they are than to venture the restoring him because of the publick hazard And now to set down all his words and follow his stile which is affectedly intricate and obscure he maintaineth that a Dispossessed Prince whether by right or wrong is obliged absolutely to renounce all Right and Claim to Government and if he does not Pag. 136. he is worse than an Infidel He tells us That Pope Vrban the 8th published a Decision That after five Years quiet possession of an Estate the Church was not bound to take notice whether the Title were lawful or no Pag. 151. but acknowledg the Possessor in Ecclesiastical Business That when the Peoples Good stands on the Possessors side then clearly he begins to gain Right and Power That when the People think themselves well they manifestly consent to the present Government Besides saith he who can assure they shall be better by the return of the Dispossessed Party Pag. 145. Surely by common presumption the Gainer is like to defend them better than he who lost it He comes so far as to conclude That if the Old Magistrate offer to return he must be repulsed by force of Arms. His reasoning is this What if an open Enemy should come could or ought the Subjects joyn against him with their New Magistrate Pag. 157. If not the whole Publick must perish If they may then their Case is the same against their Old Magistrate since his Right stood upon the Common Peace and that transferred from him to his Rival by the title of Quiet Possession This was the Philosophy of that Contemplative Gentleman when the King lived in Exile and Oliver sate on the Throne Having so well deserved of the King he was not long since highly recommended to his Majesty by a Man of great Note But the King who hath a Royal insight in Persons and Businesses stopt him with this short answer No more of that I know what Man he is Father Bret was of Mr. Whites Opinion for the Castle of Jersey being surrendred after that resistance which for the length of standing out and the height of Vallour shall be memorable in all Ages When the Gentlemen who had defended it were prest to take the Engagement contrary to the Articles of their Rendition That goodly Divine was very earnest with them at St. Malo to take it maintaining That they were not to acknowledg any Supreme but the prevailing Power When his Majesty cast himself upon the Spaniard the Jesuitical Party thought they had him sure enough from ever returning but God disappointed their hopes and deceived our fears by his Miraculous Mercy For it is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our Eyes that he escaped out of those hands I cannot leave un-observed That in th height of the late Tyranny two Heads of the Gun-powder Traitors that were set upon the House of Lords were taken down not by the high Winds but by the same Zeal which had plotted that Treason and with the leave of Traitors of another Feather We may hear in time that those holy Reliques are shrined up in Gold and are working Miracles The King 's happy Restauration did somewhat as the Learned Bishop Vsher Prophesied stop the Papists Carreer so that they were constrained a while to demur and alter their Measures yet the same restless and ambitious Spirits have acted all along ever since the Restauration to this very Day And this present year 1678 may be called a Year of Amazing and Stupendous Discovery For the Parliament meeting in October 1678 after some Intimations given by his Majesty in his Speech and after severe Examinations of Mr. Oats and Mr. Bedlow two active Persons in the Popish Cabal but now deserters of such notorious Villanies has here declared that there has been and still is a most Hellish and Damnable Plot contrived and carried on by the Popish Recusants to Assassinate the King destroy the Protestant Religion and to subvert the Ancient Government of the Kingdom On which account several Lords are committed to the Tower on Suspicion and several Persons of lower degree to Newgate Two of the latter sort viz. Stayley and Coleman late Secretary to the Dutchess of York and one that assumed to be Principal Secretary of State have received their Rewards as notorious Traitors This Plot in the general Opinion is thought to be the greatest and most Dangerous that ever was since the Reformation For as it has been of long Continuance so it is laid Universal for no less than these three Northern Kingdoms were designed to be delivered from that which they call Pestilent Heresie so Coleman in one of his Letters has told us all the Power and Wealth of the Popish Party was laid out to carry on the Catholick Cause Witness what the Burning of London in 1666. cost them viz. 14000 l. and the Burning of Southwark 2000 l. and what Doctor Wakeman was offered to poison the King viz. 15000 l. besides other unknown Charges which in time we hope will be Discovered together with the depths of their Notorious Villanies In the mean time by what we have seen felt and heard the Reader may see that the Religion of the Papists is not from above which is Pure Peaceable and Gentle and easie to be Entreated but from the Devil who was a Murtherer from the Beginning and like a Roaring Catholick Lion goes up and down seeking whom he may devour FINIS
Protestants in France Northumberland and Westmerland having thus taken Arms Supplies and Moneys failing withdrew themselves into Scotland Norfolk was thrown into Prison Rodolf being in Custody for whom the Pope had appointed 150000 rowns to help the Conspirators was for want of clear proof dismissed Rodolf being got out of Prison asterward distributeth the 150000 Crowns to the Partners in the Treason He being with the Pope is sent by him to the Spaniard to press him to give assistance to the King of Portugal also for the same purpose He wrote alse to the Duke of Norfolk promising to send him aid The Popes Letter to the Spaniard was That he should send an Army out of the Low-Countries to invade England And this very thing the Spaniard endeavoured There was now a difference betwixt Queen Elizabeth and the Spaniard about Money sent by him to the Duke of Alva but was intercepted by the Queen and that was one pretence that the Spaniard had for his dealing against our Queen and Kingdom But the Duke of Norfolk was put to death Nor is this the Relation of an English Protestant but of a Panist a good part whereof had not been known but for him one Hieronimus Calena The Book was printed at Rome by the priviledg of Pius Quintus 1588. The Earls of Northumbrland and Westmerland seduced by one Morton a Priest and at Duresme set up the Mass thence they marched to Clifford-moore where hearing that the Queen of Scots was removed to Coventry that the Earl of Sussex was sent with strong Forces against them and that Sir George Bowes was behind them and had fortified Bernards Castle that Scroupe and Cumberland had fortified Carlile and had also an Army in readiness that the Souldiers of Barwick and the power of Northumberland were in New-castle besieged Bernards Castle and took it on Conditions Then for fear of the Earl of Sussex they fled to Hexam thence by by-ways to Naworth Castle from that place into Scotland and from thence was Northumberland sent and here behcaded Westmerland escaped into the Netherlands where with a poor Pension under the Spaniard he lived poorly all his Days Dacres his endeavour to deliver the Scots Queen IN the Year 1569 Leonard Dacres second Son of William Lord Dacres of Gillesland being grieved to see a very great Patrimony go from him to the Daughters of the Baron whom the Duke of Norfolk their Father-in-Law had joined in marriage with his Sons grew revengeful and joining with the Rebels endeavoured to deliver the Queen of Scots yet a little before being at the Court promised to assist the Queen his Soveraign against the Rebels but treacherously he undertook to kill the Lord Scroup and Bishop of Carlisle to whose custody the Scottish Queen was committed but he failing in the performance took Grastock Castle holding it as his own and gathered Soldiers The Lord Hunsdon met him with the trained Souldiers of Barwick and after a sharp conflict overcometh him and Dacres fled into Scotland from thence into the Netherlands were at Lovaine he lived and died poorly Fitz-Morris raiseth Rebellion in Ireland IN this Year Edmund and Peter Butler Brethren to the Earl of Ormond joining with James Fitz Morris of the House of Desmond entred into a Conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth and to further it came Joannes Mendsza secretly out of Spain The Earl of Ormond going into Ireland caused them to submit they were imprisoned and for their Brother the Earls sake not brought to Tryal The Lord Deputy and Sir Humphry Gilbert through Gods assistance appeased that rebellion It is clear enough that this Rebellion in Ireland arose from the Spaniard as the first mover for to this end he sent Mendoza into Ireland and had not long before written to the Earl Brother to the two Rebels to raise a Rebellion in Ireland Stanleys Conspiracy IN the Year 1570 under a colour of delivering the Queen of Scots Thomas Stanly and Edward younger Sons of the Earl of Darby Thomas Jerard Rolston Hall with others in Durby shire conspired but the Son of Rolston which was Pensioner to the Queen disclosed the Conspiracy All but Hall were imprisonce Hall escaped into the Isle of Man thence by the commendation of the Bishop of Ross he was sent into Dunbritan whence the Castle being won he was brought to London and suffered Death Dissimulation of Don John of Austria IN the Year 1576 Don John of Austria coming into the Low-Countries as Governour sent Gastelius to Queen Elizabeth pretending a perpetual Edict for Peace Teh Queen as if ignorant of any bad intent sent Rogers to congratulate Don John's Edict yet she knew that Don John had conceived a certain hope of marrying the Queen of Scots and of enjoying Scotland and England intending to invade the Isle of Man that from thence he might out of Ireland the North of England and Scotland also where he knew were many Papists invade England This Man to help forward this great design practised secretly with the Pope and with the King of Spain for the Havens of Biscay But the King of Spain neglected him in this desire accounting England and Scotland a Morsel sitter for his own Palate During this Treaty of perpetual Peace this treacherous Don treateth secretly with the Scottish Queen about the Marriage and the better to work his own ends took divers Towns and Castles in the Low-Countries by treachery and wrote into Spain that for the invasion of the Netherlands it would be best to seize on first the Towns of Zealand before the more inland places and that England might with the more ease be first invade The Queen in the mean while prepareth for War but God cut off this her Enemy very suddenly before the fruits of his high thoughts were ripe Stucley's design against Ireland Not long before this time in Ireland Thomas Stucley a prodigal riotous and needy English man discontented for that he lost the Stewardship of Wexford breaths out Contumelies against the Queen and betaketh himself to the Pope with whom he treateth and boasteth that he will subdue Ireland with 3000 Men and burn the Queen's Navy Pope Pius Quintus ahd a great opinion of him After him Gregory the 13 and the King of Spain consulted together to invade England and Ireland at once The Pope aimed to get for his Son James Boncompayno the Kingdom of Ireland and the Spaniard chiefly to imitate the course of Queen Elizabeth who to keep the Spaniard busy abroad secretly sent aid to the Dutch that he migth with-draw her help from the Low-Countries But because the strength of England consisteth chiefly in the Navy the King of Spain setteth the Merchants of Italy and the Netherlands a work to hire the Merchants ships of England and so to send them away in very long Voyages that the Ships being from home and Stucley joining with the Rebels of Ireland the Queen's Navy might be overthrown by a greater The Pope gave him very great Titles in Ireland
against the Protestants secretly sought entrance into the Queens Presence with a drawn Sword set upon one or two in his way and being apprehended confessed that he purposed to have killed the Queen Ed. Ardern his Father-in-Law a Gentleman of Warwick-shire and Arderns Wife and their Daughter Somervil's Wife and Hall a Priest were condemned as guilty of Somervil's practice After three days Somervile was found strangled in Prison for fear of revealing it as was thought where he lay and Ardern was hanged the next day Mendoza the Spanish Amhassador thrust out of England IN 1584 some English Gentlemen began to practise the delivery of the Queen of Scots Francis Throgmorton was suspected by Letters written to the Queen of Scots and intercepted Presently Thomas Lord Paget and Charles Arundel a Courtler left the Land secretly Henry Earl of Northumberland and Philip Earl of Arundel were commanded to their Houses And there was great cause of circumspection for the Papists by printed Books incited the Maids of Honour to do that against the Queen that Judith did against Holofernes Yet was the Queens Mercy such that she caused 70 Priests to be sent out of England The chief of them were Gasper Heywood who of all the Jesuits 〈…〉 England James Basgrave John Hare and Edward Rishton who presently after wrote a Book against the Queen At this time Bernardinus Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador was thrust out of England for practising Treason against the State He having dealt with Throgmorton and others to bring in strangers to invade the Land as appeared by Throgmorton's action who being apprehended sent one of his Packets to Mendoza His other Packets being searched there was found a Catalogue of all the Havens in England fit to land in and another of all the Noblemen in England which favoured the Romish Religion And he did not deny that he had promised his help to Mendoza and the help of those Nobles it was fit he should deal with A Popish practice against Q. Elizabeth discovered not without a Miracle by Creighton's torn Papers a Scotish Jesuit QUeen Elizabeth that rare Paragon of her Sex and that fairly flourishing Flower which Traitors though oft attempted could never nip nor crop up being a Princess both Prudent Pious and Pitiful seeking therefore a fair opportunity and sutable means to set the Queen of Scots at those Times tainted with some Treasonable Practices against her Crown and Person at liberty And for that purpose sent Sir William Wade who was then returned out of Spain to confer with her of the means thereunto And the good Queen was about to send Sir Walter Mildmay to bring this aim of hers to further issue But some further terrors and fears in the interim brake out between them which disturbed that intention especially by a notable discovery by certain Papers which one Creighton a Jesuit sailing into Scotland did then tear in pieces when he was apprehended in the Ship by Dutch-Pirates at Sea whose person being by them seised on he took forth his Papers wherein it seems the project of a Traiterous Plot against Queen Elizabeth at that time was described tore them into small pieces and with all his force threw them into the Sea But see how the Lord 's good Providence ordered it as they flew in the Air the Wind blew stifly by force whereof they were all blown back again into the hip even in a miraculous manner as the Jesuit himself confessed when he saw it Which Papers were all kept and gathered together sent to England to Sir William Wade aforesaid and with much labour and singular skill so joyned and set together again that he found they contained a notable new Plot among many other of the Popes the Spaniards and the Guise's resolution to Invade England Whereupon and by reason of many other rumours of dangers intended against the Queen and whole Kingdom of England a great number of all sorts of Men out of common charity and to shew their love and affectionate care of the welfere of the Queen and State bound themselves by an Association as then it was called by mutual promises and subscriptions of Hands and Seals to prosecute all such by all their sorce and might even unto death that should attempt any thing against the Life of the Queen or Welfare of the Kingdom Now the Queen of Scots took this as a thing devised to bring her into danger and she also was so continually set upon by seditious spirits who if they may but have access are able to draw the greatest Princes to destruction And what have been their practices from time to time but to bring great Persons and greatest Families to ruin Lamentable experience shews openly the fruit of their malice and mischevous plots of Treason which they impiously and audaciously call and count nothing else but advancing of their Catholick Cause Now the Scots Queen led on by her blind guides dealt most importunely with the Pope and Spaniards by Sir Francis Englefield that by all means they would with speed undertake their intended Business namely the Invasion of our Realm For the advancing whereof the Pope and Spaniard had resolved on these points 1. That Queen Elizabeth should be deprived of her Kingdom 2. That the King of Scots a manifest favourer of Heresie should utterly be dis-inherited of the Kingdom of England 3. That the Scots-Queen should Marry some Noble-Man of England that was a Catholick 4. That this Man must be chosen King of England by the Catholicks of England 5. That this choice so made must be confirmed by the Pope 6. That the Children of him so chosen begotten of the Scots-Queen must be declared Successors in the Kingdom All these things were confirmed to be true by the testimony of one Hart a Priest Who was that noble English-man that should marry the Scots-Queen was much enquired after by Sir Francis Walsingham with all diligence but not certainly found out yet there was strong suspicion of Henry Howard Brother to the Duke of Norfolk who was Noble by birth unmarried and a fast favourer of that Religion and in great grace and favour with them All these things were discovered by this Creighton the Jesuite's torn Papers as aforesaid And all this their plotting and contriving of France Spain and the Pope against Queen Elizabeth and King James sor no other cause but for their Religon which they had now sairly begun to establish among their People Parry Executed for Treason IN the year 1585 William Parry a Welchman and Doctor of Law spake against that Law which in the Parliament then held was Exhibited and called it a Bloody Law Presently after he was accused of practizing the Queen's death He confessed voluntarily in the Tower that having obtained the Queen's pardon for breaking into the Chamber and wounding one Hare for which he was Condemned he being a sworn Servant to the Queen from England he went into France and was reconciled Afterward at Venice in consultation with Benedict
ever to the hands of Sir Francis Walsingham who coppied out the Letters and by the Art of Thomas Philips found out the Character and by the help of one Gregory sealed them up that none could suspect them opened and then sent the Letters as they were directed The Qu en hereupon commanded Ballard to be apprehended which was done Babington advised presently to send Savage and Charnick to kill the Queen Babington intreateth leave of Walsingham to go into France and sueth for Ballard's liberty who would be of use to him for discovery and to avoid suspition Sir Francis keepeth him back with delays and draweth him to his own House Skidmore Sir Francis's Servant was commanded to observe him strictly and to go with him pretending lest he should be taken with Messengers This Letter being read for the Command was written by Skidmore was perceived and read also by Babington sitting by him who Supping with Sir Francis's Man in a Tavern pretending to rise to go pay the Reckoning left his Cloak and Rapier and fled Then Barnwel Gage Dun Charnick being in the mean time proclaimed Traitors fled into the Woods and after were concealed fed and clothed in a rustical habit by one Bellamy at Harrow on the Hill After ten days they were found and brought to London Salisbury was taken in Staffordshire and Traverse also Jones in Wales not privy to the Conspiracy but he concealed them and furnished Salisbury and his Man with a changed Cloak Windsor was not found Gilford was sent into France as an Exile and there died Sept. 13. Seven of the Conspirators being brought to Judgment confest themselves guilty and were condemned of Treason other seven the next day pleaded not guilty but were guilty and condemned Polly though guilty yet for confessing something to Sir Francis Walsingham was not brought to Judgment on the 20th the first seven were hanged and quartered in St. Giles's Fields where they used to meet The French Ambassador's Plot to kill the Queen IN the Year 1587 Obespineus the Freuch Ambassador of the Guisian faction conferred with William Stafford to kill Q. Elizabeth Stafford refused it but commended one Moody in Prison Trappius Secretary to the said Ambassador in the absence of Stafford conferred with Moody about the deed Moody proposed Poison or a bag of Gun-powder Trappius disliked it and wished rather for such a Man as the Burgundian which killed the Prince of Orange this thing Stafford revealed to the Council Trappius was apprehended going into France and afterward the Ambassador Moody Stafford Trappius all accused the Ambassador before the Lords who sent for the Amoassador Stafford beginning to speak was interrupted by the Ambassador saying that Stafford first proposed it to him who if he did not desist threatned to send him bound Hand and Foot to the Queen Stafford upon his Knees with great protestations affirmed that the Ambassador first moved it The Ambassador was admonished to take heed of such Crimes and dismist by Burley insinuating unto him that it was more the Queen's Clemency than that his Office claimed any such favour The Spainsh Armada IN the Year 1588 was set out by the King of Spain for the Conquest of England the Invincible as they called it Navy For this purpose the Duke of Parma had an Army in Flanders of one hundred and three Companies of Foot and three thousand Horse among which were seven hundred English Fugitives the Bull of Pius Quintus for Excommunicating Q. Elizabeth is renewed by Sixtus Quintus and a plenary Indulgence granted to all who would joyn against England The Queen prepared a Navy also and makes the Lord Charles Howard Admiral and sends him into the West to joyn with Sir Francis Drake Vice-Admiral Henry Seymor second son to the Duke of Somerset with 40 Ships English and Dutch is appointed to stop Parma's coming forth upon the Land Southward were placed 20000 Men another Army of 22000 Foot and a 1000 Horse at Tilbury under Leicester another Army guarded the Person of the Queen consisting of 34000 Foot and 2000 Horse under Henry Lord Hunsdon The Council of War decreed that all places commodious to land in should be strengthened with Men and Ammunition which places should be defended with the Trained-Bands in the Maritime Countries to hinder the Enemies landing if he should land then they should waste the Country round about that he might find no more relief than he brought and that they should keep him in continual Alarms To secure the Queen at Home from Papists some were committed to Wisbitch Castle There was in the mean time a Treaty of Peace from the Spaniards even till the Fleet was almost come to the English Coast The Spanish Fleet consisted of 130 Ships 19290 Souldiers Mariners 8350 chained Rowers 2080. Great Ordnance 2630. They loosed out of the River of Tagus three of their Ships by the help of David Guin an English Servant and the Turkish Rowers were carried into France the rest of this mighty Fleet was by God's help overthrown and dispersed with eight Fire-ships made to cut their Cables weigh their Anchors and flie confusedly and the Admiral Gallyasse was taken when they began again to gather together they were battered and torn divers of them perishing in the Sea So a Navy three years in preparing was overthrown in a Month many of their Men being slain and drowned divers of their Ships sunk and taken not 100 Englishmen lost and but one Ship driven about Scotland Orcades and Ireland much inpaired and returned with shame God's Name be honoured Lopez his undertaking to poison the Queen IN the Year 1593 one Stephen Ferrera de Gama which came with Don Antonio the expulsed King of Portugal into England and afterwards sought to be reconciled to the King of Spain being of inward familiarity with one Roger Lopez a Portugues the Queen's Physician prevailed with him to promise to poison Q. Elizabeth Ferrera writeth to Ibarra the King of Spain's Secretary at Wars about the promise of Lopez and his requiring for the undertaking 50000 Crowns Ferrera promised him that there should one come in the habit of a Mariner to him who should bring him the value of 50000 Crowns in Rubies and Diamonds this was Lopez's own confession who added also that it could not be but that the King of Spain was acquainted with the matter for the Money was to come from the King of Spain He further confessed that Stephen Feerera told him that if he would offer to the Count Fuentes this great service to poison her Majesty he should want no Money and hereupon he was content that Ferrera should write to the Count Fuentes or Secretary Ibarra to assure them that the Doctor would undertake to poison her This secret was discovered by Letters which were intercepted for all Letters to any Portugues and every Portugues coming from beyond Sea was to be staied superscribed to Diego Hernandes from Francis Torres Diego Hernandes Ferrera confessed to be himself Francis Torres
make haste to come in unto the Deputy and Tyrone beggeth pardon upon his Knees From Dublin Tyrone should have been carried into England but the Queens death hindred that and King James pardoned him Afterward he entred into another Conspiracy with O Cane but being sent for with a Process to answer a suit which the Bishop of Derry had against him and fearing he had bin sent for his Conspiracy he fled out of Ireland Garnet Catesby and others labour to invade England IN the last Year of Queen Elizabeth there was a Plot layed against her by Garnet Catesby and others that the Spaniard should join with the Papists here in the Invasion of England Winter was sent into Spain for that purpose and Creswel the the Leger Jesuite in Spain Don Pedro Francisco second Secretary of State and the Duke of Lerma afsured Winter that his Message would be very acceptable to the King of Spain Then had Winter an answer by Count Miranda that the King would bestow 100000 Crowns towards the expedition and at the next Spring at farthest would set his Foot in England Winter returneth and acquainteth Garnet Catesby and Tresham with all and they others but before the next Spring the Queen died The Gun-Powder Treason AT the Queens death Christopher Wright was sent into Spain and Guy Fauks also from Brussels by Sir William Stanley to advertise them there that King James was as violent against the Catholicks as Queen Elizabeth and therefore urged the Spaniard to prosecute the old design The Jesuits privately suggested that they should not admit him into England as being an Heretick Catesby held that the King being an Heretick forfeiteth his Kingdom before any sentence pronounced The Parliament was dissolved the 7th of July which the King held and prorogued till the 7th of February Catesby at Lambeth broke with Winter about blowing up the Parliament House Winter told him that it struck at the root but what if it should not take effect Catesby won Winter to consent but first said he go over and win the Constable to obtain more favour for Catholicks and if you may bring over some confident Gentlemen as Mr. Faux Winter went met with the Constable at Bergen and delivered his Message The Constable answered that his Master commanded him to do all good offices for the Catholicks but he shewed the Constable nothing of the matter Faux and Winter came both into England This plot of blowing up the Parliament House after an Oath of Secrecy and the Sacrament received upon it Catesby disclosed it to Percy and Winter and Wright to Faux Percy hired the House Faux was pretended to be Percy 's Man and names himself Johnson and kept the Keys of the House till the adjournment of the Parliament at which time all the Conspirators departed into the Country A House was hired at Lambeth by Percy to keep the Powder and Wood for the Mine to which it was to be conveyed When the Plot had taken effect what should they do Percy with two or three of them with a dozen more would seize on the Duke and carry him away The Lady Flizabeth was to be surprized at a hunting near the Lord Harringtons They would save from the Parliament first Catholicks then some particular Persons While they wrought in the Mine they fed on baked Meats that they might not go forth At Candlemas the Powder is brought over about which time working in the Mine they came against a Stone-wall when hearing a rushing noise of Coals they feared they were discovered But it was only the moving of Coals to be sold which Celler Faux hired 20 Barrels of Powder they had provided which they hid with Billets and Fagots Faux went into Flanders to acquaint therewith Stanley and Owen Stanley was not there Owen approved it Percy and Catesby met at the Bath and it was agreed that Catesby should call in whom he thought best The number being small He called in Sir Everard Digby and afterward Mr. Tresham The Parliament was a-new prorogued till the 5th of November Then the Conspirators all went into the Country and returned 10 days before the Parliament and hearing that the Prince would be absent from the Parliament said they would then seize on the Prince and let alone the Duke Saturday before the Kings return which was on Thursday a Letter in the Street was delivered to the Lord Mounteagle's Man to put it into his Masters Hand It had neither Date nor Superscription and by the Lord Mounteagle was that Night sent to the Earl of Salisbury who made acquainted with it the Lord Chamberlain the Lord Admiral the Earl of Worcester and Northampton The Letter was this My Lord OVt of the love I bear to some of your Friends I have a care of your preservation Therefore I would advise you as you tender your Life to devise some Excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament For God and Man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this Time And think not slightly of this Advertisement but retire your self into your Country where you may expect the event in safety For though there be no appearance of any storme yet I say they shall receive a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurt them This counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm for the danger is past so soon as you shall have hurned this Letter and I hope God will give you the grace to make a good use of it to whose holy protection I recommend you Friday following the King read it who considering the Sentence therein expressed that they should receive a terrible blow this Patliament and yet should not know who hurt them and joining it to the Sentence for the danger is past so soon as you shall have burn'd this Letter did suspect the danger mentioned to be some sudden danger of blowing up with Powder Afterward it was determined the Lord Chamberlain should view both above and beneath the Parliament Houses Which the Lord Chamberlain having done found in a Vault under the upper House great store of Billers Faggots and Coals and casting his Eye aside a Fellow standing by which called himself Percy 's Man that had hired the Celler The King supposing that Gun-Powder might be hid under that Wood and Coals caused a further fearch to be made Whereupon Sir Thomas Knevet went about the Parliament House with a small number to search more narrowly the Mid-night next after where he found Faux standing without Doors booted and spurr'd and apprehended him then in search under the Wood and Coals 36 Barrels of Gun-Powder and about the Traitor three Matches and other Instruments fit for that wicked purpose were found which wicked intent of blowing up the House he instantly confessed affirming that if he had been in the House he would not have failed to blow up both himself and them In this Mine wrought Catesby Robert Winter Esquires Thomas
Rebels were boundlessly and extreamly cruel in Intention and Profession So it pleased the Lord for the Sins of his People there to permit power unto these barbarous Rebels to act with their Hands the most accursed and prophane Perpetrations that ever Christian Eyes beheld or Ears ever heard of both for Impiety against God and his holy Gospel and almost unexpressible Inhumanity toward the true Professors thereof among them blaspheming our God stripping his Servants stark naked and then bidding them go to their God to be clothed again breaking into Churches burning Pulpits with extream hatred to our Religion and exceedingly triumphing in all their Impieties Dragging some Professors of the Gospel by the hair of their Heads through the Streets into the Churches and there Stripping and Whipping them and with most cruel and taunting Terms abusing them telling them if they came to Morrow they should hear the like Sermon Yea so excessively impious was their hatred to the Gospel of Christ that they took the Sacred Books of the holy Scriptures and cast them into Kennels and Puddles of Dirt and Mire treading them under foot and Leaping and Skipping on them and O horrid Impiety causing a Bagpipe to play all the while and bidding a Plague upon them saying they were the cause of all Quarrels and Burning some and saying it was Hell fire that was then flaming and wishing they had all the Bibles in christendom that they might use them so And as for the most Inhumane and more than Scythian Cruelties of those Irish Canibals and most barbarous Blood-sucking Tygres of whom we may most properly say as Jacob did of his bloody Sons Simeon and Levi in their Massacre of the Shechemites Gen. 49.7 Cursed be their Anger for it was fierce and their Wrath for it was cruel Yea certainly more cruel than ever any Eye did see or Ear did hear yea I say past the most exquisite historical expressions of any Ancient or Modern Relations Witness their stripping stark naked Men Women and Children even Children sucking their poor Mothers Brests whereby multitudes of all sorts Ages and Sexes in the extremities of that cold season of Frost and Snow have most lamentably perished Women being dragged up and down Naked Women in Child-bed drawn out thence and cast into Prison one delivered of a Child while she was hanging one ripped up horesco referens and two Children taken out of her and all cast and eaten up by Swine One stabb'd in the Brest her Child sucking An Insant cruelly murthered whom they found sucking his dead Mother slain by them the day before A Child of fourteen years of Age taken from this Mother in her sight cast into a Bog-pit and held under-water while he was drowned Together with many other yet more horrible hideous and more than Savage or Beast-like Barbarities too terrible for me any farther to relate but may be more fully found in that most lamentable Remonstrance of this Irish Rebellion and all there proved by Testimonies on Oath whereunto I refer the Reader Which makes me call to mind that old Observation proverbially spoken of Ireland which is That no poisonous Serpent will live on Irish ground which how true in the Historical meaning I know not but now I am sure 't is most false in the mystical meaning of it for here it seems that Satan's Serpentine seed a brood of most poisonous Native Serpents Adders and Snakes of Villany and Cruelty do live yea and thrive there also but I trust but for a season for certainly the Lord the most righteous Judg of all Men and severe Revenger of all Wrongs will not suffer such horrible Impieties and unpattern'd Cruelties to go unpunished but will undoubtedly ruinate such a pestilent Generation of Romish Vipers and Babylonish Blood-suckers as these are which he hath already most blessedly begun First By his most gracious and timely discovery of their main Plot the taking of the City of Dublin which was indeed the Master-piece of their intended Epidemical Mischief but prevented I say by the Lord 's great Mercy and good Providence in a most strange manner by a native Irish Gentleman one Mr. Owen Mack-Connel once Servant to that pious and most worthy Gentleman Sir John Clotworthy and this also by a most remarkable way and work of the Lord 's special Providence as is more particularly and punctually related in the Preamble of Irelands Tears to which I refer the Reader And secondly By the Lord's most Glorious and Victorious over-powering the out-ragious Power and Petulancy of those barbarous Miscreants now in open Rebellion by the hands of a very small remnant of poor Protestants there among them who by reason of the most unhappy Distractions unnatural Civil-discords raised up among us in England by the Popish Faction also and their Pontifician Abettors cannot be by us so sufficiently supplied with Men and Arms as is fit and much desired therefore I say the Lord of Hosts abhorring and abominating such atrocious and hell-fomented Blasphemies Murthers and merciless Cruelties makes his just Indignation and Wrath to prosecute and pursue them at the heels giving those small and inconsiderable Companies such admirable and even almost miraculous Victories over them as most evidently declare the Hand of the Lord to be against them and his gracious Purpose utterly to supplant and exterminate such devilishly desperate and intolerably barbarous and bloody Rebels and Traitors the lively Limbs and Lineaments of that bloody Strumpet of Rome The most bloody Massacre at Paris Anno 1572. extracted out of the French History truly and briefly related ANd now good Reader give me leave a little to seem to digress not so much from the Matter as from the Persons and Places at first propounded and to look but a little into our Neighbour Kingdom of France where I say I shall only vary from Personages but the subject Matter the same with the former setting forth the Bloody Plots and Conspiracies of the Popish Faction among them also against those of the reformed Protestant Religion in France and especially in that most butcherly and barbarous Massacre at Paris where it primarily and chiefly began to be cruelly acted and executed on God's innocent Lambs marked out to the slaughter before-hand And thus it was in brief In the years 1571 and 72 Charles the 9th then King of France the said King the then Duke of Guise and others of the Romish Faction bearing a most inveterate hatred which was craftily concealed against those of the Religion and in especial against the then most renowned Admiral of France whose Piety Prudence and Prowess was such and in so high esteem of all both Friends and Foes also that whilst he subsisted and survived the Popish party maugre their malice could do nothing to any purpose to the prejudice of the Cause of Religion At last a Plot was laid most craftily and cruelly under the pretence of a Marriage between the Prince of Navarre a Noble and Pious Prince of the Religion
by force and there is no means of Resistance The good Admiral then replied It is not long since I disposed my self to Die save you your selves if it be pessible for you cannot save my Life and therefore I commit my Soul into the Hands and Mercy of God Presently hereupon his Attendants began to shift for themselves and to flie for their Lives and some of them got up into the top of the House and found a Window to issue out of the Roof and so into Gutters but most of them were slain in the next Houses but Cornatan and Merlin a godly Minister escaped and were miraculously preserved The Admiral 's Chamber-door being now opened seven or eight Armed Men with their Targets entred into it and one Besmes Servant to the Duke of Guise with a naked Sword in his hand offered him the point Whereupon the good Admiral said unto him Young man thou oughtst to respect my Age and Infirmity yet shalt thou not shorten my life With that Besmes thrust his Sword into the Admiral 's Body and redoubling the blow upon the Admiral 's Head every one of the rest also gave him a blow in such sort that he sell upon the Ground and so lay gasping The Duke of Guise and others staying below in the Court and hearing the blows asked if they had done and commanded the Body to be thrown out of the Window which was presently done by that villain Besmes and his companions Now the blows that he had on his Head and the Blood covering his Face had so disfigured him that the Duke of Guise hardly knew him whereupon stooping down and wiping his Face with his Hankerchief he said Now I know him it is he indeed and therewith gave him a kick with his foot on his Face being dead whom all the Murtherers of France extreamly feared being alive Which done he left the Admiral 's House accompanied with his most bloody Train and began to cry about the Streets Courage fellow Souldiers we have made a good beginning let us now to the rest for the King commandeth it Repeating those words oft with great majesty For the King commandeth it it is his pleasure it is his express commandment Just as our Romish Clergy in the Irssh Massacre in the Year 1641 pretended the King's Authority for their Rebellion laying all the Odium of their impious Villanies and Cruelties on the King's Majesty saying still 't was his pleasure it should be so Now presently thereupon the Palace Clock struck and then a Noise was heard all about the Streets of Paris saying that the Hugonots for so the Romish Catholicks term the true Protestants in France were in Arms they being all alas in their Beds fir from any such thoughts and meant to kill the King just as our Powder-Traitors intended had their Plot taken effect to have slandered the Puritans in England to have been the Authors of that hellish-Treason to whom the Admirals Head was carried and presented See here the Holiness of Rome and Zeal of the Romanists and to the Queen-Mother of France and then imbalmed and sent to Rome to the Pope and Cardinal of Lorrain The Common-people like Priest like People ran to the Admirals Lodging where they cut off his Hands and his privy Members and drew his Body for the space of three days about the Town which done it was born to the Gibbet of Monifaucon and there hanged by the Feet The Gentlemen Officers of the Chamber Governours Tutors and houshold Servants of the King of Navarre the French King 's Brother-in Law lately married to his Sister and of the Prince of Conde were driven out of their Chambers where they slept in the Louvre and forced into the Court were there massicred in the Kings own presence The like was done to the Lords and Gentlemen that lay round about the Admirals Lodgings and then throughout the Town in such sort that the number slain that Sunday at Night and the two next Days ensuing within the City of Paris and Suburbs thereof was esteemed to be above ten thousand Persons Lords Gentlemen Pages Servants Justices of all sorts Schollars Lawyers Merchants Artificers Women Maids and Boys not sparing little Children in thier Cradles no nor in their Mothers Bellies The Courtiers of the Kings Guard and Strangers that massacred these Gentlemen said that in one day by Weapons and desorder they had ended those Processes which Pen Paper Sentences of Justice nor open War could not find the means to do or execute in 12 years space And thus these most honourable Protestant Lords and Gentlemen falsly accused and slandered of Conspiracies and Practices against the King being stark naked thinking only upon their rest scarce a wakened out of their Sleep utterly unarmed in the hands of infinite cruel crafty and most treacherous Enemies not having so much leasure as to breath were barbarously slain some in their Beds others on the roofs of Houses and in whatsoever other places where they might be found It would be too tedious to recite at large the Names and Sirnames of all the honourable Personages of divers Qualities that were then slain and butchered it sussiceth that their Names are written in Heaven and that their Death though shameful and despicable in the fight and presence of Men of this World is precious in the fight of the Lords most holy Majesty Now let the tender hearted Christian Reader but consider and ponder in his Heart how strange and horrible a thing it might be in a great Town or City to see at the least 60000 Men with Pistols Pikes Courtlasses Ponyards Knives and other such bloody Instruments run swearing and blaspheming the sacred Majesty of God throughout the Streets and into Mens Houses where most cruelly they massacred all whomsoever of the Religion they met without regard of Estate Condition Sex or Age the Streets paved with Bodies cut and hewed in pieces the Gates and Entries of Houses Palaces and publick places died with Blood A horrible Plague of shoutings and howlings of the Murtherers mixed with continual noise of Pistols and Calivers together with the pittiful cries of those that were murthered the Bodies cast out at Windows upon the Stones drawn through the Dirt with strange noise and Whistlings the breaking open of Doors and Windows with Bils Stones and other furious Instruments the spoiling and plundering of Houses Carts carrying away the spoils and dead Bodies which were thrown into the River of Soame all red with Blood which ran in great Streams through the Town and from the Kings Palace into the said River As for the King of Navarre himself and the Prince of Conde they were called into the King's presence who must himself speak with them who with his own Mouth certified them what had thus past all this while adding that he had saved their Lives only upon Condition that they should renounce their Religion and follow his otherwise that they must look for the like punishment that their Adherents had