Just We do not mightily concern our selves what the People say I am sure not one of all that were concerned in this Conspiracy have dared to deny it absolutely though some have been prevailed upon by ill Advice to Prevaricate about it and Shuffle it off But none of them have had the Considence absolutely to deny the Truth of the Fact notwithstanding all the Calumnies and Reproaches cast upon the Government and all the arts that have been made use of to Stifle it Mr. Just With. My Lord I speak it the rather because we see what work Sir Samud harnardiston has made of it in his Letters where he calls it a Sham-Plot and says it is lost except it be sound among the Abhorrers and Addressers L. Ch. Just But now the Plot is found among the Conspirators and Traytors he may write to his Correspondents in the Country the next time It is found among the Reformers of Government and Religion that can Swallow all thing that can kill Kings and Levy War and do the Wont of Villanies to promote Religion and Reformation as they call it Let us think of some convenient day and give such Order that the Sheriffs see Execution done according to Law Mr. Att. Gen. You must first pronounce the Judgment my Lord. Mr. Just With. It is never pronounced in such a Case Mr. Attorney L. Ch. Just No we only give a Rule for Execution the Outlawry is the Judgment and that is upon the Record already Cl. of Cr. Yes my Lord we always enter it so L. Ch. Just Captain Richardson I think Wednesdays and Fridays are your usual Execution days in London are they not Cap. Richardson Yes my Lord either of them L. Ch. Just Then Wednesday seven-night Cap. Richardson Does your Lordship appoint Wednesday next L. Ch. Just No that will be too quick Wednesday seven-night Cap. Richardson What day your Lordship pleaseth I suppose I shall have a Rule Cl. of Cr. You shall have a Rule and an Habeas Corpus to deliver him as the Course is L. Ch. Just In the mean time take you Prisoner back again And accodringly be was carried back to Newgate The Petition to His Majesty Most Great and Gracious Sovereign I Your Majesties now close Prisoner in Newgate and Condemned for my Crimes which I have Consessed my self Guilty of in a Paper of my own Writing delivered to the Right Honourable the Lords of your Majesties Privy Council in which is a true and faithful Account of all that I know concerning the Late Plot with the manner How I was drawn into it and the Reasons why I did not come in at the first Discovery and cast my self at your Majesties Feet for Mercy which I hope your Majesty hath perused and find no cause to think I have reserved any thing undiscovered for when I was first taken I resolved to declare the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth which I have here done and will own to be True before any that shall offer to Contradict it or say There was no Plot and if any thing more occurs to my Memory will not fail to declare it I have now nothing to say for my self why I should not be Executed according to Condemnation but do most humbly prostrate my self at your Majesties Feet for Mercy acknowledging my hearty Sorrow for all that I have been Guilty of and rema 〈…〉 pes than that Fountain of Mercy which hath so abundantly flowed from your Majesties Sacred Breast ever since 〈◊〉 happy Restauration is not yet dry but that there is some Drops left for me which if I may be so happy as to Obtain I shall always whilst I live endeavour to Approve my self your Majesties most true and faithful Subject and I hope 〈…〉 the ends of a Pardon Which that I may so do and for your Majesties long Life Pâ—…ble and Happy Reign shall ever Pray c. James Holloway The Discourse that passed between the Sheriffs of London and JAMES HOLLOWAY at the time of his Execution Holloway MAy I have Liberty Sir to speak what I desire to speak Mr. Sh. Daniel Yes Sir you may What you have I suppose will be by way of Discovery to the World of what you are brought here to dye for Holloway You have my Paper Captain Cap. Richardson Yes Mr. Sh. Daniel Have it you about you Cap. Richardson I have it in my Pocket Mr. Sh. Daniel Shew it him Which he did Is it your own hand Writing Holloway Yes Sir Mr. Sh Daniel Is it your own hand Writing Holloway That is my own hand Writing A Discovery of what I knew I made to his Majesty but a great many People think that I have not discovered what I knew but I have discovered what I know of the PLOT and I am heartily sorry I was any way concerned in that way as to the endeavouring any thing by Arms. I do think several things have been ill managed in England thâ—… have been many things done against the King and the Kingdoms Interest and I wish the King was well satisfied of it and that a course might be taken to prevent it And I think one wâ—y to prevent Plotting according to my week Capacity is That his Majesty would be pleased to call a Parliament and pass an Act of Oblivion for all Plotters whatsoever There was a damnable Popish Plot and I look upon the stifling of That to be the only Cause that any man did any thing in This. Had all the Popish Plotters been Mr. Sh. Daniel By the way Sir How do you know it was stifled Holloway Sir we have known that the Laws could not be suffered against them and the Parliament could not be suffered in the Prosecution of them I wish the King would consult his own Safety and the Safety of the Nation and that an Act of Oblivion might pass for I believe there are many Concerned and that there might be an end put to all News mongers that write into the Country Letters of News I look upon that to do the King and the Kingdom more hurt than any thing else Cap. Richardson Mr. Holloway I beg one thing have you discovered all I desire you would declare those you did not name their Names that if occasion were would be râ—ady but that you had not spoke to them Wade and others were to maintain their Posts Holloway No Sir I had not spoke to them Cap. Richardson This you did say Holloway Yes Sir Sh. Daniel And that you promised a number of men in this Design Holloway Promise it I did propose I might do it Cap. Richardson What do you know of the Contriving the business of the RYE for Lopping or taking off the King and the Duke Holloway I was not with them till after the time a good while till about a Month or six Weeks after the time I was not acquainted with them I looked upon it as a business not likely to take any effect at all for I could never sind above Five
that were concerned in it Mr. Sh. Dashwood But did they not tell you at some one time they were concerned in such a thing Holloway Yes Sir they did so They told me more than once Mr. Sh. Daniel In Bristol or in London Holloway In London Mr. Sh. Dashwood Mr. Holloway you have a Liberty to say any thing you have a mind to Holloway I have little to say more upon that Account I am sorry I was concerned in that way to do such a thing as to take up Arms. But as to the Design I had and the PLOT I was acquanted with it was nothing against the Kings Life Cap. Richardson Sure at was the same PLOT while there was a Design to seize the King and take him from evil Company Holloway We had a Design to take them that were Guilty of the Popish Plot and were Enemies to the Privileges and Liberties of the Subject Mr. Sh. Daniel And as a thing that tended to that the King was to be seized till he consented to these things Holloway It was supposed by them that told me of it that many things that have been acted of late were done contrary to the Kings knowledge and that the King knew nothing of it and I am perfectly of that belief too That many things are done contrary to the Kings knowledg And I was farther informed That if the King could be but once acquainted with these things that the King would presently come in to those that should stand for his assistance and give up all those Offenders to Justice Mr. Sh. Daniel And if you could not tell him otherwise you would take him first and tell him afterwards Holloway You may interpret it how you please Sir It was that all such Differences amongst the Kings Subjects might be prevented for the future for I believe there were never greater Differences in the Spirits of men though some think the Times were never better than now because all things go according to their own humour but I suppose many in the Nation are satisfied that many things have been done contrary to Law Mr. Sh. Daniel Was it sit you should set up for a Politician or a Statesman Holloway No Sir I did not take it upon me that was for the Scriblers that write News I do not reckon my self worthy to direct in such a Case Mr. Sh. Daniel Mr. Holloway you don't remember to give the Names of those Persons you spake of Holloway It would be a folly for me Sir to go to abuse men that I did not know whether they would be concern'd or no. Mr. Sh. Dashwood But that there were Persons that would be concern'd you say Holloway That we did think so and if we should name every one that we thought would be concerned I believe we might name three parts of London Cap. Richardson I hope you are in a great mistake there Holloway For that Design I believe above three parts would be for I never had any Design but for the King and the Kingdoms Interest though I know that Design that was carried on by Ramsey and West was a very heinous Design but I believe they would not have found many in England that would have been for it I never heard of above Five foâ—…t Mr. Sh. Daniel Were you acquainted with Waleâ—t Holloway I was in his Company once or twice but I heard him speak against it Mr. Sh. Daniel Was you ever with my Lord Shaftsbury Holloway No Sir I was never with my Lord Shafisbury but once and that was about a Design I was promoting in Parliament about the Linnen Manufacture Mr. Sh. Daniel Was you ever with my Lord of Essex Holloway Never but once and that was about that business Mr. Sh. Daniel Were you ever acquainted with my L. Russel Holloway Never with him at all Mr. Sh. Dashwood You were saying you knew the Names of Five Who were they that were to be concern'd in that matter Holloway I have declared them to His Majesty Mr. Sh. Daniel Did you know Ferguson Holloway I knew him Sir but I know Ferguson to be against any such Design and indeed we did look upon it to be a thing that would come to no effect Mr. Sh. Dashwood Do you mean the Seizing the King Holloway I mean the Insurrection Mr. Sh. Daniel Did you know of any Mony raised or promised to buy Arms Holloway No Sir never I heard of Mony that was to be raised but I did not know who was to raise it Mr. Sh. Daniel It is not our business to ask you many Questions if you have any thing to say you may Mr. Sh. Dashwood If you have any thing to say for the discharge of you Conscience do it Holloway I thank God I never had any Design against His Majesties Person what I intended was only for the good of the King and Kingdom and I did take it that it would have been so and I am very sorry that any things should have gone contrary to Law as they have done and I hope care will be taken to prevent any such things for the future Mr. Sh. Dashwood The King hath said he will govern according to Law he hath done so and will do so Holloway That I leave to the Judgment of all many know better than I. Mr. Sh. Daniel Such Glossy Pretences are very strange to carry on such a Design for the Seizing a Sovereign Prince that you have Sworn Allegiance to or ought to have done Holloway I think those Pretences the Grounds that we went upon were no Glossy Pretences at all Mr. Sh. Daniel I think it is that when things are not done as you would have them you must immediately Rebel Holloway No Sir not that we did not design a Rebellion Mr. Sh. Daniel The seizing the King is certainly a Rebellion and one of the highest steps of Rebellion Holloway We say this that all ways were used against Protestants several Sham-Plots but no justice could be had against Papists Mr. Sh. Daniel Several of them were Executed here Holloway There were some Executed at first Sir but afterwards when so many great Persons came to be concerned there was nothing could be had against them Mr. Sh. Daniel There were mighty searches made about London for that great number of Papists talkt on Holloway There were a great many seized Sir but what became of them Mr. Sh. Daniel Generally Tryed and brought to condign Punishment You would not have had every Irish man believed against honest men Some people were called Papists in Masquerade Holloway Irish men were believed against Protestants after they had turned about and had Sworn against Papists they were believed then It was well observed that while the Irish Evidences did continue in the first Discourse of the Popish Plot and in the first Evidence then it is well known they were slighted and all cried out against but when they came to Swear against Protestants then things were altered presently Mr. Sh. Dashwood I Pray God all mens
eyes may be opened to see what is done Holloway I would not advise any one to go that way to work to do any thing by force of Arms and I wish the Kings eyes may be opened that he may see his Enemies from his Friends and I think he hath cause to look for them near his home Have you any Papers to deliver Holloway I have no other Papers what Paper I Wrote the Council had I did Wrâ—te I Paper that it might be some satisfaction to the Opinions of people of what I knew that care might betaken to prevent other Opinions if there were an errour And that Paper the Council had though they took it very hainously of me that I should presume to Write such a thing I looked upon it that I could not do more for the King than to acquaint him of what I knew that if they were misinformed there might be care taken to alter the Opinion Mr. Sh. Dashwood You have delivered to Paper to your Wife or to any Friends Holloway That I suppose is well known to the Goaler Mr. Sh. Dashwood You know better than any body whether you have or not You may say ay of no. Holloway I could not be admitted to Write any for I could not have Pen and Ink to Write any thing but this Mr. Sh. Dashwood And you have not delivered any Paper Holloway I have Written to some Friends I know it is supposed that I had delivered a Copy of that Paper that the Council had and I think if it had been known publickly it would have done no great hurt Mr. Sh. Daniel You speak of several peoples Opinions what do you mean Holloway As concerning the Times Sir the management of Assairs Mr. Sh. Daniel Pray Sir under what denomination do you reckon your self Holloway I reckon my self a Protestant Mr. Sh. Daniel Of what sort Of the Church of England or of the Dissenters from them Holloway I am not a Dissenter from the Church of England Mr. Sh. Daniel Nor joyned with them Holloway Nor joyned with them altogether But I thought that if any good had been designed for England that I had done enough to merit a Pardon for I had Wrote so much of Truth and was so fair and plain in it that I thought it would have merited a Pardon if any good were designed If I could have discovered more that had been for the King and Kingdoms interest I would have done it For I did not do it rashly but considered of it some time before I gave it in I hope it will be a satisfaction that there was such a Plot what other mens Opinions might be of it I can't tell but leave every one to their own Judgment It was feared that Arbitrary Government and Popery was designed and truly I think at this present time by what I can understand that there is little better designed Cap. Richardson This is reflecting upon the Government Mr. Sh. Dashwood This is not sit Holloway I say it is contrary to the Kings knowledge Sir Mr. Sh. Daniel Sir We have neither a Reprieve nor a Pardon for you Holloway I don't expect it Sir if Truth and Plainness would have merited a Pardon I might have had it Cap. Richardson The King is the best Judge of his own mercy Holloway Had the Law been executed against Popish Offenders I had never been concerned in any Plot. Cap. Richardson You know the King was very earnest in that to have the Laws put in execution against them and that he moved in to the Parliament to have it done Have you any thing else to say that more nearly concerns you Holloway I wish I could have been any otherways serviceable to the King and Kingdom before I left them I should have been very willing and it was always my design to promote the King and Kingdoms Interest more than my own Mr. Sh. Damel Well Sir you say some things very well but others ill Holloway What I say Sir I leave to peoples Judgments if I am mistaken I hope they will be otherwise Mr. Sh. Damel Well Sir have you any thing farther to say Holloway No Sir Mr. Sh. Dashwood I suppose you used to keep a Meeting or Club at Bristol with several there Holloway I know some have represented a Club very bad in Bristol A Club we had about the Choice of Parliament men Mr. Sh. Damel The Horse-shoe Club. Mr. Sh. Dashwood Or the Marmaid Club. Holloway The Horse-shoe Club it was only for the carrying on the Election of Parliament men If all such things should be called Clubs there were greater Clubs kept by another Party Mr. Sh. Dame Well Sir you had best fit your self for Death you have no long time to live Then he opened his Bibel and read the 62 Psalm and part of two Chapters in the Hebrews and afterwards asked the Sheriffs if he might have liberty to Pray which being gramed be Prayed as follows BLessed and holy Lord our God thou art before all Men thou art the only true God the Almighty God the Fountain of all Goodness Thou art the Discerner of all hearts the secret thoughts of men are not unknown to thee Oh Lord what am I that thou shouldst be mindful of me or that thou shouldst suffer me now to call upon thee when thou mightest have taken me away in the Commission of some sin against thee But thou hast been a merciful God a long-suffering God a patient God O Lord I trust it is for my Souls Welfare in bringing me to this though it is an untimely end for thou cuttest off my days in the midst but Lord I trust it is for my Souls sake Our times are in thy hands and it is my Sins that have brought me to this Oh give me a true sense or them as I trust thou hast done and that thou hast heard my Prayers and wilt be my God my Comforter and receive me in and through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord who offered himself a Sacrisive for our Sins even for the Sins of the whole World and now sâ—… at thy right hand interceeding for us Lord hear me in and through him Lay not any of my Sins to my charge let not the least Sin be unpardoned The least Sin deserveth Damnation Lord I trust thou hast pardoned them all and that thou hast heard my Prayers and the Prayers of others for me Lord in mercy look down upon me in mercy look down upon this Nation pardon the crying Sins thereof Lord thou seest to what a height of Sin it grows and thou seest what Wickedness is promoted in all Places and what little encouragement there is to that which is good Lord bless the King and keep him from all Conspiracies Lord give him a sense of his Condition and make him know his Enemies from his Friends O Lord let him look close about him to see who are about him and Lord put an end to all Plottings O Lord make him a happy Prince give
him a sense of his Sins and a sense of whose Servant he is Lord make him thy true and faithful Servant Lord bless all thy People wheresoever they are and continue thy Gospel every where let it not be rooted out O Lord thou knowest what Contrivances have been made against it Lord continue it here let it Flourish more than ever it hath done Lord make England a Place thou wilt delight to dwell in and make them know than hast not dealt so with overy Nation Lord hear the Prayers of all thy People Lord continue the Gospel in England Let not Popery let not Arbitrary Government come in O Lord there are good Laws in England Lord let them be put in Excecution Lord hear me for thy Mercies sake I am now â—…ing unto thee Lord I have but a minute or two to be here let thy Spirit receive me to thee I commit my Spirit Lord hear me and answer me for thy Sons sake who is at thy right hand interceeding for me to whom with thee and thy Eternal Spirit be al Honour and Glory and Praise both now and evermore Then being asked who was in Council at the delivery of the Letter he answered Holloway There was the Duke of York and the Lord Keeper I did not deliver it It was intercepted in a Letter or given iâ— I did not know how it was for I have been kept so that I had not the Liberty to see any Friend till yesterday in the afternoon I had the Liberty of 2 or 3 hours with my Wise Cap. Richardson You had your Wife with you before and your Sister and some other Friends Holloway But that was never without a Keeper Sir Cap. Richardson You are in the right Mr. Sh. Daniel They do not use to allow men under you Circumstances such a Liberty as you talk of Holloway I Pray God that no other people may concern themselves with publick Affairs out of their own way and that the Scriblers might be put down for they do more hurt to the Kingdom than any thing else Mr. Sh. Daniel Have you any thing more to say Holloway No Sir Mr. Sh. Daniel Then God have Mercy upon your Soul The PAPER delivered to the Sheriffs APRIL 26. 1684. TO stop the Mouths c. of all Pamphleteers and News-Scriblers who have done more Prejudice to his Majesty and Kingdoms by their Impudent endeavours to Sham all Plots and to fill the Country with False News than they will ever be able to Retrieve and to satisfie all I leave behind me I thought good to draw up a short Account of what I knew of the Late Protestant Plot how I came to be Concerned what Induced me to it and how far I was Concerned also my now Opinion of it c. It was my Unhappiness to have too Publick a Spirit for one of my Capacity and as soon as I came to be a Free-man to prefer the Kings and Kingdoms Interest before my own for having some knowledg in Linnen Cloath upon the Prohibition of French Linnens c. I thought the Linnen Manufacture might be brought to Perfection in England to the very great advantage of the Poor and so made some tryal of it in Warwickshire where I employed some Hundreds of Poor and in about Eighteen Months time brought it to such Perfection that I could make as good Cloath as the French and so well Imitate it that few could know it from French but the Prohibition being not so strict as at first seemed to be French Cloath was brought in Cheaper than ever so that I was forced to leave off with loss but considering that by an Act of Parliament for its encouragement in a method I had thought upon it might be setled much to the Kings and Kingdoms Interest advancing the Kings Revenue near two hundred thousand Pounds a Year and would have employed about 80 Thousand Poor people and about 40 Thousand Acres of Land concerning which I was about June 1680. brought acquainted with the Earl of Essex to whom I related the business who immediately had me to the now Earl of Rochester then President of the Treasury and he had me to Sir Edward Deering who when they understood my Proposals gave me something to bear my Charges and encouraged me to attend the next Parliament to endeavour the Promotion thereof which I did almost the whole Session and brought to the Speakers Chamber some of the Cloath which was compared with French c. and the Design well approved of by all which brought me into too large Acquaintance for one of my Capacity from whom I heard too much as hath proved for my Interest of things that were then in hand concerning the Popish Plot which prevented the doing any thing as to my Design So after that I was encouraged to attend the Oxford Parliament which I did and was desired there by the Earl of Clarendon and others to prepare a Bill the Heads of which I drew up though it proved to no purpose but my Ruin I wish my King and Country might reap the Benesit of what I pay so dear for The more I knew during my Attendance on those two Parliaments the more was desirous to know and did by some Scriblers and News-mongers constantly know most Publick Assairs that were Acted which they undertake to represent according to their own homour many Actions being represented very Illegal much against the Protestant Interest in favour of Papists c. Shamming the Popish Plot and laying Sham-Plots upon Protestants abusing the Rights and Priviledges of the Subject the Truth of which I leave to the Judgment of all but hearing many such like things was easily prevailed with to be Concerned in the PLOT according as it was proposed to me viz. About July 1682. I met with a Person who then being come from London gave me a Relation at large concerning the Election of Sheriffs that had been in June the manner of which is well known to all he represented it to me as a very Illegal Action and that there was a Devilish Design of the Papists in it to Cut off the Kings Friends the Stirring men in both the last Parliaments as to the Prosecution of the Popish Plot who I always took to be both the Kings and the Nations Friends That there was Witnesses had been ready a long time to Swear against them but they could not get Jurors to believe them but now they had by force of Arms c. got Sheriffs who would find Juries to believe them and so Hang them up at their Pleasure that there was none but bad Counsel about the King who kept all Ill Actions from his knowledge and if they proceeded to Swear North and Rich at Michaelmas and to chuse Lord Mayor as they had done Sheriffs the Protestant Gentry were resolved naming some to remedy what was Designed by an Insurrection in several parts of England and if possible to get the King off from his Evil Counsel and bring all