two Nations so well matched it was the Dukes Contrivance to Suborn and Bribe two indigenâ— and desperate Vilâ—ains to go over and Fire the 〈◊〉 Shipâ— as they lay in their â—arbours â—nd when he had done thatâ— it was the same Treachery that with a sham story lulled his â—rother â—â—lâ—ep and prâ—cured the Firing of our Ships at â—â—â—â—ham The burning of London was such a marâ—hless piece as could not have entered into the Breast of any but a bejesuited Herostratus in hopes to purchase the infamous immortality of a Popish Saintship by reducing to Ashes the graetest Bulwark and Magazine of the Protestant Religion in Europe Rome was set on Fire by Nero to have re-built it again more Gloriousâ— and that he might have space enough for one of the most sumptuous Pallaces so designed under the Sun thereby to have made the Mistress of the Earth the Wonder of the World But London was Fired not only to destroy the Wealth and Habitations of the City never to have risen more but with an intention to extirpate the Inhabitants themselves to boot and to have turned the Venerable and Spacious Pile into a depopulated Wilderness by a general Massacre of the People under the Consternation of the spreading Flames The standing Sâ—reets provided and furnished with Incendiaries with fresh Materials to revive and restore the weary Conâ—â—â—gration and when taken in the Act resâ—ued out of the Hands of those that seized them and sent to St. Iames's to be there secured from the Rage of the Mulâ—itude and then dismissed without Persecution An excellent way to have made all sure by mixing the Blood of the Inhabitants with the Ashes of their Dwellings the only Cement which the Papists believed would fasten and bind the Fabrick of the Romish Church and what greater piece of Persidy could there be than while the Duke was riding about the Streets under Pretence of Assisting to quench the Fire that his Guards were at the same time employed to prevent the People from remâ—ving their Goods and his Palace made the Refuâ—e of such as were taken in the very â—act of cherisâ—ing and fomenting the Flames This the Committee of Parliament trac'd so far that it cost the Life of the poor Gentleman that gave the Information of these Things to the Chair man of the Committee to prevent any further Discovery and secure the D. from the Danger of his Life Coleman's crying out There was no Faith in Man was a most undeniable Testimony of the Treachery of his Master notwithstanding all the faithful Service he had done him and was it not a Magnanimous and generous Act of a Prince to betray as he did to the Gallows not only his most trusty Servant but his Fellow Partner in the Conspiracy More Inhumane still was the barbarous Murder actually contriv'd and brought to perfection by the encourag'd Instruments of the Duke For he it was that sent word to Coleman to bid him â—ake no care for that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey should be remov'd out of the way and at the same time took the like care that his Servant Coleman should follow him For it was Detection that he feared and the Dâ—ke well knew that the Dead could never tell Tales The Particulars of the Murder and how far the Circumstances of it reached the Dâ—ke are too fresh in Memory â—o be here inserted and Disâ—ensation for Deeds of the blackest hew were so easily obtaiâ—ed that it was no wonder the Duke so little boggled at a single Murder to conceal the Designs of general Masâ—acres wherein he was engag'd In pursuance of which he was no lesâ— industrious to bring the Presbyterians and all the Dissenting Protestants within the Snare of his Sham-Plot in order to the Destruction of Thousands of innocent Persons This Dangerfield discovered to the World and his Information taken upon Oath before Sir William Roberts and Sir William Poultney are extant wherein he gives an Accounâ— of his being introduced several times into the Duke of York's Prefence Particâ—larly that being once among the rest admitted to the Duke of York ' Closet at White-Hall he kissed his Hand upon his Knees Aâ—d then being taken up by the Duke he gave him a little Book containing the whole Scheme of the Presbyterian Plot for which the Duke thank'd him as also for his diligence to the Catholick Cause and wishing good Success to his Undertakings added these words That the Presbyterian Plot was a thing of most mighty Consequence and I do not question but the Effects of it will answer our Expectation especially in the Northern Parts where I am well assured the Major part of the Gentry aâ—e my Friends and have given sufficient Demonstrations to me as also of their Intentions to prosecute this Prescyterian Plot for they are no Strangers to the Design At the same time he ordered Dangerfield to be very careful of what he communicated to the Persons who were to be Witnesses in that new Plot lest he should be caught in the Subordination and so bring a terrible Odium upon the Catholicks and make himself uncapable of any further Service Then for Encouragement in the Prosecution of the Sham Plot the Duke promised that he would take Care that Money should not be wanting and ordered him with all the Expedition the Thing would allow to make a Discovery to the King At the same time the Duke also made divers Vows and bitteâ— Execrations to stand by him in the Thing and engaged upon his Honour to be his Rewarder and in earnest give him Twenty Guineas with his own Hand and telling him withal what a great Reputation he had gained among the Catholicks and that in a short time he should see the Catholick Religion flourish in these Kingdoms with a great deal more to the same purpose Of the truth of which among many others there could not be a more convincing Proof than the bitter Enmity which the Duke bore to Dangerfield after his Discovery and the severe Usage which he received from Iefferies the Duke`s Creature and the Rhadamantine Dispenser of his Revenges In Scotland he Rul`d or rather Reign`d though in his Brother's Life-time with a more Arbitrary and Lawless Controul And there it was that he breath`d forâ—h his Venome against the Protestants utterâ—d his Tyrannous Maximes with more â—reedom and exercised his Tyranny with a more boundleâ—s and exorbiâ—ant Extravagance For there it was that he first undertook to exercise the power of Soveraign Rule reâ—using to take the Oath of High Commissioner which the Law of the Counâ—râ— required as here he had dâ—nied to take the â—est and to shew how he intended to Govern England when it came to his turn there it was that in the hearing of Persons of great Credit he had this worthy Apothegm That tho` in England the Lawyers ruled the Court yet in Scotland he would rule the Lawyers There is was that he positively denied to give the Parliament any security for the Preservation of their Religion in
or Write any other new Laws agaonst Roman Catholicks The great Concessions of King Iames towards the Roman Catholicks brought great swarms of Priests and Jesuits into England who were busie in drawing the People from the Protestant Religion And a titular Bishop of Calcedon privately came to London to Exercise Episcopal Jurisdiction over the Roman Catholicks of this Kingdom 'T is said that the King had now so much confidence of the Match as to say openly in the Courâ— That now all the Devils in Hell could not break it The Spaniards the better to cover their Designs ordered that the Infanta should be stiled the Princess of England and she was kept no longer in her Virgin Retirements The Spanish Match having been long in Treaty and it being suspected now that the Spaniard did juggle with the States in this as they formerly did in a Match with that brave Prince Henry Whether the King suspected any such matter or any whimsie came into the Brains of the great Favourite and Prince to imitate the old Stories of the Knights Errand but agreed it was it should seem that the Prince must go himself very privately into Spain with his Favourite Buckingham under the borrowed Names of Iack and Tom Smith and they had the Ports laid so that none should follow them to give any Notice to the French Court through which they must pass And now many Lords and other Servants flock over that he might appear the Prince of Great Britain Many Treaties were soâ—etimes Hope sometimes Fear sometimes great Assurance then all dasht again At last after many Heats and Cools the Prince wrote a Letter to his Father of a desperate Despair not only of not enjoying his Lady but of never more rerurning Now the folly of this Voyage began to appear many smiling at the Follies that were concerned in it and however the King was a cunning Dissembler and shewed much outward Sorrow as he did for Prince Henry's Death yet the Court believed little Grief came near his Heart for that secret Hatred he had of late bore to Buckingham as being satiated with him and his Adorning the Rising Sun made it generally thought that he would not value the losing his Son so that Buckingham might be lost also Yet Buckingham had so much awe over the King that he durst not make shew to affect any other One great Reason of the King 's Hating of Buckingham was a large Information that he privately received from one Inniosa an Extraordinary Ambassador from Spain of Buckingham's Design on his Person whether by Poyson Pistol Dagger c. he could not tell Buckingham being fully satisfied on several Accounts of the great Hatred the King now bore unto him He turned as great a Hater of the King and though the King had more power to Revenge He had less Courage And however the World did believe the King's Inclinations was out of a Religious ground that he might not Revenge yet it was no other but a Cowardly Disposition that durst not adventure But altho the King lost his opportunity on Buckingham yet the black Plaister and Powder did shew Buckingham lost not his on the King and that it was no Fiction but a Reality that Padro Macestria had formerly told the King And now the Prince returns from Spain and all the fault of the Match not succeeding is laid on Bristol who was Ambassador there And Buckingham from an Accused Man in the former Parliament came to be the Darling of this Parliament And in the Banquetting-House before both Houses of Parliament does Buckingham give an Account at large of his Spanish Voyage and to every full point as a further Aâ—testation he saith How say you Sir To which the Prince answered I Yea or Yes Bristol having some Friends that sent Advice of All into Spain He immediately posts into England makes Buckingham's Relation and Accusation wholly False and Scandalous and becomes a great Favourite to King Iames. I shall now bring the Secret Story of this King's Life to an end He now goes his last Hunting Journey I mean the last of the Year as well as his Life which he ever ended in Lent and was seised on by an extraordinary Tertian Ague yet 't was not the Ague as himself confessed to many of his Servants one of which câ—ying Courage Sir this is but a small Fit the next will be none at all At which he most earnestly looked and said Ah! It is not the Ague afflicteth me but the black Plaister and Powder given me and laid to my Stomach Nor was it fair Dealing if he had fair Play which himself suspected often saying to the Earl of Montgomery whom he trusted above all Men in his Sickness For God's sake look I â—ave fair Play to bring in an Emperick to apply any Medicines whilst those Physicians appointed to attend him were at Dinner nor could any but Buckingham answer it with less than his Life Buckingham visiting the King just as he was at the point of Deathâ— who mournfully fixâ— his Eyes on him as who would have said You are the Man that has ruined me It were worth the knowledge what his Confessions was or what other Expressions he made of himself or any other but that was only known to the Dead Arch-Bishop Abbot and the then living Bishop Williams and the Lord-keeper and it was thought Williams had blabbed something which incensed the King's Anger and Buckingham's Hatred so much against him that the loss of his Place could not be explatory sufficient but his utter ruine must be determined Now have we brought this King who stiled himself the King of Peace and put on Mortality the 27 th of March to rest in all Peace We shall conclude his Remarks with an Appendix shâ—â—ing the particulars of a great manâ— Millions of good English Money even to an almost incredible Sum this King Expended on his Fruitless Embâ—ssies B ng Favourites Beggarly Scots Ant-Suppers Masqueradoes and other Buffoons even to a far greater Sum than his Predecessor Queen Elizabeth of Happy Memory Expended in all Her Wars in Ireland and with Spain c. during her Forty Four Years Reign King IAMES's LETTER TO Pope CLEMENT Most Holy Father HAVING understood by several Reports how diligent the Rivals of our Condition have been that the Sword of your Authority should he unsheathed against us and with what constancy your Prudence hath hitherto refused it we could do no less than return Thanks for such a good turn received especially upon so fair an Occasion when the Bearer of these a Scotch Man by Nation but a Roman by Adoption was returning unto your Dominion We recommend him to your Holiness to whom for his good Parts you have been already Beneficial that you would attentively bear him in those things which he shall deliver in our Name And because we know there is no better Remedy against the Calumnies of Ill Willers who by commemorating our Injuries done to Catholicks procure Envy to
to his old Shifts of Proroguing which was done by Proclamation to gain a little time for the acquitting of Sir Geâ—rge Wakeman So kind was his Protestant Majesty to help out his desponding Friends at a dead lift in order to the Shaâ— Plot which he was afterwards designing For now the Parliament being cut off He was at leisure to advise with his Popish Instruments who were no less sedulous to give their Advice to the utmost that their active Brainsâ— could reach By this sedulity it was That the Meal Tub Anti-Plot was contrived and hatched Only Tools were wanâ—ing to manage and carry on the Treachâ—rous Design Therefore not knowing where else to find Miscreaâ—ts fit for such Diabolical Enterprises all the Goals about the Town were raked for needy Profligates It will be needless to give Hâ—stery of that which has been so sufficiently discovered for an abominable Imposture The Miscarriage of this Blessed Design caused a second Prorogation of the Parliament upon hopes of 200000 l. from France which was dexterously prevented by the Duke of Buckingham which the King so ill resented That his Attorney General had Orders in Council to Indict him of Buggery with a design to have taken away his Life and repair the French Disapointment by the Confiscation of his Estate had the Project taken Never so much Villany in Contrivance never so much Money ill spent and never worse luck The like Success happened in that damned Sham Plot Intrigue between Fitz Harris Nell Wall with the French Dutchess c. Nor must it be omitted aâ— an Argument of His Maâ—esties great Zeal for the Protestâ—â—â— Reâ—igion That when one Sâ—rgeant a Priestâ— made a Discovery of the Popish Plot from Hâ—lland wâ—ich he caused to be transmitted to the Court with an Intention to have discovered sâ—veral othersâ— he was first bribed off and then sent fór into England slightly and slily examined had his Pardon given him and sent back with Five pound a Week to say no moreâ— Nor was it a thing less astonishing to the Nation to see the Parliament prorogued from time to time to less than seven timeâ— before permitted to Siâ— on purpose to get time for the Popish Duke to settle the Protestant Religion in Scotland and to the end the Conspirators might get heart and footing again and retrieve their Losses in England and in this Interval it was That Messâ—ngers were sent to their Friends at Rome and others their Associates for Money to strike while the Iron was hot in regard that Scotland by this time was secured and all things in such a forwardness that now or never was the time but the Pope had such an ill Opinion of our Sovereigns Fidelity that he slipt his Neck out of the Collarâ— and in imitation of him the rest excused themselves upon the Score of their poverty Thus missiâ—g Money from Rome and the rest of their Popish Associates and the King of France refusing to part with any more Cash there was no way but one at a forc'd put which was to let â—he Parliament Sit and to make them more willing to give Money to undo the Nation The King in a framed Speech told them of the wonderful advantagious Alliances for the Kingdoms good he had made with Foreign Princes and particularly with Holland and how necessary it was to preserve Tangâ—er which had already run him in Debt Upon which Considerations the Burthen of his Song wasâ— Mâ—re Money But the Parliament Incensed at the frequent prâ—râ—gations fell upon Considerations more profiâ—able for the Kingdom such as were the bringing to condign punishment the Obstructers of their Sitting The Impeachment of North for drawing the Proclamation against petitioning and Three of the Judges for dismissing the Grand Jury before whom the Duke was Indicted of Recusancy before they could make their presenâ—ments the prosecution of the Popish Plot and the Examination of the Meal Tub Sham all which they looked upon to be of greater Moment than the Kings Arguments for his Want For it was well known That by his perâ—idious Dealings abroad he had so impared his Credit with all the Foreign Princes to whom he sent that they slighted his Applications as one upon whose Word they could never Rely And as for the preservation of Tangier there was nothing less in his Thoughts A fine Credit for a Prince and an excellent Character to recommend him to poâ—terity That he had no other than his own sinister Ends upon the Grand Council of his Kingdom nor no other way to work them to those Ends unless by forging Untruths to make him accessary to the betraying of the people that had entrusted them The Parliament therefore bent all their Cares to secure the Kingdom from Popery concluding that the Dâ—kes Apostaâ—izing from his Religion was the sole Evil under which the Nations in a more particular manner groâ—medâ— and consequently that he was to be Disinherited But the King being resolved not to forsake his Brother whatever became of the Kingdom took such a high Resentment against these honest and just procâ—edings of the Houses that after he had Sacrificed the Lord Stafford to his hopes of obtaining Money upon the Dukes uâ—dertaking to furnish him he Dissolved this Parliament too with promise of another at Oxford to sweeten the bitter pill which he had made the Nation to swallow In the mean time all the Care imaginable waâ— taken to bring the Protestant Plot to perfection preparative to which Judges were selected with Dispositions Thoughts and Minds as Scarlet as their Gowns And the choice of Sheriffs was wrested by force from the people that they might pick out Juries without Conscience or Honesty A Plot contrived by perfidiousness and treachery beyoâ—d the parallel of History A Plot with Parisian Massacre in the Belly of it designing no less an Innundation of Innocent Protestant Blood under the colour and forms of Justice and yet who but he who in his last wheedling Speech to pick the Nations pocket had promised to consent to any Laws against Popery And the better to carry on this damned Design What a Crew of Devils in the Shape of Men a Regiment of Miscreâ—nts in whom all the Transgressions of the Law and Morality were mustered together I say what a Band of such Caâ—tiffs were Rendezvouzed and with that Money which Parliaments give to promote the Security of the Kingdom caressed and pampered even to Excess for the destruction of the Innocent And all this at the Expence of him that bore the Stile and Character of our Gracious Sovereign For full proofs of which there needs no more than to look into the Tryal of Fitz Harris himself therefore to recite the particulars of a Design already so well known and publickly exposed to all the World would be a repetition altogether needless This however was observable That we were come to the height of Tyberius's Reign when informers and false Accusers a sort of Men found out for the Ruine of the publick And
his intriguing Reign there can be nothing sharp enough to penetrate the stupid and besoâ—ted Bigortry of those that stand in his Justification But notwithstanding the willful blindness of such People it is to be hoped that other Men less byassed and having the same just pretences to common Understanding have a greater value for their Reason than to forfeit it to prejudice and an Interest now exploded by all the sober part of the World And having once disintangled their Judgments from the Incumbrances of Iure Divino Nonsense they will then find That the whole course of his Reign was no more than what this Memorial discovers and that the frequent Breaches of his Word and Promises both to his Parliaments and People were but the Effects of the Religion he Professed and owned in his Ambassadors Memorial one of the chief Principles of which it is Not to keep Faith with Hereticks and by which he was obliged to be more faithful to the King of Poland than the King of Heaven Hence it was that notwithstanding his Declaration at Breda design'd and penn'd to obtrude a seeming appearance of Truth and specious Face of Integrity upon the Nation after he came to be restored and settled we found our selves deceiv'd in all that we expected from the Faith and Credit of his Royal Word To which we may subjoin that other Famous Declaration upon shutting up the Exchequer Wherein tho his Sacred Word and Royal Faith were in plain and emphatical Terms laid to pledge for Repayment yet the Events in the Ruine and Impoverishing of so many Families did no way consist with his Gracious and Solemn Promises As for the Covenant whatever the Oath were it matters not here to dispute but they who were Witnesses of his taking it observed that if ever he seemed sincere in what he did it was in binding his Soul by that Soâ—emn Oath and yet he not only openly and avowedly broke it but câ—used it to be burnt in all the Three Nations by the hands of the Common-Hang-man Where can we find a more matchless piece of Dissimulation than in his Signing that Declaration in Scotland which he published under the Title of A Declaration of the King's Majesty to his Subjects of the Kingdom of Scotland England and Ireland Charles the II. having long trifled with the Papists his beloved Friends and indeed had so carried himself that neither Papist nor Protestant could tell what to make of him yet the Papists resolved they would be no longer dallied with by him And therefore so soon as he had made all Things ready for his Brother's Exaltation after he had prevented his Exclusion from the Thrâ—ne and put all the Power of his Dominions into his hands to give way for him that truly Reigned while he but only wore the Name of King he was struck with an Appoplexy as it was given out for let the true â—ause be what it will a Prince always dies of some Disease or other in the Physicians Catalogue but such were the Circumstances of his Death that Men began to discover their Suspitions freely to the World before he was cold However it were certain it is that he was Absolved from all his Sins by his great Friend John Huddleston and that the Priests gave him Extream Vnction At what time one of his Relations forcing his way into the Room and seeing them at it could not forbear saying That now they had Oyl`d and Greas'd his Boots they had made him fit for his Journey And this is yet more remarkable That all the while he lay upon his Death-Bed he never spoke to his Brother to put him in mind of preserving the Laws and Religion of his People but only recommended to him the Charitable Care of his Two Câ—ncubines Portsmouth and poor Nelly Nor was it a small Aggravation of the general Suspition to find him hurried to his Grave with such â—n Vngrateful Secrecy in the dead of the Night as if they had feared the Arresting of his Corps for Debt not so much as the mean pomp of the Blue-Coat Bâ—yst Sâ—ng him to Heaven Insomuch that he was hurried by his Brother whom he had so highly obliged with far less decency then was perrmitted for the Funeral of his Father by his Capital Enemies that had beheaded him But that perhaps might be so ordered by Providence to signiâ—ie that he was not worth the publick Lamentation of the People whose Religion and Liberties he had been always designing to subvert THE SECRET HISTORY OF King IAMES II. TO him succeeded Iames the II. not more pernitiously desining but more eagerly bent in the Chase of National Ruine and Destruction He came into England full freighted with his Mothers Religion and her Malice to the People of the Nation but wore at first the same Vizard Mask of Protestantism which his Brother did But tho he were fitter for the Business they both designed yet he understood not how to manage it so well so that had he been the Elder Brother we may undoubtedly presume to say he would have been much sooner thrown out of the Saddle greatly to the saving both the Honour and Treasure of the Nation and the Life of many a worthy Gentleman and true Lover of his Country 'T is well known and a thing confirmed by Two Letters yet to be seen wherein one of the Kings own Chaplains then upon the spot when it was done imparâ—s and laments it to a Bishop That the Duke of York while he was yet but very young made a solemn Renunciation of the Protestant Religiâ—n and was reconciled to the Church of Rome while he sojourned with his Mother in France in hopes by the assistance of the Papists to have defeated his Eldeâ— Brother of his Right of Inheritance tho he had all the Indulgence imaginable to conceal his Convulsion where it might be for his private Advantage and the general good of the Cause And so eaâ—ly was this Ambition of his to supplant his Elder Brother that when â—he Scots were treating with the exil'd King to restore him to the Throne of Scotland That he was at that very time practising with such as remained faithful to the King's Title here that they would renounce his Elder Brother and chuse him for their Sovereign And for that Reasoâ— it was that the Duke forsook him at Bruxels and withdrew into Holland so that the King was necessitated not only to command him upon his Allegiance to return but was constrained to send the Duke of Ormond and some other Pesons of Quality as well to threaten as persuade him before he would go back And as he was an early Traytor to his Brother ' so he did no less treacherously attempt the disowning of his first Wife For finding her extraordinary Chastity to be such that he could not be admitted to her Bed but upon the lawful score of Matrimony he was at last Married to her but so very privately that only the King and some very few