or might be of putting them into a Commotion and how Men might be Raised and how they would fall under Argyle and also to keep Time and Place with us After this I was with Col. Sidney when he was going into London and he did take out several Guinnies I can't tell how much 't was I suppose they might be about Sixty and put them into his pocket and set me down at my Lodging which he said were to give Aaron Smith whether he gave it or no I don't know and after that he was sent Mr. Att. Gen. Who told you so Lord Howard Col. Sidney For I was inquiring of him and he said he had not heard of him in three Weeks or but once when he was about New Castle After this I had occasions that called me into the Country and there I was Some time after that I went to the Bath And this is all the Account I can give Mr. Soli. Gen. Do you know that Aaron Smith did go Lord Howard I know nothing but by hear-say Col. Sidney told me he was gone and was upon the Road and he heard from him about New Castle Lord Ch. Iust. Did you understand by the discourse after he was gone that he went in pursuance of that Debate L. Howard Yes my Lord That was the whole end of his going Mr. Just. Wythens I think you say that Gentleman speaking of Col. Sidney undertook to send him L. Howard Yes he did L. Ch. Just. Will you ask him any Questions Col. Sidney I have no Questions to ask him Mr. Att. Gen. Silence You know the Proverb The next step is to shew you my Lord that these persons came up immediately after Aaron Smith went down thither and according to that which was said to be the Shadow and Pretence of their coming hither they pretended they came about Carolina business Sir Andrew Foster and Mr. Blathwaite Sir Andrew Foster Sworn Mr. Att. Gen. Pray Sir give an account what Scotch Gentlemen came up lately Sir Andrew Foster My Lord About the end of the Spring or beginning of Summer as I remember these Gentlemen Sir John Cockram and Commissary Monro and the two Cambbels Father and Son came up hither I did not see the Father at all but I saw the Son the day of the Lord Russels Tryal but the other two I think I saw a little before the Discovery of the Plot. Mr. Att. Gen. What did they pretend they came about Sir Andrew Foster They pretended they came to make a Purchase in Carolina and I saw their Commission from the Persons said to be concern'd in that Design Lord Ch. Iust. Who do you speak of Sir Andrew Foster Sir John Cockram and Commissary Monro Mr. Att. Gen. As soon as the Rumour came of the Plot What became of those Gentlemen Sir Andrew Foster Sir John Cockram absconded but Commissary Monro never absconded and the Cambels I heard were seized changing their Lodging from place to place Mr. Atterbury Sworn Mr. Att. Gen. Mr. Atterbury Will you give my Lord and the Jury an Account what you know of these Scotch men their absconding and lying hid Mr. Atterbury My Lord Upon the latter end of June or the beginning of July the beginning of July it was I was sent for into London upon a discovery of some Scotch Gentlemen that lay about Black-Fryers and when I came down there there was the Common Sergeant and some others had been before me and found them making an escape into a Boat Mr. Att. Gen. Who were they Mr. Atterbury Sir Hugh Cambel and Sir John Cockram and one that was committed to the Gate-House by the Counsel as soon as brought thither Mr. Att. Gen. We shall end here my Lord How long had they been in Town Mr. Atterbury They had been in Town some little time Mr. Att. Gen. We have done with this piece of our Evidence Now to shew that while this Emissary was in Scotland at the same time the Colonel which will be another Overt Act of the Treason was VVriting a Treasonable Pamphlet I will call you the VVitnesses It is all of his own writings Sir Philip Lloyd Mr. Att. Gen. Sir Philip Lloyd Pray will you look upon those Papers and give my Lord and the Jury an account where you found them Sir Philip Lloyd I had a Warrant my Lord from the Secretary by the King and Council to seize Mr. Algernon Sidney's Papers and pursuant to it I did go to his House and such as I found there I put up I found a great many upon the Table amongst which were these I suppose it is where he usually writes I put them in a Pillowbear I borrowed in the House and that in a Trunk I desired Coll. Sidney would put his Seal upon them that there should be no mistake he refused so I took my Seal and Sealed up the Trunk and it was carried before me to Mr. Secretary Jenkins Office VVhen the Committee sate I was commanded to undo the Trunk and I did so and sound my own Seal upon it And I took the Papers out of the Bagg I put them into before L. Ch. Just. Was Col. Sidney present when you seized these Papers Sir Phil. Lloyd Yes Mr. Att. Gen. Are these some of those Papers Sir Phil. Lloyd Yes I verily believe it Mr. Att. Gen. In the next place I think we have some Papers of his particular Affairs which will prove his hand Call Mr. Sheppard Mr. Cooke and Mr. Cary. Mr. North. Sir Phil. Lloyd When were they Seized Sir Phil. Lloyd Towards the latter end of June my Lord. Iury-Man Which June Sir Phil. Lloyd Last June Mr. Sheppard Sworn Mr. Att. Gen. Pray will you look upon those Writings shewing the Libel Are you acquainted with Col. Sidney's hand Mr. Sheppard Yes My Lord. Mr. Att. Gen. Is that his hand Writing Mr. Sheppard Yes Sir I believe so I believe all these Sheets to be his hand Mr. Att. Gen. How come you to be acquainted with his hand Mr. Sheppard I have seen him write the indorsement upon several Bills of Exchange Mr. Cary Sworn Col. Sidney My Lord I desire you would please to consider this That Similitude of hands can be no evidence L. Ch. Just. Reserve your self till anon and make all the advantagious Remarks you can Mr. Att. Gen. Have you had any dealing with him Mr. Cary. I never saw him write to my knowledge more than once in my life but I have seen his Indorsement upon Bills and 't is very like that L. Ch. Just. Do you believe it is his hand as far as you can guess Mr. Cary. My Lord It is like what came to me for his Hand-writing L. Ch. Just. And you believe it to be his Hand Mr. Cary. Yes Mr. Cooke Sworn and the Papers shewn him L. Ch. Just. What say you Mr. Cooke Mr. Cooke My Lord I did never see Col. Sidney Write but I have seen several Notes that have come to me with Indorsement of his Name and we have
you too There was a Design for a general and publick Insurrection That he was present with the Good-enough's one and t'other and that they had taken upon them to divide and did divide the City into such and such districts And what was the business It was that there might be a general Insurrection might be an Insurrection not only to Destroy the King and the Duke but to Destroy all the Kings Loyal Subjects and in taking away their Lives to take away the Life of Monarchy it self and to Subvert the Religion Established by Law Then comes in Colonel Rumsey and he gives you an Account that he had heard of such things in Mr. West's Chamber and tells you he had received such Intelligence And all these give you an Account that there was such a Design to kill the King And this is the Substance of the general Evidence produced to prove the Conspiracy Then to make this Matter come home to the Prisoner at the Bar first my Lord Howard gives you an Account and does directly Swear That about the middle or latter end of January last he happened to meet with Colonel Sidney the Prisoner at the Bar and the Duke of Monmouth they were the Persons first began to have Discourse about this matter and how they met with a disappointment the thing had slept a great while and that it was fit it should be revived again and that Persons of Quality were mentioned who were to have an immediate care in the carrying on of the business and that it should not be divulged to too many accordingly there was my Lord Russel my Lord of Essex my Lord of Salisbury and Mr. Hambden named He tells you the Prisoner at the Bar undertook for my Lord of Essex and Mr. Hambden and he tells you the Duke of Monmouth undertook for my Lord Russel and the rest and that this was the Result of one Meeting He goes yet further That pursuant to this it was communicated to those persons so to be ingaged and the Place and Time was appointed the Place Mr. Hambden's House but is not so positive to the Time but onely to the Place and Persons He says all these Persons met and he gives you an Accompt That Mr. Hambden because it was necessary for some persons to break silence gave some short account of the design of their Meeting and made some reflections upon the mischiefs that attended the Government and what apprehensions many people upon the late Choice of Sheriffs and that there had been a Male Administration of Publick Justice That it was fit some means should be used to redress these Grievances He can't tell you positively what this man or that man said there but says that all did unanimously consent to what was then debated about an Insurrection and in order to it they discoursed about the time when it should be and that they thought fit it should be done suddenly while mens minds were wound up to that height as they then were and as the first Witness tells you There was a Consideration whether it should be at one place or at several places together He says then it was taken into consideration that this could not be carried on but there must be Arms and Ammunition provided The next step is about a necessary concern the concern of Money and therefore our Law calls Money The Sinews of War My Lord Howard tells you That the Duke of Monmouth proposed 25. or 30000 l. That my Lord Gray was to advance 10000 l. out of his own Estate but then they thought to make their Party more strong by the Assistance of a Discontented people in Scotland my Lord of Argyle and Sir John Cockram and several other people there to joyn with them That pursuant to this all they after met at my Lord Russels and the same Debate is Reassumed and among the rest this particular thing of conciliating a friendship with the Scotch the Cambels my Lord of Argyle and my Lord Melvin were particularly mentioned That Coll. Sidney took upon himself to find out a Messenger but it was my Lord Russel's part to Write the Letter One of the Messengers named to convey the fame was Aaron Smith he was known says my Lord Howard to some of us and then we all agreed that Aaron Smith was the most proper man Upon this they brake up that very time Afterwards comes my Lord Haward to Coll. Sidney at some distance of time and he comes to him and shews him Threescore Guineys and told him he was going into the City and that they were to be given to Aaron Smith He tells you after this That he had some other discourse about a fortnight or three weeks after with Coll. Sidney and that Coll. Sidney did take notice that he had sent him and that he had an account of him as far as Newcastle So that 't is very plain That it was not sudden and rash thoughts it is a little more than according to the language we meet with in some Pamphlets of late more than Heats and Stirs Gent. Then I must tell you here are Circumstances proved in pursuance of this Design for Sir Andrew Foster informs you how that Sir John Cockram and the Cambels and one Monro as I take it came to Town and that he had Discourse with some of them about their business of coming out of Scotland and he says they pretended it was about business of some Trade to Carolina which does still corroborate the Evidence He tells you likewise That there being a noise of discovering the Plot they begun to hide Sir John Cockram began to hide and sculk from place to place they came first with that Cant in their Mouths about Carolina The Messenger Atterbury tells you When they came to take these Men how they shuffled from place to place So Gent. I must tell you That if in case there be but One Witness to prove a direct Treason and another Witness to a Circumstance that contributes to that Treason that will make two Witnesses to prove the Treason Because I would explain my Mind Not long ago all the Judges of England were commanded to meet together and one that is the Senior of the Kings Councel was pleased to put this Case If I buy a Knife of I. S. to kill the King and it be proved by one Witness I bought a Knife for this purpose and another comes and proves I bought such a Knife of I. S. they are Two Witnesses sufficient to prove a man Guilty of High Treason and so it was held by all the Judges of England then present in the presence of all the Kings Councel And therefore Mr. Sidney is mightily mistaken in the Law For in case of any Treason except the Treason at the Bar or in Treason for Clipping and Coining one Witness is sufficient at this day Now Gent. Supposing all this should not be sufficient here is a Libel and it is a most Traiterous and Seditious Libel If you
THE ARRAIGNMENT OF Algernon Sidney Esquire November 7th 1683. ALgernon Sidney Esquire was by Habeas Corpus brought up to the Bar of the Court of King's-Bench and the Clerk of the Crown having read the Return Mr. Attorney General informed the Court there was an Indictment against the Prisoner and prayed he might be charged with it Clerk of the Crown Algernon Sidney hold up thy hand which he did Midd. ss THe Iurors for our Lord the King upon their Oath do present That Algernon Sidney late of the Parish of St. Martin in the Fields in the County of Middlesex Esquire as a false Traytor against the Most Illustrious Most Excellent Prince our Lord Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland and his Natural Lord Not having the fear of God in his Heart nor weighing the Duty of his Allegiance but moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil utterly withdrawing the cordial Love and true due and natural Obedience which a true and faithful Subject of our said Lord the King should bear towards him the said Lord the King and of Right is bound to bear Contriving and with all his Strength intending to disturb the Peace and Common Tranquility of this Kingdom of England and to stir up and move War and Rebellion against the said Lord the King and to subvert the Government of the said Lord the King in this Kingdom of England and to Depose and Deprive the said Lord the King from the Title Honor and Regal Name of the Imperial Crown of his Kingdom of England and to bring and put the said Lord the King to Death and final Destruction the thirtieth Day of June in the Five and thirtieth Tear of the Reign of our Lord King Charles the Second new King of England c. and divers other Days and Times as well before as after at the Parish of St. Giles in the Fields in the County of Middlesex Maliciously and Trayterously with divers other Traytors to the Iurors aforesaid unknown did Conspire Compass Imagine and intend to Deprive and cast down the said Lord the King his Supreme natural Lord not only from the Regal State Title Power and Rule of his Kingdom of England but also to Kill and â—ring and put to Death the same Lord the King and to change alter and utterly Subvert the Ancient Government of this his Kingdom of England and to cause and procure a miserable Slaughter among the Subjects of the said Lord the King thorow his whole Kingdom of England and to move and stir up an Insurrection and Rebellion against the said Lord the King within this Kingdom of England And to fulfil and perfect those his most horrid wicked and diabolical Treasons and trayterous Compassings Imaginations and Purposes the same Algernon Sidney as a false Traytor then and there and divers other Days and Times as well before as after Maliciously Trayterously and advisedly did Assemble himself meet and consult with the aforesaid other Traytors to the Iurors aforesaid unknown and with the same Traytors did Treat of and for those his Treasons and Trayterous Compassings Imaginations and Purposes to be executed and fulfilled And that the aforesaid Algernon Sidney as a false Traytor maliciously trayterously and advisedly then and there and divers other Daies and Times as well before as after upon himself did assume and to the aforesaid other Traiters did promise That he would be Aiding and Assisting in the Execution of their Treasons and Trayterous Compassings Imaginations and Purposes aforesaid and to fulfil perfect and reduce to effect those their most horrid Treasons and Trayterous Compassings Imaginations and Purposes aforesaid the same Algernon Sidney as a false Traytor then and there Falsely Maliciously Advisedly and Trayterously did send one Aaron Smith into Scotland to invite procure and incite divers evil disposed Subjects of our said Lord the King of his Kingdom of Scotland to come into this Kingdom of England to advise and consult with the aforesaid Algernon Sidney and the aforesaid other unknown Traytors in this Kingdom of England of Aid and Assistance to be expected and supplied from the Kingdom of Scotland to fulfil perfect and reduce to effect those their most Wicked Horrid and Traiterous Treasons aforesaid And that the aforesaid Algernon Sidney to fulfil and perfect those most Wicked Horrid and Devilish Treasons and Traiterous Compassings Imaginations and Purposes aforesaid And to perswade the Subjects of the said Lord the King of this Kingdom of England That it is lawful to make and stir up on Insurrection and Rebellion against the said Lord the King that now is the said Thirtieth day of June in the Five and Thirtieth year of the Reign of the said Lord the King that now is at the Parish of St. Giles in the Fields in the County of Middlesex falsely unlawfully wickedly seditiously and Traiterously did make compose and write and caused to be made composed and written a certain false Seditious and Traiterous Libell in which said False Seditious and Traiterous Libel among other things is contained as followeth in these English words viz. The Power Originally in the People of England is deligated unto the Parliament He the most Serene Lord Charles the Second now King of England meaning is subject unto the Law of God as He is a Man to the People that makes him a King inasmuch as He is a King the Law sets a measure unto that subjection and the Parliament Judges of the particular Cases thereupon arising He must be content to submit his interest unto theirs since He is no more then any one of them in any other respect then that He is by the consent of all raised above any other if He doth not like this Condition He may renounce the Crown but if he receive it upon that Condition as all Magistrates do the Power they receive and swear to perform it He must expect that the performance will be exacted or revenge taken by those that He hath betrayed And that in another place in the said false Seditious and Trayterous Libel among other things these False Seditious and Trayterous English Sentences are contained that is to say We may therefore change or take away Kings without breaking any Yoke or that is made a Yoke which ought not to be one the injury is therefore in making or imposing and there can be none in breaking it Against the Duty of his Allegiance against the Peace of the said now Lord the King His Crown and Dignity c. And against the Form of the Statutes in this Case made and provided c. How sayst thou art thou guilty of this High Treason whereof thou standest Indicted or not Guilty Col. Sidney My Lord I find here an heap of Crimes put together distinct in nature one from another and distinguished by Law and I do conceive My Lord That the Indictment it self is thereupon voyd and I cannot be Impeached upon it L. C. Iustice. We are not
Libel we instance in some particular Words of it But we shall shew you that the whole Design of this Treatise is to perswade the People of England that it is lawful may that they have a right to set aside their Prince in câ—se it appear to them that he hath broken the Trust laid upon him by the People Gentlemen he does use in that Treatise several Arguments drawn from the most Rebellious Times that ever were in England from the late Rebellion I must needs use that word notwithstanding the Act of Oblivion when a Gentleman shall now attempt to do those things for which he was pardoned then and from other Kingdoms where Rebellion hath been prosperous against Princes Then he falls to Reasoning and uses great Reason in the Case That all the Power of the Prince is originally in the People and applies that Discourse that the power of the King was derived from the People upon Trust and they had already declared the King had invaded their Rights and therefore he comes to argue they might assume that original power they had conferred And he tells the King that is no hard condition if he thinks it so he should lay down his Crown if not he threatens the condition would be exacted or otherwise should be revenged by those he had betrayed and who but this Gentleman and his Confederates that thought himself not only able to govern this Nation but many Monarchies should call him to account for it For he lays down this Principle That tho all the People do rise against their Prince it is no Rebellion The whole Book is an argument for the People to rise in Arms and vindicate their wrongs He lays it down That the King has no Authority to dissolve the Parliament but 't is apparent the King hath dissolved many therefore he hath broken his Trust and invaded our Rights And at last concludes with that passage laid in the Indictment We may therefore shake off our Yoke for 't is not a Yoke we submitted to but a Yoke by Tyranny that must be the meaning of it they have imposed on us Gentlemen if we prove all these matters to you I doubt not you will do right to the King and Kingdom and shew your abhorrence of those Republican Principles which if put in practice will not only destroy the King but the best Monarchy in the World Mr. Sol. Gen. Pray call Mr. West Who appeared Col. Sidney I pray one word my Lord before Mr. West be sworn I have heard my Lord Mr. West hath confessed many Treasons and I desire to know whether he is pardoned or no. L. C. J. I don't know that Col. Sid. My Lord how can he be a Witness then L. C. Just. Swear him for I know no Legal Objection against him He was a good Witness in my Lord Russel's Tryal Col. Sidney My Lord if another did not except against him 't is nothing to me Mr. North. Pray give an account to the Court of what you know of a general Insurrection intended in England Col. Sidney What he knows concerning me L. C. J. We will take care of that that no Evidence be given but what ought to be Col. Sid. Is it ordinary that he should say any thing unless it be to me and my Indictment L. C. J. Mr. Sidney you remember in all the Tryals about the late Popish Plot how there was first a general account given of the Plot in Coleman's Tryal and so in Plunket's and others I don't doubt but you remember it And Sir William Jones against whose Judgment I believe you won't object was Attorney at that time Mr. North. Mr. West What do you know of the general Insurrection lately designed Mr. West My Lord I have had the honor to know Collonel Sidney several years but I don't remember that I ever saw him from the time I came acquainted with any part of the Conspiracy till the Discovery that was at the Council Mr. North. Pray give an account of what you know of the Plot in general Mr. West My Lord in October last Captain Walcot came to me and told me that my Lord Shaftesbury had designed an Insurrection in November I used some Arguments to disswade him from it But a little afterwards he came and told me the thing was wholly disappointed and then it went off and my Lord Shaftesbury went for Holland Collonel Romsey afterwards about Christmass said there were some Lords and Gentlemen intended to make an Insurrection the persons were the Duke of Monmouth my Lord of Essex my Lord Howard my Lord Russel the Prisoner at the Bar and Mr. Hambden Junior After some time he told me they had altered their measures and were resolved not to venture upon an Insurrection in England till they had a concurrency in Scotland Afterwards I was not privy to any thing else but what I had the Report of from Mr. Nelthorp and Mr. Ferguson Mr. Nelthorp told me the Prisoner had said Col. Sidney My Lord I am very unwilling to interrupt the Gentleman Lord Chief Iustice. You must not interrupt the Witness Go on Sir Mr. West Mr. Nelthorp told me the Prisoner at the Bar had sent Aaron Smith into Scotland and given him a sum of mony to bear his Charges and sent Letters to some Scotch Gentlemen to invite them to Town The Letter bore a Cant of settling some business in Carolina but the business was coming up about the Insurrection After this Mr. Smith returned and some Scotch Gentlemen with him and soon after Mr. Ferguson gave an account of that Affair and said the Scotch proposed if they might have thirty thousand pounds in ready money they would undertake to make an Insurrection in Scotland without the concurrence of England He said this Proposal was agreed to and money would be soon ready and he said that Sheppard would return the money That the Arms were ready bought and my Lord of Argile would go into Scotland and head the Scots He told me when things were thus settled some difference arose about raising the money and at last he told me my Lord Gray did offer to raise ten thousand pounds out of his own Estate if the rest would pay their proportion Then the Scots came down to ' less but that would not be complyed with The places for the Rising were Bristoll Taunton York Chester Exeter London That there had been some Debates whether they should begin at London or the other places and at last it was resolved they should begin at London with the rest of the places My Lord this was the Account I had of the matter in general of Mr. Ferguson but he said they were disappointed Afterwards he told me the Prisoner at the Bar and Major Wildman were very instrumental in working of it off because they could not agree upon the Declaration to be made upon the Insurrection The English were for a Common wealth but the Scotch Gentlemen answered Fairly it might come to it in time but
Howard let him if he please reconcile what he hath said now with what he said at my Lord Russel's Trial. There he said he said all he could and now he has got I do not know how many things that were never spoken of there I appeal to the Court whether he did then speak one word of that that he now says of Mr. Hambden He sets forth his Evidence very Rhetorically but it does not become a Witness for he is only to tell what is done and said but he does not tell what was done and said He says they took upon them to consider but does not say what one man said or what one man resolved much less what I did My Lord If these things are not to be distinguished but shall be jumbled all up together I confess I do not know what to say L. C. J. Take what liberty you please If you will make no Defence then we will direct the Jury presently We will direct them in the Law and recollect matter of Fact as well as we can Col. Sidney Why then my Lord I desire the Law may be reserved to me I desire I may have Council to that point of there being but one Witness L. C. J. That is point of Fact If you can give any testimony to disparage the Witness do it Col. Sidney I have a great deal to that L. C. J. Go on to it then Col. Sidney Then my Lord was there a War Levyed Or was it prevented Why then if it be prevented 't is not Levyed if it be not Levyed 't is not within the Statute so this is nothing to me L. C. J. The Court will have patience to hear you but at the same time I think 't is my duty to advertise you That this is but mispending of your time If you can Answer the Fact or if you have any mind to put any disparagement upon the Witnesses that they are not Persons to be believed do it but do not ask us Questions this way or t'other Col. Sidney I have this to say concerning my Lord Howard He hath accused himself of divers Treasons and I do not hear that he has his Pardon of any He is under the terror of those Treasons and the punishment for them He hath shewn himself to be under that terror He hath said That he could not get his Pardon until he had done some other jobbs till he was past this drudgery of swearing That is my Lord that he having incurred the penalty of High-Treason he would get his own indempnity by destroying others This by the Law of God and Man I think destroys a mans Testimony Besides my Lord he is my Debter he owes me a considerable summ of Money I lent him in time of his great necessity he made some Covenants with me for the payment of that Money which he hath broken and when his Mortgage was forfeited and I should take the advantage the Law gives me he finds out a way to have me laid up in the Tower He is a very subtle man At my Lord Russel's Tryal he carryed his Knife he said between the Paring and the Apple and so this is a point of great nicety and cunning at one time to get his own Pardon and at the same time to save his Money Another thing my Lord is when I was Prisoner he comes to my House and speaks with my Servant and says how sorry he was that I should be brought in danger upon this account of the Plot and there he did in the presence of God with Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven swear he did not believe any Plot and that it was but a Sham and that he was confident if I had known any thing I would have told it him He hath said somewhat of this before I have several Witnesses to prove both He was desirous to go further and he would not only pay my debt by his Testimony against me but he would have got my Plate and other Goods in my hands into his hands and he desired my Men as a place of trust to put them into his hands And the next news was that there was a Warrant against my Lord Russel and me But then my Lord he made other affirmations in the same presence of God that I was innocent in his opinion and he was confident of it for if he had known any thing of it he would have told it Now I know in my Lord Russel's Case there was Dr. Burnet said something like it And when he came to answer it he said he was to face it out and make the best of it he could Now he did face it out bravely against God but he was very timerous of Man So that my Lord he does say at the same time at my Lord Russel's Tryal upon his Oath That he did believe that the Religious obligation of an Oath did not consist in the formality of applying it to the place c. but in calling God to witness So that when he did call God to witness before Doctor Burnet and my Servant and others and this is not consistent with the Oath he has taken here as the Gentleman said at my Lord Russel's Tryal unless he has one Soul in Court and had another at my house these things are inconsistent and cannot be true and if he swear both under the Religion of an Oath he swears himself perjured Then my Lord he talks of Aaron Smith What have I to do with Aaron Smith He sayes I sent him my Lord there is no body else speaks a word of it Then by a strange kind of construction and imagination they will have it that some Papers here which are said to be found in my Study have relation to this Plot as they call it I know of none nor am in none Now my Lord I am not to give an account of these Papers I do not think they are before you for there is nothing but the similitude of Hands offered for proof There is the like Case of my Lady Carr some few years agoe She was indicted of Perjury and as 〈◊〉 against her some Letters of hers were produced that were contrary to what she swore in Chancery and her band was proved that is to say it was like it but my Lord Chief Justice Keâ—ing directs the Jury that though in Civil Causes it is a proof yet it is the smallest and least of proofs but in Criminal cases it was none at all So that my Lord Howard's testimony is single and what he talks of those two businesses that he calls a Consult and Aaron Smith is destroyed by want of proof What could six men do Can my Lord Howard raise five men by his credit by his purse Let him say as much for me with all my heart for my part I do not know where to raise five men That such men as we are that have no followers should undertake so vast a design is very unlikely And this great design that was
carry them to some you can trust I dare trust no body says he I will lend my Coach and Coach man I said if the Col. Sidney will save his Goods he save them if not 't is no matter A little after the Lord Howard came in the House of Col. Sidney about eleven a Clock at Night When he was in I told him what is this They talk of a Plot to Kill the King and the Duke and I told him they spake of one general Insurrection and I told him more that I understood that Col. Sidney was sent into Scotland when my Lord Howard understood that he said God knows I know nothing of this and I am sure if the Col. Sidney was concerned in the matter he would tell me something but I know nothing VVell my Lord I told him I believe you are not safe in this house there is more danger here than in another place Says he I have been a Prisoner and I had rather do any thing in the World than be a Prisoner again Then my Lord Pagett came into the Court. Col. Sidney Pray my Lord be pleased to tell the Court if my Lord Howard has said any thing to you concerning this late pretended Plot or my being any party in it Lord Pagett My Lord I was Subpoena'd to come hither and did not know upon what accompt I am obliged to say my Lord Howard was with me presently after the breaking out of this Plot and before his appearing in that part which he now Acts he came to me and I told him That I was glad to see him abroad and that he was not concerned in this disorder He said he had Joy from several concerning it and he took it as an injury to him for that it looked as if he were Guilty He said he knew nothing of himself nor any body else And though he was free in discourse and free to go into any Company indifferently yet he said he had not seen any body that could say any thing of him or give him occasion to say anything of any body else Col. Sidney Mr. Edward Howard Mr. Rd. Howard Mr. Sidney what have you to say to me Col. Sidney My Lord I desire you would ask Mr. Edward Howard the same thing what Discourse he had with my Lord Howard about this Plot L. C. J. Mr. Howard Mr. Sidney desires you to tell what Discourse you had with my Lord Howard about this Plot. Mr. E. Howard My Lord I have been for some time very intimate with my Lord not only upon the account of our Alliance but upon a strict intimacy and correspondence of friendship and I think I was as much his as he could expect from that Alliance I did move him during this time to serve the King upon the most honourable account I could but that proved ineffectual I pass that and come to the business here Assoon as the Plot brake out my Lord having a great in timacy with me expressed a great detestation and surprizing in himself to hear of it wherein my Lord Howard assured me under very great Asseverations that he could neither accuse himself nor no man living He told me moreover That there were certain persons of quality whom he was very much concerned for that they should be so much reflected upon or troubled and he condoled very much their condition both before and after they were taken My Lord I believe in my Conscience he did this without any Mental Reservation or Equivocation for he had no reason to do it with me I add moreover if I have any sense of my Lords Disposition I think if he had known any such thing he would not have stood his being taken or made his Application to the King in this manner I am afraid not so suitable to his quality L. Ch. Iust. No reflections upon any body Mr. Howard My Lord I reflect upon no body I understand where I am and have a respect for the place but since your Lordship has given me this occasion I must needs say That that Reproof that was accidentally given me at the Tryal of my Lord Russel by reason of a weak Memory made me omit some particulars I will speak now which are these and I think they are material My Lord upon the discourse of this Plot did further assure me that it was certainly a Sham even to his knowledge how my Lord says I do you mean a Sham Why says he such an one Cozen as is too black for any Minister of publick Employment to have devised but says he it was forged by People in the dark such as Jesuites and Papists and sayes he this is my Conscience says I my Lord if you are sure of this thing then pray my Lord do that honourable thing that becomes your quality that is give the King satisfaction as becomes you pray make an Address under your hand to the King whereby you express your Detestation and Abhorrence of this thing says he I thank you for your Counsel to what Minister says he shall I apply my self I pitched upon my Lord Hallifax and I told him of my Lords desire and I remember my Lord Howard named the Duke of Monmouth my Lord of Bedford the Earl of Clare and he said he was sure they would do it that he was sure of their Innocence and would be glad of the occasion and I went to my L. Hallifax and told him that my Lord was willing to set it under his hand his detestation of this Plot and that there was no such thing to his knowledge My Lord Hallifax very worthily received me says he I will introduce it but my Lord Russel being taken this was laid aside and my Lord gave this reason For says he there will be so many People taken they will be hindred I must needs add from my Conscience and from my Heart before God and Man that if my Lord had spoken before the King sitting upon his Throne abateing for the solemnity of the presence I could not have more believed him from that assurance he had in me And I am sure from what I have said if I had the Honour to be of this Gentleman's Jury I would not believe him L. C. Iust. That must not be suffered Mr. Att. Gen. You ought to be bound to your good behaviour for that L. C. Iust. The Jury are bound by their Oaths to go according to their Evidence they are not to go by men's conjectures Mr. Howard May I go my Lord Mr. Att. Gen. My Lord Howard desires he may stay we shall make use of him Col. Sidney My Lord I spake of a Mortgage that I had of my Lord Howard I don't know whether it is needful to be proved but it is so L. Howard I confess it Col. Sidney Then my Lord here is the other point He is under the fear that he dare not but say what he thinks will conduce towards the gaining his Pardon and that he hath expressed that he could
I say this If I am not under the first Branch if not directly I can't be by Implication though I did make War I can't be said to Conspire the Death of the King because 't is a distinct Species of Treason and my Lord Coke says t is the overthrow of all Justice to confound Membra dividentia now if the making of War can't be understood to be a Conspiring the Death of the King then I am not guilty of this Indictment but heremy Lord is neither Conspiring the Death of the King nor making War nor Conspiring to make War Besides I say 't is not the best Mans Evidence here would be good in this Case because the Law requires two The next thing is the business of Aaron Smith which my Lord tells so imperfectly and so meerly conjectural that there is nothing in it but his Rhetorick in setting it out He tells you of a Letter sent with him but he does not tell you by whom writ what was in it or whether it was delivered or no So that I think we may lay that aside as the other as things nothing in them at all Then says Mr. Attorney These Scotch Gentlemen are come to Town I profess I never heard the Names of one of them till he named them to me in the Tower I have not sent my self nor writ a Letter into Scotland never since the Year 59 nor do I know one Man in Scotland to whom I can write or from whom I ever received one I returned into England in the Year 77 and since that time have not writ nor received a Letter from Scotland Then some Gentlemen came hither What is that to me I never saw one of the Cambells in my life nor Monro if any one can prove I have had Communication with them I will be glad to suffer Then here are Papers if any thing is to be made of them you must produce the whole for 't is impossible to make any thing of a part of them You ask me What other Passage I would have read I don't know a Passage in them I can't tell whether it be good or bad But if there are any Papers found 't is a great doubt whether they were found in my Study or no or whether they be not counterfeit but though that be admitted that they were found in my house the hand is such that it shews they have been writ very many years Then that which seems to be an account of the Sections and Chapters that is but a scrap and what if any body had my Lord either in my own hand or anothers found Papers that are not well justifiable Is this Treason Does this imagine the Death of the King Does this reach the Life of the King If any Man can say I ever printed a sheet in my life I will submit to any Punishment Many others my Lord they write and they write what comes into their heads I believe there is a Brother of mine here has forty Quire of Paper writtenby my Father and never one sheet of them was published but he writ his own mind to see what he could think of it another time and blot it out again may be And I my self I believe have burned more Papers of my own writing than a Horse can carry So that for these Papers I can't answer for them There is nothing in it and what Concatenation can this have with the other design that is in it self nothing with my Lords Select Counsel selected by no body to pursue the design of my Lord Shaftsbury And this Counsel that he pretends to be set up for so great a business was to be adjusted with so much fineness so as to bring things together What was this fineness to do taking it for granted which I don't This was nothing if he was a credible Witness but a few Men talking at large of what might be or not be what was like to fall out without any manner of intention or doing any thing They did not so much as inquire Whether there was Men in the Country Arms or Ammunition A War to be made by five or six Men not knowing one another not trusting one another What said Dr. Coxe in his evidence at my Lord Russel's Tryal of my Lord Russel's trusting my Lord Howard He might say the same of some others So that my Lord I say these Papers have no manner of coherence no dependance upon any such design You must go upon conjecture upon conjecture and after all you find nothing but only Papers never perfect only scraps written many years ago and that could not be calculated for the raising of the People Now pray what Imagination can be more vain than that and what Man can be safe if the King's Counsel may make such whimsical I won't say but groundless Constructions Mr. Attorney says the Plot was broken to the Scots God knows we were neither broken nor joined and that the Cambells came to Town about that time I was taken and in the mean time my Lord Howard the great Contriver of all this Plot who was most active and advised the business that consisted of so much fineness he goes there and agrees of nothing and then goes into Essex upon great important business greater then the War of England and Scotland to what purpose To look after a little pimping Mannour and what then Why then it must be laid aside and he must be idle five Weeks at the Bath and there is no inquiring after it Now I desire your Lordship to consider whether there be a possibility for any Men that have the sense of Porters and Grooms to do such things as he would put upon us I would only say this If Mr. Attorney be in the right there was a Combination with the Scotts and then this Paper was writ for those that say I did it say I was doing of it then and by the Notes there is work enough for four or five years to make out what is mentioned in those scraps of Paper and this must be to kill the King And I say this my Lord that under favour for all constructive Treasons you are to make none but to go according to plain proof and that these Constructive Treasons belong only to Parliament and by the immediate Proviso in that Act. Now my Lord I leave it to your Lordship to see whether there is in this any thing that you can say is an Overt Act of Treason mentioned in 25 E. 3. If it be not plainly under one of the two Branches That I have endeavoured to kill the King or Levyed War then 't is matter of Construction and that belongs to no Court but the Parliament Then my Lord this hath been adjudged already in Throgmorton's Case There is twenty Judgments of Parliament the Act of 13 Eliz. that says I should have some body to speak for me my Lord. L. C. Iust. We are of another Opinion Mr. Just. Wythins If you acknowledg the matter of
to admit of any Discourses till you Answer the Question Whether you be Guilty or not Guilty Mr. Att. Gen. If he will Demurr my Lord We will give him leave Col. Sidney I presume your Lordship will direct me for I am an ignorant Man in matters of this kind I may easily be surprised in it I never was at a Tryal in my life of any Body and never read a Law-Book L. C. Iust. Because no Prisoner under your Circumstances is to have Counsel but in special Cases to be assigned in matters of Law the Court is bound by their Oaths and Duty of their Places that they shall not see any wrong done to you But the business we are to tell you now is You are to plead Guilty or not Guilty or Demur which is a Confession in point of Law Col. Sidney Under favour my Lord There may be Indictments that are erroneous and if they are erroneous and vitious they are null and ought not to be answered to Mr. Iust. Wythins If you please to demur to it you shall have liberty to make any Exceptions Col. Sidney I don't demur 't is only Exceptions I think in matters of Life a Man may give in his Exceptions to the Bill and plead not Guilty afterwards I am sure in Sir Henry Vane's Case the Court said it and offered him to do it That which under favor I hope to do L. C. Iustice. You must Plead or Demurr Col. Sidney My Lord If I put in Exceptions to the Bill I don't plead till those Exceptions are over-ruled This was in the case of Sir Henry Vane L. C. Iustice. Sir I must tell you you must either Plead or Demurr Col. Sidney My Lord There are in this Indictment some Treasons or reputed Treasons that may come within the Statute of the 13th of this King which is limited by time the Prosecution must be in Six Months and the Indictment within Three Now my Lord if that this Business that is mentioned be above six Months before my Commitment or above three before the Indictment I think under favor I ought not to answer to these Matters L. C. Iustice. You are mistaken in the Law That will be saved when the Fact comes to appear If they alledge the thing to be at a time which according to that allegation would maintain the Indictment if upon the Tryal it appear otherwise the Court is bound to take notice of it when you come to your Tryal but we are not bound to examine that before you have pleaded Col. Sidney My Lord Every body will acknowledg that there have been or may be vitious Indictments Now if I plead to an erroneous Indictment and am Acquitted I may be Indicted again Bills of Attainder have been upon Errors in Original Indictments as that of the Duke of Somerset Now if there be here several things distinct in Nature distinguished by Law that are put together 't is impossible to make a positive Answer to any one If any one should tell me that I by my self or by others by Sword or by Pistol conspired to kill the King I can say I did it or I did it not If any one say I have levyed War and by several Acts undertake to prove I have done it I can say I have done it or I have not But here I don't find any thing specifyed or can tell upon what Statute I am Indicted I pray I may see the Record L. C. Iustice. That we can't do You shall hear it read again if you will If you think it to be a void Indictment Demur to it if you will Col. Sidney My Lord I desire you to accept of this shewing a Parchment L. C. Iustice. What is it Put in what Plea you shall be advised but if you put in a special Plea and Mr. Attorney demurrs you may have Judgment of Death and by that you wave the Fact Col. Sidney I can't make any Objection to the Bill after I have pleaded Not Guilty for I accept the Bill thereby to be good L. C. Iustice. If you can assign any Matter of Law do But otherwise what a kind of thing would it be All Criminals would say in all Cases I doubt whether the Bill be Good or Bad. And after I have thus considered of it I will Plead You are mis-informed and this the Court tells you as a Duty incumbent on them Mr. Iust. Wythins If you Demur and shew what your Causes are We will assign you Counsel Col. Sidney I desire you would not try me and make me to â—un on dark and slippery Places I don't see my way L. C. Iustice. Don't apprehend your self to be so as if the Court would run you on any inconvenience But they are bound to see the Methods of Justice preserved they are those that you and all the King's Subjects are bound to conform to If any one of us were in the same Condition we must observe the same Methods of Law Clerk of the Crown Art thou Guilty or not Guilty Col. Sidney Then pray my Lord Will you tell me this Is it true That a Man how vitious so ever an Indictment is must Answer or Demurr to it L. C. Iust. He must either Answer or Demurr Col. Sidney Are there no Exceptions to be admitted L. C. Iustice. None And if you don't do the one or the other Judgment passes as if you had pleaded Col. Sidney This is a Plea Mr. Iust. Wythins Will you stand by it Consider your self and your Life If you put in that Plea and Mr. Attorney Demurrs if your Plea be not good your Life is gone Col. Sidney Pray my Lord Give me a day to consider of it Lord Chief Iustice. No We must not introduce new Methods or Forms for any body The same Case that is with you may be with other people Col. Sidney My Lord I do not pretend to any thing but what is Law and due to every Man upon English Ground I would be very sorry to do that which may be hurtful L. C. Iustice. You have the rule of the Court You must do one or the other Call him to it Col. Sidney I desire this may be read shewing the same Parchment L. C. Iustice. It shall not be read unless you put it in as a Plea Mr. Att. General I must do my duty Mr. Williams exceeds his Liberty he informs the Prisoner several things Mr. Williams I only said if it was a Plea put it in Mr. Attorney can hear all I say Whereupon Mr. Williams was reproved by the Lord Chief Justice Col. Sidney I only give it as exceptions to the Bill Clerk of the Crown Art thou Guilty or not Guilty Col. Sidney If any one should ask me any particular thing I could tell how to answer L. C. Iustice. He askes you a particular thing 'T is the duty of the Court to pronounce Judgment if you do not plead Col. Sidney Why then if you drive me upon it I must plead Lord Chief Iustice. I am sure
there is no Gentleman of the Long Robe would put any such thing into your head There was never any such thing done in Capital Matters Col. Sidney My Lord I am there Indicted for Conspiring the Death of the King I have not Conspired the Death of the King I am there Indicted for Levying of War I have not done that I am Indicted for having Invited in others of another Nation I have not done that neither I am there Indicted to have written a Seditious Libel to stir up the Spirits of the People against the King I have not written any thing to stir up the People against the King L. C. Iustice. We are not to hear all this you must Plead as other People or else in plain English we will pronounce Sentence We ought to give all Men satisfaction that will be satisfied but if they wont be directed we can't help that Col. Sidney My Lord If you put me upon this inevitable necessity it lyes upon you I must plead then Clerk of the Crown Art thou Guilty or not Guilty Col. Sidney Not Guilty Clerk of the Crown Culprit how wilt thou be tryed Col. Sidney By God and my Country Clerk of the Crown God send thee a good Deliverance L. C. Iustice. If you be not Guilty I pray God you may escape Mr. Att. General My Lord will you please to appoint a day for his Tryal that he may take notice of it now L. C. Iustice. What time would you have Mr. Att. General A Weeks time do you think that will be enough Col. Sidney No Pray my Lord give me a Fortnights time Mr. Att. General I won't oppose it Col. Sidney In the next place I desire a Copy of the Indictment L. C. Iustice. We can't grant it by Law Col. Sidney I desire you would please to give me Counsel L. C. Iustice. We can't do it If you assigne us any particular Point of Law if the Court think it such a Point as may be worth the debating you shall have Counsel But if you ask for Counsel for no other reason then because you ask it we must not grant it The Court is bound to see that nothing be done against you but what is according to the rules of Law I would be very loth to draw the guilt of any mans blood upon me Col. Sidney Has not every body Counsel L. C. Iustice. No. Col. Sidney I have several Points of Law L. C. Iustice. Tell us them Col. Sidney My Lord Will you oblige me that am an ignorant man and confess my self so upon hearing my Indictment for things I know not of a long thing presently to raise a point of Law L. C. Iustice. 'T is not we oblige you Mr. Sidney 't is the Law obliges you We are the Ministers of the Law 't is the Law says we are not to allow you Counsel without making your Objections that the Court may understand whether it be fit 'T is the Law says we may not allow you a Copy of the Indictment Therefore don't go away and say that we as Men sitting here impose upon you we sit here only to administer the Justice of the Nation Mr. Iustice Wythins Sir you will have a Fortnights time to consider of Objections in Law L. C. Iustice. If you will have it Read you shall Those things that you may have by Law God forbid but you should have the benefit of them Col. Sidney I desire my Lord to hear it read again Mr. Att. General Would you have it read in Latine Col. Sidney Yes If you please I do understand a little Latine Then the Indictment was read in Latine Col. Sidney What is that Statute L. C. Iustice. When you come to your Tryal Mr. Attorney will tell you what Statute he goes upon And he may give in Evidence any Act of Parliament that comprehends Treason Col. Sidney My thinks he should say what Statute he goes upon Mr. Iust. Wythins Sir would you have a new Indictment for you L. C. Iustice. He must take notice of his Tryal this day fortnight Lieutenant of the Tower you may take the Prisoner back again Then the Lieutenant of the Tower took away his Prisoner THE TRYAL OF Algernon Sidney Esq NOVEMBER 21 1683. ALgernon Sidney Esquire was brought to the Bar of the Court of King's Bench by Habeas Corpus and Proclamation for Information being made he desired Pen Ink and Paper which were granted him And he also desired that two persons viz. Mr. Winn and Mr. Gibbs might write for him which was also allowed by the Court. Coll. Sidney My Lord when I was last here before your Lordship I did desire a Copy of my Indictment and I thought the Law did allow it me But being in an hurry carried first to a Tavern then led through Soldiers and surprized absolutely I could not give that reason why I thought the Law allowed me a Copy My Lord I was denyed a Copy and thereby I was deprived of the benefit of a special Plea I designed to have put in This would have been a great help to your Lordship and to me the denyal of which hath been a great prejudice Now my Lord that which I thought was Law then I think I can give a better testimony that 't is so now upon the Statute of 46. E. 3. wherein 't is expressed that tout partes tout gents that is all people shall have a Copy of every Record and it enumerates several matters as well that against the King as other people This is a general Law still in force my Lord Strafford had a Copy and my Lord Stafford and the Lords in the Tower had Copies of their Indictments And under favour I think it was never more necessary than to me there never having been perhaps a Charge so long and so confused Now my Lord I have a Copy transcribed of this Statute Shewing a Paper Lord Chief Iustice. We remember the Law very well Mr. Sidney did move for a Copy of the Indictment and the Court denyed him then and so shall now And yet all this while we shall deny you nothing that is Law You shall have the right that becomes a Subject in your condition And we must tell you that notwithstanding all that Case we ought not to have given you so much favour perhaps in strictness as we did And because you did particularly take notice of the Case of Sir Henry Vane last time I will shew you the Court did indulge more to you than was done to that person In Sir Henry Vane's Case by the opinion of all the Judges it was declared that no Copy ought to be given neither of the whole nor any part of the Indictment except they shew matter of Law But your Counsel since you went away moved for the Copy of the Indictment and to satisfie them I directed the Case that you took notice of to be read in the Court. And I thought they had been sufficiently satisfied You had the Indictment read
to you in Laâ—iâ—e which was denyed in the Case of Sir Henry Vane And there is a later Case known to most persons here By the opinion of all the Judges of England a Copy of the Indictment was denyed to my Lord Russel Therefore arraign him upon the Indictment we must not spend our time in discourses to captivate the people Col. Sid. Is not this a good Law my Lord Holding out the Paper L. C. J. You have the rule of the Court. Mr. Just. Wythens Any thing the Law will allow you you shall have but I am sure if you did advise with your Counsel they must tell you the same thing So the Clerk of the Crown called the Jury and after several Challenges the names of the Jury were as follow The Jury Iohn Amger Richard White William Linn Lawrence Wood. Adam Andrews Emery Arguise Iosias Clerke George Glisby Nicholas Baxter William Reeves William Grove Iohn Burt. L. C. J. Look you Gentlemen of the Jury there are some Gentlemen at the Bar as we are informed are apt to whisper to the Jury 't is no part of their duty nay 't is against their duty and therefore Gentlemen if you hear any of them by you that offer to whisper or make Comments in this Cause as you are upon your Oaths and I doubt not but will do your duty between the King and the Prisoner so I expect if you hear the Counsel say any thing you will inform the Court. Let us have no Remarks but a fair Tryal in God's Name Cl. of Cr. You that are sworn look upon the Prisoner and hearken to his Cause He stands indicted by the Name of Algernon Sidney of c. as in the Indictment your Charge is to inquire c. Then Proclamation for Evidence was made Mr. Dolben May it please your Lordship and you Gentlemen that are sworn This is an Indictment of High Treason preferred against Algernon Sidney the Prisoner at the Bar. The Indictment sets forth That he as a false Traitor against our most Illustrious Prince Charles the Second his natural Lord not having the fear of God in his heart and on the Thirtieth of June in the Thirty Fifth Year of the King and divers other days and times as well before as after in the Parish of St. Giles in the Fields in the County of Middlesex traiterously with divers Traitors unknown did conspire the Death of the King and to levy War within this Kingdom And to complete these Traiterous Purposes did then and there maliciously advisedly and traiterously send one Aaron Smith into Scotland to excite some ill disposed persons of that Kingdom to come into this and to consult with the said Algernon Sidney and other Traitors of and upon assistance from the Kingdom of Scotland to carry on those Designs And the Indictment sets forth further that to perswade the people of England it was lawful to raise Rebellion the said Algernon Sidney did cause to be written a false Seditious Libel in which is contained these English Words The Power is originally in the People and that is delegated to the King The King is subject to the Law of God as a King as a man to the people that made him a King In as much as he is a King the Law sets a measure to that Objection c. put in the Indictment This is laid to be against the duty of his Allegiance against the peace of the King his Crown and Dignity and against the Form of the Statute in that Case made and provided If we prove him guilty we doubt not but you will find it Mr. Att. Gen. My Lord and you Gentlemen of the Jury the Prisoner at the Bar stands indicted of the highest Crimes the conspiring the Death of the King and the Overthrow of the English Monarchy Gentlemen we shall use this Method in our Evidence We shall shew by many Witnesses that there was a design of raising and making a Rebellion within this Kingdom For Gentlemen you must take notice and I think there is no English Man but does believe that for several years last past a design was laid and for that purpose several secret Insinuations were made use of and publick Libels spread abroad to perswade the people that the King was introducing Arbitrary Power that he subverted all their Rights Liberties Properties and whatever was dear to them They indeavoured to make the world believe the King was a Papist And when Gentlemen by such Stratagems they had worked upon many incautelous persons when they thought they had gotten a sufficient party then there was a design of an open rising for they thought all things were ripened and that was to be in several parts of the Kingdom Some persons to effect this design were for a present Assassination of the King Others would do it in a more fair and gentile way They thought it below persons of that great Quality as the Prisoner is and therefore were for doing it by open Force When we have given that general Evidence we shall then come to shew you what share and part the Prisoner had in this Design For certainly he was looked upon as a very eminent person whose Education abroad and former practices at home had rendred him fit to advise and proceed in such Affairs We shall prove when these matters were ripe this Gentleman was of the Council of State of the Six that were to manage this matter of the Rising We shall shew the several Consultations they held one at Mr. Hambden's House another at the House of my Lord Russel There we shall acquaint you what Debates they had for they acted like very subtil Men and there they debated whether the Rising should be first in the Country or City or both together They came to a resolution it should be in both places at once Then when they had asserted that point they come to consider the time of Rising and upon that they thought fit to call in Aid of Scotland first and that was this Gentleman's particular Province For he being a man of great Secresie was to send an Emissary into that Kingdom and invite some persons over totreat with them about it We shall prove that an Emissary was sent and this Gentleman gave him a considerable Sum to bear his Charges We shall prove that several Scotch Gentlemen in pursuance of this Resolve came here to treat with this great Council of State about this Affair And shall make it appear to you that assoon as ever the least Discovery of this Plot was these persons concealed themselves and withdrew as the rest of the Plotters that have fled from Justice Gentlemen this was not enough for this Gentleman to consult on these several Passages but to demonstrate to the World that his Head and Heart was intire in this Service and that he might carry it on the more effectually he was at this very time when this Emissary was gone into Scotland preparing a most Seditious and Traiterous
the Noblemen there would not agree to it at present As to the Prisoner in particular I know nothing and did never speak with him till since the Discovery Mr. Att. Gen. Collonel Romsey Sworn Mr. North. Pray Sir will you give the Court an account of what you know of any Insurrection intended and how they designed to carry it on Col. Romsey My Lord the latter end of October or beginning of November I was desired by my Lord Shaftesbury to go to Mr. Sheppards to know of the Gentlemen that were met there what was done about the Rising intended at Taunton and I had their answer that Mr. Trenchard had fail'd them and that it must cease for that time That was all at that time Mr. Sol. Gen. What else do you know of any Insurrection afterwards Col. Romsey After that we had several meetings at Mr. West's Chamber where we had divided the City into twenty parts and seven parts Mr. Goodenough had brought an account of the other thirteen he said nothing of for he had not spoke with those that were to tell him how many men they would afford There was there Captain Walcot Mr. West the two Goodenoughs Mr. Borne Mr. Wade and my self L. C. J. What was the Result of those Debates Col. Romsey To see what number of men they could produce in the City for the Insurrection L. C. J. Was there a Rising designed Col. Romsey Yes L. C. J. And did these people meet Col. Romsey There was no time set Mr. Sol. Gen. When was the meeting Col. Romsey There were several meetings in March and April and May. Mr. Sol. Gen. After the meeting at Sheppards Col. Romsey Yes a great while It ceased I think six weeks or three months L. C. J. Who did you meet with at Mr. Sheppards Col. Romsey There was the Duke of Monmouth my Lord Gray my Lord Russel Sir Thomas Armstrong Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Sheppard Mr. Sol. Gen. Who did you expect should head this Army Col. Romsey That was never said any thing of Mr. Att. Gen. Who were to manage the Rising Col. Romsey We that met there Mr. Att. Gen. Had you no expectation of great men Col. Romsey Mr. West told me and Mr. Goodenough that there was a Council which were the Duke of Monmouth my Lord Essex my Lord Howard Collonel Sidney Mr. Hambden and my Lord Russel there was Six L. C. J. What did he tell you of them six Col. Romsey He told me they were managing a Business with Scotland Lord Chief Iustice. A Business pray speak plain tell all you know Col. Romsey For the Insurrection L. C. J. Say so then we know nothing of the Business you were about Col. Romsey My Lord Mr. West had that Discourse with my Lord Howard I never had he is more fit to speak to that than me L. C. J. Speak your own knowledge and no more Mr. Jones After the death of my Lord Shaftesbury who were the Managers and were to carry it on Col. Romsey I told you Mr. West and Mr. Goodenough did tell me the Duke of Monmouth my Lord Essex Mr. Att. Gen. He told you so before Do you know there was an Insurrection then intended Col. Romsey Yes because we met towards the management of it the company that met at Mr. West's Chamber and other places Mr. Att. Gen. What discourse had you with Mr. Ferguson about it Col. Romsey Not about those Gentlemen Mr. North. The next thing we shall shew shall be that the Scotch men came to Town Col. Sidney My Lord I must ever put you in mind whether it be ordinary to examine men upon Indictments of Treason concerning me that I never saw nor heard of in my life L. C. J. I tell you all this Evidence does not affect you and I tell the Jury so Col. Sidney But it prepossesses the Jury Mr. Keiling called and sworn Mr. Att. Gen. I ask you in general what you know of the Risign to have been last Spring Mr. Keiling My Lord It was some time last Summer Mr. Goodenough came to me and brought me three Papers numbred on the back-side I asked him to what end he delivered them me he told me One was for my self and I was to deliver the other Two to whom I could Trust in the two Divisions I asked him What was the Design he said To Raise Men sayes I Do you design a general Insurrection He said if he did not if the King was taken off this would do well for then People would know how to have recourse to a formidable Body And I have heard him say That Collonel Sidney whom I don't know had a considerable part in the management of that Affair Mr. Att. Gen. We Charge him with Conspiring and there must be Confederates in the Case Now then we come to the Prisoner We will call my Lord Howard that was one of the Persons that did Consult The Lord Howard Sworn Mr. Att. Gen. Pray acquaint my Lord and the Jury of your knowledge of what Transactions there have been with the Prisoner about this Affair of the general Rising Lord Howard Truely my Lord In the entring of the Evidence I am about to give I cannot but observe what a natural uniformity there is in Truth For the Gentleman that have been before have so exactly instanced in every particular with what I have to say that two Tallys could not more exactly fall into one another though I confess I had not seen their Faces till the Plot brake out for some Months before My Lord and Gentlemen of the Jury About the middle of January last it was considered by some of us that met together That it was very necessary and expedient to an Enterprise that had been long in hand and fallen flat then that it should be revived by some Consult or Caball that should be set up to give Life to it and Governance to the Motions of it The first for ought I know Movers of this were the Duke of Monmouth the Gentleman at the Bar and my Self And there we did agree That we should bethink our selves of some few we were willing it should not exceed Five at the most Seven This Agreement being at first between us Three I remember the Duke of Monmouth undertook to ingage my Lord Russel and my Lord Salisbury and this Gentleman Collonel Sidney for my Lord of Essex and Mr. Hambden and these being put together did presently constitute a little Caball of as great a Number as was intended This being setled among them it was within a few dayes after I can't certainly tell when but between the middle and latter end of January that I was told That the Persons had agreed to enter into this Conjunction of Counsels and in order to that they had appointed a Meeting at Mr. Hambden's House to which I was invited This in time was between the middle and latter end of January but I can't tell exactly When we came there there was all those Gentlemen
I before-named the Duke of Monmouth my Lord Essex my Lord Russel Collonel Sidney Mr. Hambden and my Self It was at Mr. Hambden's House which Ranges on the same Row with Southampton House And being met Mr. Hambden I suppose did think it most properly belonged to him to take upon him the part as it were to open the Sessions that was to give us a little account of the Reason End and Intention of that Meeting In which Discourse he took occasion to recapitulate some Design that had been before chiefly carried on by my Lord Shaftesbury before this time Dead and also took Notice of the ready disposition and inclination of the Minds of Men to go on with it and did give one instance of his Judgment of it That it being a Design communicated to so many it had not been so much as Revealed or a murmur or whisper gone about it From whence he took occasion to tell us That it was absolutely necessary for the future there should be some Counsel that should be as a Spring a little to Guide and Govern the Motions of the rest for that there were divers things to be taken care of which if not taken care of by particular Persons would all miscarry This was the Substance of the Prologue and Introduction he made From hence he made a Transition to some particular Things that he thought was most principally to be taken Care of And though it is impossible for me to remember the Order and Method in which we Discoursed or who said this or that but that which the Sence of all resulted to was this That since we did not come prepared for it we should consider what were the Things that would hereafter challenge our particular Care that was The time When the places Where and the Persons by whom these Things should be carried on This led into some particular Discourse concerning some of these Heads For the Time that it should be shortly lest the Minds of Men should chil And then as to the place Where whether in the City or Country or both joyntly In all these some Opinions were given but not setled to any Resolution but they were committed to our Thoughts to be digested afterwards But these being the Things that every one was to take upon his thoughts there was this Prerequisite to the undertaking and that was to consider what Magazines were to be got and that led to another particular which was With what they should be gotten and that was Money and thereupon was propounded a considerable Sum to be raised and as I remember the Sum propounded by the Duke of Monmouth was Twenty-Five Thousand Pounds or Thirty Thousand Pounds And then it was considered how it should be raised without drawing Observation or Jealousy These are only the Heads that were then agreed on hereafter to be better considered But the present Resolution that was taken was That before any Procedure was made in any of these things or any advance towards the Undertaking the first Thing to be considered was How to make a Coalition of Councels between Scotland and what we were doing here and for that purpose we should bethink our selves of some ut Person to be sent thither to Unite us into one Sence and Care This is as much as Occurs to my Memory upon that Meeting About a Fortnight or three Weeks after which I suppose carried it to the middle of February next we had another Meeting and that was at Southampton House at my Lord Russels and there was every one of the same Persons and when we came there there happened to fall in a Discourse which I know not how it came in but it was a little warmly urged and thought to be untimely and unseasonable and that I remember was by Mr. Hambden who did tell us That having now United our selves into such an Undertaking as this was it could not but be expected that it would be a Question put to many of us To what End all this was Where it was we intended to Terminate Into what we intended to Resolve That these were Questions he met with and it was probable every one had or would meet with from those Persons whose Assistance we expected and that if there was any thing of a Personal Interest designed or intended that there were but very few of those whose Hearts were now with us but would fall off And therefore since we were upon such an Undertaking we should resolve our selves into such Principles as should put the Properties and Liberties of the People into such Hands as it should not be easily Invaded by any that were Trusted with the Supream Authority of the Land and it was mentioned to Resolve all into the Authority of the Parliament This was moved by him and had a little harshness to some that were there but yet upon the whole Matter we generally consented to it That it was nothing but a Publick Good that we all intended But then after that We fell to that which we charged our selves with at the first Meeting and that was concerning sending into Scotland and of settling an Understanding with my Lord of Argyle And in order to this it was necessary to send a Messenger thither to some Persons whom we thought were the most leading Men of the Interest in Scotland This led us to the insisting on some particular Persons the Gentlemen named were my Lord Melvin Sir John Cockram and the Cambells I am sure it was some of the Alliance of my Lord of Argyle and I think of the Name As soon as this was propounded it was offered by this Gentleman Collonel Sidney that he would take the Care of the Person and he had a Person in his Thoughts that he thought a very sit Man to be intrusted one or two but one in special and he named Aaron Smith to be the Man who was known to some of us to others not I was one that did know him and as many as knew him thought him a proper Person This is all that Occurs to me that was at the second Meeting and they are the only Consults that I was at Mr. Att. Gen. What was he to do Lord Howard There was no particular Deed for him more than to carry a Letter The Duke of Monmouth undertook to bring my Lord Melvin hither because he had a particular dependance upon him and I think some Relation to his Lady But to Sir John Cockram there was a Letter to be sent under the disguise of carrying on some business of the Plantation in Carolina This Letter I suppose was Writ by my Lord Russel though I know it not for he was personally known to my Lord Russel and I don't know that he was known to any of us About three Weeks after this then he was dispatched I suppose Mr. Att. Gen. To what purpose were these Gentlemen to come up Lord Howard These were to acquaint us how they found Scotland tempered and what Opportunities or Advantages there was
Parliament or the Nobility and Gentry that composed it and when the Kings failed of their Duties by their own Authority called it The multitude therefore is not ever headless but doth either find or create heads unto it self as occasion doth requite and whether it be one man or a few or more for a short or a longer time we see nothing more regular than its motions But they may saith our Author shake off the Yoke and why may they not if it prove uneasie or hurtful unto them Why should not the Israelites shake off the Yoke of Pharaoh Jabin Sisera and others that oppressed them When pride had changed Nebuchadnezzar into a beast what should perswade the Assyrians not to drive him out amongst Beasts until God had restored unto him the Heart of a Man When Tarquin had turned the Legal Monarchy of Rome into a most abominable Tyranny why should they not abolish it And when the Protestants of the Low-Countries were so grievously oppressed by the power of Spain under the proud cruel and savage conduct of the Duke of Alva why should they not make use of all the means that God had put into their hands for their deliverance Let any Man who sees the present state of the Provinces that then united themselves judge whether it is better for them to be as they are or in the condition unto which his fury would have reduced them unless they had to please him renounced God and their Religion Our Author may say they ought to have suffered The King of Spain by their resistance lost those Countries and that they ought not to have been Judges in their own case To which I answer That by resisting they laid the foundation of many Churches that have produced multitudes of men eminent in gifts and Graces and established a most glorious and happy Commonwealth that hath been since its first beginning the strongest Pillar of the Protestant Cause now in the World and a place of refuge unto those who in all parts of Europe have been oppressed for the name of Christ Whereas they had slavishly and I think I may say wickedly as well as foolishly suffered themselves to be butchered if they had left those empty Provinces under the power of Anti Christ where the name of God is no otherwise known than to be blasphemed If the King of Spain desired to keep his Subjects he should have governed them with more justice and mercy when contrary unto all Laws both Humane and Divine he seeks to destroy those he ought to have preserved he can blame none but himself if they deliver themselves from his tyranny and when the matter is brought to that That He must not reign or they over whom he would reign must perish the matter is easily decided as if the question had been asked in the time of Nero or Domitian Whether they should be left at liberty to destroy the best part of the World as they endeavoured to do or it should be rescued by their destruction And as for the peoples being Judges in their own case it is plain they ought to be the only Judges because it is their own and only concerns themselves Mr. Att. Gen. The latter end the last sheet of all § 35. L. C. J. The argument runs through the book fixing the power in the people Cl. of the Cr. The general revolt of a Nation from its own Magistrates can never be called rebellion Mr. Att. Gen. § 37. Cl. of Cr. The power of calling and dissolving Parliaments is not in the King Mr. Att. Gen. So much we shall make use of if the Colonel please to have any other part read to explain it he may Then the Sheets were shewn to Col. Sidney Colonel Sidney I do not know what to make of it I can read it L. C. J. Ay no doubt of it better than any man here Fix on any part you have a mind to have read Colonel Sidney I do not know what to say to it to read it in pieces thus L. C. J. I perceive you have disposed them under certain heads To what heads will you have read Colonel Sidney My Lord let him give an account of it that did it Mr. Att. Gen. My Lord we will not delay Colonel Sidney from entring on his defence only we have this piece of Evidence to give further One of his Complices was my Lord Russel we will give in Evidence his Conviction We will only ask my Lord Howard Was your Lordship sworn as a Witness at the Tryal of my Lord Russel L. Howard Yes Mr. Att. Gen. Whether or no when you met were there in those debates any reflections upon the King that he had broken his duty L. Howard Not that I remember Mr. Att. Gen. Why would you rise L. Howard If you mean upon the misgovernment not personally upon the King Mr. Att. Gen. Ay. L. Howard Yes and principally and chiefly that which we thought was the general disgust of the Nation the imposing upon the City at that time Mr. Iust. Wythins That was complained of at that time L. Howard Yes my Lord We took it all along to be the chief grievance L. Ch. Iust. Have you any more Witnesses Mr. Att. Gen. Only the Record Mr. Sol. Gen. I know there is no time mispent to make things clear If the Jury have a mind to have the words read again L. Ch. Iust. If they have a mind let it Then Mr. Trinder was Sworn and testified it to be a true Copy of the Record and said he examined it at Fishmongers-Hall with Mr. Tanner Then the Record of the Conviction of the Lord Russel was read L. Ch. Iust. What will you go to next Mr. Attorney Mr. Sol. Gen. We have done unless the Jury desire to have the words of the Libel read again But they did not Col. Sidney My Lord I desire to know upon what Statute I am Indicted Mr. Att. Gen. My Lord I will give as plain an Answer You are Indicted upon the old Statute of 25 E. 3. Col. Sidney Then I desire to know upon what branch of that Statute Mr. Att. Gen. Why I will acquaint you 'T is upon the first branch of that Statute for Conspiring and Compassing the Death of the King Col. Sidney Then I conceive what does not come within that does not touch me Mr. Att. Gen. Make what Inferences you please Colonel we will answer you Col. Sidney I desire to know what the Witnesses have sworn against me upon that point Mr. Att. Gen. Go on You have heard the Witnesses as well as we L. Ch. Iust. He says You are Indicted upon the Statute of 25 E. 3. which Statute makes it High Treason to Conspire the Death of the King and the Overt Act is sufficiently set forth in the Indictment now the Question is whether 't is proved Col. Sidney They have proved a Paper found in my Study of Caligula and Nero that is Compassing the Death of the King is it L. C. J.
carried on thus it had neither Officers nor Souldiers no place no time no Money for it That which he said last time which he forgotnow he talked of twenty five or thirty thousand pound but no man knew where it was to be had but last time he said it was spoken in jest Now this is a pretty Cabal that six men should meet about a business and they neglect every one of the points relating to the thing they met about make no step about the business and if any one did speak of it it was but in jest This is a very deep maintaining of the Plot. Then my Lord as to these Papers I do not think I am to give any account of them I would say nothing to the disparagement of Sir Philip Lloyd I never saw him till he cause to my House but yet I say he is the Kings Officer and when I am prosecuted at the Kings Smit I think he ought to be no Witness The Government of France is violent and absolute but yet a few years ago a Minister of State had his Papers taken from him and abundance of them had dangerous Plots against the King in them but because they were inventoried in his Officers presence or those reputed by him there was no use could be made of them it was an irreparable fault in the process and that saved him The similitude of hands is nothing we know that Hands will be counterfeited so that no man shall know his own hand A Gentleman that is now dead told me that my Lord Arlington about five years agoe desired him to write a Letter and seal it as well as he could he writ it with care and sealed it with a Wafer and Wax upon it and within a few days my Lord Arlington brought him five Letters and he did not know which was his own The Attorney shews these Papers to me I do not know whether they are my own or no but these very Papers such as they are do abhorr as much as any one can such a design Look upon them you see they are all old Ink. These Papers may be writ perhaps these twenty years the Ink is so old But my Lord it is a polemical Discourse it seems to be an Answer to Filmer which is not calculated for any particular Government in the World It goes only upon these general Principles That according to the universal Law of God and Nature there is but one Government in the World and that is Intire and Absolute and that the King can be bound by no Law by no Oath but he may make all Laws and abolish them as he pleases And this whether of Age or no a Man or a Child of Sense or out of his Sense Now my Lord what if any man in his Cabinet should have written this Book Then he has another Principle he says 'T is the same thing whether a King come in by Election by Donation by Inheritance or Usurpation or any other way than which I think never was a thing more desperately said Cromwell when one White a Priest wrote a Book wherein he undertook to prove That Possession was the only Right to Power tho' he was a Tyrant and a violent one you need not wonder I call him Tyrant I did so every day in his Life and acted against him too it would be so odious a Principle he would not endure it and he used him very slightly for it Now this Filmar that no man must write against is the man that does assert it That 't is no matter how they come by their Power and gives the same Power to the worst Usurpers as they that most rightly come to the Crown By the same Argument if the arrantest Rascal of Israel had killed Moses David c. and seized upon the Power he had been possessed of that Power and been Father of the People If this be Doctrine my Lord that is just and good then I confess it may be dangerous for any thing to be found in a man's House contrary to it but if a Commoner of England write his present thoughts and another man upon looking on his Book write his present thoughts of it what great hurt is there in it And I ask Mr. Attorney how many years ago that was written L. Ch. Iust. I don't know what the Book was in answer to We are not to speak of any Book that Sir Robert Filmar wrote but you are to make your Defence touching a Book that was found in your Study and spend not your time and the Courts time in that which serves to no other Purpose than to gratify a luxuriant way of Talking that you have We have nothing to do with his Book you had as good tell me again That there was a parcel of people rambling about pretending to my L. Russel's Ghost and so we may answer all the Comedies in England Answer to the matter you are indicted for Do you owne that Paper Col. Sidney No my Lord. L. Ch. Iust. Go on then it does not become us to be impatient to hear you but we ought to advertise you that you spend not your time to no purpose and do your self an Injury Col. Sidney I say first 'T is not proved upon me and secondly 'T is not a Crime if it be proved L. Ch. Iust. You began very materially in one thing it is material for you to apply your self to take off the Credibility of my Lord Howard that is a Witness call your Witnesses to that purpose or if you have any other point to take away the Credibility of any other Witness Col. Sidney My Lord I have seven or eight points of Law L. Ch. Iust. I hear not one yet Col. Sidney Why my Lord Conspiring to levy war is not Treason and I desire to have Counsel upon that L. J. Just. 'T is not a Question You had as good ask me whether the first Chapter in Littleton be Law Col. Sid. My Lord I have neither made war nor conspir'd to levy war L. C. Iust. You are still in a mistake you shall not think that we intend to dialogue with you to let you know how far the proof hath been given or not given but when we come to direct the Jury then we shall observe how far the Law requires there should be two witnesses But whether there be such a proof that must be left to the Jury Mr. Just. Wythens If you agree the Conspiracy I will tell you my mind of it I cannot give you my Opinion in Law till the Fact be stated L. Ch. Iust. The Law alwayes arises upon a point of Fact there can be no doubt in point of Law till there be a settlement in point of Fact Mr. Just. Holloway My Lord has put you in a right way The Conspiracy is proved but by one Witness if you have any thing to take off his Credibility t is to the purpose Col. Sidney Truly my Lord I do as little intend to mis-spend my
own Spirit and your Time as ever any man that came before you Now my Lord if you will make a Concatenation of one thing a Supposition upon Supposition I would take all this asunder and shew if none of these things are any thing in themselves there can be nothing joyned together L. Ch. Iust. Take your own Method Mr. Sidney but I say if you are a man of low Spirits and weak Body 't is a Duty incumbent upon the Court to exhort you not to spend your time upon things that are not material Col. Sidney My Lord I think 't is very material that a whimsical imagination of a Conspiracy should not pass for a real Conspiracy of the Death of the King besides if these Papers were found in my House 't is a Crime created since my Imprisonment and that cannot come in for they were found since My Lord if these Papers are right it mentions 200. and odd Sheets and these show neither Beginning nor Ending and will you my Lord indict a man for Treason for scraps of Paper found in his House relating to an ancient Paper intended as innocently as any thing in the world and piece and patch this to my Lord Howards Discourse to make this a Contrivance to kill the King Then my Lord I think 't is a Right of Mankind and 't is exercised by all studious men that they write in their own Closets what they please for their own Memory and no man can be answerable for it unless they publish it L. C. J. Pray don't go away with that right of mankind that it is lawful for me to write what I will in my own Closet unless I publish it I have been told Curse not the King not in thy thoughts not in thy Bed-Chamber the Birds of the air will carry it I took it to be the duty of mankind to observe that Col. Sidney I have lived under the Inquisition L. C. J. God be thanked we are governed by Law Col. Sidney I have lived under the Inquisition and there is no man in Spain can be tryed for Heresie Mr. Iust. Withins Draw no Presidents from the Inquisition here I beseech you Sir L. C. J. We must not endure men to talk that by the right of nature every man may contrive mischief in his own Chamber and he is not to be punished till he thinks fit to be called to it Col. Sidney My Lord if you will take Scripture by pieces you will make all the Penmen of the Scripture blasphemous you may accuse David of saying There is no God and accuse the Evangelists of saying Christ was a Blasphemer and a Seducer and the Apostles That they were drunk L. C. J. Look you Mr. Sidney if there be any part of it that explains the sense of it you shall have it read indeed we are trifled with a little 'T is true in Scripture 't is said there is no God and you must not take that alone but you must say the fool hath said in his heart there is no God Now here is a thing imputed to you in the Libel if you can say there is any part that is in excuse of it call for it As for the purpose whosoever does publish that the King may be put in chains or deposed is a Traytor but whosoever says that none but Traytors would put the King in Chains or depose him is an honest man therefore apply ad idem but don't let us make Excursions Col. Sidney If they will produce the whole my Lord then I can see whether one part contradicts another L. Ch. Iust. Well if you have any Witnesses call them Col. Sidney The Earl of Anglesey L. Ch. Iust. Ay in God's Name stay till to morrow in things that are pertinent Col. Sidney I desire to know of my Lord Anglesey what my Lord Howard said to him concerning the Plot that was broken out L. Anglesey Concerning this Plot you are now questioned for Col. Sidney The Plot for which my Lord Russel and I was in Prison L. Anglesey The Question I am asked is what my Lord Howard said before the Tryal of my Lord Russel concerning the Plot I suppose this goes as a branch of that he was accused for I was then in the Country when the Business was on foot and used to come to Town a day or two in the Week living near in Hertfordshire and I understanding the Affliction my Lord of Bedford was in I went to give my Lord a Visit we having been acquaintance of above fifty years standing and bred together in Maudlin Colledge in Oxford When I came to my Lord of Bedford and had administred that comfort that was fit for one Christian to give another in that distress I was ready to leave him and my Lord Howard came in It was upon the Friday before my Lord Howard was taken he was taken as I take it upon Sunday or Munday my Lord Howard fell into the same Christian Office that I had been just discharging to compassionate my Lords affliction to use Arguments to comfort and support him under it and told him he was not to be troubled for he had a discreet a wise and a vertuous Son and he could not be in any such Plot I think that was the word he used at first though he gave another name to it afterward and his Lordship might therefore well expect a good Issue of that business and he might believe his Son secure for he believed he was neither guilty nor so much as to be suspected My Lord proceeded further and did say that he knew of no such barbarous Design I think he called it so in the second place and could not charge my Lord Russel with it nor any body else This was the effect of what my Lord Howard said at that time and I have nothing to say of my own knowledge more than this but to observe that I was present when the Jury did put my Lord Howard particularly to it what have you to say to what my Lord Anglesey testifies against you My Lord I think did in three several places give a short account of himself and said it was very true and gave them some further account why he said it and said he should be very glad it might have been advantagious to my Lord Russel Col. Sidney My Lord of Clare I desire to know of my Lord of Clare what my Lord Howard said concerning this Plot and me Lord Clare My Lord a little after Colonel Sidney was taken speaking of the Times he said that if ever he was questioned again he would never plead the quickest dispatch was the best he was sure they would have his Life though he was never so innocent and discoursing of the late Primate of Armaghs Prophesie for my part says he I think the Persecution is begun and I believe it will be very sharp but I hope it will be short and I said I hoped so too Mr. At. Gen. What answer did your Lordship
give to it Lord Clare I have told you what I know my Lord is too full of discourse for me to answer all he says but for Colonel Sidney he did with great asseverations assert that he was as innocent as any man breathing and used great Encomiums in his praise and then he seemed to bemone his misfortune which I thought real for never was any man more ingaged to another than he was to Colonel Sidney I believe Then I told they talked of Papers that were found I am sure says he they can make nothing of any Papers of his Mr. Att. Gen. VVhen was this Lord Clare This was at my house the beginning of July Mr At. Gen. How long before my Lord Howard was taken L. Clare About a week before Mr. At. Gen. I would ask you my Lord upon your honour would not any man have said as much that had been in the Plot L. Clare I can't tell I know of no Plot. Col. Sidney Mr. Philip Howard Mr. I. Wythins VVhat do you ask him Col. Sidney VVhat you heard my Lord Howard say concerning this pretended Plot or my being in it Mr. Phil. Howard My Lord when the Plot first brake out I used to meet my Lord Howard very often at my Brothers house and coming one day from Whitehall he asked me what News I told him my Lord says I there are abundance of people that have confessed the horrid Design of murthering the King and the Duke How says he is such a thing possible says I 't is so they have all confessed it Says he do you know any of their names yes says I I have heard their Names What are their Names says he why says I Colonel Romsey and Mr. West and one Walcott and others that are in the Proclamation I can't tell whether Walcott was in hold says he 't is impossible such a thing can be says he there are in all Countreys people that wish ill to the Government and says he I believe there are some here but says he for any man of Honour Interest or Estate to go about it is wholly impossible Says I my Lord so it is and I believe it Says I my Lord do you know any of these people No says he none of them only one day says he passing through the Exchange a man saluted me with a Blemish upon his Eye and he embraced me and wished me all happiness says he I could not call to mind who this man was but afterwards I recollected my self that I met him at my Lord Shaftsburies and heard afterwards and concluded his name to be his at whose house the King was to be assassinated Mr. At. Gen. Rombald Mr. Howard Ay Rombald My Lord May I ask if my Lord Howard be here L. C. J. He is there behind you Mr. Howard Then he will hear me My Lord says I what does your Lordship think of this business says he I am in a maze says I if you will be ruled by me you have a good opportunity to Address to the King and all the discontented Lords as they are called and to shew your Detestation and Abhorrence of this thing for says I this will be a good means to reconcile all things Says he you have put one of the best Notions in my Head that ever was put Says I You are a very good Pen man draw up the first Address and I believe I was the first that mentioned an Address you have had many an one since God send them good success says he I am sorry my Lord of Essex is out of Town he should present it But says I Here is my Lord Russel my Lord of Bedford my Lord of Clare all of you that are disaffected and so accompted go about this business and make the Nation happy and King happy Says he will you stay till I come back Ay says I if you will come in any time but he never came back while I was there The next day I think my Lord Russel was taken and I came and found him at my Brother's House again for there he was day and night says he Cozen what News Says I my Lord Russel is sent to the Tower We are all undone then says he Pray says he go to my Lord Privy-Seal and see if you can find I am to be taken up says he I doubt 't is a Sham-Plot if it was a true Plot I should fear nothing says I what do you put me to go to my Lord Privy-Seal for He is one of the King's Cabinet Counsel do you think he will tell me I won't go but says I if you are not Guilty why would you have me go to inquire why says he because I fear 't is not a true Plot but a Plot made upon us and therefore says he there is no man free My Lord I can say no more as to that time and there is no man that sits here that wishes the King better than I do The next thing I come to is this I came the third day and he was mighty sad and melancholy that was when Col. Sidney was taken says I why are you melancholy because Col. Sidney is taken Says I Col. Sidney was a man talked of before why you were not troubled for my Lord Russel that is of your Blood says he I have that particular Obligation from Col. Sidney that no one man had from another I have one thing to say farther I pray I may be rightly understood in what I have said L. C. J. What you would have us undertake for all the people that hear you I think you have spoken very materially and I will observe it by and by to the Jury Col. Sidney Pray call Doctor Burnet Mr. Iust. VValcott What do you ask Doctor Burnet Col. Sidney I have only to ask Dr. Burnet whether after the News of this pretended Plot my Lord Howard came to him And what he said to him Dr. Burnet My Lord the day after this Plot brake out my Lord Howard came to see me and upon some discourse of the Plot with Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven he protested he knew nothing of any Plot and believed nothing of it and said that he looked upon it as a ridiculous thing My Lord Pagett was sent for at the Prisoners request being in the Hall Col. Sidney My Lord I desire Joseph Ducas may be called who appeared being a French-man Col. Sidney I desire to know whether he was not in my House when my Lord Howard came thither a little after I was made a Prisoner and what he said upon it Ducas Yes my Lord my Lord Howard came the day after the Colonel Sidney was taken and he asked me Where was the Col. Sidney and I said he was taken by an Order of the King and he said oh Lord what is that for I said they have taken Papers he said Is some Papers left yes Have they taken something more No well you must take all the things out of the house and
purpose they ingaged For they did very wisely consider If this be only to serve a turn and to make one Man great this will be a great hinderance in their Affair therefore they thought it was necessary to ingage upon a publick account and to resolve all into the authority of a Parliament which surely they either thought to force the King to call or otherwise that the People might call a Parliament if the King refused and so they to choose their own Heads But still they were upon this point That it was necessary for their Friends in Scotland to have their Counsels united with them and in order to that it was necessary to contrive some way to send a Messenger into Scotland to bring some Men here to treat and consult about it and Col. Sidney is the Man that does engage to send this Messenger and he had a man very fit for his turn that is Aaron Smith whom he could confide in and him he undertook to send into Scotland This Messenger was to fetch my Lord Melvin the two Cambells and Sir John Cockram Col. Sidney as he ingaged to do this so afterwards he did shew to my Lord Howard Money which he affirmed was for that business he says it was a Sum of about sixty Guinneys and he believes he gave it him for that Col. Sidney told him Aaron Smith was gone into Scotland That the Pretence was not bare-faced to invite them over to consult of a Rebellion but to consult about the business of Carolina being a Plantation for the Persecuted Brethren as they pretended in Scotland Gentlemen these Scotch-men that were thus sent for over they came accordingly that is the two Cambells and Sir John Cockram and the Discourse with Sir Andrew Foster was according to this Cant that was agreed on beforehand concerning a Plantation in Carolina This was that that was pretended for their coming hither but the true Errand was the business of the Insurrection intended Gentlemen that they came upon such a design is evident from the circumstances they came about the time the business brake out and in that time suspiciously changing their Lodging they were taken making their escape and this at a time before it was probable to be known abroad that these men were named as part of the Conspirators These things do very much verifie the Evidence my Lord Howard hath given and there is nothing has been said does at all invalidate in The sending of Aaron Smith into Scotland and his going and the coming of these men and their endeavouring to make their escape are mighty concurrent Evidences with the whole Evidence my Lord Howard has given Now What objections are made against this Evidence truly none at all Here are persons of great Quality have given their Testimony and they do not impeach my Lord Howard in the least but some do extremely confirm the truth of my Lord Howard My Lord Anglesey gives you an account of a discourse at my Lord of Bedfords That my Lord Howard came in and that my Lord Howard should there comfort my Lord of Bedford and enlarge in the Commendations of his Son and say he was confident he knew nothing of the Design and he must be innocent Gentlemen This is the nature of the most part of the Evidence My Lord of Clare his Evidence is much the like that is his denying that he knew of any Plot. Now here is my Lord Howard under a guilt of High-Treason for he was one of those Censpirators not yet discovered nor no Evidence of any discourse leading to any thing that should give occasion to him to protest his innocency and says he I know nothing of the Plot. You would have wondered if he should have been talking in all places his know ledg and declaring himself His denying of it under the guilt when he was not accused is nothing to his Confession when he comes to be apprehended and taken for it Here Mr. Philip Howard says he had several discourses with him about this business upon the breaking out of the Plot and that he advised him to make an Address and that this was a thing that would be very acceptable and very much for their vindication and my Lord Howard he says thanked him for his very good advice and said he would follow it and presently after when my Lord Russel was apprehended Mr. Howard tells him the news that my Lord Russel was apprehended this was sudden to him And what says he We are all undone When my Lord Russel that was one of this Counsel that was a secret Counsel and could not be traced but by some of themselves when he is apprehended then he falls out into this expression We are all undone This is an Argument my Lord Howard had a guilt upon him For why were they all undone that my Lord Russel was apprehended any more than upon the apprehending the rest Yes because my Lord was one of the six and now t was come to the knowing of that part of the Conspiracy It was traced to the Counsel of six which in all likelihood would break the neck of the Design Now tho he put it off afterwards saying I believe it is a Sham Plot yet this was but a trivial put off And then when Colonel Sidney is taken the same Witness Mr. Howard tells you my Lord was very sad and melancholy for then he had greater reason to lie under an apprehension of being detected Therefore Gentlemen this will rather confirm the truth of the Evidence than any way impeach it Then for I would repeat it all tho I think it hath no great weight in it Doctor Burnet says That after the Plot my Lord Howard pretended he knew of no Plot. This is no more than was testified by the other Lords before and all it imports is that my Lord did not discover himself to Doctor Burnet But I would fain know if my Lord had told Doctor Burnet had it not argued that he had great confidence in him that he thought him a man fit to be intrusted with such a secret and unless the Doctor desires to be thought such a man himself must own 't is no objection That my Lord Howard did not tell him Ducas's Testimony is no more neither That he protested he was innocent and believed Colonel Sidney was innocent and this was before my Lord Howard discovered any thing of this Plot. Then Colonel Sidney objects This is by malice my Lord Howard owes him mony and seeks to pay his Debts by taking away his Life and in further prosecution of this malice would have seized upon his Goods But the Evidence does not receive such construction for my Lord Howard only offered Colonel Sidney the civility of his House to protect his Plate and Goods Now Gentlemen there were two other Witnesses my Lord Paget and Mr. Edward Howard but they say no more than the rest of them that he did protest his innocency and Mr. Howard says he advised
call it The Multitude therefore is never headless but they either find or create an head so that here is a plain and an avowed Principle of Rebellion Established upon the strongest reason he has to back it Gentlemen This with the other Evidence that has been given will be sufficient to prove his Compassing the Death of the King You see the Affirmations he makes when Kings do break their Trust they may be called to accompt by the people This is the Doctrine he Broaches and Argues for He says in his Book in another part that the Calling and Dissolving of Parliaments is not in the Kings Power Gentlemen You all know how many Parliaments the King hath Called and Dissolved if it be not in his Power he hath done that that was not in his Power and so contrary to his Trust. Gentlemen at the entrance into this Conspiracy they were under an apprehension that their Liberties were invaded as you hear in the Evidence from my Lord Howard that they were just making the Insurrection upon that Tumultuous opposition of Electing of Sheriffs in London They enter into a Consultation to raise Arms against the King and it is proved by my Lord Howard that the Prisoner at the Bar was one Gentlemen Words spoken upon a supposition will be High Treason as was held in King James's time in the Case of Collins in Rolls Reports The King being Excommunicate may be Deposed and Murdered without affirming he was Excommunicated and this was enough to Convict him of High Treason Now according to that Case to say the King having broken his Trust may be Deposed by his people would be High Treason but here he does as good as affirm the King had broke his Trust. When every one sees the King hath Dissolved Parliaments this reduces it to an Affirmation And though this Book be not brought to that Counsel to be perused and there debated yet it will be another and more than two Witnesses against the Prisoner For I would ask any man suppose a man was in a Room and there were two men and he talks with both apart and he comes to one and endeavours to persuade him that it is lawful to Rise in Arms against the King if so be he break his Trust and he should go to another man and tell him the King hath broken his Trust and we must seek some way to redress our selves and persuade the people to Rise these two Witnesses do so tack this Treason together that they will be two Witnesses to prove him Guilty of High Treason And you have heard one Witness prove it positively to you That he consulted to Rise in Arms against the King and here is his own Book says it is lawful for a man to Rise in Arms against the King if he break his Trust and in effect he hath said the King hath broken his Trust Therefore this will be a sufficient demonstration what the imagination of the Heart of this man was that it was nothing but the destruction of the King and the Government and indeed of all Governments There can be no such thing as Government if the people shall be Judg in the Case For what so uncertain as the heady and giddy Multitude Gentlemen I think this will be a sufficient Evidence of his Consulting the death of the King You have here the Prisoner at the Bar that is very deep in it Indeed some men may by Passion be transported into such an Offence and though the Offence be never the less what ever the motives are yet in some it is less dangerous for those that venture upon Passion to raise Commotions and Rebellion are not always so much upon their Guard but that they may make some false steps to intrap themselves But this Gentleman proceeds upon a surer Foundation it is his Reason it is his Primciple it is the Guide of all his Actions it is that by which he leads and directs the steady Course of his Life A man convinced of these Principles and that walks accordingly what won't he do to accomplish his designs How wary will he be in all his Actions Still reasoning with himself which way to bring it most securely about Gentlemen This is the more dangerous Conspiracy in this man by how much the more it is rooted in him and how deep it is you hear when a man shall write as his Principle that it is lawful for to depose Kings they breaking their Trust and that the Revolt of the whole Nation can not be called Rebellion It will be a very sad Case when people Act this according to their Consciences and do all this for the good of the people as they would have it thought but this is the Principle of this man Gentlemen We think we have plainly made it out to you and proved it sufficiently that it was the imagination of his Heart to destroy the King and made sufficient proof of High Treason Coll. Sidney Give me leave my Lord to say a very few words I desire Mr. Solicitor would not think it his Duty to take away mens lives any how First We have had a long story Lord Chief Iustice. Nay Mr. Sidney We must not have vying and revying I asked you before what you had to say the course of Evidence is after the Kings Counsel have concluded we never admit the Prisoner to say any thing Coll. Sidney My Lord It was a wise man said there never could be too much delay in the Life of a man I know the Kings Counsel may conclude if they please Mr. Solicitor I would not have him think that it is enough by one way on another to bring a man to death My Lord This matter of Sir Henry Vane is utterly misrepresented Lord Chief Iustice. I must tell you Gentlemen of the Jury that what the Prisoner says that is not proved and what the Kings Counsel have said of which there is no proof to make it out must not be taken into any consideration Coll. Sidney Then my Lord here is a place or two in Old Hales turning over my Lord Hales Book for the Overt Act of one Treason not being an Overt Act of another your Lordship knows Coke and Hales were both against it he Reads Compassing by bare words is not an Overt Act Conspiring to Levy War is no Overt Act. Mr. Solicitor General I desire but one word more for my own sake as well as the Prisoners and that is that if I have said any thing that is not Law or misrepeated or misapplied the Evidence which hath been given I do make it my humble Request to your Lordship to rectifie those mistakes as well in point of Fact as point of Law for God forbid the Prisoner should suffer by any mistake Lord Chief Iustice. Gentlemen The Evidence has been long and it is a Cause of great concernment and it is far from the thoughts of the King or from the thoughts or desire of any of his Judges here to be
this manner if he had not apprehensions of Guilt within himself This is the Testimony offered against my Lord Howard in disparagement of his Evidence Ay but further it s objected he is in expectation of a Pardon And he did say he thought he should not have the Kings Pardon till such time as the drudgery of Swearing was over Why Gentlemen I take notice before this Discourse happened he Swore the same thing at my Lord Russel's Tryal And I must tell you though it is the Duty of every Man to discover all Treasons yet I tell you for a Man to come and Swear himself over and over Guilty in the face of a Court of Justice may seem irksome and provoke a Man to give it such an Epithet 'T is therefore for his Credit that he is an unwilling Witness But Gentlemen consider if these things should have been allowed to take away the Credibility of a Witness what would have become of the Testimonies that have been given of late days What would become of the Evidence of all those that have been so profligate in their Lives Would you have the Kings Council to call none but men that were not concerned in this Plot to prove that they were Plotting Ay but Gentlemen it is further objected This Hand looks like an old Hand and it may not be the Prisoners Hand but be Counterfeited and for that there is a Gentleman who tells you what a dexterous Man he is He says he believes he could Counterfeit any Hand in half an hour 't is an ugly temptation but I hope he hath more Honour than to make use of that Art he so much glories in But what time could there be for the Counterfeiting of this Book Can you imagine that Sir Philip Lloyd through the Bag Sealed up did it Or who else can you imagine should or does the Prisoner pretend did write this Book So that as on one side God forbid but we should be careful of Mens Lives so on the other side God forbid that Flourishes and Varnish should come to indanger the Life of the King and the Destruction of the Government But Gentlemen We are not to anticipate you in point of Fact I have according to my Memory recapitulated the matters given in Evidence It remains purely in you now whether you do believe upon the whole matter that the Prisoner is Guilty of the High-Treason whereof he is Indicted Mr. Iust. Withins Gentlemen 'T is fit you should have our Opinions in all the points of Law we concur with my Lord Chief Justice Says Colonel Sidney here is a mighty Conspiracy but there is nothing comes of it who must we thank for that None but the Almighty Providence One of themselves was troubled in Conscience and comes and discovers it had not Keeling discovered it God knows whether we might have been alive at this day Then the Jury withdrew and in about half an hours time returned and brought the Prisoner in Guilty And the Lievtenant of the Tower took away his Prisoner Munday 26. Nov. 1683. Algernoon Sidney Esquire was brought up to the Bar of the Court of Kings bench to receive his Sentence L. Ch. Iust. Mr Attorney will you move any thing Mr. Att. Gen. My Lord the Prisoner at the Bar is convicted of High Treason I demand Judgment against him Cl. of Crown Algernoon Sidney Hold up thy hand which he did Thou hast been indicted of High Treason and thereupon arraigned and thereunto pleaded not Guilty and for thy Tryal put thy self upon God and the Country which Country has found thee Guilty What can'st thou say for thy self Why Judgment of death should not be given against thee and execution awarded according to Law Col. Sidney My Lord I humbly conceive I have had no Tryal I was to be tryed by my Country I do not find my Country in the Jury that did try me There were some of them that were not Freeholders I think my Lord There is neither Law nor President of any man that has been tryed by a Jury upon an Indictment lay'd in a County that were not Freeholders So I do humbly conceive That I have had no Tryal at all and if I have had no Tryal there can be no Judgment L. Ch. Just. Mr. Sidney you had the Opinion of the Court in that matter before We were unanimous in it for it was the Opinion of all the Judges of England in the Case next proceeding yours tho' that was a Case relating to Corporations but they were of Opinion that by the Statute of Queen Mary the Tryal of Treason was put as it was at Common Law and that there was no such Challenge of Common Law Col. Sidney Under favour my Lord I presume in such a Case as this of Life and for what I know concernes every man in England you will give me a day and Counsel to argue it L. Ch. Iust. T is not in the Power of the Court to do it Col. Sidney My Lord I desire the Indictment against me may be read L. Ch. Iust. To what purpose Col. Sidney I have somewhat to say to it L. Ch. Iust. Well read the Indictment Then the Clerk of the Crown read the Indictment Col. Sidney Pray Sir will you give me leave to see it if it please you L. Ch. Iust. No that we cannot do Col. Sidney My Lord there is one thing then that makes this absolutely voyd It deprives the King of his Title which is Treason by Law Defensor fidei There is no such thing there if I heard it Right L. Ch. Iust. In that you would deprive the King of his Life that is in very full I think Col. Sidney If no body would deprive the King no more then I he would be in no danger Under favour these are things not to be over-ruled in point of Life so easily L. Ch. Iust. Mr. Sidney We very well understand our duty we don't need to be told by you what our Duty is we tell you nothing but what is Law and if you make Objections that are immaterial we must overrule them Don't think that we overrule in your Case that we would not overrule in all mens Cases in your Condition The Treason is sufficiently lay'd Col. Sidney My Lord I conceive this too that those words that are said to be written in the Paper that there is nothing of Treason in them Besides that there was nothing at all proved of them only by similitude of hands which upon the Case I alledged to your Lordship was not to be admitted in a Criminal Case Now 't is easy to call a thing proditorie but yet let the nature of the thing be examined I put my self upon it that there is no Treason in it L. Ch. Iust. There is not a Line in the Book scarce but what is Treason Mr Just. Withins I believe you don 't believe it Treason L. Ch. Iust. That is the worst part of your Case When men are riveted in Opinion that Kings