinâ— her Journey from thence to Bulloign where she had an Express with the News of King James's being taken at Feversham in Kent On which occasion I was immediately Dispatched for England with Letters to him and came to his Majesty on a Sunday Morning just as he was ready to take Coach for Whiee-Hall from whence I was sent with Letters back to France again the same Night and overtook the Queen Four Days before her Arrival at St. Germains and continued there until King James's Arrival immediately after which I was sent to England again with Letters from King James to his Friends here and arriving safely I was soon ordered back to France with the Answer in the like manner And was likewise sent betwixt France and England several other times bringing Letters not only to several Lords in England but also for such of King James`s Friends as were in Scotland particularly the Lord Viscount Dundee and Commissions for several in Rebellion with him and for Others that promised to Joyn against the Prince of Orange on the first Opportunity I also brought several Bills of Exchange for Money to be Remitted to the said Lord Dundee which was performed by the care of Mr. Ashton the late King James`s Queens Privy-Purse And during my continuance in London I used daily to visit the Lords and Others in the Tower and being young passed freely to them unsuspected carrying Letters to and from them on all occasions relating to King James`s Affairs and brought several Bills from them which was to be employed by their appointment for Listing of Men in England for King James`s Service against a Descent from France which was resolved on at the Court of France and much Solicited for from England it being the chief Subject of the Letteas I carried to King James and the Frence King to intreat the Landing of Men in England in several places particularly in the North and that Five Thousand Men some good Officers with a Hundred Thousand Pound and Thirty or Forty Thousand spare Arms would be sufficient to be sent` and to secure the Kingdom of Scotland with the assistance of those in Arms against the Prince of Orange For this the French Court was almost daily Sollicited by Letters and great Promises from England aâ—e all possible Provision was made on each side the French having provided a great Fleet and Men ready to make a Descent whilst King James's Friends in England had according to the account they sent to France Listed above Twenty Thousand Men in and about London January 1690. for this cause the Popes Nuncio's Chair-Man was Executed and had provided great numbers of Horse ond Foot Accountrements and Arms and the like was done according to their utmost endeavours in most Counties and Shires in this Kingdom Here I shall omit troubling you or my self with the manner of my coming to serve King William since 't is known to most intelligible Men I propose to acquaint you that having privately Discovered all I knew to His Majesty the now Duke of Shreswsbury then Secretary of State and the Earl of Rumney then Lord Sidney and the Earl of Portland I continued to go to France as before with Letters for King James his Queen and the French Court which Letters I always shewed to King William before I went or to one of the Lords before mentioned as I did also the Answers at my Return The last time of my coming from France was with Mr. Crone at the beginning of Summer in the year 1690. The
Benedictine Nuns in Paris she having been in a Nunnery in Ireland sometime before she came for England After the new Happy Revolution the Winter following and King James`s Abdication I being at that time Servant to her Majesty in France commended and prefer`d to her Majesty`s Service by my kind Patroness the Marchioness of Powis and the late Queen reposing a peculiar Trust and Confidence in my Fidelity from the Character she had received of me from the Marchioness I proceed to let you know That in February 1689 I being at St. Germains the late Queens Court in France was one Sunday-Night ordered to attend the Queen immediately Her Majesty being as was reported Indisposed it seems with a Fright which made Her keep her Chamber where I attending Her Commands Her Majesty told me I must immediately prepare to go to England with some Letters to the Lord Montgemery and Others about extraordâ—â—arry Business Her Majesty gave me her Letters and that my Journey might no. be in Vain was pleased to tell me It was a matter that nearly concernâ—d the late King and her Self And lest in my Voyage to England or at my Landing I might meet with so strict a Search as might oblige me to fling my Letters into the Sea or some other way dispose them to conceal them from being taken her Majesty thought fit to give me a Ring which I was to deliver to the Lord Montgomery in England by way of Credentials for what I had to say to him by Word of Mouth upon any unfortunate forementioned Miscarriage of my Letter and by that to tell him That the same Woman which came from Ireland with the Lady Tyrconnel in May 1688 was stollen out of the Nunnery in Paris where she was kept there having been a Breach in the Garden-Walls and that it was the Opinion of the French Court that she had been assisted by some of the Prince of Orange`s Friends in Paris to make her said Escape from thence in order to come for England The late Queen farther Commanded me to tell him That the French King had taken all possible care to prevent her going off but least his Endeavours might prove Ineffectual it was her desire that immediately after my Arrival in England the Lord Montgomery and Others should take care to place People on the Coast of England that might inform them when she Landed vnd then they were positively commanded to use all Endeavours to get her Dispatcht to prevent whatever Design she might Pretend to Here the Reader may Observe That the Queen was infinitely Zealous both for her Apprehension and Dispatch and that must be some very threatning Fears they Convinced from this poor Womans Escape that could pull down all this Mortal Vengeance upon her Head Nay the Queen was so very solicitous for Executing the said Vengeance that for fear of Failure or Miscarriage of her Commands in Black and White she trusted me with some part of the bloody Commission on that Account ` T is true her Furious Zeal in this Case did nor directly tell me the very particular Crime this Offending Lady had committed deserving Death that part of my Intelligence into this Secret History was my own Observation and Discovery This was the Contents of the Queens Letters and what I had Orders to inform the Lord Montgomery and Others of his Party which the Ring as a Token was to Confirm The late Queen gave me also another Letter to carry to Father Petre who by the French King`s Order was constrained to live privately at Albeville a City between Paris and Callais Accordingly I took Post and came to Albeville where I was forced to tarry six Hours before I could meet with Father Petre to give him the Queens Letter which was to require him To go to St. Omers to observe whether or no the Woman might come that Way in order to her Embarking for England Just as I came to my Inn and was going to take Horse there arrived one Mr. Crane Gentleman-Usher to the Queen from the Queens Court to order me to return with him to St. Germains again were we arrived the next Night and then waiting on the Queen she told me The lost Sheep was found at a private House in Paris and as I afterwards soon understood was then in the same Nunnery again under the care of the Countess of Sussex and others But the next day following Father Sabran was to go in one of her Majesties Coaches to Paris in order to bring the Countess of Sussex with the Woman to St. Germains and the Queen ordered me to accompany the said Father Sabran which I did in the Coach the next day and coming to the Nunnery they continued there about an Hour and a half and then the Countess of Sussex with Sabran and my self returned with the Woman to St. Germains where she was conveyed privately to the Queens Back-Stairs by Father Sabran whilst I attended the Lady Sussex who went in to acquaint the Queen That the Woman was come after which by the Queens Command I went to the Back Stairs to convey the Woman to the Queen in her Bed Chamber where she continued with the Queen the Lady Powis the Countess of Sussex and several others above an Hour and was afterwards conveyed down the Back Stairs and cross the Gallery under the Prince of Wales's Lodgings to a private Appartment belonging to the Lady Powis where the said Woman continued a day or two After which the late Queen with the whole Court going to visit the French King at his Court at Marli Three Miles from St. Germains in the same Evening the said Woman with the Countess of Sussex Father Sabran and my self went in the Princes Coach with Six Horses to the same Place and were there convey'd to a Chamber or Room belonging to the Arch-Bishop of Paris where the Woman Sabran and my self continued about half an Hour whilst the Countess of Sussex went publickly to wait upon the French King and the late Queen Then the Womam Sabran and my self were conducted by a Priest a Chaplain of the Arch-Bishops privately to the French King's Back Stairs The Woman lamenting her Fate which she said was occasioned by her last being in England she grieved to that excess that she Fainted several times before they could get her up the Stairs to the French King's Apartment whither she was conducted by a Jesuite and continued about half an Hour with the French King and the late Queen During which time I waited with Father Sabran at the bottom of the Stairs till she came down with the Jesuite that conveyed her up at which time she wept bitterly and told Father Sabran and me That now she must take her Everlasting Farewel of us and so was carried away by the Jesuite and never more seen or heard of notwithstanding my most diligent Inquiry after her at all the English Scotch and Irish Nunneries in Paris and other Places where I had great Acquaintance and
French Fleet been then very numerous and ready to Sail and all things in England and Scotland seemed in a posture to receive them and a French Army on the other side King William was almost ready to take his Journey for the Reducing of Ireland The said Mr. Crone with my self was sent to England now with several Commissions from King James by the way of France from Ireland The chief Commissions we brought was for Levying a War against the Prince and Princess of Orange and all such as resisted the Power and Authority of King James and to Impower Persons to Seize and Imprison the Persons of the said Prince and Princess of Orange By a Commission under the Great Seal dated at Dublin King James Authorized several Lords to Act as his Deputies during his Absence We likewise brought over several Commissions to constitute Commissioners of the Treasury Impowering them to Raise and Collect Moneys on King James's Account as also several Commissions for Colonels of Regiments of Foot and Horse By the way permit me to inform my Reader That in the above-mentioned Commission for Levying of War King James did Command and Authorize his loving Subjects by force of Arms to seize the Persons of the present King and his Royal Consort Queen Mary the Second Alive or Dead And Three Months before I came last from France Colonel Parker had undertaken to Shoot King William for which Intent he came to England and went into Lancashire there to continue until the King came that way on his Journey for Ireland that being the place proposed to Murther King William at And to Advise it there was many Letters sent to the Court of France desiring that the French Fleet might Sail at or near the time King William set out for Ireland At this last time Mr. Crone and my self brought over many Letters containing full Instructions for the intended Designs of Killing and Imprisoning their Majesties King William and Queen Mary and for the Raising of great Numbers of Men in several Places against them for King James and the French Interest I will first give you a short Narrative of the Contents of a few of the Letters I carried to France and so proceed to the Design before mentioned Several Letters I carried to and brought from France were made up as the Mould of a Button and so work'd over with Silk or Silver and worn on my Cloaths Others I brought over in the Pipes of Keys and some writ Obscurely which Writing was discovered by the Steem of a Compound of several Spirits Mettals and Sulphure boyl'd together and made Liquid the Writing was seen no longer than the said Steem was near the Paper on which it was Writ Many of the Letters I carried to King James his Queen and the French Court were from the chief of their Friends in England and were full of great Promises and large Incouragements to the French King But his Gallick Majesty well observed That whilst they were daily promising great Assistance to his Army when they Landed in England they were for the most part unwilling to part with any Money but continually desired Supplies from France Some in England to my certain Knowledge Writ to King James to assure him that they had taken the Oaths to King William on purpose to make themselves more able to serve King James`s Interest by delaying King William`s Affairs in the Houses of Parliament Of this and part of which I had discovered to His Sacred Majesty King William he was pleased to acquaint his Parliament in his Gracious Speech to both Houses a short time before he went for Ireland Adding in his Speech at the same time That he spoke it to let them and his Enemies know that he was not unacquainted with their Designs Now to return to my last Coming from France with Mr. Crone I having informed His Majesty of all I knew Mr. Crone was seized and sent Prisoner to the Tower the rest of the Conspirators and their Designs being known and narrowly observed His Majesty went for Ireland committing the Management to the Queen and the Ministers of State Yet although the Jacobites and the French Court were Blessed be Almighty God disappointed of the Kings being Kill'd on his Journey to Ireland they continued to go on with their other Designs Colonel Parker being also order'd for Ireland to Kill His Majesty there But the Government knowing their Intriegues took care to secure this Kingdom by Raising the Militia and securing of Conspirators before the French Fleet came on our Coast as they did and lay some time expecting to hear of their Friends in England being in Arms to receive them At this time several Lords and others were sent to the Tower and others whose Intriegues were discovered fled from Justice which occasioned several Proclamations to be Published for apprehending them and the Tower and all the Goals in London and several others were filled with Conspirators They finding their whole Design unravelled and that I had discovered all I knew and Mr. Crone was safe and to be suddenly Tryed which might make him Confess they instantly got me poysoned in hopes to have prevented Crone 's Tryal but it pleasing Almighty God to restore me to my Health again after Ten Weeks Sickness I was able to come to the Old-Baily where Mr. Crone was Tryed and Condemned for High Treason He had several Reprieves from time to time on his Promise of making a full Confession but as he was lingring it out about Six Months after his Conviction I Receiv'd a Letter at my Lodgings in the Pall-mall from the Earl of Melford King James's Secretary in which I was promised King James's Pardon and all the Favour I could desire from him and the Court of France and Five Hundred Pounds down if I would return to France and Recant from what I had done I carried this Letter to the King who sent me to the Lord Chief Justice Holt for his Advice how far I might proceed by Law thinking thereby to discover something more but his Lordship and several others were of Opinion that it was a Trick purely to invalidate my Evidence They still being apprehensive of Mr. Crone 's Confession which they knew must be so agreeable to my Informations that the Heads of King James's Friends had been intirely at King William's Mercy And this Matter highly concern'd the French Court for had Crone been just to Him that gave him his Life there might have been but small Incouragement from England to the French long since and consequently no Plotting now They of King James's Party as well has appeared to the Court made it their Indeavour to have Crone Hang'd to stop his Mouth and that as I am well informed occasioned his making almost a full Discovery Though he went for France as soon as he was let out of Newgate being invited back with great Promises as I before had been I must thank him for his Justice to me in his last and most
Authentick Confession He affirms on Oath That all my Information was true for the Confirmation of this I can appeal to any Member of Parliament that heard Mr. Crone 's or the Lord Preston's Confessions Read before the Honourable House of Commons After this it may seem strange to some how the House came to be so angry with me I beg leave to inform such That the Jacobites by Mr. Crone 's going off knew they had partly secured themselves from the just Power of the Law but were yet concern'd if possible to make the World believe that they never had any Design against the Government And who can blame them for being ashamed of such a Horrid and Bloody Design as they had then contrived against the Government and their own Countrey to Ruine both Church State To cover their Shame as much as may be they had no way but to Invalidate me which they set about with all the Malice that the Devil or Popish Principles cou'd incite them with though for some time my faithful Service and the King 's large Promises of lasting Favours to me was my Support and had continued so but that the Immaturity of my Judgment was so easily impos'd upon by Two Instruments sent by the French Court to accomplish my Ruin viz. Colonel Tho. Dellaval and Mr. George Hayes They were formerly my most intimate Acquaintance both in England and at the Court at St. Germains and were imployed constantly ' twixt England and France on King James's Account as I was The First of these came to me at my Lodgings in White-Hall and told me He desired to come and Serve the Government as I had done provided I wou'd intercede with the Queen for his Pardon and make some Conditions for his coming over Honourably I acquainted the Queen of it immediately the King being then in Flanders and Her Majesty whose Bounty extended to all did most Graciously promise to Write to the King about it and in the mean time committed the Management of this Affair to the Care of His Grace John Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury my very good Friend But before the King's Answer came from Flanders Dalleval received a Letter from the Earl of Melfort requiring his Return immediately to St. Germains which Letter he shewed me and I carried it to the Queen who knowing Melfort's Hand gave Orders That Colonel Dalleval might go for France again provided that he engaged to Return when Her Majesty required him All which he Swore and promimised most Solemnly to do and then went for France accordingly Soon after his Arrival there he sent me several Letters writ in Characters promising to come to King William in Flanders and desired me to meet him there The Arch-Bishop and my self from time to time acquainted Her Majesty of every Particular and I was Commanded to go for Flanders where I continued with the King Three Months on this Occasion and Receiv'd Letters from Colonel Dellaval at St. Germains Twice every Week during the time I was there the Contents of which Letters prov'd very true and of some Use at that time to the King's Affairs but this was only a Snare the more securely to Ruin me to the Purpose For as soon as the King came to England and the Parliament was Sitting Dellaval writ to me and Mr. Hayes likewise to have me get their Pardon and Protection from the King and Parliament promising they wou'd make great Discoveries which His Majesty knew they might this being the Winter before the Second intended Invasion when the Forces with the late King James lay at La Hogue ready to Embark the latter end of April following the Parliament having Addressed the King to cause the Lord Preston's and Mr. Crone 's Confessions to be laid before them and theirs agreeing with mine the Parliament made an humble Address to the King to add to his Bounty to me this did more inflame Mine and the Nations Enemies and Colonel Dellaval and Mr. Hayes sent me abundance of Letters and great Promises of performing considerable Services for Their Najesties and this Kingdom 's Safety At length I did Address the House of Commons in their Behalf Desiring a Pardon and Passport to be given me Blank for Two Gentlemen to come from beyond the Seas and to Return if desired The Honourable Honse granted my Request on Condition I would engage for their Appearance and performing what they promised at this time Only their Majesties and some of Their Most Honourable Privy-Council knew these Mens Names that I engaged for lest the French Court shou'd prevent their Coming as my Credulity caus'd me to believe I had the Protection of the Parliament for them and a Pardon and Passport Signaed by the King and under the Great Seal it was left blank for me to fill up and this I sent for Flanders by a Messenger of my own Recommended by some Members of Parliament It proving very cold hard Weather in those Parts Dellaval and Hayes came to Antwerp some time before my Messenger cou'd get there so they went to Ostend and came from thence to England having heard their Pardon had passed the Seals The Messenger heard of them at Antwerp and other Places and hearing they were come for England he returned As soon as Dellaval and the other arrived they sent one Jones to me with a Letter assuring me they were coming to Town and intended to Attend on the House of Commons the Monday following I was extream joyful to hear of their Arrival and immediately sent their Letter to the House where the Speaker Read it and Monday was appointed for Hearing them At this Unhappy Time I was very dangerously Sick and when Monday came the Gentlemen were seen by many in the Lobby whilst the House was at Prayers But Prayers being ended and they call'd for they were vanished of a sudden which occasioned the House to appoint a Committee to come to me which they did taking all my Papers and Informations on Oath Anthony Bowyer Esquire being Chair-man of the said Committee I gave them an Account where Mr. Hayes had lodged formerly at a Papists in Holborn but they were not to be sound which occasion'd on Wedn'sday the Twenty Fourth of February to pass a Vote against me and to address the King to order the Attorney-General to prosecute me for engaging for these Men and that they did not appear Now King James's Friends had their Desire and Dellaval with the Other having accomplisht their Villanous Designs return'd for France I was brought to my Tryal at my own Request at the King's-Bench at Westminster and even then these Gentlemen Dellaval and Hayes sent me several Letters to excuse themselves and promised to come and Vindicate me And it is most certain That even to this time they have continued to come frequently to England about King James's Business When I was on my Tryal the Attorney-General now Lord-Keeper of the Great Seal and one of the Lords Justices of England told the