Petition into the House of Lords wherein he set forth that he was then attending their Lordships according to Order and expected to have met the Council assign'd him by their Lordships but that he had receiv'd a Message from every one of them that they durst not appear to argue for him by reason of a Vote which the house pass'd yesterday Who thereupon order'd that the Petition should be communicated to the House at the next Conference to know of them whether any such Vote were by them made or no. But here arose a new debate concerning the Bishops which much entangled the interest of the Earl of Danby and the other five Lords in the Tower in reference to their Tryals for the Commons would not prosecute the latter before the first nor the first before such and such things were concluded So that it will be necessary to relate the proceedings of both Houses against the Lords which at length happen'd to be the occasion that neither the one nor the other came to their Tryals as was expected The House having pass'd five resolves for the Impeaching Henry Lord Arundell of Warder William Earl of Pomis John Lord Bellasis William Viscount Stafford and William Lord Peter of Treason and several other Misdemeanors the same day five several Impeachments were accordingly carried up to the Lords but they did not desire they should be sequester'd from Parliament and committed to custody because they were at the same time under restraint in the Tower The Impeachments were first in general That for many years last past there had been contriv'd carried on a trayterous execrable Conspiracy and Plot within this Kingdom of England other places to alter change and subvert the ancient Government Laws of this Kingdom Nation to suppress the true religion therein establish'd to extirpate destroy the professors thereof which said Plot and Conspiracie was Contrived and carried on in divers places and by several ways and means and by a great number of Persons of several Qualities and Degrees who acted therein and intended to execute and accomplish the aforesaid wicked and traiterous designs and purposes That the said five Lords together with Philip Howard commonly called Cardinal of Norfolk and divers others Jesuits Priests and Friers and other Persons as false Traitors to his Majesty and this Kingdom within the time aforesaid had traiterously consulted contriv'd and acted to and for the accomplishing of the said wicked pernicious and traiterous Designs and for that end did most wickedly and traiterously agree conspire and resolve to imprison depose and murther his sacred Majesty to deprive him of his Royal State Crown and Dignity and by malicious and unadvised Speaking Writing and otherwise declared such their purposes and intentions To subject this Kingdom and Nation to the Pope and his Tyrannical Government To seize and share among themselves the Estates of his Majesties Protestant Subjects To erect and restore Abbeys Monasteries and other Convents and Societies which have been long since by the Laws of this Kingdom supprest for their Superstition and Idolatry to deliver up and restore to them the Lands and possessions now invested in his Majesty and his Subjects by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm That the said Conspirators their Accomplices and Confederates had and held several Meetings Assemblies and Consultations wherein it was contriv'd and design'd among them what means should be used and what Persons and Instruments imployed to murder his Majesty and did then and there resolve to effect it by Poysoning Shooting Stobbing or some such like ways and means offer'd rewards and promises of advantage to several Persons to execute the same and hir'd and employed several wicked Persons to Windsor and other places where his Majesty did reside to destroy and murther his Majesty which said Persons accepted such rewards and undertook the perpetrating thereof and did actually go to the said places for that end and purpose That the said Conspirators had procur'd accepted and deliver'd out several Instruments Commissions and Powers made and granted by or under the Pope or other unlawful and usurping Authority to raise Mony Men and Arms and other things necessary for their wicked and traiterous Designs namely to the said Henry Lord Arundel of Warder to be Lord High Chancellor of England to the said William Lord Powis to be Lord Treasurer of England to the Lord Bellasis to be General to the Lord Petre to be Lieutenant General to the Lord Stafford to be Paymaster of the Army That in order to encourage themselves in prosecuting their said wicked Plots Conspiracies and Treasons and to hide and hinder the discovery of the same and to secure themselves from Justice and Punishment the Conspirators and Confederates aforesaid did cause their Priests to administer an Oath of Secrecy together with the Sacrament and upon Confessions to give them Absolutions upon condition that they did conceal the Conspiracy That the better to compass their traiterous Designs they had consulted to raise and had procur'd and rais'd Men Money Horse Arms and Ammunitions and had made applications to and treated and corresponded with the Pope his Cardinals Nuncio's and Agents and with other forreign Ministers and Persons to raise tumults within the Kingdom and invade the same with forraign Forces to surprize seize and destroy his Majesties Navy Forts Magazines and Places of Strength to the ruine and destruction of the Nation That when Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey a Justice of Peace had according to the duty of his Oath and Office taken several Examinations and Informations concerning the said Conspiracy and Plot the said Conspirators or some of them by the advice councel and instigation of the rest did incite and procure divers persons to lye in wait and pursue the said Sir Edmund-Bury several days with intent to Murder him which at last was prepetrated and effected by them That after the said Murther and before the body was found or the Murther known to any but the Accomplices the said Persons falsly gave out that he was a-live and privately Married and after the Body was found dispersed a false and malicious report that he had Murthered himself Which said Murther was committed with a design to stifle and suppress the Evidence he had taken and had knowledge of and to discourage and deter Magistrates and others from acting in the farther discovery of the said Plot and Conspiracy That of their farther malice they had wickedly continued by many false suggestions to lay the guilt and imputation of the aforesaid Horrid and Detestable Crimes upon the Protestants that so they might escape the punishments they had justly merited and expose the Protestants to great scandal and subject them to Persecution and Oppression in all Kingdoms and Countries where the Roman Religion is receiv'd and professed All which Treasons Crimes and Offences were contriv'd committed perpetrated acted and done by the said Lords and every of them and others the Conspirators against our Soveraign
Lord the King his Crown and Dignity and against the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom Of all which Treasons Crimes and Offences the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled did in the Name of themselves and of the Commons of England impeach the said William Earl of Powis William Viscount Stafford Henry Lord Arundel of Warder William Lord Petre and John Lord Bellasis and every of them And the said Commons saving to themselves the Liberty of Exhibiting at any time hereafter against other Accusations or Impeachments against the said Lords and every of them and also of Replying to the Answers which they and every of them should make to the premises or any of them or to any other Accusation or Impeachment which should be by them exhibited as the cause according to course and proceedings of Parliament should require did pray that the said Lords and every of them should be put to Answer all and every the Premises and that such Proceedings Examinations Tryals and Judgments might be upon them and every of them had and used as should be agreeable to Law and Justice and course of Parliament The Articles of Impeachment being drawn up and finish'd and carri'd up to the Lords House the Lieutenant of the Tower was ordered to bring up the Prisoners to the Bar where after they had kneeled awhile they were order'd to stand up and hear their Charge which when they had heard the Lord Chancellor ask'd them what they had to say for themselves letting them know withal that his Majesty would appoint a Lord High Steward for their Tryals Thereupon the Lords impeach'd made several requests in order to their several Defences upon their Tryals and then withdrew for a time After the House had taken their requests into consideration they were called in again and the Lord Chancellor gave them to understand that the several Endictments found against them by the Grand Jury should be brought into that Court by Writ of Certiorari and that they might have Copies of the Articles of Impeachment and should have convenient time given them to send in their respective Answers thereunto All this while the Lord Bellasis had not appeared at the Bar it being sworn that he was so ill that he could not stir out of his bed which reasonable excuse was allow'd for the time Not long after a Message was sent from the Lords to acquaint the Commons that the Lords impeach'd had all except the Lord Bellasis brought up their Answers to the Charge exhibited against them and that their Lordships had sent them the Originals desiring to have them return'd Soon after it was found that the Lord Bellasis had sent in his Answer without Appearance which occasion'd a great Debate Whether by his not appearance he had been Arraign'd or no and whether his Answer were legal The consideration of which business was referr'd to the Committee of Secrecy as also to look into the Answers of the five Lords to consider of the Methods of Proceedings upon Impeachments and to Report their Opinions Which were That the Lord Bellasis being Impeach'd of High Treason by the Commons could not make any Answer but in person And that the several Writings put in by the other Lords which they call'd their Pleas and Answers were not Pleas or Answers but Argumentative and Evasive to which the Commons neither could nor ought to reply That though the Answers of the other four Lords were sufficient yet that there ought not to be any Proceedings against them until the Lord Bellasis had put in a sufficient Answer in person That the Commons should demand of the Lords that their Lordships would forthwith order and require the said Lords to put in their perfect Answers or in default thereof that the Commons might have Justice against them Thereupon it was order'd by the Commons That a Conference should be desir'd with the Lords touching the Answers of the five Lords in the Tower and that the Managers thereof should acquaint their Lordships that they intended to make use of no other Evidence against the five Lords then for matter done within seven years last past desiring their Lordships withal to appoint a short day for the said five Lords to put in their effectual Pleas and Answers to the Articles of Impeachment But e're this Conference could be had a Message came from the Lords to acquaint the House That John Lord Bellasis had that day appear'd in person at the Bar of the House and had put in his Answer to the Articles of Impeachment which they had accordingly sent them The next day came another Message from the Lords to acquaint them That the Lords Powis Stafford and Arundel had appear'd likewise at the Bar and had retracted their former Pleas and had put in their Answers which they had also sent for them to view and consider All which Answers were by the Commons referr'd to the Secret Committee What these Answers were may be easily seen by that of the Lord Petre's here inserted For as their Crimes were the same so their Defences could not vary much either in sence or matter The Lord Petre's Answer to the Articles of Impeachment THE said Lord in the first place and before all other protesting his Innocency c. The said Lord doth with all humility submit himself desiring above all things the Tryal of his Cause by this most Honourable House so that he may be provided to make his just Defence for the clearing of his Innocency from the Great and Hainous Crimes charged against him by the said Impeachment This being prayed as also liberty to Correct Amend and Explain any thing in the said Plea contained which may any ways give this Honourable House any occasion of Offence which he hopes will be granted The said Lord as to that part of the Impeachment that concerns the matter following Namely That for divers years last past there had been contrived and carryed on by the Papists a most traiterous and execrable Conspiracy and Plot within this Kingdom of England and other places to alter and subvert the Antient Government and Laws of this Kingdom and Nation and to suppress the true Religion therein Establisht and to extirpate and destroy the Professors thereof and that the said Plot and Conspiracy was contrived and carryed on in divers places and by several ways and means and by a great number of several Persons of Qualities and Degrees who acted therein and intended thereby to execute and accomplish their aforesaid wicked and traiterous Designs and Purposes That the said William Lord Petre and other Lords therein named together with several other persons therein likewise named and mentioned as false Traitors to his Majesty and Kingdom within the time aforesaid have traiterously acted and consulted to and for the accomplishing of the said wicked pernicious and traiterous Designs and to that end did most wickedly and traiterously Agree Consult Conspire and Resolve to Imprison Depose and Murther His Sacred Majesty and deprive
acceptimus jam vacat These the Commons desir'd might be left out as implying that the continuing a Lord High Steward was necessary and thereupon propos'd these words to be inserted Ac pro eo quod Proceres Magnates in Parliamento Nostro Assemblato nobis humiliter supplicaverunt ut Seneschallum Angliae hac vice constituere dignaremur These Amendments were soon consented to by the Lords and it was farther agreed that the Commission under Seal for Constituting a Lord High Steward for the Tryal of the Earl of Danby should be recall'd and another new Commission according to the Amendments issu'd forth bearing date after the said Resolve and that the like Commission should be issu'd forth for Tryal of the other Lords As to the Lords Answer to the second Proposition the Commons gave their Committee order to insist That the Lords Spiritual ought not to have any Vote in any proceedings against the Lords in the Tower and that when that matter should be settled and the methods of Proceedings adjusted that then the House would be ready to proceed upon the Tryal of the Earl of Danby against whom the House had already demanded Judgment and afterwards to the Tryal of the other five Lords Upon the 16th of May after several Debates and Reports of both Committees the Lords came to this Resolution that the Thursday following should be appointed to begin the Tryal of the five Lords Upon which the Lords Spiritual desired leave of the House that they might withdraw themselves from the Tryal of the said Lords with Liberty of Entring their usual protestations This Resolution and the desire of the Bishops being communicated to the Commons It was by them resolv'd That the Vote of their House extended aswell to the Earl of Danby as the rest and that if the Bishops might have leave to withdraw it imply'd a right which if they had it was a new Court a thing the Commons could not admit of The Lords made Answer that there was no day appointed for the Tryal of the Earl of Danby and that the Lords Spiritual would be absent at all the parts of the Tryals of the five Lords and that the Protestation they desired to enter would be the same as in the Earl of Stafford's case To which the Commons reply'd that they could not proceed to treat of any other proposal till such time as the business about the Court should be settl'd But the Lords insisting still upon their first Resolutions the Commons thought fit to draw up their Reasons in writing which they did and deliver'd them to the Committee of Lords upon the 26th of May. Which was the day before their Prorogation Which because they are matter of History as well as debate may not be unfitly inserted They alleadged that the Commons had always desir'd that a good Correspondence might be preserv'd between the two Houses That there was then depending between their Lordships and the Commons a matter of the greatest weight In the transactions of which their Lordships did seem to apprehend some difficulty in the Matters propos'd by the Commons To clear the same the Commons had desir'd that Conference by which they hop'd to manifest to their Lordships that the Propositions of the House of Commons made by their Committe in relation to the Tryal of the Lords in the Tower were only such as were well warranted by the Laws of the Parliament and Constitution of Government and in no sort intrenched upon the Judicature of the Peers but were most necessary to be insisted upon that the Ancient Rights of Judicature in Parliament might be maintain'd The Commons readily acknowledg'd that the Crimes charged upon the Earl of Powis Viscount Stafford Lord Arundel of Wardour and Lord Bellasis were of deep Guilt and call'd for speedy Justice But withal they held that any change in Judicature in Parliament made without consent in full Parliament was of pernicious Consequence both to his Majesty and his Subjects and conceived themselves obliged to transmit to their Posterity all the Rights which of that kind they had receiv'd from their Ancestors by putting their Lordships in mind of the progress that had already been between the two Houses in relation to the Propositions made by the Commons and the reasonableness of the Propositions themselves So that they doubted not but to make it appear that their Aimes had been no other then to avoid such Consequences and to preserve that Right and that there was no delay of Justice on their part And to that purpose they offer'd to their Lordships the ensuing Reasons and Narrative That the Commons in bringing the Earl of Danby to Justice and in discovery of that execrable and traiterous Conspiracy of which the five Popish Lords stood impeached and for which some of their wicked Accomplices had already undergone the sentence of the Law as Traytors and Murtherers had labour'd under many great difficulties was not unknown to their Lordships Nor was it less known to their Lordships That upon the Impeachment of the House of Commons against the Earl of Danby for High Treason and other high Crimes Misdemeanors and Offences even the common Justice of sequestring him from Parliament and forthwith committing him to safe Custody was then requir'd by the Commons and deny'd by the Peers though he then sate in their House Of which their Lordships had been so sensible that at a free Conference the 10th of April last their Lordships declar'd That it was the Right of the Commons and well warranted in former Ages That upon an Impeachment of the Commons a Peer so impeach'd ought of right to be order'd to withdraw and then to be Committed And had not that Justice been deny'd to the Commons a great part of the Sessions of Parliament which had been spent in framing and adjusting a Bill for causing the Earl of Danby to appear and answer that Justice from which he was fled had been sav'd and employ'd for the preservation of his Majesties Person the security of the Nation and in prosecution of the other five Lords Neither had he had the Opportunity for procuring for himself that illegal Pardon which bore date the first of March and which he pleaded in Bar of his Impeachment nor of wasting so great a proportion of the Treasure of the Kingdom as he had done after the Commons had exhibited their Articles of Impeachment against him After which time so lost by reason of the denyal of that Justice which of right belonged to the Commons upon their Impeachment the said Bill being ready for the Royal Assent the said Earl then rendred himself and by their Lordships Order of the 16th of April last was committed to the Tower After which he pleaded the said Pardon and being prest did at length declare that he would rely upon and abide by that Plea Which Pardon so Pleaded being illegal and void ought not to Barr or preclude the Commons from having Justice upon the Impeachment They did thereupon
confest there that he did not know Sir George Wakemans hand and only knew the Letter in question to be his Letter by being subscrib'd G. Wakeman Concluding from thence that the Witness would have told more at that examination had he known more To which the Dr. reply'd that he had been so over-toyl'd with watching and searching after persons detected that he was not able to make good his charge Which was also confirm'd by the testimony of Sr. Thomas Doleman But Sir Philip Floyd one of the Clerks of the Council was more express in behalf of the Prisoner who acknowledg'd indeed that Dr. Oates did make mention of Sir Georges undertaking to poyson the King as he had understood by a Letter from Whitebread to Harcourt and that he was inform'd by the same Letter that Coleman had pay'd him five thousand pound of the fifteen thousand pound agreed upon But that being demanded of his own personal knowledge what he could tax Sir George withal he solemnly deny'd that he had any thing more against him To which the Doctor gave the same answer of his extreme weakness and indisposition as before After that Sir George recommended one obser vation more to the Court That in the Doctors Narrative there was not one Letter which came from beyond Sea to which he did not swear positively both as to the date and as to the receipt yet that in the case of life he would not be confin'd to a Month. Concluding with a solemn Imprecation and disclaiming all the Crime in this Matter that had been charg'd against him Corker Rumley and Marshall were charg'd of being privy to the Consult for killing the King and to the carrying on the rest of the grand design toward which they had undertaken the raising and payment of 6000 l. by the Benedictine Monks As to Corker Dr. Oates swore him to be a Benedictine Monk and privy to the promise of the 6000 l. which was to be rais'd for carrying on the design That he gave Le Chaise and the English Monks at Paris an accompt of the Jesuites proceedings in England and that he had a Patent to be Bishop of London which the Witness had seen in his hand and that he dispos'd of several parcels of money for advancing the design That he was privy to the Grand Consult in April and excepted against Pickerings being made choice of for killing the King in regard that he being engag'd to say High Mass an opportunity might be lost in the mean time Mr. Bedlow depos'd against Corker that he had been with him in the Company of others at Somerset-house where he heard him discourse in general concerning the Plot of Letters of intelligence and raising an Army what Agitators the Conspirators had in the Country and what Interests they had made As for Marshall he was charg'd by Dr. Oates with being present when the six thousand pound was agreed upon and that he made the same exceptions against Pickering that Corker had done Mr. Bedlow depos'd against him that he had carry'd several Letters to the Catholick party that were in the design and particularly one to Sir Francis Ratcliff And that he had sent Letters of his own twice to others concerning the subverting of the Government and introducing Popery Rumley was accus'd by Dr. Oates of being privy to the Consult for the raising the six thousand pound and that he pray'd for the success of the Design Corker offer'd in his defence that not knowing his accusations he could not come with Evidences to support his Plea That there was nothing more easie than to accuse an innocent person and that the Circumstances ought to be as credible as the Witnesses of which there was neither to be found in his case using many flourishes to move the Court and the Jury raising his Arguments from Improbability of Witnesses to maintain his Allegations and the more to invalidate the Dr.'s testimony he brought witnesses to testifie that one Stapleton was President of the Benedictines and not himself and that the said Stapleton had so been for many years Marshall threw himself upon the Court whom he besought to manage his cause for him as having had so much Tryal of their Candour and Ingenuity After which he made some flight reflections upon the Kings Evidence and desir'd the Court to consider how little concern'd he was at his being apprehended which was no small sign of his Innocency But the main of his defence lay upon this Stress that Dr. Oates was a stranger to him and had mistaken him for some other person which was evidently made out to the contrary and beside that the Prisoner brought no proof of what he affirm'd in that particular At length the Conclusion of his defence was a smooth harangue ad captandum populum and in justification of the Crimes of them that had already suffer'd which because it was look'd upon as an affront done to the Justice of the Court he was desir'd to forbear his Flowers of Rhetorick which were all to no purpose As for Rumley there being but one Witness against him he did not think it needful to trouble the Court with a defence and indeed it was the opinion of the Court deliver'd to the Jury that they ought to discharge him Upon the whole it was the opinion of the Court that the Defences of the Prisoners were very weak of which the Jury could not choose but take notice The main thing wherein the Court were dissatisfy'd was Dr. Oates's excuse of his own weakness and infirmity for not giving his full charge against Sir George Wakeman at the Council Board Since he might have charg'd him in the same breath that he denied that he had any thing more against him Whether this or any other more prevailing argument over-rul'd them certain it is that the Jury found them all Not Guilty and so contrary to expectation they were all acquitted All this while his Majesty kept his Court at Windsor where in consideration of the many and faithful services perform'd unto him by the Right Honourable George Lord Viscount Hallifax John Lord Roberts and Charles Lord Gerrard of Brandon he was pleas'd to confer upon them the Titles of Earls of this Kingdom creating the Lord Viscount Hallifax Earl of Hallifax the Lord Gerrard Earl of Newberry Viscount Brandon which title was afterward chang'd into that of Macclesfeld and the Lord Roberts Earl of Falmouth Viscount Bodmin And to shew that he took the same care of his Dominions abroad as at home His Majesty order'd recruits to be forthwith rais'd under the commands of Captain George Wingfeild Captain Charles Wingfeild Captain William Langley and Captain William Matthews to reinforce the Garrison of Tangier At home the Fort of Sheerness and the Garrison of Portsmouth had both the Honour to be survey'd by the King himself who to that intent departed upon the 30th of July from Windsor to Hampton-Court attended by the Duke of Albemarle and several of the Nobility
City and impoverish her Inhabitants before they could possibly be able to bring any of their Contrivances to maturity Richard Strange once Provincial of the Jesuites took the care of a Fact so worthy the Order of Jesus upon himself To which purpose having made Gray Pennington Barton all three Jesuites and others privy to his Criminal Intentions they all met together at a public House call'd the Green Dragon near Puddle Dock kept by one West a Taylor There after several Consultations they agreed to have done their work in February 1664. but not having assistance sufficient nor materials enow ready for Execution they desisted for that time In January 1666. they again renewed their meetings at the same West's House and under the pretence of being Fifth Monarchy Men they first inveagled one Green into their Society and with a bait of 30 l. wherewith they furnish'd him for his present Necessities soon caught the hungry Fish Green thus deluded by their Charity and their Canting joyn'd with them in their design both for Firing the City and Murdering the King and in farther gratitude for their kindness brought into their acquaintance eight more of the same Gang who as they were a hotheaded and inconsiderate sort of Cattel soon closed with a Combination so sutable to their own Natures and were no less zealous in the business then the Jesuites themselves Upon this they were all eager to have gone to work in February following before the Return of the Inhabitants to London But Green opposed that Resolution representing to the Jesuites that then they should be the sooner discover'd in regard that the greater the Uproar was the safer they should be More then this he put them in mind That the King would not then be much in Town if at all who as Green at that time adviz'd was to be cut off when the people were all in Consternation and hurrey by reason of the Fire This advice pleased the subitle Jesuites well and for those reasons the business was delay'd Soon after Green and the rest of the Cabal were suspected by their Host the forenamed West and forwarn'd his House Upon this the wary Jesuites like Foxes fled immediately to their Holes and Earth'd themselves at St. Omers leaving their poor deluded Fifth Monarchy Brethren to suffer the deserved Punishment of their rash Zeal For those Fifth Monarchy Bigots being all taken the next Sessions were indicted at the Old Baily by the Names of John Rathbones William Saunders Henry Tucker Thomas Flint Thomas Evans John Miles William Westcott and John Cole for Conspiring the Death of his Majesty and the overthrow of the Government having lay'd their Plot for surprizal of the Tower killing the Lord General Monk Sir John Robinson and Sir Richard Brown and then to have declar'd for an equal division of Lands The better to effect which the City was to have been fir'd the Portcullices to have been let down to keep out assistance and the Horse guards to have been surpriz'd several Officers having been gain'd for that purpose Of all this they were found guilty and soon after Executed all but Green who dy'd in prison before he came to his Tryal All which nothing grieved the Jesuites believing that now whatever mischief happn'd afterwards the burthen of the Crime would be laid upon the Fanaticks As to the Fathers that brought them into those noozes the poor condemned Hotspurs never mentioned a word concerning them neither knowing their Names nor suspecting them to have been Jesuites but of their own Faction and therefore the more chary of detecting them Upon notice therefore given to Strange by Fitzgerald an Irish Jesuite and one Neal of White happel that the Fifth Monarchy Cullies were all safe out of this World without the least Information given or notice taken of their Names or Persons Strange and his Companions returned in June following and fell again to their employment which had been in some measure managed by their Associates in their absence To be short they got fifty or sixty Irish to ply the Work and were also in fee with several French Men who were faithful in the business to speak the Phrase of Strange himself All things being ready and the places pitch'd upon Strange in August 1666. removed his Quarters and lay at a House in Fenchurch Street by the Name of Wâ—lker Pennington and Barton lodg'd at an Apothecaries in Shoo Lane Gray and Fitzgerard took up their Querters in White Chappel at the House of Neal beforenamed who was to manage the Fire from Thames Street to the Tower Just at the Time prefix'd one Pie-de-loup and Hubert both French Men and Companions came to an Alehouse in Pudding Lane adjoyning to Farriner the Baker's and observing their opportunity convey'd at the end of two long poles three Fire-balls first lighted with Matches through a hole in the Wall into Farriner's House not stirring till the Room was in a Flame This was the Confession of Hubert himself and what moreover he acknowledged at his Execution For he was sometime after Try'd Condemn'd and Executed for this very fact And now the Fire being thus begun while Night and Consternation bred a general confusion the Devils Agents were no less busie in employing their Masters own Element at their several stations till it grew to such a height that I need not repeat the dismal havock which it made as being yet too fresh in Memory But as if this had not been Impietie enough for the Order of Jesus to boast of they had a sort of unsanctified Villains and Jades to the number of fourscore or fourscore and six who made it their business to Plunder Steal and carry away the Goods of the Miserable in the height of their distraction for which purpose the Holy Order had their Warehouses and receptacles of Stollen Goods in Wild Street besides what they concealed in Somerset House so that they got by the Fire of London above 14000 l. Among the rest they carried off a Casquet of Diamond Stones which was sold by the same Jesuites in Flanders for 3500 l. Sterling It is also ascertain'd from the Mouth of Strange himself that there were spent in this Destruction of theirs above Seven hundred of those little Hand Granado's which they flung into Houses and call'd by way of Joke and Secrecy Tewksbury Mustard-Balls now better known by the name of Jesuites Fire-Balls The next considerable Fire was that in Southwark which happened in the Year 1676. This Fire was begun by one John Groves who had several Fire Works made for that purpose and three Irish Men that were his Assistants so prosperous in their Villany that they set an Oyl shop near Saint Margarets Hill on Fire For which noble Act the said Groves had 400 l. and the three Irish Men 200 l. a piece paid them by the Jesuites here in London that set them on Work However the Jesuites were no losers by the Bargain for by the Dexterity of their plundering Emissaries they got
soliciting suborning and endeavouring to perswade Mr. William Bedlow to lessen stifle and omit to give in evidence the full truth according to his knowledge against the Lord Powis Lord Stafford Lord Peter and Sir Henry Tichborn but to give such evidence as he the said Reading should direct as also for giving the said Mr. Bedlow fifty Guineys in hand and promising him greater rewards for the ends and purposes aforesaid The Jury were Sir John Cutler Joshuah Galliard Edward Wilford Thomas Henslow Thomas Earsby John Searle Esquires Thomas Casse Rainsford Waterhouse Matthew Bateman Walter Moyle Richard Paget and John Haynes Esquires Mr. Reading at first challeng'd Sir John Cutler as being in the Commission of Peace and labour'd very much to have his challenge made good But his Challenge was over-rul'd by the Court first in regard that Sir John was not in the particular Commission then sitting and secondly for that he could not challenge him peremptorily the Indictment not endangering his life as it might have been laid but only for a Misdemeanour Thereupon the Court proceeded and First in point of Evidence Mr. Bedlow swore that he began with him as a friendly adviser admonishing him to be cautious and not to run at the whole Herd of Men. That he would make the Parliament his friends by proving the Plot the King his friend in not charging all the Lords and the Lords his friends by being kind to them That the persons he most sollicited for were the Lords Powis Petre and Stafford Sir Henry Tichborn Mr. Roper Mr. Caryl and Corker a Jesuite That he should have Money and an Estate by the negotiation of the Prisoner at the Bar to shorten the Evidence and bring them off from the charge of High Treason That he and Mr. Reading had several Consultations about this matter That the Prisoner in assurance of his reward told him he had order to draw blank deeds to be sign'd in ten days after the discharge of those for whom the sollicitation was made That Reading Mr. Bedlow had a private Consultation at what time Mr. Bedlow was to pen his Testimony as Mr. Reading should direct him for the mitigation of the Evidence That when that Paper was finish'd the Prisoner carry'd it to the Lords to consider of it and that after they had consider'd of it and mended it as they pleas'd Reading return'd with the emendations written with his own hand and deliver'd them to Mr. Bedlow in the Painted Chamber who held them so behind him that Mr. Speake as it was agreed walking after him came and took them out of his hand And that two Witnesses more being privately conceal'd by Mr. Bedlow in his own chamber overheard the main of the Consultation and overture of Mr. Reading After this the Paper was produc'd which contain'd the short and tender Evidence that Mr. Bedlow was to give according to the Correction of the Lords and read in open Court all under Readings own hand Which done Mr. Speake was sworn and depos'd that being privately conceal'd in Mr. Bedlow's Chamber he over-heard Mr. Bedlow's and Mr. Reading's Negotiation together That Mr. Bedlow ask'd Mr. Reading what the Lords said to the business and what my Lord Stafford said to the Estate in Glocestershire To which Mr. Reading made answer that the Lord Stafford had faithfully promis'd him to settle that Estate upon Mr. Bedlow and that he had Orders from that Lord to draw up a blank Deed in order to the settlement which the said Lord had engag'd to sign and seal within ten days after he should be discharg'd by Mr. Bedlow's contracting of his Evidence That Mr. Reading added That the Lords Powis and Peter and Sir Henry Tichborn had faithfully engag'd and promis'd to give Mr. Bedlow a very fair and noble reward which should be suitable to the service he should do them in bringing them off from the Charge of High Treason To which when Mr. Bedlow reply'd that he would not rely upon their promises only but expected to have something under their hands Mr. Reading reply'd That they did not think it convenient so to do as yet but that Mr. Bedlow might take his word as he had done theirs adding withal for a further confirmation That he would engage his life for the performance With much other discourse all tending to the same effect The third Evidence which was Mr. Bedlows man and was conceal'd in the Chamber to the same intent as the former witness was gave the same Evidence upon oath as to what had been discours'd of in the Chamber between his Master and the Prisoner without any thing of material alteration of the words themselves which therefore need no repetition The defence of the Prisoner was very weak more especially considering that he was a man of the Gown No more indeed than what after a tedious multiplying of words amounted to the Confession of the whole Charge For he could not deny but that he did carry the Kings Evidence to the Lords in the Tower but that it was purely out of Conscience to prevent the shedding of innocent blood The other part of his Evidence consisted in bespattering the witnesses for which he was so often corrected by the Court that it betrayed in him more of presumption than Law Therefore the Jury so little believ'd him that after a very short absence from the Bar they brought him in Guilty upon which the Court proceeded to Sentence which was That he should be fin'd a thousand pound That he should be imprison'd for the space of one whole year and be set in the Pillory for the space of one hour in the Palace-yard at Westminster Thereupon in order to the Judgement of the Court he was set in the Pillory on the Munday after his Tryal And as the Court were so kind as not to endite him for his life so they were careful to give the Sheriff a particular Charge of his Person lest the rage of the People understanding his Crime should have depriv'd him of what the mercy of the Law had granted him with so much favour May 1679. If Doctor Oates may be believ'd whom we have not found yet to fail he tells us that the Jesuites had sent several Emissaries of their own to foment the discontents and rebellious fermentations of the people of Scotland The mischief was laid upon the Presbyterians whether it were so or no God knows but the effect and consequence was dire nothing but Papistical murther which it is to be fear'd will come to be the Character of that Religion In England no less a sacrifice would serve them than a King though Heaven detested their oblation In Scotland there was no King and therefore they resolv'd to cut off the Primate of the Church A strange doctrine to preach that there could be no greater gift made to Jesus Christ than to send the Arch-bishop of St. Andrews head in a Silver Box to the King And yet this doctrine prevail'd with one James Mitchel to