Plot against the Lives of the King and the Duke and for subversion of the Government The end of this business was to have had a commotion for the accomplishing their great Conspiracy but Parturiunt Montes For after this Tragical Out-cry their own Witnesses only proved that Mr Brome the Coroner went to my Lord Mayor and told him that he had a Writ against him at the suite of Mr Papillon and another at the Suite of Mr Dubois and prayed him that he would please to give an appearance and that upon his refusing to do it his Lordship went in his own Coach to the Coroner's House Mr Serjeant Maynard then offered to the Jury That my Lord Mayor if he mistake in his Office and doth not that which belongs to him to do he is as much subject to the process of the Law as any private Citizen That the question they were to try was Whether Mr Papillon had probable Cause of Action against the Mayor That the Case was thus Vpon the contest about the choice of Sheriffs the Judges of the Election certifie to the Mayor and Aldermen that Mr Papillon had most Suffrages thereupon he conceived himself rightly chosen and that surely gave him a probable cause to proceed upon it and if so no doubt he might well take the course he did here is no Arrest without legal Process nay their own Witnesses say there was an offer to take an appearance without an Arrest but that being refused the process of the Law was executed He had no other course to take but to bring his Action against the Mayor This course he took here is a great deal of stir made that a Coroner of London should Arrest my Lord Mayor he might do it lawfully doth this prove that this was malitiously done Have they proved any particular discontent and malice that was between them No the quite contrary appears did he Violently Arrest him That he might do and no offence in Law no but he did it not but only desired from time to time that he would give an appearence that would have put a Conclusion to this dispute Besides the Sheriffs having made a return of Mr Papillon's Election to the Aldermen they being of another opinion gave order that those who thought themselves agrieved should take their remedy at Law which has been pursued in the regular course the Law prescribes Here is a great noise of Damage and Disrepute and Disgrace and the Plaintiff has been pleased to reckon his own Damages at 10000 l. We say he has sustained no Damage The very Court of Aldermen and the Lord Mayor bidding them take their course at Law We sure shall not be punished for doing it Mr Williams then insisted that the Plaintiff's Action must fall if they shewed that it was not Malitious and that Mr Papillon had a probable cause to bring his Action Mr Ward then observed to the Jury that Mr Papillon had been greatly reflected upon That by way of Crimination against him there was a most unjust reflection as if he were privy to an intended Insurrection and Conspiracy against the King's Life and procured the Mayor to be Arrested to promote an Insurrection That this was only insinuated for Reflection sake and not one word of any such thing proved He then added that the Case before them depended upon this point Whether Mr Papillon had a reasonable cause or probable ground to bring an Action against Sr William Pritchard If so all that was desired was only an Appearance but that would not be given That the Jury had been told of the great dangers in the Case as to the Infringment of the Peace c. but had Sr William Pritchard complyed with the reasonable and oft repeated request of ordering an Appearence the Peace of the Kingdom had been in no peril from such a design as this Arrest Here the Chief Justice told Mr Ward a Person never esteemed to come short of Sr George Jefferies in any thing but Insolence and Impudence That he had made a long Speech and nothing at all to the purpose and that he did not understand what he was about and that made him ramble in his Discourse and did then in a raving and most impetuous manner repeat his expression six or seven times that Mr Ward did not understand the Business Mr Brome the Coroner being called to give an account of the manner of his Arresting my Lord Mayor testified That he had a former Writ in Hillary Term and went to my Lord Mayor and desired him that he would appear to it but he said he would give no Appearance That he gave his Lordship a week or ten days to consider of it and then waited upon him at the Court of Aldermen and had his answer that he had considered of it and would give no appearance That a little before Easter Term the Attorney brought him another VVrit and threatned to complain to the Court of him for neglecting the Execution of two of the King's VVrits That thereupon he went again to my Lord and told him that the VVrit was renewed and he was pressed to make a return and desired that his Lordship would please to give an Appearance and that he told him that he was ready to submit to the King 's Writ but would not give an Appearance and thereupon the Officers named in the Warrant Arrested him by his Command Then Mr Crisp the common Serjeant aiming at Alderman Cornish falls to interrogating Mr Brome who were present at the meeting when the Arresting the Mayor was agreed upon he having named two or three the Common Serjeant further pressed him to name others and then the Chief Justice explained the Common Serjeant's meaning by demanding whether Mr Cornish was there Alderman Cornish and Mr Serjeant testified That Mr Papillon and Mr Duboiâ— being at the Alderman's House their At orney came to them and told them that he had addressed himself from time to time to my Lord Mayor to get him to give an Appearance but he would not and that thereupon they told him it was fit the matter should be brought to an Issue and ordered him to get an Appearance if he could and to remember that the Lord Mayor was the Chief Magistrate of the City and that he should carry it with all imaginable respect and regard to him Here the Chief Justice and Attorney General made long and extravagant excursions running upon Alderman Cornish with abundance of Questions wholly foreign to the matter in Question and Jefferies told him that he had as much cause as any Man to remember the manner of his own being chosen Sheriff for several reasons that he knew A plâ—… Indication of what he designed against this honest Gentleman And then his Lordship added that he only asked things by the by to satisfie the World what sort of Men these are that pretend to Saintship and with his wonted blustering Impudence said Do you think the Government will ever suffer it self to be
and upon whom the following Vote passed in the House of Commons December the 24th 1680. Resolved Nemine contradicente That Richard Thompson Clerk has publickly defamed his Sacred Majesty preached Sedition Vilified the Reformation promoted Popery by asserting Popish Principles denying the Popish Plot and turning the same upon the Protestants and endeavoured to subvert the Liberty and Property of the Subject and the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament and that he is a Scandal Reproach to his Function Resolved That the said Richard Thompson be Impeached thereupon Men of this Kidney having made way for its belief We were from this time entertained with a Succession of sham Presbyterian-Plots the first thereof known by the name of the Meal-tub-Plot being happily discovered by Mr Dangerfield both Lords and Commons taking the Alarm did set themselves with double diligence to the Prosecution of the Popish-Plot and to find out ways for the Uniting Protestants and for Easing Dissenters so little had the opinion of a Presbyterian-Plot prevailed within their Walls and the Commons seeing a Dissolution at hand passed these Votes December the 15 th 1680. Resolved Nemine contradicente That a Bill be brought in for an Association of all his Majesties Protestant Subjects for the safety of his Majesties Person the defence of the Protestant Religion and the preservation of his Majesties Protestant Subjects against all Invasions and Oppositions whatsoever and for reventing the Duke of York or any Papist from succeeding to the Crown January the 7 th 1680. Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House that there is no security or safety for the Protestant Religion the King's Life or the well Constituted and Established Government of this Kingdom without passing a Bill for disabling James Duke of York to inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and to rely upon any other means or remedies without such a Bill is not only insufficient bâ—… dangerous January the 10 th 1680. Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House that the Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the Penal Laws is at this time grievous to the Subjects a weakning of the Protestant Interest and encouragement to Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom The next Moment after the passing this Vote the Parliament was prorogued for ten days and quickly after dissolved A new Parliament was forthwith Summoned to meet at Oxford the 21 st of March following but though the place was changed the Conspirators found there most of the Zealous Protestant Members of the Westminister Parliament who came thither animated to prosecute the Popish Plot the Exclusion of the Duke and the Uniting of Protestants by Addresses from those whom they represented whereof take an Instance To the Honourable Sr Samuel Barnardiston and Sr William Spring Baronets Knights of the Shire for the County of Suffolk Gentlemen WE the Freeholders of this County having chosen you our Representatives in the last Parliament in which We had satisfactory demonstration of your Zeal for the Protestant Religion of your Loyalty to his Majesties Person and Government and of your faithful Endeavours for the preservation of the Laws our Rights and Properties We now return you our most hearty Thanks and have Vnanimously chosen you to Represent this County at the Parliament to be holden at Oxford the 21 th of March next and though We have not the least distrust of your Wisdom to understand or of your Integrity and Resolution to maintain and promote our common Interest now in so great hazard yet We think it meet at this time of eminent danger to the King and Kingdom to recommend some things to your Care and particularly We do desire First That as hitherto you have so you will vigorously prosecute the execrable Popish Plot now more fully discovered and proved by the Tryal of William late Viscount Stafford Secondly That you will promote a Bill for Excluding James Duke of York and all Popish Successors from the Imperial Crown of this Realm as that which under God may probably be a present and effectual means for the preservation of his Majesties Life which God preserve the Protestant Religion an the well Established Government of this Kingdom Thirdly That you will endeavour the frequent Meeting of Parliaments and their sitting so long as it shall be requisite for the dispatch of those great Affairs for which they are convened as that which is our only Bulwark against Arbitrary Power Fourthly That you will endeavour an happy and necessary Vnion amongst all his Majesties Protestant Subjects by promoting those several good Bills which were to that end before the last Parliament And that till these things be obtained which We conceive necessary even to the Being of this Nation you will not consent to bring any Charge upon our Estates And We do assure you that We will stand by you with our Lives and Fortunes in prosecâ—…ion of the good Ends before recited This Parliament beginning where the former left and being found to adhere unalterably to the Resolution of rooting out the Plot and of Excluding the Duke as the only adequate remedy for all the threatning Evils to the Kingdom they were after a very few days Sitting upon the sudden Dissolved and followed into their own Countries with a Declaration bearing date April the 8 th 1681 pretending to set forth the â—…ses and Reasâ—… that moved the â—…ng to Dissolve that and the preceedâ—… Parliament bâ—…cally designed to expose and blacken those worthy Patriots and to that end it was ordered to be read in all Churches and Chappels throughout the Kingdom which was readily obeyed To wheadle the Nation till it might be noosed that Declaration according to the mode of that Reign spoke and promised fare tho the train was then laid to blow up our Religion Laws and Liberties It exhorted us that the restless malice of Ill Men who were labouring to poison the People might not perswade us that the King did intend to lay aside the use of Parliaments and declared that no Irregularities in Parliaments should ever make him out of love with Parliaments And that he resolved by the Blessing of God to have frequent Parliaments and both in and out of Parliament to use his utmost Endeavours to extirpate he means Establish Popery †Note this was after his Fathers Copy who by a Declaration in the year 1626. to justifie his Arbitrary way of Leveing Money by way of Loane said that his Occasions would not give leave for the calling a Parliament but assured his People that he intended not to serve himself by such ways to the abolishing of Parliaments and yet the Nation saw not a Parliament from the 3 d to the 16 th year of that Reign vide Rushworth's Collections first Part page 418. This Royal Grace or rather Slander upon one of the three Estates was not only proclaimed from the Readers Desks but was promulgated from both Pulpit and Press five days after the emiting this Declaration
into the bargain but that Mr Justice Pemberton checkt it by holding up his hands in Admiration this persons Crime was the publishing a Book called An Appeal from the Country to the City in which this passage was contained We in the Country have done our parts in chusing good Members for Parliament but if they must be Dissolved or Prorogued when-ever they come to redress the Grievances of the Subject we may be pittied not blamed if the Plot takes effect as in all probability it will Our Parliaments are not then to be condemned for their not being suffered to sit occasioned it But now when we come to Judgments for Misdemeaners on the other side We shall perceive great Compassion and Mercy appearing in that Court indeed Reading who was Convicted for the first attempt upon the King's-Witnesses was adjudged to pay 1000 l. to be Pilloried and Imprisoned for a year and one would have thought that more severe Judgments would have past upon such as should dare to repeat the same Crimes after such an Example but we see the contrary About six Months afterwards Knox and Lane being Convicted of the same Offence accompanied with much blacker Circumstances Knox the principal was only Fined 200 Marks and condemned to a years Imprisonment and to be bound to the good Behaviour for three years And Lane Fined 1â—… Marks and adjudged to stand once in the Pillory and to be Imprisoned a year And now in the Case before us Mr Tasborough a Gentleman of a good Estate who had treated about so great a Villany in the name of the Duke of York was only Fined 100 l. And Mrs Price 200 l. But who can admire at this notorious departure from the rules of Justice and Equality in the assessing of Fines that remembers that the Chief Justice Scroggs did in this very Term declare in open Court in the Case of Dr Jessop a very honest and worthy Protestant of Norfolk that he would have regard to Persons and their Principles in imposing of Fines and would set a Fine of 500 l. on one person for the same offence for which he would not Fine another 100 l. And accordingly Fined Dr Jessop 100 l. for reporting false News as they called it and at the same time Fined the Doctor 's Author of that News a right Tory no doubt only five Marks Now surely will the Reader say this Jessop was undoubtedly a very naughty Man but to undeceive him I can affirm he is as true a Church of England Man as can be found and the bad principle which made him to be thus marked was that he was an avowed Enemy to Popery and true to the Liberties of England and did upon every occasion exert himself to a degree hardly to be equalled by any Gentleman of Norfolk for the chusing deserving men for Knights of the shire and particularly for Sr John Hobart then whom none ever deserved better of that County and whose name will always be remembred there with great Honour For this extravagant Partiality and Injustice in imposing Fines the Court of Kings-Bench was deservedly marked with this Vote of the House of Commons December the 23 d 1680 Resolved That the Court of King's Bench in the Imposition of Fines on Offenders of late years hath acted Arbitrarily Illegally and Partially Favouring Papists and persons Popishly affected and excessively Oppressing Protestants Reflections upon the Proceedings in the Old Baily before the Lord Chief Justices Pemberton and North. November 24 1681. upon an Indictment for High Treason framed against the Right Honourable Anthony Earl of Shaftesbury for conspiring the Death of the King and Subversion of the Government THe Names of the Grand-Jury returned by Sheriff Filkington and Sheriff Shute and who were Sworn upon that occasion were Sr Sam. Barnardiston John Morden Thomas Papillon John Dubois Charles Herle Edward Rudge Humphrey Edwm John Morris Edmund Harrison Joseph VVright John Cox Thomas Parker Leonard Robinson Thomas Shepherd John Flavel Michael Godfrey Joseph Richarson VVilliam Empson Andrew Kendrick John Lane and John Hall. A sort of people called Tories wedded to their own blindness having loudly clamoured of this great Jury I shall here add the names of those who were returned upon the same Pannel Alderman Ellis Mr Mellish Mr Tho. Gardener Samuel Swinnock Mr Ben. Godfrey Mr John Pollexfen Mr John Smith Mr John Gardener Mr Peter Delence Mr Peter Hubland Mr William Ashurst Mr John Deagle Mr Thomas Western Mr Bonnel Mr Gabriel Wheatley Mr Tho. Carpenter Mr L. Baskervile Mr George Marwood Mr John Smith And now let all who know the City of London judge whether a more substantial Pannel in every respect was ever returned to serve at the Old-Bailey The King's Council for the management of this Intrigue were The Attorney General Sr Francis Wythens the Abhorrer of Parliaments And Mr Saunders afterwards the Quo Warranto Lord Chief Justice Mr Graham the Solicitor of all the late Sham Plots upon Protestants and pay-master of corrupt Juries and perjured Witnesses solicited this Prosecution and hence took his first step to such Preferment as enabled him to give Eight or ten thousand Pounds with a Daughter 'T is to be lamented that he hath lived to this day without further Preferment in the way which at that time the then Lord Chancellor promised to honest Captain VVilkinson The magnified Evidence of this horrid Treason and that which the King's Council relying upon begun with was a Paper proved by Secretary Jenkins Mr Blaithwaite and Mr Gwin to have been found in the Earl's House of which such noise has been made in the World by the virulent Observator and the Popish News-Writers as well as from too many of our Pulpits that it may not be ungratful to the Reader to be here presented with the very words thereof which follow The Association WE the Knights c. finding to the grief of our Hearts the Popish Priests and Jesuites with the Papists and their Adherents and Abettors have for several years last past pursued a most pernicious and hellish Plot to root out the true Protestant Religion as a pestilent Heresie to take away the Life of our Gratious King to subvert our Laws and Liberties and to set up Arbitrary Power and Popery And it being notorious that they have been highly incouraged by the Countenance and Protection given and procured for them by James Duke of York and by their expectations of his succeeding to the Crown and that through Crafty Popish Councils his Designs have so far prevailed that he hath created many and great Dependants upon him by his bestowing Offices and Preferments both in Church and State. It appearing also to us that by his influence Mercenary Forces bave been levied and kept on foot for his secret Designs contrary to our Laws the Officers thereof having been named and appointed by him to the apparent hazard of his Majesties Person our Religion and Government if the Danger had not been timely fore-seen by several Parliaments and
unfortunate in his private Concerns yet he was not blemished in his Credit That Baines then told him if he would not go to Whitehall the Marshal had a Habeas Corpus to carry him and so they parted That about four in the afternoon the Marshal came with Booth and Baines and compelled him to go to Whitehall That there Secretary Jenkins and my Lord Conway did strictly examine him about the Lord of Shaftesbury and what he knew of any design against the King who told them he knew nothing That the King then came and honoured the Infornant by saying that he knew him well and that he had served his Father and him faithfully and he hoped he would not decline his Obedience to which the Informant answering that he deserved not to be suspected the King told him that he had not had an opportunity to serve his Friends but hoped he might and promised to consider the Informants Sufferings but told him that what kindness was intended him was not with a design to invite him to speak a word but truth it self and then demanded what he knew of a design against his Person and Government that he thereupon told the King that he knew nothing of any Plot or Design against his Majesty or Goverment that the King seemed not to be satisfied but still pressed hard upon him and he not being able to give any satisfactory answer to the questions put to him by the King his Majesty told him if he would say as he hoped to be saved he knew nothing of any design against his Person he would believe him which the Informant did say in those very words at which the King seemed to wonder That then he was left to Secretary Jenkins who used such Arguments as he thought fit And then he was carried into another Room before the King the Lord Chancellour Lord Hallifax and Lord Hide the two Secretaries and Chief Justice Pemberton and Examined there Graham Burton and Baines being present That the Chancellour was sharp upon him with several Questions which the Informant could not answer and would not believe but that he must be guilty of knowing great things against the Lord Shaftesbury That thereupon the Informant told him if they would not take his Word he would declare his Knowledge upon Oath if they brought the Lord Shaftesbury to Tryal and that without any hopes of Gain or Advancement upon which the Chancellour told him there were two sorts of Advancement and he need not give himself that trouble for he himself was like to come to Tryal before the Lord Shaftesbury That then the Chancellour demanded of the Informant whether he had not a Commission for the new Service against the King which being denyed he told the Informant that he was to have a Troop of Fifty Men and that Booth who stood by gave that Information and was Listed under him which Booth affirmed 〈…〉 true and that he had made Oath of it that the Informant knowing his Innocence was unconcerned and told the Council if they had such another Witness they might do his Business The Information of Gervas James Gentleman THat Captain Wilkinson upon the 11 th of October 1681. and daily afterwards acquainted him with the Treaties and Transactions between him and Bains Booth and Graham and the other persons mentioned in the fore-going Information and that they were in substance the same with what is therein set forth the Informant at Captain VVilkinson's request and for his own satisfaction having kept a daily journal during the said Treaties The Information of Mrs Susannah Wilkinson Wife of Captain Wilkinson THat upon the 12th of October 1681 she found her Husband at VVeaver's House with Booth and Baines who were very largely treating him with Wine That her Husband stepping out Booth told her that he was a most obstinate man and desired her to perswade him to be guided by him and said the King would do more for her Husband then ever the Ld. of Shaftesbury would and was sensible of his Service and Sufferings And if her Husband would be perswaded by him the said Booth to appear against the Ld. of Shaftesbury he should have 500 l. per annum settled upon him and his Heirs forever That upon the 14th of October 1681 she being with her Husband at the King's Bench-Prison Booth came and desired her for God's sake to perswade her Husband to be ruled by him and that if he would he might be a happy man and the Duke of York would settle 500 l. a Year in Ireland upon him and his Heirs Having in the fore-going Abstract shown what mighty Temptations honest Captain VVilkinson withstood I shall now intimate something of the manner how the Irish VVitnesses were corrupted and wrought upon to Swear against my Lord of Shaftesbury Mr Robert Boulter of London Stationer and Mary Cox of Stoke-Newington in Middlesix Spinster upon the 8 th of July 1681. gave Information in writing upon Oath before Sr John Fredrick a Justice of the Peace for London That upon the 7 th of June 1681. Bernard Dennis told them that David Fitz. Gerald had made him great proffers to retract his Evidence about the Popish Plot. Bryan Haynes made Oath before the Council the 5 th of October 1681. that David Fitz. Gerald one of the King's Evidence about the end of last February told him that he had possessed the King that the late Plot was a Presbyterian Plot and invented by the Earl of Shaftesbury to extirpate the Family of the Stewarts and turn England into a Common-wealth or set the Crown upon the Earl's Head. That Fitz. Gerald did diverse times tamper with the Deponent to retract his Evidence concerning the Popish Plot and that Fitz. Gerald told him that he wanted but John Macnamar to come in and joyn with him and he would have the Earl of Shaftesbury's Head off and Sham the whole Popish Plot. This Information of Bryan Haynes is still extant and certified to the World by Mr Blathwayte then one of the Clerks of the Council in these Words A true Copy of a Paper remaining at the Council Board attested in pursuance of an Order in Council dated the 5 th of October 1681. William Blathwaite Now Is it not a most astonishing thing and not to be believed in the next Age that the King's Council should without blushing produce these very Men Dennis Haynes Macnamar c. as Witnesses against this Noble Lord and that Mr Secretary Jenkins and Mr Blathwaite and Mr Gwin Clerks of the Council could stand in the Court and hear them give their Evidence without Exclamation But they may say as the Poet hath it Aetas Parentum peior Avis Nos tandem protulit Progeniem Vitiosorem Notes upon the Tryal of Mr Stephen Colledge at Oxford upon an Indictment for High Treason the 17 th of August 1681. THe Conspirators having been disappointed of many 〈◊〉 hopeful Plot and to this time not getting one to bear They now resolve to content
themselves with a very ill-favoured one and having suborned and bought in a Set of proper Witnesses They resolve first to enter them upon Stephen Colledge a Joyner before they run them at more Noble Game Hereupon he is clap'd into the Tower and an Indictment for High Treason is offered to this following City-Grand-Jury John Wilmore William Mackley Sampson Puller Thomas Cope Peter Mortimer John Wood Thomas Haynes Thomas Fox John Read Marke Stretton Edward Powel Paul Dorrel Francis Lascoe John Armiger Samuel Totton John Pettyt S. Maine Caleb Hocke and Robert Davies These Gentlemen well-seeing the Villany of the practice and weighing as undoubtedly they might and ought the Credibility of the Infamous Witnesses They reject the Bill hand it back to them who sent it with an Honourable Ignoramus The Being of their Plot depending upon their gaining the point against this Poor Mans Life They change the Scene to Oxford and at the Assizes there one Gregory the well-disposed Sheriff of that County picks out a Grand-Jury for the purpose and so an Indictment of Treason is there found against him Matters being thus prepared for the Murdering this honest Man the Proto-Martyr in the sham Presbyterian Plot and it being a thing of mighty moment these four Judges are speeded to Oxford armed with a special Commission to try or rather to dispatch him Lord Chief Justice North Mr Justice Jones Mr Justice Raymond Mr Justice Levins Colledge is hurried from his close Imprisonment in the Tower down to Oxford and was at his first entring the County exposed by Gregory the High Sheriff and mocked at the House of Mr Stoner a notorious Papist Upon the 17 th of August 1681. he is brought into the Court where the Council against him were The Attorney General The Solicitor General The late infamous Lord Chancellour Serjeant Holloway Mr North and Mr Jones He being charged with an Indictment for conspiring the Death of the King and to levy War and subvert the Government prayed a Copy of the Indictment and the Names of the Jury and that the Court would assign him Counsel these things were not only refused him but an un-heard of Injustice was put upon him for just before he was brought into the Court they took from him the Papers which he had prepared for his defence and most unjustly with-held them Then this Jury was sworne to pass upon him Henry Standard William Big Robert Bird John Shorter William Windlow Charles Hobbs Roger Brown Timothy Doily Ralph Wallis John Benson John Peircy and John Laurence Now Mr Attorney General falls to work about him addressing himself in this manner to the Jury Gentlemen The Prisoner stands indicted of High Treason and that of the deepest dye it is for an endeavour to destroy the King to subvert the Government and to raise a Rebellion He laid his design to seize the King at Oxford and he wanted not his Accomplices to do it The World never was nor ever will be obliged with a List of the Accomplices here talked of But they were not Protestants but Men that were Rebels in the late War In order to this he hath prepared Arms of a great value for a Joyner He prepared a good Horse extraordinary Pistols a Carbine a Coat of Mail an Head-piece and so being arm'd Cap a Pe with that design he came to Oxford We shall shew you that he made it his business to perswade others to undertake the design and joyn with him He gave out a Sign which was a blew Ribbon wrought with Letters in it No Popery no Slavery by this they were to know one another We shall give you an Account of his Principles and what encouragement he was to have for he boasted he should in a little time be a Colonel This was not a sudden unpremeditated thing for he had entertained the horridest malice against the King that ever Subject did He hath made it his common discourse I believe I could bring you forty and forty Witnesses to it to defame the King and murder him in his Reputation We shall give evidence that he carried on the same design with that Arch-Taytor Fitz. Harris who was a Papist and I believe if he were examined throughly he would be found of the same Stamp The King hath been traduced as a designer of Arbitrary Government and as an Introducer of Popery If any Man ever was guilty of high Treason sure he is and deserves the severest punishment Then Stephen Dugdale John Smyth Bryan Haynes Edward Turbervile were sworn Dugdale said That the Prisoner had oft rail'd against the King said he was a Papist and as deep in the Plot as any Papist of them all that nothing was to be expected from him but introducing of Popery and Arbitrary Government That he would arm himself and be here at Oxford having several stout Men particularly Captain Clinton Captain Brown and Don Lewis that would stand by him in case there should be a Rising That the Prisoner gave him forty Shillings worth of Blew-Ribbon with the Inscription No Popery No Slavery to give to his Friends That the Prisoner said at Oxford Let the King begin as soon as he will his Party is but an handful to our Party Smyth declared That the Prisoner told him that the King was as great a Papist as the Duke of York and every way as dangerous to the Protestant Interest and he doubted not but he would dye his Fathers death That Colledge carried him to his House and sheweth him his Pistols Blunderbuss great Sword Armour Back and Breast and his Head-piece and told him these would destroy Rowlye's pittiful Guards which were kept up against Law to set up Popery and Arbitrary Power That the Prisoner said he expected some sport at Oxford and would go thither and would be one who should seize the King if he should seize any of the Members That upon a Discourse of disarming the City the Prisoner said that if the Earl of Feversham or the King himself should come to do it he would be the Death of him rather than he should take away his Arms. Haynes Witnessed That the Prisoner told him that the King should be called to an Account for all his Actions for it was notorious That he resolved to Establish Popery and Arbitrary Power And that no King of his Race should ever Reign in England after him Turbervile said That the Prisoner told him at Oxford that there was no good to be expected from the King for he and all his Family were Papists That he wished the King would begin and said but if he do not We will begin with him and seize him for there are several brave Fellows about this Town that will secure him till we have those terms we expect adding That he had got a Case of Pistols and a very good Sword and a Velvet-Cap This Mr Atturney represented to be Armour Cap a Pe. In the next place Sr George Jefferies brought against the Prisoner one