Committee and to desire their farther Examination of Blackhead upon these Particulars Accordingly on Munday Iune the 13th I went and attended the meeting of the Lords that Morning in the usual place When there was a full Committee I sent to them by a Clerk of the Council intreating that I might have a short Audience After some time I was introduced There were present besides most of the Lords before-mentioned three others whom I had not seen there since my first Appearance before them the Marquiss of Carmarthen Lord President the Lord Godolphin and Sir Iohn Lowther When I came into the Room and was just going to propose the Business that brought me thither My Lord Nottingham prevented me and said My Lord Do you know that Person there Pointing to a Man who stood behind the Privy Consellors near the Door which leads into the public Room Bishop of R. My Lord I do not know him Earl of N. My Lord I pray observe him well Bishop of R. Upon my Credit I never saw this Man before in my Life to the utmost of my Knowledge Then the Person standing there look'd boldly upon me and said Do you not knom me my Lord Do not you remember that I officiated some Weeks at Bromley-College for Mr. Dobson in King James's Time And that I Preached in the Parish Church there once or twice Bishop of R. My Lords I solemnly affirm I do not know this Man I never saw him before I never knew that he Officiated in Bromley-College I never heard him Preach in the Church there He is a meer Stranger to me He may have serv'd for the Chaplain of that College in King Iames's Time But I was not then concern'd who Officiated there He may have Preach'd in the Church and I not have heard him For about that time I was Clerk of the Closet and was seldom or never at Bromley on Sundays by reason of my Attendance on the Princess Anne of Denmark either at Whitehalt or Windsor or Hampton-Court or Richmond The same Person presently took me up with insolent Confidence You will know me better when Captain Lawe appears I warrant you don't know Captain Lawe neither Bishop of R. My Lords if any of your Lordships please to ask me any Thing I shall answer with all Respect But I do not understand that I am bound to satisfie this sawcy Fellows Questions Yet because he has ask'd me so familiarly touching my Acquaintance with one Captain Lawe I assure you I know not any such Man in the World as Captain Lawe But my Lords by this Person 's Discourse I am induced to believe he may be the Young with whom the other Knave Blackhead pretended the last time that I held a strict Correspondence by his Means Earl of N. This Man's Name is Young Robert Young Bishop of R. Then my Lords because my Lord President and some of the other Lords were not here then I must beg leave of those that were that I may repeat what I then remembred concerning one Robert Young Whereupon I recollected the Substance of what I had said of a Letter I had received some Years since dated at Newgate from one of the same Name who pretended himself to be a Clergy-man I added It seems my Lords by his own Confession this is the very same Young But as I never saw him before he was in Newgate so I declare upon the Faith of a Christian I never saw or heard from him since that Letter However I am very glad you have him now I make no doubt but he will be found in the end such another Villain as Blackhead was proved to be on Friday last But my Lords said I the Business that brought me to wait on you now is to intreat you to take that same Blackhead into farther Examination and to inquire a little more into his Part in this Wicked Contrivance whatever it is My Lords since I went to Bromley my Servant Mr. Moore has had the good Fortune to retrieve the very Original Letter that Blackhead brought me from his Counterfeit Master Doctor Hookes Then I deliver'd the Letter at the Table and my Lord Nottingham read it aloud And to shew with what a Treacherous Insinuation and plausibility of Style it was written to draw from me an Answer under my own Hand I here set down the very Letter it self Word for Word My Lord BEing destitute of a Curate one Mr. James Curtis came to me who produced Letters dimissory bearing Date March 13th 91. and likewise Letters of Orders under your Hand and Episcopal Seal Now my Lord willing I am to employ any that your Lordship shall recommend and give him all the Incouragement imaginable but being since by his own Words suspitious that his Instruments are forg'd I have therefore on purpose sent my Man to know the Truth thereof and in order thereunto I humbly beg your Lordship to give an Account in yours by this Bearer promising for the Church of Englands Credit and likewise your Lordship's Honor that if he be an Impostor I will see him brought to condign Punishment for such his Forgery but if he be not I beg your Lordships Pardon for this Trouble occasioned by my candid Affection for your Lordship and all Clergy-men being not willing to have them impos'd upon I am your Lordship's Most Obedient Servant Robert Hookes D. D. Windgrave Apr. 6 -92 Now my Lords proceeded I I thought it would be for your Service to acquaint you That I have received from divers of my Servants a farther Account of all Blackhead's Demeanor the first second and third Time he was at my House at Bromley for he was there a third Time also which I knew not of before I went home on Friday Then I summ'd up what it has been said before my Servants were ready to depose to that purpose Concluding thus My Lords my Servants are attending without I pray that Blackhead may be brought before them Face to Face and that they may be admitted to give in upon Oath what they have to say concerning him Upon this several of the Lords said Send for Blackhead and he was sent for But before he came they call'd in Mrs Young the Wife it seems of the aforesaid Robert Young but what a kind of Wife and which of the two Wives he had at one and the same time will appear in what follows When she was come in my Lord Nottingham said to her Mary Young Whence received you this Paper Taking up a Paper that lay upon the Table Mary Young I had it from Captain Lawe Earl of N. What did he say when he gave it you Mrs. Young He bid me deliver it to my Husband Earl of N. What did he say it was Mrs. Young He said it was a Sociate or some such Word Earl of N. What! Did he deliver you a Paper of this Treasonable Nature in the manner as it is to be given to your Husband without Sealing it up or inclosing it in
since I found he had but too much Reason so to do When they had done searching in all those Rooms and in the Hall as they were going out and had taken with them what Papers they thought fit they carryed Me away in the Coach that brought them By the Way we met my Servant Mr. Moor coming from London I call'd out to him Have you any Letters for Me He gave me three or four which I deliver'd to Mr. Dyve to open Who found nothing in them but Matters of private Concernment or ordinary News And so between Ten and Eleven at Night we arrived at Whitehal and I was brought to my Lord Nottingham whom I found alone in his Office My Lord said I I am come upon your Warrant but certainly there must be some great Mistake or black Villany in this Business For I declare as in the Presence of God I am absolutely free from any just Accusation relating to the Government His Lordship told me He himself was much surprized when he heard my Name mentioned I intreated him I might be Examined that Night if any Witnesses could be produced against me He said That could not possibly be because the Lords who had the Management of such Affairs were separated and gone Home But that I was to appear before them the next Day and in the mean time all the Civility should be shewn me that could be expected by a Man in my Condition My Lord said I I hope it being so very late you will suffer me to lie at my own House at Westminster He reply'd You shall do so But you must have a Guard of Soldiers and a Messenger with you A Guard of Soldiers said I My Lord methinks is not so necessary to secure one of my Profession I should rather offer that I may have two or more Messengers to keep me tho' that may put me to greater Charges My Lord said he I for my own part would be glad if I might take your Parole But I must do what I may answer to others and therefore I pray be Content At this I acquiesced only adding My Lord here are divers Papers brought up with me which upon my Credit are but of common Importance yet because they are most of them private Talk among Friends there may be some Expressions which no Man if it were his own Case would be willing to have divulg'd and therefore I desire your Lordship will take Care they may not be shewn to the Prejudice of any He answer'd You have to do with Men of Honour And you shall have no Occasion to complain upon that Account And so I was convey'd Home to Westminster by Mr. Dyve and Mr. Knight the Messenger in the Coach with Me and a Guard attending on each side After we came to the Deanery Mr. Dyve having diligently surveyed my Lodgings and the Avenues to them left Me about Midnight with a strict Charge to the Messenger and Soldiers not to give me any unnecessary Disturbance but to watch carefully at my Bed-Chamber-Door till further Orders which they did The next Day being Sunday May the 8th Mr. Dyve came again to me about Noon to acquaint me That I was to attend the Committee of the Council that Evening by Six o' the Clock And says he My Lord I suppose you have here also at Westminster a Room where you keep the rest of your Books and Papers I told him I had Then said he I have Commission to search there likewise particularly in your Cabinet I shewed him my Library and gave him the Keys He opened all the Presses of Books and viewed particulary every Shelf and examined every Drawer in the Cabinet But finding nothing there of a late date or that might afford any the least shadow of a Trayterous Correspondence he went away without removing any one Paper thence At the time appointed I was brought by the Messenger and Guard to Whitehal where a select Number of the Lords of the Council were assembled at my Lord Nottingham's Lodgings There were present as I remember the Earl of Devonshire Lord Steward the Earl of Dorset Lord Chamberlain the Earl of Nottingham Secretary of State the Earl of Rochester the Earl of Portland the Lord Sydney Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Sir Edward Seymoâ— When I was enter'd the Room and come to the end of the Table my Lord Nottingham began But now for the greater perspicuity of the whole Proceedings and to avoid the too frequent repetition of said I or said such an one or said they I will henceforth give all the Questions and Answers and the rest of the Discourses in the Name of every Person as they spoke and by way of Dialogue Earl of Nottingham My Lord You cannot but think it must be some extraordinary Occasion which has forc'd us to send for you hither in this manner Bishop of Rochester My Lord I submit to the Necessities of State in such a Time of Jealousie and Danger as this is Earl of N. My Lord I am to ask you some Questions to which we desire your plain and true Answers Bishop of R. My Lords I assure you mine shall be such as I hope I have been always taken for a Man of Simplicity and Sincerity Earl of N. Have you Composed a Declaration for the present intended Descent of the late King James into England Bishop of R. I call GOD to Witness I have not Earl of N. Did you ever draw up any Heads or Materials for such a Declaration Bishop of R. Upon the same Solemn Asseveration I never did Earl of N. Were you ever solicited or apply'd to by any Person for the Undertaking such a Work Bishop of R. I never was Earl of N. Do you hold any Correspondencies abroad in France Bishop of R. I do not hold any Earl of N. Have you ever sign'd any Association for Restoring the late King James Bishop of R. I never sign'd any Earl of N. Do you know of any such Association Or any Persons that have subscribed one Bishop of R. Upon the Word of a Christian and a Bishop I know of no such thing nor of any Person who has subscribed any Paper of that Nature Sir Edward Seymour My Lord Bishop of Rochester We have examined the Papers that were seized in your Closet at Bromley We find nothing in them but Matters of ordinary and innocent Conversation among Friends only we have one Scruple That there are few or no Letters among them witten since Lady-day last Bishop of R. Sir I suppose there may be some of a Date since that Time in the Bundles If I had preserv'd more they would have been of the same Nature with the rest that you have that is concerning common Intelligence and the Talk of the Town not any Secrets of State or against the Government My Lords I hold no Correspondencies of that kind When I am in the Country I desire some Friend or other here to let me know how the World goes that I may
inform my self and the Neighbouring Gentlemen of the Truth of Things and prevent the spreading of false News And afterwards I file up such Letters according to their Dates as you may perceive I did these that at any time I may have a present Recourse to them to refresh my Memory in any past Transaction My Lords Those are all I thought worth keeping of this kind these two last Years And I hope the Clerk of the Council has done me the Justice to acquaint your Lordships how I was apprehended out of my House and how narrowly I my self and my Study and Lodging-Chamber and other Rooms were search'd So that it was impossible for me to have suppress'd or smother'd any one Writing from you And really I believe there was not a Note or least Scrip of Paper of any Consequence in my Possession but they had a view of it Earl of Devonshire But my Lord it is probable a Man of your Interest and Acquaintance must have received more Letters since than are here to be found We see here are many concerning Affairs that pass'd just before that time Bishop of R. My Lords A little before the Conclusion of the last Session of Parliament I obtain'd Leave of the House of Lords to retire into the Country for the Recovery of my Health During my abode there as long as the Parliament continued I was somewhat curious to learn what pass'd in both Houses and therefore as your Lordship has observ'd Letters came thicker to me about that time But when the Parliament was up very little hapning that was remarkable in that interval I was not so mindful to preserve the Letters that came to me whilst all Things both abroad and at home were rather in Preparation than Action Besides that since the Time your Lordships speak of I was twice or thrice in Town for several days together once especially upon a publick Occasion the Annual Election of Westminster School which detain'd me here about a Week And these are the True Reasons why you find so few Letters to me since the Date of Time your Lordships have mentioned Earl of N. Will it please your Lordships to ask the Bishop of Rochester any more Questions They being all silent I said My Lords I cannot imagine how it comes to pass that I should be thus suspected to be guilty of any Contrivance against the Government I think I may appeal to all that know me I am sure I may to all my Neighbours in the Country where I live that there has no Man submitted to it more peaceably and quietly than I have done ever since the Revolution and I must own I did it both upon a a Principle of Conscience and Gratitude Of Conscience Because I cannot see how the Church of England and the whole Protestant Religion can be preserv'd but upon this Constitution since an Invasion from France cannot but be destructive to Both. And of Gratitude Because as you all know I happen'd to be in the late Reign engag'd in an Affair which since I have been taught was Illegal And though I may say I stopp'd betimes and did no great hurt but hindred as much as I could whilst I Acted yet I Acted so long that I might have expected to be severely punish'd for what I did But the King 's and Queen's Part in the General Pardon was so Gracious and Benign in making it their own Act and not excluding me out of it that Their Majesties have thereby laid upon me an Obligation never to be forgotten Upon this I was bid to withdraw and about an Hour after the same Clerk of the Council was sent out to tell me The Lords had Order'd I should return to my own House and be under the same Confinement as before of a Messenger and a Guard of Soldiers And there I should shortly hear what their Lordships would determine concerning me He likewise told the Messenger and the Guards That he had a strict Command to them to use me with all Respect only to take Care that I should be safely kept and forth-coming Nor indeed had I any thing to object against their Behaviour For as Mr. Dyve demean'd himself always to me like a Gentleman and the Messenger was very Civil so the Soldiers themselves were as easie and quiet to the rest of my Family as if they had been a part of it The same Evening Mr. Dyve came home to me and brought me all my Papers telling me That the Lords had heard him read them over and having no Exception against them had sent him to return them all safe to me again Thus guarded I continued from that Day till the 18th of May under the Custody of a Messenger and of four Centinels who watched Day and Night and were relieved every Eight and forty Hours But then having heard nothing in the mean time from the Lords I wrote this Letter to the Earl of Nottingham My Lord AS I have all this while according to my Duty to their Majesties Government with Patience and Humility submitted to my Confinement under a Guard of Soldiers and a Messenger so now fearing that my longer Silence may be interpreted as a Mistrust of my Innocency I think it becomes me to make this Application to your Lordship earnestly intreating you to represent my Condition and Request to the most Honourable Board where I was examined I entirely rely on their Justice and Honor that if they find nothing real against me as God knows I am conscious to my self they cannot they would be pleased to order my Enlargement I am forced to be the more importunate with your Lordship in this Business because it is very well known in what a dangerous Condition of Health I went out of Town towards the latter end of the Session of Parliament And I find my Distemper very much increased by this close Restraint in a time when I was just entring upon a Course of Physick in the Country My Lord I am Your Lordship's most Humble and most Obedient Servant Tho. Roffen May 18. Westm. To the Right Honorable the Earl of Nottingham Principal Secretary of State This Letter was read in the Cabinet Council that Day and it had the Desired Effect for thereupon I was ordered to be discharged that Evening which accordingly was done about ten at Night by Mr. Shorter a Messenger of the Chamber coming to my House and dismissing the Messenger and taking off the Guard The next Morning being May 19th to prevent any Concourse or Congratulations usual upon such Occasions I retired early to Bromley where I remained quiet till Iune the 9th little dreaming of a worse Mischief still hanging over my Head But that Day being Thursday as I was upon the Road coming to Westminster to the Meeting of Dr. Busby's Preachers who assemble once a Term at my House there I was stopt by a Gentleman that brought me this Letter from my Lord Nottingham White-Hall Iune 8. 92. My Lord I Must desire your
Lordship to be at my Office on Friday Morning by Ten of the Clock I am Your Lordships Most Humble Servant Nottingham For the Right Reverend the Lord Biship of Rochester at Bromley I asked the Bearer whether he had any farther Orders concerning me He answered No But was forthwith to return I desired him to acquaint his Lord that I was now going to Town upon other Business but that I would presently wait on him at White-Hall Accordingly from Lambeth I went to his Office When my Lord came to me I told him that having met his Lordship's Letter accidentally in my Way to Westminster I thought it best to come presently to know his Pleasure Earl of N. My Lord There is a Mistake I gave you Notice to be here to morrow Morning And that is the Time you are appointed to appear before the Committee of the Council Bishop of R. However My Lord being in Town occasionally I thought it became me to present my self to you as soon as I could And I now make it my Request If your Lordships have any thing farther to say to me I may be convened before you this Day Earl of N. I fear you cannot be so for there is much Business to be this Afternoon both at the great Council and the Committee But I will send you Word to the Deanery if you can be called this Evening In the mean time you have your full Liberty to go where you please Thus I went home but having no Notice from my Lord that Night the next Day being Iune the 10th about Ten of the Clock I came to his Lordship's Office where were met the same Lords as before only I think the Earl of Portland was not there and the Earl of Pembroke Lord Privy Seal was When I was call'd in besides the Privy Councillors that sat about the Table there was standing against the Wall a very ill-favour'd Man who afterwards prov'd to be Blackhead with whom I strait perceiv'd I was sent for to be confronted For as soon as I was in the Room my Lord Nottingham said My Lord Do you know that Person Bishop of R. My Lord I have seen this Man's Face but I cannot immediately recollect where Earl of N. I pray view him well Has he never brought you any Letters from one Mr. Young Bishop of R. I do call to mind he has brought me a Letter I cannot in a moment remember from whom it was Earl of N. He says it was from one Young Bishop of R. I think it was at my House at Bromley that he delivered it me but I verily believe it was not from any of the Name of Young Blackhead I was with the Bishop of Rochester at Bromley I brought him a Letter from Mr. Young and I received an Answer to Mr. Young back again from the Bishop Thus far during the beginning of this Examination I stood with my Face against the Window and my Eyes being so very tender and feeble as they are I had not a perfect View of Blackhead but he so confidently affirming That he had of late carried Letters between me and one Young I changed my Station and got the Light on my Back and then immediately having a true Sight of his very remarkable Countenance and Habit and whole Person and being also much assisted by his Voice which is very loud and rude I did by Gods Blessing perfectly call him to mind and said Now my Lords by the Advantage of this Light I do exactly remember this Fellow and part of his Business with me at Bromley What he says of Young cannot be true I know not for what purpose he affirms this but upon my Reputation it is utterly false that he ever brought me a Letter from one Young Earl of N. My Lord He says particularly it was upon a Fast-day Bishop of R. My Lords I do remember this Fellow was with me at Bromley on a Fast-Day By the same Token I told him he should stay till after Evening-Prayers and must expect only a fasting kind of Meal But then I would return an Answer to his Business Blackhead It was upon a Fast-day I did eat with the Bishop's Servants and I received an Answer from his own Hand to the Letter I brought him from Mr. Young Bishop of R. My Lords This that he says of Young is a wicked Lye All my Correspondencies are so innocent as I hope your Lordships can testifie that if I had received a Letter from any Mr. Young I should have no reason so positively to deny it I beseech you examine this Fellow throughly and I doubt not but you will discover some impudent Knavery I stand to it I am sure there is no Person whose Name is Young with whom I have of late years maintained any Intercourse by Letters Earl of Devonshire My Lord Is there no Person of the Name of Young a Clergy-man with whom you are acquainted Bishop of R. Oh! My Lord There are two excellent Persons of the Name of Young both Clergy-men to whom I have the good Fortune to be very well known The one was your Brother Ossery's Chaplain and is now Prebendary of Winchester the other was Canon of Windsor when I was a Member of that Church and is there still But I suppose neither of these are the Youngs whose Correspondence this Man objects to me I should take it for an Honor to Correspond with them But in Truth it has so happen'd that I have neither written too nor receiv'd one Letter from either of them these many Years to the best of my Knowledge Blackhead The Bishop if he please may remember it was Robert Young from whom I brought him a Letter Earl of N. How long ago say you it was Blackhead It was about two Months ago Bishop of R. I have indeed my Lords some obscure Remembrance that some Years ago there was one writ to me out of Newgate under the Name of Robert Young pretending to be a Clergy-Man and I recal something of the Contents of his Letter It was to tell me That He and his Wife lay in Prison there upon a False Accusation of which he hoped they should be speedily clear'd In the mean time he desired me to recollect that he had Officiated some Weeks for the Chaplain at Bromley-College and had Preach'd once or twice in the Parish-Church there He intreated me to give him a Certificate of this because it would stand him in much stead in order to his Iustification And withal that I would send him something out of my Charity for his and his Wifes Relief in their great Distress This my Lords I dare say was the whole Substance of that Letter and this was two or three Years ago at least To that Letter I am sure I made no Reply in Writing Only having not the least Remembrance of him my self I inquir'd in the Neighborhood and among the Widows in the College intending to have sent him some Alms suitable to his Condition and mine had
I found him worthy But upon inquiry I received from all Hands so very ill a Character both of this Young and his Wife that I resolv'd to give him no Answer at all and I have never heard any thing more of him to this Day But now I beseech your Lordships to give me leave to speak to this Person my self And they intimating I should do as I thought best I said to him I Conjure you in the Presence of these Noble Lords and especially of the Great LORD of Heaven and Earth that you will declare the Truth of what I am going to ask you When you came to my House at Bromley upon a Fast-Day it was I think the first Fast of this Year Did not you desire to speak with me as having a Letter for me When I came to you into my Hall Did not you first kneel down and ask me Blessing Did you not then deliver me a Letter affirming it was from a Country-Minister a Doctor of Divinity Did not you tell me You were his Servant or Bayliff And that your Master had sent you on purpose many Miles to receive an Answer your self to that Letter from my own Hand Blackhead I never brought a Letter to the Bishop of Rochester from a Country Minister I know no such Doctor of Divinity Nor ever was Servant to any I only brought a Letter to the Bishop from Mr. Young Bishop of R. My Lords What I say is most certainly true This Man had never any other Business with me but in relation to that Letter pretended by him for now I find it was but a pretence to be written to me by an Eminent Country Divine in Buckinghamshire a Person of a Considerable Estate as he told me My Lords I cannot yet call to Mind the Doctor 's Name But the Business of the Letter I am in great part Master of and it was to this purpose That there was a Person naming him who had apply'd to him to be his Curate but that he had Reason to suspect he had Counterfeited my Hand and Seal for Holy Orders Therefore he desired me to send him Word under my own Hand by the Bearer his Man Whether I had Ordain'd such a One in such or such Years That if I had he would Encourage and Entertain hâ—m if not he would take care he should be punish'd for his Forgery Now My Lords upon the receipt of so Friendly a Letter by this very Messenger I bid him stay a little and I would give his Master Satisfaction out of my Books Whether I had Ordain'd any Man of that Name which I thought I had not Accordingly my Secretary and I did severally turn over all my Papers relating to such Affairs as carefully as we could and finding no such Mans Name in them in which we could not be easily deceiv'd because I keep Methodically as no doubt every Bishop does all Recommendations Subscriptions Testimonials and Titles of those I admit into Orders I wrote the supposed Author of the Letter as civil an Answer as his seemed to deserve That I was extreamly pleased and thankful that a meer Stranger to me should be so careful of my Reputation That my Secretary and I had diligently examin'd all the Books where such Things are Recorded And I could assure him I never had Ordain'd any such Person either Priest or Deacon within the space limited in his Letter or at any other time That I should look upon it as a signal Service done to the Church in general and a special Favour to me in particular if he would as he promised cause the Counterfeit to be apprehended so that the Course of Law might pass upon him This Letter my Lords all Written with my own Hand I delivered to the Person here present And he went away with it asking me Blessing again upon his Knees and promising I should speedily be made acquainted with the Success Earl of Devonshire I pray My Lord how was the Letter Superscrib'd you sent back by this Man Bishop of R. My Lord It was to the same Person with the same Superscription as he Subscrib'd himself and directed to the same Place where he said he was Minister tho' the Name of Place or Minister I cannot yet recover But let that Letter of mine be produced and it will put an end to this whole Controversie Blackhead The Letter I receiv'd from the Bishop was Superscrib'd to Mr. Young and to no other Bishop of R. My Lords This is a Horrid Falshood I well remember now this Fellow was at my House a second time some Weeks after the first When he came I was in the Garden with some Gentlemen my Neighbours where first asking me Blessing he told me His Master the Doctor had taken up the Person who had Forg'd my Orders That the Man stood upon his Vindication but that his Master was bringing hint up to London and then I should hear farther from him Adding That his Master was a Man of such a Spirit and such a plentiful Estate that whenever he suspected a Man to be a Rogue or a Cheat he would spare no Pains to discover him nor think any cost too much to get him punish'd These my Lords I well remember were the Knaves very Words And I hope your Lordships will likewise deal with him in the same manner I took this second Message still more kindly and order'd my Servants to entertain the Messenger very civilly Blackhead I brought no such Message All my Business with the Bishop was from Mr. Young which I suppose was of another Nature Bishop of R. What I say is so true that I am confident several of my Servants do remember the Particulars For this Man stuck not to Declare his Business before them all very much Magnifying his Master and his House-keeping and Vapouring what an Example he would make of the Counterfeit Priest without putting me to any Trouble or Expence Earl of Devonshire Has your Lordship none of those Servants near at hand Bishop of R. My Lord some of them are in Town and one my Secretary Mr. Moore by an accidental good Fortune came hither with me He was without when I was called in I doubt not but he will satisfie your Lordships what was this Man's Errand to me He is a young Man of Great Honesty and I believe would not tell a Lye to save my Life I am sure I would not have him Whilst they were calling in Mr. Moore I added My Lords I appeal to the Great God of Heaven to judge between me and this Wretch touching the Truth or Falshood of what we say and to deal with us both accordingly at the last Day of Judgment And I dare also appeal to your Lordships to judge between us by what appears to you For did you ever see greater Villany and Consciousness of Guilt in any Man's Countenance than in his By this time Mr. Moore being come in I said Moore Apply your self to My Lord Nottingham I charge you Do
not for any Consideration of me speak any Thing which you cannot justifie for Truth Earl of N. Mr. Moore Do you know that Person there Pointing to Blackhead Mr. Moore My Lord I do know him so far that I have seen him once or twice at my Lords House at Bromley Earl of N. What Business had he at Bromley Mr. M. The first Time he brought a Letter to my Lord. Earl of N. From whom Mr. M. My Lord It was from a Country Minister in Buckinghamshire a Doctor of Divinity as he wrote himself his Name was Hooke Bishop of R. My Lords I now very well remember that was the Name Hooke or something very near it There may be the Difference of a Letter I will not stand upon that or can it be expected I or my Servant should be positive as to every Letter of a Name in so sudden a Question Earl of N. Mr. Moore What was the Business of that Letter Mr. M. My Lord it was concerning one that offered himself to be the Doctor 's Curate whom he suspected to have Counterfeited my Lord's Letters of Orders The Doctor desired my Lord to look into his Books whether he had Ordain'd any such Person My Lord and I did thereupon search all the Places where the Memorials of such Affairs are kept and we found no such Name and so my Lord himself wrote back to the Doctor by this very Man that stands here Earl of N. Mr. Moore Will you take your Oath of all this Mr. M. I am ready to take my Oath of it if you please to give it me Earl of N. What say you Blackhead You see here is a young Man the Bishop's Secretary comes in by chance and confirms punctually what the Bishop had said before concerning your Message to his Lord And he offers to take his Oath of it If you did bring a Letter from one Doctor Hooke Why do you not confess it It can do you no hurt Blackhead I know of no such Divine as Doctor Hooke nor any Thing concerning one that Counterfeited the Bishops Orders The Letter I brought was from Mr. Young Mr. M. My Lord This Fellow cannot but know that what he says is shamefully false I assure you I have the Original Letter at home to produce And doubt not but divers of my Lords Servants remember him and his Business as well as I do For he was a second Time at Bromley some Weeks after Earl of N. What was his Business then Mr. M. He said He came to acquaint my Lord That his Master Doctor Hooke had seized on the Person who had forg'd his Orders My Lord ask'd him Whether he had also seiz'd the False Instrument And if he had desired it might be transmitted to him This Man answered He believed his Master had got it That he was coming up to London and bringing the Cheat with him and had been there sooner had he not sprain'd or hurt his Leg But when he was come the Doctor would give my Lord Notice or himself wait upon him My Lord was much pleased with this second Message and gave Orders to have the Bringer of it well used He was so and freely discoursed with the Butler and the other Servants touching his Business there So that I am verily perswaded several of them remember all these Circumstances of it and perhaps more than I do Upon this Blackhead being again urg'd by the Lords with so plain a Testimony perfectly agreeing with what I had said and he still persevering obstinately to deny every part of it I and Mr. Moore were ordered to withdraw Blackhead staying behind As I was going out I said My Lords I cannot comprehend to what purpose this Fellow persists in this Lye I am sure he can never prove that I have injured the Government in Word or Deed or Writing Then I could not but again observe to the Lords what visible Marks of Falshood and Treachery there were in Blackhead's Face For indeed all the while he look'd as if he would have sunk into the Ground Tho' as I was told afterwards before I came into the Room he had appear'd very brisk and bold and full of Talk But upon my first coming in his Complexion which was naturally very sallow turn'd much paler and darker and he was almost Speechless saying nothing to any purpose more than what he thought was necessary to keep him firm to the main Lye That he had brought me a Letter from one Young and no other But after my being withdrawn about half an Hour I was called in again and Blackhead sent forth Earl of N. Now my Lord the Business is out the Fellow has confess'd he brought the Letter to you Written not in the Name of Young but as from one Doctor Hookes Hookes was the Name not Hooke your Lordship was in the right in saying you would not stand upon a Letter Bishop of R. My Lords I could not trust my Memory so far as to a Letter But one Thing I was sure of That was the only Letter this Rascal ever brought me and it was not from any whose Name was Young Earl of N. Well that Business is over he has confess'd it and now my Lord Pray take a Chair and sit down Earl of Devonshire Pray my Lord sit down Bishop of R. No my Lords I desire you to excuse me Earl of N. My Lord we have some few Questions to ask you and therefore pray repose your self Bishop of R. If you please to permit me I had rather answer what your Lordships have farther to say standing thus as I am at the Table Earl of N. Then my Lord we shall ask you Have you ever written to the Earl of Marleborough within these Three Months Bishop of R. I think I may safely affirm I never writ to my Lord Marleborough in my Life But I am certain and upon the Faith of a Bishop I declare I have not written one Word to him these Three Months Earl of N. Have you received any Letter from my Lord Marleborough within these three Months Bishop of R. I protest solemnly I have not received any Earl of N. Have you received any Written or Printed Papers from my Lord Marleborough within that space of Time Bishop of R. As in the Presence of God I declare I have not My Lords I have had some Acquaintance with my Lord Marleborough both in King Iames's Court and in the Parliaments since but I cannot call to mind that ever I wrote to him or he to me Earl of N. Then I think my Lords we have nothing more to do but to wish my Lord Bishop a good Iourney to Bromley With that they all rose up and saluted me testifying their great Satisfaction that I had so well cleared my self confounded my Adversary More especially Two Noble Lords of the Company to whom I said I would now particularly Appeal gave me an Ample Testimony of their belief of my Innocency in this Accusation and of my Dutiful Disposition
to the Government My Lord Nottingham then told me in the Name of all the rest They had no farther Trouble to give me I intreated them to suffer me to add a few Words They permitting me I said My Lords I heartily thank you for Confronting me with this Fellow else I could not so well have made out my Innocency But I might still have lain Under a Suspicion whereof I had not known the least Ground Had this been a Tryal for my Life I should have been glad to have such Honourable Persons for my Judges But now I have much more Reason to bless GOD that you have been my Compurgators That you are Witnesses as well as Judges of the Detection of this Villany against me whereof I must acknowledge as yet I do not fathom the bottom Wherefore I must intreat That I may put my self under your Protection for the future For although this Fountain of Wickedness has been now stopt in this Particular as to my self yet it seems to run under Ground still And unless special Care be taken it may break forth again in some other Place on some other Occasion to the Ruine if not of Me yet of some other Innocent Person Earl of Devonshire No My Lord You need never fear this Fountain can break forth any more to do you or any other good Man any Prejudice He having been so palpably Convicted of Knavery and Lying Bishop of R. My Lords I hope so As for my Self I take my own Innocency to be abundantly Vindicated by this your general Declaration in my Favour I make no question but your Lordships will next Vindicate your Selves and the Justice of the Government by bringing this Wicked Man to Condign Punishment and by examining the main Drift of his Design and who have been his Accomplices They all assuring me I might relie upon them for it I withdrew All this while I had not the least Conjecture or Imagination who this Young should be with whom Blackhead pretended I held so close a Correspondence But my next Appearance before the Committee of the Council will clear up what remains of the whole Wicked Mystery In the mean time returning Home that Evening to Bromley I presently met with a plentiful Concurrence of Evidence from most of my Servants of their Discourse with Blackhead and their Knowledge of his Business in reference to Dr. Hookes Letter First The Butler Thomas Warren told me That according to my Order to use him kindly he had done so both times has was with us Particularly the second time he had entertain'd him with one of the Petty Canons of Windsor who came thither by chance in the Parlour next the Garden That thence he brought him down into the Cellar where Blackhead Drunk my Health with Knees almost bended to the Ground That then he earnestly desir'd him to shew him my Study saying I have heard your Lord has a very good Study of Books My Master Hookes has a very good one He often lets me go into it and I doubt not but you have the same Liberty I pray let me see his Books The Butler answer'd My Lord has but few Books here only such as he brings from time to time from Westminster for present use and they are lock'd up in Presses so that I cannot shew them if I would I pray then said Blackhead let me see the Room I hear it is a very fine one The Butler said He could not presume to do it without my leave Then said Blackhead let me see the rest of the House The Butler excus'd his not being able to do it then because there were some Ladies with his Mistress The same Request he assur'd me Blackhead repeated almost twenty times But still he deny'd him Then Thomas Philips my Coachman and Iohn Iewel my Gardiner confirm'd most of what the Butler had said All of them agreeing that both the times he was at Bromley especially the second he had talked publickly with them of the Business he came about from his Master Dr. Hookes Enlarging much in Commendation of the said Doctor what a Worthy Man he was What Hospitality he kept And how he would never rest till he had brought to Punishment the Knave that had forged my Hand and Seal for Orders They added That after I had dismiss'd him he linger'd about in the Garden the Hall and the great Parlour a long time and was full of such Discourses Moreover the Gardiner and William Hardy the Groom and Thomas French and one or two of the other Servants who remain'd at Bromley whilst I was in the Custody at Westminster did all assure me that this Man who brought first the Letter and then the Message from Dr. Hookes had been a third time at my House whilst I was under Confinement That it was upon a Sunday which by Computation prov'd to be Whit-Sunday May 15th That they found him in the midst of the House before they knew he was enter'd He told them that passing that way he came to Condole for my Mishap and to enquire what the Matter was hoping it was not so bad as was reported at London They answer'd They knew nothing of Particulars yet doubted not but I was innocent That he then again desir'd to see the House But all the Doors were lock'd except the great Parlour which has no Lock upon it That he would have enticed them to Town to Drink with him which they refused but made him Drink there and he coming after Dinner they perswaded a Maid-Servant to provide him some Meat Which she did but unwillingly telling them she did not like the Fellows Looks That perhaps he might come to Rob or to Set the House now so few Servants were at Home That he rather looked as indeed he did like some Knavish broken Tradesman than an Honest Rich Clergy-Man's Bayliff or Steward as he also call'd himself and it has proved since that her Conjecture was true All this and more my Servants repeated to me touching Blackhead's Behaviour in my House and his Discourse concerning his Master Dr. Hookes And they offer'd to depose it all upon Oath And above all the next Day being Saturday Iune the 11th Mr. Moore coming from London immediately found the Original Letter that Blackhead had brought me from the pretended Doctor Wherefore being furnished with all these fresh Materials especially with the Letter it self and being not a little surprized to hear that the Rogue had the second time of his coming been so earnest to get into my Study or any of the other Rooms and that he had the Diabolical Malice against me to come to my House a third time on pretence of Condoling my Misfortune which I then thought it was probable had chiefly proceeded from his Malicious Perjury against me All this consider'd I resolved to go to London on Munday Morning with these Servants and to carry the Letter that he brought me as from Dr. Hookes to lay the whole Business before the Lords of the
anotheâ— Paper Mrs. Young Yes my Lord he did Earl of N. Did he tell you any of the Names to it Mrs. Young Yes He said there were the late Archbishop of Canterbury's the Bishop of Rochester's and some other Lords Names to it Earl of N. What pass'd afterwards between you about it Mrs. Young I gave it my Husband and when Captain Lawe came for it again my Husband said No These Lords whose Names are subscribed have not been so liberal in their Relief of my Wants as formerly and therefore I will make another Use of this Paper And so lock'd it up By this time Blackhead was brought in and the Woman ordered to withdraw and to be kept by her self Earl of N. Blackhead The last Time you confessed you brought the Bishop of Rochester a Letter from Robert Young under the false Name of Doctor Hookes Blackhead Yes I did Earl of N. Can you know that Letter when you see it Blackhead I cannot tell I doubt I cannot know it Earl of N. Here it is and it was given into his Hand Is that the same Letter you delivered the Bishop Blackhead I am not sure it is Earl of N. Consider it well look on the Superscription you cannot but remember that You began to be somewhat Ingenuous last Friday if you relapse it will fare the worse with you Blackhead Yes this may be the Letter This is the very same Letter Earl of N. And you received an Answer to this from the Bishop for Doctor Hookes which you carried to Robert Young Blackhead Yes I did I own it Earl of N. But What made you when you were at Bromley the second Time so earnestly to desire of the Bishop's Butler and his other Servants that you might see the Rooms in the House especially his Study Blackhead No I do not remember that I desired to see the Study The House I might out of Curiosity Earl of N. But here are some of the Bishop's Servants without who are ready to swear that you press'd very often to get a sight of his Study saying you had the Freedom at your Master Hookes to shew any Stranger his Books and you doubted not but the Butler could do the same there Blackhead I cannot deny that I did desire to see the Bishop's Study The other Rooms I am sure I did Earl of N. What Reason had you to be so importunate to see that or any of the other Rooms Had you any Paper about you that you design'd to drop or leave in any part of the Bishop's House Here Blackhead stop'd as very loath to out with it till divers of the Lords urg'd him to tell the Truth At last he went on though with much Hesitancy Blackhead Yes I must confess I had a Paper in my Pocket which I design'd to put somewhere in the House Earl of N. What did you with it Blackhead I did leave it in the Parlour next the Kitchin Earl of N. In what part of the Parlour Blackhead In the Flower-Pot in the Chimney Good Lord bless me cryed I. I seriously protest I never heard that any Paper was found there by my Servants To be sure they would have brought it me Earl of N. But my Lord it will be worth your while to send presently to Bromley to see whether there be any Paper still and what it is Bishop of R. My Lord I will send one away immediately Only my Servants are without expecting to be sworn Be pleased first to call them in and dispatch them Earl of N. Nay My Lord There is no need of their Testimony now For this Fellow has said already more than they know He has confess'd not only that he desir'd to see your House and particularly your Study but that he did it with Intention to leave a Paper somewhere in it and that he did leave one in your Parlour and in the Flower-Pot of the Chimny Bishop of R. Then my Lord I will send away forthwith Earl of N. Stay my Lord let us first Examine him a little farther Blackhead What Paper was it you left in the Bishop's Chimny in the Flower-Pot Blackhead It was the Association Earl of N. Was it this Paper here Shewing the Association that lay upon the Table Blackhead Yes it was Earl of N. How came you by it And who advised you to lodge it there Blackhead I had it from Mr. Young and he advised me to leave it in the Bishop's House as I did Earl of N. Did Young direct you to put it into the Flower-Pot in the Parlour Blackhead Yes he did and I put it there accordingly in the Flower-Pot Earl of N. But were not you a third time at the Bishop's House It was upon a Sunday which it seems was Whit-Sunday Blackhead I was Earl of N. You pretended to Condole for the Bishop's Imprisonment It is manifest that could not be your Business What was it Blackhead I was desired by Mr. Young seeing the Association was not found by those who Apprehended the Bishop to go to Bromley and try to recover it that being the Original I did so I came into the House before any of the Servants were aware I went into the Parlour unseen and took the Paper out of the same place where I had put it and deliver'd it again to Mr. Young Bishop of R. My Lords I am very much surprized at all this I cannot but admire the Wonderful Goodness of GOD in this my extraordinary Deliverance It appears by what this Fellow confesses that this Forged Association was in my House in a Flower-Pot for many Days together And that it was there at the very time I was seized on by your Lordships Order For he says he put it there the second time he was at Bromley which was a pretty while before I was in Hold And took it not out till the third time which was upon Whit-Sunday the Ninth Day after I was under Confinement And by a strange and marvellous Providence that Parlour where he says it lay so long in the Chimney was never search'd or inquir'd after by the Clerk of the Council or the Messenger The other part of the House on the Left-Hand of the Hall where my Study is and Bed-Chamber above Stairs and a Parlour and Drawing-Room below all these they searched very accurately Particularly I well remember the Messenger thrust his Hand into the Flower-Pots in every Chimney Which seem'd very odd to me then But I now understand the meaning of it At this my Lord Sydney my Lord Nottingham my Lord Devonshire and some others of the Council affirm'd That they perfectly remember'd both Blackhead and Young did especially direct them to give Order to those who should be sent to take me to search all the Flower-Pots By this time it was thought seasonable by the Lords to confront Blackhead with Young But in the mean while the Counterfeit Association being handed about the Table was at length deliver'd to me It was to this purpose as much of it as
by a transient View I could carry away in my Memory That We whose Names were surbsribed should solemnly promise in the Presence of GOD to Contribute our utmost Assistance towards King JAMES ' s Recovery of His Kingdoms That to this end We would have ready to meet Him at His Landing Thirty Thousand Men well Arm'd That we would seize upon the Person of the Princess of Orange Dead or Alive And take Care that some strong Garison should be forthwith deliver'd into His Hands And furnish Him with a Considerable Sum of Money for the support of His Army or to this sense March 20. 9â— And the Forged Subscriptions were as I remember after this manner Marleborourgh Salisbury W. Cant. Tho. Roffen Cornbury Iohn Wilcoxe Basil Firebrace Now upon the first sight of this Paper I presently said I protest my Lords I am very much amazed to see my Hand so well Counterfeited All the difference is they have done me the favour to write it finer that I can Otherwise I acknowledge it is so like that I verily believe I my self had I seen it in another place should have been apt to doubt whether it were of my Writing or no. I am confident it might upon the first Blush deceive the best Friends I have But my Lords here is another innocent Person 's Name whose Hand I know very well And I dare venture to say it is even better forg'd than mine I mean Archbishop Sancroft's Lord Godolphin My Lords I am very well acquainted with Archbishop Sancroft's Hand And really it is here most exactly counterfeited Moreover my Lord Godolphin my Lord Sydney and others said That the Earl of Marlborough's Hand had been so well feigned in a Letter pretended to be written to Young himself that it was very difficult for his most intimate Friends to observe any Distinction And in that Letter the Bishop of Rochester was said to have the Paper in his keeping which appears now to have been meant of the False Association's being in my Custody Nay my Lord Sydney assur'd me these very Impostors had brought him a Letter supposed also to be Written by me to Young which being but of ordinary Matters he thought not worth the keeping but he well remembred the Subscription of my Name was very like this in the Association as well indeed it might By this time Young being come into the Room my Lord Nottingham spoke to him Young Look upon that Letter shewing him his own to me under the Name of Doctor Hookes Do you know that Hand Young No I don't know it Earl of N. Did not you send that Letter to the Bishop of Rochester by Blackhead Young No I know no Hookes I never writ to the Bishop of Rochester but in my own Name with my own Hand Earl of N. What say you Blackhead Blackhead I did receive that very Letter from Mr. Young 's own Hand and deliver'd it to the Bishop of Rochester with nine Earl of N. Taking up the Association and shewing it to Young Did not you give this Paper to Blackhead and order him to put it into a Chimney in the Bishop of Rochester's House and into a Flower-Pot if there were any Young No I never desir'd him to carry it thither or to put it into a Flower-Pot Earl of N. What say you Blackhead Blackhead Mr. Young did give me that Paper and directed me to leave it in the Bishop's House and if I could to put it in a Flower-Pot in some Room which I did in the Parlour Young There is no such matter I absolutely deny it Upon this the Earl of Nottingham the Lord Sydney and some others of the Counsellors ask'd Young Why then did you give us such express Directions to send and search the Flower-Pots among other Places in the Bishop's House Young I said nothing of Flower-Pots I bid you take care that the Bishop's Person should be exactly search'd because when he went abroad he carried the Association about him when he was at home he put it in some private place for fear of surprize Perhaps I might say in the Chimney The Lords replyed Nay we all well remember you particularly mentioned the Flower-Pots Earl of N. Young When you perceived that the Persons sent to seize on the Bishop had missed the Association did not you then desire Blackhead to go a third time to the Bishop's House and to take it out of the Pot where he had laid it Young No I know nothing of it Earl of N. What say you Blackhead Blackhead At Mr. Young ' s request I went to the Bishop's House a third time it was upon a Sunday I privately got into the Parlour and took the Association out of the same Flower-Pot where I had laid it and return'd it back to Mr. Young Young This is a Combination between the Bishop of Rochester and Blackhead to taffle the whole Discovery of the Plot. Which Saying of Young's could not but raise a general Smile among all the Company they lifting up their Hands with great Indignation at his unparallel'd Impudence Bishop of R. I thought my Lords the last Time I was here Blackhead was the most brazen Faced Fellow that ever I saw but now I find this same Young to be a much viler Miscreant than he This is so base a Suggestion against me and so impossible for me to be guilty of and I know your Lordships so little suspect it of me that I need not make any Answer to it in my Defence Lord President Young Thou art the strangest Creature that ever I heard of Dost thou think we could imagine that the Bishop of Rochester would combine with this thy Confederate to have an Association written with his own Hand to it and then laid in his own House in a Flower-Pot there Which if it had been found must have endangered his Life And we see it was the most remarkable good Fortune to him that almost ever hapned to any Man that it was not found there But Young still persisting that he believed I had taken Blackhead off they were both order'd to withdraw And I assure my Reader that during this whole Examination tho' Young's Forgery was so evidently Convicted by the Confession of his own Companion and Instrument yet he behaved himself with a daring unconcernd Confidence with a bold and erect Countenance though it had naturally very much of a Villain in it His whole Carriage indeed was such as became the Discipline he has undergone for these divers Years having so long been almost a constant Inhabitant together with his Wife of many of the common Gaols in England and Ireland as you shall find before I leave them But to make hast to the Conclusion of this Narration the Lord President call'd for the Letter which Young had sent to me under the Name of Hookes When his Lordship had viewed it deliberately he ask'd also for the Association and having compared them for some considerable time he broke forth in these Words Really my Lords it is a very great Providence that this Letter sent by Young under the Name of Hookes to the Bishop of Rochester was preserved by his Servant For this very Letter and the Association were both apparently Written by the same Hand you may perceive there is no manner of Difference in the Writing but only that the Letter is written in a less Hand as Letters are wont to be and the Association in a greater as a Publick Instrument At this the whole Board one after another had a perfect fight of both and all applauded the Happiness of the Discovery For it was as clear as Light to all that were present that the Letters and Words of both were of the very same Form and Figure Particularly my Lord Godolphin farther observed and made it plan to them all That the W in W. Cant. in the Subscription was the very same Letter with the W in Whereas which was the first Word of the Counterfeit Association For my Part I could not forbear Exclaiming Great is Truth and it will prevail After all this I asking the Lords Whether they had any farther Service to command me And they saying No I spoke these few Words My Lords I must always acknowledge That next the Signal Providence of God in so visibly protecting an innocent Man your Lordships fair and honorable Way of Proceeding with me in not shutting me up close in the Tower immediately upon my first Accusation but in openly Confronting me with these Varlets whil'st the Matter was fresh in my Memory and in so strictly and impartially examining them now has been the Principal Occasion that my Innocency has met with a Vindication as publick and unquestionable as I my self could have wished and prayed for But still my good Lords I do again most humbly recommend to your Lordships The Prosecution of this Black Contrivance to the Bottom for the Sake of Truth and Justice and for the Safety of every other honest Man whose Lot this might have been as well as mine I am sure your Lordships all believe that there can be no greater Service to the Government especially at this time than to have such perjured Informers so plainly discovered to be severely punished according to their Demerits And so I took my Leave of their Lordships This is the Substance of what I can remember as far as my Part goes in this Surprizing Adventure As to the Account I promised of my Wicked Accusers my Reader shall have it as fast as my weak Eyes will give me Leave to write it Tho. Roffen Aug. 1. 1692. Bromley The End of the First Part.
Imprimatur Octob. 19. 1692. Edmund Bohun A RELATION Of the Late Wicked Contrivance Of STEPHEN BLACKHEAD and ROBERT YOUNG against the Lives of several Persons by Forging an Association under their Hands Written by the Bishop of Rochester In Two Parts The First Part being a Relation of what passed at the Three Examinations of the said Bishop by a Committee of Lords of the Privy-Council The Second being an ACCOUNT of the Two above-mentioned Authors of the Forgery In the SAVOY Printed by EDWARD IONES MDCXCII A RELATION of the late Wicked Contrivance of Stephen Blackhead and Robert Young against the Lives of several Persons by Forging an Association under their Hands c. I Think it becomes me as a Duty which I owe to my Country and to the Character I have the undeserved Honor to bear in the Church to give the World some Account how my Innocency was clear'd from the late Wicked Contrivance against me In hopes that this Example of a false Plot so manifestly detected may be in some sort beneficial to the whole Nation on the like Occasions for the future However that the Enemies of the Church may have no Reason to cast any Blemish upon it from the least Suspicion of my Guilt And that this faithful Memorial may remain as a poor Monument of my own Gratitude to Almighty GOD to whose immediate Protection I cannot but attribute this extraordinary Preservation Perhaps my Reader at first view will look on this Relation as too much loaded with small Particularities such as he may judge scarce worth my remembring or his knowing But he will pardon me if I presume that nothing in this whole Affair ought to appear little or inconsiderable to me at least who was so nearly concern'd in the event of it I have therefore made no scruple to discharge my weak Memory of all it could retain of this Matter Nor have I willingly omitted any Thing though never so minute which I thought might serve â— to fix this wonderful Mercy of GOD the more on my own Mind or dâ—d any way conduce to the saving of divers other innocent Persons Lives as well as mine I cannot indeed Promise that I shall accurately repeat every Word or Expression that fell from all the Parties here mentioned Or that I shall put all down in the very same Order as it was spoken having not had the Opportunity to take Notes of every thing as it pass'd But this I will say if I shall not be able to relate all the Truth yet I will omit nothing that is Material I will as carefully as if I were upon my Oath give in all the Truth I can remember and nothing but the Truth What I Write I intend shall consist of Two Parts The First To be a Narrative of the plain Matter of Fact from my first being taken into Custody May the 7th to the time of my last Dismission Iune the 13th The Second To contain some Account of the Two Perjur'd Wretches that were pleas'd for what Reasons they know best to bring me into this Danger For the Truth of the Substance of what I shall recollect on the first Head I am bold to appeal to the Memories of those Honourable LORDS of the Council by whom I was thrice Examin'd And touching the second I have by me so many Original Papers or Copies of unquestionable Authority which I am ready to shew any Worthy Persons who shall desire the Satisfaction as are abundantly sufficient to justifie all that I shall think fit for me to say against Blackhead and Young especially against Young It was on Saturday the seventh of May of this present Year 1692 in the Evening as I was walking in the Orchard at Bromeley Meditating on something I design'd to Preach the next Day that I saw a Coach and four Horses stop at the outer Gate out of which two Persons alighted Immediately I went towards them believing they were some of my Friends coming to give me a Visit. By that time I was got to the Gate they were enter'd into the Hall But seeing me hastning to them they turn'd and met me about the middle of the Court The Chief of them perceiving me to look wistly on them as being altogether Strangers to me said My Lord Perhaps you do not know me My Name is Dyve I am Clerk of the Council and here is one of the King's Messengers I am sorry I am sent on this Errand But I am come to Arrest you upon suspicion of High Treason Sir said I I suppose you have a Warrant for so doing I pray let me see it He shew'd it me I read it and the first Name Highted on being the Earl of Nottingham's I said Sir I believe this is my Lord Nottingham's own Hand and I submit What are your Orders how to dispose of me My Lord said he I must first search your Person and demand the Keys you have about you My Keys I presently gave him He search'd my Pockets and found no Papers but some poor Notes of a Sermon and a Letter from Mr. B. Fairfax about ordinary Business Now says he My Lord I must require to see the Rooms to which these Keys belong and all the Places in the House where you have any Papers or Books I straight conducted him up Stairs into my Study This Sir said I is the only Chamber where I keep all the Books and Papers I have in the House They began to Search and with great readiness turn'd over every thing in the Room and Closets and Presses shaking every Book by the Cover opening every part of a Chest of Drawers where were many Papers particularly some Bundles of Sermons which I told them were my proper Tools And that all that knew me could Vouch for me it was not my Custom to have any Treason in them They read several of the Text and left them where they found them But in one corner of a Press which was half open they met with a great number of Letters fil'd up I assur'd them they were only Matters of usual Friendly Correspondence and most of them were of last Years date Mr. Dyve looking on some of them found them to be so and said If he had time to view them all he might perhaps see reason to leave them behind But being expressly Commanded to bring all Letters he must carry them with him I left him to do as he pleased so they seal'd them up Then they went into my Bedchamber and the Closets adjoining doing as they had done in my Study feeling about the Bed and Hangings and knocking the Wainscot in several places to see if there were any private Hole or Secret Conveyance After that they came down Stairs and search'd the Parlour and Drawing-Room on that side of the House with the like exactness In all these Rooms I observed they very carefully pryed into every part of the Chimneys the Messenger putting his Hand into every Flower-Pot Which I then somewhat smiled at But